Financial Analysis of Lockheed Martin

A Financial Analysis of Lockheed Martin Corporation Colby Scott LeTourneau University A Financial Analysis of Lockheed Martin corporation The world of finance in today’s market is one of numerous ups and downs. With the global economy in constant flux, it is more important than every for companies to examine their financial status and compare their position to that of the relative market as well as their fellow competitors.In order to better understand the ways in which today’s managers examine their position on the market and evaluate their current value as a company we will examine the financial data of Lockheed Martin Corporation and perform a detailed financial analysis on the company. In this analysis we will examine financial rations of Lockheed Martin and in turn compare these rations to that of fellow market competitors.Upon completion of our financial analysis we will be able to understand the financial position of Lockheed Martin as well as the position of Loc kheed Martin in their respective market, and in turn we will be able to fully comprehend the methods and data used by companies in order to evaluate their company. Before going into an in depth analysis of our company, let us first examine the history behind Lockheed Martin. The Lockheed Martin Corporation traces its roots all the way back to the earliest days of flight. In 1909 aviation pioneer Glenn L.Martin organized a company around a small airplane construction business and transformed it into a major airframe supplier to U. S. military and commercial customers. In 1961 the Glenn L. Martin Company became the Martin Marietta Company after the completion of a merger with American-Marietta Corp. , a leading supplier of building and road construction materials. In 1982, Martin Marietta was subject to a hostile takeover bid by the Bendix Corporation which bought the majority of Martin Marietta shares and in effect owned the company.However, Martin Marietta's management used the shor t time separating ownership and control to sell non-core businesses and launch its own hostile takeover of Bendix (known as the Pac-Man defense). The end of this extraordinarily bitter battle saw Martin Marietta survive and forced Bendix to be sold off. In 1913, Allan and Malcolm Loughead (name later changed to Lockheed) flew the first Lockheed plane over San Francisco Bay. The brothers later established their own corporation known as the Alco Hydro-Aeroplane Company which was later renamed the Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company.In 1926, following the failure of Loughead, Allan Loughead formed the Lockheed Aircraft Company in Hollywood, California. In 1929, Lockheed sold out to Detroit Aircraft Corporation. The Great Depression ruined the aircraft market, and Detroit Aircraft went bankrupt. A group of investors headed by brothers Robert and Courtland Gross, bought the company out of receivership in 1932. The syndicate bought the company for a mere $40,000. Ironically, Allan Lou ghead himself had planned to bid for his own company, but had only raised $50,000 which he felt was too small a sum for a serious bid.The first successful aircraft built in any number by the Lockheed Corporation was named the Vega and was best known for its use in several first- and record setting flights by, among others, Amelia Earhart, Wiley Post and George Hubert Wilkins. In the 1930s, Lockheed spent $139,400 to develop the Model 10 Electra, a small twin-engine transport which sold 40 units in the first year of production. Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, flew this plane on their failed attempt to circumnavigate the world in 1937.The Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior and the Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra expanded their market. The Model 14 also formed the basis for the Hudson bomber, which was supplied to both the British Royal Air Force and the United States military before and during World War II. In 1995 the these two companies, Lockheed and Martin Marietta, jo ined together in a merger which created the modern Lockheed Martin corporation, and further expanded with the acquisition of Loral, a defense electronics and systems integration business, in 1996.Today, the Lockheed Martin Corporation is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland and employs 126,000 people worldwide. The company is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems. Lockheed also serves both domestic and international customers with products and services that have defense, civil, and commercial applications, with their principal customers being agencies of the U. S. Government. In 2011, 84% of their $45. billion in net sales were made to the U. S. Government, either as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor. Lockheed’s U. S. Government sales were made to both Department of Defense (DoD) and non-DoD agencies. Sales to foreign governments (including foreign military sales funded, in whol e or in part, by the U. S. Government) amounted to 15% of net sales in 2011. The remainder of net sales was attributable to commercial and other customers. In 2011, net sales at Aeronautics of $13. 2 billion represented 29% of their total net sales.Aeronautics has three principal lines of business and the percentage that each contributed to its 2011 net sales was 68 percent combat aircraft, 20 percent air mobility, and 12 percent in other aeronautics programs. At December 31, 2011, we operated in 545 locations (including offices, manufacturing plants, warehouses, service centers, laboratories, and other facilities) throughout the United States and internationally. Of these, we owned 43 locations aggregating approximately 30 million square feet, and leased space at 502 locations aggregating approximately 26 million square feet.We also manage or occupy various government-owned facilities under leases and various other arrangements. The U. S. Government also furnishes equipment that we use in some of our businesses. We operate in four principal business segments: Aeronautics, Electronic Systems, IS, and Space Systems. Lockheed organizes their business segments based on the nature of the products and services offered. The following table presents net sales and operating profit of their four business segments.Net sales exclude intersegment revenue, as these activities are eliminated in consolidation. Intercompany transactions are generally negotiated and accounted for under terms and conditions similar to other government and commercial contracts. Operating profit of the business segments includes the equity earnings or losses from investees in which certain of their business segments hold equity interests, because the activities of the investees are closely aligned with the operations of those segments. In Millions |2011 |2010 |2009 | |Net Sales | | | | |Aeronautics |13,235 |12,201 |11,473 | |Electronic Systems |14,363 |13,532 |12,803 | |Information systems & Gl obal Solutions |9,959 |9,608 |9,069 | |Space Systems |8,246 |8,654 |8,027 | |Total 45,803 |43,995 |41,372 | | | | | | |Operation Profit | | | | |Aeronautics |1,502 |1,577 |1,433 | |Electronic Systems |1,712 |1,660 |1,583 | |Information systems & Global Solutions |890 |895 |919 | |Space Systems |972 |972 |953 | |Total Business Segments |5,076 |5,104 |4,888 | |VESP and other charges |220 |- | | |Other unallocated Corporate income net |759 |689 |161 | |Total |4,097 |4,415 |5,049 |Now that we have established the background of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, let us now analyze the ratios which provide us insight into the financial status of the corporation. The first ratio which we will look at is the current ration of Lockheed Martin. Using the current ration, we will be able to determine if Lockheed will be able to satisfy the amount of current liabilities based upon their current assets. When looking at the Lockheed’s balance sheet for 2011, we see that they have 11. 157 mil lion dollars in current liabilities and 12. 851 million dollars in current liabilities. In order to compute the current ratio of Lockheed we then take the current assets of 12. 51 million and divide this number by the current liabilities of 11. 157 million thus giving Lockheed a current ratio of 1. 15% for 2011. When looking at this ratio over a period of 2 years we began to see that the ratio calculated for 2011 has decreased . 01 percent from 2010. In examining this ratio, we are able to conclude that Lockheed has a fairly constant liquidity rate which could tell us that the company is relatively stable at this point in time. The second ratio which will help us in evaluating the financial status of Lockheed Martin Corporation is the inventory turnover ratio. This ration will allow us to examine how efficiently Lockheed manages its assets and uses those assets to create income.In order to calculate this ratio we must find the companies net sales and divide this figure by the invent ories that the company has on hand. After examining Lockheed’s financial statements, we find that they reported 45. 803 million dollars in net sales and 2. 378 million dollars in inventories for 2011. After plugging these figures into our equation, we find that Lockheed had an inventory turnover ratio of 19. 26. This tells us roughly that Lockheed’s inventory is sold out and restocked roughly 19. 26 times per year. When examined over a two year period, we find that the ratio of sales to inventories when compared to the 20. 15 ratio calculated in 2010, had only fallen by . 89.When compared to the rival Boeing Company, we find that Lockheed’s inventory turnover ration is considerably higher than the 1. 386 that Boeing reported over the same period. This could lead to the conclusion that Lockheed Martin is in considerably better position than the majority of the other companies with in the same market. The next ratio that we will examine is referred to as the debt ration. This ratio allows us to examine the percentage of funds provided by current liabilities and long term debt. In order to calculate this ratio, we will need to take the total liabilities and divide this figure by the total assets. When examining the financial documents provided by Lockheed, we find that Lockheed reported a total liability of 31. 59 million and a total asset of 35. 067. As we plug this data into our equation we find that Lockheed Martin has a debt ratio of 89. 43 percent for 2011. When interpreting this outcome we must remember to examine the data from two separate perspectives. From the perspective of a creditor, a high debt ratio allows for less cushion against losses in the event that liquidating occurs. This could discourage creditors from lending to the company due to the fact that it poses a greater risk to the creditor. On the other hand, stockholders generally like to see a higher debt ration due to the fact that it magnifies the amount of return that t hey receive.Therefore, it would be wise for a company to maintain a debt ration which is fairly close to 50 percent due to the fact that it allows creditors to feel comfortable while satisfying the desires of the stockholders. Another ratio which provides valuable insight into a company’s financial status is the Gross Profit Margin. When calculating this ratio we must first find the amount of sales, then subtract this number by the cost of goods sold and divide this number by the amount of sales during that period. As we examine the financial data using our Gross Profit Margin formula, we find that Lockheed had a gross profit margin of 10. 2 percent. This number tells us that Lockheed had a gross profit of 10. 2 percent per dollar of sales before any other expenses are deducted.When compared to rival aeronautical company Boeing, we find that Boeing had a gross profit margin that was 11. 9 percent higher than Lockheed. This suggests that Boeing is turning a higher profit margi n than Lockheed and thus does not need to sell as much product in order to generate the same amount of income as Lockheed. By having a lower profit margin than their competitor, Lockheed must have a higher amount of sells in order to keep their place within the market. The final ratio which we will examine is the Price per Earnings ratio or the P/E Ratio. By looking at this ration we are able to identify how much investors are willing to pay per dollar of reported profit.Looking at Lockheed’s current price per share and earnings per share data we find that they are able to maintain a ratio of 28. 67. When viewing this data, we are able to conclude that Lockheed has a fairly strong growth prospect when other things are held constant. When we compare this number to the smaller rival Northrop Grumman and find that Lockheed has a P/E that is 19. 69 higher. When looking into the reasoning behind this difference, we can conclude that Northrop is regarded as being a much riskier com pany than Lockheed and thus could receive less support for creditors. This places Lockheed Martin at an advantageous position due to the fact that they are viewed as a more stable company.This allows them to control more of their respective market and in turn secures their market share for future years. Now that we have viewed the financial ratios of our company and have interpreted the data based upon Lockheed’s market and past financial data, let us now look at the Beta coefficient. When stockholders examine which companies they wish to invest in, they generally seek to invest in companies with the smallest amount of risk possible. In doing so, Stockholders greatly minimize the amount of risk that they themselves accrue and in turn provides confidence within the market. However, we must have a way in order to evaluate the relative risk of a particular companies stock and for that we use the Beta coefficient.In order to calculate the Beta coefficient we will need two sets of data, the closing price for the stock we are examining and the closing prices for the index we’re using. As we look at the Beta value of . 98 for Lockheed Martin and compare it industry rival Boeing’s 1. 31 and Northrop Grumman’s 1. 08 we find that Lockheed has a lower Beat value than both of its major competitors. This suggests that Lockheed is a less risky company to invest in and thus could create greater capitol available through the sale of stock for the company. In addition to drawing potential investors to the company, having a lower Beta value could cause creditors to be more willing to lend money to the company.This would allow a greater possibility for Lockheed’s future expansion in the industry and could serve to propel them to the top of the Aeronautic market. If this were to occur, I forecast that the dividend structure within the company would increase due to the increased amount of wealth that the company is generating yearly. By having mo re funds available for allocation to stockholders, the company would be more willing to pass this added revenue to the stockholders thus promoting more investors to purchase stock. Upon examining the numerous financial data available on Lockheed Martin we are able to determine that the financial status of the company is sound. Lockheed Martin maintains a current ratio of 1. 5 percent which tells us that the company is able to cover the cost of their current liabilities 1. 15 times using their current assets. This tells us that the company does not have any problematic debt at the current time and therefore generates a profit at the end of every operating period. The second indicator of Lockheed’s current and future success is their ability to turn over inventory. In our calculations we discovered that Lockheed had an inventory turn over ratio of 19. 26 percent which told us that they were able roughly able to sell all of their products and restock at least 19. 26 times per ye ar. When viewing this from a financial standpoint this figure is encouraging because it represents a steady profit within the company.The next ratio analysis performed, the debt ratio, informed us that the company had a debt ratio of 89. 43 percent. This high number could serve costly to the company if they ever need seek loans from creditors, but it does satisfy the shareholders by providing a higher amount of leverage. Another ratio that we analyzed for Lockheed Martin was the gross profit margin. After computing this ratio, we found that Lockheed had a gross profit margin of 10. 2 in 2011 which means than Lockheed earned retained 10. 2 percent of every dollar earned. The final ration analysis that we performed on Lockheed’s financial statements was a profit per earnings ratio.After performing this ratio, we found that Lockheed had a better profit per earnings than its rivals thus making it a more desirable company to invest in. This could attract future investors and in tu rn create more profit for the company. From this analysis, I have concluded that Lockheed Martin could not handle much more debt in the near future due to the fact that their debt ration is already considerably high. If the company were to take on much more debt, creditors would become unwilling to provide financial support for the company and the company could risk taking on more debt than their assets could cover. This would cause the overall value of the company to fall and cause the Beat coefficient to ri se to a much higher level.In order to further improve the company from the position that it is in, I believe that the company should take steps to lower the debt ratio. This would cause the creditors to be more willing to invest in the company as well as keep the stockholders satisfied with the amount of leverage the company has. Also, by lowering the debt ratio, the companies eat coefficient would fall even further making the desire to invest in the company even higher. If Loc kheed were to take this step, I believe that the companies stock would continue to rise and the company could in turn increase the amount of dividends that it provides. Bibliography 1. Free SEC Filings Email Alerts – SECFilings. com. (n. d. ). Free SEC Filings Email Alerts – SECFilings. com.Retrieved April 26, 2011, from http://secfilings. com/searchresultswide. aspx? TabIndex=2=7752072=convpdf=11373=%2fdefault. aspx%3fticker%3dLMT%26amp%3bformgroupid%3d1%26amp%3bauth%3d1 2. Free SEC Filings Email Alerts – SECFilings. com. (n. d. ). Free SEC Filings Email Alerts – SECFilings. com. Retrieved April 26, 2011, from http://secfilings. com/searchresultswide. aspx? TabIndex=2=7704986=convpdf=11757=%2fdefault. aspx%3fticker%3dBA%26amp%3bformgroupid%3d1%26amp%3bauth%3d1 3. Ehrhardt, M. C. , & Brigham, E. F. (2011). Corporate finance: a focus approach (4th ed. ). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Water Runs Dry – North American Water Crisis

Water Runs Dry – North American Water Crisis Collectively the United States is ranked as the greatest consumers of water worldwide; a startling fact for a country that cannot support its own unrivaled demands (Barlow, 2007). The United States is now crucially dependent on nonrenewable groundwater for a staggering 50% of its daily water usage (Barlow, 2007). In addition to such formidable numbers, citizens of the United States use and waste up 80-100 gallons or 454 liters of water per day (Perlman, 2009). The United States simply doesn’t possess enough fresh water or renewable sources of water to keep up with its gross demands. Nearly 40% of U. S waters are deemed unsafe for recreational activities such as fishing and even swimming (Barlow, 2007). The Ogallala Aquifer accounts for 95% of the United State’s groundwater, but it is being pumped so rapidly, that not enough rainwater is provided the chance to replenish the source. As a result 12 billion cubic meters (bcm) a year is extracted a year which amounts to 325 bcm of total depletion; equal to the yearly flow of eighteen Colorado Rivers (BBC, 2000). At the current rates, thirty-six states stand to confront similar water crisis compared to California within the next five years (Barlow, 2007). As, the United States water crisis continues to spiral violently downhill, its neighbor, Canada has already quickly followed this American trend. Dramatically changing climates has had an indelible impact on North America’s water crisis; being the root to many distressing issues. The most physically visible of these issues is the rapid melting of glaciers in the North that have been wearing thin due to increasing temperatures. The result of these melting glaciers means rivers in Canada such as the Alberta Bow’s in 50 years will be left with absolutely no flowing water aside from occasional flash floods that won’t be able to permanently restore the river (Barlow, 2007). Melting glaciers overseas will also become a very important concern as water from glaciers account for half of the worlds freshwater which at this current rate will not be able to sustain future generations. Glaciers that are melting in the seas translate to tremendous and unaffordable loss of drinking water as the freshwater diffuses into the saltwater. Further effects of climate shift will lead to evaporation of lakes which is already transpiring in the St. Lawrence River, Prairies and Great Lakes. However, one catastrophic problem that arises which may silently extinguish entire populations of life is the surging levels of acidity in the oceans; something that is being overlooked. In conclusion, the water crisis in North America has created overwhelming ecological changes, and heavy economic strain as a product of reckless over-consumption of water by humans. The effect of water pollution and vast lack of renewable water will cause great conflicts between the nations. With the water supply rapidly draining, practically Canada’s ‘abundance’ of freshwater, there needs to be a global consciousness towards the crisis. In order for North America and the world to curb the water crisis, there must first be realization and acknowledge by everyone that it exists. The next step to hindering the crisis is to sacrifice and reduce as much wasting of renewable water resources as possible, especially here in the developed world, where people are fortunate to have the surplus of resources to have access to water; whereas billions endure a daily struggle to find a glass of water. The water crisis affects everyone worldwide and the perception of this crisis being a nation versus nation, every country for themselves affair will ultimately lead to catastrophic war over water. We need to be unified in finding plausible solutions and start treating renewable water for what it is-a finite resource. Our generations always discuss about how the future will never see beautiful national parks and magnificent landscapes, but at this rate they may not ever lay eyes on lakes or rivers as the water runs dry. References BBC. (2009). World Water Crisis. _ BBC_. Retrieved April 21, 2009, http://www. bizjournals. com /losangeles/stories/2009/04/20/daily19. html Los Angeles Business. (2009). California to restart 5,000 projects. Los Angeles Business. _ _ Retrieved April 21, 2009, http://www. bizjournals. com/losangeles/stories/2009/04/20/ daily19. html Perlman, H. (2008). Irrigation water use. USGS. Retrieved April 21, 2009, http://ga. water. usgs. gov/edu/wuir. html Perlman, H (2009). Water Q&A: Water use at home. USGS. Retrieved April 21, 2009, http:// ga. water. usgs. gov/edu/wuir. html Science Daily. (1999). Water Over Water Predicted by United Nations Environmental Official. Science Daily. Retrieved April 21, 2009, http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/1999/ 01/990106075344. htm Yi, M. (2009). Water projects to get $260 million of stimulus. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 21, 2009, http://www. sfgate. com/cgi-bin/article. cgi? f=/c/a/2009 /04/15/MNUQ1735QH. DTL

Causes and Solutions to Prison Overcrowding

Causes and Solutions to Prison Overcrowding Introduction The purpose of this paper is to look at the overcrowded prisons that are plaguing the U.S. The prison system that we have is constantly evolving, but seems to circulate through the same prison philosophies. An overcrowded prison does not lend itself to a productive environment for inmates. Many would not care about the environment that the inmates encounter as they feel the inmate has brought this upon himself through his deviant behavior, however not all inmates will stay in prison forever. We will examine some possible solution to curb the overcrowding that is prevalent in prisons today. Solutions to Prison Overcrowding Prison overcrowding has been a problem that has plagued the U.S. prison system since its inception. The solution to this problem for many has been to build more prisons to house the additional prisoners that have been sentenced there. Those who advocate building additional prisons fail to look at what is behind the overcrowding in the first place. Rese arch has found that crime rates are decreasing. It has also shown that prison populations are increasing. Much like the Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams with the infamous quote, â€Å"If you build it, they will come† that by building more prisons, we will only seek to put more prisoners into them. To fully understand our current overcrowding issue, we must look at the history of the U.S. prison systems and the philosophies that drove them. Then we must look at the sentencing practices that have increased the number of inmates that are incarcerated. This will include the truth-in sentencing laws, the impact of the war on drugs and the enforcement and the increasing of the length of prison terms for certain offenses. We will also take a look at the cost of building a prison and the daily costs of housing an inmate. Then we will look at solutions for reducing prison populations which include rehabilitation and the release of aged offenders and inmates with minor offenses. The U.S. derived many of its ideas about the prison system from England. In the Middle Ages, prisons were used for housing criminals as well as debtors. Juvenile delinquents also began to be housed in prisons. As prisons developed and emerged, the purpose of them changed as well. Drawing from the ideas presented in Essays on Crimes and Punishment by Cesare Beccaria in 1764 a move towards less physical punishment for crimes was made. Beccaria was also responsible for the idea that a punishment should be severe enough to deter crime, but not too extreme. In 1557, England began the use of workhouses. Initially, they were to remove the homeless and vagrants from the streets during the day. During this time, many believed that most criminals were lazy and committed crimes as a result of that. This allowed inmates to work, however they did not learn any useful skills and were not kept in the workhouses overnight. In 1790, the Quakers from Pennsylvania reformed the Walnut Street jail into a p rison. The Quakers drew from their religious background and sought to use the prison as a place for an inmate to perform a penance and to make amends for their actions against society. Also, known as the Pennsylvania System, the prison layout allowed for solitary cells. The inmate was placed in the cell, so that they could think about their actions and gain remorse. Work was completed in the cells as well, so the interaction with others was limited to an hour of exercise a day. Although the prison sought to reform the inmates through solitary work, some prisoners could not handle the solitary times and reform did not occur. There was also a high cost involved in maintaining this type of prison.

Exchange risk Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exchange risk - Case Study Example They can gain from a one month forward contract and essentially make a profit of (16.136-16.103) = 0.033million AUD. The 0.9450 put option is at a strike price that is not close to making a profit. It is obviously higher than the 1 month forward rate provided. The Australian firm is only worried that the Australian dollar can depreciate against the US dollar on the day of transaction. If 0.9250 is selected, then a higher premium will be payable to the clearing house. The clearing house protects the counterparties against the potential loss in value of the currencies used. Assuming the firm takes the strike at 0.9250, then the premium (insurance) for every option will be (0.0780*15million) = 1.17 million USD, so in 31st October the firm gets (15/0.9250)=16.22 million AUD. The Australian firm buys the put option at the 3 month forward. 15 million USD is equal to 15/0.9257 = 16.203million USD. The premium of the put option is 15million*0.114 = 1.71million USD. If the exchange goes above the strike price then the firm exercises the option and makes profit of (0.2486-0.114)*15=1.98 mill USD. (c) The effectiveness of hedging is that it maintains the value of the $15 million invoice despite any fluctuation in the exchange rate between the two countries. If the invoice payment not hedged, then the 15 million USD can be changed using 31st October spot rate. In case the Australian dollar depreciates against the US dollar, then the firm makes a loss i.e. (16.22-16.13) =0.09mil AUD. The 0.925 option gives us 16.22mil AUD and the one month forward mid-rate of 0.9206 gives us 16.13mil AUD. Which is lower than the former (HICKS 2000). (e) One major amendment made to OTC derivatives trading is; every standardized OTC derivative agreements should be traded on an electronic trading platform or over an exchange. Moreover, OTC derivatives should be cleared through a clearing house by the beginning of January 2013. Contracts that are cleared through a clearing

Critique of a Journal Acticle on Organizational Leadership Article

Critique of a Journal Acticle on Organizational Leadership - Article Example Owing to the importance of the impact of leadership on performance of the organization, several research studies have been conducted in order to analyze whether there is a relationship between charismatic leadership and the organizational performance. This report presents the critique of one of the such article on the relationship among leadership and organizations performance. The title of the article is â€Å"Does CEO charisma matter? An empirical analysis of the relationships among organizational performance, environmental uncertainty, and top management team perceptions of CEO charisma†. Summary of the article: The article selected for this report is written by Agle, Nagarajan, Sonnenfeld and Srinivasan (2006) and the research study analyzes the organizational performance and identifies relationship with the charismatic style of leaders as well as environmental uncertainty. In addition to this, the research also identifies the relationship between the perception of top tea m management about the charisma of CEO. Leadership style and the organizational performance has been one of the most important topics of today’s world as leaders have an important role to play in motivating everyone in the organization and ensuring that the organization performs at its optimum level. In this research article, information has been collected using both primary as well as secondary research methods in order to perform the analysis. In primary research, questionnaires were filled by people in the top management as well as CEOs of different organizations to analyze the relationship between the variables discussed above. Because the article had a larger sample size, 770 questionnaires were filled and returned therefore the results shown by this research would have a more reliable relationship. Strengths of the article: One of the major strengths of this research study is that data has been collected using larger sample size, as well as more respondents from each or ganization; therefore the research study would give better and more authentic results because of less susceptibility in comparison to other research study conducted on similar topics. 128 of the CEOs were included in the research which is a major strength as the data has been collected using different organizations. Both primary and secondary sources of data collection method have been used. The response rate of this article was the highest in comparison to other research studies that have been conducted on similar topics. Another major strength of this article is that the study analyzed the organizational performance using different criteria like Return on assets, return on equity, sales growth, return on sales and stock return which would reflect better organizational performance whereas other studies previously conducted have not considered these criteria of measuring organizational performance. Weaknesses of the article: One of the major weaknesses of this research study is that it included only firms operating in the United States therefore the results from other parts of the world may have a different result because of differences in organizational culture, organizational procedure and policies etc. For the purpose of data collection method, small firms have not been included so the results might not reflect relationship betw

Vodafone AirTouch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Vodafone AirTouch - Essay Example Vodafone currently has equity interests in 27 countries and Partner Networks (networks in which it has no equity stake) in a further 40 countries. It has achieved this status in about three decades with a spate of acquisitions and takeovers. This vertical expansion has never been let up since its formative years and has become its planned positioning strategy in its objective of becoming and possibly remaining number one globally.  Although Vodafone was always on the lookout for expanding its reach and its markets, the opportunity provided to it by the takeover of the US AirTouch was unique. When it took over AirTouch, it automatically acquired AirTouch’s stake in Mannesmann, the largest German telecom operator.  In the corporate world, companies have become marketable commodities. They are seen as commodities in terms of their financial contribution to increasing corporate value on the stock market. Corporates buy one another by way of merger in a friendly mutually agreed environment, or hostile takeovers during corporate wars, to augment their resources, power and market reach. Markets for corporate control create new opportunities for corporate managers to exercise power but they make the relatively little contribution toward improving managerial efficiency. In all cases, the intention is to grow vertically to become global players. It appears that the world is moving towards the eventual division of market share between a few global players in each field of economic activity. Apparently, economies of scale as foreseen and foretold by Adam Smith (1776) have not just come true but are being pursued to the next level. In the Telecom industry to it appears that between five to eight players will eventually control the global markets.  In June 1999 Vodafone bought the number two US wireless operator for 62 billion dollars cash plus stock transaction, the biggest ever deal of its time.  

Quastions ch 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quastions ch 3 - Essay Example ndispensable to fathom those political philosophies besides influencing economic, and social activities may contribute to stable practices internationally and locally. Contemporary profile trends of political systems involves democracy and totalitarianism. Totalitarianism constitutes non-democratic government political spectrum with issues such as dictatorship, communist, fascist, and authority. Democratic government profile remains reactionary, liberal, radical, and conservative. Other profile trends in political systems revolves around engines of democracy and third wave of democracy issues. Third wave democracy issues and engines of democracy constitute the modern trends in contemporary political systems. Third wave democracy relates to the main surge of democracy in history. The surge results from vast international push towards democracy in the 21st century. Engines of democracy constitute developments that drives success of modern political systems including improved communications technology and failure of totalitarian regimes in delivering economic progress. Another engine of democracy for contemporary political trends includes economic dividends of increasing political freedom. Political risks entail perils faced by corporations, investors, and governments during economic relations. The risks also involve political decisions or events within a nation that may adversely affect sustainability or profitability of investments. Management of political risks consists of a three-step process that includes identification of fundamental perils, measuring political influence on performance, and determination of the appropriate method of managing the risks. Identification involves risk managers scanning horizons for political risks and developing inventory of specific risks types. The next step involves assessment and quantification of potential impacts of political risks. Quantification may involve the use of discounted cash flow method to estimate financial

Discuss the politics of Third World peasants. Examine the role the Research Paper

Discuss the politics of Third World peasants. Examine the role the Chinese peasants played during the Revolution, and their pres - Research Paper Example (Kataoka 1974, p. 297) Historians, however, are not quick to deny the role played by the peasant revolutions in the political development of China. The reason for this is that out of all the weaknesses of the peasantry in waging their wars, they are considered invaluable in the success of the Communist Party in its campaign against the Nationalist KMT from 1927 to 1949. Mao has recognized the potential force of the sheer number of the peasants and with the fact that they constitute the bulk of Chinese population during the Civil War period. Under the tutelage of his mentor Li Dazhao, Mao have actually started his campaign for social change with his attempts at organizing peasants as early as 1922 and that he would further be impressed by the effect of peasant revolution as he witnessed the protest and insurrection of more than a million peasants in the province of Hunan in the late 1926. (Grasso, Corrin and Kort 2009, p. 103) Together with some comrades, Mao has studied the dynamics of these peasant uprisings and worked hard to win them into the revolution’s fold. His experiences with the peasantry and the developments triggered by peasant insurrections that he has witnessed led Mao to the conclusion that if his Marxist campaign is to succeed, he must tap and harness this mass, which, in his opinion, when given momentum could rise like a mighty storm, a force that no one can hold back. The problem, however, was that the Marxist ideology, mandates that the central revolutionary role should be taken by the working class. This became problematic for a time because using the peasants would mean diverting from the ideal Marxist ideology. A series of setbacks finally shook things up and transformed the Communist Party’s stand with regards to the peasantry. For instance, in 1927, the Nationalist government launched the dreaded White Terror that nearly decimated the CCP. Mao and his comrades were driven to the countryside and finally worked with the peasa nts. His argument is that the peasants are important and that the proletariat should lead them instead of criticizing and opposing them. With the peasantry, Mao was able to steer the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) into a stronger force because the peasants helped him secure a physical base. Mao’s relationship with the peasants revealed interesting insights about this class and the variables that led them to rise and join revolutions. As previously mentioned, there is a widespread belief among scholars, even contemporary proletarian officers, that the peasants cannot lead themselves and are good at following leaders outside their class. In a way, this demonstrates the dependency theory, wherein a weaker or poorer class is exploited for the perpetuation of a higher or more dominant class and its causes. Mao and his comrades have sufficiently studied the peasantry in such a way that they have successfully established mechanisms of control to keep the peasant’s dependence. The Communist Party operated with low finances and so it cannot offer material things for support. However, they have an extremely good organizational capability and that the peasantry saw

Facebook and the Web 2.0 Business Model Term Paper

Facebook and the Web 2.0 Business Model - Term Paper Example While all these avenues have their strengths in the business environment, they also have their own shortcomings that have negative consequences for the public and the business as well. Subjecting Facebook and the web 2.0 business models to a political economic analysis will expose their impact on the business environment. The web 2.0 business model is one of the opportunities that the business world has taken advantage of from the dynamism of the web technology. As Shuen (2008) points out, the web 2.0 is a new platform for advanced business development that is by far much superior to its predecessor the web 1.0 platform. As opposed to the web 1.0 platform that was static and one-sided, this new web platform is more interactive and allows both the marketers and the customers to interact. The adoption of this new technology has a wide range of benefits to a business system. One benefit of this platform is associated with the ability for an organization to develop a concentrated website that contains all business details and product descriptions. This way, the organization can roll out its products to the customers on the internet. Given that the internet is an international platform, the business can attract customers from all over the world and push its products to the target customers in the market. H ence, the platform directly benefits the organization by increasing the number of customers by capturing a wider geographical scope. Another benefit associated with the web 2.0 platform is its ability to provide a user-interactive page that allows the customers to provide their feedback and recommendations. For an organization to survive within its marketing niche, it should have a better understanding of its target customers by learning about their tastes and preferences.  In conclusion, the Facebook and the web 2.0 business models are superior business weapons with a wide range of opportunities and benefits. Through the internet platform, organizations can use these models to advertise, launch their products, conduct market research and obtain customer feedbacks on their products. In brief, this is an advancement of the web 1.0 era when online business was limited and unviable.  

Events During the Cold War Essay Example for Free

Events During the Cold War Essay The Cold War was a very terrible war that started in 1945 between the United States and the Soviet Union and lasted 45 years. The Cold War got its name because both sides were too afraid to fight each other directly. They used words against each other to make the enemy look dumb and foolish. They fought through many other wars, too afraid of nuclear attacks directly hitting them. These wars caused great devastation across the globe. This war had started because the Soviet Union wanted to spread communism across the world, but America being a democracy, did not want that. The first ten years were somewhat interesting. On February 4 1945, there was a Yalta Conference, a wartime meeting between the heads of government from the United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union, and the Cold War began. Right after that, Germany surrendered to the Red Army in Berlin. On August 6, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and killed 80,000 people. Then three days after, the United States dropped another bomb on Nagasaki that killed 70,000. Shortly after that, the Japanese surrendered and that was the end of World War II. Winston Churchill had issued warnings about the Soviets in 1946 and first used the term iron curtain. This term was used to describe how the Soviets had wanted power. 1946 was also the year Josef Stalin made a very hostile speech, claiming communism and capitalism couldnt live in peace. In June of 1947, the Marshall Plan was announced. This plan set a precedent for helping countries combat poverty, disease and malnutrition. That same year, the Rio Pact was established. This was a security zone around the hemisphere with the 19 Latin American countries. Between June 1948 and September 1949, Britain and America were struggling to keep West Berlin supplied through aircraft, since the Soviet government closed all ground traffic. That year, they made 277,000 flights to carry products. In March of 1948, Truman started a Loyalty Program which was made to catch Cold War spies. Then, in that same year the Brussels Pact was made to protect Europe from communism. In 1949, China became a communist country because Mao Zedong took over. He then established the Peoples  Republic of China. In June of 1950, the Korean War started and Stalin supported North Korea and gave them Soviet weapons to invade South Korea. The war in Korea ended two years later, though. In 1951 the Federal Defense Administration was established which was a program that spread information about communism and the threat of attacks. March 1954 was when KGB (Committee for State Security) was established. KGB was the national security of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In May of 1955 the Warsaw Pact was established. This pact was a mutual defense treaty between the eight communist states of Eastern Europe during the Cold War. During these ten years, there were a few treaties and some different experimental things done, also some different groups were made just for this one huge war. The next 10 years (1956-65) didnt have as many exciting things happen. In 1956, there was a rebellion in Communist Hungary. Then after that in 1957, Sputnik was launched into space and Laika died in space. In 1958, Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War, made the Soviet troops withdrawal from Berlin. Khrushchev then visited the United States in 1959 which caused the Kitchen Debate. This was a debate between Nixon and Khrushchev at the opening of the American National Exhibition. In 1960, the Soviets revealed that there had been a United States plane shot down over Soviet territory. This year was also the year John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States. Cuba aligns itself with the Soviet Union and their policies that same year. The Bay of Pigs invasion happened in 1961, this invasion was by CIA trained exiles of Cuba into southern Cuba to try to overthrow the government, but it was unsuccessful. In 1962 the United States becomes more involved in the Vietnam War to keep communist takeover of South Vietnam as a strategy of containment. That was the same year of the Cuban missile crisis between the Soviet Union and Cuba and the United States, it lasted thirteen days. November of 1963 was a sad month because President Kennedy was assassinated, probably because of a conspiracy. The Gulf of Tonkin incident was in 1964 which was a confrontation between North Vietnam and the United States. In 1965 some United States marines were sent to the Dominican Republic to fight Communism. These 10 years were not very exciting but there were a few important events that changed the United States. From 1966 to 1975, not much happened. It was kind of a dull period compared to the last twenty years. In 1967 the United Stated Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara admitted that the United States bombing raids had failed to meet their objectives. Richard Nixon was elected for president and North Korea captured U.S.S. Pueblo the year after. The USS Pueblo was a United States spy ship and it is still currently being held captive by Korea, though it is a museum now. Then, in 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the moon which had Neil Armstrong in it. He was the first person to step on the moon and it was a great accomplishment in US history. In 1970 Nixon spread the Vietnam War to Cambodia. The Pentagon papers were signed the year after in 1971. These papers were a United States history of its involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1972 not only did Nixon visit China, but SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Talk) was signed; this was between the two Cold War superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union on the issue of armament control. The United States supported coup overthrew the Chilean government in 1973. The year after that, Nixon resigned but since then he has been the only president to ever resign. In 1975 North Vietnam defeated South Vietnam who then fell into communism. I do not know why these ten years were so boring, but they were even though they ended in another country falling into communism. The next ten years from 1976 to 1985 were even duller than the ones before. It started off with the Soviet Union and Cuba forcing Angola to become a communist state. In 1979, SALT II was signed. This time it was just an experimental negotiation about curtailing the manufacturing of nuclear weapons. The same year SALT II was signed, the Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan and the United States and China established diplomatic relations. In 1980, Polish shipyard workers started a strike and the Solidarity Union was formed, which was the first non-communist trade union in Warsaw Pact territory, and the strike leader, Lech Walesa, was elected as the head of the Solidarity Union. Three years later, President Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative. That initiative was created to protect the United States from nuclear missile attacks. In that same year, United States troops invaded and overthrew the regime in Grenada and ended  in a victory. Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union and initiated a campaign of increased openness and transparency in government institutions called glasnost and a political movement within the Soviet Union called perestroika in 1985. As you can see, not much happened during these ten years but there were still some interesting things that happened. The last five years were when quite a few countries became independent after so long. In 1986 President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev resolve to remove all intermediate nuclear missiles from Europe. Then in the year after that, Reagan and Gorbachev agree to remove all medium and short-range nuclear missiles. This meant that the war was coming to a close and things were becoming less violent. The Soviet groups with drawled from Afghanistan in 1989. Poland and Hungary both become independent and communist governments fall in Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Rumania, the Soviet empire declined in this year as well. Russia got a new president; Boris Yeltsin, in 1990 also. Another country became independent a year later, Lithuania. Germany also became reunited during this year. In 1991, the Warsaw Pact ended which meant the Cold War was over and the Soviet Union was done for, the end of it all. The Cold War was something terrible that happened between the United States and the Soviet Union for a stupid reason. It caused a lot of problems and different wars throughout the world just because they were too afraid to fight face to face but, it did not cause a huge amount of deaths. The Cold War was not really the kind of war that killed people; it was more of a war on which country could develop faster. This war could have been easily prevented but I guess some things just have to happen. A 45 year war for only one thing. Power. Works Cited Cold War. enotes. n.d. Web. 20 May, 2012. Cold War Timeline. History Timelines. n.d. Web. 20 May, 2012. Pillai, Prabhakar Causes and Effects of the Cold War. Buzzle. n.d. 21 May, 2012. Timeline of the Cold War. Think Quest. n.d. Web. 20 May 2012. Wikipedia.org.

The Importance Of Being Ethical In The Business Marketing Essay

The Importance Of Being Ethical In The Business Marketing Essay This report mainly emphasize on the importance of being ethical in the business field and the consequences of failing to be ethical. It shows that Toyota has incurred many losses and faces negative impact in its reputation due to recall scandal. Failing to be ethical gain no benefits but only draw the company itself into unpredictable disaster. Toyota has destroy its reputation which is the excellent quality of its brand and trust of its customers towards the brand. Now the company has to spend huge amount of money to recall all the vehicles in order to build and gain back its companys reputation. Now, whenever it comes to the discussion about Toyota, people will immediately remember the ethical dilemmas of the company and it will affect the companys reputation in the long term. Introduction Toyota Motor Corporation, simply known as Toyota, one of the worlds leading manufacturers of automobiles and light trucks, based in Toyota, Japan. The company also makes buses, forklifts, and other industrial vehicles. Toyota was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda, who in 1933 established an automobile department in his fathers loom factory, Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd., following a trip to tour United States automobile plants. The department concentrated on building fuel-efficient vehicles and completed its first experimental vehicles in 1935. In 1937 Toyoda established Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. Besides manufacturing automobiles, Toyota also involves in financial services via its Toyota Financial Services division and build robots as well. Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Industries have form the bulk of the Toyota Group as one of the largest multinational company in the world. 2.0 Toyota Ethical Dilemmas 2.1 Neglecting safety concerns and delaying recall investigations Toyota admitted to engaging in unethical behaviour when the safety of its vehicles are seriously being questioned and investigation comes into as well. The Associated Press released an article has proven that Toyota not only neglected its cars safety defects, but also continuously on doing so. Wins for Toyota Safety Group, presentation called in 2009 shows that in 2007, Toyota repeatedly delayed safety regulations and intentionally avoiding defect investigations and hold up government inquiries into safety concerns. It was also stated by The Associated Press that the financial benefit of delay is shown in the new documents. Toyota stated in the presentation that a phase in to new safety regulations for side airbags saved the company $124 million and 50,000 man hours. Besides, delayed a rule for tougher door locks saved $11 million. Toyota is a company that practice the philosophy of kaizen, meaning continuous improvement, but they somehow negotiated and justified with the government to flee away from their problem. In its headlong rush to become the worlds No. 1 carmaker, Toyota lost control of the very thing its reputation has been built on which is quality. Now the company is facing consequences due to poor ethical in the business industry are loss of confidence and trust in businesses. A loss of trust greatly reduce customers loyalty and motivate them to turn to competitors. 2.2 Sweatshops and Union Busting Back in Japan, Toyotas manufacturing plants resembles some of the worst sweatshops in the world. The companys operations have been illustrated as slavery and human trafficking. According to a 65-pages report entitled The Toyota You Dont Know released by Human rights group The National Labour Committee, it alleges that Toyota is linked to human trafficking. The report highlighted the trafficking of foreign workers mainly from Vietnam and China. These workers are stripped of their passports and were frequently forced to work overtime every day, seven days a week and received wages below the legal minimum wages (Rosen, 2002). There are thousands of karoshi claims each year in Toyota. This karoshi claims means over worked to death. There was a case of Kenichi Uchino who died of being overworked on an assembly line at Toyotas Prius plant. Uchino, who was just 30, routinely worked 13 to 14 hours a day, putting in between 106 and 155 hours of overtime in the 30 days leading up to his death. Toyota claimed he had only worked 45 hours of overtime and that the extra time was voluntary and unpaid. Uchinos wife had to go to court to fight for a pension for their children. She succeeded and the court ruling that Mr Uchino was worked to death. Besides, When an injury has occurred to employees, on the job they are layer off, and receive no compensation. Many small countries all around the world has been dominated and destroyed with Toyota well-known union busting. Reducing the standards of living amongst the countries citizens. There are already 1800 cases in the US where Kentucky plants employees have been injured, fired, and they were not included in the compensation pay roll. Approximate of 400 Americans working at Toyota are facing this problem every year. Toyota have their plants assembled in the poorest states to gain advantage of the lowest wages in the country. Many are kept as temporary workers for over 4 years. Their target is to control and lower the average wages and economic in America, and Honda seems to be supportive on Toyotas action. Toyotas strategy is to hire the poorest workers in the state to manufacture the cheapest materials and maximize its profits. The more profits they make, the more they lower worker wages. 2.3 Toyota Diluted Quality and Recall Scandals Toyotas production line expanded from 5.2 million to 10 million since year 2000. This include 17 more productions sites. Due to such unsustainable production, Toyota has to reach to other subcontractors from overseas to procure auto-parts, this resulting difficulty for the company to inspect every process involved in the quality control process. Vast growing competition from other rivals has caused Toyota to force its subcontractors to cut production costs at least 30%, which resulted in diluted quality. According to a analysis of complaints by auto safety control firm Quality Control System, National High Way Traffic safety Administration received tripled complaints since introduction of electronic throttles in Toyota vehicles. Many people have died in road accidents due to break problems as well. However Toyota just kept its business operating without taking this matter seriously and put all the blames on the drivers instead. Toyota started recalling vehicles for rectification afte r these complaints has drawn high media coverage and pressure by customers. These decisions are said to be unethical because Toyota gave priority to its profitability plans over security procedures and risks of precious live. An estimated amount of more than 8 million vehicles were recalled back due to break paddle and floor mat problems (Schonberger, 2010). This recall amount exceeded Toyota total global sales of 6.98 million vehicles in 2009 (Schonberger, 2010). This recall scandal has degraded Toyotas reputation in regards to social media. Social media analyst Webtrends research proposes that 60% of all online comments about Toyota were negatively made. Brand valuation consultancy, Brand Finance, has stated that Toyota may possibly face a loss of 25% of the overall  £17 billion brand value due to the recall crisis. The crisis is not just affecting Toyotas reputation but affecting the entire business too in the long run. 3.0 Toyota Actions Solving Dilemmas 3.1 Toyota: How to Win Back Your Customers The due care theory is in place because Toyota always have advantage in knowledge over their products including how it was manufactured. In the case, Toyota failed to exercise due care in their vehicles. The company manufactured dangerous vehicles with faulty gas pedals and breaking system. Then Toyota did not concern much about how risky and dangerous of its vehicles and directly sold them to their customer. This case has shown how Toyota has completely failed to exercise due care. Toyota recently announced recalls on seven U.S. and European models. Not only this will bring bad reputation for the worlds largest automakers image, but it could also have a serious impact on its sales. Toyota is now focusing on winning back its customers and reassuring them of the quality and the safety of its vehicles (Rother, 2009). Yoshimi Inaba, President and COO of Toyota Motor North American during his testimony on February 24, stated that Toyotas dealers across North American and 172,000 team members are giving out their best efforts to complete the current recalls. Solutions have been tested rigorously and they are confident with these repairs, and Toyota vehicles will remain among the safest on the road today. Besides, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc, James Lentz stated during his testimony on February 23 that the company dealers are making extraordinary efforts to complete their recalls as quickly and conveniently as possible. Some of the dealers are staying open 24-7 and they are repairing vehicles at a rate of 50,000 a day. To date, Toyota have repaired close to a million vehicles. In this case, rule utilitarianism is also applied in Toyotas situation. Toyota failed to be ethical because rule utilitarianism includes the after-act benefits and cost (Fullerton, 2004). After the act of be ing unethical in delaying the safety issues of its vehicles, Toyota had loss millions of dollars for the recall and to rebuild their reputation. This meaning the cost is higher than the benefits and therefore it was unethical. 3.2 Is Toyota Willing to Solve Slavery Operations? Unfortunately, most multinational companies like Toyota that is benefiting from sweatshops labour around the world are doing nothing about this problem. The question arise here is, does Toyota follow the rights and duties? Toyota has the duty to provide a better and comfortable environment for its workers. However, to maximise its profits and minimise the cost of production, Toyota choose to forsake the rights of its workers (Campbell Miller, 2004). Given that sweatshops conditions exist around the world, what can be done to counter these assaults upon human dignity and human rights that affect most vulnerable people in economic food chain? Currently, three major groups oversee factory inspections to monitor sweatshops condition. These groups including Social Accountability International (SAI), Fair Labour Association (FLA), Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI). Due to considerable variation in the methodologies used by SAI, FLA, and ETI, many companies have engaged in some form of self-monitoring. Now, SAI, FLA, and ETI appears to be on the verge of changing as a consequence of an ambitious 30-month experiment, called the Initiative on Corporate Accountability Workers Right (Campbell Miller, 2004). There are six anti-sweatshop activist groups and eight global apparel makers are sponsoring this experiment. The purpose is to devise a single set of labour standards with a common factory-inspection system that will replace todays overlapping hodgepodge of approaches with something that is easier and cheaper to use, and that might gain traction with companies. If it works, the 30 months experiment would be a great step in bringing order to the piecemeal manner in which even the biggest companies set and monitor workplace conditions across the developing world. It is all about the human rights, Toyota has the duty to take care of its workers wh o are working under the company. 3.3 Utilise Social Media Effectively Business is responsible to provide reasonable product to customers. In a sense, Toyota had made consumer to trust that their products are safe. Therefore Toyota should not manufacture unsafe product to their customers. Now Toyota started to practice business duty by using social media to update their customers especially the recall and repair of the vehicles to gain back their customers trust towards their products. Toyota Recall Micro Site This Micro site is created by Toyota to provide recall information for its customers. Many web 2.0 aspects was included in the micro site such as a customer comments section. Existing customers can leave comments on what is the current situation with their Toyota. Toyota has also included a live update counter in the micro site to highlight the speed at which it fixing the accelerator pedals (Refer to Appendix 1). Toyota Recall Timeline Toyota have utilised a timeline to highlight how the company is dealing to the recall effectively. A facts and figures section is set up to calm down and reassure their customers that the company had the recall under control ( Refer to Appendix 2). Toyota Conversation Toyota Conversations was created by Toyota and powered by Tweetmeme that collects and updates the news, images and video about Toyota and to be published on Toyotas own Twitter feed. Toyota can analyse this information and act accordingly (Refer to Appendix 3). Toyota have utilised Digg as well to update and keep its customers in contact regarding the recall. US Toyota president Jim Lentz was involved in a consumer question and answer session. Toyota has used this approach that allow the company to engage its customer base and express remorse to their customers for the recall. Toyota also make use of YouTube to combat the threat of the recall. The company has been uploading videos describing the faults with the foot pedals and offering an explanation to its customers (Rother, 2009). 4.0 Toyotas Ethical Best Practices and Values Virtue ethics emphasis on doing things with character, and this character can be simplified as a good one. Toyota does practice virtue ethics. Virtue ethics do not follow any rules or consequences, but purely on doing good things (Devettere, 2002). 4.1 Recycling as One Approach Making People-Friendly and Environmentally-Friendly Cars In order to ensure that automobiles will continue to be a sustainable mode of transport in the 21st century, Toyota considers it is important to proactively take action to reduce their environmental impacts all along their life cycle. Toyota is now focusing on the important aspects which is the recycling stage. The company is thinking about recycling opportunities at every stage of life cycle of vehicles. For example, Toyota is involved in activities to reduce waste as much as possible and recycle whatever can be reused at the development, production, use, and disposal stages. Toyota is strongly committed to developing technologies for effectively utilising resin and rubber, which are difficult to reuse or recycle due to difficulties in separation of composite materials and to high quality standards requested. The recycling technologies that have been developed are first applied to the remnant materials generated in production processes; commonly remnants from the manufacturing of pl astic parts are recycled internally, for example in the case of bumpers. Toyota has extended the application of these recycling technologies to the parts collected at dealers and from end-of-life vehicles. 4.2 Initiative Designed to Educate People in Traffic Safety The company has been involving actively in various activities to educate people in traffic safety since 1960s. Toyota Driver Communication In 1987, this programme was designed to improve safe driving by allowing drivers to experience the performance of cars at their limits and to study the effects and proper usage of ABS (electronically controlled braking system) and other safety technologies. In April 2005, Toyota opened the Toyota Safety Education Centre where safe driving courses are offered on a regular basis. Toyota Traffic Safety Campaign Toyota has conducted the Toyota Traffic Safety Campaign every spring and autumn since 1969. This campaign was participated by car dealers, parts distributors, logistics systems forklift dealers and rental/lease dealers in conjunction with the Japans Nationwide Traffic Safety Campaign. In FY2004, Toyota focused on traffic safety education for children and their parents and promotion of proper seatbelts and child restraint systems. 4.3 Community Care Toyota de Venezuela, C.A (TDV) The main purpose in ethics of care is to care for each other as every parties relationship always interlinked with one another. For example, Pinta Tu Escuela (Paint Your School) program was launched by TDV in 2005. The purpose was to paint the school to improve the study atmosphere. But, after TGV had leant the actual needs of the schools, it realized that they have to go beyond on what they were doing. TDV then promised to build a school in Laguna Chica. However, there was a lot of doubting among the local community if the school will ever be materialized since this promise was made before by other organization. Nevertheless, TDV was serious with their promise and a synergy and trust between TDV and the townspeople was built that allowed the schools construction to run smoothly. The opening ceremony of the school in Laguna Chica was on December 9, 2008 (Refer to Appendix 4 5). In this case, Toyota is practicing ethics of care which can lead to building a goodwill and reputation in the view of public or the community, and it is a significant ethic that a large organization should practice. 5.0 Recommendations Unethical decisions can be catastrophic for any organization. Organization profitability can be affected, same goes to employees morale when unable to answer customers complaints and queries when the companys customers suffered from defective products. Thus, reputation of a company faces negative impact. Every time before the top management of a company decide any big decision, it is suggested that they should consider and outline all the possibly negative outcomes particularly the ethical issues. It is always beneficial to a companys long term planning if ethical considerations are taken account into every decision making. It is evident that running from a moral obligation or not obeying appropriate moral practice in business would lead to many failure and disputes. Toyota is one of the best example for the statement as the company ignoring the warning alarm that their action will put consumer in dangerous, and eventually, Toyota itself is liable to correct their mistakes by spendin g million and billion dollars. Avoiding a ethical obligation brings only benefits in the short term, but the company would be led into trouble in the long term since the business reputation and goodwill are placed in a high risks. Toyota should have faced the problem instead of avoiding or minimizing it. If a company is facing a serious problem due to serious ethical issue, the company should turn back to its philosophy. For example, Toyotas philosophy is kaizen or continuous improvement. The company can gain back its customers trust by proving that Toyota still possess the desire to manufacture its vehicles as one of the safest vehicles on the road for its customers (Weiss, 2009).

Software And High School :: essays research papers

Software And High School The beginning of the 1990's is marked by the era of computers. Everywhere we look ,we see computers. They have become an essential part of our every day life. If the world's computer systems were turned off even for a short amount of time, unimaginable disasters would occur. We can surely say that today's world is heading into the future with the tremendous influence of computers. These machines are very important players in the game, the key to the success however is proper software (computer programs). It is the software that enables computers to perform a certain tasks. Educational systems in developed countries realize the importance of computers in the future world and therefore, emphasize their use in schools and secondary institutions. The proper choice of software is very important especially for beginners. Their first encounter with the computer should be exiting and fun. It should stimulate their interest in the computing field. First and foremost is the fact that computer software is a very important educational tool. Students in high schools experience computers for the first time through games and other entertaining software. These help develop youth's mental pathway in the way of logic, reflexes and the ability to make quick and concrete decisions [Lipcomb, 66]. The next step requires them to think more seriously about the machines. Secondary students learn the first steps in computer programming by creating simple programs. Here, the assistance of useful software is necessary. The computer software has many applications in the real world and is found virtually everywhere. The new generation of very fast computers introduces us to a new type of software. Multimedia is a of computer program that not only delivers written data for the user, but also provides visual support of the topic. By exploring the influence of multimedia upon high school students. I have concluded that the usage of multimedia have significantly increased students' interest in particular topics(supported by the multimedia). In order get these positive results, every child has to have a chance to use the technology on a daily basis [jacsuz@]. Mathematics is one of the scientific fields that has employed the full potential of computer power complicated problem solving. By using the computer, students learn to solve difficult problems even before they acquire tough mathematical vocabulary. The Geometer's Sketch pad, a kind of math software, is used in many Canadian high schools as a powerful math tutor. Students can pull and manipulate geometric figures and at the same time give them specific attributes. The next best feature of the software is a drawing document. It allows for easy drawing of perfect ellipses, rectangles and lines.

Sanitation and Plagues of Elizabeth?s England :: essays research papers fc

In Elizabethan times, living conditions of an everyday townsman was quite indecent. Elizabethan’s lived in houses that were extremely close to one another, which made it quite easy to disregard such a necessity to keep the streets and living surroundings clean. People threw all of the waste outside of their windows, which included, their feces, dead cats and dogs, and also kitchen waste. Eventually, when it would rain, the rain would wash all of the rancid waste into local waters. There were â€Å"regulations against people washing clothes in or near waters used for drink, or against washing the entrails of beasts after slaughter†(Rowse 156). â€Å"†¦it is evident from innumerable documents how frequently they were broken† (Rowse 156). As long as people lived in small groups, isolated from each other, there were not many incidents of widespread disease. But as civilization progressed, people began clustering into cities. As the cities grew and became crowded, they also became the nesting places of water-borne, insect-borne, and skin-to-skin infectious diseases. The Elizabethans shared communal water, handled unwashed food, stepped in excrement from casual discharge of manure, and used urine for dyes, bleaches, and ev en treatment of wounds. As A.L. Rowse mentions, â€Å"many of the citizens possessed chamber pots, usually made of tin, or close stools.† The close stools were put in the cockloft, the sleeping quarters of the Elizabethans. This would obviously reek of horrible odors and force the townsmen to dump them as soon as possible into the slimy cobblestone streets. Many rats and rodents flocked to the littered streets, finding morsels of anything that would satisfy their hunger. This is where the transportation of the plague would come to play. As the rodents feasted on the waste, the plague-infested fleas would jump to the nearest passerby. â€Å"The most devastating to England was the bubonic plague. Also known as, â€Å""The Black Death", because of the black spots it produced on the skin. A terrible killer was loose across Europe, and medieval medicine had nothing to combat it†(Rice). London was afflicted over a dozen times during the 1500’s (Miller and Orr)†. Winters were usually mild, allowing the rats and rodents, which carried fleas to stay active throughout the winter months. â€Å"Typhus fever is another disease born of bad sanitation. It is also known as, "jail fever" or "ship fever," because it was so common among men held captive in such putrid surroundings. The disease was highly contagious and usually transmitted through human feces and lice that infested the unclean bodies of the Elizabethans.

Essay --

Super natural appearances and effects, such as ghost’s and monsters are a part of all people’s deepest fears whether they want to admit it or not. The elements of Gothic literature tap into our need for the agony between what’s real and what’s fantasy. I even think that it releases and reflects our need to search for the identity of our inner Gothic. Now a days Gothic is looked at as a way people dress and being weird almost in a way of it being a disease in the brain. Gothics weren't always perceived in that way, it was a way that allowed people to express their true beliefs, desires and most importantly their inner fears. The genre of Gothics is much more than just a simple collection of horror stories, even if they do place a rather large emphasis on mystery and fear. The term Gothic originally used to describe both art, and architecture, it later spread into the world of literature and writings. They all had extreme emotion and dark, depressing themes and ideas. Though many people in our time may never fully appreciate what the Gothic era gave to us, or understand the dark themes they present I will. The Gothic era just like the many horror movies and books that I love so much the Gothics have a way of pulling a person like me completely into the story they are trying to provide to us as the reader. Gothic literature helps us to exercise our minds by making us dig deep and determine our own inner truths and fears. With this idea we need to learn to broaden our perspectives and to think critically of the piece, rather than basing our judgments off of just what it is that we are reading. The use of extreme and dramatic emotions in Gothic writings really makes us as the reader think about how the reading affects us on the insid... ...King. Even as the years keep progressing and the horror genre sadly keeps progressing and moving from the great Gothics that came before it, no matter what there will always be that exponential influence from the Gothics and a standard that it will forever be held to. Gothic literature has had many different effects on the people, writers and even the way that it is perceived over the years. The great elements inside a Gothic story will never change or waiver, their will forever be that supernatural effect or idea, the different reverences to death and decay throughout it, and the underlying sense of suspense threw out the whole literary work and that overall dark tone to the story. Throughout time we as a country and a race have developed an even greater understanding of what Gothic literature was and why it has been deemed so important throughout literary history.

Defining Race and Ethnicity Essay

The term â€Å"race† means to me a group of people with the similar backgrounds and cultures. Race can also be defined as a species of people. Society defines race as the color of your skin but this is a myth. Race is more than the color of your skin; it is your lineage and heritage. It is who you are. The term â€Å"ethnic† means belonging to races or nations based on distinctions of race or ethnological. Ethnic is when you relate to a sizable group of people and share a common and distinctive racial, national, religious, linguistic, or cultural heritage. When I hear the word ethnic, I associate it with the race of black people. I’m not sure why but somewhere in my life, this was instilled in my mind. I have read somewhere that this word means heathens. I don’t agree with this analogy of the word but society has labeled this word to mean something bad. Ethnic has also been defined as a group of people who denounce Christianity. These concepts are important in today’s society because of the issues of racism and prejudice. People should not be classified by the color of their skin but by their citizenships. All people that were born in America should be classified as Americans alone, not White, Blacks, Latinos, Mexicans. These terms border on the issue of prejudice and racism. This is a very touchy subject and one has to be careful not to offend anyone when addressing these issues. It is important that when people are classified by race, that the proper terms are use when identifying these groups. Some black people prefer to be called â€Å"African Americans† rather than black and vice versus. Prejudice is a big issue in our nation and needs to be overcome. No one wants to be discriminated against no matter what their race or ethnic background is.

Impact Of Virtual Learning Environment Education Essay

The usage of Blackboard platform has been adopted by many higher acquisition establishments. But a few surveies have been carried out on its impact on pupils, talks and administrations. This thesis is about the impact of practical acquisition environment package such as Blackboard in higher acquisition establishments ; a instance survey has antecedently shown that the Blackboard package is being used chiefly for administrative maps and non to its maximal capacity.RecognitionThough merely my name appears on the screen of this thesis, a great many people have contributed to its production. I owe my gratitude to all those people who have made this thesis possible and because of whom my experience has been one that I will care for everlastingly. My deepest gratitude is to my adviser, Dr.William Micheal Gasser. I have been surprisingly fortunate to hold an adviser who gave me the freedom to research on my ain, and at the same clip the counsel to retrieve when my stairss faltered. I am besides grateful to him for promoting the usage of right grammar and consistent notation in my Hagiographas and for carefully reading and noticing on infinite alterations of this manuscript. Many friends have helped me remain sane through these hard times. Their support and attention helped me get the better of reverses and remain focused on my survey. I greatly value their friendly relationship and I deeply appreciate their belief in me. I am besides thankful those who helped me in my research by supplying feedback through the on-line questionnaires. Most significantly, none of this would hold been possible without the love and forbearance of my household. My immediate household has been a changeless beginning of love, concern, support and strength for me. I would wish to show my heart-felt gratitude to my household. My extended household has aided and encouraged me throughout this enterprise. Contentss 1 Introduction 6 1.1. Problem Statement 11 1.2. Target 11 1.3. Result and Actors 11 1.4. Scope and Scale 12 1.5. Ethical issues 12 1.6. Purposes and Objectives 12 1.7. Thesis Outline 13 2 Research Methodology 14 2.1 Library Search 14 2.2 Online Journal Articles Search 15 2.3 Open Access Online Journal Articles Search 15 2.4 Web Search 16 2.5 Extra Literature 16 3 Impact of Using Blackboard Software on Students and Lectors 17 3.1 Students 17 3.1.1 Students ‘ perceptual experience 17 3.1.2 Students Evaluation of VLE Components 18 3.1.3 Blackboard versus Face to Face Teaching 19 3.1.4 Impact on Learning 20 3.1.5 Impact on Learning Outcomes 21 3.1.6 Impact on Society 22 3.2 Lectors 22 3.2.1 Lectures ‘ perceptual experience 23 3.3 Impact on IS Strategy 25 4.1 Students perspectives 27 4.2 Lecturers positions 30 5 Decision 36 6 Bibliography 37IntroductionIn recent old ages, the demand for instruction has changed because of an increased demand for a extremely educated work force that will be expected to larn continuously ( Alavi & A ; Leidner, 2001 ) . Education has become an un stoping procedure in one ‘s life-time due to which the agency of instruction are besides being transformed in order to run into the outlooks and to maintain the continuity of instruction traveling. The acquisition which was ab initio done in a face to confront environment, is going into an environment mediated by computing machines and digital engineerings. In 1886, the first president of the University of Chicago, William Rainer Harper wrote: â€Å" the pupil who has prepared a certain figure of lessons in the correspondence school knows more of the topic treated in those lessons, and knows it better than the pupil who has covered the same land in the schoolroom † ( Harper, 1971, p. 12 ) . Since the 1970s, the Open University of UK, has pioneered the construct of modern distance acquisition by supplying blended learning environments of face-to-face tutoring and class bundles including audio- and video-based class stuff. Since the reaching of the Internet, educational net-based engineering is germinating quickly at universities worldwide ( Mason, 2003 ) . However, the demand of practical acquisition has of all time so increased today, that we barely find a student/tutor who does n't utilize or cognize how to utilize the practical acquisition packages available. Some research has been done on acquisition by Virtual acquisition environments, and they show a variable perceptual experience of VLEs for both pupils and academic staff. In an rating of on-line distance instruction, Westerberg and Marald ( 2004 ) found that university directors and instructors perceived this sort of instruction as a agency of making out to a higher figure of pupils. Students, on the other manus, appreciated the chance to analyze in a mode more independent of limitations of clip and infinite, than traditional instruction on campus. Teachers experienced a heavy work load and high outlooks to be accessible to pupils, while pupils perceived the pedagogical quality of online classs being lower, compared to classs on campus ( Westerberg & A ; Marald, 2004 ) . The fi ndings of high outlooks of being available to pupils are confirmed by Zhang and Nunamaker ( 2003 ) , who found that scholars perceive more chances for communicating with teachers in a practical acquisition environment than in a traditional schoolroom. With these differing sentiments in head, it could be sensible to inquire if learning by agencies of practical acquisition environments is a phenomenon truly accepted by instructors and pupils. This thesis is being carried out to happen out the factors act uponing the impact of practical acquisition environment for both the pupils and the teachers/turtors. AA practical acquisition environment ( VLE ) A is aA softwareA system developed to back up acquisition and instruction in an educational environment. A VLE can work within an administration via Local Area Network ( LAN ) , over the Internet as Wide Area Network ( WAN ) and supply a aggregation of educational tools in order to ease assignments, communicating, contents direction and attendings. VLEs can be used for distance acquisition or supplement traditional face to confront schoolroom activities. A web page is a front terminal interface that is browsed by pupils and academic staff, the back terminal can represent databases, web waiter and other relevant hardware and package tools. Blackboard ( c.f. , Mistake: Reference beginning non found ) is VLE package that supports and facilitates on-line acquisition and teaching.A A It enables class content stuffs, such as talk notes and talk slides to be uploaded on the Blackboard site for easy entree and downloads by pupils. It supports on-line communicating between lecturers/tutors and pupils by the usage of forums and treatment boards. It besides supports online capable presentation and tutorials in a practical schoolroom. Groups direction is done via Blackborad in order to ease treatment and exchange of educational stuffs. Its is used in uploading and taking on-line assignments that involve automatic marker and feedback strategies besides for posting proclamations on a site and e-mailing pupils enrolled on a peculiar class. It helps pupils for scheduling class and assignment deadlines and tracking activities on a site and class work entry and its automatic recognition. Blackboard package is used by over 3700 instruction establishments in more than 60 states Smith ( 2009 ) . Many researches have shown that pupils ‘ activities under Virtual Learning Environment are largely based on administrative maps such as subjecting assignments and reading messages in forums or newssheets. It has been found that pupils are merely active and engage themselves in collaborative and synergistic activities in ain environment such as in societal networking ( e.g. , Facebook and Myspace ) . A survey in Smith ( 2009 ) showed that although pupils value resources placed on VLEs such as Blackboard, they value more face to confront contact with their lectors or coachs. Lectors play a really critical function in how pupils engage themselves with VLEs. Research in Smith ( 2009 ) has shown that bulk of lectors are replacing the bing methods alternatively of introducing new methods that will promote pupils to bask collaborative and synergistic acquisition methods. Another research has shown that some lectors ‘ usage of Blackboard has enhanced their appraisal of pupils work capablenesss in the face to confront schoolroom scenes ( Woods et al. ( 2004 ) . In most of least developed states, VLEs are regarded as inferior to face to confront schoolroom scenes. If engineering is suitably used so it normally has important benefits to our day-to-day life. The same chief applies to the usage of Blackboard. Appropriate usage of Blackboard has shown to hold important benefits to both pupils and their lectors. Some of these are outline below. Traditional methods ( face to confront learning ) were compared with the usage of Blackboard package for sociology pupils. It was revealed that pupils ‘ rating compared favorably in the group that was utilizing Blackboard with important addition in perceptual experiences of lector relationship and rating Koeber ( 2005 ) The research in Campbell et Al. ( 2008 ) found that participants on on-line treatment attained higher Markss in their tests than those with face to confront method. This showed that VLE was linked with greater accomplishments. It was shown in Hepworth et Al ( 2000 ) that VLEs promote significantly greater critical thought among pupils than traditional method of face to face schoolrooms. It was revealed by APLU ( 2009 ) that larning results via Blackboard were better than face to face instructions. It was found that 56 % of talks ( with and without on-line experience ) recommended on-line plans to at least one pupil. It was shown that over 80 % of lectured with on-line talking experience recommended on-line plans. Farquarson ( 2007 ) found that there was an impact on pupils ‘ societal experiences at universities by take parting in on-line activities. It was suggested that this could be used as keeping scheme since supportive equal groups are an facet of pupils ‘ battle. There is clear indicant of the effectivity offered to pupils and their lectors through the usage of VLEs such as Blackboard. This is much derived from the facets such as administrative acquisition and instruction undertakings, for case, managing and accessing content stuffs, communications or proclamations such as forums or intelligence, scaling, attendings, assignments and feedbacks. With VLEs there are benefits of flexibleness and convenience of entree at anytime and from anyplace, there is flexibleness of communicating and coaction environment, this means that there is a big degree of control passed to the pupil.Problem StatementHow does Virtual Learning Environment impact pupils and academic staff in Higher Learning Education? Virtual environment for acquisition can be considered as an sweetening of our traditional face to confront schoolroom environment, nevertheless the impact of both is wholly different from one another and this thesis is being carried out to foreground the positive and negative facets every bit good as the impacts on pupils, teachers/tutors and over all higher larning instruction system.TargetGiven the job statement in this survey, the mark audience is academic staff, pupils, VLE package proprietors and any research workers interested in VLEs and their impacts in HLE. The end is to hold a list of factors that VLE impacts pupils and academic staff in HLE establishments. The list will so be good for future support and sweetening of VLE package such as Blackboard.Outcome and ActorsThe chief result of this survey will be the list of impacts of VLE on HLE institutes that can be used to advance and heighten VLE in larning establishments. The histrions in this survey are Blackboard package us ers i.e. , pupils and academic staff.Scope and ScaleThe range of this survey will be limited to UK pupils and academic staff with experience of utilizing Blackboard package. About 150- 200 participants will be consulted online in order to carry on questionnaire exercising.Ethical issuesEthical issues were taken into consideration in this survey. There was no hazard of exposing topics to any hazard as the lone topics were Blackboard users who were merely asked inquiries about their experiences utilizing Blackboard and those who took portion in the study were good informed and were good cognizant of the intent of the study. No private or confidential informations was required from clients during interviews or when their feedbacks were obtained from on-line signifiers. Still whatever informations collected during this thesis was kept confidential and used strictly for study and extraction of impacts of the use of VLEs.Purposes and AimsThe purpose of this undertaking is to look into the impact of a Virtual Learning Environment ( VLE ) in Higher Learning Education ( HLE ) . The involvement is in the ways by which the VLE provides pupils ‘ and lectors ‘ demands and agencies of back uping communicating and the sharing of resources in HLE. The undertaking aims will be supported by the undermentioned aims: – To reexamine the province of the art of VLE package and applications and its related engineerings. To reexamine the execution of VLEs and associated experiences of the stakeholders in the context of policies, schemes and precedences. To analyze the impact of VLEs solutions execution from the position of the pupils, research workers and lectors. To analyze the current arguments and future waies of VLE such as societal media and the impact of Web 2.0 Show the findings of this undertaking as an MSC thesis to the University of GloucestershireThesis OutlineThe balance of this thesis is organised as follows. Chapter 2 out lines the research methodological analysis used in this survey. The impact of Blackboard package on pupils and lectors is described in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 nowadayss instance survey and decisions are given in Chapter 5.Research MethodologyThe purpose of this undertaking is to look into the impact of a Virtual Learning Environment in Higher Learning Education. The involvement is in the ways by which the VLE provides pupils ‘ and lectors ‘ demands and agencies of back uping communicating and the sharing of resources. Primary informations spotlight aggregation activity has been through questionnaires and through research by utilizing resources such as the Internet, diaries, and library. The questionnaires were conducted to pupils and talks on their usage of VLE package such as Blackboard. The questionnaires were merely through on-line via a web site. Below are the sorts of initial article searched and conducted in the class of this survey: –Library SearchA library hunt was conducted utilizing an advanced hunt in the ICT, societal scientific disciplines and instruction subdivisions. The keywords entered for the hunt are:BlackboardWebCTVLEThe hunt consequences were read and relevant 1s were selected for farther rating.Online Journal Articles SearchA methodical hunt was conducted, shoping equal reviewed articles published in the undermentioned on-line diaries but non limited to: Computers and Education British Journal of Educational TechnologyOpen Access Online Journal Articles SearchA methodical hunt was conducted by shoping unfastened entree online diaries, related to VLE utilizing keywords such as: – Virtual acquisition environments ( VLE ) Course Management Systems ( CMS ) Learning Management Systems ( LMS ) Blackboard/WebCT Blended acquisition The undermentioned diaries were accessed: – The Electronic Journal of e-Learning ( United Kingdom ) The European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning ( EURODL ) ( Europe ) The Journal of Distance Education ( Canada ) Australian Journal of Educational Technology Australian The International Journal of Emerging Technologies and SocietyWeb SearchThe undermentioned keywords were entered into a web hunt engine ( google.com ) Distance acquisition Blackboard/WebCT VLE E-learning Mobile larning Web 2.0 Social media Social package Personal web Personal acquisition environment Open educational resources Open beginningExtra LiteratureIn add-on, articles recommended by friends and supervisor were studied and relevant stuffs were extracted and used. Statistical package such as Microsoft Excel was used to analyze informations obtained from questionnaires.Impact of Using Blackboard Software on Students and LectorsStudentsA two twelvemonth study in Midwestern University in USA by Lonn and Teasley ( 2009 ) found that 95 % of pupils at the campus were utilizing Blackboard and 95 % of their activities in the Blackboard were based on communicating and document direction. Merely 5 % were on synergistic activities such as Wikis, chat and treatment boards. In New Zealand, it was found by Santhiveeran ( 2006 ) that the Blackboard was accessed 23 hours a twenty-four hours. The most popular environment was paperss country where pupils could download talk notes, slide and assignments. A research conducted by JISC ( 2007 ) in UK revealed that pupils are merely interested with Blackboard features that run into their demands and sometimes merely when they suit them.Students ‘ perceptual experienceMany pupils in HLE institutes were either born or have grown up during the digital age. This coevals of pupils are excited by engineering and perceive that VLE engineering such as Blackboard package will ever assist in the instruction enterprise. These pupils do non believe that Blackboard will of all time perplex their acquisition curve MORI ( 2008 ) . There are few surveies that have researched on pupils ‘ perceptual experience looking at personal features and how these affect pupils ‘ easiness of utilizing VLEs such as Blackboard. Sun et Al. ( 2008 ) found that larning anxiousness on computing machines have negative influence on VLEs satisfaction. Lecturers ‘ attitudes on VLEs will hold positive influence on pupils ‘ VLEs satisfaction. Research conducted by Liaw ( 2008 ) found that sensed usefulness and satisfaction were the major factors that contribute to pupils ‘ behavioral purpose to utilize VLEs such as Blackboard package. It was concluded that effectivity of VLEs can be influenced by a figure of factors such as multimedia bringing, quality and synergistic activities of VLEs. These findings besides suggested that pupils ‘ perceptual experiences was that inappropriate usage of VLEs package such as Blackboard is worse than non utilizing the engineering at all to back up VLEs.Students Evaluation of VLE ComponentsSharpe et Al. ( 2006 ) learned the usage of VLE package such as Blackboard was positively overpowering with regard to accessing class stuffs and as a addendum to traditional face to confront schoolroom apparatus. The survey by Mori ( 2008 ) showed that two tierce of pupils accessed class stuffs via the VLE and were really satisfied. Students besides valued the usage of treatment board found in the Blackboard and were satisfied by lectors who played important axial rotation in modulating them. At that clip it was found that pupils were non much exposed to Wikis and were less comfy with societal networking site such as Facebook with their lectors or coachs in them. My research conducted in UK with 50 pupils informally interviewed, all of the 50 pupils acknowledge the usage of Wikis and hence it was concluded that, now pupils are familiar with wikis but still non comfy with talks in the societal networking sites. The survey my Morgan et Al ( 2006 ) established that the usage of confab and bulletin board in Blackboard was effectual in exciting brooding acquisition in nursing pupils. Students said that they developed more brooding accomplishments by the usage of Blackboard than a face to face schoolroom. Bridge and Appleyard ( 2008 ) found that assignment entry via Blackboard and feedback was positively received with 88 % of pupils interviewed pinpointed that subjecting class work via the VLE was clip and fiscal economy and 93 % preferable feedback via the Blackboard package.Blackboard versus Face to Face TeachingThe survey conducted by Oladiran and Uziak ( 2009 ) in Botswana found that the usage of Blackboard was non preferred as entirely usage of learning method. Students preferable Blackboard as a compliment to face to confront learning in a schoolroom. The recognised the power of IT in the acquisition, they accepted that the usage of Blackboard farther enhanced their IT skills and made them more independent in their thought. In general it was found that the usage of Blackboard improved the quality of their surveies, this was perceived by 75 % of the pupils interviewed. Two decisions were derived by the survey of Benoit et Al ( 2006 ) . VLE is non by and large superior to traditional face to confront schoolroom apparatus, based on the sum of acquisition, and Students are systematically more satisfied the traditional schoolroom apparatus than with VLE. This is besides supported by the research conducted by MORI ( 2008 ) who revealed that pupils still value face to VLEs schoolroom apparatus. But pupils are motivated to utilize VLE because it us flexible, can be accessed at anytime from anyplace and saves clip. The survey conducted by McGill & A ; Hobbs ( 2008 ) proved that the VLE usage is suited in HLE institutes but non needfully better than traditional face to confront schoolroom apparatus.Impact on LearningThe research by Benoit EL Al. ( 2006 ) found that utilizing VLEs were systematically non really effectual compared to traditional face to confront direction in footings of larning publicity and pupils preferred face-to-face instruction. The survey conducted by Arbaugh ( 2004 ) on an MBA programme showed that while there was minor alteration in pupils ‘ perceptual experience of larning between their first on-line class on VLE and attendant classs on VLE, there were major positive alterations in their learning satisfaction with the VLE as a bringing medium, their perceptual experiences of pupils interaction, and the convenience and easiness of usage of the Blackboard. These findings imply that as pupils obtain movable accomplishments and cognition in VLE, their perceptual experiences of the VLE as a positive acquisition medium better. Most of the major alterations in these perceptual experiences happened between the first and 2nd period that the pupils attended in the VLE classs, which implies that pupils need to analyze at least two classs via VLE before reasoning sing classs bringing medium. Therefore, academic staff should pay particular attending to first clip pupils choosing for a class via VLE in order to promote their engagement in following classs via VLE. The survey by Lonn & A ; Teasley ( 2009 ) , Attwell ( 2009 ) and Bricheno, Higginson & A ; Weedon ( 2004 ) showed that in footings of impact on acquisition, VLEs showed some accomplishment in footings of heightening communicating, the countries of larning where VLEs had small impact were collaborative and synergistic acquisition. In a research conducted in 20 educational establishments, Bricheno ( 2004 ) found that collaborative and synergistic acquisition did non look to hold major alterations in several establishments.Impact on Learning OutcomesThe correlativity between the usage of VLEs and pupil classs has been researched really widely. Percival and Muirhead ( 2009 ) studied two groups of concern and IT pupils at the University of Ontario in the Institute of Technology. One group was trained by traditional face to confront method and the other one by VLE. Both groups were evaluated by the usage questionnaires and there were approximately 40 % of respondents to the questionnaires by both groups. The purpose of the rating was to determine participants ‘ usage of VLE package such as Blackboard and measure the impact of VLE on overall classs. Just a little figure of participants in both groups listened to the on-line pre-recorded talk. Participants who listened to pre-recorded talk obtained much better classs than those who did n't. VLE learning pupils made more usage of electronic books and talk notes, podcasts and treatment boards. Percival and Muirhead ( 2009 ) concluded that although today ‘s pupils are familiar with cyberspace engineerings, it can non be taken for granted that these pupils will automatically go accustomed to utilizing these new engineerings for larning. Students are required to familiarise themselves with the benefits of engineering to their acquisition in order to do smooth passage from traditional schoolroom to online acquisition.Impact on SocietyFarquharson ( 2007 ) conducted an probe on the impact of different manners of tu torial treatment on making societal relationships among pupils. Three manners of treatment were selected for comparings: Blackboard online treatment package, Blackboard electronic mail package and traditional face to face tutorials. The group with Blackboard treatments and electronic mail were more expected to increase friendly relationship webs amongst their equals. In add-on, older pupils reported a larger figure of friendly relationships. The findings suggested that, on-line engagement in Blackboard activities might hold an impact on pupils ‘ societal experience in HLE ( Farquarson, 2007 ) . This could perchance be used as a strategic attack to better keeping rates, since supportive equal webs are an of import facet of pupil battle.LectorsThe Association of Public and Land Grant Universities in the USA published a papers on the usage of VLE such as Blackboard by module members ( APLU 2009 ) . In their survey of module members at US universities, about a one-fourth of all mo dules who responded were talking at least one on-line class via VLE at the clip of the study. Over a 3rd of module members indicated that they have lectured online. Furthermore, the most experient module members, those with more than 15 old ages of talking experience, are giving talks online at a rate equivalent to faculty members with less lecturing experience. About a ten percent of all module members reported that they were in the procedure working on developing on-line talks. The per centum of module members who have developed on-line talks is about the same as the per centum of module members who have lectured on-line classs. Forests et Al ( 2004 ) showed that module members chiefly use the Blackboard package as a class direction or disposal tool to do class material readily available to pupils and manage class classs and attendings.Lectures ‘ perceptual experienceForests et Al ( 2004 ) established that module members ‘ attitudes were really positive when it came to the schoolroom administrative maps of the Blackboard package but their ideas were impersonal in footings of its instructional and psychosocial benefits. It was found that females had more positive attitudes than males in footings of the Blackboard package ‘s capableness to better schoolroom disposal and advance a positive relational environment. Across all module members, 34 % used Blackboard package to beg a greater diverseness of pupil sentiments than is otherwise possible in the face-to-face environment and 60 % agreed that certain characteristics in the Blackboard system enhanced or elevated their appraisal of pupil work and instructional capablenesss in the face-to-face schoolroom scene. It was besides revealed that a sum of 80 % agreed that the Blackboard package helped them to clearly and expeditiously pass on information about talk demands, and 60 % agreed that the Blackboard package helps them better to run into the acquisition demands of pupils. It was besides revealed that 62 % agreed that the Blackboard package helped them to break their clip direction in disposal affairs and 64 % agreed that Blackboard package improved their pupils ‘ ability to derive cognition of class stuffs. It was found by Lonn and Teasley ( 2009 ) that both male and female lectors believed that the VLE engineering improved instruction and acquisition but were more positive on the consequence of it on their instruction than on pupils. Lectors perceived that the finest advantage of the Blackboard package was how it enhanced and better their communicating with their pupils. Very few female and male lectors chose learning or larning betterments as the most of import advantage from utilizing Blackboard package. A survey conducted by Mitchell and Geva-May ( 2009 ) explored attitudes towards, and attitudes impacting, VLE execution. In recent old ages at that place has been greater credence of VLE by institutional determination shapers, as evidenced by high degrees of larning establishment engagement, but greater module members ‘ credence still lags behind. This spread affects the permeant acceptance of VLE. Mitchell and Geva-May ( 2009 ) proposed that module members credence of VLE is influenced by attitudes related to four factors: – Intellectual reluctance, such as the concerns that pupils ‘ perceptual experiences that VLE is inferior to traditional schoolroom apparatus. Support, such as preparation, clip and aid. Change, in peculiar with respect to doubts the construction and operation of the educational establishments will alter and hence threatens their stations. Economy, where the greatest uncertainty was with the perceptual experience that more support would be needed to back up VLE.Impact on IS StrategyInternet entree connectivity has revolutionized the instruction sector peculiarly on VLE. This is really of import as the connexion should be good plenty to be able to make a practical environment such that information can be accessed and shared without any hold or job and firmly.EffectssLikelihoodLow Medium High Negative Avoid Favorable Beneficial Table 1 Internet Access Since VLE such as Blackboard package depends much on internet entree, any dislocation will hold all activities that involve the information flow between talks, pupils and institutional direction. The likeliness of this to go on is medium but the effects are really negative and therefore any learning establishment should avoid this to do negative effects by holding a backup communicating scheme, this can be done by holding more than one cyberspace entree suppliers and an automatic switch over one time one entree is lost.EffectssLikelihoodLow Medium High Negative Avoid Favorable Beneficial Table 2 Security Modern communicating like high velocity cyberspace connexion comes with drawbacks. Security is the major drawback, privateness, confidentiality and unity of private informations fluxing over the cyberspace between lectors, pupils and instruction staff offices poses security breach. With wireless internet entree in about every place in developed states, the security issue becomes more important. The likeliness of this to go on is high, its consequence is really negative and therefore any larning institute with VLE as the manner of acquisition and learning bringing should guarantee strong encoding tools and sensings are in topographic point at all sides of communicating.EffectssProbabilityLow Medium High Negative Favorable Beneficial Encourage Table 3 Software Collaborative VLE package plays a major function on the efficiency in instruction sector for maintaining pupils and lectors together. With these package, about everything is automated, scheduling, presentment and even instant messaging. The traditional message flows in an office is expeditiously organised. These package bundles are going really sophisticated as new engineerings in processing and storage capacities of personal computing machines are improved. The likeliness of these bundles to better is medium and hence increased productiveness in instruction sector, but its consequence is really good, therefore any establishment with VLE deployment should promote any kind of design or development of the collaborative educational package.4 Case survey4.1 Students positionsThe intent of this chapter is to supply an in depth position of of import findings that have already been reported in recent old ages. Students ‘ position for VLE was studied by Stephen Lonn and Stephanie Teasley in 2009. This survey does non concentrate entirely on pupil perceptual experiences but besides cover academic staff perceptual experiences. It makes peculiarly exciting reading as the survey is focused on an organizational execution of an unfastened beginning VLE, and so it is interesting to see whether the perceptual experiences of pupils and academicians are traveling to be different than those found in the usage of commercial VLEs. The survey makes a point that VLEs are used chiefly for the distribution and storage of class stuffs though they can be used for heightening coaction and interaction via tools such as treatment boards, confab suites, wikis and web logs. It farther points out that these tools permit VLEs to back up constructive methods for acquisition and instruction. A cardinal issue nevertheless is achieving pupils and academician ‘s acknowledgment of the chances provided by the tools. It reports that at the University of Wisconsin ( Morgan, 2003 ) academicians reported that one time they have had used the VLE they did commence to reconstitute their classs and eventually their pedagogic attack. It besides disputes that there are a figure of other related surveies but there has been a short of longitudinal surveies which might descry how pupils and academicians change their beliefs and methods to the effectual utilizations of VLE in acquisition and instruction. The survey is conducted at the University of Michigan where they found that academicians ‘ development on VLE is voluntary and the usage of the VLE is non obligatory over most of the establishments. They addressed a figure of cardinal inquiries: Does IT better instruction and acquisition? No major difference between pupils and academicians in footings of IT expertness. Major difference with respect the usage of IT. Students reported preferring a high degree of IT usage than academicians. Which of the following net incomes from utilizing information engineering in your faculties was most valuable to you: Contented sharing, Assignments ; confabs, proclamations ; agenda, treatment, wiki, course of study? There was a major difference between academicians and pupils. The most popular reply from academicians was that it enhanced their communicating with pupils, and for pupils the most popular reply was that it saved them clip i.e. , it was more efficient. The top four maps selected by pupils and academicians as ‘very valuable ‘ were the same, if in a slightly different order, covering content sharing, proclamations, course of study and agenda. When analyzing system event log files this seems to fit the questionnaire statistics with 95 % of activities being correlated to content, assignments, proclamations, agenda and course of study. Merely 5 % of events were associated with synergistic and collaborative tools, treatment board and wiki. For efficient communicating, instruction and acquisition activities. Students and lectors were asked to rate specific activities categorised as either ‘efficient communicating ‘ or ‘supporting acquisition and learning ‘ . Lectors tended to rate ‘efficient communicating activities ‘ as ‘very valuable, ‘ more than pupils. Teaching and larning activities tended to be rated as ‘valuable ‘ instead than ‘very valuable ‘ by both pupils and talks. In general, the survey noted that both lectors and pupils agree that IT heighten instruction and acquisition. However lectors agree more strongly than pupils that IT can better instruction and acquisition. The survey suggests that pupil responses are perchance based on how the VLE tools have really been used. The perceptual experiences raised in this survey of a non-commercial VLE such as MOODLE by pupils and lectors are no different to the types of perceptual experiences raised sing the usage commercial VLEs such as Blackboard.4.2 Lectors positionsThe article of Woods et Al. ( 2004 ) explored how far the Blackboard package aids and supports a blended acquisition method by analyzing its usage and impact on three countries of instruction and acquisition: The Blackboard package as a class direction platform, used as an country to supply talk notes, assignment, slides and other helpful larning stuffs as reading lists, course of study, auxiliary readings and external links. Besides the usage of the class system, the trial director and the appraisal tools belong partially excessively this country. The Blackboard package as an assignment tool. How far does the Blackboard package encourage diverseness, and animate critical thought and advance different larning manners before or after a face to confront schoolroom session? Specific features in this country are the treatment boards and trial directors. The Blackboard package as a tool for schoolroom society. How far does the Blackboard package encourage set uping relationships and interaction between class pupils and lectors? In order to react to these inquiries a study was carried out and sent to 50 colleges and universities in 2003 in a Midwest province of the USA ( all acquisition establishments addressed were utilizing Blackboard ) . The study was done by 862 module members from 38 establishments ; 59 % of the respondents were male, and the bulk of all respondents considered themselves as really computing machine literate. Almost half had taught with VLE such as Blackboard package and a important bulk ( 83 % ) had received preparation or assist on how to utilize the Blackboard package. The chief grounds specified for utilizing the Blackboard package were: Professional involvements ( 65 % ) Encouraged by co-workers ( 27 % ) Encouragement of pupils ( 11 % ) The survey indicates that the dominant usage of the Blackboard package is in the country of class administrative affairs. For case: 75 % on a regular basis published their course of study 81 % sent legion or sporadic electronic mails to the whole category 59 % used the class systems Less common usage was made of the assignments tool ( 28 % ) . However 41 % of respondents had conducted a quiz and 45 % had used a treatment board to promote argument and coaction. The Blackboard package was used less normally as a pedagogic application. For case, participants pointed out occasional usage of the treatment board to go on in category treatment or to back up treatment prior to a face to confront schoolroom session. 22 % used the group tools to partition pupils into treatment groups and about 6 % used the unrecorded confab or practical schoolroom characteristics to discourse class content online. The bulk of the letter writers are to some extent impersonal towards the outlook that the Blackboard package can promote a schoolroom society. About 11 % indicated that the Blackboard system was used to develop a stronger sense of schoolroom society and the bulk ( 60 % ) pointed out they ne'er used the Blackboard package for this intent. In decision, the Blackboard package seems chiefly to be used as an disposal and direction tool as portion of a blended acquisition method. The large figure of the participants ne'er used Blackboard package for more synergistic class functionalities such as formative appraisal and for practical office hours. The survey suggests that the Blackboard package seemed to be used to supplement traditional face to confront schoolroom apparatus.Suggestions For Further ResearchFrom the findings of the thesis, five suggestions characterizing the impact of practical acquisition environments were identified. These suggestions are interesting countries for farther research on the credence of practical acquisition environments. Suggestion 1. The practical acquisition environment should be used in a consistent manner by instructors to heighten credence and acquisition among pupils. Teachers ‘ voluntary on an single footing on taking the practical acquisition environment proved to be an ordeal for the pupils. Teachers ‘ voluntariness of usage led to an inconsistent usage of the practical acquisition environment or to no usage at all. As a consequence, pupils had to accommodate to new attacks of usage ( or no usage ) of the practical acquisition environment in every class. This was perceived as being really raging. Conversely, in compulsory scenes, pupils were by and large pleased with the consistence of instructors ‘ usage of the practical acquisition environment, while instructors were annoyed by being forced to act in a certain manner. Are at that place ways to compromise on voluntariness to pacify both parties? Suggestion 2: Text-based asynchronous communicating enhances the quality of larning. It enables one-to-one communicating between instructors and pupils and offers clip for contemplation and to come in profoundly into class subjects. Furthermore, pupils that are introverted or take part in a class given in a linguistic communication, other than their native lingua, are able to â€Å" talk their head † and portion treatments and group work on equal footings. Therefore, pupils with brooding and abstract acquisition manners are hypothesised to appreciate and larn better from text-based asynchronous communicating, than other pupils. To prove this hypothesis farther would be interesting. Suggestion 3: Information could be accessed independently of clip and infinite. Storing, posting and accessing class stuff and assignments by agencies of the practical acquisition environment enhances the disposal of classs. The general quality of instructors ‘ class stuff has improved as all stuff has to be published digitally. Course stuff is invariably accessible from one beginning independent of clip and infinite. The quality of â€Å" effectual and reliable file archive † is a extremely apprehended quality of practical acquisition environments. But what happens to larn by agencies of the practical acquisition environment if it is merely used for administrative intents? Suggestion 4: The practical acquisition environment lacks characteristics for constructing relationships, and for making dynamic and lively learning chances. Text-based, asynchronous treatments are perceived as being uncreative, slow and taking merely at cognitive undertakings. Synchronous treatments are non used as a learning tool at the three instance universities, and academic staff describes troubles in making lively asynchronous treatments that are active over a longer period of clip. When the focal point of the communicating between pupils or between pupils and instructors are constructing dealingss or discoursing personal affairs, the practical acquisition environment is left for other agencies of communicating, such as speaking face-to-face, telephone conferences or external electronic mail. Furthermore, pupils with matter-of-fact and active acquisition manners can be hypothesised to appreciate synchronal communicating by agencies of richer media. Synchronous communicating is hypothesised to increase engagement in on-line instruction ( Hrastinski, Keller & A ; Carlsson, 2007 ) . Teachers could increase the relationship-building features of the virtuallearning environment by utilizing synchronal media ( e.g. confab ) or richer media ( e.g. videoconferencing ) to make a higher sense of presence and interaction. Hopefully, a lively and relationship-building acquisition environment will be easier to accomplish with the development of web 2.0 and related tools of e.g. web logs, wikis and 2nd life used for collaborative intents, every bit good as information bringing. To research how relationships can be built by agencies of these tools is an of import issue for farther research. Suggestion 5: Informal larning from co-workers is of import to develop cognition of the characteristics of the practical acquisition environment and the pedagogical options provided. For academic staff, larning from co-workers informally in every twenty-four hours state of affairss, such as java interruption treatments or detecting another instructor ‘s class, is a more influential larning tool than go toing formal class Sessionss or reading manuals. From this position, it is of import to supply chances for informal acquisition among co-workers, and for instructors to detect class stuff developed by other instructors in the practical acquisition environment. To research the larning results of instructors holding entree merely to formal acquisition Sessionss compared with larning results of instructors often involved in informal acquisition, would be an interesting issue for farther research. These suggestions could presumptively make a starting-point for a design theory on practical acquisition environments. Furthermore, to make a complete design theory, the impact of what is the nucleus of higher instruction, the academic capable affair, besides deserves to be explored.DecisionThis thesis has presented the impact of VLEs on pupils and lectors in larning establishment. The instance survey presented has shown that the Blackboard package seems chiefly to be used as an disposal and direction tool as portion of a blended acquisition method. The bulk of the participants ne'er used Blackboard package for more synergistic class functionalities such as formative appraisal and for practical office hours. The survey suggests that the Blackboard package seemed to be used to supplement traditional face to confront schoolroom apparatus. The survey besides concludes that both lectors and pupils agree that IT heighten instruction and acquisition. However lectors agree more strongly than pupils that IT can better instruction and acquisition. The survey suggests that pupil responses are perchance based on how the VLE tools have really been used. The perceptual experiences raised in this survey of a non-commercial VLE such as MOODLE by pupils and lectors are no different to the types of perceptual experiences raised sing the usage commercial VLEs such as Blackboard.