Economics Assignment: Test Paper on Government Intervention

Economics Assignment: Test Paper on Government Intervention on the Price System Section A: MCQ 1. The following happens when subsidy is introduced by the government, except: a) Equilibrium price of the good decreases b) Supply curve of the good shifts to the right c) No shifts in the demand curve d) Market failure caused by positive externalities overcome 2. The market has failed if: a) Market price of the good decreases b) Many companies are going through a recession c) The opportunity cost of producing the good increases ) Excessive amount of resources is devoted for the production of a good 3. What could be the cause of too little production of a good? a) Increased opportunity cost of producing the good b) Social benefits are not considered c) Presence of negative externalities d) Private benefits are not considered 4. Which of the following is an example of market failure caused by moral hazard? a) A person mistreated with the wrong medicine by a doctor b) High production of ciga rettes in a market ) A lighthouse is not available as all fishermen waits for the other to purchase it d) Inaccessibility to education as private sectors monopolize the education sector and sets a very high price Section B: Case Study Indonesia successfully stabilized domestic rice prices for more than a quarter of a century from 1969 to 1996 (see graph below). During that period, domestic prices were roughly equal to world prices on average, but were substantially less volatile. 1. Describe what could cause the peak in the world rice prices in 1974. [2] 2.State and explain a method of government intervention that could cause the stable domestic rice prices in Indonesia and how it is used to stabilize the price. [5] 3. Draw the graph of the effects of the method you stated in (2) on the demand and supply of rice in Indonesia. [2] 4. State one disadvantage of using the method of government intervention you stated in (2). [1] Section C: Essay 1. Explain the problems caused by external ities and how it can lead to market failure. [8] 2. What are some methods of government intervention and what are the advantages and disadvantages on using these methods? 8] [Virginia – JC1 Cromwell] ANSWER KEY Section A: MCQ 1. C 3. B 2. D 4. A Section B: Case Study 1. Rightward shift of the world demand curve/ leftward shift of the world supply = higher EP 2. Maximum price control & price stabilization policies to lessen the effects of unplanned fluctuations in rice supply which is price volatility. [1 for stating, 1-2 for explanation] -how: -purchase excess stocks during surplus production, release buffer stocks during shortage -result: roughly stable supply = stable price [2-3 for how] [max marks 5] 3. 1 for correct demand and supply curve, 1 for drawing maximum price] 4. Do not promote efficiency/protect farmers from full competition in world markets Section C: Essay 1. definition of externalities [1] private, social and external costs [1] * negative externalities: socia l cost-private cost (external cost) [3] lead to overproduction (external costs ignored by decision maker, price will be lower) too many resources devoted for production = market failure * positive externalities: social benefits>private benefits 3]lead to underproduction (social benefits ignored, leftward demand curve) too little resources devoted for production = market failure 2. definition of gov. intervention [] methods: regulation, taxes, subsidies, state production * taxes advantages: Reduce/overcome negative externalities Raise gov. ’s revenue. This revenue could be spent on alternatives disadvantages: Difficult to measure the level of negative externality e. g. what is the cost of pollution from a car? Not effective for goods which have inelastic demand subsidies advantages: Reduce/overcome positive externalities, higher demand for merit goods disadvantages: expensive, gov. could impose higher taxes to cover the cost of subsidies may encourage ineffeiciency in firms as they rely on gov. aid * maximum price control advantages: lower price for consumers, price is less volatile or stable disadvantages: lead to lower supply causing shortage, shortage leads to waiting lists and possible emergence of black markets as people try to overcome shortage

Ethical Health Care Issues Essay

Breast Cancer is a serious issue that affects almost every woman worldwide, either directly as someone diagnosed with cancer, or indirectly through the illness of a loved one (Women’s Health Resource, 2014). Breast Cancer is found in women, in their twenties and thirties, and those with a family history of the disease. In 2006, approximately 212,920 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed in the United States alone (Women’s Health Resource, 2014). The case scenario will discuss the ethical and legal issues regarding a 25 year old female patient stricken with breast cancer, who refuses treatment for the disease, in addition to the four (4) ethical principles, (a) autonomy (respect for persons), (b) justice, (c) beneficence, and (d) non-maleficence. Case Scenario A 25 year old female patient made an appointment with her primary care physician because she discovered a lump in her breast after a routine check. On the day of the appointment, the physician examined her breast, and made a referral for her to visit and oncologist, who specializes in the diagnoses and treatment of cancer. There are three types of oncologists. They are (a) medical oncologist (uses medicine (chemotherapy) to treat cancer), (b) radiation oncologist (uses radiation to treat cancer), and (c) surgical oncologist (treats cancer with surgery) (The Denise Roberts Breast Cancer Foundation, 2009). The patient schedules an appointment with the oncologist, who then will inform her of the diagnoses and treatments if needed as per the result of the biopsy. The result of the biopsy will confirm if the patient has breast cancer or not. Autonomy (respect for persons) acknowledges a person’s right to make choices, to hold views, and to take actions based on personal values and beliefs (Chowning et al., 2007). To refuse treatment, the patient must be legally and mentally capable, and 18 years or older. Parents with children under the age of 18, have the right to consent or refuse treatment for his or her child. Physicians also have a  moral and legal obligation to comply with a patient’s voluntary, informed refusal of life sustaining treatment, regardless of a physician’s judgment concerning the medical or moral appropriateness of this (Miller et al., 2000). A 25 year old patient with breast cancer refused medical treatment as suggested by the oncologist. Conflicts may arise with the patient as she made a decision to not receive care, which can ultimately lead to death. Death may be seen as a failure, rather than an important part of life (Smith, 2000). Upon receiving the patient choice to deny treatment, the oncologist is then obligated to inform, and educate the patient about the benefits of treatment, and risks associated with not receiving treatment. The patient has the right to deny treatment, even when the physician suggests the benefits of treatment. The following treatment options are available to the patient such as, lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and eventually, surgical reconstruction (Woman’s Health Resource, 2014). Autonomy When a patient refuses treatment to care for the disease, autonomy then becomes a bit challenging. While there may be opposing views in regard to treatment or non-treatment, medical professionals must respect the patient decision, and support the patient during this process, while delivering quality care (Stringer, 2009). The rules of law are based on ethical beliefs that are commonly held in our society. These basic ethical principles include respect for individual autonomy, beneficence (helping others), non-maleficence (not harming others), and justice or fairness. Regardless of whether these ethical duties are derived from religious faith, natural law, or a social contract, these principles form the basis for the legal rules of our society (Harris, 2007). Beneficence The principle of beneficence means that the health care provider must promote the wellbeing of patients and avoid harming them (Rosenthal, 2006). When a patient refuses treatment(s), the health care professional must communicate the risks of not receiving treatment. The job of the health care professional is to provide quality of care to the patient, even when a patient refuses treatment. The health care professional must remain compassionate, as the patient expects the medical professional to still  treat him or her with dignity and respect. Non Maleficence Non Maleficence means to do no harm. Health care professionals must always strive to do their work without malice or the intention thereof to the patient (Ask.com, 2014). The health care provider is obligated to aid the patient to the best of his or her ability by providing benefits, protecting the patients’ interest, and improve wellbeing. To ensure that the patient is not harmed while refusing treatment, the health care professional can conduct a risk benefit analysis where research on the disease and various medications can be found. Upon his or her findings, the health care professional should explain the effects of treatment or non-treatment. Under non maleficence, there is a legal â€Å"duty to warn† third parties, which is a critical and legal concept (Rosenthal, 2006). Justice The principle of justice means to treat others equitably, distribute benefits or burdens fairly (Chowning et al., 2007). Health care professionals must provide patients with treatment alternatives, and not misinform the patient about any of the medical processes involved. The major issue with this principle is that economic barriers can interfere with access to appropriate therapies and medications (Rosenthal, 2006). The health care organization is required to provide services or care to a patient regardless of health care coverage. Patients should also be treated equally regardless of age, race, or ethnicity. Patients must be treated with dignity and respect, even though he or she may refuse care or treatment for their medical condition. Conclusion One of the most common place ethical dilemmas in the health care industry is a patient refusing treatment to care, as this action may threaten his or her wellbeing or health. The health care professional must determine what aspects of autonomy, beneficence, justice, and non-maleficence need to be used before providing care. A physician has the legal right to ensure and provide the patient with sufficient information about treatment plans, and care. Health care administrators must examine underlying issues such as competence of the patient, the distinction apparent, and refusal of care (Michels, 1981). In the case of the 25 year old patient, ethical issues were  present because her right to refuse treatment conflicted with the oncologist’s obligations to provide quality care to her. References Ask.com (2014). What Is Non Maleficence? Retrieved from http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-non-maleficence Chowning et al. (2007). An Ethics Primer. Seattle WA: Northwest Association of Biomedical Research. Retrieved from https://www.nwabr.org/sites/default/files/NWABR_EthicsPrimer7.13.pdf Harris (2007). Contemporary Issues in Healthcare Law and Ethics, 3e. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Michels, R. (1981). The Right to Refuse Treatment: Ethical Issues. American Psychiatric Association, 32(1), 251-255. Miller, F., Fins, J., & Snyder, L. (2000). Assisted suicide compared with refusal of treatment: a valid distinction? Annals of Internal Medicine, 132(6), 470-475. Rosenthal, M. S. (2006). Patient misconceptions and ethical challenges in radioactive iodine scanning and therapy*. Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology, 34(3), 143-50; quiz 151-2. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218613783?accountid=458 Smith, R. (2000). A good death: an important aim for health ser vices and for us all. British Medical Journal, 320(7228), 129-130. Stringer, S. (2009). Ethical issues involved in patient refusal of life-saving treatment. Cancer Nursing Practice, 8(3), 30-33. The Denise Roberts Breast Cancer Foundation (2009). Breast Health. Retrieved from http://www.tdrbcf.org/oncologist/index.html Women’s Health Resource (2014). Breast Cancer. Retrieved from http://www.wdxcyber.com/breast_home.html

Cheat Sheet Finance

* Sole proprietorships and partnership are subject to less regulations, easy and less expensive, no corporate inc tax. * Corporation easy to raise capital, transfer of ownership,limited liability ,unlimited life. * The conflicts between bondholders and stockholders can be reduced with the use of restrictive bond covenants. * Stockholders are more likely to prefer riskier projects, because they receive more of the upside if the project succeeds. * By contrast, bondholders receiving fixed payments are more interested in limiting risk. Bondholders are particularly concerned about the use of additional debt * Bondholders attempt to protect themselves by including covenants in bond agreements that limit the use of additional debt and constrain manager. * new shares of stock are being issued, this is a primary market transaction. * no new shares are created, this is a secondary market transaction * An initial public offering (IPO) is where a company issues stock in the public market for ? the first time. Its primary market. * Highly Inefficient:Small companies not followed by many analysts.Not much contact with investors. * Highly Efficient:large companies followed by many analysts. Good communications with investors. * Hedge funds have traditionally been unregulated. * derivatives can be used either to reduce risks or to speculate. * a larger bid-ask spread means the dealer will realize a higher profit. * Compensating managers with stock options can help reduce conflicts of interest between stockholders and managers, but if the options are all exercisable on a specific date in the near future, this can motivate managers to deceive stockholders. A stock is considered overvalued if its intrinsic value is smaller than its market value. * The income statement shows us the firm’s financial situation over a period of time. * Last year, Blanda Brothers had positive cash flow from operation; however, cash on its balance sheet decreased. which explain this? Answ:The c ompany purchased a lot of new fixed assets. * Company A and Company B have the same total assets, Return on Assets (ROA), and profit margin. However, Company A has higher debt ratio and interest expense than Company B. Which of the following statements is most correct?Company A has a higher ROE than Company B. * Double taxation refers to the fact that corporate income is subject to an income tax, and then stockholders are subject to a further personal tax on dividends received. Ace Industries has $2. 0 million in current assets and $0. 75 million in current liabilities. Ace decides to raise funds as additional notes payable and use them to increase inventory. How much can Ace’s note payable increase without pushing its current ratio below 1. 8? $0. 8125 million. A new firm is developing its business plan.It will require $600,000 of assets, and it projects $435,000 of sales and $350,000 of operating costs for the first year. The firm is quite sure of these numbers because of c ontracts with its customers and suppliers. It can borrow at a rate of 7. 5%, but the bank requires it to have a TIE of at least 5. 0, and if the TIE falls below this level the bank will call in the loan and the firm will go bankrupt. What is the maximum debt ratio the firm can use? 37. 8% Last year, Candle Corp had $200,000 of assets, $300,000 of sales, $20,000 of net income, and a debt-to-total-assets ratio of 40%.The new CFO believes a new computer program will enable it to reduce costs and thus raise net income to $30,800. Assets, sales, and the debt ratio would not be affected. By how much would the cost reduction improve the ROE 9. 00%? You want to buy a condo 5 years from now, and you can save $3,000 per year, beginning immediately. You will make 5 deposits in an account that pays 6% interest. Under these assumptions, how much will you have 5 years from today? $17,925. 9 You want to borrow $40,000 to buy a new car. You can afford to make monthly payments of $850, but no more.A ssuming monthly compounding, what is the highest rate you can afford on a 60-month APR loan? 10% You want to buy a new sports car from City Toyota for $62,000. The contract is in the form of a 48-month annuity due at a 9% APR. What will your monthly payment be? $1531. 39 Can the Effective Rate ever be equal to the nominal rate? a) Â  Yes, but only if annual compounding is used, i. e. , if M = 1. Why is it important to consider effective rates of return? a) Â  Investments with different compounding intervals provide different effective returns.A bank is offering you a credit card with an APR of 16%, compounded monthly. What is the Effective Annual Rate (EAR)? 17. 23% One year ago, you took out a 10-year, $15,000, interest-only loan. The APR on the loan is 7% and payments are to be made annually. What is the mount of the loan payment that is due today? $1050 A local charity receives annual income of $30,000 from a trust fund established by a generous donor several years ago. The tru st fund earns a fixed annual return of 6%. How much did the donor contribute to establish this fund? $500,000

China and Recession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

China and Recession - Essay Example This relationship was further enhanced and China adopted the same policies as that of the United States. It encouraged private sector companies to invest more and adopted a stance which America had already adopted. This stance adopted by China has grown since and is now a threat to go beyond the economy of America. This article would further examine the details of this bilateral trading relationship. 2 The trade deficit faced by the United States has risen up since the beginning of the 1990s. In 2004 this trade deficit relative to the Gross Domestic Product exceeded the mark of 5 percent. It is said that this deficit can be very dangerous once it reaches the mark of 4 percent. 3This deficit faced can ultimately fear the investors to run away from the United States economy. The relationship between China and the United States is known to be the most unbalanced. The products imported by the United States from China are more then the exports that are of $202 billion dollars per annum. The trade imbalance among these two countries is enhanced by the facts of China's working force and the consumer base. Most of the population in China still lives in the rural areas. This helps to the fact of lower working wages in China as the rural people in China are demanding less charges for labor. These low wages contributes to the lowering of the prices of the products. And hence the consumers pr efer the Chinese products over all the American products4. A new research done in Washington describes the trade deficit with China as a cost to the jobs in the United States of America. This research further found out that millions of jobs were lost due to the low wage workers of China. As the products made by the Chinese companies are cheaper the demand for them is increasing day by day. 5The poor consumers prefer using the Chinese products than that of the Americans; this is because of the lower rate of these products. The prices of clothes and electronics have decreased significantly due to the Chinese companies. The companies of the United States which have not been located in China have suffered major setbacks due to this trade deficit. The garment industry of America has been struck majorly by these blows. Home appliances and electronics are largely being manufactured in China and are being further sold in the United States.Devaluing of a certain currency is done to rectify t he problems one country is facing. It can help one country to get over the debts it is facing and would provide a path to the outsiders (civilians) to take advantage. As said by one of the Chinese man when dollar was devalued "I can travel more frequently and stay longer in my favorite cities as the currency is devalued". It helps in achieving the goals of social and economic integrity. Devaluing a currency can help the country to slim its trade deficit, can create jobs for the locals and can boost the exports. 6A situation arose for the United States in which the trade deficit was increasing every fiscal year and some strict action had to be taken against it. In response to this the United States devalued the currency of dollar to adjust to the monetary problems faced by it. This action taken by the United States is thought to have some effect on the relationship between the United States

ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION SYSTEM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION SYSTEM - Assignment Example These methods are for the industry of the electric power. Generation of electricity occurs at the power station by the generators of electromechanical, mainly fueled by nuclear fission or chemical combustion to drive the heat engines. Other means like wind and flowing water are used to generate kinetic energy (McKenna, 2009). The other sources of energy are inclusive of geothermal power and photovoltaic. Following the development of AC transmission power, the main power stations became practical economically. This was through the use of the transformers to transmit power with low energy loss at a high voltage. The first power plant was run on coal or water, and in the present the main reliable energy sources are nuclear, coal, hydroelectric, wind generators, petroleum and the natural gas. The other which is not relied much on is as follows; tidal power, solar energy and solar energy. This is the process of utilizing extracted steam or exhaust from a turbine for the purpose of heating, for example distilling petroleum in building heat or refinery. Prior to the introduction of the power stations, the commercial buildings and the big hotels would generate their very own power. (iv) Induction of Electromagnetic , in which case there is a dynamo, electrical generator or an alternator that change energy of motion which is kinetic energy into electricity. This is the most common form of generating electricity and has its basis on the law of Faraday. Turbines are all operated by the fluid that is acts as a middle carrier of energy. Most of the mentioned engines of heat energy are turbines. The other turbines types are driven by the falling water or wind. The sources are as follows:- (a) Geothermal power. Where hot water evaporates a boiling a liquid that is boiling for the creation of steam for driving the turbine. The turbine can also be driven by the underground steam which is under

Workplace smoking bans and perceived stress Article

Workplace smoking bans and perceived stress - Article Example A study was done to prove this hypothesis where a survey involving a 12-item job questionnaire is made to be answered by employees. This includes two categories of workplace smoking bans, with no ban being the reference category. Analysis controls would also determine an individual’s socio-demographic characteristics, occupational effects, health conditions and etc. A fixed-effects linear regression scale is used as a tool to control measured and unmeasured individual time-invariant confounders, which will strongly reveal the relationship between workplace smoking bans and work-related stress. The result of this study revealed the fact that there is a different relationship formed between workplace smoking bans (WSB) and work stress depending on different age groups. For males, who comprises the bigger smoking population, they experience higher stress caused by WSBs as compared to companies without smoking bans. Although the result is significantly similar with the females, there is quite a difference in estimates, specifically on the fact that younger females ages 18-40 years old would be highly stressed out in workplaces with smoking bans while older females ages 41-65 did not demonstrate any effect on WSBs with regard to their stress levels. Generally, workplace smoking bans directly increases work stress of young adult smokers and for people who has been smoking for a long time. Indeed, we can see the adverse effects of smoking and at the same time smoking bans. In response to it, protecting non-smokers and the environment through smoking bans is more reasonable and has greater positive effects rather than establishing a stress-free workplace. This is because of the fact that WSB’s do not only protect the general public and the earth but also helps smokers themselves by reducing smoking prevalence and intensity. Although little is known about

Organizational error that caused the failure of the space shuttle Essay - 1

Organizational error that caused the failure of the space shuttle Challenger launch - Essay Example Vaughan argues that NASA managers did not break any rules unlike reported before rather abided by them a bit too strictly. She has pointed out that rather it were the rules that kept on getting more and more accommodative each time a mission was accomplished successfully. Thus rules expanded like a rubber band, enclosing more and more dangers which previously turned out to be false assumptions. It was NASA’s culture where something which has worked once was assumed to work every time. O-ring seals were not a new problem but the previous successful launches prepared the managers’ mind that it is an acceptable risk. She argues that rather than developing new paradigms for unexpected consequences, people change the paradigms to accommodate the consequence or discard them at all. According to her, the same happened in the case of O-ring erosion where the risk level was reduced as the risk did not turn out to be as grave as previously thought. However the reduction in gravit y did not mean that the risk cannot become grave once coupled with some other risks. The O-ring erosion, sub-optimal temperatures & unexpected wind shears, all risks were expected to be less than grave, in the original paradigms but people failed to develop new paradigm for the combination. She has agreed that Challenger’s Disaster was a normal accident (p. 415) & normal accident always happen because of failure to develop new paradigms in extremely complex organization.

Review chapter 9( Design Approach in Ethics & Responsible Essay

Review chapter 9( Design Approach in Ethics & Responsible Administration) from the book (The Responsible Administrator...) and chose any article and make relation - Essay Example Again the chapter advocates that ethical issues should be reflected on so that the best alternatives for the solutions can be arrived at. It does not advocate for set standards or guidelines for any ethical situation ( Cooper, 2012). Consequently, this chapter arrives at three key points, the first one being that all ethical problems have solutions, only the alternatives differs and as such the implications. Secondly, the public administrative role ought to have an appropriate approach and lastly, a well-designed approach is very significant while solving any ethical problem. In the Journal of Public Affairs Education (2011), it has been spelt out that the American constitution is the foundation for public administration theory and practice. In this constitution lies the basic code of conduct by a public administrator. Hence this is the basic approach applied while solving ethical issues. In addition, the author notes that if the utilization and misuse of administrative discretion is thoroughly evaluated then it results as being another positive relationship between the rule of law and competent public sector management methods ( Sharpe, 2011). However, the constitution should not be a limiting factor for any public administrator. There are those situations that call for individual judgment. As such, those entitle to train public administrators should enlighten the students on where the limits of the constitution lies. In essence the above points are very much in line with the three key points outlined in this chapter by Cooper. The approaches need to solve an ethical situation is very important. In fact, these approaches are imbedded in the constitution and other codes of conduct that the public administrator abides by. However, there are other factors that should be looked into apart from the constitution and these ethical codes. Such

Trace evidence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Trace evidence - Research Paper Example â€Å"He put the analysis of handwriting on a firmer footing, systematized the analysis of the dust in the clothes of suspects, invented a modified method of analyzing blood stains, and invented poroscopy, whereby the pores in the papillary ridges of fingerprints are used as a means of identification† (Stauffer, n.d.). The term â€Å"trace evidence† surfaced as three of Dr. Edmond Locard’s papers got published in the year 1930 in the American Journal of Police Science (forensics4fiction.com, 2012). According to Locard’s Exchange Principle, there occurs a transfer of material when two objects collide. The transferred trace evidence is used to assess relationships and connections among different objects, locations, and people. The significance of the trace evidence fundamentally depends upon the quality of detection in general, and the collection and preservation of the evidence in particular. The investigator must be able to understand the transfer of mater ial in order to interpret the analytical results. There has occurred a revolutionary change in the crime investigation techniques over the years. In the past, it was difficult to associate a hair found at the crime spot with a suspect because of the coating of conditioner upon it. The officers investigating a case of rape or murder looked for the traces of semen or blood, but lacked proper ways of collecting the evidence. However, new and improved detection techniques are reducing the complexity of crime investigation, thus enhancing the chances of success. Detecting the link between an object or an individual and the crime is often fundamental to the successful solution of the case. These links are conventionally developed by comparison of the trace evidence. Establishment of these links is made complicated by the similarity between the samples of trace evidence and the environments in which they are located. Four of the new techniques of trace evidence, which have

Societies and cultures Essay Example for Free

Societies and cultures Essay Societies and cultures in olden times used to live in isolation as means of transport were very slow. Men either travelled from one place to another on foot or animals like horses and camels were used. Cultural exchange used to take place when the invaders overran a country or traders came. The process of Globalization has been initiated by faster means of travel sophisticated technological advancement in communication like media and the internet boom. It has made information available to an individual at the click of a button . There is lot of foreign investment which entails creation of job opportunities. As a result economic prosperity and ideas of the developed nations are being incorporated in the societies of these countries. a kind of cultural exchange is taking place as trade and commerce is flourishing. Multinational companies are bringing western ideas to the developing nations. The term globalization was almost a nonentity before1990 ((Lewellen, 2002, p. 7) It is catch phrase of the contemporary society. According to Stanley Barrett â€Å"Human society is in the process of being transformed to a degree possibly not seen since the Industrial Revolution. The process can be summed up by the term globalization. † (Stanley Barrett 1999:258). The result of these interactions is asocial change in different cultures. Family is a basic unit of society in any culture. It is an institution which stands for cohesion solidarity, social order and continuity. The challenges faced by this building block of society is very important as A contrasting study of the families of the developed country like America and a developing country like India is going to elucidate the changes that are being brought about by globalization. The Family unit in U. S has undergone a lot of transformation some of the indicators can be the number of children living with both the parents in 1963 was 91% and it declined to 73% in 1997. (Waite Nielsen, 2001, p. 25) The formation of family revolves traditionally around marriage . The age at which the first marriage is taking place has steadily increased . In 1950s the young women married at the age of 20 but it has increased to 28 yrs as women are more and more getting career oriented. Late marriages are also responsible for decrease in fertility rate. The population decline has many factors but it is one of the major reasons of decline. Single person household are accounted for 20% homes in case of males and 12% in case of females in United States in 1970. The striking similarity between both the countries is that they single family is by and large headed by women . There are other factors which are responsible for the decline of the family in America. It is very interesting that though the age at which first marriages are taking place has increased to an average of 28 years in case of females but the age at first incidence of premarital sex has declined. It has become and accepted behavior by the society . it is no more considered an abnormal behavior. United States is among the leading countries as far as pregnancies out of wedlock are concerned. India is as far as premarital sex is concerned quite conservatives . The exact figures of Premarital sexual encounter is largely undocumented as there is a stigma attached to it. Although it can be quite reliably said that a kind of sexual liberalism is in the making . The acceptance and the prevalence of Valentines day is indicator of the acceptance of these ideas Till the till the 1990 s it was an enigma but now every town and city is reverberating to these ideas . It would be wrong to say that promiscuity was not an acceptable social practice . Especially the Hindu culture is full of the examples of the sexual liberalism. In fact it is the reason why the western concept of cohabitation and sexual freedom gained so much popularity. Various forms of family are there in United States like the extended family, the single-parent family, the â€Å"blended family† (where previously married spouses with children remarry), and the â€Å"part-time-parent† family (where a parent is only with the rest of the family for weekends). Changes in the structure of the family is severely effect the health and well being of children The divorce rate is very high in American society . More than half of the marriages end up getting divorced and it has been studied that children of such households have more likelihood of cohabiting and premarital sex which can result in pregnancies (Le Bourdais et al1998) Children in single parents family have lower academic excellence both at high school and university level. Marriage is a precursor to the formation of the family. It is very sacred institution in which there is no escape. The Indian society is primarily a patriarchal society and male members are the bread winners and the bearer of authority. Women’s role at the best can seen as complementary she is considered as an ardhangini or the other half. The economic independence and the transportation of the Ideas of equality coupled with the emphasis on the material wellbeing have resulted in the acceptance of the women working outside the precincts of their homes. There is consistent increase in the incidence of the family of nuclear family and the reasons of this rise is urbanization, industrialization, globalization and decrease in the fertility rates since 1961 (Niranjan, Nair Roy, 2005) The southern India which has lower fertility rates have seen a shrinking the family size . The size of he family dependent on the economic status as upper class have lesser tendency to form a nuclear family . it is independent of the caste and religion. Class is a predominant aspect of most of the nation states. The major distinction between the haves and the have not is of relevance to most societies . The class system in the Indian society is very rigid as those who are born in a particular class can not move up the hierarchy come what they may do. The Varna system is a social system was based on skills and qualification . Asocial change was seen as a result of the modernization and interaction with the west in the form of the colonial occupation. Since the middle class is the most representative of the society of any country . Therefore it has been taken as indicator of the change . The organization or the structure of the family remains the same irrespective of the class distinction. The social class in the American society is strictly on the basis of the economic standing of the individuals . It is broad spectrum of society that can range from the Janitor to the manager. We are contrasting the effect of globalization on a middle class family of the developing country like India and the developed country like America. The middle class in India comprises of a mosaic of various culture and religion. Class does play an important role in the character and the speed of the changes that are occurring as a result of the globalization. In the present context class in the Indian society is being defined more by the economic status than by the social order of the olden times which owed its existence to the Vanaashramdharama. It is the economic compulsions which is resulting in the middle class families in India to move away from the traditional model of family to amore western concept There are certain similarities how these changes have been perceived in both the American and the Indian middle class like the acceptance of the role of women in the mainstream has been gradual. There are differences between the middle class of the two countries . India is by far more conservative as far as the role of women in society is concerned . Household duties is still the pejorative of the women . She is doubly burdened as she has keep the hearth as well as earn to enhance the material wellbeing of her family members THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCE Globalization is seen by many as an economic phenomenon as there is an influx of capital in the national economy. There is an immense interaction of the local economy with the international market. The economic changes that are taking place as a result of globalization are having an impact on the family structure of the developing countries like India . We are seeing a shift from the joint family system to the nuclear family structure. Many factors contributed to the disintegration of the joint family. Multinational companies have captured the national economies and hence a lot of job opportunities have been created. Women are increasingly becoming economically independent . This is a step towards an empowerment of women but it doesn’t indicate that all sorts of gender bias that have traditionally been prevalent in the Indian family structure has been eradicated. Family structure provided a kind of social security net for the most vulnerable members of our society . The old and the infirm and kids enjoyed the security and safety of their homes. The multinational companies have entered the Indian market and are eroding the value system of the traditional societies. There is a prevalence of dual earners in the middle class as a result the moms are not performing their traditional roles of caregivers which were unpaid labor. However the increase in the income of the middle class family has lead to increase in the living standards of the average middle class family. These trends is result of globalization as the in the west working women is the norm of society. The economic independence of women was precursor to a higher divorce rate in the contemporary Indian society. Many women are opting out of abusive marriages as they are economically independent. Despite this fact the divorce rate in India is among the lowest. It stands at 1. 1%where as in America it is 54. 8% according to Wikipedia. The Indian society is in transition and divorce and remarriages are slowly gaining acceptability. It is difficult to get the exact figures of divorce rates because the divorces are filed at the local courts. The women seeking information on how to obtain a divorce through telephone helpline of The Delhi Commission for Women has increased from 20% to 2000% Traditionally marriages in the Indian society could not be annulled it was a sacrosanct relationship and there was no way of getting out of it. Liu is quoted by Science Daily said â€Å"Not only the United States, but also other countries, including developing countries such as China and places with strict religious policies regarding divorce, are having more divorced households, The family structure historically had a survival and welfare function . The member of a family like the women and the children were economically dependent on the male earning member for the fulfillment of their needs The Indian family system was primarily patriarchal . despite the fact that Indian family has various strains because of the different cultures and religion practiced One thing that I common is the fact that it is primarily a male centered unit . The call centre culture is a recent phenomena and the impact of it on the Indian society is by and large undocumented . The new found economic independence of the youth is disturbing the hierarchical structure of the family system. The parental authority is continuously diminishing as the offspring are becoming economically independent. There is shift from parental authority to Co-operation from obedience to exploration. It is a commonplace experience in the Family structure of The American society that the unmarried children who are above 18 years of age to go and live outside the family home . The new found economic independence can be seen as a precipitator of the same trend. The traditional role of women as caregivers has seen a paradigm shift as they are more and more employed and a shift towards smaller families have created a situation in which caring for the elderly and sick is becoming difficult . there is lot of geographic mobility and the lower fertility rates are contributing to the unavailability of persons that can act as care givers. There is an absence of social security net for the elderly consequently they are the worse hit There are no alternatives for them the old homes are either in bad shape or they are not available. In grave contrast to their American counterparts they are rich The old are a target of the advertizing agencies as they have a lot of spending power. The elderly population which can be used as a source of education and the influence of social class on families. Are there similarities in families of same social class in different culture? Whose influence is more culture or economics EFFECT OF GLOBALIZATION ON FAMILIES Globalization has brought the modern concept of individual freedom at the doorstep of the developing nations . The demand for the excellence of the individual creates a tension which not only felt by him but by the entire family . It is affecting the parent offspring relationship. The emphasis on material success has disturbed the proviso institution and it has created a problem for the aged and the week and the children who have lost a caregiver . Some of the positive aspect of Globalization is women emancipation and lowering of the fertility rate and poverty . These are problems that the developing nations are facing Globalization has decreased if not completely eradicated this problem. REFERENCES Hertz and Nancy L. Marshall UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley  · Los Angeles  · London year 2001 Lewellen, 2002, p. 7The anthropology of globalization. SAHER MAHMOOD and SOMINI SENGUPTA As Mores Evolve, India’s Divorced Seek Second Chance. Retrieved March 30, 2008 from: http://www. nytimes. com/2008/02/14/world/asia/14remarry. html? _r=2ref=worldoref=sloginoref=slogin Waite Nielsen, 2001, p. 25. Working Families The Transformation of the American Home edited Rosanna

Logistics management and international logistics management

Logistics management and international logistics management The literature overview relates to the problem area occur when the penetration to foreign market presented in chapter one. Firstly, I will describe definition of logistics management and international logistics management. Second, I will thrash out the reason of a logistics management start international operations. Further, I will talk about theories regarding the market selection. Next, I will present the different types of channels of distribution and the process for choose a representative in the foreign market. Lastly, I will end this chapter with environmental of logistics. 2.1 LITERATURE OF INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT Definition of logistics management and international logistics management Generally logistics refers to the inbound and outbound flow and storage of goods , services, and information within and between organisations (Gundlach et al, 2006). The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), which is the pre-eminent professional organisation for academics and practitioners in the logistics field, formed in 1963, defined logistics management as that part of supply chain management that plans, implements and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods ,services, and related information between the point of origin and the the pont of consumption in order to meet customers requirements (see www.cscmp.org) This definition has resulted from numerous changes in the process to understand logistics (see Table 1). Table 1: The Development of Logistics Management (source) Period Development Prior to the 1980s Logistics was primarily concerned with the outbound flow of finished goods and services, with an emphasis on physical distribution and warehouse management. As a managerial activity, logistics focused on its role to support an organisations business strategy and to provide time and place utility. During the 1980s The industry globalisation and transportation deregulation led to the expansion of logistics beyond outbound flows to include recognition of materials management and physical distribution as important elements. In 1986, CLM (now CSCMP) defined logistics as the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods, and related information flow from point of origin to point of consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements (see www.clm1.org). During the 1990s Logistics was defined as the process of strategically managing the procurement, movement and storage of materials, parts and finished inventory and related information flow through the organisation and its marketing channels. The definition was changed as a result of accelerated market changes due to shrinking product lifecycles, demand for customisation, responsiveness to demand, and increased reliance on information (Christopher, 1998). During the 2000s These years experienced further changes as to how logistics is defined. Development in international trade, supply chain management, technology and business process re-engineering generated a need to re-evaluate the logistics concept. As a result, in 2001, it was defined as that part of supply chain process that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services and related information from the point of origin to the point of consumption in order to meet customer requirements. * Adapted from Gundlach, G.T.; Bolumole, Y.A.; Eltantawy, R.A. and Frankel, R., (2006), The Changing Landscape of Supply Chain Management, Marketing Channels of Distribution, Logistics and Purchasing, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, Vol.21/7, pp 428-438. The internationalization process of logistics is the best way that a supplier in one country are transferred procurement, transportation, storage, processing, collating, distribution, marketing and information are tied in and commodities to a demander in another country with the lowest cost and minimum risk, keeping goods quality, quantity and timely. The essence of Internationalization of logistics is the principle of collaboration with the international division of labors in accordance with international practice, the use of international logistics networks, logistics facilities and logistics technology and achieve global flows and exchange of goods and services to promote regional economic development and the optimal allocation of resources in the world (YANG 2003). 2.2 CHANGE AGENT A change agent is an event, organization, material thing or, more usually, a person that acts as a catalyst for change. In business terms, a change agent is a person chosen to bring about organizational change. Corporations often hire senior managers or even chief executives because of their ability to effect change. An internal change agent is usually a staff person who has expertise in the behavioral sciences and in the intervention technology of OD. 2.2.1Internal Change Agents Internal change agents will affect the organization from within. These are  individuals working for the organization who know something about its problems and has experience of improving situation in the same organization .The entry of new employee can view as the possibilities of prolonging the life cycle for a goods via internationalization. 2.2.2External Change Agents External change agents are those that have influence on the organizational from the outside. These are outside consultants who are temporary employed in the organization to remain engaged only for the duration of the change process. External change agents usually do not implement plans or take responsibility for decision making. Supporting change leaders and programming and project teams in negotiating the transition between the current state and the desired future state is the preoccupation of external change agent. External change agents facilitating, through coaching, mentoring and knowledge transfer, the development of new skills and behaviour in others. 2.3 Motives for foreign expansion There are many reasons for a company going expand to foreign country. Most of them are market related. The market related motivations to expand their business divided to proactive and reactive motivations. Proactive motives are motives that stimuli organizations to attempt strategy change, based on the firms interest in exploiting unique competences or market possibilities. Reactive motives are motives which the organization not influence over the threat or pressures and adjust passively to them by changing its activities over time. Czinkota Ronkainen indicate that proactive organizational go international because they want to, however, reactive organizational because they have to. Several disadvantages will occur when an organization operation in a foreign market compared to the domestic competitors. As a result, an organization must build some advantages to get established in the new market compared to the domestic market. 2.3.1 PROACTIVE MOTIVATIONS FOR LOGISTIC MANAGEMENTS Accordingly to Ross,1995, proactive motivations occurs when the enterprise make a decision to expand their operations into foreign markets. The proactive motivation are defined as Profit advantage Products Exclusive information Managerial urge Tax benefits Economies of scale Usually, an enterprise perceive that internationalization will provides a great opportunity of increasing profits, which also the most well-known reason for internationalization . An enterprise will produce a product or service ,which is not readily existing in foreign markets. The product or service may be very attractive on foreign market, due to technological advantages of the production process, which gives the enterprise gain a competitive advantage over the domestic enterprises.(Czinkota Ronkainen,1995) The next reason for export is that numerous enterprises realized the home market is too small and cannot afford to extend product at domestic market. Besides that, an enterprise may also acquired knowledge about the foreign market than other competitor which do not have. Thus, enterprise will initiate steps towards the internationalization process. Further, when an enterprise start to export, the domestic government may exploit the tax benefit to the enterprise. Lastly, an enter prise can obtain economies of scales as their advantage through export activities. The economies of scales means produce larger volumes then will diminish the cost per unit produced. 2.3.2 REACTIVE MOTIVATIONS FOR LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT When the domestic industry outlook is not attractive, the enterprise will try to penetrate foreign market, to decreased their resource commitments at domestic country. The reactive motivation are defined as: Competitive pressures Overproduction Declining domestic sales Saturated domestic market Excess capacity Relationships Unsolicited order The high competition on the domestic industry or overproduction during the economic decline, might affect the enterprises profitability. Thus, the enterprise try to seek new markets abroad. Declining domestic sales occur when a product reaching the declining stage of the product life cycle and a saturated domestic market will lead an enterprise to export their product to foreign market, in order to prolong the lifetime of a certain product. Additional, if the enterprise has excess capacity ,internationalization may aid the enterprise in reaching the desired production level in order to reduce the fix cost per unit produced.(CzinkotaRonkainen, 1995) .On top of that, some enterprise want to maintain or defend its position in a particular business network, therefore, they may be enforced to face internationalization process..Last but no least, the enterprise may fit into exporting sector because of the unsolicited order. 2.4 FOREIGN MARKET MODE OF ENTRY A foreign market mode of entry is a channel which enables the enterprises product, human skills, management, technology or other resources, to enter into a foreign country. The choice of market entry mode is a vital strategic decision for firms intending to carry out business overseas. A number of definitions of different modes of entry exist. Hedman (1993) classifies the modes of entry as indirect , direct and alternatives to export. However, Hedmans model does not assume joint venture as entry mode ,which other authors such as Jeannet Hennessey,1988;Root 1994b;Ross,1995 identify as an entry mode.Joint ventures will be presented under heading 2.4.3.4. Most models of foreign market mode of entry is due to limited resources , therefore ,enterprises initially penetrate a foreign market through indirect export methods. Indirect paths to internationalization are those whereby small firms are involved in exporting, sourcing or distribution agreements with intermediary companies who manage, on their behalf, the transaction, sale or service with overseas companies (Fletcher, 2004). Export intermediaries play an important middleman role in international trade, linking individuals and organizations that would otherwise not have been connected (Peng and York, 2001, 328). Small and new ventures use intermediaries toovercome knowledge gaps, find customers and reduce uncertainties and risks associated with operating in foreign markets (Terjesen et al., 2008) The mode of entry will switches to direct export such as agents, distributors, and sales branches, when the enterprise becomes more dynamic in international business. Direct export known as the producer will conduct the distribution activities to a foreign agent or importer or to the end customer directly Selecting the channel of distribution is a long-term strategic decision and need to build long-term relationships and the necessity of stimulating cooperation among distribution alliance partnersMehta et al., 2001 R. Mehta, T. Larsen, B. Rosenbloom, J. Mazur and P. Polsa, Leadership and cooperation in marketing channels: a comparative empirical analysis of the United States, Finland, and Poland, Int Mark Rev 18 (2001), pp. 633-666. View Record in Scopus | Cited By in S. Distribution channels defined as the external contractual groups that firms cooperation to accomplish their distribution objectives (Rosenbloom, 2004 B. Rosenbloom, Marketing channels: a management view, South-Western, Mason (OH) (2004).Rosenbloom 2004). The chosen channel will affect the enterprises effectiveness and efficiency for as long as it is operating (Doyle, 1994). As a result, the enterprise should plan a long-term strategy and evaluate the own enterprisess future economical abilities, before select distribu tion channel. 2.4.1 INDIRECT EXPORT Indirect export is a chain that connect with the exporting enterprise with a domestic middleman in the target foreign country and link to the end customer as a final point(Akhter,1996). Export intermediaries often help their clients to identify customers, financing and distribution infrastructure providers (Balabanis, 2000). Intermediaries also help firms in overcoming knowledge gaps of the local market , reduce uncertainties and risks associated with operating in foreign markets. Firms may hire export intermediaries because they perform certain functions related to exporting without large investments, with low start up costs and few risks better than the firm itself could. Firms may hire export intermediaries because they perform certain functions related to exporting better or at lower costs than the firm itself could, for example because they possess country-specific knowledge that the firm lacks (Li, 2004) . For this reason Peng and Ilinitch (1998) argue that manufacturers may be more likely to use intermediaries when entering foreign markets. Export intermediaries can also help firms to save costs associated with searching new customers and monitoring the enforcement of contracts (Peng and York, 2001) as well as to help access intermediaries contacts, experience and knowledge of foreign markets (Terjesen et al., 2008). According to Hedman (1993), indirect export may work in three ways: through a trading firm ,an export merchant and an export agent. 2.4.1.1 Trading firm An export trading firm is an alliance among a few local small and medium enterprise (SME) to export their product to a target country. They will do export as teamwork to developing and penetrating a target country rather than do it single-handedly. Those firms cooperate to reduce export costs and risks while can develop market research to find new export business opportunities Firms that team-up for exporting can negotiate favorable rates on transportation, insurance and other export services .However ,a trading firm is independent when it operate in a foreign market(Hoagland,1996) 2.4.1.2 Export through an export agent Export agent is buyers in foreign countries who will buy products from enterprise and sell it abroad in their country. The agent usually awards the lowest bidder with the order and sell it with receives commission as compensation for their effort. Normally, the payment for export agent is received almost immediately plus there is very little effort required to complete the sale. Therefore, the manufacturer can get access to a larger market with minimum cost and risk . The manufacturers reputation is the largest risk when the manufacturer choosing export agent in foreign market. The manufacturer absolutely looses their control of the export activities after they select an export agent to help them sell their product in foreign market. 2.4.1.3 Export through an export merchant An export merchant acts as a kind of international wholesaler (Ross,1995). An export merchant seeks out needs in foreign markets and negotiates with a manufacturer. After makes purchases from manufacturers, the goods are exported to the waiting buyer. After having the merchandise packed and marked to specifications, the export merchant resells the goods in its own name. The export merchant normally specializes in a particular line of products or in a particular geographical market area where they have been operating during a longer a longer period. Sometime it sells the goods with the original suppliers labels or puts its own label. 2.4.2 Direct export Direct export may be conducted in three ways: (1) directly to the final customer,(2) with the help of a representative or (3) through the exporting enterprises own establishment (Hedman, 1993). The enterprise will confront with higher investment risks when they conduct export their product through direct link to foreign country. On the other hand, the enterprise may gain potential profit margin and the cost for transaction between home country n host country will drop. 2.4.2.1 Export directly to the final customer When conduct direct export without going through an intermediary in the home country to develops an overseas channel so that it deals directly with a foreign party, the exporting enterprise takes hold of all exporting activities. Therefore, they have to conduct their marketing research, investigations, transportation and documentation (Young et al .,1989 ). The advantages of directly to final customers is active market exploitation and greater control to the transaction in the host country. On top of that, the channel also improves communication and consistency. However, it is a difficult channel to handle if the manufacturer is unfamiliar with the foreign market and causing time consuming and expensive. 2.4.2.2 Export through a representative Export through a representative have played a crucial role in the development of the internationalization process. A representative is an intermediaries in the foreign market which have their own market organization that separated from the exporting enterprise . The company can determine to adapt the quantity of the home-based sales representative travel abroad at certain times to take orders or find business. Those enterprise want to penetrate the foreign market but afraid of the risk can find an experienced intermediaries to help them start their operation in foreign country. This is because those intermediaries obtain the knowledge about the country and may efficiently locate the product to the final customer. Agent An export agent, is an intermediary or trading company that acts on behalf of a company to open up or develop a market in a foreign country. However, the agent does not take title to the products and gives the exporter to take part in the planning and monitoring of the marketing activities. Export agents usually paid a commission on all sales and may have exclusive rights in a particular geographic area. A good agent will know or get to know local market conditions, which the exporting enterprises lack. An agent just carrying out part of the operations on behalf of the exporter, the exporter owns the product until it is sold to the final customer. The exporter has responsible for the customers risks because of the agent does not do not handle the products .The role of the export agent is to evaluate the export potential of the local manufacturers products, advertise them abroad, look for foreign buyers, place orders with the manufacturer, or arrange for, the documentation, take care of shipments and insurance once a sale has been made. Distributor Distributor is a firm located in the foreign market that purchase goods, re-label them with their own name, brand or trademark and then sell them as their own products. Foreign distributors are the backbone for many export manufacturerBello, D.C. and Lohtia, R., 1995. Export channel design: the use of foreign distributors and agents. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 23 2, pp. 83-93 Full Text via CrossRef | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus. These export intermediaries possess crucial contacts with foreign buyers, strong local-market knowledge, and the ability to provide sophisticated marketing services. Distributors usually has a close relationship with the exporter and given the exclusive right to sell the product. They typically provide complementary services to their buyers, such as maintenance, parts sales, and technical assistance. On top of that, the distributor will assist the export enterprise by running processing orders, stock foreign inventories, grant buyer credit n delivery. Entering foreign market with using distributors is less risky and payment will get directly after transaction. This methods allow SMEs with limited resources to operate in major markets and companies with significant resources to offer their products and services in smaller markets. 2.4.2.3 Export through an own establishment Export through an own establishment usually is a company-owned export department for a enterprise sells their product directly to companies or final customers in the foreign market.The enterprise has full control over export activities such as the marketing and distribution of its goods and services, and coordinates research, distribution, sales, marketing, pricing, and legal. This department usually consists of an export sales manager with some clerical assistants. Export through an own establishment is an expensive way but very effective for enterprise to conduct their business in foreign market. Sales office An enterprise starting a sales office in a foreign market have to be establish new relationships in the foreign business network .Enter a foreign market with sales office is very costly n time consuming. This is because establish a sales office in foreign market required a high level of resources n effort into the market. , however, it is the best way to enterprise to obtain the knowledge of the local market. Branch A branch office established facilitate sales in the foreign market . They is an intermediary who selling products and providing support services to the manufacturers sales force .A sales branch allows the manufacturer to achieve greater presence and programme control in the foreign market. The role of sales branch handle sales is distribute product and managing warehouse and promotion. It often serves as a display centre and customer service centre in the foreign market. However, there are no manufacturing is done at this location. Subsidiary An export sales subsidiary basically removes the export function from the parent company and places the function in a separate wholly owned subsidiary. The export subsidiary purchases goods from the parent company, then resells it on their country. Export subsidiaries is able to add products from outside the parent company in order to round out its product line, and is able to separate out costs and expenses more efficiently than an internal department. On top of that, export subsidiaries can also develop into centre of excellence, controlling critical resources that other parts of the MNE depend upon Holm and Pedersen, 2000 U. Holm and T. Pedersen, The emergence and impact of MNC centres of excellence, A subsidiary perspective, Macmillan Press Ltd, Houndsmills (2000).. 2.4.3 Alternatives to export A lot enterprise realized the importance of expanding their business internationally. However, there are several obstacles to internationalization for firms in the developing world. One of these is a lack of information and knowledge about foreign markets. In such case, licensing or franchising might be the right choice (CzinkotaRonkainen, 1995). 2.4.3.1 License manufacturing Licensing is another easy way to for a manufacturer to involve in international marketing with a limited degree of risk. Licensing occurs when an enterprise within the foreign market, the licensee, make an agreement with the licensor who offering the right to use a manufacturing process, trademark rights, patent rights, or trade secret of value for a fee or royalty. The licensee will produce the licensors products and market these products in his assigned territory. After that, the licensee will pay the licensor royalties related to the sales volume of the products. The producing enterprise hereby escapes expensive toll and other trade barriers, exchange fluctuations, high transportation costs and political risks(Root,1987). The disadvantage of licensing is the firm has less control over the licensee than if it had set up its own production facilities. After few years, once the know-how is transferred, the foreign firm may begin to act on its own and the international firm may theref ore lose that market. Therefore, the licensor must establish a mutual advantage in working together, and a key to doing this is to remain innovative so that the licensee continues to depend on the licensor. 2.4.3.2 Franchising Franchising is an entrepreneurial activity that plays a crucial role in the creation of new jobs and economic developmentFalbe et al., 1998 C. Falbe, T. Dandridge and A. Kumar, The effect of organizational context on entrepreneurial strategies in franchising, Journal of Business Venturing 14 (1998), pp. 125-140.. In franchising, an exporting enterprise collaborates with a franchisee-entrepreneur to create economic value in a prescribed manner. The franchisee obtains the right to use franchisers, brand name, and marketing techniques to market goods or services. In return, the franchisee pays an up-front fee and ongoing royalties to the franchiser. Franchisees usually operate in local markets and communities, therefore, they can provide local knowledge to penetrate the foreign market. Thus, franchisees bring to the franchise system not just financial capital, but also a knowledge of geographic locations and labour markets, and their own managerial labour; that is they represent an effi cient bundled source of financial, managerial and information capital Dant, R.P. and Kaufmann, P.J., 2003. Structural and strategic dynamics in franchising. Journal of Retailing 79, pp. 63-75. Article | PDF (157 K) | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (24) ( Dant, R.P. and Kaufmann, P.J., 2003. Structural and strategic dynamics in franchising. Journal of Retailing 79, pp. 63-75. Article | PDF (157 K) | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (24)Dant and Kaufmann, 2003). The franchising tends to be more directly involved in the development and control of the marketing program. The main disadvantage of franchising is the level of the standardization of the product and service. Without a standardization there might be a risk of losing transferred know-how. (Hackett,1979) 2.4.3.3 Foreign direct investment(manufacture) Foreign market investment is the direct ownership of facilities in the foreign market. There are two ways for enterprise to enter foreign market through investment. The first option is make a direct acquisition or merger in the host market. The second option is develop its own facilities from the ground up. The reason that the firm invest in the foreign market may be the production in the foreign market is much cheaper . On top of that, the firm develops a deeper relationship with government , customers and local suppliers, so that make a better adaptation of its products to the local marketing environment.Glass and Saggi, 2002b A. Glass and K. Saggi, Licensing versus direct investment: implications for economic growth, Journal of International Economics 56 (2002), pp. 131-153. 2.4.3.4 Joint venture Joint venture is a contractual agreement between an international enterprise and foreign enterprise to execute a particular business. According to Fletcher and Brown (2004), joint venture is a second broad method of entering a foreign market to set up production and marketing facilities. in common with licensing. In joint ventures, the international firm has an equity position and a management voice in the foreign firm. Therefore, international firm better control over operations and also access to local market knowledge. The international firm has access to the network of relationships of the franchisee and is less exposed to the risk expropriation thanks to the partnership with the local firm. Previous studies (e.g., Blodgett (1992) L.L. Blodgett,Factors in the instability of international joint ventures: An event history analysis, Strategic Management Journal 13 (1992) (6), pp. 475-481. Full Text via CrossRefBlodgett, 1992; Geringer Hebert,1989; Merchant Schendel, 2000) have show n that equity ownership in a joint venture is an important determinant of its performance. This is because if the partner has different strategy than the international enterprise, it may lead to conflicting interests.

Developing High Quality Multimedia Products

Developing High Quality Multimedia Products Introduction: The increasing development of computer science including the web design in parallel to the huge revelation of media has resulted to an increase in multimedia content at the final product presented to the user (Martin Lynch, 2003). From this statement, we can immediately see the important role the multimedia is playing in our lives. We can hardly find a business product or a technical application that does not contain a multimedia content at the user interface level, in this paper we will be stating the best approach and methodology for Creating a high quality multimedia product with successful user interface. This methodology consists of including some important phases in the development process such as : Quality assurance, risk management and validation and verification, in order to get a maximum quality product ( sherwood Rout , 1998 ) and a content that is not noisy. Furthermore, to reach this objective, developers are obliged to consider the Human Computer Interaction discipline, in order to get interactive computer systems for human use (Hewett et al, (n.d.)). Concerning the evaluation of the final product, the multimedia interface needs to be evaluated on its usability and its purity, simplicity and beauty (Martin, Bolissian pimenidis, 2003). To recapitulate what we have said above, multimedia industry is facing many problems, such as â€Å" Noise â€Å" , developers are obliged to follow the a methodology and take in a serious consideration the human computer interaction discipline in order to overcome the bug of â€Å" Noisy multimedia product â€Å". Multimedia The first question one may ask when we talk about multimedia is, What is Multimedia ? Multimedia is, In short, the usage of different form of media put together in one seamlessly combined context. However, the definition of this word has been a problematic issue among scientists; the artists see it as a means of expression, a way of transmitting the information to the others. Whereas technologists have defined the word â€Å" multimedia † as a group of means that let the media to be obtained, represented, delivered and displayed. ( Mckerrow, 2005 ) . Multimedia has become a big essential part of our daily lives, as practically all types of information we exchange are categorized under multimedia from music to Tv to presentations to magazines to web sites. Multimedia development has been in permanent growth, this important field in the information technology incorporates expertise and knowledge from software engineering, business environment and the multimedia interface; In oth er words, multimedia is involved in the fields of computers, communications and the media. Having defined multimedia, let us now talk about a key factor in designing high quality multimedia products. Human Computer Interaction ( HCI ) Human Computer Interaction can be defined as the science concerned with the â€Å" plan and design â€Å", evaluation and implementation of computer systems that have user interface (Hewett et al, (n.d.)). The multimedia user interface has a very important role in deciding whether the multimedia content has been successful or not, because if the interface is usable and elegant the multimedia application will be achieving a big part of its objectives , such as being noiseless. Evaluation of multimedia products As multimedia is a vast domain and is involved in all domains, the evaluation of multimedia applications has never been an easy task, there are different aspects to look at when measuring the success of any multimedia application, for instance, the designer has to look to the business aspect and see whether his product is still demanded by customers, and does his product still meet all the requirements. In the visual design or web sites, success lies under the leanness concept (Martin, Bolissian pimenidis, 2003). The evaluation of multimedia product is hard and needs a structured framework, one should follow the coming framework to get his product well evaluated: Does the project accomplish the task was designed for ? Is the user happy with it ? Is the application reliable ? Is the application complete ? Can the user interact with the application in the best manner ? Can the system respond to any sudden changes ? Are the users served with only the exact requested information ? Can the system respond to all the stakeholders requirements (Martin, Bolissian pimenidis, 2003). Another important notion in the evaluation of a multimedia product is the term â€Å" Quality Of Service â€Å" ( QOS ). With the â€Å" Quality Of Service â€Å" we can measure how high quality is the multimedia application. According to Vogel et al ( 1994 ) Quality of service is those parameters of a multimedia application that influence the presentation of the content of the multimedia system to the user. In short, Quality of service is the customers satisfaction with the multimedia product. To sum up, The evaluation of the multimedia application and the Quality of service, which shows the users satisfaction with the product, are very important for the developers to design a high quality multimedia systems. Noise Noise is the first enemy of multimedia products producers, as it is very hard to control and it is unexpected problem. To ensure that our multimedia application is not noisy or to get a high quality product we, as developers, have to follow a structured methodology for multimedia systems development. Before we get into this methodology, let us see what noise is, and what existing solutions are to have noiseless multimedia content. In general, noise is known in the electronic and telecommunication field, when transmitting some data in a telecommunication system using a wire, we call any loss of data that may occur, Noise. The piece of information to be sent is ciphered and then sent to its destination ( the user for instance ) when it is received the data is deciphered and then read, any difference between the source message and the resulted message is due to the data loss and it is called â€Å" Noise â€Å" . To make sure that the data received is the same as the original one, computer programmers have added some codes that detect and correct errors to the original message (Martin Lynch, 2003). This solution seems to be effective and successful as it is still being used by telecommunication peoples and networking programmers. But what about Noise in multimedia ? ? ? which is more complicated to get rid of. In multimedia information systems and multimedia product, Noise can be defined as any inappropriate piece of information or content that is received by the user with regard to the content, structure of display, time of display, accuracy and in functionality and navigation. Basically , Noise occurs when the usability rules are not taken in consideration (Martin Lynch, 2003). Having defined noise, now, developers need to have a scale so that they can know at what extent their products are noisy or are noiseless, Martin Lynch,( 2003) have done it for us, Here is the recapitulation of their nice work : At first, multimedia is involved in a wide context. To well evaluate multimedia product we need to consider users opinion and do not be satisfied only by the view of visual designers and human computer interaction (HCI) designers. To know how noisy your multimedia system is, you must know the profile and the requirements of all the stakeholders. The system should adhere to the usability rules required by the stakeholders in term of meeting the objectives the system was designed for, with consideration to the computing infrastructure and the location where the multimedia system is operating. The framework for evaluating Noise in multimedia product: Stakeholders : does the system provide the users with only the needed information ? Visual design : is the user interface nice? Usabilty : is the multimedia system easy to use ? Information : is the data given correct ? is it on time ? is it the needed information ? Fit with computing devices : do the computing infrastructures give the results needed with the needed details ? Location : do the infrastructures of the system work in all the places. The need for a methodology to avoid â€Å" Noise â€Å" in multimedia products Multimedia industry is growing more rapidly than expected, high quality product and the gain of the users satisfaction has become now a prime consideration. To reach those objectives, developers must create noiseless multimedia systems. Before, the problem was in the method of production and in the way of thinking of developers and designers, as they used to look to what is being developed rather than looking to how is being developed ( sherwood Rout , 1998 ) . Recently, Multimedia producers have defined a methodology for the development of the multimedia products which leads to a Pure and Simple interface that are â€Å" noiseless â€Å" . Developers can benefit from adopting this well defined approach and a rigorous methodology many advantages such as : the quality of the product will be improved, and the staff will be guided and supported by templates and exemplars ( sherwood Rout , 1998 ) . Brief description of the methodology : The structured approach explained above, can be a benchmark which will help in the increase of the productivity and the quality of the multimedia product ( sherwood Rout , 1998 ) . This methodology brings some innovating ideas and tools. It brings new models of practice and it provides the staff of a multimedia project with templates and models which can be used to create a high quality multimedia products. This methodology, as Sherwood Rout ( 1998 ), have stated, includes six phases of multimedia development: Initiation : during this phase the general planning is done. Specifications : during this phase they test the feasibility and the usability of the Project. Design : during this phase the stakeholders are defined, and solution to perspective problems are found. Production : during this phase the final product will be finalizing. Review and Evaluation : during this phase a critical examination of the final product is done. Delivery and Implementation. during this phase the client is introduced to accept and sign the agreement to finalize the product. The power and the strength of this method is the incorporation of the quality assurance throughout all the development phases, which is a new way and very efficient one to get a noiseless product. Each phase of the previous ones, is divided into three main activities: Development Management : deal with legal issues and risk management Support : quality assurance , validation and verification. Further Issues : Well evaluate the multimedia product and well design it following a structured methodology, is the solution to design noiseless multimedia products. This is what we have given to the readers through this paper. But the problem with this solution is it is just a theoretical process in which the successful result does not follow in all cases. Because in the practical world nothing is perfect, bugs and mistakes have always existed. So in multimedia world also nothing is perfect ( noiseless ). I suggest that rather than trying to develop noiseless multimedia products, developers should try creating applications in which noise is minimized. It is better for both the user and the producer. Conclusion : The multimedia product has been evolving without cease in the last years due to the big importance of this field in the information technology. To have better multimedia systems, developers have to design carefully by including in this process many important points. The most important factor in designing not noisy multimedia product is to follow the structured methodology discussed above. Furthermore, producers or developers should think in the interface of the Human Computer Interaction and work out to develop a usable interface and aesthetic application. In my opinion, I see that if the usability rules are adhered, the developers will have a big step to reach their goal to create â€Å" Noiseless â€Å" multimedia application. But as we know multimedia is a vast domain and the main problem that developers are facing is : The perfect noiseless multimedia product can be developed only theoretically, as in the practical world we, always have some unwanted and unexpected errors and b ugs that make the system noisy. Now, its we who ask this question : â€Å" can we perform such applications in the real word ? ? ? â€Å". References: Hewett, Baecker, Card, Carey, Gasen, Mantei, Perlman, Strong and Verplank (2008), ACM SIGCHI Curricula for Human-Computer Interaction content available at : http://sigchi.org/cdg/cdg2.html#2_1 Martin, S., Bolissian, J., Pimenidis, E., (2003) ‘PURE and SIMPLE: a framework for the evaluation of Multimedia products School of computing and technology, university of east London,Uk Martin, S. and Lynch, J., (2003) ‘VISUAL: a framework for the evaluation of visual ‘noise in multimedia interface School of computing and technology, university of east London,Uk McKerrow, P., (2005) ‘Teaching content creation with programing, IEEE computer society 2005, university of Wollongong, Australia. Sherwood, C., and Rout, T., (1998) ‘a structured methodology for multimedia product and systems development, School of Computing and Information Technology, Griffith University, Australia. Vogel, A. Kerherv, B., Bochmann, G. and Gecsei, J., (1994) ‘Distributed Multimedia Applications and Quality of Service, Universite de Montreal 1994, Canada.

Facebook, YouTube and Twitter: Changing the World Essay example -- Med

Introduction Media and society have always been inseparable. In his article The Mediatisation of Society Theory (Hjarvard 2008), Stig Hjarvard deduced that media simultaneously have become an integrated part of society. This integration, undoubtedly, has brought about changes in societies and media as both sides interact with and affect each other. One of prominent discussion covering this issue is that media have generated a great impact to the way people live. New social media, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter with their â€Å"premise of increased engagement, a radical change from mass communication to interaction, from information transmission to dialogue† (Hoffmann & Kornweitz, 2011, p. 32) have made users to be more extrovert, provided them a link to other parts of the world or simply created opportunities to get in touch with someone they never expected before. Hence, the existence of media has plays a significant role in human life today. Thus, these changes do not only happen in today’s societies who are surrounded by technologies brought by vast growth of information and communication channels. In fact, media have revolutionized the human civilization since thousand years ago when people â€Å"had no idea about electricity or alphabets† (Hikmah, 2011). History has proved that the invention of communication tools such as printed media or telephone has encouraged people to extend their influence over people in other areas, spread their ideas or even inspired them to transform the governmental system (Crowley & Heyer, 2011 ). Related to that, the ideas of the very nature of media may bring major effects within the society have captivated the attention of several communication theorists. This concept then called â€Å"Medium Theo... ...na Media Research, 6(1), 86-90. Sloan, J. (1968). UNDERSTANDING McLUHAN: SOME IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SPEECH TEACHER AND CRITIC. [Article]. Speech Teacher, 17(2), 140-144. Sollis, B. (2008). PR 2.0: Putting the Public Back in Public Relations. Retrieved 29 August, 2011, from http://www.briansolis.com/2008/04/pr-20-putting-public-back-in-public/ Stutzman, F. a. H., W. . (2009). Boundary Regulation in Social Media. Paper presented at the AOIR. Retrieved from http://fredstutzman.com/research.html Wallop, H. (2011). Japan earthquake: how Twitter and Facebook helped. Retrieved 12 April, 2011, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/8379101/Japan-earthquake-how-Twitter-and-Facebook-helped.html Windah, A. (2005). Impact of Electronic Sinema of "Tangisan Anak Tiri" to Children's Perseption Toward Stepmother Image. The University of Lampung, Bandarlampung.

Okonkwo as Epic Hero in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay

Okonkwo as Epic Hero in Things Fall Apart      Ã‚  Ã‚   Achebe’s work, Things Fall Apart, is an epic; it resembles stories about heroes found in many cultures. In these stories, the heroes are extraordinary individuals, whose careers and destinies are not theirs alone, but are bound with the fortunes and destinies of their society. They become heroes by accomplishing great things for themselves and their communities, winning much fame as a result.    Okonkwo fits this pattern. The first paragraph of Things Fall Apart is notable in this respect, for it describes Okonkwo as follows:    Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of eighteen he had brought honour to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze was the great wrestler who for seven years was unbeaten, from Umuofia to Mbaino. He was called the Cat because his back would never touch the earth. It was this man that Okonkwo threw in a fight which the old man agreed was one of the fiercest since the founder of their town engaged a spirit of the wild for seven days and seven nights. (3)    In an epic story, the hero undergoes many tests, which we can see as rites of passage. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo undergoes such tests, including the wrestling match with Amalinze the Cat, his struggle with the negative legacy of his father, and the struggle to succeed on his own.    Praising heroes is a basic function of epics. As ... ... Hopes and Impediments. New York: Doubleday, 1989. Innes, C.L. Chinua Achebe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Nnolim, Charles E. "Achebe's Things Fall Apart: An Igbo National Epic" Modern Black Literature. ed. Okechukwu Mezu New York: Black Academy Press, 1971, 55-60. Obiechina, Emmanuel. "Narrative Proverbs in the African Novel," Research in African Literatures, 24, 4 (1993), 123-140. Okafor, Chinyere Grace. "From the Heart of Masculinity: Ogbodo-Uke Women's Masking." Research in African Literatures, 25, 3 (1994), 7-17. Traore, Ousseynou. "Matrical Approach to Things Fall Apart; A Poetics of Epic and Mythic Paradigms." Approaches to Teaching Achebe's Things Fall Apart. ed. Bernth Lindfors. New York: MLA, 1991, 65-73.

Ruby Moon

When reading the play â€Å"Ruby Moon† it is easy to pick up on the personal and social tensions between characters. The descriptive nature of the stage directions and the very act of reading as opposed to just seeing on stage, being able to take time to look over each line, means that a reader can see which scenes accentuate the tension between both Ray and Sylvie or the characters they have created. Stage directions in the play plainly describe when a pause on stage is to be tense, or what the vibe is supposed to feel like during a particular scene.Bringing these tensions onto stage, however, is a more difficult task. An audience in a theatre cannot simply read that a silence is supposed to be tense; it is up to the actors and their use of the stage, as well as the lighting, set and audio. When considering how to highlight the personal and social tensions in Ruby Moon, we must consider what particular tensions play an important role and which characters the tensions are betw een. It may be that a character’s interactions with their surroundings are tense or that their relationships with other characters are very tense.To bring them to the stage these social and personal tensions must be identified. Cameron’s â€Å"Ruby Moon† explores the tenuous and often shallow relationships of suburbia. In writing â€Å"Ruby Moon†, although it is in essence a surreal play, Cameron attempted to draw attention to very real issues, including the nature of suburbia, and how when it comes down to it it’s difficult to know who to trust. Bad things can happen to anyone, and not everyone is as normal as they appear.Not only this, but underneath the eeriness of this play lies a very real, deeply tragic story of two parents who have lost their child and gone mad to cope with the grief of never knowing what happened to her. So much so that the reject every opportunity to find out for fear of it being bad news, in favour of keeping up the game they play with each other. The tension between them is evident when reading the play- it is clear in the stage directions when moments between them are tense. Audio effects would be highly effective in bringing these themes to life on stage.As many groups in class presentations demonstrated, Ruby Moon is a play in which the use of audio effects such as voiceovers, music, and sound effects (i. e. rain, wind, barking dogs) is a part of the stage directions, and is utilised and essential to many key moments in the play. Sound effects that play key roles in the audience’s understanding of the play include Ruby’s voice and piano refrain at the beginning, the various occasions on which the phone rings, the sound of voicemail messages being left, and Ruby’s voice throughout.This almost constant use of sound effects throughout the play gives the director a simple way of drawing attention to dramatic tension, acting as a kind of soundtrack, with, for example, the sound o f a phone ringing, accentuating the silence between Ray and Sylvie by suddenly breaking it. Space can be used in a particular way to accentuate tension between characters. In class presentations, many groups expressed that they felt the set should be small and intimate. This means that actors will always be in close proximity with each other.Characters being in close proximity can accentuate many kinds of tension, for example the scene early on in the play featuring Ray and Dulcie Doily might see Ray standing on one side of the stage trying not to get too close but being physically unable to get further away and being forced into close proximity, creating tension in the sense that he does not want to be in close quarters with a woman he finds extremely unpleasant. The scene featuring Sid and Sylvie may feature Sid alternating between invading Sylvie’s personal space and shying away-Putting Sylvie on edge as it is in close proximity to her.During the scene featuring Ray and Ve ronica, a stage where the characters were in close proximity to each other would help create sexual tension. In terms of bringing the social tensions evident in the play onto stage, many groups in the in-class presentations of directorial visions seemed to express that a key theme in Ruby Moon was the relationships between residents of Australian suburbs. It’s a well recognised suburban stereotype- Neighbours are polite and civil towards each other however build silent judgments, while having dark secrets of their own. Costuming could play a vital role in making these social tensions apparent on stage.As Ray and Sylvie dress up, it was decided by many groups that they should don just a few key costume pieces that they feel sum up their character. Exaggerated, almost (e. g. When Sylvie dresses up as Dulcie Doily she dons a grey wig and an apron- Typical elderly woman garb- a shallow understanding of their neighbours and in fact, other people. ) The various tensions, issues and emotions being presented in Ruby Moon, both of a personal and social nature make it successful as a play because they are real things that real people have to face and that put many people on edge.Aside from the use of audio, costuming and staging to get these tensions across, it is largely up to actors to make sure the audience can pick up on the vibes of the play, leading up to moments in such a way that the audience can feel tension in the air. When staged in the right way, Ruby Moon is designed to make the audience uncomfortable and tense. There is never a calm moment throughout. There are various techniques that directors can employ to make this so and ensure the success of portraying tensions, both personal and social, on stage in a performance of Ruby Moon. Ruby Moon When reading the play â€Å"Ruby Moon† it is easy to pick up on the personal and social tensions between characters. The descriptive nature of the stage directions and the very act of reading as opposed to just seeing on stage, being able to take time to look over each line, means that a reader can see which scenes accentuate the tension between both Ray and Sylvie or the characters they have created. Stage directions in the play plainly describe when a pause on stage is to be tense, or what the vibe is supposed to feel like during a particular scene.Bringing these tensions onto stage, however, is a more difficult task. An audience in a theatre cannot simply read that a silence is supposed to be tense; it is up to the actors and their use of the stage, as well as the lighting, set and audio. When considering how to highlight the personal and social tensions in Ruby Moon, we must consider what particular tensions play an important role and which characters the tensions are betw een. It may be that a character’s interactions with their surroundings are tense or that their relationships with other characters are very tense.To bring them to the stage these social and personal tensions must be identified. Cameron’s â€Å"Ruby Moon† explores the tenuous and often shallow relationships of suburbia. In writing â€Å"Ruby Moon†, although it is in essence a surreal play, Cameron attempted to draw attention to very real issues, including the nature of suburbia, and how when it comes down to it it’s difficult to know who to trust. Bad things can happen to anyone, and not everyone is as normal as they appear.Not only this, but underneath the eeriness of this play lies a very real, deeply tragic story of two parents who have lost their child and gone mad to cope with the grief of never knowing what happened to her. So much so that the reject every opportunity to find out for fear of it being bad news, in favour of keeping up the game they play with each other. The tension between them is evident when reading the play- it is clear in the stage directions when moments between them are tense. Audio effects would be highly effective in bringing these themes to life on stage.As many groups in class presentations demonstrated, Ruby Moon is a play in which the use of audio effects such as voiceovers, music, and sound effects (i. e. rain, wind, barking dogs) is a part of the stage directions, and is utilised and essential to many key moments in the play. Sound effects that play key roles in the audience’s understanding of the play include Ruby’s voice and piano refrain at the beginning, the various occasions on which the phone rings, the sound of voicemail messages being left, and Ruby’s voice throughout.This almost constant use of sound effects throughout the play gives the director a simple way of drawing attention to dramatic tension, acting as a kind of soundtrack, with, for example, the sound o f a phone ringing, accentuating the silence between Ray and Sylvie by suddenly breaking it. Space can be used in a particular way to accentuate tension between characters. In class presentations, many groups expressed that they felt the set should be small and intimate. This means that actors will always be in close proximity with each other.Characters being in close proximity can accentuate many kinds of tension, for example the scene early on in the play featuring Ray and Dulcie Doily might see Ray standing on one side of the stage trying not to get too close but being physically unable to get further away and being forced into close proximity, creating tension in the sense that he does not want to be in close quarters with a woman he finds extremely unpleasant. The scene featuring Sid and Sylvie may feature Sid alternating between invading Sylvie’s personal space and shying away-Putting Sylvie on edge as it is in close proximity to her.During the scene featuring Ray and Ve ronica, a stage where the characters were in close proximity to each other would help create sexual tension. In terms of bringing the social tensions evident in the play onto stage, many groups in the in-class presentations of directorial visions seemed to express that a key theme in Ruby Moon was the relationships between residents of Australian suburbs. It’s a well recognised suburban stereotype- Neighbours are polite and civil towards each other however build silent judgments, while having dark secrets of their own. Costuming could play a vital role in making these social tensions apparent on stage.As Ray and Sylvie dress up, it was decided by many groups that they should don just a few key costume pieces that they feel sum up their character. Exaggerated, almost (e. g. When Sylvie dresses up as Dulcie Doily she dons a grey wig and an apron- Typical elderly woman garb- a shallow understanding of their neighbours and in fact, other people. ) The various tensions, issues and emotions being presented in Ruby Moon, both of a personal and social nature make it successful as a play because they are real things that real people have to face and that put many people on edge.Aside from the use of audio, costuming and staging to get these tensions across, it is largely up to actors to make sure the audience can pick up on the vibes of the play, leading up to moments in such a way that the audience can feel tension in the air. When staged in the right way, Ruby Moon is designed to make the audience uncomfortable and tense. There is never a calm moment throughout. There are various techniques that directors can employ to make this so and ensure the success of portraying tensions, both personal and social, on stage in a performance of Ruby Moon.