The National Innovation System Management Essay

The National Innovation System Management Essay Firms describe innovation an essential factor to increase sustainable profits and market share due to the rapid globalisation and commoditization in goods and services (Westland, 2008). Miozzo and Walsh (2006) also state that firms effectiveness in competitive international trade in goods and service depend on two factors, which are: The scale of RD and other technological activities. The way in which the available resources are managed and organised both at the level of enterprise and at the national level. Thus, National Innovation System (NIS) will enable a country with limited resources to make rapid progress through suitable combinations of imported technology and local adaption and development (Freeman, 1987). With these combinations, national firms will transform to a market leader and countrys economy to flourish. Hence, in my essay, I will define meaning of NIS, my understanding of systemic aspect of innovation and discuss the different institutions involved in NIS in section 2. Section 3 and 4 will discuss how interaction in NIS can affect the innovative performance of national firms with a case study of Taiwan innovation system in section 5. Lastly, section 6 will provide a conclusion of my findings, and the gaps identified for future research. National Innovation System Since the 1980s, various authors (Freeman, 1987; Lundvall, 1992; Nelson, 1993) studied the concept of national innovation system (NIS) which is used as a main conceptual framework for analysing technological change, and to lay the foundations to improve the economic development of a nation. NIS can be categorized under narrow and broad definitions. The narrow approach (Lundvall 1992) is further defined by both Nelson (1993) and Freeman (1987). Freeman (1987) defined NIS as The network of institutions in the public and private sector whose activities and interaction initiate, import, modify and diffuse new technologies and Nelson (1993) defined NIS as a set of institutions whose interactions determine the innovative performance of national firms. Lundvall (1992) defined the broach approach of NIS by saying that NIS includes all parts and aspects of the economic structure and the institutional set-up affecting learning as well as searching and exploring the production system, the marketing system and the system of finance present themselves as sub-systems in which learning takes place. To summerise all the definitions above, I will use the definition by Metcalfe (1995). Metcalfe (1995) defined NIS as That set of distinct institutions which jointly and individually contribute to the development and diffusion of new technologies and which provides the framework within which governments form and implement policies to influence the innovation process. As such it is a system of interconnected institutions to create, store and transfer the knowledge, skills and artefacts which define new technologies. This led me to understand that NIS is a system to manage innovation and the meaning of systemic aspect of innovation. The system consist of various actors and institutions which the main components of the system. The term systemic aspect of innovation refers to how all these actors and institutions interact with each other in order to implement NIS effectively. Innovation is based on learning by collaborating and interacting with organisations and not by innovating in isolation (Edquist 1997:7, p20-22). This is further supported by Fagerberg (2005) who emphasis the systemic aspect of innovation processes. Lundvall (1992) and Nelson (1993) also stress that for innovative performance to improve, it is necessary to understand the linkage among the institutions involved in the innovation process. Main Component of NIS Before we understand the interaction among institutions that is important in NIS, it is necessary to understand what are the different institutions involved. However, the term institution is very subjective as different authors themselves have their own definition. Nelson and Rosenberg (1993) defined institutions as organisations, whereas Lundvall (1992) defined institutions as the rules of the game. This makes the understanding of institutions confusing. Therefore, to make a clear distinction for institutions in the essay, I shall use the definitions made by Edquist and Johnson (1997). Organisation Organisations are the formal structure where the players or actors in NIS are created with a purpose and goals (Edquist and Johnson 1997: 47). They are a total of four players (Pavitt. K and P.Patel, 1994; Capron et al., 2000). Institutions of Industrial RD (Capron et al., 2000). They are the business firms who are the major investors on Research Development (RD) in each nation economy for technological change activities (Pavitt. K and P.Patel, 1994). Institution of education (Capron et al., 2000). They are the universities providing basic research for the business firms and related training to the undergraduates (Pavitt. K and P.Patel, 1994). Institutions of public/private research (Capron et al., 2000). They are the public/private institutions providing general education and vocational training for the workforce (Pavitt. K and P.Patel, 1994). Institutions of technology bridging (Capron et al., 2000). They facilitate the interaction of institution in the innovation process to resolve mismatch or exploit the result of research performed by public research institutions to enhance the absorption power of existing firms and promote the creation of new-venture firms and university spin-offs. Institution Institutions, on the other hand, are the rules of the game which consists sets of common habits, routines, established practices, rules, or laws that regulate the relation and interactions between individuals, groups and organisations (Edquist and Johnson 1997: 46) which shape the behaviour of firms and other organisations by creating constraints and/or incentives for innovation (North 1990) that affect learning, searching and exploring activities (Bozeman and Dietz, 2001). There are a total two institutions. Institution of policy formulation (Capron et al., 2000). They are the government bodies performing a variety of activities to promote and regulate technological change (Pavitt. K and P.Patel, 1994). Institution of promotions of entrepreneurship (OECD, 1999). It is the ethos, culture, and attitude towards entrepreneurship and risk taking that can have an important influence on the innovative performance of firms (Miozzo and Walsh, 2006). Interaction of organisations and institutions in NIS In the past, NIS takes the form of a linear model in knowledge flow (Stoke, 1993). However, there are limitations to the linear model. This is because, in practice, ideas innovation derives from various sources and can be from any point of stage in the linear model. Furthermore, OECD (1997) said that innovation occurs from complex interaction between institutions instead in a linear sequence enabling knowledge flows to other institutions. As economic activities are becoming more knowledge-intensive, the success of firms, regardless of size, depends on how effective it is in gathering and utilizing knowledge from various institutions. OECD (1997) identified four main interactions that occur within NIS. Chang and Shih (2004) made some changes to the main interactions identified in OECD (1997). They combined the concept of joint industry activities and public/private interactions and named it as RD collaboration, retained technology diffusion and personnel mobility, and added a new interaction called informal interaction. Lundvall (1985) also identified the user-producer interaction. Appendix 1 summarizes the main components of institutions and the interaction among institutions which are discussed below. RD Collaboration The benefits of joint activities and public/private interaction have provided the firms a competitive advantage and a positive effect on the firms innovative performance. This is proven by several empirical studies from Klomp and van Leeuwen (2001), Janz et al. (2003) van Leeuwen (2002), Loof and Heshmati, (2002), Criscuolo and Haskel (2003) and Faems et al. (2004). RD collaboration enables risk and cost sharing in times of uncertainty in technological developments (Das andTeng, 2000;Tyler and Steensma, 1995), shorter innovation cycles (Pisano, 1990), pooling of resources to achieve economies of scale and scope and gaining synergies from complementary human and technical assets (Kogut, 1988; Das and Teng, 2000; OECD, 1997) and increase firms competences and skills by monitoring technology and market developments (Hamel, 1991; Roberts and Berry, 1985; OECD, 1997). RD collaboration also enables firms to discover new markets or market segment (Tether, 2002; Monjon and Waelbroeck, 2003). Furthermore, public/private interaction in RD collaboration enables firms to internalise and manage knowledge spillovers and remove the negative effect of spillovers on RD (Amir, 2003; De Bondt, 1996; Kamien et al., 1992; Suzumura, 1992; Leahy and Neary, 1997). In addition, RD collaboration also enables knowledge to be transferred voluntarily to firms (Katsoulacos a nd Ulph, 1998). Informal Interaction Informal interaction normally occurs in personnel communicating with one another in order to gain tacit knowledge and information more efficiently for problem solving and learning which is beneficial for the firm (Chang and Shih, 2004). This is because individuals can elaborate or modify what was said to handle objections and misunderstandings effectively (Kraut et al., 1982). Furthermore, informal interaction can overcome different frames of reference or clarify ambiguous issues to change understanding in a timely manner (Daft and Lengel, 1986, p.560) and when coordination is need in times of uncertainty and equivocality (Daft and Lengal, 1986). This is proven by Argote (1982) literature as it shows that people are more successful in performing their work. Technology Diffusion Technology diffusion is the dissemination of technical information and know-how from products developed by customers, suppliers, competitors and public institutions and the sequence adoption of new techniques and technologies by users (OECD, 1997; Tassey, 1992). Despite technology diffusion is slow-moving process, it is still important because the innovative performance of firms, regardless whether it is from manufacturing or service industries, depends on technology diffusion (OECD, 1997). This is because the innovative performance of firms depends heavily on innovation and products developed elsewhere (OECD, 1997) to obtain the foundations for high-technology development in the firm (Hsu and Chen, 1998). Personnel Mobility As tacit knowledge and skills are important to a firm, the mobility of personnel has become increasing important (Gruenfeld et al., 2000; Kraatz and Moore, 2000; Rao and Drazin, 2002). Personnel mobility is the movement of people and tacit knowledge that moves within industries and between public and private institutions (OECD, 1997; Chang and Shih, 2004). This may cause knowledge and skills to overlap which might result a firm in either reinforcing the firms current way of organizing or questioning the efficacy of existing organizing patterns (Tammy et al., 2003). In addition, Research from Argote and Ingram (2000) has shown firms knowledge library is initially facilitated by individuals. Hence, this determines that personnel mobility is important to the firms innovative performance. User-Producer Interaction Producers and users both have strong incentives to interact with one another (Lundvall, 1985). This kind of interaction is commonly found where the products are specialized and expensive capital goods. Producers can monitor process innovation within user firms and if it is successful, producers can use it to present to other users as product innovation. At the same time, users can monitor the competence of producers to identify which producers are competent to assist them in developing new product innovation. Hence, this helps to improve the innovative performance of firms as it enables them to produce new process or product innovation. Systemic Failure in NIS Despite that NIS approach is successful in various countries, there are still instances whereby systemic imperfections can occur leading to slowing down the innovation as a whole. Literatures from Carlsson and Jacobsson (1997), Smith (1997), Malerba (1997), Johnson and Gregersen (1994) and Edquist et al. (1998) focused on systemic imperfections, leading to a summerised list of systemic imprefections: Infrastructural failure (Smith, 1997; Edquist et al., 1998) is the physical infrastructure that actors need to use and the science and technology infrastructure. Soft and hard institutional failure (Smith 1999; Edquist et al., 1998; Johnson and Gregersen 1994) that may regulate economic behavior and interaction which may hinder innovation. Interaction failure (Carlsson and Johnson, 1997) from both strong and weak network failure can hamper innovation. Capabilities failure (Smith 1997; Malerba 1997) due to the lack of capabilities to learn and absorb knowledge effectively resulting in lock-in with existing technologies and unable to use new technologies. Although there are four factors involved in systemic failure, I will only discuss on how interaction failure can affect the innovative performance of national firms of any sizes in relation to the essay topic. Interaction Failure The innovative performance of firms is dependent on the interaction between institutions to develop and design products (Smith 1999). In the next few sub-sections below, I will discuss how both strong and weak network failure can hamper innovation. Strong network failure Carlsson and jacobsson (1997) describe strong network failure happens when individual actors are guided by other network actors in the wrong direction and consequently fail to supply each other with the required knowledge. These could be caused by the following factors: Myopia due to internal orientation. When relationships established for a long period of time results in trust relationship and habituation, this causes a certain degree of closure (Bogenrieder and Nooteboom, 2002). The group will be unwilling to exit the group or permit new entrants in leading to myopia and inertia (Nooteboom, 2000). This results insufficient attention to the development outside causing a lock-in to existing products. Lack of weak ties. Weak ties are the bridges to industries, educational and cultural background outside their inner circle. Granovetter (1983) and Burt (1987) emphasis the importance of weak ties leading to new knowledge and impulses or provide the knowledge that the individual firm lacks. These linkages can keep them updated with new developments and keep track on new knowledge, skills and resources. Dependence on dominant partners. The dependence may be due to asset specificity, switching costs or due to a lack of alternative partners that results in difficulty to find new partners for new innovation products or process. Weak Network failure Weak network failure (Carlsson and Jacobsson, 1997) happens when connectivity between complementary technologies and actors are poor, causing the possibilities for interaction learning and innovation to be under-utilised and failure to adapt new technological development. In addition, this will hinder the coordination of research efforts and investment due to a lack of shared vision for future technology development. Taiwan Innovation System In 1970s, Taiwan was an island nation with limited natural resources and a scarce domestic market. The government, local and foreign scholars recognized this problem believed they should set up an export-orientated strategy to develop high-technology industry to ensure a sustainable economy in Taiwan (Hsu and Chen, 2003) Hence, there was a joint effort by institutions and organizations to stimulate the development of high-tech industry. ST policies were formulated to assist the framework of Taiwan NIS (Hsu and Chen, 2003) shown in Appendix 2. Interactions in Taiwan NIS: The Case Study of IC Industry To illustrate the interactions in Taiwan NIS, this essay will be how the interaction of institutions (Appendix 3) led the growth of the IC industry in Taiwan (Appendix 4) to become the fourth largest producer in the world. As Fig. 3 shows, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is the main agency responsible for industrial technology development in Taiwan. Their role is to transfer the research results to the private institutions for product development and commercialization through technical assistance, information diffusion and manpower training. MOEA also works to strengthen the interaction between industry, government, universities and research institutions with the goal of optimizing the facilitation of industrial technology innovation. (Hsu and Chen, 2003) Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) was contracted by the government to act as the bridging institutions between industry firms and overseas public/private institutions. They interact with the private sector via technology transfer and collaboration to assist in technology development. National Science Council (NSC) also sponsored universities to collaborate with private sectors in joint research projects. By doing so, it provides technical assistance, technical information, and personnel training to the private sector. In addition, the introduction of new technologies, joint research, overseas investment and strategic alliance via the interactions between overseas corporations and research organizations also benefited the industry firms. (Hsu and Chen, 2003) Interaction Failure in Taiwan NIS: The Case Study of Biotechnology Industry Despite the successful implementation of NIS in the IC industry as mentioned earlier, the Taiwans innovation system in Taiwans biotechnology industry, consisting mainly SMEs, is still fragmented as the current status of industry is still insignificant in the world (Sun, 2005). In Sun (2005) survey for the biotechnology industry, he identified several systemic failures. However, according to the essay objectives, we will only focus the interaction failures that were identified. They are: Knowledge of public research made not available to public which prevented the transmission of the knowledge to the industries to develop (Porter, 1990). Insufficient supply of scientific research causing a lack of linkage between firms and research institutes (Sun, 2005). Lack of cross-border RD collaboration prevented local biotech firms to have access to foreign knowledge (Bartholomew, 1997). Hence, all of these points mentioned pointed that a weak network failure, one of the causes for interaction failure, was the cause that prevented innovative performance of Taiwans biotechnology firm. Conclusion This essay aims at discussing the interaction of institutions which will affect the innovation performance of national firms of any sizes. Based on the above discussion, I conclude that interaction of institutions can improve innovative performance of firms, but it can also hinder the innovative performance of firms as well. Strong interaction of institutions enables knowledge flows from one actor to another which is important to stimulate innovation. This enables firms to develop new technologies, products or processes to maintain its competitiveness for the firm or achieve cost savings which are crucial for its survival in the industry. At the same time, interaction of institutions can also hinder the innovation performance of firms. This is due to the factors mentioned above in interaction failure. Firms will not have access to new knowledge and technologies make them unable to innovate. Despite various literatures identifying the types of interaction among institutions, there is still room for improvement for future research in identifying the different types of interactions involved in institutions. Limited literature has been found to mention the types of interaction between government and the various organizations and institutions that helped to implement the preferred policies to enhance the innovative performance of firms. The interaction between them seems to be a one-way process. Hence, this calls for future research to identify what are the other interactions that can also help to improve the innovative performance of firms of any sizes.

Superconductivity Essay -- essays research papers fc

SUPERCONDUCTIVITY DEFINITION OF SUPERCONDUCTIVITY Superconductivity is a phenomenon displayed by certain conductors that show no resistance to the flow of electric current. Conductors are materials in which the electron current goes through. There are 4 different kinds of conductors. Insulators, like glass or wood, have a very high resistance to electron current while semi-conductors, such as silicon, have a medium resistance. Conductors, like copper and other metals, have very low resistance, and superconductors, comprised of certain metals such as mercury and ceramics such as lanthanum-barium-copper-oxide, have no resistance. Resistance is an obstacle in the flow of electricity. Superconductors also have strong diamagnetism. In other words, they are repelled by magnetic fields. Due to these special characteristics of superconductors, no electrical energy is lost while flowing and since magnetic levitation above a superconductor is possible. This principle is employed in high-speed trains that travel at 483 km/h (300 mph) while lev itating on a cushion of air. MAKING OF THE SUPERCONDUCTOR When superconductivity was first discovered, it was established that the compounds needed to be cooled to within several degrees Kelvin to absolute zero (zero Kelvin). The large amount of cooling was done by putting the compound in liquid helium. Helium, which is usually a gas, liquefies when its temperature drops to 4 K. Once the material had cooled to that temperature, it became a superconductor. However, using liquid helium to cool down material has been a problem. Liquid helium is very expensive, and the cooling equipment is very large. In the past, there was no economic incentive to replace ordinary conductors with superconductors because the cooling costs for superconductors were so high. Scientists have found two ways to overcome the cooling problems. The first is to find a way to cool the material using something less expensive and less bulky than liquid helium. The second way is to raise the temperatures that are necessary to cause superconductivity in the metals, or the cri tical temperatures. By combining materials into superconducting alloys, the temperature was raised slightly. By 1933, the critical temperature was at 10 K, and it wasn't until 1969 when the critical temperature was raised to 23 K and scientists tried, unsuccessfully, to raise it again. The... ...ving atoms wandered out of the field, while the coldest atoms stayed in the center. Very few atoms could escape the coldness at the center, and the center is what became the new state of matter. Future Developments In the future, many scientists expect to have many new things due to superconductivity. Room temperature superconductivity would totally revolutionize the electrical power industry by making copper wires obsolete. Superconductivity would also improve transportation by changing the way trains, cars, and ships run. Magnetically levitated trains have the advantages of speed and quiet operation and the same magnetic levitation could be used with cars. Drivers would travel as fast as 150 mph on a highway and they would never have to worry about collisions. Ships propelled by superconducting motors would weigh less and would be more maneuverable. In conclusion, superconductivity will have a tremendous impact on our future, totally revolutionizing our way of life. Works Cited Seeber, Bernd Handbook of Applied Superconductivity University of Geneva Switzerland, 1998 Kresin, Vladimir. and Wolf, Stuart Fundamentals of Superconductivity New York and London Plunum Press., 1990

Why I Want to be a Teacher Essay -- Education Teaching Essays

Why I Want to be a Teacher School is a major part of our young lives. It is where we spend the majority of our time as youngsters. Children begin to develop relationships with people who have not been apart of their infancy. For someone who does not enjoy school, this could put a damper on their relationships with others as well as their learning achievements in life. This is why I want to become a teacher. I want to develop a learning atmosphere where children feel joy and security. I believe that enjoying and feeling that one belongs is an important part of education. Yes, I used the word that makes some people shiver when heard, education. Education is often viewed as an institution where children are forced to go by government. Even though education is for the child’s own benefit, it is not seen that way through the eyes of the child that dislikes school. Some parents have difficulty sending their children because they believe that their child should be allowed to play and be worry free. Children should be able to play for a little while before faced with the reality of life and responsibility. A good teacher proves that education is more than learning subjects and facts. Education is developing character, understanding how to handle life’s little obstacles, and learning how to communicate with peers and others who come into our lives. Learning needs to be provided in a way that the child does not realize that they are forced to att end. The child should contain a desire to go. While being entertained through games the child is unaware that they are learning such skills as sharing, taking turns, and criteria crucial for future learning. I feel that it takes a special person to teach and realize t... ...ned and where their lecture left off was an impressionable role model to me. I knew this teacher cared whether we learned because they had put time into their lessons. I knew this teacher was not going to lose the paper I worked on all week. My classmates and co-workers have made fun of my organizational skills, but I am proud to say I learned organizational skills in school and it has helped me everyday of my life. I want to be a teacher because education is an important step in life. Teachers are the people who represent role models for young America. They help society maintain order and continue development. Teachers have the opportunity to change and influence a life. To make a difference they can look back on. As I further my education, I see the importance of a well-organized classroom and teacher. This is the backbone of a successful classroom.

Miss fortune in My New School Story

Misfortune in my new school Arshia Amali I woke up by the blue jays singing by the tree beside my bedroom window. I got dressed in my blue jeans and my Adidas sweater. As I went downstairs my mom had a big breakfast set out on the round table. I sat down and as I started gobbling down the pancakes my brother joined us. We cleaned off the table and I took my backpack and put on my jacket to go out for school. My brother ‘Matt’ following right behind me.I and he decided to take the shortcut we found during summer break when we went biking, instead of the actual way through the streets. It had already started to snow in September and the shortcut through the pond was slippery, but we scrambled through it. As we made our way near the school, we saw some of the kids we saw when we went biking hanging out by the timeworn school sign. I guess my brother didn’t really want to enter school with me because he scurried off to a friend he met at a band competition during the break.I didn’t really find any friends during the break, except this kid named Jack who was my neighbour, but the problem with him was that he was one of the fattest kid I have seen, and all he would want to do was stay home and watch this TV show about a loser who always got beaten up. I stayed away from him all summer but I guess I shouldn’t have, because now I have to enter the school all by my self not knowing where to go or not knowing anything about the school. At least the school entrance looked warm hearted. I made way up the aged stairs of the school.I opened the door to the school and felt a warm breeze of air through my body. It didn’t look too bad like I imagined. To my left a bunch of kids were by the classroom talking to one of the teachers and to my right some kids all had their heads in one locker looking at something. I decided to go up to the administration desk and ask for my class list. The women behind the computer gave me the piece of paper with my classroom numbers. Since I didn’t know anyone, I decided to go to my class and get a bit familiar to the teacher. The classroom door was open so I decide to take a sneak at it.There was no teacher inside and so were no students. I guess no one was new to the school and had someone to hang out with. So I decide to stay in the class and read one of the books I still didn’t finish from last year until the bell ring. â€Å"BRING† The bell rang and bit by bit the students made their way in at a snails pace; I guess none of them were happy about school starting. But suddenly the most attractive girl I have ever seen came inside the room crowded with a bunch of boys trying to make a move with her. I guess she was probably the girl of the school.We started class a few minutes later and for the whole class I swear I couldn’t lay my eyes off of her until the boy behind me poked me at the back saying â€Å"Don’t even try bro. Every guy wants that gi rl! † With fury I turned around and saw a chubby boy and told him â€Å"What makes you think I won’t get her† and with confidence he said she only goes out with athletic people, making me sound like I’m not athletic. I needed to at least try to get her and to show the boy ‘Brendan† that I am athletic and could get her. But the truth was that I actually wasn’t that athletic.I was always the geek that stayed behind the computer playing games instead of going outside and playing sports. Instead of arguing with Brendan I decide to actually get to be friends with him since I didn’t know anyone else. First and second class passed by and now was lunch time. Brendan and I made our way through the halls to the cafeteria. We both got our lunch and made our way to a table where we could eat. While we ate he told me that the wrestling try outs would be today and that we should both try out since Alex will be there watching. I decide to give i t a go since she was there, and maybe wrestling will the sport I’m good at.I was actually eager to try out because I could probably show off some moves and get Alex attracted to me. For the last two blocks we didn’t really do much; we had both classes as science and all we did was read the safety rules for using the stuff in class. The bell rang and Brendan and I made our way to the gym. We got changed into our shorts and out on some equipment that the coach gave to us. We made our way into the gym; all the people trying out were big and muscular. I took a quick glance at the bleachers and saw Alex setting down with some other girl from our class.I knew I had to shine or it would go all bad. The coach put us into pairs with the same size for opponents. My bad luck struck because I was paired up with this girl that had tried out; I and she were the smallest and shortest people there so that’s why we probably got paired up together. The bad thing was that the coac h actually wanted us to wrestle each other and I didn’t really want to hurt a girl. We were the last ones to wrestle, so we both made our way to the matt and as soon as the coach said go, that girl attacked me and took me right down to the floor.Brendan helped me up and all I heard and saw was everyone laughing at me including Alex. I was pretty embarrassed. We all went back to the locker room to change back to leave. Everyone was making fun of me so I got myself out of there as soon as possible. I put on my jacket and opened the door to start walking back home. Instead of taking the shortcut I took the actual way through the street. As I was walking down the street across the school I saw Alex standing outside of the bank line with her mom. I thought the best thing to do was to change my way but instead I decided to be a man and pass her.I was around a foot away for her and suddenly a group of man came outside of the bank. They all had black masks with some sort of sweater s aying ‘BAD BOYS† on it with each of them wearing baggy ripped jeans. I guess they were robbing the bank or something because one the guys started to terrorise the people outside including me to not call the police. Then one of the guys opened some shots from his pistol in to the crowd and the only thing that popped into my mind was to jump in front of Alex to save her from a bullet; maybe instead of liking an athletic person she could like a hero that saved her life.I wasn’t really expecting the bullet to come her way but my bad luck it actually was going to hit her, so I lurched my self in front of her and got hit by the bullet. I was expecting my self to be in wounded by the bullet but instead I found my self in the hospital lying on the bed with my brother and mom beside me on the bed. I didn’t know exactly what was happening and exactly why I wasn’t dead or anything from the bullet. I asked my mom sitting beside me if they took the bullet out of me but she was more confused then ever before.So I asked her why I was in the hospital and she told me, when me and my brother took the shortcut in the morning on the way to school I fell down and hit my head on sharp piece of ice which got me unconscious. So all that just had happened to me was all a dream I guess. I’m just happy that all I went through in my dream wasn’t real because I would never want that to happen to me. And the best thing of all was that I got to miss the first day of school!

Language and Cultural Barriers

With so many people immigrating to the United States and all the companies that are doing business internationally, we must find a way to make it work. There are many ideas, learning groups and classes that are specifically designed to help people of all languages and cultures learn to work together and understand one another. The internet has shown that progress is inevitable; it is time for a change. Foreign-born immigrants are rapidly becoming a central part of the American labor force. This entry of immigrants is creating jobs in the fields of manufacturing, service and construction.With so many immigrants joining our workforce, it is the best idea for employers to embrace this idea and find ways to link these languages and culture barriers. Charleston, WV Immigrant Statistics (quickfacts. consensus. gov, 2010) †¢ Charleston, WV Population as of 2006: 50,846. †¢ Foreign Born Persons as of 2000:3. 2% †¢ Language other than English spoken:5. 3% In 2006, the foreign-b orn population of West Virginia was 2. 5%. The majority of immigrants in West Virginia are from the following (usimmigrationsupport. com, 2010). †¢ 34. 9% Mexico 10. 1% Canada †¢ 6. 7% Germany †¢ 23. 6% UK, Korea, Philippines, China, Japan, India and Soviet Union Cultural and language barriers can create communication problems which can cause hazardous conditions, especially in the blue collar fields. People’s stereotypes can get in the way of hiring a good worker, we need to look beyond the stereotypes and see what kind of person they really are. Some companies require certain educational backgrounds, and don’t take into consideration the applicants experience and education when coming from another country.All countries can stand to learn a little bit about tolerance when it comes to foreigners. In foreign countries, certain acts are considered social suicide, such as receiving a business card from someone in Japan and stuffing it in your pocket. The Ja panese consider their business cards a symbol of themselves. Some other common cultural differences are: †¢ Roles and Status—in some countries women are considered inferior and are expected to walk behind the males. Some countries females are not expected or allowed to work.What is considered normal in American culture regarding etiquette for a working woman is far different in other countries. In Latin American countries, colorful business attire is welcomed, however, in Asia and the Middle East, the norm is neutral-colored clothing and nothing else. When conducting a meeting in Islamic Middle East, a female must have a male host that accompanies them to their meetings, where they may well be the only female in attendance. †¢ Personal Space—Americans usually stand about 5 feet away from each other, however, Japanese cultural likes more space and the Latin cultural likes to stand closer.In China it is acceptable to push your way through a crowd and you may be invited to spa where nudity is considered appropriate. †¢ Body Language—In America, eye contact is considered a sign of respect. People in the Japanese culture considers it is a sign of disrespect to look directly at a superior. Where Americans are very animated with their facial expressions, Asians are sometimes considered emotionless. Closed eyes mean a person is bored or sleepy in America, but in Japan and Thailand it shows that you are listening and concentrating.Such a simple gesture as a friendly kiss is prohibited in parts of Asia where it is considered a sexual act. In the Middle East and parts of Indonesia, the left hand is considered unclean. †¢ Personal Appearance—In various parts of the world, Americans are considered careless with dress, manners and body movements; generous with neighbors, superficial, shallow and short-lasting with friendships, ethnocentric—less interested in others, independent, and individually feeling. In some countri es, our dress is considered provocative and rude.In countries such as China, India and Russia, women must keep their knees and elbows covered and shirts must be buttoned completely up to the neck. Pants are frowned upon in Japan and in the Middle East, cleavage is a definite no-no! However, in Latin America, women are appreciated for wearing bright, stylish clothing. Employers can help by being practical and learning to tear down the barriers, employers can reduce worker’s compensation injuries, improve the ability to recruit, hire and retain workers and increase productivity (charlotteworks. org, 2010).There are a lot of people in the United States who feel that people who live in our country should learn to speak our language; while this might not be the most practical statement, it makes sense when talking about positions such as customer service or anything that requires directions. It is so easy to misunderstand someone and then something goes terribly wrong. However, wh o’s to say it shouldn’t be the same way when we go to another country to work? Most foreign countries have a large number of citizens that do speak the English language, especially in terms of the business world.However, the more languages you can speak fluently will help you if you plan a future in International Business. International businesses should require employees to take language classes in at least one language where they conduct business; it’s only fair to the people in that country. So many things can be misconstrued if you don’t know the language and try to conduct business without an interpreter, especially when it comes to jobs that require strict policies to keep employees safe. If an employee doesn’t understand instructions, or misinterprets them, there is a significant change of injury which can hurt the company as well.Even when foreign workers in America can speak English, there are so many slang terms that they may not really u nderstand what is being said. When going to a foreign country to work, the employee must conduct research and learn as much as they can about the country and their customs and realize that they cannot generalize the people of a certain area. There are many different cultures inside a country and they should not all be lumped together under a stereotype. We must learn that every person is an individual and has different values and ways of life.The employer can provide a mentor to the new employee so they can get better adjusted with the culture and office policies. Culturosity. com (2010) provides the following 10 Strategies for Overcoming Language Barriers: †¢ Speak slowly and clearly. †¢ Ask for clarification. †¢ Frequently check for understanding. †¢ Avoid idioms. †¢ Be careful of jargon. †¢ Define the basics of business. †¢ Be specific. †¢ Choose your medium of communication effectively. †¢ Provide information via multiple channels. â € ¢ Be patient. In summary, our world is changing and the idea of International Business is coming upon us quickly.We must learn patience no matter if we are the foreigner in a different country, or if we are welcoming new employees into our company. They key to overcoming language barriers is education. We must learn about the countries we do business with and they must learn about our country. There are so many different cultures and languages that it will be helpful to learn different languages and brush up on other countries way of life.References 1. 10 Strategies for Overcoming Language Barriers. (n. d. ) Retrieved from www. culturosity. com 2. Breaking Down Language Barriers. (November 19, 2005) Retrieved from www. forbes. com 3. Communication Breakdown; Overcoming Cultural and Language Barriers in the Global Gear Market. (May 2008); Retrieved from www. geartechnology. com 4. Cultural and Language Barriers in the Workplace. (February 2002). Retrieved from the www. charlottew orks. org 5. State and County Quick Facts. (October 26, 2010). Retrieved from www. quickfacts. census. gov 6. Immigration to West Virginia. (n. d. ) Retrieved from www. usimmigrationsupport. org.

Attorney Client Privelege Essay

The attorney-client privilege, which dates back to the reign of Elizabeth I, was originally based on the concept that an attorney should not be required to testify against the client and, thereby, violate a duty of loyalty owed to the client. At that time, it was the lawyer who held the privilege. Today, the privilege is held by the client; while it may be asserted by the lawyer on behalf of the client, only the client can waive the privilege. Silverman, 1997) Although Silverman states that only the client can waive the privilege; he forgot to mention that if a client discloses to his attorney that he plans on committing a crime that would harm someone else, the attorney is then obligated to report it to the authorities. If a client is discussing a matter with their attorney in a public place and someone over hears it; that can be used in court. Only conversations between the attorney-client in private are considered privileged information. The attorney-client privilege is important to our criminal justice system for the simple fact that a client would be more apt to tell the truth to their attorney. When the attorney does not have all of the facts at hand; they may not be able to represent the client appropriately. If a client knew the information they were disclosing to their attorney wasn’t in confidence; they may not tell the attorney what they need to know. Our Constitution protects us from wrongful imprisonment and the US Supreme court upholds the very old legal concept. If there wasn’t attorney-client privilege then the defense would not need to fight for their client in court, thus making it easier for the prosecution to not have to properly present their case. This could result in innocent people going to prison being stripped of their liberty. One of the major concerns facing attorney-client privilege is e-discovery. With the prevalence of electronic communication, preserving client confidentiality during document production is more challenging than ever. An attorney must track and find all the information that is pertinent to their case. This includes investigating possible electronic information. If the attorney does not have the same information that the prosecution may have; it can damper the case. Electronic information is not included under attorney-client privilege. Therefore, the client should privilege the attorney with any information that may be available to the prosecution through e-discovery.

Analysis Essay Example

Analysis Essay Example Analysis Essay Analysis Essay This policy points to yet another opportunity for them. Garment quality can be improved if it is overseen as well as purchased locally. This in turn can create a larger profit margin if marketed correctly alongside and expanded online market. Other expansion opportunities include opening Of more stores in Africa as well as an increase in the amount of organic cotton seed to manufacture garments. HM also has a variety of sub-brands under its umbrella including Cheap Monday and and Monk. HM can amass a large portion of space in the market if more companies and brands are encompassed under the brand. Promotion Objectives General Objective What we plan to achieve, by the implementation of our promotional program, is to increase sales. Specific Promotion Objective Our objective is to increase and expand our customer base globally. HM reaches 55 different markets with 3,300 stores worldwide. (HM Worldwide, n. D. ). However, despite the fact that HM expands to 55 different markets, hey have a limited presence online. Currently, HMs online shopping feature is only offered in 13 countries. (Regions, n. D. ). Some of the countries excluded from the list are Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong. These are all major contributor to the amount of physical stores worldwide. Despite their large presence physically, they are not being catered to electronically. We believe that if We open up this sales medium to more global markets, our clientele will increase and in turn contribute to increased revenue. Target Audience The audience that we are targeting are online shoppers in the countries that o not currently have an online H store that they can shop at. We are specifically targeting millennial, those consumers aged 18 to 34, remain the key age demographic for online commerce, spending more money online in a given year than any other age group. (Smith, 2014). Promotion Theme The only way online sales in all countries can increase is for all countries to have an online store. Until this is done, H can make up for the loss sales by pushing consumers to shop in store. In order for H to help reach their target market, they can make their central theme for their advertisements H around the world. The idea behind this theme is to help reach out to those who may not be able to shop online but can still buy from a store. The major selling points that will be shown are top selling pieces in different countries. By showing different pieces from each country, it can help consumers realize that is an influential brand in different countries even though they only have online shopping available for a limited number of them. They can use different celebrities from each country so that when consumers think of those celebrities, they are also thinking of H. Selling points for these items will be the low price and will showcase two or three key pieces per advertisement. It is important to only show a limited number of products per advertisement so consumers can remember all pieces as opposed to a few of them. By promoting high selling pieces in countries without online shopping, it can increase spending in Store because consumers know they cannot purchase the items any. Veer else. The positioning for these promotions will be functional. They will increase brand loyalty through buying benefits such as discounts for avid customers or customer reward cards.