Vygotskys Educational Theory Essay Example for Free

Vygotskys Educational Theory Essay Vygotsky is an important theorist in the twentieth century in education. He has come up with the theory discussing the zone of proximal development and its application to the education of person with special needs. This theory has been put into practice in coming up with strategies for persons with intellectual challenges. But this however does not come up with full support as some of the propositions in his theories have been criticized. In his theories he considers the zone of proximal development to possess upper and lower limits where children are categorized in the limits. The first misconception that can be deduced from his theory is that assessment of a child’s zones provides a biased incomplete picture (Robert, 28). Hence an accurate picture of the child’s learning style, development level, and learning ability cannot be obtained through comparison to children of similar ages or degrees of motivation. Thus the zone’s width depending on its causes could be undesirable or desirable. Measurement is another hindrance observed in the theory. This is because, there exists no metric scale to configure a child’s individual zone. This is because Vygotsky at times measured the zone in terms of chronological age in relation to mental age. This has drawback in that comparison cannot be done by the number of years. For instance a 9 year old behaving like a 12 year old has a 3 year age difference. This cannot be applied in a case of children with ages 5 and 8 as the difference is similarly 3 years (Kozulin, 40). The zone meets another obstacle since little is known on the stability and generality of an individual’s zone. The domain of one child’s zone is not equal across different children (Daniels, Harry, and Mariane, 80). This is due to the fact that behavior differences do occur in children of similar ages. Thus a zone is not stable and neither can it be generalized. The theory pays little attention to issues of development across different ages. It gives little idea how a child’s level of cognition would constrain or permit processes in the zone. It also ignores the effect different settings have on children and ignores cognitive skills needed to respond to varying stimuli. The theory overlooks the fact that varying developmental levels lead to varying responses to a setting (Kozulin, 67). Finally Vygotsky’s theory lacks tasks  prototypical to be associated with the theory as he relies on general summaries. Considering the aforementioned weaknesses, many theorists and educationist borrow little from his theory in its application to special education. This is coupled with the fact that persons with special needs occur in a large diversity. Hence the theory would call for individualization of strategies adopted for special needs learners. Works cited Daniels, Harry, and Mariane Hedegaard. Vygotsky and special needs education: rethinking support for children and schools. London: Continuum International Pub. Group, 2011. Print. Kozulin, Alex. Vygotskys educational theory in cultural context. UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print. Robert, Michelle Suzanne. Vygotsky theories meaningful relationships. Burnaby B.C.: Simon Fraser University, 2005. Print.

Understanding The Definition Of Internationalisation Systems Commerce Essay

Understanding The Definition Of Internationalisation Systems Commerce Essay Internationalization consists of standardized products or service through globally standardized marketing and production processes that target standardized customer needs. Internationalisation can be described as the process of increasing involvement in international operations (Welch Luostarinen, 1988: 36). Another definition proposed by Calof and Beamish (1995: 116) denotes internationalization as the process of adapting firms operations (strategy, structure, resources, etc) to international environments. Kutschker and Bà ¤urle (1997) as both definitions have crucial fact internationalisation needs an overall support from the organisation as it is changing the environment to expand in various manners the process mostly consists of macro factors to evolve. 3. The Uppsala Approach in detail The Uppsala approach was an outcome of Swedish researchers (Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul, 1975; Johanson and Vahlne, 1977) which focused their interest on the internationalization process. Studying the internationalization of Swedish manufacturing firms, they developed a model of the firms choice of market and form of entry when going abroad. Their work was influenced by Aharonis seminal (1966) study. (Svend and Hollensen2004) It is seen that companies begin their operations in abroad in fairly nearby market and gradually penetrated distant market. Companies should entry in new market with the export agents and sales subsidiaries. The approach specifies direct relation between market knowledge and market commitment is postulated, as knowledge can be gathered with effective use of human resources. Consequently, the better knowledge about a market can be derived, the more valuable are the resources and the stronger the market position of the firm. Uppsala approach requires general knowledge and market specific knowledge, where as market specific knowledge can be derived from practical experiences by entering the new market. However the approach stress on experimental learning as it cannot be acquired by objective knowledge (e.g., through marketing researches or reports) and must be gained mainly through direct experience. As the approach deals with experimental learning the human resource should be managed i n proper manner. It has distinguished between four different modes of entering an international market, where the successive stages represent higher degrees of international involvement market commitment. They as follow Stage 1: No regular export activities (sporadic export). Stage 2: Export via independent representatives (export modes). Stage 3: Establishment of a foreign sales subsidiary. Stage 4: Foreign production manufacturing units These four stages deal with as no regular export activities in new market and knowing the market by experimental learning which helps in utilization of resources in effective ways. Exporting through independent agent can be suitable way of entering in new market as most of the firms prefer the way of entry. Consequently, the threats and opportunities in a new market will be discovered primarily by those people who are working there. Experience generates business opportunities and constitutes a driving force in the internationalization process (Johanson and Vahlne, 1990: 33). The model is founded on four core concepts: Market knowledge, market commitment, commitment decisions and current activities. Market knowledge and market commitment at a certain point in time are assumed to affect the commitment decisions and how the activities are carried out in the subsequent period, which in its turn will influence market knowledge and market commitment at later stages. On the basis of these four concepts, and by making the assumption of instrumentalism, the model predicts that the basic pattern of firms internationalization is to start and continue to invest in just one or in a few neighbouring countries, rather than to invest in several countries simultaneously and That the investments in a specific country are carried out cautiously, sequentially and concurrently with the learning of the firms people operating in that market. Firms are supposed to enter new markets with successively greater psychic distance and the market investments develop according to the so called establishment chain. Mats Forsgren. (2000.p5) This model deals with entering new market which is nearby or investing in single country rather than making a mess. It has leapfrogging tendency which allows entering in distant market. It shows companies can learn from their past experiences and practical knowledge. In these cases, competitive forces and factors override psychic distance as the principal explanatory factor for the firms process of internationalization. Furthermore, if knowledge of transactions can be transferred from one country to another, firms with extensive international experience are likely to perceive the psychic distance to a new country as shorter than firms with little international experience it can affect the smaller firms in case of psychic distances. The approach requires long term involvement in market to gain knowledge. The approach can be cost efficient to apply at initial stage but can take long time evolve the production barriers. The approach underlies crucial importance people interest involved in the process. By sales subsidiaries it can be easy to find problems and opportunities in the market. 3.1 Advantages It deals with indirect exporting of product with help of external export agents or merchants. Low cost entry method which helps using capital in other factors quickest way of entering the new markets. Establishing foreign sales subsidiaries can help increase sales, potential customer base in market and creates market awareness about the product which identifies customer tastes and cultural factors which may change as per new market. By using foreign manufacturing unit labour cost and cost of production can be minimized. Drawbacks Occasional exporting of goods can divert customers interest. Lack of knowledge in initial phase as the exporting is done by agents or exporting merchants. Inter-organizational learning in a business network implies that deep and long-lasting business relationships facilitate the assimilation of tacit knowledge from the different factors in the market. Human resources development programmes should be to gather knowledge about market. The Uppsala Model implies that different groups at the operational level have a profound influence on the internationalization process. It is a relatively extreme bottom-up perspective, where the bottom plays the leading part and the headquarters play walk-on parts. It is not ease to apply for small firms in case of psychic distance. 4. Macro environmental forces and impact on an organisations internationalisation decision-making process. Partnerships As Partnerships and Alliances are increasing as companies realize it is not always desirable to manage all stages. These may mislead when the organisation wants go solo in the market as culture integration, domestic or international, are mentioned as the biggest challenges for alliances. Distribution channels The distribution channels may affect as carrying products to various place where there is lack roadways or long distance it may cost more than estimation cost of distribution of material to market. Technological Technology continues to exert the biggest current and future impact on organizations. At the same time the Internet and intranets are changing the way employees interact with customers and each other. It needs innovation in the technology and manufacturing process, the services should be customer friendly, fast reaction, and acceptance of change. Competitors They may create obstacles in entering the market and provide misleading informations about market to stop new firms and may create monopoly for some products. Public pressure groups These factors directly affect or impact the organization and they influence the managerial decision, the organizational goals, structure and targeted groups of customers.  Competing Political, sustainability of the Physical Environment, Advances in Science and Technology Cultural As per the new market it is hard cope up with diverse cultural factors involved, Cultural, and Religious Ideologies. Regional, cultural groups may involve in restricting the foreign companies to enter in the market to nationalise the trade. Suppliers Suppliers of raw material and various inventories for production as it may impact on cost of production and it may change from market to market factors change. 5. Example related to Internationalisation Various industries in automobile have approached this kind of strategy in strong global competition. Such as SKODA, VOLKSWAGEN, VOLVO, GENERAL MOTORS, and Productivity within the industry has risen over the years, and consumers are offered increasingly better products at lower prices. More and more manufacturers are establishing plants in countries where production costs are considerably lower and also purchasing more components there. In time, production costs for the major producers will essentially be at the same level. 5.1 Strategies Most of these companies have first started with exporting the products and then after studying market started their production in developing nations. The Volkswagen Group safeguards its future through local production operations with integrated growth in markets such as China, India and Russia. Worldwide, the Volkswagen Group has 61 production facilities in 21 countries. General motors and Skoda have their production houses in developing nations where the cost of production is less as compared to exporting the products. In case of VOLVO about 95% of the companys production capacity is located in Sweden, Belgium, Brazil and the USA. But the company is moving towards low cost of production countries such as China, India and about 22% of their production is from Brazil. Continuing to cut costs and drive out complexity in all aspects of operations. 5.2 More efficient purchasing Purchasing is another area where we have implemented changes in order to improve our cost position; mainly through better coordination at the global level they have also intensified our cooperation with suppliers in order to cut the costs of components. [But] there is a good deal still to be done. Among other things, we are increasing the share of purchases from low-cost countries. 5.3 Moving production to low-cost countries There has been change in the business model for units that could be considered as non-core operations or in which profitability was too low. [For example], instead of continuing production in the US and EUROPEN nations, which was less and in some cases non profitable, they have started to out-source their products from the manufacturers in China and Brazil and India. Maintaining competitive production in the changing the business models. It is also important to continue relocating production from high-cost to low-cost countries. Most of companies goals are too achieved by 2012. Sources: Companies website: www.volvo.com/trucks,www.gm.com www.volkswagen.com/annualreport, www.new.skoda-auto.com 6. The Process of Internationalisation Internationalisation fundamentally alters the price-setting strategies of domestic economic agents. This is true for agents operating in product markets, factor markets and financial markets. At a micro level, internationalisation directly alters pricing behaviour by deepening product and factor markets. More potential buyers and sellers imply greater competition and a reduction in excess returns. At a macro level, internationalisation also has the potential to change the incentives faced by public policy makers (David Gruen and Geoffrey Shuetrim 1994.P.312) From the above definition it can be derived that trade between two or more nation where there is potential buyers and sellers of good in which the pricing behaviours may alter from product and various factors involved in market which directly or indirectly benefits consumers .The factors involved in these process may vary from place to place but to enter new market knowledge is essential. It can be complex as policy and regulations change as per the market. It can make potential market for customers. There are various trade unions to promote international trade such as WTO World Trade Organisation, EU European union , ASEAN Association of South-East Asian Nations, NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement ,AFTA ASEAN Free Trade Area, COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. They encourage the trade within the members union. 7. Main challenges in Internationalisation The informal trade barriers for internationalisation are such as lack of information on business opportunities and weak contract enforcement. The Financial burden such as exchange rate risk, political risk and credit risk as they may change as per the market secure local trade. Foreign regulatory environment can change the norms of trade for the industries. The lack of domestic support structure in way of financial support, advice by responsible people can make a change. Cultural and linguistic barriers cannot be changed as we have seen in case of various fast food companies e.g.: K.F.C in India and Japan. The geographic distance between nations can make impact on their trade system. There must be two way communications among countries members which are involved in the system. As the market changes there has to be innovation in the product which suits to the market. Absence of specialised labour in work force can be challenging impact on organisation in internationalisation of market. There has to promotion of networks to gather information about new market. The border zones and cross-border cooperation in various nations the cross-border situation is critical most of the times these may impact on system. 8. CONLIUSION This report is made to analysis the internationalisation is widely seen to be the dominant tendency of our time and it is very complex process and not easy to apply in practical. There various macro aspects have affect the decision making process of organisation. These factors can be taken under control by the firms. According to the report it is specified that after using the processes there can proper utilization of resources the organisation can minimize the cost of production. The internationalisation is challenging process with changing markets and foreign regulatory environments. Moving production to low-cost countries is effective factor in internationalisation as it can be efficient utilization of investment in new market. There are various organisations which help in the process as WTO, EU, and ASEAN.

Essay examples --

Gaucher’s disease is a human metabolic disease. Other names for the disease are glucocerebrosidase deficiency, Gaucher splenomegaly, glucocerebrosidosis, or glucosyl cerebroside lipidosis. The disease is caused when someone lacks the enzyme called glucocerebrosidase. Though Gaucher’s disease is very rare, it most commonly occurs in people of Eastern and Central European Jewish heritage. It affects 1 in 500 to 1,000 people of Jewish decent, and very rarely in other backgrounds. It is an inherited disease in the autosomal recessive pattern. Both parents have to be carriers of the genetic mutation for their children to develop the disease (U.S National Library of Medicine). Gaucher’s disease is passed down from generation to generation. A person can get the disease if both of their parents carry a recessive copy of the gene. If someone only gets one recessive copy then that means that they are a carrier. A carrier has the capability of pass the disease on to their children though they do not have Gaucher’s disease. Gaucher’s disease (pronounced go-shayz) is a hereditary disease dealing with metabolism. It is known as a lysosomal storage deficiency. Mutations of the GBA gene cause Gaucher’s disease. The mutation causes toxic levels of glucocerebrosidase to build up within the cells. A person with the disease lacks the enzyme that gets rid of unwanted substances in the cell so the buildup becomes a problem. It occurs when the lipid, or fat, glucosylceramide accumulates to an unhealthy amount in certain organs in the body. These organs include the liver, lungs, spleen, and possibly the central nervous system or brain. People who have Gaucher’s disease don’t all experience the same symptoms. Usually the first symptom is an enlarged s... ...in Zavesca that helps patients. This is the only approved oral medication for patients with type 1 Gaucher’s disease. Zavesca is only for people who cannot get enzyme replacement therapy. This form of treatment may cause serious side effects. Side effects of Zavesca include diarrhea, weight loss, neurologic problems, and low platelet count. (ZAVESCAÂ ®) Gaucher’s disease was first described by a French medical student named Phillipe Charles Ernest Gaucher in 1882. Gaucher treated a woman whose spleen was enlarged. He later found that it was the cells that were swollen and not her spleen as a whole. Medical communities have continued to advance in understanding of the disease in the century. Doctors and scientists are working to fully understand Gaucher’s disease so that one day we can have a cure to save the many lives that have been lost to this metabolic disorder.

Comparing Silkos Yellow Woman and Chopins Story of an Hour :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing Silko's Yellow Woman and Chopin's Story of an Hour In the stories "Yellow Woman" and "Story of an Hour", both women were under the subjection of men. They were depicted as weak, loving the men of domination, but wanting to escape the men's shadows. In Silko's "Yellow Woman", the confusing western-type setting of dry, hot alkali-white crust dirt, rivers, and horses with the contrast of modern day mentioning of trucks, schools, and jello set the tone. The narrator's desire to seek solace in her grandpa who was dead(191). But the next best thing was to seek comfort in his story that he liked to tell. Instead, the narrator placed herself in the story which she told to her family(193). The protagonist ,which is the narrator, was depicted as a weak, but sex driven woman. She was handled roughly by Silva due to his pinning her down (191) and threats of "you will do what I want"(190). She wanted to get away but chose not to leave. Silva was a man that spoke dictatingly and to the point. The protagonist in the story took pride in her lover Silva. She enjoyed his sexual encounters as well as his physical attributes. She also enjoyed the adventures of riding off with him to places where he went, but not knowing him for he was a stranger. The narrator was torn between the present ( husband Al, baby, grandma and mother) and the past (grandpa, story about ka'tsina spirit). The protagonist seemed to to enjoy being dictated what to do by Silva. The narrator and Silva seemed to be free spirits. They both loved adventure. But Silva was entitled to the right whereas Yellow Woman was no more than a weak follower with no say in the matter. The narrator and Yellow Woman felt that they had to be submissive to their men. The narrator's Indian background, Pueblo, seemed to be strict with the women expressing how they really feel to their husband. Also, the men seem to be honest since the narrator sopke "the men don't do things like that"(190). The narrator deserve to escape but she just took a walk along the river but she would eventually "come home"(191). It was strikingly interesting to see Al playing with the baby with no clue as to how the narrator was feeling. On the other hand, Chopin's The Story of an

lieshod White Lies in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay

White Lies in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In his novella Heart of Darkness (1899), Joseph Conrad through his principal narrator, Marlow, reflects upon the evils of the human condition as he has experienced it in Africa and Europe. Seen from the perspective of Conrad's nameless, objective persona, the evils that Marlow encountered on the expedition to the "heart of darkness," Kurtz's Inner Station on the banks of the snake-like Congo River, fall into two categories: the petty misdemeanors and trivial lies that are common- place, and the greater evils -- the grotesque acts society attributes to madmen. That the first class of malefaction is connected to the second is illustrated in the downfall of the story's secondary protagonist, the tragically deluded and hubristic Mr. Kurtz. The European idealist, believing the lies of his Company and of the economic imperialism that supports it, is unprepared for the test of character that the Congo imposes, and succumbs to the potential for the diabolical latent within e very human consciousness. Although numerous critics (including Johanna M. Smith, Peter Hyland, Herbert Klein, and Garrett Stewart) have drawn attention to how Marlow's lie to the Intended informs the whole preceding text and how that culminating scene with the Intended is connected to Marlow's initial impression of Brussels as a whited sepulchre (how appropriate in light of Belgian King Leopold II's hypocritical defense of his private company's rapacious exploitation of the ludicrously- named Congo Free State!), few have until recently focussed on how the lie affects the reader's reaction to Marlow as the protagonist and narrator of Conrad's Congo tale. Answering questions which the dead man's Intended poses him reg... ... Rosmarin, Adena. "Darkening the Reader: Reader- Response Criticism and Heart of Darkness ." Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness: A Case Study in Contemporary Criticism , ed. Ross C. Murfin. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. Pp. 148-171. Smith, Johanna M. Smith. "'Too Beautiful Altogether': Patriarchal Ideology in Heart of Darkness ." Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness: A Case Study in Contemporary Criticism , ed. Ross C. Murfin. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. Pp. 179-198. Stewart, Garrett. "Lying as Dying in Heart of Darkness ." PMLA 95 (1980): 319- 331. Trilling, Lionel. " Huckleberry Finn ." The Liberal Imagination: Essays on Literature and Society . New York: Doubleday Anchor Books, 1950. Pp. 100-113. Wright, Walter F. "Ingress to The Heart of Darkness ." Romance and Tragedy in Joseph Conrad . New York: Russell and Russell, 1966. Pp. 143-160.

Developing an action plan Essay

The Utah Symphony has proven its ability to generate substantial sums of Revenue with both performance revenues and by securing large sums of income from governmental grants along with generous contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. The Symphony’s ability to draw large crowds along with their demanding schedule length allows them to offer the community ample opportunities to participate. The Symphony provides sustainability for 83 full time musicians, and this allows them to concentrate on the goals of the Symphony without the worries of looking for other income opportunities. Mr. Lockhart is a very talented and experienced music director that has a personal commitment to his symphony. Mr. Lockhart’s role as the music director comes with many challenges, it is through these challenges that he has elevated the Utah Symphony to the status they enjoy today. The musicians and Mr. Lockhart have developed a relationship of trust and respect, Mr. Lockhart has publicly acknowledged how important they are to the overall success of the symphony and his success as a director. The Utah Symphony has a very demanding schedule and with it comes great expense; the symphony needs to look for cost cutting options to maintain operations. They are relying on generous governmental funding and other contributions that are simply not what the previously had been. The symphony will need to look towards the possibility of reducing its staff’s income and benefits, to overcome this shortfall, which is a hard situation to deal with. Mr. Lockhart will need to take a stronger leadership role and develop a plan to approach the musicians about the dire situation they are in and try to develop a strategy to cut cost, however his personal relationship with them present a challenge that is not easy to overcome. Another concern is Mr. Lockhart does not want be perceived as â€Å"playing second string† when it comes to his Symphony and will need to look at the bigger picture to see what is best for the Symphony. Anne will need to be as straight forward and honest as possible about the  realties that the symphony faces, with regards to budget management and cost saving techniques. She will need to gain the trust of the musicians much the same way Keith has by developing the understanding of the importance the musicians hold within the developing organization for the merger to be successful. She needs to develop a relationship with Keith and his position with the symphony that does not create tension within the merged organization. The Utah Opera has developed a business strategy that works. They are running a very profitable organization that utilizes effective methods for fundraising and obtaining other contribution resources. They have appropriated their budget to allow them to maximize what revenue they attain wisely; they will have very little reduction in governmental grants, and a projected increase in contributions for individuals, corporations and foundations in the year to come. They have a large inventory of costumes and productions sets and own the building and land they operate in. With Anne as the head of the UOC she has grown the budget from 1.5 million to almost 5 million; she’s an accomplished fund raiser for the UOC. Anne bring many talents to the UOC from stage director, to general director Anne is a very crucial part of the success of the UOC. The UOC faces a challenging future with the lack of performance revenues projected for the upcoming season and increase in production cost they may have to make adjustments to staff to maintain their level of security, however they have been running an impressive surplus of nearly half a million dollars. With the merger details made public they have had some staffing concerns and even the resignation of the Director of operations Leslie Petersen. Some members of the UOC staff feel they may be placed in the shadows of the Symphony and end up flipping the bill for the symphonies failures. Anne has undertaken a huge role within the merger of the organizations and she will need to make sure she doesn’t lose focus with the day to day operations of the UOC, since she is currently without a Director of operations. Anne has a proving record of running efficient organizations and may not be sensitive to the needs and desires of the employees from both the UOC and USO, due to her drive for efficiency. Anne needs to place a Director of operations for the UOC as soon as possible. She will need to talk with her current employees and provide the assurance they need in regards to the important role they play in a successful merger. She will want to assure that the organizations will work together as one and the UOC will not be left flipping the bills from the shadows. Anne will want to continue to meet the needs of the UOC to maintain it level of success. Analysis of Company scorecards Financially the goals of the USO and UOC are quite similar they both are concerned with financial stability with increased profitability. Fund raising is realized as being very important to maintain that profitability with the USO focused more on keeping ticket prices the same as last year and the UOC with increasing their endowment being a priority, which has one to think that the UOC is more concerned with money then the artistic exposure aspect that the USO has. Both organizations have goals of increasing profitability, with the USO planning on a significant increased goal, the UOC just wants to increase the reserve funding (there security blanket). Both organization have similar goals with respect to notoriety however due to the size and scope of the entertainment they provide, the USO has a more world vision on success with the UOC is focused on national and regional recognition. Both organizations realize their success depends on great performances and talented performers; they remain very similar in that aspect. The crowds say it all and both the UOC and USO know that feedback and attendance is very important, but they have different views on how to gauge this with the USO focused on feedback directly from exiting customer and the UOC judging this by the ability to producing sell out performances. The internal processes of the two organizations are quite different with the USO maintaining the staff of it musicians tear round, and the UOC gaining new performers for different performances, they face different sets of challenges they both negotiate salaries for the performers and talents with  profitability being a major tactic. They measure the success of the internal process differently as we with the USO depending on improving ticket sales and returning customers the UOC is depending on reviews and profitability measurements for success. With respect to learning and growth, the organizations differ slightly. They are concerned with increasing the amount of performances, with the USO focused more on gaining a younger crowd the UOC is just trying to keep sales growing. They both realize the importance of ticket sales to their success with the UOC again is concentrating on having the increase in bottom line, where as the USO wants greater returning audiences. The scorecard does address some of the strengths and weakness, I developed prior but should have a better focus on what the organizations can do to improve and assure they will be successful in the future. The balance score card may not align with all the strengths and weaknesses of an organization but it more approximately focuses on what direction the organization desires to go to meet its desired outcome. USO & UOC Balanced Scorecard Financial  ·Strategic Goal: Being Financially stable with increased profitability  ·Critical Success Factor: Maintaining highly successful fundraising efforts to maintain ticket prices and endowments.  ·Measure: Increase profits providing Surplus deficits. Customer  ·Strategic Goal: Providing Top notch performances and gain Notoriety  ·Critical Success Factor: Acquiring quality performers  ·Measure: Ticket sales and exit surveys Internal Process  ·Strategic Goal: Attracting top talent while improving profitability  ·Critical Success Factor: Negotiating contracts closely to assure profitability  ·Measure: Improved profitability, and ticket sales. Learning and Growth  ·Strategic Goal: Increase of productions to more appealing crowds  ·Critical Success Factor: Increased profitability with Larger demographic  ·Measure: Return sales and exit survey results The weakness of the merged organization with regards to the financial stability will be how to distribute the profits; they both have goals to increase profitability which is a good starting point, they will just need to develop a solid plan. With regards to the customer the organization wants to increase its overall notoriety and exposure to different demo graph’s and this is a great strength they share and can benefit from. With regards to Internal processes the current goals they share to maintain profitability while negotiating salaries is a weakness due to the inherently different classes of talents the organizations face and how they can balance that difference while maintaining peace. The organizations share the goal of increased growth and exposure to a varied age group while increasing production so this should be a strength that they both will benefit from and have little trouble adapting to. With the balance scorecard in place, the financial issue that could arise would be how the profitability of the organization should be allocated, whereas the UOC is more focused on maintaining its endowment the USO is more concerned with keeping ticket sales stagnate while keeping the musicians happy. The Humans resources department will be dealing with two very different groups of talent and with the USO musicians union to deal with they will have a very challenging task with the merger.  When dealing with customer satisfaction, due to the organizations producing very different types of productions they have a level of frustration and confusion with scheduling and production run times. The best way to educate customers on the performances will be through advertisements and customer interactions such as exit surveys and questionnaires. The new merged company executive will want to develop a detailed business strategy that will show how the organization will be able to maintain its level of profitability while achieving all the financial goals it has developed. The new executive must help the Human resources department understand their roles and assemble this department from both organizations to be successful. As with any company customer satisfactions should be a priority and by educating the public about the benefits of the newly merged company and the great performances you provide can greatly increase your exposure to a larger customer base.

Marine Barracks Attack

On May 30, 2003, CNN law center made a report, that the attack on the U. S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed 241 American servicemen was an example of a state-sponsored terrorist attack. The report goes on to say that U. S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered that the plaintiffs in this case – the servicemen wounded in the bombing and families of those killed, â€Å"†¦have a right to obtain judicial relief†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (see CNN. com, 2003). This piece of news is referring to an event that happened two decades ago and yet carried so much significance that even after twenty years a U. S.District Court deems it worthy of its precious time and resources. The event in question transformed the way the world view terrorism. More importantly the said event transformed the way the United States perceive the capabilities and commitment of a new breed of enemy that does not believe in or rely on conventional warfare. This paper will take a closer look into the bom bing. And to understand its context a part of the study will be devoted to into looking at other acts of terrorism that used the same modus operandi. Beirut, Lebanon In the year 1982, Lebanon was at war with Israel.It is an understatement to say that the country was war-torn. The situation was bad enough that it required the presence of Western soldiers to achieve peace and if this is not possible then at least creating a sense of order in the midst of chaos. In August of 1982 American soldiers came to Lebanon as part of the multi-national peacekeeping force, which included French, Italian, and British personnel. Yet according to Kushner, the peacekeepers had one other thing in mind and it was to negotiate a cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel (2003, p. 386). It was one of the costliest mistakes the U. S. government and its armed forces ever made.They were not welcome in Lebanon and their desire to end the war was seen as a ploy to help their ally the Israelis. So on the 23rd of O ctober 1983, on a beautiful morning, at about 6:20 AM, a yellow five-ton truck was carrying hundreds of kilos of explosives. The unsuspecting Lebanese guards who worked at a nearby checkpoint, â€Å"†¦did not notice that the bed of the Mercedes-Benz truck was pushed lower than it should have been. The truck was carrying a heavy load† (Olson, 2003, p. 4). For days the enemy has been pounding the airport with artillery fire but on this and the day before that all was peace and quiet.This prompted many marines to take a well deserved rest. While the truck was easing its way past the checkpoint most of the marines were asleep in the Battalion Landing Team (BLT) headquarters at the Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) compound (Olson, 2003, p. 6). The Mercedes truck was waved through and â€Å"†¦it proceeded southward at a steady pace along the airport road. To the driver’s right beyond the airport runway, lay the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. To his left ran iron fence t hat separated the road from the marine’s compound† (Olson, 2003, p. 6).Then without warning the suicide bomber driving the vehicle accelerated and made a mad dash to its intended target. The vehicle went crashing into the front door of the BLT buildings were hundreds of marines were sleeping. And then, â€Å"Twelve thousand pounds of dynamite detonated among the sleeping marines. The four-story building collapsed to eye level, and many who were not lucky enough to die instantly were buried under tons of rubble† (2003, p. 7). As a result of the attack Shai remarked, â€Å"Two hundred and forty-one people were killed and eighty were injured, most of which were U. S.Marines †¦ This terror attack took the heaviest toll on the United States prior to the attacks of September 11, 2001† and quoting the then commander of the U. S. Marines Corp General Kelly who twenty years ago said, â€Å"It was the largest terrorist act in the United States history †¦ the day became the Corps’ bloodiest since February 1945, when Marines fought to secure Iwo Jima† (Shai, 2005, p. 91). It is indeed difficult to grasp the significance of this event post-911. But before the September 11, 2001 attacks there was no precedence to the use of guerilla and suicidal tactics to achieve this kind of destruction.A member of the U. S. Marine Corp is considered to be creme de la creme of the U. S. Armed Forces and taking a few out without firing a single shot is considered very unfortunate. But in the car bombing there were not only a handful of marines that were eliminated, there were hundreds of them and it dealt a severe blow to the collective psyche of the American people and perhaps the peacekeeping team sent to Lebanon. It was later found out that the true perpetrators were coming from the Hizballah (Party of God) which according to a fact finding committee of the U. S. government is a:Radical Shia group formed in Lebanon; dedicated to creatio n of Iranian-style Islamic republic in Lebanon and removal of all non-Islamic influences from area. Strongly anti-West and anti-Israel. Closely allied with, and often directed by, Iran, but may have conducted rogue operations that were not approved by Tehran (see United States Department of State, 1993, p. 46). Car Bombs The modus operandi used here is of course a car bomb which can be a sedan, van or in this case a truck. It is a favorite method of inflicting severe damage. Shaul Shai asserts that the use of a car bomb has several advantages:†¢ A relatively large amount of explosives can be hidden inside a car and transported to the target. †¢ A car can prevent early detection because it blends in the background; cars, vans and trucks are a normal occurrence especially in a very busy area. †¢ The vehicle offers the attackers mobility and flexibility in choosing the target and reaching it. †¢ The vehicle enhances the lethal effect of the attack. †¢ The vehic le enables the arrival at the target under an innocent guise (2003, p. 15). When it comes to a terrorist attack there is nothing more frightening than the prospect of a car bomb being used against a target.Shai (2003) was correct in saying that a vehicle provides a disguise and place to hide the explosives while at the same time allowing the device to be moved from one place to the next. Detection is almost impossible unless the bomb maker or its accomplice would specifically point out the location of the vehicle. Imagine for a moment a car bomb parked outside a shop, outside a school, outside an office and no one would think twice that there is something wrong with that. Another advantage of a car bomb is the fact that it can be delivered to the target by surprise and moving the device very quickly from point A to point B.In the case of the Beirut bombing the truck was able to cover the relatively long distance from the airport gate – an area designated for the general publi c – to the restricted zone where the temporary barracks was situated. There is no other weapon for a suicide bomber that would have fit his requirements for this specific job. A truck was used not only to provide concealment of the explosive device but it also provides for ample space to store significant amounts of explosives. Also, a truck is one of the most common things that one can see in an airport.And finally a truck has an engine powerful enough to ram through reinforced gates and checkpoints and able to crash through doors. At the same time the bomber can get added protection from the more sturdier frame of a truck than a sedan. Moreover, a car bomb has one final advantage, â€Å"The preparation of a car bomb does not require any special infrastructure; any repair shop or garage can be used for these preparations† (2003, p. 15). With a car bomb a terrorist has a very flexible yet very powerful weapon and if they continue to use it and be successful with it the n they would be able to achieve their main goal which is to instill fear.Serious Intent The bombing of the U. S. Marines barracks was not an isolated case where a group suddenly decided to bomb an enemy outpost. It was a premeditated, calculated, and highly coordinated attack. In fact six months before the military barracks’ bombing a similar signature attack was successfully carried out in the U. S. Embassy in Beirut. On April 18, 1983 a Chevrolet pickup truck loaded with about 2,000 pounds of explosives sped through the gate of the Embassy in West Beirut and then rammed itself into the building (Kushner, 2003, p. 386). According to Kushner, the explosion killed 63 people, â€Å"†¦in a blast so powerful it shook the U.S. S. Guadalcanal, anchored five miles away† (2003, p. 386). After the U. S. Marine barracks bombing there was another attack using the same method of bombing the target. In less than a year from the said bombing – on September 20, 1984 †“ another car bomb was successfully detonated in the U. S. Embassy Ideology of Terrorism In all three attacks one can be see a pattern developing. The method used can be broken down into two major aspects. The first one is the use of car bombs and the second part is the use of suicide bombers. Together these two formed a new kind of enemy which is currently being labeled as terrorists.Terrorism is not a very easy thing to comprehend and at the same time a difficult concept that one can put a handle on. As they say, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter is profoundly true in many respects. But there are still a few valid arguments that would separate the fanatics from a true soldier that is merely defending their homeland from a zealot who will even take pride in taking out non-combatants. In the case of the terrorists like members of the Hizbollah they attack those that are not even remotely interested in taking away their lands or their freedom.It is at this point when trying to decipher their actions is a mind boggling experience. This is perhaps the reason why the American soldiers stationed in Beirut at that time did not anticipate such savagery and suicidal intent because to their minds they were not their as oppressors but brokers of peace. And is it not that peace and goodwill are part of a universal language understood by all peoples of the world? Apparently the answer is no and it will take more than the scope of this paper to fully understand the enemy’s point of view.It is sufficient for the sake of this study to argue that the Americans made a very costly mistake. They approached the situation from a purely political standpoint. Lebanon was at war with Israel. So, they came in, putting lives and reputation on the line, being so sure that this would have been understood by the enemy as something worthy of respect, even admiration. But what they did not realize is the fact that there are heavy undercurrents opera ting just below the surface and it can be said that the American government was naive enough – at that point in time – not to understand all these.At that time the idea of fanaticism and radicalism was not fully understood. It has to be put in perspective that the nation of Israeli was still in its infancy. And this is a major issue that is driving the fanatics crazy; they do not want the existence of Israel in the Middle East. Now, here come the Americans with an offer to mediate between the two warring groups. Yet it was clear to all non-Israelis living in the Arab world that the Americans are partial to Israel. The American soldiers had no inkling that in these parts, no one saw them as peacekeepers but on the contrary they are enemy troops defiling a sacred land.It will be found out later that the attack was driven by ideology rather than a kind of nationalistic or ethnic motive driving the perpetrators. This is because the attack was state-sponsored not by Lebanon but by Iran (see CNN. com). According to Shai, the Marine barracks bombings was claimed to be the handiwork of the Islamic Jihad organization which was nothing more than a cover name for Pro-Iranian radical Shiite entities (2005, p. 91). Describing the attackers as a product of a movement or an ideology is not an accurate description.If one uses the argument of ideology then one should use Communism or Marxism as an example which is the struggle for an idea. Communists and Marxists would go to war for this idea and this is similar to what has transpired in the said attacks but there is something more to the suicide bombers than meets the eye. This is because they are not simply fighting for an idea but they are advancing a different kind of spirituality mixed with their own brand of politics. In fact it is difficult to see where politics end and where religion begins in the bombings that occurred in the 1980s and all those that followed subsequently.It is therefore more helpful to see the bombing from the perspective of some theorists like Tore Bjorgo who suggests that the perpetrators of the car bombings were terrorists and that they use methods or strategies of combat that, â€Å"†¦involves premeditated use of violence against (at least primarily) non-combatants in order to achieve a psychological effect of fear on others than the immediate targets† (2005, p. 2). These acts of terrorism are guided by a spiritual and political framework which makes it so difficult to anticipate and so hard to neutralize. Human nature is predictable, it is the preservation of ones own life.People will kill others for self-defense and they would even kill their friends for self-preservation but they will not offer their lives for others. In many instance a person will perhaps die trying to save someone but it is rare to see someone die to make a statement or to force others to do something. It is no wonder why the U. S. personnel were ill-equipped to neutralize a n ew type of enemy soldier that emerged in the battle grounds of the Middle East. The Aftermath From the definition above of terrorism one can say that the attack on the U. S. Marine barracks was unique because in a normal terrorist attack the targets are non-combatants.But in this case the terrorists were able to strike hard and fast against the intended target which are the soldiers. According to Shaul Shai, â€Å"One of the guidelines pertaining to the issue of suicide attacks require that the attack achieve exceptional results which can be applied as leverage for political or military changes, and inflict significant losses upon the enemy. In addition, the suicide terrorist must carry out his deed out of a sense of complete understanding and recognition regarding the value of his deed and his personal martyrdom† (2005, p. 91)Considering the above statement it can be argued that the terrorists responsible for the attack were indeed successful and that they achieved what they set out to do. With regards to the goal of creating leverage for political or military changes, Kushner – referring to the Embassy and Marine barracks attacks – alluded to how the terrorist group indirectly influenced the outcome of the political and military scenario. And Kushner wrote, â€Å"The double horror of these disasters led to a drop in public support of the U. S. military presence in Lebanon and hastened the withdrawal of U.S. and Western European troops from the country† (2003, p. 386). The attacks also achieved one of its primary goals which is to wage an effective psychological warfare over their enemies situated thousands of miles away. In a report to the former President Reagan, Vice-President George Bush made the following remarks, â€Å"Terrorism deeply troubles the American people. A Roper poll †¦ showed that 78 percent of all Americans consider terrorism to be one of the most serious problems facing the U. S. Government today †¦Ã¢ €  (Bush, 1987, p. 22).Conclusion The attack on the temporary U. S. Marines barracks on October 23, 1983 at Beirut, Lebanon was one of the deadliest ever. What makes it sadder is the fact that those who died were one of the best and brightest that the U. S. military forces could offer. They died not from combat but from the hands of a fanatical terrorist group that did not consider the fact that they came for peace. The Americans were given strict instructions on maintaining extreme tolerance. They were there to initiate a cease fire between Lebanon and Israel.For their noble efforts they were rewarded with a deadly car bomb that took 241 lives – most of them died in their beds without given a chance to defend themselves. The motivation is a crazy mix of politics, ideology, and religion. Conventional warfare is out of the question and the enemy is content in eliminating even non-combatants. In the case of the barracks bombing they felt double pleasure in knowing that they were not only able to take out American lives but also that they dealt a major blow to their primary targets which were the elite U. S. Marines.