Essay on Prestcom

Political–> Currently we are fairly stable politically which can help trade run smoothly. Energy Saving initiatives can help boost the sales of the Dyson Airblade if for example businesses receive a grant to help pay for the replacement of inefficient electrical appliances e. g traditional style hand dryers. Regulatory–> The product has to be safe to use as it involves electricity and water. Has to be easy to clean so hygienic. Also not damaging to the user e. g the airjets being too powerful.Economic–> Coming out of a recession so businesses may be less inclined to spend money on new appliances, especially ones with a premium price tag such as the Airblade. However it may mean companies are more likely to look into energy saving alternatives to products to try and save money on electricity. Social–> Socially people are more likely to want to protect the environment and may be more likely to look into energy saving options such as the Dyson Airblade. Socia lly companies may be pressurised into investing into environmentally friendly options. Technology–> The dyson Airblade uses cutting edge state of the art technology.Competitors–> Quite a lot of alternative products which offer very similar benefits but at a lower price such as the Xcelarator and the Airforce. Opportunities–> Dyson could release a cheaper product but carries the same dyson brand name, this could draw sales away from cheaper hand dryers as people may be attracted by the brand of dyson. Market–> One of the market leaders expensive but top of the range, may be seen as a premium product, carriers the dyson brand name which means it is highly thought of, however there are lots of cheaper alternatives availiable.

The Chinese Fireworks Industry

THE CHINESE FIREWORKS INDUSTRY – REVISED Ruihua Jiang wrote this case under the supervision of Professor Paul W. Beamish solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmission without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization.To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail [email  protected] uwo. ca. Copyright  © 2011, Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation Version: 2011-09-21 In February 2009, Jerry Yu was spending the Chinese New Year holidays in Liuyang (lee-ou-yang), a city known as â€Å"the home of firecrackers and fireworks,† located in Hunan Province in China.Jerry was an ABC (America-Born-Chinese). With an MBA, he was running a small family-owned chain of gift stores in Brooklyn, New York. Liuyang was his mother’s hometown. During his visit, his relatives invited him to invest in a fireworks factory that was owned by a village. Mr. Yu had been impressed by the extravagant fireworks shows he had seen during the festival; however, he wanted to assess how attractive the Chinese fireworks industry was before he even looked at the financial details of the factory. HISTORY OF FIREWORKS AND FIRECRACKERSFireworks referred to any devices designed to produce visual or audible effects through combustion or explosion. The art of making fireworks was formally known as pyrotechnics. Firecrackers were a specific kind of fireworks, usually in the form of a noisemaking cylinder. Firecrackers were often strung together and fused consecutively, a staple of Chinese New Year celebrations, weddings, grand openings, births, deaths and other ceremonial occasions. The main ingredients of fireworks had remained almost the same over the past thousand years: 75 parts-byweight potassium nitrate, 15 parts charcoal and 0 parts sulfur. It burned briskly when lighted, but did not erupt or make any noise. When it was found that a projectile could be thrust out of a barrel by keeping the powder at one end and igniting it, black powder became known as gunpowder. Today, smokeless powder has replaced black powder as the propellant in modern weaponry, but black powder remains a main ingredient in fireworks, both as a propellant and as a bursting charge. It was generally believed that the Chinese were the first makers of fireworks.The Chinese made war rockets and explosives as early as the sixth century. One legend said that a Chinese cook, while toili ng in a field kitchen, happened to mix together sulfur, charcoal and saltpetre, and noticed that the pile burned with a combustible force when ignited. He further discovered that when these ingredients were enclosed in a length of bamboo sealed at both ends, it would explode rather than burn, producing a loud crack. This was the origin of firecrackers. In fact, the Chinese word for firecrackers — bao-zhu — literally means â€Å"exploded bamboo. † Page 2 9B11M006The loud reports and burning fires of firecrackers and fireworks were found to be perfect for frightening off evil spirits and celebrating good news at various occasions. For more than a thousand years, the Chinese had been seeing off past years and welcoming in new ones by firing firecrackers. Fireworks made their way first to Arabia in the seventh century, then to Europe sometime in the middle of the 13th century. By the 15th century, fireworks were widely used for religious festivals and public enterta inment. Most of the early pyrotechnicians in Europe were Italians.Even today, the best-known names in the European and American fireworks industry were Italian in origin. From the 16th to the 18th century, Italy and Germany were the two best known areas in the European continent for fireworks displays. In 1777, the United States used fireworks in its first Independence Day celebration, and fireworks have become closely associated with July Fourth celebrations ever since. Up until the 1830s, the colors of the early fireworks were limited, but by 2009, there were six basic colors used in fireworks.LIUYANG — THE HOMETOWN OF FIRECRACKERS AND FIREWORKS According to historical records in China, firecrackers and fireworks â€Å"emerged during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), flourished during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), and originated in Liuyang. † For more than 1,000 years, Liuyang had been known as the â€Å"hometown of firecrackers and fireworks of China,† a title that was officially conferred to Liuyang by the State Council of China in 1995. As early as 1723, Liuyang fireworks were chosen as official tributes to the imperial family and were sold all over the country.Exports started early: by 1875, firecrackers and fireworks were being shipped to Japan, Korea, India, Iran, Russia, Australia, England, the U. S. , and other countries. In China, the name Liuyang had become almost synonymous with firecrackers and fireworks. Liuyang-made firecrackers and fireworks won numerous awards over its long history of fireworks making. The long history and tradition had made fireworks more than just a livelihood for the Liuyang people. Almost every native person in the area knew something about fireworks making, or had actually made firecrackers or fireworks in their lifetime.As a result, Liuyang claimed an impressive pool of skilled labor. Firecrackers and fireworks had become the pillar industry of Liuyang, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of all jobs o r about one-third of the total population in the Liuyang District (including Liuyang City and the surrounding counties). In 2008, Liuyang claimed 2,702 fireworks manufacturers with an additional 2,144 in the surrounding area. In total, there were 6,458 fireworks producers in China. While there has been some trend towards consolidation in the industry, most factories were still owned either by villages or families.Among them, about a dozen or so were medium to large factories with employment between 100 to 500 workers. The rest were small workshops employing anywhere from 10 to 50 people, depending on market demand. Liuyang was the top fireworks exporter in the world, making up 60 per cent of global production. The trademarked brand â€Å"Red Lantern† had become well known to fireworks-lovers around the world. China now accounted for 89 per cent of worldwide fireworks exports with the vast majority of that coming from Liuyang.In addition, over the past ten years, China had bec ome the largest market for fireworks. The ratio of domestic use to exports was 6:4, and Chinese imports of fireworks were negligible. Page 3 9B11M006 The increase in demand in the Chinese market had only intensified the competition. All new demand was more than met by the Chinese fireworks industry. Thus, instead of seeing increased margins, the profit margins for many small manufacturers had shrunk over the past decade. In order to make up the difference, manufacturers were cutting corners.However, some of these cost cutting efforts came at the expense of safety. A 2007 factory explosion that left 11 workers dead was blamed primarily on decreased safety standards, which were blamed on a lack of money due to cut throat competition. In response, the government and company officials from Luiyang and surrounding areas agreed to regulate the price of fireworks with the hope of increasing profit margins. With higher profit margins, company officials vowed to increase workers safety. The Product Fireworks could be classified into two categories: display fireworks and consumer fireworks.The display fireworks, such as aerial shells, maroons, and large Roman candles, were meant for professional (usually licensed) pyrotechnicians to fire during large public display shows. They were devices that were designed to produce certain visual or audio effect at a greater height above the ground than the consumer fireworks, which the general public could purchase in convenience stores and enjoy in their own backyards. Display fireworks were known as Explosives 1. 3 (Class B prior to 1991) in the U. S. The consumer fireworks belonged to Explosives 1. 4 (Class C prior to 1991).The difference lay mainly in the amount of explosive components contained in the product. Canada had a similar classification system. In the U. K. , it was more carefully divided into four categories: indoor fireworks; garden fireworks; display fireworks; and display fireworks for professionals only. There we re many varieties of fireworks. Liuyang made 13 different types with more than 3,000 varieties. The major types included fountains, rockets, hand-held novelties, nail and hanging wheels, groundspinning novelties, jumping novelties, floral shells, parachutes and firecrackers.Historically, firecrackers made up 90 per cent of the total production and sales. Over the past 50 years or so, however, there had been a shift away from firecrackers to fireworks. In 2009, firecrackers made up less than 20 per cent of the total sales. The skill levels of fireworks-making had been greatly improved. For instance, the old-day fireworks could reach no more than 20 metres into the sky, while the new ones could go as high as 400 metres. Not much had changed in fireworks-making. Over the last few decades, numerous novelties were added to the fireworks family.However, innovation had never reached beyond product variations. The ingredients had remained more or less the same. The process technology had no t changed much either, although some manual processes, such as cutting the paper, rolling the cylinders, mixing powder, and stringing the cylinders could now be done by machines. Safety Issues The fact that fireworks were made with gunpowder and listed under explosives brought about the issue of safety. Numerous accidents related with fireworks had resulted in tragic human injuries and considerable property damages.As a result, fireworks had become heavily regulated in most countries. Page 4 9B11M006 According to the manufacturers, fireworks were the most dangerous during the production process. Powder mixing and powder filling, in turn, were the two most dangerous procedures. The workers had to abide by strict safety measures. Even a tiny spark caused by the dropping of a tool on the floor or the dragging of a chair could start a major explosion. The quality of the ingredients was also of significant importance. Impure ingredients could greatly increase the possibility of accidents .In Liuyang, almost every year, there would be one or more accidents that resulted in deaths and damages. With an ever increasing number of firms entering the industry, safety was an ongoing concern. Once the fireworks were made, they were relatively safe to transport and store. Even in firing, good quality fireworks rarely caused any problems if everything was done properly. Most of the fireworks-related accidents occurred during private parties or street displays, and quite often involved children playing with fireworks that needed to be handled by adults, or adults firing shells that required professional expertise.Most accidents were linked to consumer backyard events rather than to public displays. According to the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission’s (CPSC) data, injuries related to fireworks had declined substantially, even though their use had increased (see Exhibit 2). For 2009, there were an estimated 5,244 fireworks-related injuries, 30 per cent of w hich were caused by firecrackers and bottle rockets. Of all the injuries related to firecrackers and fireworks, most were treated in the emergency department. Eight per cent of patients had to be admitted to hospital, and 7 people died due to sustained injuries.Children from ages five to 14 were the most frequently involved in fireworks-related injuries. However, fireworks were not the only consumer product that might cause injuries to this age group. According to a 2008 CPSC Injury Surveillance Report, fireworks were actually safer than swing sets and baseballs. However, fireworks-related injuries were usually the most dramatic and the most widely publicized accidents, which partly explained the fact that fireworks was the only category among the products listed in Exhibit 3, for which prohibition, instead of education and adult supervision, was often urged.In the United States, multiple government agencies were involved in regulating fireworks. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Fi rearms (BATF) controlled the manufacture, storage, sales and distribution of explosives, i. e. , Class B fireworks. The CPSC regulated Class C consumer fireworks, and the Department of Transportation dealt with the transportation of fireworks. Although at the federal level, fireworks and firecrackers were allowed as long as the safety features were up to the standard, local governments would have their own different regulations regarding fireworks consumption.Out of the 50 states, one would allow only novelty fireworks, 5 had banned all consumer fireworks but allowed professional pyrotechnics, and 4 allowed customers only wire or wood stick sparklers and other novelty items. However, the remaining 40 would allow essentially all consumer fireworks. For display fireworks, permits would have to be obtained from federal and local authorities and fire departments. All legal consumer fireworks offered for sale in the United States had been tested for stability by the Bureau of Explosives and approved for transportation by the U. S. Department of Transportation.Because of the limited amount of pyrotechnic composition permitted in each individual unit, consumer fireworks would not ignite spontaneously during storage, nor would they mass-explode during a fire. Therefore, no special storage was required. In most of Europe, similar regulations were in place for safety considerations, only the requirements were regarded as less stringent. In Canada, however, regulations were extremely restrictive. However, over the past decade Chinese fireworks companies had made great strides in the Canadian market. In 1999, there Page 5 9B11M006 were no Chinese companies allowed to sell fireworks in Canada.By 2009, over 75% of all fireworks imports to Canada were from China. THE FIRECRACKERS AND FIREWORKS INDUSTRY IN CHINA The firecrackers and fireworks industry in China was dominated by small family-owned-and-operated workshops. It was essentially a low-tech, highly labor-intensive ind ustry. After 1949, government-run factories replaced the family-owned workshops. The increased scale and government funds made possible the automation of some processes. However, the key processes like installing powder, mixing color ingredients, and putting in fuses, were still manually done by skilled workers.The factories themselves were made up of small workshops that stood away from each other, so that in case of an accident the whole factory would not explode. For the same safety consideration, the workshops were usually located near a water source and in sparsely populated rural areas, to reduce the noise and explosion hazard. After the reform towards a market economy started in 1979, most of the factories were broken up and became family-run units of production again. It was hoped that this privatization might help to motivate people to increase their productivity and raise output.However, this move also served to restrict further technological innovations. There were hardly any research and development (R&D) facilities, nor human and capital resources allocated to R&D in most fireworks companies. The few resources that were available were all spent on product varieties. Even in Liuyang, out of the 400,000 or so people working in the industry, very few were engineers with advanced professional training. In response, the Hunan and other local governments began initiatives aimed at upgrading the traditional fireworks industry. Substantial amounts of money were spent on R&D.The Liuyang Firecrackers and Fireworks Authority reported that they had spent RMB 2,000 million in projects with the Beijing University of Technology and the Nanjing University of Science. Among these initiatives were environmentally friendly fireworks, which used cold flame fireworks technology. The majority of the manufacturing workers were regular farmers who had learned how to make fireworks just by watching and following their elders. They would come to work in fireworks workshops when there were jobs to be done, and return to till their fields if there were none. In Liuyang, for instance, few factories operated year-round.Most workshops would operate as orders came in. Since the fireworksmaking communities were very concentrated geographically and had lasted for generations, only a few places (like Liuyang) could claim a large pool of skilled fireworks-makers. Although Liuyang was by far the most well-known place for making fireworks in China, it faced increasing competition within the country. Also located in Hunan Province, Liling was another major manufacturing community of fireworks. Liling fireworks did not enjoy the same reputation and variety as Liuyang products, but they were fierce in price competition.In the neighboring Jiangxi Province, Pingxiang and Wanzai fireworks had become strong competitors both in price and quality, especially on the low- and medium-priced market. In the high-end product market, especially in large-type display fireworks a nd export market, Dongguan in Guangdong Province, had taken advantage of its closeness to Hong Kong and more sophisticated management and marketing practices, and snatched market share from Liuyang. By 2009, however, more than one third of all firms and 60 per cent of Chinese production remained in Luiyang.Page 6 9B11M006 The initial capital requirement for starting a fireworks-manufacturing facility was relatively low. To set up a factory with the necessary equipment for making large display shells would require around RMB1,250,000. 1 However, setting up a small family workshop making consumer firecrackers and fireworks would require less than RMB125,000. Consequently, the number of small manufacturers mushroomed after the government started to encourage private business ventures. While labor costs in the area were still low, they were steadily increasing.As a result of Chinese economic growth, wages had almost doubled over the past 5 years. This was in part because many workers we re moving into less dangerous occupations. Skilled workers engaged in major processes would earn an average of RMB1,200 to RMB1,800 per month. A non-skilled worker would be paid only RMB500 to RMB700 every month. In larger factories, labor costs were between 20 and 30 per cent of total costs. The main raw materials for fireworks were gunpowder, color ingredients, paper, fuse and clay soil. None would be difficult to procure.However, because of the growth in the Chinese domestic fireworks market, costs of raw materials were steadily rising. Another possible problem in supply was quality. Major manufacturers would usually establish long-term relationships with their suppliers to guarantee the quality of the materials. The small workshops would often go with the lowest prices, sometimes at the cost of quality, which could lead to fatal results. The number of small companies intensified competition. The private workshops were flexible and quick in responding to market demand. They did n ot entail much administrative cost.Compared to governmentowned or some collectively-owned factories, they did incur the costs of providing health care, retirement benefits and housing. They usually did not do any product research or design. Oblivious to intellectual property protection, they would copy any popular product design and sell it for much less. The resulting price drop had become a serious problem for the whole industry. As the profit margin kept shrinking, some workshops would hire cheap unskilled workers, and use cheap equipment and raw materials to cut down on cost. The results could be disastrous. THE DOMESTIC MARKETFirecrackers and fireworks had long been an integral part of any ceremonies held in China. Until recently, demand had been stable, but had risen in the past three decades because of increased economic development and living standards. Economically, market reform and unprecedented growth had given rise to the daily appearance of multitudes of new companies and new stores. As people’s income level and living standards kept rising, fancier and pricier fireworks and firecrackers were desired over the cheap simple firecrackers, thereby creating more profit opportunities for fireworks manufacturers.Almost every household would spend at least a couple of hundred RMB on firecrackers and fireworks during the Spring Festival. However, during the 1990s, increased concerns over environmental pollution and safety of human life and property led more and more cities to regulate the consumption of fireworks and firecrackers. Every year, high profile fireworks-related accidents were reported and emphasized on mass media before and after the traditional Spring Festival. Some articles even condemned firecrackers and fireworks as an old, uncivilized convention that created only noise, pollution and accidents.In a wave of regulations, city after city passed administrative laws regarding the use of fireworks. By 1998, one-third of the cities in Chi na had completely banned the use of firecrackers and fireworks. Another one-third only allowed fireworks in designated places. This led to a decline in domestic market demand. 1 In 2009, the exchange rate was around 6. 60 yuan per US$1. 00. Page 7 9B11M006 However, all this began to change in the mid 2000s. Demand began to soar when Beijing lifted a 12-year ban on fireworks in 2005. Other cities followed suit.In 2005, 106 cities eased restrictions on fireworks; in 2006 another 54 cities eased restrictions. This was followed by 40 cities in 2007 and another 79 cities in 2009. All this lead to an explosion in the Chinese domestic fireworks market. In the meantime, domestic competition grew intensely. The reform towards a market economy made it possible for numerous family-run workshops to appear. They competed mainly on price. Almost every province had some fireworks-making workshops or factories, many set up and run with the help of skilled workers who had migrated from Liuyang.These small establishments usually were located in rural, underdeveloped areas where labor cost was low. The manufacturing was done manually, sometimes without safety measures, using cheap raw materials and simplified techniques. The products were sold locally at low prices, making it difficult for Liuyang fireworks to sell in those areas. To make things worse, these products would often copy any new or popular product designs coming out of Liuyang or other traditional fireworks communities, even using their very brand names. In the past, fireworks were sold through the government-run general merchandise companies.Eventually, private dealers took over a large part of the business. Overall, the distribution system was rather fragmented. The old government-run channels were not very effective, especially for general merchandise. In the new distribution channels, wholesale dealers would get shipments directly from the manufacturers, and then resell to street peddlers and convenience stores. In the countryside, wholesale markets would appear in focal townships, with wholesale dealers and agents of the manufacturers setting up booths promoting their products.Small peddlers in the surrounding areas would get supplies from the market and then sell them in small towns or villages. The wholesale markets in China were important outlets for distributing general merchandise like fireworks. In the display fireworks market, the buyers were often central and local governments, who would purchase the product for public shows on national holidays or special celebrations. Obviously, a local company would have advantages in supplying to local government in its area. Large fireworks shows usually would use invited bidding to decide on suppliers.The amount of fireworks used could range from RMB100,000 to several million yuan, depending on the scale of a fireworks show. Account receivables and bad debt control was a problem not just for fireworks manufacturers, but for all businesses in China. Bad debts and lack of respect for business contracts had created a credit crisis in China. The bad debt problem greatly increased transaction costs, slowed down the cash turnover, and had become a headache for fireworks manufacturers. Some had chosen to withdraw from selling in the domestic market, although the profit margin was higher than in the export market.Legal restrictions, local protectionism, cutthroat price competition, hard-to-penetrate distribution channels and bad debt were impacting negatively on the domestic sales of Liuyang fireworks. In 1997, seeing the decline of its fireworks sales, Liuyang Firecrackers and Fireworks Industry Department, the government agency in charge of the overall development of the pillar industry, decided to start an offensive strategy. First, it opened local offices in most of the 29 provinces, major cities and regions to promote Liuyang fireworks.Second, it regulated the prices that Liuyang fireworks companies could quote and sell i n export sales. Third, it resorted to a government-to-government relationship in order to secure contracts for large public fireworks displays in each province. One year after introducing the offensive strategy, Liuyang fireworks sales had increased. By 2009, they controlled an estimated 60 per cent of the global market. Page 8 9B11M006 Over the next ten years, many legal restrictions were lifted. One of the most notable legal restrictions to be eased was foreign direct investment.With huge growth in both the Chinese domestic market and with China nearing a virtual lock on export market, the Chinese Fireworks industry had become a magnet for foreign investors. Liuyang remained the center of the Chinese fireworks industry and an attractive region for foreigners and foreign firms looking at controlling the entire fireworks value chain. THE EXPORT MARKET Since the opening of the Chinese economy in 1979, exporting had become a major market for the Chinese fireworks industry. As one of t he most celebrated products out of China, export sales of fireworks had risen dramatically between 1978 and 2009.According to independent research, the recorded exports of firecrackers and fireworks reached US$675 million in 2009. This was up from an estimated US$143 million in 1994. The products from China were rich in variety and low in price, but also had a lower reputation in quality control, packaging and timing control, compared to the products made in Japan and Korea. China-made fireworks also would wholesale for much lower prices, usually 80 per cent lower than similar products made in Japan or Korea. There had been little overall co-ordination of export sales.As more and more companies were allowed to export directly, competition kept intensifying and the profit margins on export sales kept slipping. As a result, underpricing each other became a common practice. Therefore, despite its dominant share of the world market, the Chinese fireworks export industry enjoyed limited profitability. The export price of Chinese fireworks was between one-fifth and one-third the wholesale price in the United States. The importers enjoyed a high markup even after paying the 2. 4 per cent U. S. import duty.Of course, the importers had to absorb the cost of getting permits, shipping, storing and carrying the inventory for three to four months before making the sales. This gap pushed both domestic and foreign companies to find ways to control more of the value chain from production to retail. Besides suffering from low profit margin, the Chinese fireworks makers were also risking losing their brand identities. Given the low cost and reasonably good quality of the Chinese fireworks, many large fireworks manufacturers and dealers in the West started to outsource the making of their brand-name fireworks.Failing to see the importance of brand equity, the Chinese fireworks manufacturers were sometimes reduced to mere manufacturing outfits for foreign companies, gradually los ing their own brands. There were also fireworks merchants in Korea, Japan or Spain, who would buy the products from China, and then repackage them, or replace the fuses with better quality ones, then resell them for much higher prices. The export market was usually divided into five blocks: Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, South America and the rest of the world.The most popular market had been Europe, where the regulations on fireworks were less stringent, and orders were of larger quantities and better prices. The United States was considered a tough market because of complex regulations and high competition, nevertheless a necessary one if a company wanted to remain a viable world-player. While in the past, the Canadian market was virtually closed to the Chinese fireworks due to its regulations, by 2009 Chinese imports dominated the entire Canadian market. Page 9 9B11M006 The foreign importers were powerful buyers for several reasons.First, they were very well informed, bot h through past dealings with China and the Internet. Second, they were able to hire agents who were very familiar with the industry in China. Third, they could deal directly with the factories that were willing to offer lower prices. Fourth, there were basically no switching costs, so they could play the suppliers against each other. The diversity of the cultures in the destination countries greatly reduced the seasonality of the fireworks production and sales. As a result, orders evened out throughout the year. However, the peak season was still towards the end of the year.For the U. S. , it was before July 4. Usually, the importers would receive the shipment two or three months beforehand. While the U. S. was still China’s major export market for fireworks, other countries were also importing large quantities of Chinese made fireworks (see Exhibit 4). The Internet had become a marketing outlet for Chinese fireworks. 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the worldwide sales were thr ough the Internet. However, export sales were still made mainly through foreign trade companies or agents. In recent years, foreign investments were also funneled into the fireworks industry.In Liuyang, four of the large fireworks factories had foreign investments, made mainly by the fireworks trading companies in Hong Kong. In 2009, the Liuyang Fireworks Company was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE), a first for a Chinese fireworks manufacturer. The Future of the Fireworks Industry in China The managers of the Chinese fireworks companies that Jerry talked to expressed mixed feelings towards the future outlook of their industry. One pessimistic view was that fierce competition and more stringent safety regulations were killing the industry.As the Chinese economy advanced, the government was forcing more manufacturing regulations onto firms that were driving up costs. Moreover, as people became more environmentally-conscious and more distracted by the endless diversities of modern entertainment, traditional celebrations using firecrackers and fireworks would die a gradual death. As to the function of attracting public attention for promotional purposes, fireworks also faced challenges from new technologies, such as laser beams combined with sound effects. In fact, â€Å"make-believe firecrackers† already appeared as substitutes in China.These were made of red plastic tubes strung together like firecrackers with electric bulbs installed inside the tubes. When the power was turned on, the lights would emit sparks, accompanied by crackling reports that sounded like firecrackers. These were being used at weddings and grand openings in cities where firecrackers and fireworks were banned. More interesting substitutes were spotted at some weddings in Beijing, where people paved the road with little red balloons, and made the limousine carrying the bride and groom run over the balloons to make explosive cracking sounds as well as leave behind red bits a nd pieces of debris.Also, more and more young couples were getting married in western styles, in a church or a scenic green meadow outdoors, where serene and quiet happiness prevailed over the traditional noisy way of celebrating. Therefore, some managers believed that firecrackers and fireworks were doomed to fade off into history. The more optimistic view, however, was that the industry would not die at all. If the right moves were made by the industry, it could even grow. Some said that tradition would not die so easily. It was in their national character for the Chinese to celebrate with an atmosphere of noisy happiness.Moreover, even in the West, the popularity of fireworks was not suffering from all the regulations. No real substitutes could Page 10 9B11M006 replace fireworks, which combined the sensual pleasures of visual, audio and emotional stimuli. For instance, the U. S. Congressional resolution in 1963 to use bells to replace fireworks in celebrating Independence Day nev er really caught on. Fireworks were also being combined with modern technologies like laser beams, computerized firing and musical accompaniment to make the appeal of fireworks more irresistible.The safety problem was not really as serious as people were made to believe, and would only improve with new technological innovations like smokeless fireworks. With the success of the fireworks displays at the Beijing Olympics, China’s brand as a world class fireworks producer was on the rise. With better management practices, perhaps margins could be increased. However, both sides agreed that the Chinese fireworks industry would have to change its strategy, especially in international competition, to stay a viable and profitable player. THE DECISIONWhile the Liuyang fireworks industry dominated the worldwide industry, Jerry had to decide whether he should invest in the industry. If he did invest, what was the best way to capitalize on the potential that remained unexploited in this industry? He wondered whether he could apply the industry analysis framework he had studied in his MBA program. Page 11 9B11M006 Exhibit 1 CHINA & LIUYANG FIRECRACKERS AND FIREWORKS: TOTAL REVENUE (US$000) 2007 2009 Total Revenue Domestic (estimated) All China 742,395 1,009,757 Liuyang 450,000 757,500 Total Revenue ExportsAll China 494,930 673,171 Liuyang 300,000 505,000 Total Revenue (estimated) All China 1,237,325 1,682,928 Liuyang 750,000 1,262,500 Sources: International Fireworks Association; ICON Group Ltd â€Å"The World Market for Fireworks: A 2009 Global Trade Perspective Notes: 1. Domestic Revenue estimate based on a 6:4 domestic to export ratio as reported by http://www. articlesbase. com. 2. Alternative sources put the Chinese domestic market much higher. 3. 2009 data and 2007 data are from different sources. Caution should be used when making comparisons.Growth rates of 15 to 18 per cent per year have been reported by other news sources (especially: http://www. newsreel network. com) Page 12 9B11M006 Exhibit 2 TOTAL FIREWORKS CONSUMPTION AND ESTIMATED FIREWORKS-RELATED INJURIES IN U. S. : 2000 TO 2008 Year Fireworks Consumption, Millions of Pounds Estimated Fireworks-Related Injuries Injuries per 100,000 Pounds 2000 152. 6 11,000 7. 2 2001 161. 6 9,500 5. 8 2002 190. 1 8,800 4. 6 2003 220. 8 9,700 4. 4 2004 236. 2 9,600 4. 1 2005 281. 5 10,800 3. 8 2006 278. 2 9,200 3. 3 2007 265. 5 9,800 3. 7 2008 213. 7,000 3. 3 Source: American Pyrotechnics Association. Exhibit 3 ESTIMATED EMERGENCY ROOM TREATMENT PER 100,000 YOUTHS (AGES 5 TO 14) FROM OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES (JUNE 22 TO JULY 22, 2008) Source: American Pyrotechnics Association As cited from the CPSC National Injury Information Clearinghouse 5,244 13,501 14,258 6,349 21,040 15,268 18,365 21,032 68,553 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 Fireworks Skateboards Fishing Swing Sets Swimming 4 wheel ATVs Sof tball Baseball Bicycles Page 13 9B11M006 Exhibit 4 FIREWORKS EXPORTS FROM CHIN A, 2009Country of Destination Rank Value (000 US$) % Share Cumulative % United States 1 301,500 44. 8 44. 8 Germany 2 83,553 12. 4 57. 2 United Kingdom 3 33,645 5. 0 62. 2 The Netherlands 4 32,586 4. 8 67. 0 Japan 5 26,764 4. 0 71. 0 Russia 6 16,157 2. 4 73. 4 Italy 7 15,967 2. 4 75. 8 France 8 13,574 2. 0 77. 8 Spain 9 13,009 1. 9 79. 7 Denmark 10 9,935 1. 5 81. 2 Canada 11 9,817 1. 5 82. 7 Poland 12 9,580 1. 4 84. 1 Taiwan 13 8,130 1. 2 85. 3 Finland 14 6,002 0. 9 86. 2 South Africa 15 5,623 0. 8 87. 0 Austria 16 5,488 0. 8 87. 8 Ukraine 17 5,445 0. 88. 7 Sweden 18 4,868 0. 7 89. 4 Albania 19 4,835 0. 7 90. 1 Argentina 20 4,793 0. 7 90. 8 Turkey 21 4,592 0. 7 91. 5 Belgium 22 4,583 0. 7 92. 2 Norway 23 4,336 0. 6 92. 8 Czech Republic 24 4,312 0. 6 93. 5 Venezuela 25 4,257 0. 6 94. 1 New Zealand 26 4,024 0. 6 94. 7 Switzerland 27 3,316 0. 5 95. 2 South Korea 28 3,104 0. 5 95. 6 Thailand 29 2,720 0. 4 96. 0 Indonesia 30 1,925 0. 3 96. 3 Other 31 24,731 3. 7 100. 0 Total 673,171 100. 00 100. 00 Source: Professor Philip M. Parker, INSEAD, copyright  © 2009, www. icongrouponline. com

A Poison Tree essay

The poem â€Å"A Poison Tree† talks about the two ways to deal with anger. The first two lines deal with how we should deal with it but the rest of it talks about the wrath that the speaker has. The main theme of this poem is not anger but how anger can be cultivated. It shows how not bringing your anger up to the surface and dealing with it directly with the person you are angry with, this anger can be germinated into something poisonous and destructive.This poem is appropriate for Songs of Experience rather than for Songs of innocence because if it would be a song of innocence the human mind and soul would want to let the anger out in order to keep their soul clean of any bad thoughts. Innocence is a state of genuine love and naive trust towards all humankind, accompanied by unquestioned belief in Christian Doctrine. Songs of Experience deals with the loss of innocence after exposure to the material world and all of its mortal sin during adult life.This poem shows how the sp eaker is cultivating his anger and is seeking to destroy his â€Å"foe†. At the end of the poem we see how the hatred got the best of him. The anger grew into this poisonous fruit that when his enemy ate it he faced death. Nowhere in this poem it shows that his â€Å"foe† had any anger thoughts towards the speaker yet he was so blind by the anger that he probably didn’t even realize it since he was too busy feeding his anger.Also this is a Songs of Experience because at the beginning of the poem we see the wisdom that it has when it tells us â€Å"I was angry with my friend; / I told my wrath, my wrath did end. † It’s giving us a wise advice for our lives showing that the speaker posses wisdom not â€Å"innocence†Ã¢â‚¬â€stupidity. The poison tree that this poem talks about can be a symbol to the tree of forbidden knowledge from the bible. The speaker has this poisonous fruit that it’s there to tempt his foe to eat it to be destroyed. The foe sneaks into the garden and steals the fruit not being able to see that the tree is poisonous leading to his death. Just like in the bible God told Adam and Eve that if they were to eat from that tree they would face death the speaker’s foe faced the same fate. He was tempted and he had fallen. At this the speaker was satisfied and with the death of his foe his anger died. Mercy, pity, peace, and love cannot be connected to anger since these have no relations with anger. If not able to deal with anger a person doesn’t have mercy towards the person that they are angry at.They are not in peace with themselves they are always thinking of a way to get back at them and definitely have no love towards them. This poem is not a Songs of Innocence since anger at the point to want to hurt the other person is malicious and it comes with negative thoughts gained from experience not naive thoughts from those like children. Anger needs to be handled in the best manner possibl e and not let it germinate into something poisonous and destructive because at the end it harms both one that’s angry and the person you’re angry at

Short Paper Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Short Paper - Coursework Example It is evident in the commonality in the forms of discrimination manifested in institutions and across countries and even religions. This paper examines a specific institutional setting, where a student who is from a different race is discriminated based on the skin color. It will also outline an example of a student from United Arab Emirates who is studying in the University of Arizona. Racism can be manifested through stereotypes, prejudice or through discrimination. However, while institutional racism is based on stereotypes and prejudice, it is mainly expressed through discrimination. Racism is dominant in the American society through social institutions such as University of Arizona. American institutions are in most cases oriented to white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant values and its associated lifestyle. The mentioned is the dominant lifestyle and culture that permeates the whole American society. This does not suggest that there is anything wrong in the cultural orientation. What needs to be questioned is the implication that only protestant values and culture can be viewed as exemplary in the American culture. According to Better (41), the greatness of the United States has been utilized to champion people who have been subjugated. The American troops sent to Haiti and Kosovo attests to the nation’s concern for the poor people. As a student from United Ar ab Emirates, one can face segregation since policies, practices and procedures in most American institutions favor the dominant culture. Different practices and policies aimed at addressing differential outcomes for different races continue to fail to address inequalities and perceived discrimination in various institutions. Broad anti-discrimination legislation and diversity cannot sufficiently address the current discriminations in institutional

HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HRM - Essay Example Only a manger with outstanding skill can identify the required changes right way. If a company fails to understand the required changes, it would confront with crises as it misunderstands the symptoms as real issues to be addressed. The following part of the paper will discuss how a company can identify the need for change from its internal and external environments. 1. Unusual decline in turnover: this is the basic sign that would prompt every firm to identify the range of business profitability. Organizations usually review previous years’ audited balance sheet with intent to investigate the prevailing business trend as well as the organizational sustainability. In the same way if the operational cost is found exceeding the profit derived from the business, it indicates the need for some strategic changes in the business operation. However, the specific area of change can be identified only through further scrutiny. Presumably, most of the problems, no matter associated with fiscal aspects or market backlashes, are attributed to HR failure. 2. Strategic failures: If some of the recently implemented marketing strategies are not well responded, the company should review them to identify the causes of failure. Failure may not be necessarily due to their inaptness but can happen because of numerous direct or indirect factors related to business. As far as the internal environment is concerned, a well designed strategy can be defeated just by the mibehaviour of one or more individuals. In other words, how well a strategy is implemented is more important than the quality of its design. 3. Unethical practices: Organizational misconduct is an important symptom that indicates the inevitability of change, perhaps specifically in the area of HRM and organizational structure. Most of the fraudulent activities occur due to the inefficient internal communication and auditing. Modern organizations heed genuine concern to enhance internal communication by integrating various departments with the help of web-based technologies. By doing so they can easily manage the problems associated with information sharing and problem solving. Diagnosing the cause is not the end but the initial step of any treatment process. Once the need for change is identified a firm has to proceed with designing and implementing relevant changes that would enhance the overall cohesion of the organisation. There are numerous issues an organisation has to take into consideration while initiating changes. As Dunphy (249) warns, most important one among them is to address employees’ resistance to change which would raise several ethical concerns. An organisational culture that was formed over years cannot be altered overnight. A change can take place successfully only if people in an organisation realise that the organisation must change its current culture and practices in order to ensure the firm’s sustainability and progress. However, the process requires mem bers’ deep understanding of the need for change, their commitment to accomplish it, and the effective way of deploying it. The understanding refers to the knowledge about the current culture and its impacts on the firm, the anticipated benefit of the new system, and the real goal it would achieve. This knowledge can be acquired by reviewing the extent to which the current culture has helped the firm to meet its mission, vision, and values with regard to business aims and social concerns. 2 Organisations

Portfoilio week 8 6310 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Portfoilio week 8 6310 - Essay Example The demonstrations will be on the oral methods of drug administration to different types of patients depending on their ages, conditions and instructions from the doctor. In line with this, i will divide the class into several teams of two people each and then using the simulation dummies (where I will have attached notes on each â€Å"patient† to be administered drug to), I will monitor and evaluate on how each team performs its instructions (based on what I have taught in class) and then grade them (Billings and Halstead, 2012). According to Svinicki and McKeachie, (2011), demonstration is an effective and useful method to evaluate the learning of students where the main aim of the lesson is practicality. The objectives of this lesson are: Students will identify different methods of imparting positive attitude to the patients during the drug administration. This first objective on a higher level taxonomy yields two objectives which are: students will select the best method to use to impart positive attitude to the patients during drug administration. The second one is: students will apply this selected method when administering drugs to the patients. How are the learners able to identify the different ways of imparting positive attitude during drug administration? How are they able to select the best of these methods and applying them? The other objective is: the students to list the different ways of administering oral medication according to the patient’s condition, age and doctors’ instructions. On a higher level taxonomy (http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html), this objective has two other objectives which are: the students to select the most effective ways to administer drugs according to the patient’s condition and doctor’s instructions and the other is for the students to be able to apply the most effective ways of administering oral medication according to the patient’s condition,

The Effects of Psychoactive Substance Abuse on Young People Essay

The Effects of Psychoactive Substance Abuse on Young People - Essay Example Drug and alcohol abuse have adverse effects on the mental health of young people, impacting on their ability to learn and to progress normally in the education system. Cannabis, for example, impairs cognitive development, in particular associative processes and recall, and affects the intoxicated student's ability to concentrate (WHO 2006), while cocaine consumption results in a range of cerebral complications, ranging from hallucination to paranoia (Wikipedia 2006). Many studies reveal a correlation between drug/alcohol abuse and poor grades, as well as with other behavior that inhibit learning, making substance abuse one of the top problems in youth education today. Psychoactive substance abuse also has a negative impact on the body. Both cannabis and alcohol impair psychomotor performance and visual perception, resulting in many fatal motor vehicle accidents, as well as complications such as seizures, and lung, kidney and brain damage (WHO 2006).

Second Generation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Second Generation - Essay Example It depicts the Asian community differently from the way we know it. It has themes such as authentic lives of Asians, British Asian underground music and romance amongst teenagers. The writer Neil Biswas wanted to give a picture of Asian community as it really is, as opposed to how it is perceived on TV. The director Jon Sen sought to address the world’s fascination of Bollywood as it has packaged their culture as a fashion with celebration and vigor (Sandhu, 1). With this production, they depict the seriousness of their Hindu and Islam religions, as the West does not understand the seriousness of it. The epic drama serves to inform and educate its audience, while opening doors to the lives of teenagers in Whitechapel (Sandhu, 1). The main character, Sam, a young boy rapper uses his own money to start up a record label to promote raw talent in the hope that his music will elevate him. His friends however, contact other record labels and turn the music into something commercial. The teenagers in the streets use music to express their feelings of anger and rebellion (Sandhu, 1). The stars in the drama are distinguished actors and actresses, well known to the Asian community and have a list of big productions under their belt. The drama unlike others is not about problems of assimilation, but of position and influence (Sandhu, 1). The article describes the misleading fallacy that has existed for a long time concerning Asian women. In episode 1 of Second Generation, Heer is depicted as an independent woman living with her fiance as opposed to the Asian home portrayed by other media. She is however forced back into her family life when her father falls into a coma. Heere is Sam Khan’s first love and their romance is rekindled after they reconnect. The themes of this episode are love and family. In many Asian stories that have been told in the past, the subject of love and romance is always never brought up. Mostly, they shy away from showing such topics and we as the viewer have concluded that it’s not a topic for dinner time discussion (Channel 4). The article describes an area that is not common in Asian programs or dramas. It is safe to say that it is a result of multiculturalism. It gives us an impression of a black neighborhood with the underground music scenes. Furthermore, there are aspects of multiculturalism that the second-generation teenagers have adopted, different from their predecessors such as music, especially rap (Sandhu, 1). Minority media and diasporic media represent media of a minor community found in a greater region. Their role is to keep the identity of the minority within the new community. Older generations have a problem with recognition as the amalgamation of people and culture fosters aspects such as mixed marriages. Therefore, there is fragmentation of the original culture and a rise of multicultural democracies. The British Asians of the Second Generation drama have adopted a new culture and p lace a risk of fading away of their original culture. The author, Eugenia Siaperain in her book, Cultural Diversity and Global Media: The Meditation of Difference looks into media production and the role the internet has played in diasporic communication. The internet has opened up a new world of communication (Sandhu, 1). According to the article, Second generation has tried to describe Asians in their true form. In episode 1, we see aspects of love and family which are not different from any other

L'Oreal Global Marketing Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

L'Oreal Global Marketing Strategy - Case Study Example Head-quartered in the Paris commune of Clichy, France, the L’Oreal Group is the world’s largest cosmetics and beauty company. It has established activities in the field of cosmetics, focused on hair-color, skin-care, sun fortification, make-up, fragrances and hair-care. It is vigorous in the dermatological as well as pharmaceutical fields. In the United States, it is the paramount nanotechnology copy-right holder. According to a case study in the year 2005, the L’Oreal group, whose worth was $18.89 billion, was declared as the largest and the most successful cosmetics company round the globe, with more than seventeen international hallmarks (Case Study, 2005). Moreover, Business Week Inter-band survey ranked L’Oreal on the 49th position in August 2004, since, its brands were valued at $5902 million. L’Oreal extended its business in 150 countries by putting up on sale a wide range of make-up, fragrances, hair and skin care products to both men and women. As noted by Morais, L’Oreal sets itself apart from other brands just because of its reliability over time since it merges the double-digit top-line growth of a hot technology company with the bottom-line comforts of a well-run bank (Morais, 2000). 2. The Marketing Process L’Oreal finds itself in the situation of the most prosperous hallmark as it serves as the basis for identifying opportunities in order to satisfy the unaccomplished customer needs and requirements.... The mission of L'Oreal Group aspires to bring to reality the urge for men and women to look beautiful and aesthetic with time. This mission has always been of prime significance in for the company. As far as the marketing investments are considered, although 90 percent of the investments are accounted for by the investment in brand contacts, until now there hasn't been any tool which allows the managers to identify, a consumer perspective, the most efficacious set of contacts in which to invest. However, L'Oreal Group has described a tool which empowers the brand owners and marketers to identify and select the crucial contacts which are relevant for a particular brand. Moreover, in order to integrate across these key contact points, L'Oreal delivers brand experience through a relevant and pertinent set of consumer brand which encounters at a minimum cost, but with maximal impact. Moreover, it focuses on the metrics which can be used to inform a variety of significant decisions in the context of managing brand contacts. The essential marketing principles make it accessible for any business to survive in the market in an efficacious way as it encourages the businessmen to apply them to aspects of their daily lives as well (Jobber, 2007). In context of the first element of its marketing process, it is the company's distinct expertise of beauty that exists for the reason that it believes in beauty which is all the more unique and diversified that any

Explaining the relevance and importance of mentoring and counselling Essay

Explaining the relevance and importance of mentoring and counselling roles in the workplace - Essay Example It is a way in which an affirmative change in the employees are brought about and thereby transfer of valuable knowledge takes place from the mentor or the guide to the particular employee. Both Companies and their management find that this method is extremely favourable for the employees in terms of career growth (Robbins, 2003, p.56). Thus every organisation tries to implement this process in their day to day operations. In every workplace, the management feels that it is necessary for the employees to boost their potential and enhance their skills so that they can deliver better performance and can in turn increase the productivity of the company. It often happens that the employees have a lot of hidden potential. It is just that they need to be upgraded with certain skills. Often they have to be groomed according to the organisation culture and several issues relating to performance needs to be solved by the management. If the management feels that a particular employee requires this kind of grooming or training his areas have to be assessed and the company would recommend him for mentoring programme. The mentors would generally be someone from the managers or the supervisors of any team who would have prior experience about the work and how it should be done. Each department may also have a special coach delegated for that department. Differences between Coaching and Mentoring Applications of Coaching and mentoring are varied over different areas of business. Though the goals of both coaching and mentoring are the same that is to maximise the potentials of the employees for the benefit of the organisation, yet there is a subtle difference between the two. The chief aim of coaching is to improve the performance of the employees. The final performance is of utmost importance. On the other hand, mentoring is more inclined to grooming of an individual in a personalised way and it is more inclined towards personality development of the individual. The person wh o coaches a team has a definite agenda in his mind while undertaking the process (Bachkirova, Jackson and Clutterbuck, 2011, p.187). The mentor on the other hand would behave like a facilitator who would mould the individual in the way he wants to but there is no specific agenda that the person will remain confined to. Coaching in a workplace is related more to productivity at work and the career growth of the employees. Mentoring on the other hand stresses more on self reflection of the individual employees. Hence the bonding with the mentor is even better defined. The duty of coaching is generally assigned by the organisation to someone who holds much a higher position like a manager. The mentor is someone who would be able to influence the mentee in a deeper way and the person who is being mentored has to treat the person as a guide and have to have a personal acceptance in the matter. Coaching is provided to the employees so that enhances in individual performance would help in the growth and the development of the organisation. The mentor often looks forward for feedback from the employees which may contribute to the development of the employee as well. Hence the mentor has a scope of getting personal returns as well. There is a prospect of mutual knowledge exchange in this context. The system of coaching is mainly applicable to a team development in an office and a handful of people may come under the

I don't have one, thats my problem Should be a topic that deals Research Paper

I don't have one, thats my problem Should be a topic that deals broadly with a problem with educational purposes within american society - Research Paper Example We begin with an overview of the controversies surrounding standardized testing in a modern context and evaluate these controversies with an eye to how educators can learn from the issues at hand. We explore the issue of race and standardized testing and discern whether or not standardized testing is the best means through which student evaluation is undertaken. From this perspective, the historical and sociopolitical issues surrounding standardized testing in America are brought to the fore. Controversy surrounding the implementation of standardized testing can be found throughout the United States. Does a uniform, standardized test accurately reflect a student’s educational aptitude, learning history and future academic performance? As mentioned above, standardized testing is quite common in the United States as the SAT remains a near universal experience for high school students across the country aiming to get into the universities and colleges of the choice. The issue of standardized testing is relatively recent worldwide and remains embroiled in controversy. Presently, Canadian universities do not require a standardized test for admittance although many graduate school programs do. These include the GMAT or LSAT for law school applications. Presently, Montreal’s McGill University is the only English-language law school in North America which does not require an LSAT score for admittance. As the issue of standardized testing came to the fore, a Septemb er 2005 poll by the College of Teachers found that 71% of teachers were â€Å"dead set against standardized testing†. In a survey from 2004, Teachers vehemently oppose the use of standardized tests as a means to evaluate staff or schools or to decide how money is allocated to schools or school boards. The public disagrees. For example, 79 per cent of teachers oppose using provincial tests to

Sustainable Project Management Methods and Techniques for Sustainable Games Development Essay Example for Free

Sustainable Project Management Methods and Techniques for Sustainable Games Development Essay If organizations want to incorporate sustainability into their strategy and culture, sustainability principles need to be integrated in projects and project management. The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect on the importance of considering sustainability in projects and evaluate appropriate methods and techniques for embedding sustainability principles in project management. This essay is organized in four main parts. The importance of considering sustainability in project is critically analyzed in the next part. Methods and Techniques for the integration of sustainability in project management are evaluated on the third part of the essay. This will involve practical examples from the workplace and case studies focused on new media projects, in particular, the development of games and applications. Concluding remarks are presented in the last part of the essay. 2. The importance of sustainability in project management The debate about the importance of considering sustainability in project management cannot be appropriately discussed without understanding the need for corporate sustainability and its drivers. Project management is intrinsically embedded in the business environment and we cannot to evaluate the significance of sustainable projects management without analyzing the importance on embedding sustainability into business. Both go hand in hand. Sustainability in business aims to achieve long term financial success while contributing to economic and social growth, and reducing its impact in the environment. Corporate sustainability includes three dimensions of needs, known as the â€Å"triple bottom line†; economic prosperity; social equity and quality of life; ecological resource preservation. Corporate sustainability can be defined as â€Å" a business approach that creates long-term shareholder value by embracing opportunities and managing risks derived from economic, environmental and social developments† ( Dow Jones Sustainability indexes, 2011). While the issue of sustainable business, often referred under the â€Å"green† umbrella, has been the object of abundant literature, there has been little emphasis on understanding how the principles of sustainability apply to project and project management until recently. Taking into account the pivotal role of projects in the shaping of products and services within organization, it is surprising that these to concepts- sustainability and project management- have not had more relevance in the discussion of corporate sustainability. As Maltzman and Shirley rightly question in their introduction to Green Project Management (2011, p. xxi): â€Å"Projects are where business ideas become reality, after all. Projects, by definition, use resources. Shouldn’t projects, therefore, be a key are of any focus on green business? † The business case of sustainability has the same multifaceted approach as its definition. The main drivers of green business and projects fall in the 3 main areas considered in the â€Å"triple bottom line approach- social, environmental and financial- plus an added area of legislative drivers. In the following four sub-segments we will analyzed these drivers of from a business and a project management point of view. 2. 1Environmental drivers The environmental sphere of business is related to the management of resources required to produce a product or a service. The two main environmental drivers for organizations are to decrease the impact in the environment generated by harmful waste and to achieve a better use of resources. Sustainable waste management can bring financial benefits to business by reducing the cost of dealing with the impact of the damage to the environment degradation; with regards to resource use, the focus is on efficiency. The less materials they are use, the greater the positive environmental impact. This also applies to human resources and time management. Minimizing waste has also positive financial effects because it drives costs down. Efficient use of resources and time is a vital part of project management, it has been suggested (Maltzman, Shirley 2011) that the discipline of project management always has been concerned on how to efficiently use resources even if that concern did not come from a sustainability background. Good project managers will always try to reduce cost and use resources in the most efficient manner. The only thing that is missing is to add that environmental layer to it. As Gill Friend clearly outline on his book The Truth About Green Business (2009) that sustainable business are not just about the environment, it presents a whole new way of seeing business and it brings a new range of direct opportunities to make money. There is an increasing social interest on sustainability; therefore, there is an increasing demand on products and services that take sustainability into account. 2. 2Social drivers The management of corporate social sustainability is more widely known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Two Tomorrowsâ„ ¢ (2009) explains that CSR is about â€Å"how businesses align their values and behaviour with the expectations and needs of stakeholders not just customers and investors, but also employees, suppliers, communities, regulators, special interest groups and society as a whole. â€Å" There are many business benefits that can be achieved by taking an ethical and socially responsible approach within the organization. It could help increase brand reputation and value within its stakeholders. Intensive research over 3 year covering 300 firms (Hillman, Kleim, 2001) concluded that investing in stakeholder management may be complementary to shareholder value creation and may indeed provide a basis for competitive advantage as important resources and capabilities may be created that differentiate a firm from competitors. As Maltzman and Shirley (2011, p. 3-25) explain that corporate social responsibility is an integral part of project management. Project managers are at the forefront of business activities and at the leading edge of change within organizations so â€Å"who better to emphasize CSR, particularly if it isn’t in the corporations DNA? †. 2. 3Economic drivers When we talk about economic sustainability we are not only talking about financial capital or tangible capital; economic sustainability it also takes into account intangible capital such as reputation. Tangible effects could be the cost reduction achieved through improved environmental, health and safety performance or revenue increases due to a raise on sales caused by the market opportunities for sustainable products and services. Intangible effects referred to in the figure below (Salzmann et. al. ) as value constructs, do no improve the revenue per se, but they do have significant positive effects that can, indeed, be utilize to achieve financial gains to organizations. The same principles can be applied to project management. Figure 1: Systemization of value drivers and value constructs (Salzmann et al. 2. 4Legal drivers From the facts presented in the previous sections, one might conclude that they create a sufficient business case for sustainability on their own accord. However legislation is still one of the key drivers for organizations to incorporate green business practices. While some voices have raise the financial burden that following this legislations can bring to c ompanies, numerous studies (Greenstone, List and Syverson, 2010; Goodstein, 1994; Jaffe et al. , 1995; Meyer, 1995) have found these economic effects are limited in scope and duration and are fewer in number than previously believed. Moreover it has been empirically demonstrated (Meyer, 1995) that complying with legislations contributes to cost savings by avoiding the financial penalties for not complying and, in some case, by achieving incentives. Regulation can fuel innovation that improve productivity, increase efficiency, and provide substantial cost savings 3. Sustainable game development projects In this section we will evaluate different methods and techniques that help project managers to incorporate sustainability in their projects. Practical examples and tools will be provided focused in the area of games software development. I have chosen this industry not only because we can supplement the research with useful personal work experience, but more importantly because a lot of the discussion on sustainable project manager has been centred in the type of project and we believe that sustainability considerations can and must be embedded in the PM cycle of any project. 3. 1Methods for sustainable project management 3. 1. 1Lean games development: an Agile approach As we have seen in previous section, sustainability principles talk about reducing waste and increasing resource efficiency and understanding stakeholders to drive value. Poppendieck explains (2003) how lean thinking is based on a deep understanding on what it adds value to the project and to the customer, the importance of rapid flow and using the teams capabilities to their best potential, in other words lean thinking is all about sustainability. While lean thinking has its origin in manufacturing, it also can be applied to other industries. In the world of software development, that includes games software, Agile methodologies provide a new framework for the application of lean thinking to software development projects. Lightweight software development methods started to appear in the mid-1970s as a reaction to the inefficiency of the traditional methodology in software development. These are now typically referred to as agile methodologies, after the Agile Manifesto was published in 2001. There are many correspondences between Lean thinking and Agile. David Harvey concludes his essay Lean, Agile by saying : â€Å"the insight of agile, in getting back to fundamentals of how we can work together to deliver things of human as well as commercial value, is compelling; the thrill of lean lies in the discovery that we are not alone. Understanding lean principles and applying agile methodologies will help project managers to incorporate sustainability to software and games development projects. 3. 1. 2Life cycle thinking: It is not over until long after is over Essential to successfully relate sustainability to project management is to understand the cradle to crate philosophy, and to apply sustainability to project life cycle, from the project beginning through closure and beyond. The project life cycle of sustainability should include another phase after the project completion. It can be defined as the complete cycle of a project that includes not only the beginning of the project through to implementation, but also beyond the defined parameters of the projects (Maltzman, Shirley 2011). Dick and Naumann (2010) proposed a definition of green software development that applies the principles of life cycle thinking and that can be also applied to Games Development (GD): â€Å"Green and Sustainable Software Engineering is the art of developing green and sustainable software with a green and sustainable software engineering process.

Reason For Aseptic Technique Is To Maintain Asepsis Nursing Essay

Reason For Aseptic Technique Is To Maintain Asepsis Nursing Essay Reflection 2 Aseptic Non-Touch Technique This reflective piece will be about a procedure that took place whilst on placement and will look at infection control whilst doing an aseptic non-touch technique (ANTT). Using Atkins and Murphys 1993 model of reflection (Rolfe, G et al 2001). I have used this model as it helped me become aware of my actual thoughts and feelings regarding the situation, and more focused when analyzing it. Description I visited a lady who had bilateral leg wounds that needed to be dressed daily, the leg dressings that had been put on the day before were heavily exudated, the lady who I am going to call Jane to protect her identity as per NMC 2004 was adamant that she had kept her legs raised. The nurse that I was working with said that she would dress the legs this time and when I visited again I would do the dressings. The nurse opened the sterile packaging of gloves and placed it on the floor, this was to be her sterile field. The dressings and bandages that she required were opened and placed onto the sterile field and the nurse placed an apron over her uniform. The sterile gloves were put on and she proceeded to remove the dressings that were on Janes legs, once the dressing had been removed these were placed into the waste bag. The nurse then proceeded to assess the wound and then redress it without changing her gloves, by not changing her gloves which were originally sterile these will now have become contaminated by handling the soiled dressing and would contaminate the new dressings and the wound. Stage One Whilst watching the nurse change the dressing this made me question what I had been taught in University about ANTT. The procedure that we were taught in university is from The Royal Marsden 2008. This made me feel uncomfortable and question that the patient would be at risk from healthcare associated infections (HCAI). Stage Two The reason for aseptic technique is to maintain asepsis and helps to protect the patient from HCAI it also protects the nurse from any of the patients body fluids and toxic substances (Department of Health (DOH) 2005). Elderly people are more at risk of infection which is caused by organisms that invade the immunological defence mechanisms as there immune systems are less efficient ( Calandra 2000) ANTT is used to ensure that when a healthcare professional handles sterile equipment only the part of the equipment that will not contact the wound is handled (Preston 2005). When doing the ANTT procedure this involves ensuring that consent has been gained from the patient and they are aware of what the procedure will be, the environment and the equipment is prepared, hand-washing takes place, personal protective equipment is used and a sterile field is maintained. In a Primary Care setting one of the biggest problems is infection that enters the body through a tear in the skin, this may b e through a leg ulcer. A small number of microbes are sufficient enough for an infection to be caused, this may then be difficult to treat with antibiotics and what may have been a trivial problem may end up becoming a significant problem (DOH 2007). Nurses should assess the risk of transmission of infections from one person to another and plan their nursing care accordingly before they commence any form of action (Chalmers Straub 2006). Hand washing prior to ANTT has been found to be the most important procedure for preventing infections, hands can be the biggest route of transmission of infection if not washed correctly (Akyol et al 2006). There have been recent studies that show that hand washing is rarely carried out in a satisfactory manner and 89% of staff misses some part of their hand surface during hand washing (Mcardle et al 2006). Handwashing should be done prior any procedure, this can be achieved by three different methods:- Soap and water this is effective in removing physical dirt or any soiling and micro-organisms liquid soap is more efficient than a soap bar (Ehrenkrantz, 1992). Anti-microbial detergent which is effective in removing physical dirt and is more effective than soap in removing micro-organisms (Ehrenkrantz, 1992). Alcohol based hand rubs, these are not as effective as the above in removing dirt or soil but are more effective in destroying transient bacteria (Storr, J, Clayton-Kent, S, 2004). An aseptic procedure should be done in a clean environment and any equipment used should be sterile and disposable or decontaminated after each use and the nurse should ensure that the equipment is free from dust and any other soilage (DOH 2003). Whilst the nurse does ANTT procedure it is essential that her hands, even though they have been washed, do not contaminate the sterile field or the patient, this is achieved by the nurse using sterile gloves she needs to be aware however that gloves can be damaged during use and may no longer be sterile (Kelsall et al 2006). The aim of wearing sterile gloves is to reduce the risk of cross-infection from nursing staff to patients and to also reduce the transient contamination of the hands by micro-organisms from one patient to another (infection control Nurses Association (ICNA) 2002). The ICNA recommend that before a patient is treated a comprehensive risk assessment is taken to determine the most appropriate glove type for the task to be undertaken. Its been suggested that sterile gloves are only necessary if the nurses hands come into contact with the patients sterile body area, they argue that non-sterile gloves provide adequate infection control if hands decontamination has been done effectively (Hollinworth and Kingston 1998). Factors that need to be considered when making the choice between aseptic or clean technique for wound care is the setting where the dressing is to be done, the immune status of the patient, this is influenced by age, medication, type of wound, location and depth of wound and the invasiveness of the procedure (APIC 2001). Hartley (2005) reports that aseptic technique is not being carried out to a high standard and this could be related to the theory-practice gap or complacency in the professional field. Improving the skill based care needs to be the main focus on post -registration education this includes which gloves to choose, maintaining a sterile field with the risk of non-touch technique and also developing assessment protocols (Preston 2005). Stage 3 During my time on placement I cleaned and redressed a lot of wounds and I ensured that I used the Aseptic non touch Technique that was taught to me whilst at University. I ensured that I gained the consent of the patient prior to any procedure taking place and also maintained the clients privacy and dignity whilst carrying out the procedure. Whilst being on placement I have learnt that staff change the dressing on wounds using the aseptic non-touch technique differently to how I was taught in university but when questioning them why they do something a certain way they have a rationale for it. I will continue to clean and redress wound in the way I have been taught and believe that this is the way forward in fighting wound infections.

Meetings Incentives Conferences And Exhibitions In The Uk Tourism Essay

Meetings Incentives Conferences And Exhibitions In The Uk Tourism Essay Conference organizing nowadays is not an easy task especially when taking steps to enforce security and risk management measures (Bowdin et al, 2006). Conferences that observe good health status, low risks and high security measures are the most probable places to get high number of clients. Some centers provide tourism sectors, sports and other leisure activities to its clients and all this services have to be maintained so as to attract a good number of clients (Davidson and Rogers, 2006, pp 48). The MICE sector is an organization that is based in the United Kingdom and is geared to generate large capital in the economy. Tourism in the UK is an important sector that boosts its activities and so this calls for large amounts of capital to maintain the facilities. The tourism sector in the UK includes a lot of business travels which entails activities such as attending conferences, incentive travels, trade fairs and exhibitions and also individual preference for leisure travels (Golden, 2007, pp 18). According to Rogers (2008, pp 255), the top ten conference destinations and conference business within the UK includes London, York, Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, Harrogate, Edinburgh, Bournemouth, Briton Hove and lastly Perthshire. Among the top conference centers in the UK, London hosts the most number of meetings and is the top most in performance compared to the other destinations (Lawson, 2000, pp 156). Davidson and Rogers (2006, pp 50), reviewed some of the reasons as to why London is at the top in hosting MICE events. He discovered that London is centrally placed in the country and it has an easy access to travel by air and this gives the travelers an easy time when moving about. It also hosts a good number of finance sectors, banking industry, culture and arts and lastly it provides headquarters of many international companies. Apart from the following advantages, Golden (2007, pp 18), has observed that London is loosing a lot of valuable tourists because it has been overpopu lated with no space for further expansion services. The MICE sector faces a lot of challenges in the industry including the need to improve facilities that are used in collecting data in the sector. MICE have decided to improve its facilities by involving the government in providing it with capital. The support extends to training staffs working in the sector, improving the infrastructural facilities and finally conducting enough researches on its destinations centers so as to maximize the opportunities available in this center (Jago et al, 2003, pp 12). One of the conference centers that is under the MICE sector is Arena and Convention Center Liverpool (ACC Liverpool). It is situated in river Mersey and it is one of the largest and top class convention centers in the United Kingdom. It is combined in a single venue but has multifunctional sectors in it (Jones, 2005, pp 242). The venue has a committed staff that ensures it meets the daily needs of its monthly and daily clients. According to (Jones, 2005, pp 245), the ACC Liverpool convention has environmentally friendly measures implemented, in that it releases less toxic substances in the air such as carbon dioxide and it also uses less electricity costs compared to the other centers in the United Kingdom. It is a centre that hosts many Europes exhibitions, arts and culture shows, conferences and also lives performances by prominent persons. This gives it a credit when competing with the other centers that are located in United Kingdom. Its continuous growth is focused on using more mitigation measures such as recycling its waste materials, conducting a waste management trainings for its immediate staffs in the surrounding and concentrating on utilizing energy efficient services (Jones, 2005, pp 187). Carlsen, et al (2000, pp 245), stated that the ACC Liverpool center has collaborated with a nearby power station to aid it in attaining the above management measures. The power station (Widness power station, PDM) receives the food wastes from ACC Liverpool and converts it into a homogenous puree which is then injected in boilers. The boilers then create a steam that is used to turn the turbines thereby generating electricity from it. Hilier (2000, pp 440), also noted that the wastes from the exhibitions and conferences are sorted and recycled into a re-use state when they are taken to the Orchid environmental. Apart from the above measures that aid ACC Liverpool, it is also observed that it has two main parts that are used for live performances. The BT convention center and Echo arena hosted over 450 live events including the Davis cup and other concerts which saw its growth and development (Carlen and Taylor, 2003, pp 18). The parts have very supportive teams that makes sure that the venues are kept clean and in a world class state so as to attract even prominent individuals for their leisure tours and travel. They also contribute a good percentage in the landfill project to aid in environment conservation. ACC Liverpool also has an advantage over the other centers in that it is centrally located in the country and has an easy access from the European airport. The center has decided to maximize the potentials arrived at by its location and accessibility to Europeans that come in and out of the country. It has also enacted a prestigious communication system called MCI which oversees organization of all events and communications within the center. The constant increase of international services to the United Kingdom has made the ACC Liverpool to be on toes for better services and involvement in the renowned business forums for international travel and meeting industry, EIBTM, 2009. It has maintained an up to date technology services to ensure that it increases it familiarity within the city as a destination of United Kingdom. It has established links with the research and innovative world by hosting homes to top world class universities, cancer and other infections research centers and finally science parks that keep up with the present technology. In the competition market, ACC Liverpool has gained a lot of popularity among the destinations of United Kingdom comparing itself to other conferences held in America, Australia and Canada. Golden (2007, pp 150), reports that it is said that it will host for the first time, international society for the scholarships of teaching and learning (ISSOTL) which is a large conference event that have been held in other international centers for the past years. Being the first time for United Kingdom hosting such a big event in its working years, it has made super preparations in the BT convention so that the event will be at its best and in the same time taking the economy at a higher level in the economy. The management team has made efforts to increase the services it offers to its clients thereby looking forward to be top most destination in United Kingdom. According to Jago et al (2003, pp 12), the management has also ensured that it safeguards its clients by thoroughly maintaining health and security services at the right time. It has also enacted a better communication system that is client sensitive including providing earpieces designed to give total comfort to the crowd in conferences. It has enhanced its audio clarity in that speech can be audible and clear to the audiences attending the conferences. Liverpool has the largest number of buildings which are notably said to be important than even the cities like London in the United Kingdom. Its ware front area is in a prestigious location because it places it near famous world sites such as the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal and Stonehenge. It is also hosts the famous football club , Liverpool FC, apart from other sporting activities which includes golf courses and horse racing at Haydock park (Golden (2007, pp 19). The transportation sector is well defined and it includes the air transport, road and rail transport. It has accessible road transport and a very fast rail transport which are easily available to the clients who want to travel through the region. Jones (2005, pp 242), notably stated that Liverpool has incorporated other international agencies in its operations which are responsible I conducting researches on matters such as radioactive waste management and environmental mitigation measures. The international atomic energy agency has been supporting Liverpool preparing technical programs, presentation and promotion of the conference to other member countries in the world and finally providing financial assistance when they in a crisis. Liverpool has incorporated the system of incentive travel to its clients which is, defined by Golden (2007, pp 18), a tool that is used to motivate participants to continue increasing support to accomplishing an organizational goal or statement mission. Carlen and Taylor (2003, pp 18), further noticed that the figure obtained from the above system was used by the conference center to calculate the impact it had on its immediate environment as a destination center. The management was in a position to calculate the total amount that was invested in the conference centers and also calculate the number of employments it created in each city where the conference centers were located. Some of the negative impacts a convention has on its destination include diverse effects on the environment through emitting harmful carbon dioxide in the air, depositing high level of wastes from exhibitions and food just alongside the conferences creating an unhealthy environment to the clients. Another impact created on the environment includes loud noise from the aircrafts which pollutes the environment by noise pollution or depleting the ozone layer thereby threatening the lives of those living and working along those areas (Jones, 2005, pp 245) All the above impacts have been looked unto by the management of Liverpool and safer steps taken to ensure that the environment is conducive. They have developed use of quieter aircrafts to reduce noise pollution, enrolled themselves in the international hotel environment initiatives, have adopted waste management and recycling strategies to ensure that all wastes are taken care of and do not have an effect on the clients. They have also initiated the use of more energy efficient systems, the use of better and advanced technological services such as use of emails and electronic use to reduce the waste of exhibition papers. The conventions also affect the society and community socially when the conferences are held in town and there is need for security to the clients. This will mean that the local residents near the conventions will not be in a position to move about freely as some of the areas will be branded as a no go zone for them. According to Golden (2007, pp 18), such impacts may also reduce business activities in the area including lack of shopping activities and carrying out of trade within the area vicinity. Such impacts in the community are not usually paid attention to by those in the management because they view such conferences in terms of economic contribution to the area in which the conference is being held from. Those living there also benefit from such conventions when they get employed to work in the organization thus improving their living standards. Conclusion Carlen and Taylor (2003, pp 19), observed that Liverpool took the initiative to promote a positive influence to those living within the vicinity of the company. It has led to improvement of living standards to the residents there by creating job opportunities that enables them to appreciate their services in the area. It also supports its staff members by incorporating them in making the organizational decision so that their needs can also be catered for besides the needs of the clients. The need to create a good decision when selecting a location of a conference center as a destination has led to Liverpool working alongside the marketing organizations which conducts researches on it to asses an area that generate an increased conference business. It has also taken initiatives in using marketing strategies and principles with the aim of fulfilling the customers needs. All these measures are undertaken by ACC Liverpool to ensure its business flourishes in the world as it competes with other destinations in United Kingdom.

William Carlos Williams This is Just to Say Essay -- Poem Williams Th

William Carlos Williams' This is Just to Say poem (p m) – noun: 1. A verbal composition designed to convey experiences, ideas, or emotions in a vivid and imaginative way, characterized by the use of language chosen for its sound and suggestive power and by the use of literary techniques such as meter, metaphor, and rhyme. 2. A composition in verse rather than in prose. 3. A literary composition written with an intensity or beauty of language more characteristic of poetry than of prose. -- The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright  © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, there are three different definitions of a poem. William Carlos Williams’ highly anthologized poem, â€Å"This Is Just to Say,† fits only one of those descriptions. The single reason it can be classified as a poem is that it is written in verse. In all else, â€Å"This Is Just to Say† fails not only as a poem, but as an interesting work of writing. â€Å"This Is Just to Say† makes absolutely no use of any literary techniques. It lacks rhyme, meter, metaphor, simile, symbol, analogy, allusion and any other device one can think of. The only alliteration present is in the second to last line and is otherwise so sparse as to make that bit seem accidental. Any person attempting to read the poem as a â€Å"metaphor for a variety of larger conflicts,† as the opponent of this particular paper claims, is making it up out of whole cloth and giving Williams far too much credit. True, there are three stanzas, each composed of four lines, but that hardly qualifies a piece as a genuine poem. There is no discernable pattern of syl... ...had been fooled. It’s about time that somebody called the emperor’s bluff. Not even Williams himself originally intended â€Å"This Is Just to Say† to be read as a poem, so any attempt to defend it as one is doomed to fail. Unless, of course, the person defending that position is of the belief that any set of words strung together with the proper line breaks is magically transformed into a poem. In that case, everyone with a Magnetic Poetry Kit deserves to be as famous. William Carlos Williams simply took two ordinary sentences, chopped them up into lines and stanzas, and called it poetry. The so-called poem â€Å"This Is Just to Say† is in reality nothing more than two thinly disguised, unremarkable lines of prose. The name of all poetry is cheapened when people call notes such as these â€Å"poems.† The truth is, â€Å"This Is Just to Say† says very little indeed.

Women in Physics :: physics female females

Outline In 1944 the German chemist Otto Hahn was awarded a Noble Prize for his work on nuclear fission - the process that lies at the heart of nuclear bombs and power stations. The Austrian physicist Lise Meitner, who was the official leader of Hahn's team, and who also worked out the theoretical explanation of their experimental discoveries, was not even mentioned in the Noble committee's announcement. (Wertheim) Thirteen years later the Chinese-American particle physicist Chien-Shiung Wu would likewise be left out when the Nobel committee made its announcements. Likewise English astronomer Jocelyn Bell, who discovered pulsars, would also be denied a share in the Nobel that went only to her (male) supervisor. Reports in the past showed that the highest percentages of women among students awarded a doctorate in physics are 20 to 27 percent ( India, Australia, Poland and France) and the lowest percentages are 8-9 percent (Japan, South Korea, Netherlands and Germany). An international survey of around 900 women physicists in more than 50 countries found that the factor most frequently contributing to their success was encouragement from their families (parents and husbands). Also mentioned were the support of high school teachers, advisors, and professors; their own determination, will power and hard work; and participation in important international projects. The outcome of the survey showed somecultural differences from the countries represented, with family issues such as marriage and child care important factors in some countries, and less so in others. Women in developing countries are more likely than women in developed countries to be married (four out of five in the first case, compared to two out of three in the second). (Barbosa) The problems that the women surveyed mentioned were problems with balancing family and career and defeating the commonly encountered bias that women cannot do physics. The women who responded shared a strong passion for physics, and three out of four said that they would choose physics again, despite any difficulties or barriers they had encountered. A report from Japan stated that it takes women an average of ten years more to advance to the rank of professor than their male colleagues. A study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found women professors consistently had less laboratory and office space and were paid less than their male colleagues. "As of 1996, Princeton physics department had still not given tenure to a physicist not sporting the penile appendage" (Wertheim). What We Did to Get Where We Are: