Topic Of Choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Topic Of Choice - Essay Example It is particularly the case of US traffic situation. How serious is the problem of traffic congestion? This is a question that has almost been neglected for an enquiry. Or people are just careless about public matters in the blind pursuit of personal interests and comforts. However, as the USA Today reports, â€Å"The nations traffic problems are getting worse faster than they can be fixed — even in small cities such as Brownsville, Texas, and Pensacola, Fla.† (Traffic problems take big bite of commuters time. 2004). The problem of congestion is more severe in urban areas and factors like the design of the area, geographic features, weather, collisions and vehicle breakdowns and many such, cause this problem. There are, of course, solutions that may effectively solve this. First of all, the allotment of funds is not sufficient to take the necessary action. Even the allotted fund is not efficiently managed, i.e. it is not used on priority basis. The development of highways and transit systems is not in accordance with the problem of congestion. The capacity expansion of the existing roads and construction of new roads are of prime importance. Public transportation improvement projects would enable more productivity from the existing ones, thus working as a solution. Greater efficiency of the transportation system can help a lot in this regard. More efficient alternate systems must be aimed at, thus encouraging the public reduce the traffic congestion. The transport system needs to be better managed to make the public use more of the public transportation system rather than individual vehicles. The more the public transportation used, the lesser the traffic congestion will be. Public transportation at peak hours should be becomes the most significant reason for the traffic congestion is the increasing number of private vehicles. â€Å"So, the most important solution to the problem of traffic congestion is the

Lord Chesterfield Essay Example for Free

Lord Chesterfield Essay In a letter written to his son, Lord Chesterfield reminds him of his responsibilities that have been given to him and incites to his son of the ever crucial values that are held at a very high regard on his behalf. Lord Chesterfield hopes to steer his son back on the right path by reinstating what he considers to be the noble thing a gentleman of his son’s age should do. It is quite obvious from the letter that Lord Chesterfield is dissatisfied with the decisions his son has made while exploring his new found independence. Lord Chesterfield intends to bring reality back into his son’s view by saying, â€Å"I do not, therefore, so much as hint to you, how absolutely dependent you are upon me; that you neither have, nor can have a shilling in the world but from me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The value he is trying to show his son is responsibility and humility. His son needs to recognize that it is by his father’s hand that he is able to experience life and independence during this time and to be responsible enough to control himself and not waste this opportunity. Lord Chesterfield now prompts the importance of his son getting an education and the significance it can have on his life. In stating his opinion on education, Lord Chesterfield says, â€Å"Can there be a greater pleasure than to be universally allowed to excel those of one’s own age and manner of life? And, consequently, can there be anything more mortifying than to be excelled by them?† The use of rhetorical questions suggests the substantial amount of importance the value of education must mean to Lord Chesterfield. He hopes to prove to his son that having an education is worth so much more than the effort he is putting into it and that it will make his future easier in the business realm. The final point Lord Chesterfield intends to convey to his son is the eminence of experience. Lord Chesterfield starts off by saying, â€Å"I mean likewise to excel in the thing itself; for, in my mind, one may as well not know a thing at all, as know it but imperfectly. To know a little of anything, gives neither satisfaction nor credit; but often brings disgrace or ridicule†. Lord Chesterfield wants his son to be properly prepared for the social aspect of life. If you do not know what you’re talking about or have not experienced enough of life and you remain sheltered, then shunning and mockery may follow you wherever you go and that is what Lord Chesterfield aims to warn his son about. Lord Chesterfield’s entire purpose is to simply remind his son of his loving father’s expectations for him as a young man and also for very meaningful advice that will only better him for the future. He does not intend to teach his son new values but simply remind him of old ones that he’s been taught his whole life and the appropriate way of exploring his independence.

The symbolism of fire in literature

The symbolism of fire in literature Looking Past the Smokescreen â€Å"Fire represents many things to many people and cultures. It is recognized as a purifier, a destroyer and as the generative power of life, energy and change. It represents illumination and enlightenment, destruction and renewal, spirituality and damnation† (Varner). Throughout history, fire became a very significant element in the principle of human development because of its versatility, such as lighting, communicating, and protection from predators. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury takes the representation of fire to a whole new level. Imagine living in a world where people are not in control of their own thoughts. Imagine living in a society populated by non-readers, people with no sense of their own history, a government that has banned books. Imagine being Guy Montag, a fireman in Fahrenheit 451 who burns books for a living. In Montag’s world, firemen produce fires instead of eliminating them to destroy any works of literature, for they promote creativity and free thinking, which is a threat to the government. Set in the 24th century, in the midst of a nuclear war, this dystopian novel tells the story of a futuristic period of time when books are illegal, and the punishment for whoever holds one in possession is to have his books and house burned to ashes. While walking home from work, Montag meets a young, bright girl named Clarisse. She tells him that firemen once used to put fires out instead of starting them, which he thinks to be nonsense. Later on, Montag realizes that fire can mean much more than what he uses it for. Throughout the novel, fire is present to imply several meanings that can be made explicit by referring to destruction, warmth and beauty, and resurrection. Fire seems to have many symbols throughout the novel, but the most recognisable is destruction. At the beginning of the book, Montag is shown as a fireman that is filled with pleasure as books are burned. The very first passage in the novel states, â€Å"It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed† (Bradbury, 1). This narration by Montag expresses his love for fire and the ruin that follows. Fire is destruction, fire is power. One flame can burn a whole house down to the ground. After meeting Clarisse, she asks about his job, his marriage, why he burns books, and if he is truly happy. Being faced with these questions, Montag realizes that he is not happy with his life, and he thinks that books might contain answers for the reason of his unhappiness. Although he is an enforcer of the law of books being banned, Montag is found a lawbreaker himself. Later in the novel, Montag starts stealing a couple of books from collections he is sent to burn. He brings these books home and hides them in the furnace, secretly reading them day by day. However, his wife Mildred has a different point of view when it comes to books; she did not quiet agree with her husband’s actions. One day, Montag leaves for work, not knowing that his wife has other arrangements. While on the job, the alarm goes off, meaning another house to burn. Montag realizes that the address shown on the screen of the alarm, is his own. Once he arrives with his co-workers at their destination, he sees his wife driven away in a taxi with a suitcase. He realizes that his wife must have called in the alarm on him. Beatty, the captain of the fire department, orders Montag to burn his own house with his flamethrower. In the process of burning the house, Montag narrates, â€Å"The house fell in red coals and black ash. It bedded itself down in sleepy pink gray cinders and a smoke plume blew over it† (Bradbury, 54). At that moment , it is evident that Montag sees fire as a negative force, a destructive nature of firemen. Although Montag sees pleasure in burning in the beginning of the novel, his view of fire changes to destruction when he loses his books and home. In contrast to destruction, in the course of the novel, Montag’s opinion on fire changes once more, making him interpret fire to be beautiful and a source of warmth. It is beauty. â€Å"He hadnt known fire could look this way. He had never thought in his life that it could give as well as take. Even its smell was different† (Bradbury, 68). In his eyes, everything about fire cried beauty, from its intense colours to its dancing flames. Another way fire is expressed to be beautiful is when Beatty says, â€Å"Its real beauty is that it destroys responsibility and consequences. A problem gets too burdensome, then into the furnace with it† (Bradbury, 53). The reason to why books are burned is because the government wants its people to not worry about problems, for it is believed that with too much knowledge comes responsibilities and complications. After breaking the law, Montag runs away and finds a camp fire where he meets a man named Granger and many other intellec tuals. He realizes that the camp fire was welcoming, much different than he has always known it to be, destructive. He is surprised by his thought when he sits around the fire with the others by narrating, â€Å"It was not burning; it was warming! He saw many hands held to its warmth, hands without arms, hidden in darkness [†¦] How long he stood he did not know [†¦] He stood a long time, listening to the warm crackle of the flames† (Bradbury, 68). Through the symbol of ‘the hearth’, which is usually found in the centre of homes as a source of heat, it is revealed that fire can be warming as well. Although at the beginning of the book, Montag has a love for the destructive side of fire, by the end of his journey, he is able to see a beautiful, warming side to it. Equally important, fire gives a symbolic meaning of resurrection when referring to the Phoenix. There was a silly damn bird called a Phoenix back before Christ: every few hundred years he built a pyre and burned himself up. He must have been first cousin to Man. But every time he burnt himself up he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bradbury, 76). After the nuclear war and the bombing of the city, Granger associates mankind with the Phoenix bird that burns itself up in flames and is reborn out of its ashes. â€Å"It looks like were doing the same thing, over and over, but weve got one damn thing the Phoenix never had. We know the damn silly thing we just did. We know all the damn silly things weve done for a thousand years, and as long as we know that and always have it around where we can see it, someday well stop making the goddam funeral pyres and jumping into the middle of them. We pick up a few more people that remember, every generation (Bradbury, 76). The difference between humans and the phoenix is that humans have the ability to identify their mistakes, and are aware of not committing them over and over again. The fire brings the death of old, and the birth of new. This similarity is effective because it provides the reader with a sense of self-renewed hope for humankind. In the last section of the novel, fire is represented as the rebirth of mankind by building another society where man would embrace knowledge instead of be afraid of it. Destruction, warmth and beauty, and resurrection are three of the most noticeable representation of fire in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. At first, Montag only knows the damaging power of fire, yet gradually comes to appreciate that fire can be engaging and renewing. The author uses the symbol of fire as a destructive force by burning books and homes of characters in the novel. When Montag realizes that fire can be used for more than just destroying houses, he associates it with warmth and beauty. Last but not least, the Phoenix signifies fire because it destroys itself in flames and is then reborn, just as Montag’s world is destroyed by the nuclear weapons in order to start a new beginning. Ray Bradbury was telling us that fire impersonates the actions of the characters, and how they view fire to be a negative or a positive force. The author successfully shows the various interpretations of fire through the development of Montag’s mind, and the same fire that h ad control over Montag before, will now assist him in creating a new intellectual world. Works Cited Primary Sources: Bradbury, Ray.Fahrenheit 451. Ed. Book Club. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. http://lhsblogs.typepad.com/files/complete-text.pdf>. Secondary Sources: Varner, Gary. Fire Symbolism in Myth and Religion. AuthorsDen, 2009. Web. 12 July 2014. http://www.authorsden.com/categories/article_top.asp?catid=62id=43114>.

The Urban Legend of a Witch in Maryland Essays -- Urban Legends Ghost

The Legend of Moll Dyer: A Witch in Maryland The first time I heard this story was in Maryland. It was told by a woman in her thirties, who identified herself as being of Irish heritage, which made the story of Moll Dyer more close to her heart. She was also an anthropology major who has had contact with local folklorists in the past. This is where she first learned of the story of Moll Dyer, which she recounted to me as follows: Moll Dyer was an Irish immigrant to Saint Mary’s County, where people began to think she was a witch. When all of the children of the town became sick, the people blamed her and tried to kill her. She ran away from them and they chased her to a large rock. She placed one hand on the rock and raised the other hand towards the sky [gestures with one hand lowered, flat, as if on the rock, and the other hand raised towards the sky], praying. She froze like that and you can still see her hand print on the rock. I’ve actually seen it and put my hand in the place. It’s pretty freaky since it really does fit a human hand. It’s at the courthouse in St. Mary’s County if you want to go see it. Although most of the stories are relatively similar to this version, there are slight differences or additions. In one of the other versions collected, it is said that Moll Dyer lived in a remote cottage outside of Leonardtown in St. Mary’s County in the 1700s. This version stated that, while most of the townspeople knew nothing of her past, they believed Moll Dyer was from a wealthy family and came to this country to escape some mysterious event. This version also gave more details of the history of the townspeople’s interactions with Moll. According to this version, she was given the label of witch bec... ...parainvestigator/Maryland/Maryland.html. Maryland Ghost & Spirit Association. â€Å"Maryland Hauntings—St. Mary’s County.† Access date: 6 April 2005. 2000-2005. http://www.marylandghosts.com/locations/stmarys.php. Maryland Women’s Heritage Trail. Access date: 6 April 2005. http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/3DB5F819-6E1C-4917-8F43-5251C2D49C52/2474/MD_Heritage_41_50.pdf>. MDP. â€Å"Maryland, the old Supernatural Stomping Ground.† Access date: 6 Apr 2005. http://groups.msn.com/marylandtheoldsupernaturalstompingground/comingsoon.msnw Shoemaker, Sandy. Tobaccor to Tomcats†¦ St. Mary’s County since the Revolution. StreamLine Enterprises: Leonardtown MD. Circa 2002. http://access-somd.org/tobacco_to_tomcats/tobacco_to_tomcats.htm. United States Work Projects Administration (Md.). Records microform. Reel #23, frame 034037. 1933-43.

Jim the idiot

One of the many things we should thank God most for in this life is His amazing grace. His grace saves us from despair and ruin, it grows within us as we learn more about Him and it sustains as we go through life and Into eternity. While the Lords forgiveness shows in a variety of ways, I believe His saving, growing and sustaining grace are the three most significant demonstrations of His mercy.God willingly chose to give up his life In Heaven so that He could come down on this sinful Earth In unman form before dying a horrible death on the cross to save all those who love Him. Helping not only as a redeeming factor in our lives but in also making us acceptable to Him, God uses His saving grace to wash away our sins. God lets us know that He always has us in His hands, protecting us from harm.Without our Saviors endless compassion and mercy we would have no chance of surviving this life and spending eternity In Heaven with Him would be impossible. As we acquire more knowledge about G od, the more His grace expands in every aspect of our lives. However, in order for His grace to grow and for Him to become a bigger part in our ivies we need to humble ourselves and accept Him as our one and 11 only Lord. If we truly want to see how much mercy He has for us, we have to have a deep interest in acquiring more knowledge about God and His works.When we grow with Christ we'll experience greater Joy In the smaller, simpler things In this life as God will make Himself more apparent in them. Sustaining grace holds as God's answer to the painful circumstances in life that we go through. We need to remember that no matter what God will always love us and that He has infinite amounts of love and mercy for His children. Whatever we are owing through, God will stand 100% behind us and will always get us out safely. Even If we do not see It, His grace dwells with us forever. No temptation has overtaken you that Is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tem pted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. † 1 Corinthians 10:13 ultimately, there are many ways in which God shows us His amazing grace in our lives, and if we pay attention to the work He does around us we will definitely see throughout eternity. God's grace truly amazes me.

Rene Descartes Analytic Geometry Essays - Analytic Geometry

Rene' Descartes Analytic Geometry Essays - Analytic Geometry Rene' Descartes Analytic Geometry Analytic geometry was brought fourth by the famous French mathematician Rene' Descartes in 1637. Descartes did not start his studying and working with geometry until after he had retired out of the army and settled down. If not for Descartes great discovery then Sir Isaac Newton might not have ever invented the concept of calculus. Descartes concept let to calculus and Newton and G.W. Leibniz would not be know as well as they are today if it were not for the famous mathematician Rene' Descartes. Analytic geometry is a, branch of geometry in which points are represented with respect to a coordinate system, such as Cartesian coordinates, and in which the approach to geometric problems is primarily algebraic. (Analytic Geometry) Analytic geometry is used to find distances, slopes, midpoints, and many many other things using special equations and formulas to determine what a person is looking for. Analytic geometry concentrates very much on algebra, generally, it is taught to students in algebra classes and becomes very helpful when being used in geometry. It is not very often when geometry is taught not using the algebra to solve the problems, unless proving statements, analytic geometry is used most often when speaking of geometry, it is the guidelines of geometry. It is a set way to find out answers to problems. There are many simple formulas to analytic geometry, but some of them get very complex and difficult. Analytic geometry is not only used in math, it is very common to see it being used in any kind of science, logic, and any other mathematical subjects. There are formulas in this form of mathematics in which the volume of a gas is measured, and other formulas along those lines (Encyclopedia.com). Some formulas and equations of analytic geometry are: The midpoint formula- (change in x/2, change in y/2) Distance formula- square root of (change in x) squared -(change in y) squared Formula for slope- (Change in y)/(Change in x) Formula for a line- y=mx+b where m is the slope of the line and b is the y intercept. Equation of a line- ax+by+c=0 (Fuller, Gordon) To find perpendicular lines you take to slope of each line and multiply them together, if the result is one then the lines are said to be perpendicular. To find parallel lines the Slope must be exactly the same. These are just some simple facts about analytic geometry, it actually can get very complicated. When finding out about parabolas and ellipse's it gets difficult, there are many difficult and extended formulas in analytic geometry (Fuller, Gordon 7, 12, 18). Obviously these are just a few examples and analytic geometry goes on much further than what you see in these formulas. There are so many geometric formulas and theorems that they are almost impossible to put in a list. Analytic geometry has been combined with many other branches of geometry, now there are some things that are hard to decide wheater to label them algebraic or otherwise. Analytic geometry is broken up into two sections, finding an equation to match points and finding points to match equations. (Geometry) There are many other kinds of geometry such as demonstrative geometry that involves measuring fields and right angles. The early Egyptians developed this kind of geometry when building. There is descriptive geometry that involves using shapes that do not change when moved, they are definite, defined shapes. Another is non-three- dimensional geometry that uses analytic and projective geometry to study four dimensional figures. All of these kinds of geometry are commonly used (Geometry). Analytic geometry is used every day, it is defiantly something that can be extremely helpful if learned. Analytic geometry is used in architecture, surveying, and even business. In business analytic geometry can be used to find the maximum profit that can be made from a sale or event. As with all skills that are generally learned, analytic geometry is a great thing to know. Even the simple things, the basics, are very helpful. This subject can be broken down into the simplest things, such as having to walk to say Wal-mart and knowing when you are about half way, that is taking the distance from the starting point to the destination and dividing it by two

Free Essays on Medieval Lyrics And Ballads

Recently, the term ‘ballad’ can be associated with everything from Solomon’s Song to an Aerosmith song. The dictionary defines it as a traditional story in song or a simple song. However, the medieval ballad is something of a different nature than that of the popular musical ballads of today. The definition of ballad in the medieval context is a narrative poem. The authors usually remain anonymous and the ballad is more often than not accompanied by dance (Gummere). This is not surprising considering the word ‘ballad’ comes from the Latin word ‘ballare,’ meaning ‘to dance’ (Dixon). Almost all ballads follow the same distinct criteria. They are all performed by a minstrel or troubadour complemented by music and are normally performed for an audience. All ballads tell a story with major themes of revenge, envy, betrayal, loyalty, and superstition, although they may touch on other subjects. These stories only focus on one major event and can be about the dramatic events of heroes or every day people. Though the bulk of the stories begin in the middle of an event, there is very little background information given (Knight). Characters rarely show any development and most stories lack detail. It is also important to know that there are there are three types of ballads: traditional ballads, broadside ballads and literary ballads (Dixon). Traditional ballads originated from ‘folk tales’ or other anecdotes told by peasants in England. These were most commonly passed by oral tradition. The broadside ballad is the traditional ballad’s cousin in many ways. These ballads were more common in urban or city like areas in the 16th century and were more likely to be printed and handed out instead of performed. The literary ballad is a combination of both the traditional and broadside types. These ballads appeared in the 18th century when ballads began to be published (Gummere). Medieval ballads, of course, ar... Free Essays on Medieval Lyrics And Ballads Free Essays on Medieval Lyrics And Ballads Recently, the term ‘ballad’ can be associated with everything from Solomon’s Song to an Aerosmith song. The dictionary defines it as a traditional story in song or a simple song. However, the medieval ballad is something of a different nature than that of the popular musical ballads of today. The definition of ballad in the medieval context is a narrative poem. The authors usually remain anonymous and the ballad is more often than not accompanied by dance (Gummere). This is not surprising considering the word ‘ballad’ comes from the Latin word ‘ballare,’ meaning ‘to dance’ (Dixon). Almost all ballads follow the same distinct criteria. They are all performed by a minstrel or troubadour complemented by music and are normally performed for an audience. All ballads tell a story with major themes of revenge, envy, betrayal, loyalty, and superstition, although they may touch on other subjects. These stories only focus on one major event and can be about the dramatic events of heroes or every day people. Though the bulk of the stories begin in the middle of an event, there is very little background information given (Knight). Characters rarely show any development and most stories lack detail. It is also important to know that there are there are three types of ballads: traditional ballads, broadside ballads and literary ballads (Dixon). Traditional ballads originated from ‘folk tales’ or other anecdotes told by peasants in England. These were most commonly passed by oral tradition. The broadside ballad is the traditional ballad’s cousin in many ways. These ballads were more common in urban or city like areas in the 16th century and were more likely to be printed and handed out instead of performed. The literary ballad is a combination of both the traditional and broadside types. These ballads appeared in the 18th century when ballads began to be published (Gummere). Medieval ballads, of course, ar...

A Difficult Decision Essay Essays

A Difficult Decision Essay Essays A Difficult Decision Essay Paper A Difficult Decision Essay Paper Essay Topic: The Poems Of Billy Collins In Richard Wilbur’s verse form â€Å"A Barred Owl† and the verse form â€Å"The History Teacher† by Billy Collins. both describe grownups attempt to protect kids from frights that are known and unknown to them. sugar-coating existent life events that could harm the children’s artlessness. An simple school instructor in â€Å"The History Teacher† tries to shelter his pupils from what he thinks would impact the children’s position on the universe while parents in â€Å"A Barred Owl† assure their â€Å"wakened child† that the â€Å"boom of an owl’s voice† are simple inquiries from a funny â€Å"forest bird† . Both authors convey that grown-ups who try to continue the artlessness of kids merely delay the inevitable. Richard Wilbur depicts a common state of affairs of a scared kid in the dark of the dark seeking counsel from ma and pa. The author distinguishes the temper and puting with lines such as. â€Å"The falsifying dark air. † or. â€Å"darkened room. † Wilbur uses these lines to assist the reader understand the temper of the verse form by utilizing certain enunciation to portray the fright that is present within this child’s sleeping room. The significance of each line is enhanced due to the writer authorship in an AABB rhyming form ; stressing the significance of each rime such as the lines. â€Å"The falsifying dark air holding brought the roar of an owl’s voice into her darkened room† or. â€Å"Words. which can do our panics courageously clear. can besides therefore cultivate a fear† and even. â€Å"Or dreaming of some little thing in a claw borne up to some dark subdivision and eaten altogether. By Richard Wilbur exposing a simple state of affairs of a frightened kid. he displays the actions parents take in order to ease and soothe a kid to non merely continue their artlessness but to besides take away any fright a kid has while covering with this type of state of affairs and many others. In the verse form. â€Å"A History Teacher† by Billy Collins. the author illustrates a insouciant schoolroom full of nescient kids being educated by their instructor. Little did these kids know that their history instructor is showing altered historical events in order to protect their artlessness. By utilizing the lines. â€Å"the Ice Age was truly merely the Chilly Age. † or. â€Å"the Stone Age became the Gravel Age. † Collins demonstrates the instructors attempt to screen the pupils from the outside universe. The writer speaks in 3rd individual to make an image in which the audience can to the full understand instead than reading from first individual. By the writer taking 3rd individual instead than first individual. the audience will non read from a position from a character within the narrative. hence having a dependable position and non â€Å"one side of the story† . Writer Billy Collins helps the reader further understand how the instructors attempt to shelter his pupils from the barbarous Darwinism of the universe did nil but harm their instruction. The lines. â€Å"The kids †¦ torture the weak and the smart. † and. â€Å"he gathered his notes †¦ inquiring if they would believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  expose the world of the instructor being the nescient character other than the pupils by harming their instruction in order to protect them from the inevitable. With Richard Wilbur utilizing the lines â€Å"And send a little kid back to kip at night† to the lines â€Å"Borne up to some dark subdivision and eaten raw† in â€Å"A Barred Owl† the author allows the audience to understand the child’s contentment as she goes to kip as an guiltless kid. The audience besides understands that with the kid being sent to bed with a white prevarication. she remains nescient from the Darwinism of the universe. Although. in Billy Collins’ â€Å"The History Teacher† the pupils continue to move in Darwinism as they carry on to â€Å"torment the weak and the smart†¦ interrupting their spectacless. † and both the instructor and kids go place from larning and experiencing nil when the kid and parents in â€Å"A Barred Owl† go to kip with peace and apprehension that fright is no where to be found. The History Teacher† is told in 3rd individual point of position for the audience to gestate both sides of the consequence the instructor has caused by his pick of counsel. â€Å"A Barred Owl† is written in first individual point of position to expose the parents determination on comforting a scared kid ; both poems present both sides of the results the grownups cause. Richard Wilbur and Billy Collins expose adults’ effort to forestall kids from losing their artlessness although the authors besides display an illustration of grownups making anything possible. endeavoring to forbid what is destined. Parents should ease kids into the existent universe instead than be afraid of their kids come ining corruptness. â€Å"A Barred Owl† and â€Å"The History Teacher† opens adults’ eyes to where grownups recognize when and where a kid should come in the existent universe. Adults should steer kids through disturbing times and non change their position of the universe so much it can go destructive.

Violence and Teachers Perception of the Zero Tolerance Policy Essay

Violence and Teachers Perception of the Zero Tolerance Policy - Essay Example Further, the high profile incidents of school violence that culminate in death instigate fear and undermine various stakeholders’ belief in safety of schools and the children they accommodate. The worrying trend of heightened school violence, coupled with the acute need for students to learn in a secure environment, necessitates further analysis into the extant "get tough" disciplinary measures, their efficacy or lack thereof, teachers’ perception of the same and potential improvement strategies. Following the occurrence of serious cases of violence in schools over the past ten years, dealing with and preventing violence and consequent disruption of learning is a crucial and urgent concern for all parties involved. While these efforts are directed towards preventing deadly violence, they also aim at restoring security within learning environments. It is common knowledge that instructors cannot convey crucial lessons to learners and neither can the latter get adequately educated in a setting characterized by disruptive violence and insecurity. With the increase in fears of violence, children’s safety as well as education is put at risk and a chance for success in academia and later in professional fields is significantly jeopardized (Smith, 2000). This is because both students and teachers fear going to school. Further, the sole perception of violence is capable of causing physical and psychological harm to individuals, impeding them from reaching their optimal level o f social and academic potential. Currently, "Zero Tolerance" is the official disciplinary policy used in schools to counter cases of violence. At the policy’s inception, it constituted actions like expulsion and enforced suspension, as a response to possession or use of weapons, violent acts and drug possession or usage within school environs. The policy has progressively come

RFID and online shopping Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

RFID and online shopping - Assignment Example This gives leverage to exploit hackers and online criminals to exploit the age of the internet. Technology is moving into human bodies quickly (Keenan, 2014). Humans are gradually becoming slaves to technology. Software and machines know the most intimate secrets of a person. Apps and devices track blood-sugar level, heart rate and blood pressure. It won’t be hard for a hacker to sell medication to diabetic patients after obtaining this useful information. One does not even need to be that illegal to exploit internet privacy. Studying shopping habits is becoming a science in itself. The internet has provided so many in-depth tools to marketers that they can explore shopping behaviors by regions (towns, suburbs etc.) and persons. A shopper might put in some key words in the search engine and in just a few seconds he might see banner ads selling the exact or a relevant product to this person. This precise form of marketing is frightening. It reveals how much activity of a person can be tracked over the internet. One study conducted on online shoppers showed that the privacy concern is a major impediment of truthful and deep online interaction (Flick, 2009). Shoppers are always concerned about their information security. Different credible shopping websites have to show a licensed banner for the online security of their fund transfers. News of identity theft, credit card scams, online stalking and threats over social media are not new. The surprising part is that not everyone engages so much over the internet to become a victim of cybercrimes. Internet privacy is among the most widely discussed subjects in print and electronic media (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2014). A significant number of people are now informed of this menace. People are not comfortable giving sensitive information online. But modern lifestyle almost demands engagement with technology and modern shopping trends. People are outsourcing their lives to

IEEE 802.11 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IEEE 802.11 - Research Paper Example Wireless uses radio waves in the transmission. Wireless LAN deals with two lower layers of the Open System Interconnection (OSI) which are the physical and data-link layers. I will briefly discuss three physical specifications of the physical layer: 802.11b: 802.11b was released in 1999 and uses DSSS that provide higher bit rate. The transmission of the data can reach 11 Mbps. It operates in 2.4 GHz range. 802.11a: 802.11a was released in 2001 and uses OFDM. The transmission of the data can reach 54 Mbps. It operates in 5 GHz range 802.11g: 802.11g uses OFDM. The transmission of the data can reach 22 Mbps. It operates in 2.4 GHz range. (21) IEEE 802.11 Security: 7 Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP): IEEE released Wired Equivalent Privacy protocol what is known as WEP for the security 802.11 standard in 1990 (15) .WEP was designed to make the communication through wireless safe and secured as much as it is in the wired local area network. WEP provides authentication and confidentiality to the security of the wireless network (21). WEP was developed on the base of RC4 stream cipher. In the encryption and decryption the same secret key must be used (1). The wireless device and the access point must have the same secret key (4). ... The process of WEP authentication is as shown in the figure: Retrieved from VoCAL (2012). The figure is taken from this website: http://www.vocal.com/secure-communication/wired-equivalent-privacy-wep/ 1. The authentication is sent from the wireless station to the access point. 2. The access point responds with challenge text sent to the wireless station. 3. The wireless station encrypts the challenge text and then sends it to the access point. 4. Finally, â€Å"If the access point can decrypt the authentication request and retrieve the original challenge text, then it responds with an authentication response that grants the client access† so the secret key in both sides should match each other. (11) The encryption of the data that are transferred between the wireless station and the access point in the WEP uses RC4 stream cipher. The process of WEP encryption is as shown in the figure: WEP uses CRC for the data integrity. WEP performs CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) checksum ope ration on the plaintext and generates CRC value. This CRC value is concatenated to the plaintext. The secret key is concatenated to the Initialization Vector (IV) and fed into the RC4. Based on the secret key and IV, RC4 generates key stream. The key stream and plain text + CRC message is XOR'ed together. The result is the cipher text. The same Initialization Vector that was used before is pre pended in clear text to the resultant cipher text. The IV + Cipher text along with the frame headers are then transmitted over the air. (13). The shared key in WEP never changes again, and it is used for authentication and encryption which is the problem (13). WEP problems: The major problem in WEP in terms of security is that the wireless

Preparation of sample for NMR analysis and integration Essay

Preparation of sample for NMR analysis and integration - Essay Example Unlike the other spectroscopy types, the sample quality in NMR bears a insightful effect on the resulting spectrum quality. Therefore, the sample prepared provides a spectrum where useful information is retained, not lost, or obscured. Sample preparation thus stands critical in the analysis and integration of NMR results. The scope of work will cover sample Purification, given that this determines the resulting spectrum, sample collection, and sample Preparation for NMR integration and Analysis. NMR spectrum is the basic source of data that relates to the structure of the compound. Therefore, it is required that the spectrum analysis be done properly to obtain or get a good and reasonable data set for analysis. Under any particular circumstance, the preparation of the NMR sample is not allowed at the NMR room, thus the lab is used or a special lab. A solid or pure liquid can not just be put into the NMR. A series of preparation steps needs to be followed to prepare the sample thus covering the scope of work to be done. If one has a liquid to be analyzed, one or two drops of the liquid are put on a clean NMR tube retrieved from the oven. Approximately 3fingers worth of the deuterated (CDCl3) solvent is added to the tube. This procedure forms the scope of work because the NMR cannot work if the solvent (deuterated) is not used. When one has a solid, it becomes easier to put the solid into the small test tube and almost the same amount of deuterated solvent added and the solid allowed dissolving in the solvent before transferring to the NMR tube (Weizmann Institute of Science,2009). Weizmann Institute of Science., 2009. Sample preparation & NMR Tubes. [Online] Available at: [Accessed November 14,

Back to reality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Back to reality - Essay Example The primary focus of this paper, therefore, is to examine potential challenges that organizations may encounter while developing sourcing strategies and the issues they would need to consider developing relationships with key suppliers, and providing suggestions about how these problems might be addressed or mitigated. Background The firms in Europe and US often outsourced Asian countries with lower production cost such as china which is estimated to host over 6600 companies which have been outsourced there (Wright, 2009). As such, it is common to have a firm dealing with electronics, but it has subcontracted and outside source to handle the transport and logistics of the finished products to the market, another case can be a firm dealing with vehicles, but it only supplies the parts and subcontracts an outside source to deal with the assembling. This, however, does not come without challenges, a firms relationship with its suppliers is hence vital in promoting productivity and effec tiveness, having a third part supply resources or services that are critical in the final products of the firm requires considerable mutual trust and understanding. It is hence incumbent of any organization to apply the best and most practical sourcing strategies to meet their goals and objectives. Sourcing strategies by definition are the process an organization undertakes to ensure they have the best suppliers and they nurture the supplier relationships to maximize the value for the firm (Rendon, 2005). As such, most organizations have sourcing programs that are unique to their needs, services or the goods offered, notably while, some have deliberately puts these strategies others use them without being aware of it. Such is to say that organizations have sourcing strategy whether they know it or not, this is because owning to the nature of their business, over the year a firm will repeatedly uses the strategies that have proven successful in retrospect and by so doing will be foll owing a covert sourcing strategy. Like any other strategy, a sourcing strategy can be; â€Å"Strategic†, ergo effective, goal and objective oriented, on the other hand, depending on the competence of those managing the firm, it can be ineffective and inefficient. Naturally, each is an ideal extreme since no firm can be very efficient and neither can any firm be fully inefficient and yet continue to exist (Wheaton, 2008). As such, most strategies lie somewhere between with the best being closest to efficient and vice versa, sourcing program can either be â€Å"strategic† or meet its goals and objectives or it can be unproductive, ineffective, and poorly planned (Wheaton, 2008). Considering that the cost, quality and effectiveness of the goods or raw materials a firm is supplied with is directly reflected in its financial and operational results, it is only natural that thought and effort and time be devoted in the understanding of the various challenges that firms may e ncounter in the process and their possible solutions. Challenges and Solutions Creating Competition One of the considerations a firm needs to make before it commences any business transaction with supplies or outside sources is the potential for the supplier to become competition in posterity. This is because by taking these contracts,

IEEE 802.11 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IEEE 802.11 - Research Paper Example Wireless uses radio waves in the transmission. Wireless LAN deals with two lower layers of the Open System Interconnection (OSI) which are the physical and data-link layers. I will briefly discuss three physical specifications of the physical layer: 802.11b: 802.11b was released in 1999 and uses DSSS that provide higher bit rate. The transmission of the data can reach 11 Mbps. It operates in 2.4 GHz range. 802.11a: 802.11a was released in 2001 and uses OFDM. The transmission of the data can reach 54 Mbps. It operates in 5 GHz range 802.11g: 802.11g uses OFDM. The transmission of the data can reach 22 Mbps. It operates in 2.4 GHz range. (21) IEEE 802.11 Security: 7 Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP): IEEE released Wired Equivalent Privacy protocol what is known as WEP for the security 802.11 standard in 1990 (15) .WEP was designed to make the communication through wireless safe and secured as much as it is in the wired local area network. WEP provides authentication and confidentiality to the security of the wireless network (21). WEP was developed on the base of RC4 stream cipher. In the encryption and decryption the same secret key must be used (1). The wireless device and the access point must have the same secret key (4). ... The process of WEP authentication is as shown in the figure: Retrieved from VoCAL (2012). The figure is taken from this website: http://www.vocal.com/secure-communication/wired-equivalent-privacy-wep/ 1. The authentication is sent from the wireless station to the access point. 2. The access point responds with challenge text sent to the wireless station. 3. The wireless station encrypts the challenge text and then sends it to the access point. 4. Finally, â€Å"If the access point can decrypt the authentication request and retrieve the original challenge text, then it responds with an authentication response that grants the client access† so the secret key in both sides should match each other. (11) The encryption of the data that are transferred between the wireless station and the access point in the WEP uses RC4 stream cipher. The process of WEP encryption is as shown in the figure: WEP uses CRC for the data integrity. WEP performs CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) checksum ope ration on the plaintext and generates CRC value. This CRC value is concatenated to the plaintext. The secret key is concatenated to the Initialization Vector (IV) and fed into the RC4. Based on the secret key and IV, RC4 generates key stream. The key stream and plain text + CRC message is XOR'ed together. The result is the cipher text. The same Initialization Vector that was used before is pre pended in clear text to the resultant cipher text. The IV + Cipher text along with the frame headers are then transmitted over the air. (13). The shared key in WEP never changes again, and it is used for authentication and encryption which is the problem (13). WEP problems: The major problem in WEP in terms of security is that the wireless

Back to reality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Back to reality - Essay Example The primary focus of this paper, therefore, is to examine potential challenges that organizations may encounter while developing sourcing strategies and the issues they would need to consider developing relationships with key suppliers, and providing suggestions about how these problems might be addressed or mitigated. Background The firms in Europe and US often outsourced Asian countries with lower production cost such as china which is estimated to host over 6600 companies which have been outsourced there (Wright, 2009). As such, it is common to have a firm dealing with electronics, but it has subcontracted and outside source to handle the transport and logistics of the finished products to the market, another case can be a firm dealing with vehicles, but it only supplies the parts and subcontracts an outside source to deal with the assembling. This, however, does not come without challenges, a firms relationship with its suppliers is hence vital in promoting productivity and effec tiveness, having a third part supply resources or services that are critical in the final products of the firm requires considerable mutual trust and understanding. It is hence incumbent of any organization to apply the best and most practical sourcing strategies to meet their goals and objectives. Sourcing strategies by definition are the process an organization undertakes to ensure they have the best suppliers and they nurture the supplier relationships to maximize the value for the firm (Rendon, 2005). As such, most organizations have sourcing programs that are unique to their needs, services or the goods offered, notably while, some have deliberately puts these strategies others use them without being aware of it. Such is to say that organizations have sourcing strategy whether they know it or not, this is because owning to the nature of their business, over the year a firm will repeatedly uses the strategies that have proven successful in retrospect and by so doing will be foll owing a covert sourcing strategy. Like any other strategy, a sourcing strategy can be; â€Å"Strategic†, ergo effective, goal and objective oriented, on the other hand, depending on the competence of those managing the firm, it can be ineffective and inefficient. Naturally, each is an ideal extreme since no firm can be very efficient and neither can any firm be fully inefficient and yet continue to exist (Wheaton, 2008). As such, most strategies lie somewhere between with the best being closest to efficient and vice versa, sourcing program can either be â€Å"strategic† or meet its goals and objectives or it can be unproductive, ineffective, and poorly planned (Wheaton, 2008). Considering that the cost, quality and effectiveness of the goods or raw materials a firm is supplied with is directly reflected in its financial and operational results, it is only natural that thought and effort and time be devoted in the understanding of the various challenges that firms may e ncounter in the process and their possible solutions. Challenges and Solutions Creating Competition One of the considerations a firm needs to make before it commences any business transaction with supplies or outside sources is the potential for the supplier to become competition in posterity. This is because by taking these contracts,

Bloom taxonomy Essay Example for Free

Bloom taxonomy Essay Bloom’s taxonomy or also known as the revised bloom taxonomy is a great teaching tool to use when teaching patients about their illness. It consists of three categories and then multiple sub-categories. Blooms taxonomy addresses not only the patient’s readiness to learn but it address the appropriate approach to each individual situation. It gives a systematic way of approaching a topic and the audience that will be learning. When this method is applied to nursing it is a great tool. This is due to the fact that each patient has different cognitive factors, different psychomotor factors as well as an affective domain. Bloom’s Cognitive categories have to do with how the mind can process or regenerate the information provided during a teaching session. There are six sub-categories to the cognitive category. The six are remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create. A teacher should be able to determine where in this pyramid is the patient. What teaching strategies must be changed and modified to fit the patient lifestyle. The second category is the Affective domain. This is how patients address their emotions to specific problems. This will show what a patient or student values and what motivates them to be who they are. This category has five sub-categories receiving, respecting, valuing, organizing and internalizing. This is the category that will determine if the patient is willing to accept this disease or new lifestyle change into their life. This will tell a teacher where on the scale the patient is willing to rate their disease and how it will affect their life. The Third and final category is psychomotor. This tells the teacher if the patient is physically able to complete the task asked of them. This will allow the teacher to gage if the patient is able to successfully complete what is needed of them to live with their disease process. There are five sub-categories imitation, manipulation, precision, articulation, and naturalization. There is a great example of this category, teaching a patient to use a new nebulizer treatment. The patient will go through reach step of the process till they  can finally reach the goal of naturalization. Conclusion Blooms taxonomy learning tool can break down the heart of teaching and give it meaning to apply to most any professions. Nursing is just one of those professions that teaching is a large part of the job, on a daily basis. Blooms taxonomy should be used each day on a nursing unit from the admission date to the discharge date.

Extracting DNA from Fruit in Various Stages of Ripeness

Extracting DNA from Fruit in Various Stages of Ripeness INTRODUCTION This life science based experiment will test strawberries in their various stages of ripeness, in order to see which stage will yield the most extractable DNA. An extraction kit will be designed from common household items, such as salt and detergent, in order to purify the DNA so that it is visible to the naked eye and can be weighed. Three degrees of strawberry will be tested: strawberries that have not fully ripened yet, identified by their firm bodies that are still a mixture of green and red; strawberries that have ripened fully, identified by their firm-but-not-hard bodies and bright red color; and strawberries that are overly ripe, which can be identified by their mushy and easily bruised bodies, as well as their dark red color. PROBLEM STATEMENT Which degree of strawberry ripeness will yield the most extractable DNA: under ripe, ripe, or over ripe? SUMMARY OF PROJECT PLAN First, the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of detergent needed for the DNA extraction liquid will be mixed and set aside. Three strawberries of the first stage of ripeness will be placed into a plastic bag and mashed into a pulp. Three tablespoons of the extraction liquid will be added to the bag and blended via the same mashing process. The strawberry mixture will then be poured into a nylon-covered funnel set over a small glass, until the liquid and pulp have been separated. One teaspoon of the strawberry mixtures liquid will then be poured into a test tube. 5 ml of chilled rubbing alcohol will be poured into the test tube after, so that it forms a layer atop the strawberry liquid. A droplet of blue dye will be added to the mix, so that it settles on the DNA between the layers and dyes it blue, making it easier to identify the DNA. The blue DNA will then be measured using milliliter markings on the test tube, and recorded. RELEVENCE Deoxyribonucleic Acid better known as DNA is a set of instructions that can be found in the cells of every living thing. The study of all DNA is very important. Without it, key medical discoveries that save countless lives every day would not be made. Using DNA, we are able to discover diseases a baby could inherit from its parents before birth, to detect whether a suspect is guilty or innocent, and to find chromosomal defects in patients with Downs Syndrome. The study of strawberry DNA specifically is also important, and can be applied to several real world scenarios. For instance, scientists are able to isolate particular proteins and chemicals that have been rumored to slow the spread of cancer. They are also able to clone proteins known for turning strawberries red and creating the strawberries flavor. The study of extractable strawberry DNA at various stages in maturation can also be applied to real world scenarios. Scientists are able to compare the growing process and maturation of strawberries to that of other fruits. It can also be used to advise consumers of when strawberries are at their peak, so that they are able to get the optimal amount of nutrients out of the fruit. A1. Literature Review Two studies were found that related specifically to this one. The first is an experiment conducted in 2009 by William S. Boyd. The second is another experiment conducted in 2005 by Kaeleigh Thorp. William S. Boyd Extracting DNA from Fruit in Stages of Ripeness SUMMARY The objective behind Boyds experiment was to find out whether ripe fruit would yield more extractable DNA than unripe or overripe. His experiment involved bananas, kiwis, and strawberries. The result was that, in the case of the kiwis and strawberries, ripe fruit did in fact yield more extractable DNA. However, he found that unripe bananas yield more extractable DNA than ripe and overripe. He concluded that, as fruit ripens, the nutrients break down and it begins to decompose, which destroys cells containing extractable DNA. CONNECTION As is the case with this experiment, Boyd wanted to know which stage of ripeness would yield the most DNA. COMPARING AND CONTRASTING Procedures Many of the procedures in Boyds experiment were similar yet different. Instead of putting the fruit in a bag and mashing it with his fingers, the fruit was blended in a food processor. The extraction liquid was chilled instead of the alcohol. The strawberry mixture was drained through nylon, but it was filtered and before being poured into the test tube instead of being filtered directly into the test tube. A graduated eyedropper was used to distribute the alcohol instead of pouring the alcohol down the side of the tube (Boyd, 2009). Materials Many of the materials in Boyds experiment were also similar. He used salt, water, and detergent to make his extraction liquid, which are the same materials as the extraction liquid in this study. He used alcohol to bring the DNA fibers together, blue dye to enhance the visibility and measurability of the extracted DNA, and a graduated test tube for measurements. However, there were some notable differences. He added pineapple juice to his extraction liquid, and his experiment used bananas and kiwis as well as strawberries, instead of strawberries alone (Boyd, 2009). Kaeleigh A. Thorp Extracting DNA from strawberries SUMMARY The objective behind Thorps experiment was to determine whether unripe, ripe, or overripe fruit would yield more extractable DNA. Her experiment used primarily strawberries. She hypothesized that ripe strawberries would yield the most extractable DNA, as under-ripe strawberries were not yet fully developed and overripe strawberries were too far into the decomposition process. Her findings supported her hypothesis, as the ripe strawberries did yield more extractable DNA (Thorp, 2007). CONNECTION Thorps experiment had the same objective as this study to find out what stage of ripeness would produce the most extractable DNA in Strawberries (Thorp, 2007). COMPARING AND CONTRASTING Procedures The procedures of Thorps experiment differed very little from this study. She chilled her extraction liquid by sitting it in a bowl of water and ice cubes, where this study did not require the extraction liquid be chilled. She used a blender to mash the fruit, instead of mashing it in a bag using fingers, and added water to it also something this study did not require. Lastly, again instead of using a plastic bag and fingers, she used a glass extraction rod to mix the extraction liquid with the blended strawberries (Thorp, 2007). Materials Thorp used nylon to filer the strawberry mixture, added blue dye to increase visibility and measurability, and used a graduated test tube for measurements, which are all in congruence with this study. However, instead of using salt, water, and detergent to make her own extraction liquid, Thorp used a premade Powdered Buffer made up of sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and papain enzyme. She also used a premade Cell Blaster, containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (Thorp, 2007). A2a. Experimental Design Steps Preparation: Put the rubbing alcohol in a freezer or refrigerator, so that it will be cold enough to use later. Step 1: Extraction Liquid Combine a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of detergent in a jar to use as an extraction liquid. Mix it well and set it aside. Step 2: Prepare DNA for Extraction Take 3 strawberries and place it in a plastic bag. Push out all excess air and seal tightly. Mash the strawberry into a pulp by squeezing the bag with fingers. Do this for 2 minutes. Pour 3 tablespoons of the extraction liquid into the plastic bag. Push out all excess air and seal tightly. Mix the strawberry and extraction liquid by squeezing the bag with fingers. Do this for 1 minute. Step 3: Separate Liquid from Solid Stretch the nylon over the funnel. Place the tube of the funnel into a glass. Pour the strawberry pulp and extraction liquid over the nylon-lined funnel. Let the liquid drip into the glass for 30 seconds, or until the nylon stops dripping. Throw away the nylon and pulp. Step 4: Extract the DNA Pour the liquid into the test tube, filling it 1/4th of the way. Retrieve the rubbing alcohol from the freezer. Carefully tilting the test tube, pour the rubbing alcohol so that it runs slowly down the side instead of directly into the strawberry liquid and forms a layer on top of the strawberry liquid. Make sure the alcohol and the strawberry liquid do not mix, as the DNA collects between the layers. Add one drop of blue dye to the mixture. Take a moment to marvel at the blue gel-like substance (DNA made visible) that forms between the layers. Step 5: Measure Extracted DNA Using the graduated milliliter lines on the test tube, measure and record the amount of blue gel-like substance. Step 6: Repeat Process Thoroughly clean the cups, jar, test tube and funnel using water and paper towels. Repeat all of the steps with other strawberries, making sure to record the amount of DNA so a comparison can be made. A2b. Reasoning This method of experimental design was chosen because it called for fewer and more readily accessible supplies, and also because it had fewer and uncomplicated steps. The reasoning behind the method of testing this question was that overly complicated steps allow a higher margin for error. A simpler method provides fewer chances for mistakes to be made. There were several other studies consulted that had methods of testing similar to what is used in this experiment, but there were no other studies that had methods of testing that were the same. The method of testing in this experiment was developed using bits and pieces of other studies. The way this question is being tested is a better way than others because it was developed from bits and pieces of other more complicated studies, making it simpler. A2c. Sequence of Events The first step in collecting the data is adding one drop of blue dye to the layers of strawberry mixture and alcohol. The dye will collect between the layers and highlight the extracted DNA sitting in the middle, forming a blue gel-like substance. This gel-like substance will be measured and recorded using the millimeter markings on the graduated test tube. A2d. Tools Measuring cups Measuring spoons Small jar Graduated test tube Funnel Nylon Drinking Glass 9 Unripe strawberries 9 Ripe strawberries 9 Overripe strawberries 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1/3 cup of water 1 tablespoon of detergent 9 Resealing plastic bags 1 drop of blue dye A3. Variables A dependant variable is what the scientist measures, and is the part of the experiment that relies on changes made by the independent variable. An independent variable is what the scientist varies, and is the part of the experiment that decides the outcome of the dependant variable. A controlled variable is what the scientist keeps the same, and the part of the experiment that must not change in order to ensure that the results are measurable. DEPENDENT VARIABLE: Extracted DNA INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: Strawberries in three stages of development: under-ripe, ripe, and overripe CONTROLLED VARIABLE: The amount of strawberries, the amount of extraction liquid, the amount of alcohol, the amount of blue dye, the test tube and all other equipment. A4. Threat Reduction to Internal Validity Threats to the internal validity of this study have been reduced by the simple testable question, the properly identified variables, the control for outside influences, and the solid experimental procedure. MATURATION The experiment will be started and completed in a single day, and will take a maximum of two hours. That will allow sufficient time for each trial to be conducted carefully and for the utensils to be cleansed while assuring that there will be no time for the subjects to change before measurements. REPEATED MEASUREMENTS The experiment will be repeated three times for each type of strawberry, with a new set of materials each time, equating in exactly nine trial runs. Each sample will be disposed of after results are recorded, before the next trial was done none of the samples will be reused, nor will they come into contact with each other. INCONSISTENCE IN INSTRUMENTATIONÂ   In every trial run, the measurements will be taken using the same graduated test tube, glass, jar, and measuring spoons. Every measurement made will be taken in a way identical to the one before it, so that the outcome of the experiment is not compromised. EXPERIMENTAL MORTALITY The experiment is designed so that it cannot be completed without all of the subjects, meaning none of the subjects can drop out or be eliminated without completely derailing the study. This way, the trials will remain the same, and the results will not be compromised. EXPERIMENTER BIAS The experiment did not involve and could not come to any result that the experimenter would benefit directly from. The experimenter remained objective throughout the study. CONTROLLED VARIABLES There are several controlled variables that limit the factors that could skew the results. The tools for measurement remain the same throughout the trials so that there is no chance of new tools not providing the same results. The amount of strawberries stays the same three per trial so that the amount of extractable DNA is not distorted by one trial having more strawberries than the others. The amount of blue dye remains the same throughout the trials so that a larger amount of dye wont make the results seem bigger than they are. A5. Hypothesis: I predict that the ripe strawberries will produce more extractable DNA than both the under-ripe strawberries and the overripe strawberries. This prediction is based on observation. The under-ripe strawberry is still underdeveloped and very firm, meaning that it will likely produce less juice when mashed up less juice, less DNA. On the flipside, the overripe strawberry is overdeveloped and in a state of degradation, meaning that the DNA will likely be broken down and harder to extract. The ripe strawberry will produce more juice than the overripe, and will not be as susceptible to bruising and damage as the under-ripe, meaning it will likely produce more extractible DNA. B. Process of Data Collection The data was collected by first adding one drop of blue dye to the layers of strawberry mixture and alcohol in the graduated test tube. The dye gathered between the layers and around the extracted DNA that sat in the middle, so that it appeared to be a blue gel-like substance. This made the extracted DNA easier to see, which in turn made it easier to measure. The DNA was then measured and recorded using the millimeter markings on the graduated test tube. PROCESS OF RECORDING DATA: TOOLS USED FOR COLLECTION: 1 drop of blue dye Graduated test tube UNIT OF MEASUREMENT USED: Millimeter METHOD OF RECORDING: Unripe Ripe Over-Ripe Trial #1 3/4 ml 3 1/4 ml 1/2 ml Trial #2 1/2 ml 2 3/4 ml 1/4 ml Trial #3 1 ml 3 1/2 ml 1/2 ml B1. Appropriate Methods The methods described above were the best to conduct the experiment on this testable question because they relied less on scales. In many other studies, the ulterior way of measuring was to take a wooden rod, spool the DNA, and weigh it on a milligram scale. The wooden rod would be previously weighed and subtracted from the weight of the DNA spooled rod (science buddies). With the method used here, the rod is cut out of the picture only the DNA itself is measured. By doing this, we ensure that differently-weighted rods cannot skew the weight of the DNA. The drop of blue dye made it easier to see the extracted DNA. It was important that the DNA be clear so that the measurements were at their utmost accuracy. The graduated test tube made it so the DNA did not have to be spooled or moved before measuring, which kept the specimens together and limited the chances of losing or damaging the specimens. Millimeters were the practical unit of measurement, as the amount of extracted DNA is very small. C. Results The unripe strawberries were very firm and still mostly green. They were harder to mash up. The first trial including the unripe strawberries yielded 3/4 ml of extractable DNA. The second trial yielded less with 1/2 ml of extractable DNA. The third trial was the most successful, yielding 1 ml of extractable DNA. The ripe strawberries were softer and bright red all over. They were easier to mash. The first trial including the ripe strawberries yielded 3 1/4 ml of extractable DNA. The second trial yielded less with 2 3/4 ml of extractable DNA. The third trial once again was the most fruitful, yielding 3 1/2 ml. The over-ripe strawberries were very soft, a darker red, and covered in bruises. They were the easiest to mash up. The first trial including the over-ripe strawberries yielded 1/2 ml of extractable DNA. The second trial yielded a mere 1/4 ml of extractable DNA. The third trial produced the same results as the first, with 1/2 ml of extractable DNA. As the graph above shows, the ripe strawberries yielded a much larger amount than unripe and over-ripe strawberries. A single parallel is drawn between the unripe and over-ripe strawberries as they both yielded 1/2 ml of extractable DNA in separate trials unripe reaching 1/2 ml in Trial 2, over-ripe reaching 1/2 ml in trial 1. D. Conclusion The graph above displays how great the leap in extracted DNA was between the strawberry types. Although the unripe yielded higher results than the over-ripe strawberries in two of the trials (Trials #1 and #3), they both produced a minimal amount of extractable DNA when compared to the ripe strawberries. The unripe strawberries did not do as well because they are not yet mature. They provided less juice when mashed up for the extraction process, which provided fewer strands of DNA. The over-ripe strawberries did the worst because they are on the downgrade of maturation. While they provided plentiful juice for extraction, the DNA strands were destroyed in the process of decay. The ripe strawberries yielded the highest amounts of extractable DNA because they are at the hit the highest point of maturation. They provided the right amount of juice for the extraction process, and because they were at their peak, the DNA strands were intact. D1. Confirmation of Hypothesis I predicted that the ripe strawberries would produce more extractable DNA than both the under-ripe strawberries and the over-ripe strawberries. Based on my findings, with the ripe strawberries producing high amounts of extractable DNA where the unripe and over-ripe strawberries produced low amounts, it is evident that the ripe strawberries did yield the most extractable DNA. Therefore, I accept my initial hypothesis. D2. Experimental Design as Key Factor Experimental design is a key factor in science inquiry because it is the part in which groups are given their set treatments. In other words, experimental design is what decides if Group A will get Treatment B and Group C will get Treatment D, or if Group A will get Treatment D and Group C will get Treatment B. Without experimental design, the groups wont be assigned their proper treatments, and a statistical analysis cannot be made. If an experimental design is poorly constructed, it might miss some key components that affect the outcome altogether. For instance, if an experimental design lacks a control, nothing remains constant and some variables may not be counted for. Results of the experiment can be inconclusive, and when that happens, the study is rendered invalid. D3. Replication Replication is the process of repeating the steps of a procedure, so that an experiment can be duplicated again and again with the same results. Replication is important because there is always the possibility that results in a study have been skewed, or an experiment has been conducted wrong. Repeating the process and including several trials provides a way to prove that results are correct and to procure an average when averages are called for. This study is replicable because the instructions are clear and precise so that replication of the experiment as a whole is made easy, and the supplies needed are easy to find and easy to use. D3a. Evaluation of Validity Validity is important in science experiments because it proves the experiment was done correctly and the results were recorded accurately. Having a strong sense of validity means that the variables were measured reliably and strong causal links between the variables were found. REPLICATION This study is replicable in that there were three trials to each study. To confirm which one yielded more DNA than the rest, each type of strawberry was tested in three separate trials that way there were nine collective results each to consider instead of three. This study uses that replication to prove its analysis of the data. RELIABILITY This study is reliable thanks to that use of replication. Each type of strawberry was tested in three separate trials three for unripe, three for ripe, three for over-ripe to make sure the results were constant instead of a onetime occurrence. The results remained the in the same vicinity throughout the trials, proving that they are reliable. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The experimental design remains valid thanks to its simplicity. There was very little margin for error, and so repeating each trial using the same methods and measurements was quite simple. FUTURE QUESTIONS AND STUDIES Future studies might be expanded to use more than just strawberries. For example, one such study could compare ripe bananas to ripe strawberries, or ripe strawberries to ripe kiwis. Other studies might not involve strawberries at all, but replicate this study with a different fruit. For instance, would the results be the same with other fruits? Would ripe bananas yield more extracted DNA than unripe or overripe bananas?

Suicide Among Youth Essay -- Suicide Teenagers Suicidal Essays

Suicide Among Youth A suicide attempt is a non-fatal act in which an individual deliberately causes self- injury and should be recognized as a method of communication from a youth who may be experiencing severe problems. Canadian statistics from the Suicide Information and Education Center in 1996 recorded 25 000 attempted suicides and 250 successful suicides. 1 in every 100 people who try to commit suicide will die. Based on the 1996 statistics one can assume that these numbers have increased. It has been suggested that suicide is the second leading cause of death amongst the youth and is more common amongst females than males. Although more females attempt to commit suicide males are more successful in doing so. More often than not we hear of younger people committing suicide rather than those of the elderly. From reading several studies it is hard to say whether it is the youth or the general population that are more likely to attempt suicide and be successful at it. One may often wonder why a person commits suicide and what lead them to the point where they felt there was â€Å"no way out†. It has been suggested youth who are suicidal feel alone, not understood by parents and or their peers, that they are unable to cope with failure, criticism and feel that things will never get better or that no one can do anything to help him or her, amongst other things. Based on these feelings experienced by youths they seek suicide as the â€Å"way out†. One reason suggested is that teens commit suicide as a punishment to themselves and to others around them. Suicide is also seen as a method of revenge. Some of the risk factors associated with suicide are abuse (physical, emotional, drug and sexual), as well as family history and change. Youth are affected deeply by change especially with issues involving family and friends. It has been suggested that the greater number of female attempts at suicide is based on relationship breakups. It is assumed that most often females experience a level of attachment that is much greater than that of males. A female may feel as if no one understands her and that the only important person in her life has now left. Along with the risk factors there are warning signs. I will list a few but the slightest comment could mean that the person feels suicidal. Some of the more common warning signs are loss of appetite, sleep distur... ...hday, I would never know what it feels like to get married or have children. Speaking from experience I think that the best way to help youth is to offer programs that can help them. The Support Network here in Edmonton offers confidential 24 hour service to help youth who are experiencing problems. I also think that suicide prevention and education should be taught in schools. I feel this way because this may affect a person’s life in some way or another whether they are the people who attempt or they are someone who has lost a loved one because of suicide. I personally believe that suicide awareness is much more important than learning how to solve for a polynomial or simplifying an equation. Suicide, whether an attempt or a completion is not something that should taken lightly. It is a life changing experience and never goes away. Suicide will affect all lives and needs to be dealt with. Suicide can be prevented, as long as everyone understands and helps those who appear to need it. Even for those who don’t appear to need it! Bibliography Suicide Information and Education Center (SIEC), 1996 Information on pamphlets and handouts from The Support N

Attribution theory :: essays research papers

ATTRIBUTION THEORY OF FRITZ HEIDER Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This article starts off by a man having his wife serve on a jury in a federal case involving conspiracy, racketeering, drug dealing, armed robbery, and extortion. There were seven defendants and one that escaped from police custody. The key government witness was an ex-gang member named Larry who was called â€Å"the Canary† by the defendants because he turned informer. For two months Jean, the wife, listened to Larry’s testimony and tried to figure out whether his account of the incident was credible or not. A question in her mind was that whether his behavior on the stand was that of pathological liar, a rejected pal seeking revenge, a petty crook who would say anything to save his own skin, or and honest witness dedicated to the truth? All this falls into Fritz Heider’s attribution theory saying that we all tend to rationalize in the same way. Fritz said that the theory of attribution is the process of drawing inferences. This would be seeing a person act and immediately reaching a conclusion that goes beyond mere sensory information. Example: Larry yawns while on the stand. Your immediate conclusive reaction would be â€Å"is he bored, afraid, tired, or indifferent†. In the article it says that Heider would see us as naà ¯ve psychologist bringing common sense to bear on an interpersonal judgment. It also says that we can’t help it to make these judgments. This is because we make personality judgments in order to explain otherwise confusing behavior. Heider says that there’s another reason for making causal inferences from behavior. The reason is because we want to know what to expect in the future. He says prediction is a survival skill. Example: Jean comes face-to-face with one of the defendants, in her jury trail, outside a train station. Mildly anxious, she quickly turned aside. Accurate attributions can help us know which people might do us harm. The article also talks about attribution as being a three-step process through which we perceive others as causal agents. The three-step process talked about includes perception of the action (You saw it), judgment of intention (You/they meant to do that), and attribution of disposition (What you think of the action). Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin, in the case with Jean trying to figure out whether Larry’s story was credible and how to categorize his behavior. In my opinion I would think him turning informer

Argument for the legalization of Marijuana

Can I see a show of hands how many people have ever smoked Cannabis, also known as Marijuana? I see none of you have raised your hands. Well evidently no one would want to admit to a criminal action in front of others from their community. But why is it that smoking ‘pot’ is so forbidden in our society? George Washington said, â€Å"Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere! † Marijuana is a natural plant, known to grow in the wild in Central and South Asia. Traces of people smoking Marijuana go back as far as 3,000 B. C so, what had changed over the years to make cannabis illegal? When considering the legalization of marijuana, the normal reaction would be to think about the negative factors of the drug. But what people forget is, marijuana’s positive features overrule the negatives by far. There would be many benefits if the ‘drug’ where to be legalized, especially for the government and the economy as a whole. Our government spends 500 million pounds a year on ‘overall response to drugs’, but receive no taxes from the estimated 1. 8 billion pound illegal drug market. If our government were to legalize marijuana, they could place high taxes on it because people are used to buying the drug at a high price anyway because of the risk of selling it illegally. This would be very beneficial to the government because they would have a larger increase of tax that then could be fed into the NHS and other funds, which are beneficial to the general public. This brings me neatly onto my next point, I am fully aware of the abuse potential of the drug, but its value to the medical world outweighs this potential by far. Although the argument of legalizing marijuana is extremely controversial, without knowing it, hundreds of people around you are in desperate need of its medical side, and are suffering dramatically without it. How would you feel? Marijuana would be of high value to the suffering, distressed, and disheartened cancer patients fighting for their lives. Let me try and paint you a picture: imagine there is only one medication that will relieve you from the pain you are caused by nausea, marijuana will free you of this pain and will give you a little bit of assurance and courage that you need to keep on believing that you are going to be safe. But yet, we still refuse to believe that the drug is acceptable, but there is something I must ask you all. Do you know what ‘the black market’ is? Well let me tell you, the black market is a market in goods or services in violation of legal structures defining the scope of appropriate forms of trade. It is a market for products that are illegal or stolen. Marijuana appears frequently in the market, and has become extremely popular. The problem with the drugs produced in the black market is that they are not manufactured under any safety or health regulations, this can result in unsafe drugs being produced and users experiencing problems from consuming unknown substances. If the government where to legalize marijuana they could potentially safe lives, as the drug could be bought in shops from legal proprietors, this would assure users of good quality and information about what you are buying and consuming. Jeffery Miron, the visiting professor of economics at Harvard University estimates the national marijuana market at about 10 billion pounds per year. When will the public and government realize? Marijuana is only dangerous and harmful when sold and consumed illegally, and the government is preventing and keeping us from a product that is so beneficial not only to cancer patients, but also to the paper and clothing industries, the government itself, and for the crime rate of our country. Long gone are the days when we could go outside at night and not be worried about our safety, long gone are the days when we didn’t have to worry about our kids getting involved in gang activity, and long gone are the days in which we had the freedom to consume a substance which satisfied us. I am thoroughly aware of how high the UK’s crime rate is, and how terrifying and worrying it is for the citizens of our country. I am aware that the amount of crime that goes on in our country impacts and affects almost every single person in the country, which is why legalizing marijuana would be extremely helpful. The crime rate in the Netherlands is generally low, especially compared to other European countries with tougher crime polices such as the UK. Indeed, in the UK they have found that 60% of inmates in British jails have served a jail sentence previously. In the UK where the consumption of marijuana is illegal the crime rate is actually higher than in Amsterdam where it is legal and the consumption is lower. This proves that, if our government was to legalize marijuana, it would result in the use actually decreasing, as it is known that when humans are not allowed to do something it appears much more attractive, and have a larger urge to do it.

Nike Innovation

Nike Inc. Prepared by: Chuck Viasi MBA 330 – Innovation and Technology Management August 11, 2012 ————————————————- Executive Summary Nike, Inc. is a globally-recognized athletic sports apparel company with strong brand loyalty. The foundations of Nike’s success today were established by its Co-Founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman in 1972. As an athlete and a coach, their relentless pursuit of improved athletic performance instilled a competitive spirit in the culture of Nike. As such, the organization’s culture is one of the key reasons that Nike excels in this industry.We will see how the management style fosters innovation, and how the competitive spirit blended with curiosity and a constant scan of the external environment feeds the creative process. The company has become adept at integrating their knowledge into innovative approaches to improve athletic performance and connect with their customers through design and marketing. Our research on historical trends and processes within Nike indicates that the company’s core competencies are innovation and marketing; the underlying reasons the company is now the most recognized and coveted sports brand in the world.As Nike faces increased costs for materials, the company has made a strategic shift to couple sustainability principles with innovation to create a better company that can, in turn, can make a better world for all of us. Ultimately, this strengthens the company’s ability to compete globally in the future as well as positively impact society. Executive Summary (Stoney/Jen)1 Table of Contents (Stoney/Jen)2 Nike’s Mission Statement (Jen)4 I. The Business of Nike (Jen)4 A. Historical Innovations (Isaac)4 B. Portfolio of Products (Isaac)5 II. Product Life Cycle (Isaac)5 III. Business Model (Isaac)6 IV. SWOT (Stoney)7A. Strengths (Stoney)7 i. Strong Cap italization (Stoney)7 ii. Globally Positioned (Stoney)7 iii. Strong Brand Recognition (Stoney)8 iv. Solid Barriers to Entry (Stoney)9 v. Innovation (Stoney)9 B. Weaknesses (Stoney)9 i. Outsourced Manufacturing (Stoney)9 C. Opportunities (Stoney)9 i. Professional Sports Market (Stoney)9 D. Threats (Stoney10 i. Severe Competition (Stoney/Jen for Adidas)10 ii. Global Economy (Stoney)11 E. How do Nike’s Strengths Reinforce Nike’s Opportunities? (Stoney)11 F. How do Nike’s Weaknesses Relate to Threats? (Stoney)12 V. Nike’s Value Chain (Stoney)12 A. Make (Stoney)12 B. Move (Stoney)12C. Sell (Stoney)12 D. Use (Stoney)13 E. Reuse (Stoney)13 F. Plan (Stoney)13 G. Design (Stoney)14 VI. Porter’s 5 Competitive Forces (Stoney)15 VII. Organization (Jen)16 A. How the Culture Supports Innovation and Success (Jen)16 B. Org. Structure for Optimal Alignment with Customer Markets (Jen)17 C. Breaking into New Sports with Independent Teams (Jen)18 VIII. Innovation Proce ss (Jen)18 A. Innovation Kitchen and Sources of Inspiration (Jen)18 i. Athletes (Jen)19 ii. Customers: Lifestyle Trends (Jen)20 iii. Deep Dives (Jen)21 iv. Art, Artists and Buildings (Jen)21 B. Experts, Incubation and Collaborations (Jen)22IX. From Idea to Commercial Product (Jen)22 X. Product Introduction to the Market (Jen)24 A. Marketing Strategy (Jen)24 B. Event Pacing and Limited Edition Products (Jen)25 XI. Integrated Strategy: Sustainability and Innovation (Jen)26 A. Nike and China (Isaac)26 B. GreenXchange, Considered Design, Considered Design Index (Jen)27 C. Impact on Corporate Goals and Strategy (Jen)28 XII. Conclusion (Stoney/Jen)28 References29 Nike’s Mission Statement: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *†If you have a body, you are an athlete. † ————————————————- I.The Business of the Company Nike (NYSE: NK E) makes high performance athletic clothing, footwear, sportswear, and equipment. The company is headquartered in Beaverton, OR, and employs more than 30,000 people. Nike is the most recognized and coveted sports brand in the world, valued at $10. 7 Billion. (Nike, Inc. , n. d. ) As their Mission Statement indicates, Nike innovates for all athletes – from elite to everyday athletes – to improve sports performance. Nike markets its products under its own brand, as well as Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Air Jordan, Nike Skateboarding, and subsidiaries including Hurley International and Converse.The company also operates retail stores under the Nike town name. A. Historical Innovations * In 1962 Bill Bower man and Phil Night- Launched Blue Ribbon Sports (Tiger Shoes) with 500 dollar mutual fund. * 1978-Blue Ribbon Sports renamed themselves to NIKE. * 1980- Nike IPO and became publically traded. * 1980- First air sole shoe system Nike runner shoe * 1984-Signing of Michael Jor dan and first Air Force one basketball shoe. * 1985Air Jordan Revolution- 30 plus versions of air Jordan’s * 1989-Waffle shoe sole incorporated by adding rubber to a waffle machine. 2000-Nike shocks introduced and Nike portfolio formed * 2003- Nike ID shoe customization- allowing customers to make customized shoes from a computer, * 2006- Nike shocks tech * 2008-Nike Research lab environmentally friendly * 2011, Nike collaborated with Tom-tom for the launch of Nike+ Sport-Watch GPS. * Present Nike Innovation Kitchen- green products and greener product cycle. B. Portfolio of Products Nike’s portfolio consists of Converse, Nike Golf, Nike Baseball, Air Jordan shoes/Accessories, Hurley International.Nike is a leading designer, marketer and distributor of athletic footwear, apparel. Nike has done a spectacular job of diversifying their portfolio and being able to implement competitive advantage in all brands. The Company’s key product lines consist of: * Shoes * App arel * Equipment & accessories ————————————————- II. Product Life Cycle NIKE’s products and services falls in the growth stage of the product life cycle due to their ability to diversify products and rapid growth in sales and profits.According to knowledge. com â€Å"Nike is at a ranking of #135 in revenues generated by America’s 500 largest corporations. Of the nineteen billion fourteen million in revenue 2. 1 billion  was profit. † Nike is the niche when it comes to introducing new product and that is why there are at the growth stage allowing them to produce capital at a rapid pace. They always have new products coming out and new angles of approaches and that keeps them in the growth areas of the product life cycle. ———————————————— - III. Business ModelNIKE has a gift of trying new ideas that other organizations are too scared to attempt. The Nike business model consists of five steps. 1) Conducting research 2) Manufacturing product shoe, clothes, etc. 3) Retail 4) Consumers 5) Down cycling. , Nike introduces products to the market with athletic endorsements and mass marketing. They have the products assembled overseas for a fraction of the cost it would cost to manufacture in the in the United States. The Nike Corporation is known as innovators for making a product at low cost and charging an above average price in retail. I believe that this model works well for Nike as every time they have a new shoe come out that is expensive and overpriced they still have people waiting in line overnight for their shoe product. Nike Business Model ————————————————- IV. SWOT Analysis Strengths| Weaknesses| Well c apitalized| Outsourced manufacturing| Globally positioned| History of human rights scrutiny| Solid brand recognition creating competitive advantage| | Strong barriers to entry| | Innovation/product development| | Environmentally conscious culture| | Marketing| |Opportunities| Threats| Professional sports market segment| Severe competition| Growth in global apparel market| Global economy| Leadership in US market| Third world governments| Global marketing initiatives| Black market/counterfeit market| | | (MarketLine, 2012) A. Strengths i. Strong Capitalization: According to the Nike 10K report net income for 2011 was $2. 1 billion; although this is a drop from the previous year Nike still maintains a strong capital position. Last year Nike also saw their inventory go up as a result of future orders and the company repurchased $1. billion dollars of class B stock which is part of a 4 year $5 billion repurchase program. Thus far Nike has repurchased 30. 4 million shares for $2. 3 billio n. Even with this repurchase program Nike still has $4. 5 billion in cash, cash equivalents or short-term investment reserves so they are well positioned with capital for the future. (Nike, Inc. (2011) ii, Globally Positioned: Nike was ranked #1 in shoe and apparel revenue in 2011 and remains positioned well for the future. In the global shoe market there are two main players, Nike, a US-based company, and Adidas, a German company.Nike remains focused on defending their leadership position in the industry by signing contracts with the NFL, NBA, MLS, European soccer teams, and college sports teams. One of their advertising plans has historically included elite athletes like Michael Jordan, who still has the highest ranked athletic shoe in the history of the industry. Adidas sticks to its core values of â€Å"function first†. They also market their shoes by fashion, as modern, and as cool enough. While Nike is king in America, Adidas is the leader in European markets.The Adidas brand had a market share of 38% while Nike was right behind at 37% (Jones, 2011) In 2006 a study by William Hanrahan positioned global shoe marketers as follows: Hanrahan, (2008, p. 8) This graphic shows all the leading brands of shoes with their global positioning as of July 2006. Nike is located in the average to low affluent market with its main competitor being just a little larger (at that time) and a little higher in affluence. iii. Strong brand recognition creating a competitive advantage: The Nike swoosh is a recognized brand logo throughout the world.While Nike is known to charge a premium price for their average affluent market they are also known for quality and catering to the needs of the athlete. The target market for Nike is the young athletes and they are loyal to Nike as through advertising, Nike connects to this audience by demonstrating a keen understanding of their psyche and lifestyle. iv, Solid barriers to entry: Nike’s strong global brand has created a barrier to entry in the sports market. Other barriers include high capital requirements, high research and development costs, and keen innovation instincts. . Innovation: Innovation is a core competency for Nike as they pour investment dollars into research & development. The â€Å"Innovation Kitchen† generates the majority of their innovative ideas, which will be discussed in another part of this report. B. Weaknesses: i. Outsourced Manufacturing: One weakness is the fact that nearly all of their apparel and shoe manufacturing is outsourced. While this is an advantage from a cost perspective, and allows Nike to focus on their core competency, Nike gives up a lot of control by outsourcing to suppliers.The risk involved includes problems with governments and a workforce that that is out of there control. Another weakness that the company has displayed in the past is human rights and they are constantly under the pressure by human rights groups. C. Opportunities: i. The pr ofessional sports market: Nike’s target market has always been the athlete. The market segment that Nike is currently expanding is the professional sports arena with growing contracts with the NFL and other professional sporting leagues and teams across the world. Nike is the leader in the U. S. arket for all shoe and apparel sales and should continue to be the first choice of athletes who are looking to improve performance. Nike will also continue to make strides with advertising campaigns across Europe and India. D. Threats: i. Severe competition: The global shoe and apparel industry continues to experience fierce competition as major brands go head-to-head for competing for market share. According to Films on Demand video, Sports Shoe Wars, Adidas paid $1. 2 billion to retain the rights to the China Olympics for advertising rights at 23 of the 24 venues. The thought behind Adidas advertising campaign was â€Å"1. billion people with 2. 4 billion feet. † India is cle arly the next battle ground. Adidas is Nike’s most formidable competitor; the fight for market domination has spanned many decades and is publicly fought. Nike is the industry leader in the U. S. footwear and athletic apparel industry and has a strong brand portfolio (â€Å"Zacks Bull†, 2011). Adidas is known for making a solid, quality product which has historically missed consumer tastes. This was evident in a kid focus group conducted by Adidas in which kids were asked â€Å"if Adidas were at a party, where would it be? The kid’s responded â€Å"hanging around the keg† while â€Å"Nike would be with the girls. † (Stevenson, 2003) The belief at Adidas is Nike’s leadership position has been achieved solely through marketing, not through quality product performance. In a short film about the 2008 Olympic Games in China, Herbert Hainer, CEO of Adidas explains: I think if trying to find differences between the two companies, we’d have to say Adidas is more oriented towards product and performance and Nike more towards marketing. If they need hip hop culture to do that they will use it.But don’t think that Nike puts more into lifestyle than we do. We also communicate a great deal, like I said, we’re trying to do that in connection with the Olympic games†¦to win the people of China by saying we’re the ones who are helping your athletes. (Kirchhoff, 2009) In 2006, Adidas acquired Reebok to strengthen its position against Nike. The acquisition of Reebok led to control of 20% of the market as opposed to Nike which, at the time, had about a third of the $145 billion worldwide market. (Sorkin, Feder & Dash, 2005) The acquisition gave Adidas more leverage to compete for celebrity athlete endorsements. ii.The global economy is another threat that has already taken hold with a clear slowdown in worldwide shoe and apparel sales over the past few years. While the economy continues to be a proble m, a clear threat to Nike remains the volatility of third world governments where much of the materials and manufacturing is completed. E. How do Nike’s strengths reinforce their opportunities? Being well capitalized, Nike is in a position to take advantage of the professional sports organizations and teams target market. Many of these teams are recognized around the world and the Nike swoosh will be prominently displayed on their uniforms.Strong barriers to entry allow Nike to focus on their current competition with few to no disruptive technologies introduced by other companies in the shoe or apparel market. F. How do Nike’s weaknesses relate to their threats? Outsourcing manufacturing is a company decision they are comfortable with as they have done this for several decades now. The main benefit behind the outsourcing is expense reduction, and ability to focus on core competencies. However, along with these expense reductions comes human rights scrutiny that tends t o follow Nike wherever they go. A good reputation takes a long time to build and a short time to lose.But, they have made similar strides in the past with environmental groups and now will not allow harmful substances to be used for research and development there environmental groups recognize their environmental corporate culture and have worked closely with Nike over a period of 14 years to create these environmental values within the company. (Kirchhoff, A. (Director) (2009). ————————————————- V. Nike’s Value Chain Make, move, sell, use, reuse, plan, and design. A. Make: Since 1995 Nike has reduced petroleum based solvents used to manufacture shoes by 96%.Nike also created a new rubber that targets the reduction of the most toxic chemicals and shared the formula with the entire industry. The Nike â€Å"make† portion of the value chain employs 1,000,000 wor kers in 50 countries. The have also conserved enough materials in the last 5 years to produce an additional 15 million pairs of shoes. B. Move: Since 1995 Nike has used 100% recycled cardboard for shoe boxes. Clothing is also made from a lighter material which allows for less water usage in cleaning and it dries faster saving energy and allowing for larger drying loads in the process.Nike has 23 distribution centers located around the world and is working with logistics partners to reduce the footprint created in shipping and packaging of products. C. Sell: From June 2010 to January 2012 Nike employees donated 17,207 hours for community projects just in their North America retail stores. The employees completed 543 different projects that targeted youth sports. Approximately 219,000 plastic shopping bags were saved by the retail team in Australia in one year. With the plastic bag savings they began to charge an additional 10 cent fee and all proceeds from this fee were donated to lo cal youth sporting programs.This program resulted in a 55% reduction in plastic bag usage from the previous year and generated $26,000 for youth athletic programs. D. Use: In 2006 Nike did a study to find out where the most CO2 was being generated during the lifecycle of a typical pair of shoes. The study showed that 46% of these emissions came from the washing and drying. To further the study Nike came up with a 39% reduction in energy use simply by washing in cold water. This study was performed in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint and clothing now comes with instructions to use cold water and dry on a line instead of a dryer where possible.This cleaning method will also extend the life of the clothing. E. Reuse: Packaging accounts for up to 22% of the waste in the Nike value chain. Since 1995 all shoe boxes have been made from 100% recycled materials. In every square yard of school playground â€Å"play top† rubber there are approximately 40 pairs of grinded up shoe s where the rubber has been recycled. Nick also incorporates fiber into their Hyper Elite Platinum shorts that is made from 100% recycled polyester. The recycling of shoes has reached 25 million pairs collected globally since 1990. Nike’s goal is to â€Å"weave yesterday’s products back into tomorrow’s value chain. F. Plan: In 2010, Nike founded the Green Xchange with several other companies in an attempt at open innovation with other businesses. This Green Xchange is used to share intellectual property and conserve the planet’s resources and climate. In 2011 nearly 500 tons of waste was composted from the Nike headquarters and approximately 1. 6 million pound of waste was recycled. Those 500 tons equals about 65% of the total waste. Business travel has also been reduced to 3% of past travel requirements. Nike also focuses on minority owned businesses. G. Design: Each year over 16,000 materials are used in various products each year.Each pair of shoes co ntains about 30 different materials alone. Because so many different materials are used Nike has come up with â€Å"materials index† that measures the impact of each material in four areas. These areas include energy, chemistry, water, and waste. In 2010 15 million T-shirts were made using organic cotton that was grown without the use of fertilizers, defoliants, or pesticides. Nike has evaluated over 80,000 different to measure their environmental impact and typically uses 6 that make up most of their materials volume. These 6 items are polyester, rubber, cotton, synthetic leather, and leather and EVA foam.Finally, through planning and reducing their waste stream approximately 280,000,000 plastic bottles have been saved from landfills and used in polyester textiles. â€Å"In 2011, more than 31. 5 million Nike garments contained at least some recycled polyester fiber. † (Nike value chain, 2012) —————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ———————————————— ————————————————- VI. Porters 5 Competitive Forces à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- The Organization (Format taken from Quick MBA, 2010) ————————————————- VII. Organization A. How the Culture Supports Innovation and Success An organization’s culture is typically defined by management at the top. Without a doubt, Nike’s legendary former CEO and Co-Founder, Phil Knight, was influential at developing a culture of innovation. His odd management style inspired employees to make their own decisions.He deliberately didn’t respond to questions or offered a vague nod. His executives became adept at interpreting his lack of response or nods as freedom to do their own problem solving and innovate. Most employees, like Tinker Hatfield, VP of Innovation, considered silence a yes to move forward. (Roth, 2005) Parker has c ommented that Knight has â€Å"always given me incredible freedom in my roles. † (Birchall, 2007, para 8) Whether intentional or unintentional, Knight personally provided critical ingredients for cultivating and nurturing a culture of creativity and innovation.The competitive spirit is deeply ingrained in the culture and employees are driven to succeed. The highly-popular slogan â€Å"Just Do It† is an internally-embraced philosophy that captures this competitive spirit. Nike’s culture gives employees the opportunity to accomplish, occasionally fail and learn from mistakes. Repeated failure faces punishment. (Jagersma, 2003) Curiosity is considered key to success and it is expected that employees will maintain a level of curiosity or risk failure.According to author Fields, the former CMO of Nike, Scott Bed bury, was quoted in the book Chasing Cool: Standing Out in Today's Cluttered Marketplace, as saying: â€Å"If you were the head of Nike Basketball, you damn well better know what's going on in the minds of young basketball players–the music they listen to, their vernacular, how they define success, what they fear, what they dream. The bulk of it is just about getting out there and wandering around. And anybody in the marketing group at Nike was penalized, if not put into early retirement, if they didn't get out there, if they weren't continually curious. (Fields, 2007) Hero worship is also deeply ingrained in the culture. Buildings on the Beaverton, OR campus bear the names of image-building power athletes. (Rapaport, 2002) To evoke the spirit of innovation through organizational history, storytelling about heroes and heritage is a critical part of Nike’s corporate culture. (Ransdell, 1999) Ekins, Nike’s official company storytellers, sport a swoosh tattoo on their ankle and evangelize about the Nike brand and its sports technology. (â€Å"Remarkable†, 2010) Today, the management style of Mark Parker, CEO, c ontinues to nurture innovation and keeps the channels for creativity open.He does not shut people down in meetings and prefers to let people share what they’re working on, even if a project will not get a green light. (McGirt, 2010) B. Organizational Structure for Optimal Alignment with Customer Markets In the mid-2000s, the company moved from a product-based structure to a customer-focused organization with categories like women’s fitness, running, and basketball. This allowed Nike to follow the greatest opportunities and to develop communities of shared interest both internally and externally. (Birchall, 2007) In 2009, another restructure aligned the brand by six new geographies hich allowed Nike to get closer to the customer, reduce management layers and increase the speed of decision making. (â€Å"Nike, Inc. Announces,† 2009) This structure allows Nike to more efficiently focus on the unique cultures of these sports, share knowledge, and inform the creative process. C. Breaking into New Sports with Independent Teams Breaking into new sports markets is a strategic endeavor for Nike. The company sets up independent entities and forms teams with external talent to allow it to be as agile as needed for success.To break into the skate market, the company brought former head of Nike’s upstart soccer division out of retirement. The division was set up as an independent unit with 11 employees who were all skaters from other parts of the industry. The skate team spoke to consumers for two years before it offered its first products exclusively to skate stores on short-runs and has since captured market share. (Stone, 2004) Golf is another market which required a different approach to break into it. The golf unit was formally separated from the rest of the company on its balance sheet.A 12-handicap golfer and long-time employee, Bob Wood, was asked to head the division, and other executives were brought on board from the industry. Since s electing Tiger Woods to represent their line of products, Nike has captured market share in golf. (Stone, 2004) ————————————————- VIII. Innovation Process A. Innovation Kitchen and Sources for Innovation Inspiration The Innovation Kitchen is a think tank within Nike’s headquarters where innovative technology and other special projects are invented by its 125-person research team.Tinker Hatfield, VP Innovation and Special Projects, leads the team. He is a famed designer of Nike’s most popular and innovative designs, including the Air Jordan, and is regarded as the keeper of the founder’s legacy of innovation. As Hatfield explains, the Kitchen is separated from the rest of the organization: â€Å"We're not so much tied into the sales of shoes. We're here to improve athletic performance. † (Rapaport, 2002, para 25) While casual visits by the CEO ar e common, direction for their work does not come from above.It is guided by a philosophy established by Knight: â€Å"It’s really risky not to take risk. † (Brettman, 2011b, para 7) The research team is free to explore as many ideas as they can. Behind Nike’s core competency in innovation is a finely-tuned integration of learning with creativity. (Stonehouse & Minocha, 2008) Hatfield believes what designers draw or design is a culmination of everything he or she has seen or done in life at that point. (Longeville, 2006) To Hatfield, internal ideas generated from sources such as focus groups are generated in false environments, thus not the preferred source for ideas. Eckoff, 2007) Instead, creativity and inspiration is regularly sought out from a wide variety of external influences. The insights provoke new ways of thinking and innovating. i. Athletes: For Nike, design is rooted in the belief that form follows function. Top athletes have been – and wi ll continue to be – the primary source of design inspiration. According to Parker, â€Å"what we learn from them is who we are. † (McGirt, 2010, para 8) Nike employs pro athletes, either with the company or via sports marketing contracts, to evaluate and weigh in on shoe design and development from a performance perspective. Datamonitor, 2012) They are frequent visitors to the Nike Sports Research Lab, where biomechanics experts study how to enhance their performance using cutting-edge sports technology and equipment. (McGirt, 2010) How the R&D team of scientists analyzes the results sets Nike apart. According to Mario Lafortune, Director of Nike’s R&D Lab: We have developed an expertise in interpreting the data for designing footwear. How you interpret data to derive footwear criteria is really a level of expertise that very few people have. Holloway, 2004, para 7) Inspired design originates not just from input on functionality, but as Hatfield explains : You have to spend time getting to know an athlete, his motivations and his life. Understand his needs and his wants. The real fun comes in the end when you make observations that have real meaning. (â€Å"Interview: Tinker Hatfield ,† n. d. , para 14) ii. Customers: Lifestyle Trends: Nike understands that to grow, recognizing new customer needs and offering solutions is critical. (Patnaik, 2005) Nike’s ability to apply outside the box thinking to existing solutions has proven successful.For example, by looking at the lifestyle of the runner, Nike teamed with Apple to create Nike+, a digital sports kit comprising a sensor that attaches to a running shoe with a wireless receiver which connects to the iPod. The information tracked by the sensor sends information to the iPod for uploading and tracking progress on www. nikeplus. com, then shared on Facebook and Twitter to connect with other runner communities. For the Nike+ customer, the exercise experience has extended b eyond a pair of running shoes. As of 2010, 2. million kits were sold and due to that success, the kit has been expanded into other athletic activities, such as gym workouts. (Ofek & Wathieu, 2010) iii. Deep Dives: To stay ahead of consumer trends, Nike designers regularly seek inspiration through intense immersion into subcultural experiences, or Deep Dives. According to John Hoke III, Nike’s global creative director of footwear design, the purpose of Deep Dives is â€Å"to interpret, translate and try to make new connections†. Deep Dive cultural explorations have included American car culture, Palm Springs mid-20th-century design, inner-city hip-hop music and origami.Other lighter immersions such as trips to the zoo to sketch animal feet are part of this process as well. The idea is to infuse thinking with new design and aesthetic possibilities and inform new ways of connecting with their target customer. (Rapaport, 2002) iv. Art, Artists and Buildings: The work o f street artists have served as sources of inspiration, both in adding aesthetic appeal to shoes and in helping Nike establish credibility with hard-to-reach audiences. Parker has developed a network of artists as a long time art collector.He tapped his graffiti artist network to help establish authenticity in the hard-to-break-into skate market. Mr. Cartoon, a Los Angeles graffiti-and-tattoo-design star, was asked to design limited-edition versions of classic Nike shoes and was given a platform to hold special events advocating design self-discovery to Latino youth. This demonstrated Nike’s ability to understand and connect with this unique culture. The shoes are now collector’s items. Parker continues to stay connected with his artist network as he considers them as influencers of influencers in pop culture. Birchall, 2007) After travelling to Paris to see Pompidou Centre, a building characterized by exposed mechanical systems and bright colors, Hatfield suggested th e air bag of the shoe be exposed and visible through the sole. His idea was initially met with resistance from many. The Head of Marketing for Running couldn’t figure out how this shoe could be sold. (Longeville, 2006) Now, the Air Max line of shoes has been wildly successful. B. Experts, Incubation, and Collaborations Other external resources are tapped as part of Nike’s innovation process.Research committees and advisory boards with experts such as athletes, coaches, trainers, equipment managers, orthopedists, and podiatrists are frequently consulted with. (Datamonitor, 2012) Nike also sets up venture capital offshoots to explore new ideas. In 2011, the company set up the Sustainable Business & Innovation Lab to back other start-up ventures focused on alternative energies, efficient manufacturing practices, and companies that promote healthy lifestyles. (Kharif & Townsend, 2011) Other groups are tasked with collaborations.Parker was concerned about Nike innov ation being too insolated and set up Explore to pursue long-range innovation possibilities with academics, inventors and other companies. (Exon, 2002) One of Explore’s successes was the collaboration with Apple to produce Nike+. (Birchall, 2007) Analysts believe that a 55% growth in membership for Nike+ was responsible for an increase in sales in the running division up 30%, to $2. 8 billion. (Cendrowski, 2012) ————————————————- IX. From Idea to Commercial Product Innovation at Nike is clearly a bottom-up process.After ideas are generated, the labs have what is generally referred to as a peer review. At this time, research ideas are shared internally with lab peers and the lab director only. If the lab director believes the idea is worth pursuing, resources are allocated by the lab to investigate it further. (Rodrigues, R. , personal communication, June 10, 2012) At the investigation stage, external knowledge is gathered. Patents are researched to ensure no patent infringement. If the idea seems feasible based on information gathered in the steps in this process, the idea is developed further into a prototype and patents are filed. (Rodrigues, R. personal communication, June 10, 2012) The lab funds development of a prototype in what is generally known in engineering as the laboratory phase. About once a month, senior executives are invited to review prototypes and vet them against Nike’s mission statement and corporate goals. If a prototype is accepted, the idea could potentially be pitched to the board of directors. (Rodrigues, R. , personal communication, June 10, 2012) As an example, in the mid-80s, Parker, product designer at the time, was working on a side project visible air in which the sole cushioning technology would be exposed so the customer could see it.He was invited by Phil Knight to present his prototype to the board. (Mc Girt, 2010) At this stage, the lab might also produce a white paper with â€Å"ideas on feasibility† which is usually written for manufacturing and division heads of product lines. It may be unclear at this point which product line this technology might be used in, and there is most likely internal competition as to which division might get it. (Rodrigues, R. , personal communication, June 10, 2012) The visible air technology spurred the Air Max shoe line for running, basketball and cross-training.In Nike’s bi-annual Concept Debut, the review committee (CEO and heads of global footwear design) reviews all designs for products due to hit the market in the next18 months. Details of each prototype are discussed and sketches critiqued. If a product passes review, the company intends to commercialize and produce it and will fund it. All the regions are brought on board to determine the go-to-market strategy. Marketing is involved at this stage. (â€Å"Online extra: Chaos,à ¢â‚¬  2007) From there, the product is transferred to manufacturing for production.No doubt, Nike’s lab has a close relationship manufacturing suppliers and they are involved much earlier in product development than this stage. For example, the Flyknit due to hit stores July 2012 is made from a knitting process which weaves an entire shoe upper in one piece. With 35 fewer pieces to assemble, this is a revolutionary approach to shoe production as it eliminates the cutting and stitching process, translating to less labor and higher profit margins for Nike. (Townsend, 2012) Manufacturing most certainly played a role in the product development process. ———————————————— X. Product Introduction to the Market A. Marketing Strategy As one of Nike’s core competencies, marketing plays a pivotal role in the company’s success. Historically, Nike has utilized an a lmost formulaic, two-prong approach to marketing – elite athlete endorsements and establishment of an emotional connection with their customer. Some of the greatest elite athletes have been paid by Nike to help design, develop, and sell merchandise through endorsements.Tiger Woods was signed in 1996 and by 2001, Nike’s market share in golf jumped from one to six percent, or $50 million. (Cummings, 2001) Instead of focusing on the product, Nike’s advertising strategy seeks to establish an emotional connection with the customer by setting a mood. Just after Nike’s revenues fell 22% in 1986, Nike launched its first national ad campaign which featured the song Revolution and intertwined clips of elite Nike athletes with clips of everyday people. The underlying message was athletes prefer Nike, buy Nike and you can play as good as them. Lane, 1996) By 1988, revenues rebounded to $1. 2B and by 1989; the company regained its leadership position, earning $1. 7B i n revenue. (Jorgensen, 1994) However, as Nike’s total marketing budget has climbed, it’s spending in U. S. TV and print advertising has dropped by 40% in the past three years signaling a marketing strategy shift. In 2010, Nike launched Nike Digital Sport, a new division aimed at developing devices and technologies for users to track personal sports statistics. Now, customer data can be mined and online communities established, placing Nike where the customer is. Cendrowski, 2012) While initial attempts have not been so successful, true to Nike’s innovation process, the company integrates its knowledge into new tactics and continues try new approaches. B. Event Pacing and Limited-Edition Products Nike has been known to utilize two strategies to stimulate demand: event-timed product releases and limited-edition product. Nike both releases new products to coincide with big sports events – and also delays them. Earlier in 2012, the Foamposite One Galaxy glow- in-the-dark shoes were released to coincide with the NBA All-Star game in Orlando.This year, new home and away soccer apparel in the team colors for FC Internazionale were released in time for the 2012-2013 Milan soccer seasons. (Nike, Inc. , 2012b) In 2007, Nike delayed the release of the new Michael Vick shoe when Michael Vick was caught in a dog fighting scandal. (Briggs, 2007) When coupled with limited-run production, marketing hype has led to success, if not violence. Nike makes it known that the Jordan XIs — Jordan's most sought-after shoe – are released once a year as a limited edition.The December 2009 holiday season release of Air Jordan XI Concords caused violence and a stabbing. (Hill, 2011) But at more than $1 billion in sales, the Jordan brand now makes up roughly 5 percent of Nike’s overall revenues. (Rovell, 2009) ————————————————- XI. I ntegrated Strategy: Sustainability and Innovation The integration of sustainability and innovation as a value-creator forms the core of Nike’s new strategy. (Brettman, 2011a) Nike believes corporate social responsibility extends beyond the walls of their headquarters to the industry and society.The goal is to innovate systematically throughout all businesses processes and to affect change industry-wide for the good of society. Nike’s troubles in China led to heightened awareness about corporate responsibility and the company’s impact on society. A. Nike and China Nike and several other name brand organizations have had trouble with child labor issues. There have been allegations of child labor and horrid working conditions. According to Irene Alfred from Nike slave labor† Nike is having difficulties with the publicity it is receiving about its labor practices in China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam.In China, employees for Nike work twelve hour shifts for several days a week. Their wages are as low as sixteen cents an hour there is no union†. Nike is working on improving conditions for its international employee’s in1998 Mr. Knight stated,† Public speeches regarding his plan for the labor conditions to be brought up to standards. I feel that this is a great step to take in showing that Nike does actually care about its employees and the conditions they work in. Finding contractors that follow the health and safety codes and staying away from the corrupt government involved contractors.Incorporating interest in the educational systems where they are involved and showing the communities you operate in that you do care about their welfare status. Phil Knight did the right thing by addressing the media about theses speculations and taking action and getting involved with the citizens is a great first step. In addition, by going into these very poor countries that are plagued with hunger, poverty and illiteracy, Ni ke is giving these people a second chance at life by providing them with jobs to provide their families with meals and a chance to get an education and break the cycle of illiteracy and poverty in these communities.B. Green Xchange, Considered Design and Considered Design Index Now, Nike is driven to affect systemic change through open collaboration and designing products with sustainable design choices. In 2010, Nike launched the GreenXchange, a web-based collaborative network promoting the creation and adoption of technologies for new sustainability models and innovation. (Albanese, 2012) Nike’s new design philosophy, Considered Design, utilizes sustainable design choices at the start of the creative process to innovatively eliminate design and development waste.Sustainability is measured using metrics in their Considered Design Index. Nike intends to share this Index to create an industry-wide scale. (Nike, Inc. , 2012a) C. Impact on Corporate Goals/Strategy As Nike contin ues to integrate sustainability goals into their innovation processes, the company continues to raise their performance expectations. In May 2012, Nike announced new sustainability performance targets, both short and long term, and a company-wide commitment to further integrate sustainability principles into its innovation processes, governance and portfolios. â€Å"Nike, Inc. Introduces,† 2012) ————————————————- XII. Conclusion Nike’s intense passion for and focus on improving athletic performance has been the driver behind the company’s ability to establish a leadership position in the market. The competitive culture is sharply focused on winning in whatever endeavor the company endures, and their innovation processes support this Just Do It mentality. Their ability to finely integrate creativity and learning forms the core of their innovation proces s.Their curious culture uses external knowledge gained to innovate for the athlete and make an emotional connection with their customer through marketing. The company continuously refines their approach, as evidenced in their new marketing strategy, and as they continue set new challenges, Nike positions itself to defend their leadership position. ————————————————- References Albanese, M. (2012, Feb 06). How she leads: Hannah jones of nike. 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