The Main Principles Of Learning And The Action Theory Essay

The Main Principles Of Learning And The Action Theory - Essay Example Principles of learning are derived from the following learning theories: action, cognitive-gestalt, experiential, facilitation, holistic, reinforcement, sensory stimulation learning theory. In this respect, we shall analyze them according to the theories they are most tightly interwoven with. The main principles of learning based on the action theory state that no effective learning can be presented without proper action-application experience. In most cases small 'action learning sets'** are created in order to give the learners an opportunity of applying their knowledge on practice, making mistakes and learn from them without having to deal with unwanted consequences of their decisions. Cognitive-gestalt learning is based on insights and problem-solving. However, unlike the first theory, it puts stress on the learner’s individual ways of interpreting problem situations. Experiential theory speaks of a four-stage process of learning material (concrete experience, active experimentation, abstract conceptualization, observation, and reflection). A great benefit of this theory is that despite all of the stages are being necessary, an individual can choose (consciously or subconsciously) the most suitable one to contribute more efforts to it. Besides, stages can be repeated one by one as many times as it takes to exclude all of the mistakes. Principles of learning used in a facilitation theory are based on the acknowledgment of the fact that a human being is naturally eager to learn and perfect oneself. Thus, here learning process includes polemics with a teacher in an attempt to find as many answers as possible and, what is more important, to research a topic instead of simply remembering the facts given. Such an approach is commonly used in humanitarian education.

Green Mountain Coffee Essay Example for Free

Green Mountain Coffee Essay Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) started as a small cafà © in Waitsfield, Vermont in the year of 1981. It was in 1993 that the company went public and acquired the early phase of Keurig Incorporated Inc, and then completed the acquisition in 2006. (Unknown.( 2004). Gmcr.Retrieved from http://www.gmcr.com/about-GMCR.html) Once these two companies combined it made the way we drink beverages different than ever before in both the home and office. According to GMCR’s website â€Å"Today, GMCR is recognized as a leader in specialty coffee and coffee makers, and acknowledged for its award-winning coffees, innovative brewing technology, and environmentally and socially responsible business practices. † ((Unknown.( 2004). Gmcr.Retrieved from http://www.gmcr.com/about-GMCR.html) GMCR has three business units that they operate with today. The first being specialty coffee which includes Green Mountain Coffee, Tully’s Coffee, Diedrich Coffee, and Coffee People. The 2nd unit is the Keurig business unit, which created the signal cup brewing system. The 3rd and final is the GMCR Canada. The GMCR Canada is owns all sales for the company and includes the Van Houtte business as well as Timothy’s World Coffee brand. ((Unknown.( 2004). Gmcr.Retrieved from http://www.gmcr.com/about-GMCR.html) The current CEO is Brian Kelley who joined GMCR in 2012. Before GMCR Brian Kelley was Coca-Cola’s Chief Product Supply Officer , and president and CEO of SIRVA, Inc. ((Unknown.( 2004). Gmcr.Retrieved from http://www.gmcr.com/about-GMCR.html) as well as other companies such as Ford Motor Company, GE, and Proctor and Gamble. In 2011 net sales were 2,650.9 million which was up 95% over fiscal 2010. (http://investor.gmcr.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=622448) The acquisition of Van Houtte which took place in December, 2010 in addition to the partnership with Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts with the K-cups option of their coffee has helped add over 321.4 million to the net sales in 2011. (http://investor.gmce.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=622448) GMCR has seen accelerated growth over the last couple of years due to its Keurig single cup brewing system and the K-cups that go along with it. Below is the breakout for the 2011 Fiscal Financial Review provided by (http://investor.gmcr.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=622448). 2011 2010 $ Increase SWOT ANALYSIS StrengthsWeakness S1-Strong reputation with its customersW1- Keurig single-cup brewers all made by one manufacture S2-AcquisitionsW2-Large % sales from one area of the business (K-cups brewers) S3-Marketing W3-Forecasting due to such overnight success OpportunitiesThreats O1- Increase marketing to the age group of 40 and older T1- Risk of patents expiring allowing other competitors into the market O2-Increase marketing in the Supermarket locationsT2- Keurig single-cup brewers all made by one manufacture O3- Introduce other manufacturesT3-Product recalls product liability T4- Coffee availability ANALYSIS VIA PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL The threat of new entrantsThe bargaining power of buyersThe bargaining power of suppliers The competition of this type of product service because of cost overhead would need to come from an already known company or a company that becomes successful after the patients expire that GMCR hold. Strong threatOver time as patients expire buyers will have bargaining power. ThreatGMCR has one manufacuting for the K-cups and brewing systems which resides in China. Weakness The threat of substitute product and servicesThe intensity of rivalry among competitors in an industry The threat of substitution is high. ThreatAlthough there are other companies that try to offer the same service, GMCR is at the top of the coffee industry for this type of service. Strength STRATEGY USED GMCR is using a differentiation strategy by offering a different way for the consumer to enjoy specialized coffees, teas, hot chocolate, and other hot beverages in their own homes, workplaces, and hotels at an overall lower cost than coffee houses. They are able to do this by taking the lead in the market due to their strengths in product development, licensing agreements with partners, and on-going successful acquisitions. GMCR growth through their acquisition strategy and their licensing agreements have been the biggest contributors to their growth. In 1998 when Keurig launched its first single- cup brewer for the office environment GMCR was there to partner with. (Dess,G, Lumpkin, G. Eisner, A.(2012). Strategic Management (6e). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.) From that point on it just continued whether it be the agreement with Starbucks in 2011 or the agreement with Dunkin Donuts in that same year to sell K-cup’s with both Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts coffee they continue to thrive in the market. If we look at Porter’s generic strategies that our text talks of we can identify the following. †¢Differentiation – The product and service that GMCR brings to the market is the best value for price and quality. †¢Focus strategy The acquisitions and licensing agreements that GMCR has been able to focus on continues to allow success to the buyer markets and geographic markets. †¢Overall cost leadership – GMCR is able to keep cost low because of the amount of product they supply to the customer without much competition. THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THIS COMPANY I think for now GMCR will continue to have competitive advantage. GMCR should be able to accomplish this by continuing to offer their K-cups and brewing systems at the same competitive price to the same type of customer. Although patents are ready to expire and more of the product and service will be able to join the market, I feel that GMCR with their past record of new product innovation will continue to strive in the coffee market and lead the way for competitors to follow. COURSE OF ACTION RECOMMENDED It seems to be that because of the success of Keurig K-cups that GMCR has put all their eggs in one basket without much focus on the rest of their products. We can see this in both the 2010 and 2011 earnings (http://investor.gmcr.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=622448). With patents becoming expired in the near future by recommendation would be that GMCR starts to focus on the other products that they sell or that they start to work on the next great product for the coffee industry. My fear is once patents expire that you may see some of the larger distributers try to come into the Market and possible succeed if there able to produce the same product at a lower cost. OPINION My opinion of the case study is first I had no idea that GMCR was such a large company. I don’t drink coffee but am a tea drinker and I guess I just didn’t pay much attention to the marketing and advertising . I’m sure they would like to hear this feedback, it may give them a clue as to where the marketing needs to go during the next phase. With that being said this company to me shows the true meaning of great business leadership and a successful supply chain and focus strategy. During the research I even found a joint venture with 3M the company I work with. It seems that 3M helped GMCR develop a coffee filter. This was a very enjoyable case study and it showed a great example of how to be successful in my opinion. References Dess, G., Lumpkin, G. Eisner, A. (2012). Strategic Management (6e). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Green mountain coffee roasters, inc.. (09/1). Retrieved from http://investor.gmcr.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=622448 Unknown. (2004). Gmcr. Retrieved from http://www.gmcr.com/about-GMCR.html

School Counsellors for Gifted and Talented Students

School Counsellors for Gifted and Talented Students This paper critically reviews previous studies that have explored the role of school counsellors for gifted and talented students. School counsellors in Saudi Arabia receive little specific training in the needs of gifted students, and it is very rare for counsellor training programmes to require counsellors to take courses on gifted students as part of the degree requirements. Therefore, this article considers theories of counselling, and the role of school counsellors, and gifted student programmes in the USA, the UK and KSA. This review considers the counsellors role in different contexts and discusses it in the Saudi context. In doing so, the psychological, educational and professional skills of counsellors need to be understand in order to meet the needs of gifted and talented students so that they can live up to their ambitions and aspirations. Background of the study The role of the school counsellor is complicated and one of the most demanding careers when compared with other educational professions. It involves interaction with students from different cultural, economic and social backgrounds. The primary responsibility of the school counsellor is to develop the skills that will enable them to meet the challenges of this technological era. In the era of globalization, this objective is more important than ever, where we have to search for and develop the skills of talented students. In 1981, the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia established the General Directorate of Guidance and Counselling for Gifted Students. Since that time, guidance and counselling has become formalized and recognized as a profession, and counsellors have been appointed to deal with psychological, social, educational and vocational problems and to deliver protective counselling (Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia, 1999). For this reason the current paper will highlight the historical background of school counselling and counsellors of the gifted and talented in the USA, UK and KSA. In the 1955 Yearbook of Education, reference is made to counselling as a process of helping individuals through their own efforts to discover and develop their potentialities both for personal happiness and social usefulness (Hall Lauwerys, 1955, cited in Milner, 1974). A more recent definition is that counselling is to help an individual to make his own decisions and choices in the light of his feelings and needs (Milner, 1974). Jones (1970) suggested that counselling Is an enabling process, designed to help an individual come to terms with his life as it is and ultimately to grow to greater maturity through learning to take responsibility and to make decisions for himself. The American School Counsellor Association (ASCA, 1999) defines counselling as an interactive process as follows: it is a confidential relationship in which the counsellor meets with students individually and in small groups to help them resolve or cope constructively with their problems and developmental concerns. In Coreys (2002) words, the central function of counselling is to help clients recognize their own strengths, discover what is preventing them from using their strengths, and clarify what kind of person they want to be. Counselling is a process by which clients are invited to look honestly at their behaviour and lifestyle and make certain decisions about how they want to modify the quality of their life. McLaughlin (1993) mentions that effective school counselling has three elements: an educative function whereby attention is focused on the social development of the student within the school context; a reflective function which explores the possible impact of the school practices and societal conditions on the personal and mental health of the student, and a welfare function which is concerned with planning for and reacting to issues that affect the students welfare. Saudi Arabia has conducted research to find out the best approach to gifted education, but of course for females who are severely restricted in the subjects they are allowed to study, these moves are somewhat academic. An interesting survey of computer use in Arabic countries was made by a Jordanian, Subhi (1997). He recommended that gifted pupils records should be computerised for easier monitoring of their progress, and he has designed a programme to help this. The problem, he found though, is that although there are computers in Jordanian schools, there are very few of them and the teachers do not generally know how to use them. It looks as though most, if not all, Arab countries are willing to recognise and help the gifted, and several have made forays into out-of-school activities, but the overall outcome is still difficult to define. Some authors (such as Sternberg et al., 1986, Ziegler and Heller, 2000) believe that a consensus is yet to be reached on what is meant by the term (gifted), and yet multiple efforts have been made to establish criteria for this, which include components such as motivation, creativity, task commitment, and problem solving. However, personal talent is described by Renzulli (1999a, p.4) as exceptional ability to select and achieve difficult goals that fit ones interests, abilities and social contexts. In his view, personal talent is a capability developed in the field of self-management that is concentrated by the individual in the direction of selected outcomes that contain well-being, happiness, personal relationships, hobbies as well as career achievements. He proposes that personal talent can be referred to as a range where those in the centre of this continuum can be explained as personally competent, while those at the high end of the range can be categorized as personally talente d. On the other hand, Masten et al. (2002) argue that resilient individuals learn how to overcome obstacles in order to achieve their anticipated goals, and that this can be described as personal talent. Also, Bland et al. (1994) refer to specific characteristics of resilience as an indicator of exceptional abilities and talent regarding children from poor backgrounds. In this regard, Marker et al. (1996) propose that numerous of the principles of distinguishing curriculum for gifted and talented learners support the development of personal talent. They refer to learning environments that foster independence, flexibility and high mobility as being potentially more promising for fostering personal talents than the more traditional teacher-centred classrooms that concentrate on lectures with academic content. However, some researchers regret the fact that research on giftedness has been somewhat biased, having mainly concentrated on IQ-related abilities that address academic skills, and b y-passing or simply ignoring other basic skills such as vocational skills (Bals, 1999), practical intelligence in everyday life (Sternberg, 2000), and, most importantly, social skills (Persson, 1997). Motivation is another issue that has been the focus of research with regard to gifted children. According to Sternberg (2000), some theories depict motivation as an assisting internal factor in the expansion of giftedness. One of these theories is Gages dynamic theory of giftedness which depicts motivation, volition and self-management as interpersonal catalysts that help convert gifts into talents. However, these theories have failed to provide guidance in assisting youths of high ability to develop motivation. For this reason, some researchers (for example, Colangelo et al. 2000; Alrasheed, 2001) believe that talented students should be identified and given tasks at a higher level than the normal school curriculum. Renzulli (1999b) is of the opinion that gifted students should be pro ducers of knowledge rather than mere consumers of existing information. He believes that specific programmes and services for the talented and gifted are the only solution to allow them to live up to their potential. This idea is further supported by Reis et al (1995) who argues that it is not fair to make a gifted child sit in a classroom where learning something new will not happen until the second half of the year. According to Alhossaini (2000), the effectiveness of the educational process could be seen in table (1): The above figure of methods of interactions could be interpreted in this table. If these roles are all positive, we get the creative outcome. And it is mines, mines, mines, it is less creative. Pattison (2006) suggests that, counselling is an activity that takes place behind closed doors in privacy, the nature of client confidentiality requires this. However, this can make counselling practices and processes mysterious and misunderstood. In placing this research in the public arena, it is hoped that counselling practices and processes have been made a little more transparent and that the case for including young people with learning disabilities in counselling has been strengthened. Bor et al. (2002) state that school counselling is an interaction in a therapeutic setting, focusing primarily on a conversation about relationships, beliefs and behaviour (including feelings), through which the childs perceived problem is elucidated and framed or reframed in a fitting and useful way, and in which new solutions are generated and the problem takes on a new meaning . Research Problem There have been few programmes for gifted students offered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Even though there has been programmes existing, it is new and is for further evaluation to be able to develop it more for the students. It has been believed that if there has been more developed programmes for gifted children then they will be more enhanced and so, benefiting the country. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have put up programmes for gifted students but is new and rare. There has been studies regarding the support of the authorities in the schools on how to support gifted students. 1.5 The research questions Based on the aims articulated in the previous section, the following specific research questions have been formulated: How does the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia support gifted students? Does the authorities in the schools help in the development of the programmes? How do we determine the effectiveness of the programmeswith the school counsellor, principal, and teachers help? 1.6 Sub-questions Two sub-questions will also be explored: Do the teacher, student counsellor and principal who work with gifted students have special qualifications? What is the level and nature of the response of gifted students to these programmes? Historical review of school counselling in USA Schmidt (1999) suggests that the development of school guidance and counselling in the United States has its roots in the vocational guidance movement, which started in 1898 when a Detroit school principal, Jesse Davis, introduced a guidance curriculum that was delivered in each English class in his school to help students develop character, avoid problem behaviour, and relate vocational interests to the solution of their vocational and social problems. Gysbers (2001) argues that in the 1920s and 1930s, the concept of guidance evolved from vocational to educational guidance. Educational guidance was viewed as a set of activities that would address not only occupational concerns but also the personal and educational aspects of individuals. However, although school counselling remained focused on secondary schools, counsellors were beginning to appear in some elementary schools in Boston in the 1930s. Yet, it was not until the 1960s that the need was generally recognized and funds were provided for the training of counsellors in elementary schools (Schmidt, 1999). However, Baker (2001) suggests that despite the progressive movement of the 1960s, school counselling did not fare well in the 1970s. During the 1970s and into the 1980s, a number of school counselling positions were eliminated and fewer jobs were available for newly trained school counsellors due to school budget cuts and financial problems across the US. At the same time, concern was being expressed about the programmes of guidance and counselling and the services offered by counsellors in school (Baker, 1996; Schmidt, 1999). On the other hand, Herr (2001) says that attempts to define the role and functions of the schools comprehensive developmental models w ere better suited to meeting the development needs of students. In 1997, the American School Counsellor Association (ASCA) (1999) adopted the National Standards for School Counselling Programmes. According to these standards, school counsellors are required to address the needs ofstudents comprehensively through the implementation of a developmental school-counselling programme. Historical review of school counselling in the UK School counselling in the United Kingdom dates back to 1913 when London County Council appointed a psychologist to examine backward children and advise their parents and teachers on methods of treatment (Milner, 1974). However, it was not until the 1960s that school counselling began to emerge as a discipline in its own right (Bor et al., 2002). At the time, the American school counselling model which was based on the client-centred approach proposed by Rogers (1961) was influential. Rogers produced a report in which he recommended that counsellors should be appointed to look into the needs of low achieving children. As a result, counselling courses were set up for experienced teachers, and several hundred counsellors were employed by local education authorities throughout the country (Bor et al., 2002). However, according to the Department of Education and Science (1989, cited in Bets et al. 1995) pastoral care is concerned with promoting pupils personal and social development and f ostering positive attitudes. Confronted with pervasive and traumatic social problems such as the collapse of the extended family and increases in rates of violence, the need for school counselling attracted the attention of local education authorities. However, in the light of limited budgets, the 1980s witnessed a shift of emphasis on counselling, and it was felt that counselling should be integrated into teaching practice, so that teachers themselves should take responsibility for pastoral care (Bor et al., 2002; Mclaughin, 1999). Jones (1970) says that, in the absence of government backing, enthusiasm for counselling courses began to fade, and the majority of schools were left without counsellors. To exacerbate the situation even further, cuts in education funding at thehands of the Conservative government in the 1980s resulted in a reduction in the number of existing counsellors (McLaughlin, 1999). According to one estimate, only fifty counsellors were left in schools in England and Wales following the introduction of the local management of schools in 1987 (Robinson, 1996). Bor et al. (2002) argue that since the 1980s and despite heavy workloads, growing social problems and immense psychological pressure, teachers in the United Kingdom still continue to play a major role in counselling their students. To add to their problems, they have recently fallen under pressure to fulfil all of the criteria of an over-demanding National Curriculum. As a result, teachers now find it difficult to fulfil a pastoral role, and schools are beginning to feel the need to employ counsellors to meet the educational, psychological and emotional needs of students. To provide teachers with the necessary counselling skills, a sizeable number of studies in the field of pastoral care began to appear (e.g. Raymond, 1985; Watkins, 1994; Hamblin, 1984; Marland, 1989). In general, these studies focused on good student-teacher relationships (Mclaughlin, 1999), emphasized the importance of assisting children to improve their lives, and used study skills to guide them in making their own decisions (Raymond, 1985). Nonetheless, although the literature on counselling and pastoral care in the United Kingdom is vast, it is still not integrated and provides only a few guidelines on practice (Al-Rebdi, 2000). On the other hand, some still argue that teachers have to manage complicated and demanding situations, channelling the personal, emotional and social pressures of 30 or so youngsters (Black et al., 1998). The debate is still raging between those who argue that counselling should be provided by specialists and those who suggest that teachers should bear the burden. Inthis context it is worth listing the duties and responsibilities of the school counsellor as outlined by the British Association for Counselling (1997). These are: Â · To offer pupils, parents and staff individual or group counselling. Â · To provide information on the counselling service, the role of the counsellor and boundaries of confidentiality. Â · To cooperate with head teachers, governors, parents and, where appropriate, the local education authority, in setting up a suitable appointment system. Â · To keep suitable case records of counselling conducted in a secure place. Â · To report back to management on a regular basis on the numbers that use the service and to give a general overview of the types of problem encountered. Â · To liaise with the pastoral management team, year tutors, class teachers, governors, parents and caring agencies. Â · To network with personnel from other agencies with a view to easing referrals and accessing specialist consultants. Â · To devise and, where appropriate, deliver a programme of training to support and develop the counselling service. Â · To attend supervision with a suitably qualified supervisor. Historical review of school counselling in the KSA Initially, in 1981, the Ministry of Education established the General Directorate of Guidance and Counselling. Since that time, guidance and counselling has become formalized and recognized as a profession, and counsellors have been appointed to deal with psychological, social, educational, and vocational problems and deliver protective counselling (Ministry of Education KSA, 1999). It should be mentioned here that the model for and practice of guidance and counselling in SaudiArabian schools was derived from western sources, mainly the United States. More than two decades have passed since the guidance and counselling programme was established in Saudi schools. Its development has progressed at a slow rate and, currently, it faces various problems. The major difficulty relates to the definition of the role and function of the school counsellor (Al-Gamdi, 1999) which is unclear to principals, teachers, parents, students and school counsellors themselves. Due to this problem, counsell ors have found themselves overly involved in paperwork and administrative tasks and duties not related to school counselling. Additionally, counsellors often complain about lack of support and cooperation from others involved in the counselling service, especially parents (Al-rebdi, 2000). In this situation, if school counsellors in Saudi Arabia are to provide better services for students, their role must be clearly defined. It is also necessary for those involved in counselling to have a clear view of what counsellors should and should not do. Added to this, counsellors must choose carefully how they spend their time and energy. As the role and functions of the school counsellors become clearer, they should be able to respond better to the needs of their students. Furthermore, in 1981, following decree number 216/k issued by the Ministry of Education, the Social Educational Administration was replaced by the Student Guidance and Counselling Service, and guidance and counselling in Saudi schools became formalised. That same year, the name was changed again to the General Administration for Guidance and Counselling (Ministry of Education, 1999). The responsibilities of this administration are as follows: 1- To plan, prepare and develop the programme and services of guidance and counselling. 2- To provide professional staff who are capable of delivering such services to all students at various stages of education. 3- To provide students with the appropriate care applicable to their ages and their psychological, educational and social needs. 4- To assist students to develop their capabilities, potentialities and talents, to allow them to face their problems and to help them feel comfortable with themselves and with the community in which they live. 5- To attain a high standard of mental health in a way that reflects the targets and goals sought by educational guidance in general (Ministry of Education, 1999). Saleh (1987) pointed out that, due to the immediate need for professionals to monitor and guide the counselling service in schools, the Ministry of Education sought personnel from among the existing social education supervisors to act as the supervisors; counselling and guidance programmes in addition to carrying out their normal duties. The Ministry of Education also sought personnel from within the existing teaching force, provided they had the relevant experience, to work temporarily as counsellors in schools. To meet the need for school counsellors in all schools, the General Administration for Guidance and Counselling allowed those with a Bachelors degree in psychology, social work or sociology to perform the role of the school counsellor until enough trained professional counsellors could be provided. In order to meet the need for trained full-time counsellors to work in schools, universities in Saudi Arabia were requested to offer guidance and counselling programmes at masters level. Statistical information for the year 2000 shows that there were 229 counselling supervisors and 3381 school counsellors overall (Ministry of Education, 2000). By 2003, the number of counsellors had increased rapidly toabout 4000(Al-Rebdi, 2004). The Ministry of Education (1999) defined the term counselling as the interactive process though which the counsellor assists the student to understand himself and recognise his capabilities and potentialities and gives him a more enlightened approach to his problems and how to face them. Counsellors also help students to enhance their responsible behaviour and to show conformity with their community. Counselling gifted students Landau (1990) noted that gifted students might become isolated and alienated. Moreover, Rogers (1983) pointed out that in an egalitarian system children not only lack the opportunity for confirmation and social acceptance, but they also often lack the freedom to learn. The need for confirmation and emotional support is well known in the literature which focuses on giftedness and talent (Csikszentmilalyi et al., 1993; Kelley, 1999; Stednitz, 1995). Donna (1999) suggests that teachers and counsellors need to encourage minority students to consider a teaching career in general and gifted student education in particular. Ford (1995) however, believes that from an historical point of view, the counselling of gifted students has not been an important part of educational and counselling discourse. He points out that misconceptions and stereotypes of gifted students as being immune to social, emotional, and academic problems have contributed to the lack of counselling for these students, and in cases where counselling is available it is only limited to academic, assessment and placement issues. According to Ford, the fact that more children are entering school with serious personal and academic problems should entail an expansion in the responsibilities and roles of counsellors to meet the needs of all children who seek guidance andassistance. But nonetheless according to Alrasheed, (2001) the limited availability of counselling services has failed to meet the enormous need for counselling services and research regarding gifted individuals. In this respect he endeavoured to provide counsellors, classroom teachers and educationalists as well as parents with advice regarding the understanding of the academic and social needs of gifted and talented students. Persson (2005) considers mentorship as a possible solution to aid the immediate psychological and intellectual needs of gifted individuals, particularly received mentorship. According to Person, mentorship could be direct or indirect by cooperating with the student to find a mentor of his choice, given the fact that not al l gifted students would be likely to choose their counsellors to be their mentors. Person expresses the conviction that mentorship is the only viable counselling solution in an egalitarian context, which lacks recognition and particular provision for gifted individuals. Ford (1995) outlines the goal of counselling as that of promoting healthy self-concepts and ensuring psychological growth. Bearing that in mind, counsellors must have an awareness and understanding of the many issues that hinder gifted students and affect their psychological, social and emotional well-being. He recognises the role of counsellors in ensuring that such students remain in gifted programmes once identified and placed. Finally the concept of counselling needs to be defined within a context where it is not a task assigned merely to a particular group. Instead, as Brown et al. (1992) suggest the task has expanded from an initial concern with educational and vocational guidance to the remediation and prevention of personal, interpersonal, vocational and educational concerns. Consequently, according to Persson (2005), the aim of the intervention is for the individual to gain an understanding of self and context, in which case individual differences become a sensitive and even problematic issue, particularly in cases where gifted individuals are involved. Research Design The design of the study is intended to determine: first, the relationship of the roles of student counsellor, teachers, and principals to the performance of the gifted students; second, the effectiveness of the programmes in developing the capacity of the gifted students. Instrumentation and Data Collection The researchers visited the [Insert name of University Library or City Library] for journals, articles and studies needed for the research paper. The researchers gathered time-series data from different physical training institutions to assure of its validity and consistency. The primary data will be gathered using quantitative method, as this is best useful with questionnaires. The use of quantitative method will be appropriate for the research because the results in the questionnaires consist of numerical information, mostly based from the ratings included in the questions. Quantitative methods are used to provide reference to numeric calculations and are often used with questionnaires that have a specific goal and a target to achieve. This is helpful in the research, and its instigation in the process needs to be further culminated so that the problem is solved with efficiency and precision. In gathering data, the researcher would like to clear certain ethical issues that might hinder the processing of data. First, confidentiality will be kept at all costs. As the main reason why questionnaires will be used in the research is for the respondents to feel secure and to be assured that their answers will not be related to who they are. There may be instances wherein the respondent will divulge information that will be detrimental to the company, or to its competitors, depending on the case. Hence, there is a better chance at more responsive respondents if they can be assured of their confidentiality. Second, the Data Protection Act will be followed at all costs. The compliance with the act will be transparently said to the respondents so that they are further assured that anything they say in response to the questions asked them will only be used for the benefit of the research and not in any other practices. It should also be clear to the researcher that any information regarding the respondents cannot be released to anyone who is not immediately connected with the research unless permission from the subject respondent has been secured beforehand. Third, the research must always bear in mind the objectives of the study and never stray away from them. A researcher who has no definite purpose in doing the research is going nowhere and is exerting effort in a research that is not delimited properly and punctually. The purpose of the research is explicitly stated at the beginning of the research and is implied in every step of the realization of the research so as to not delineate the researcher from his goals. Lastly, the researcher must opt to practice objectivity. As the researcher, he is expected to keep an open-minded approach to the topic, keeping from his mind and personal bias in the subject matter or on the people involved. The reason for doing research is to test existing information, validate, prove or disprove existing ideas, or to test the limits of a certain prospect. Given this simple definition, it is clearly seen that in no form is the personal opinions of the researcher expected to hinder in the subject. Any act that might be biased or subjective will hint of the researchs failure to achieve its goals. Planned Method of Analysis The researchers plan to analyze the different test conducted through constant evaluation of the gifted students and how they perform. There will be a weekly evaluation in terms of how the programmes and the role of the authorities, and the effect of it to their performance. The performance in the field will be evaluated by the gifted students progress and development. Time Schedule Literature Review History of programmes for gifted students in KSA Observation Questionnaires Evaluation of performance Analysis of performance of the students Findings and Recommendation Conclusions Conclusion The role of school counsellors for gifted and talented students has been discussed widely in the literature. However, school counsellors urgently need to be provided with the appropriate skills in the areas of education and psychology so that they are capable of providing guidance to talented students and thereby respond to their needs in a way that will boost the educational process in the school. Counselling gifted students and their relatives is one of the mainly challenging and satisfying functions for a counsellor. Gifted students have wonderful variability, not only in their cognitive capability, but in their affective progress. While there are obviously frequent themes in the social-emotional issues tackling gifted students, there are also reflective individual differences amongst them. The talented student faces numerous problems that make life hard for him at school. However, anxiety and tension may affect his social life as well as forcing him to live in isolation. Moreover, decisions in relation to gifted learners should be part and parcel of a wider programme. This implies the identification of the task as being one which helps children conform with their culture, or empowers children to advance in their society, or challenges social, political and economic inequalities. Schoolcounsellors receive little specific training on the affective needs of gifted students and it is rare for counsellor training programmes to require counsellors to take a course on gifted students as a degree requirement. The role of the school counsellor is to develop the skills of the pupils in general, giving special attention to those who are talented and innovative by discovering their areas of interest, and by responding to their needs in a way that will achie

The Influence of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois on the Writings

The Influence of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois on the Writings from the Harlem Renaissance Two of the most influential people in shaping the social and political agenda of African Americans were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois, both early twentieth century writers. While many of their goals were the same, the two men approached the problems facing African Americans in very different ways. This page is designed to show how these two distinct thinkers and writers shaped one movement, as well as political debate for years afterward. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON BIOGRAPHY Booker T. Washington was considered one of the shrewdest African American leaders of all time. As one commentator stated, Washington was modest but "too dignified to be humble". Nevertheless, Washington had a great influence on various African American writings and his influence can still be seen today. As Washington stated in his book, Up From Slavery, "I am not quite sure of the exact place or exact date of my birth, but at any rate I suspect I must have been born somewhere and at sometime" (29). But, in reality, Booker Taliaferro Washington was born on a slave plantation in Franklin County, Virginia on April 5, 1856, where his mother worked as a cook. Washington's father, who he knew little of, was suspected to be a white man who worked on a near-by plantation. Growing up on the slave plantation, Washington lived in the most destitute surroundings. His "home" was a fourteen by sixteen square foot log cabin that he shared with his mother, brother, and sister. He spent most of his time on the plantation doing odd work, such as cleaning and working at the mill, since he was too small to do much more. After the Civil War and the aboliti... ...o instrumental in making progress. The famous Montgomery bus boycott took almost a year, but finally broke the large white-run service, and gave blacks a sense of how their importance in America could be displayed and proven. As one can see, Washington and DuBois played a tremendous role in creating the atmosphere which took African Americans into the Harlem Renaissance era. Without them, particularly DuBois, the movement for cultural identity would have lacked essential inspiration and foundation. We hope that we have provided our readers with information that shows this. BIBLIOGRAPHY Washington, Booker T.Up From Slavery Hearst Co.:New York,1965. DuBois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black FolkHearst Co.:New York,1965. http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/5881/ http://www.micds.pvt.k12.mo.us/academic/english/eng_11/11_jwh/web/misc/hughes.htm

Serial Killer Research

The Insanity Of Killers Serial murder is a psychological crime in many aspects. It is a planned, thought out action. The crimes themselves are often committed in order for the killer to gain a sense of power, control, and domination. There must be psychological desires and/or perceived needs that are otherwise lacking in his or her life. Are serial killers insane? Not by legal standards. The legal definition of insanity is based on the 19th century M’Naghten Rules: Does the offender understand the difference between right and wrong?If he flees or makes any attempt to hide the crime, then the offender is not insane, because his actions show that he understood that what he was doing was wrong. Yet what person in their right mind would filet young children and write letters to the parents, glorifying over what a fine meal their child made? In the case of Albert Fish, the jury found him â€Å"insane, but he deserved to die anyway. † A formal definition of legal insanity fir st was adopted in 1843 and is called the M'Naghten test; its basic form still is used today.The test outlines that the defense must clearly prove that the accused person was so impaired psychologically as to not understand that the crime was wrong when he or she committed it. Most crime experts believe that serial killers are not insane and are fully aware of their actions at the time that they commit murders. What's more, serial murderers commit several crimes, so it would follow that they should be proved as insane when planning and committing all the crimes they're charged with.Some serial killers have been diagnosed as psychopaths, or people who act with total disregard for the rights of others; they can tell the difference between right and wrong, however, so psychopaths aren't considered insane. Society believes that the insanity defense is used far more often than it actually is and people believe that the defense is used as a tactic to avoid punishment. People perceive seria l killers as inhumane and question how they could ever commit the crimes that they do.Some think it is inhumane to put a killer to death, but isn’t it even more inhumane to kill as many people as that killer did? One of the most predictable attempts to shift the blame is by creating an evil dark side, or alter ego. Fabricating an alter ego is a convenient way to pin the guilt on another, even if that other is within. It's a psychological variation of â€Å"the devil made me do it. † But diabolical alter egos are usually clumsy constructions that fall apart under scrutiny. At best, a legitimate split personality could hope for a mental institution instead of death row.But authentic cases are exceptionally rare. The motives of serial killers can be placed into five different categories: visionary, missionary, hedonistic, gain motivated, power and control. Visionary is like having that little voice in your head telling you to do something, so the killer listens and even s ometimes tries to shift the blame on to the voice and claiming to be insane. So-called missionary killers believe that their acts are justified on the basis that they are getting rid of a certain type of person and thus doing society a favor.The hedonistic type kills for the sheer pleasure of it, although what aspect they enjoy varies. This is the most common type of serial killer depicted in slasher and horror movies, psychological thrillers, and so on. Gain motivated, most criminals who commit multiple murders for material ends (such as Mafia hit men) are not classed as serial killers, because they are motivated by economic gain rather than psychopathological compulsion. Power and control, their main objective for killing is to gain and exert power over their victim.Such killers are sometimes abused as children, leaving them with feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy as adults. They must be insane, what normal person could slaughter another human, for the sheer pleasure of it? Yet the most chilling fact about serial killers is that they are rational and calculating. As the â€Å"British Jeffrey Dahmer† Dennis Nilsen put it, â€Å"a mind can be evil without being abnormal. † Serial Killer-Psychopathic or Psychotic Differences between the two. What is a serial killer? A serial killer is a person who attacks and kills victims one by one in a series of incidents.Some characteristics of a serial killer is that they have a minimum of three to four victims, usually with a â€Å"cooling off period† in between. The killer usually is likely to victimize a stranger than they are to victimize someone that they know. The serial killer has a sadistic urge to dominate there victims, they do not profit, except for psychological satisfaction. The serial killer usually looks for victims that are vulnerable. The majority of serial killers are white males, in there late 20’s to early 30’s, but some have been known to be a lot older.Serial k illers usually come from lower to middle class family backgrounds and they usually have at least an average intelligence. There are two types of serial killers, the psychotic and the psychopath. The psychotic serial killer is one who is legally insane, they cannot tell the difference between right and wrong, they may hear voices, see visions and sometimes may have hallucinations prior to committing the murders. â€Å"The son of Sam† aka David Berkowitz is a great example of a psychotic serial killer. The second type of serial killer is the psychopathic serial killer.The psychopathic serial killer does not suffer from hallucinations, they know the difference between right and wrong, and are in touch with reality, they just do not care what the are doing is not right. Psychopathic serial killers lack one very important trait and that is that they do not have a conscience, or that there conscience is too weak to stop the violent behavior. A psychopathic serial killer does not fe el any guilt, nor are they sorry for there actions. There are numerous theories as to whether a person is born with the predisposition to kill; some theories suggest that the psychopath is a product of his/her environment.It is possible that it is a combination of both genetics anjd the person’s environment. The worst part of a psychopathic serial killer is his/her ability to blend in with their environment. They will act normal, but underneath there persona, lies two uncontrollable traits; sexual abnormality and a consuming need for power. The killing satisfies both the ultimate control over life and death. Simply, killing gives them pleasure, they will because they want to and because they enjoy doing so.The only thing that stops a serial killer from committing these types of killings is either they are arrested or they die. Works Cited Debswood, . â€Å"Serial Killer – Psychopathic or Psychotic. † Scienceray. 19 2008. Web. 2 Nov 2012. . Ward, Daniel. â€Å"T he M'Naghten Rule: A Re-evaluation. † Marquette Law Review. Marquette Law Scholarly Commons, n. d. Web. 4 Nov 2012. . Bardsley, Marilyn. â€Å"Albert Fish. † Trutv-Crime Library. A Time Warner Company. Web. 3 Nov 2012. . Sullivan, Andrew. â€Å"Mind of Madness. † Studymode. studymode. com, 27 2011. Web. 5 Nov 2012. .

Money Makes the Mare Go Essay Example

Money Makes the Mare Go Essay Example Money Makes the Mare Go Paper Money Makes the Mare Go Paper Money is, no doubt, a miracle. It endows us with happiness, wipes our tears, soothes our wounds, makes our life mirthful and rosy, gives us laughter and joy and changes our dreams to reality. Though not for all of our problems, it is a panacea for most of them. In the eyes of the world a rich man is wise man. He gathers most friends. His prosperity makes him smart enough to collect as much friends as he likes. Wealth, even in the most improbable cases, manages to convey the aspect of intelligence. The golden key of money opens up even the trickiest locks of troubles thus rightfully giving its owner the prestige of being intelligent. Survival of the fittest is the law of nature. Those who struggle survive; those who shun effort become extinct. God says in His Holy book, ‘Man gets what he strives for’. It is a part of the nature of humanity to struggle for better food, better clothes and better lodging and surely money making is one of its basic needs. The art of getting rich consists not in industry, much less in saving but in a better order, in timeliness, in being at the right spot. Though money is a terrible master and an excellent servant yet we ought not allow it to overwhelm all our abilities and master whole of our life. It was rightfully said by some one that he does not posses wealth that allows it to posses him. Rightfully, if we command our wealth we shall be rich and free, if our wealth commands us we are poor indeed. With out money we can’t even think of living a life of comfort and ease, so, yearning for wealth is a positive activity in itself but wealth shouldn’t be the ultimate end of all of our struggles. Money is like a serpent. If we know the trick to charm this creature it would be valuable for us but if we don’t know the mantra it would definitely bite us. Money has the seductive sting of engulfing all of our attention and abilities and at the end man becomes the epitome of the picture presented in the holy scriptures in the words of: ‘Although they posses more and more than enough yet they yearn for more’. This incessant urge for getting more is the real adversary of man’s spirituality. Admittedly, money is a source of solving all riddles in our lives but we should always keep in mind that worldly riches are like nuts; many a tooth is broke in cracking them but never is the stomach filled with eating them. The greatest wealth is contentment with little. It is an old saying that money makes the mare go and it is applicable on our life to day too. We see that there is nothing which is available to us without money. We have to install air conditioner, cooler or heaters to keep us cool and hot and even water is not available without money. If money is most necessary for properly running this life, we must have money and therefore, each one of us shall have to work and earn money. We shall need money for running our life and we also need money for the rainy days. We can fall ill and we shall turn old too and therefore, if we have no saving with us, we shall be facing difficulty. Money can be earned honestly and it is not necessary that we should adopt wrong methods to collect and save money. If we commit a crime, we shall be caught by the police and instead of having easy life with such money, we shall be attracting more and more problems for us and there are chances that we may be spending our earlier savings with the police or with the courts. Therefore, we should prepare ourselves to earn money with our own hands and we must adopt honest means to collect money. The people who have got proper education, proper training and they are properly adjusted at work, they are able to have money and they shall be happy to spend that money. People who collect money through wrong means, are not able to enjoy that money because they are always under fear compulsions and they do not enjoy life. Some people show that they are enjoying life with money which they had collected with wrong means, but we should be sure that such people are just showing that they are happy, but they cannot get sound sleep in the night and most of them live on drugs. Money may be most necessary for life, but it should be earned with proper care and through proper means and only then this money can play a good role in our life.

How to Make Black Snake or Glow Worm Fireworks

How to Make Black Snake or Glow Worm Fireworks Black snakes, sometimes called glow worms, are small tablets that you light, using a punk or a lighter, that burn to produce long black snakes of ash. They produce some smoke (which had a characteristic, probably toxic odor), but no fire or explosion. The original fireworks used to contain salts of a heavy metal (such as mercury), so while they were marketed for kids to play with, they really werent that much safer than conventional fireworks, just dangerous in a different way. However, there is a safe way to make black snakes. You can heat baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with sugar (sucrose) to produce carbon dioxide gas that puffs up black carbon ash (see a video). Black Snake Materials SandAlcohol or fuel oil (High-proof alcohol or lighter fluid works well for this  project)Baking sodaSugar (Powdered sugar or you can grind table sugar in a coffee grinder) Steps to Make Snakes Mix 4 parts powdered sugar with 1 part baking soda. (Try  4 teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon baking soda)Make a mound with the sand. Push a depression into the middle of the sand.Pour the alcohol or other fuel into the sand to wet it.Pour the sugar and soda mixture into the depression.Ignite the mound, using a lighter or match. At first, youll get a flame and some small scattered blackened balls. Once the reaction gets going, the carbon dioxide will puff up the carbonate into the continuously extruded snake. You can also make black snakes without sand mix baking soda and sugar in a metal mixing bowl, add the fuel and light the mixture. It should work fine. These will have a distinct, familiar smell... of burnt marshmallows. Finally, rest assured that if you use pure ethanol, sugar, and baking soda, there is nothing toxic about this project. One caution: Dont add fuel to the burning snake, since you risk igniting the alcohol stream. How Black Snakes Work The sugar and baking soda snake proceeds according to the following chemical reactions, where sodium bicarbonate breaks down into sodium carbonate, water vapor, and carbon dioxide gas while burning the sugar in oxygen produces water vapor and carbon dioxide gas. The snake is carbonate with black carbon particles: 2 NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 H2O CO2 C2H5OH 3 O2 → 2 CO2 3 H2O These instructions were adapted from a tutorial given on Boing Boing which in turn came from a defunct Russian site. The Russian site suggested two additional ways to make chemical snakes: Ammonium Nitrate Black Snake This works the same way as the sugar and baking soda snake, except using ammonium nitrate (niter) instead of sugar. Mix one part ammonium nitrate and one part baking soda. This recipe is more like what you would see in commercial black snake fireworks, which are supposedly composed of soda with nitrated naphthalenes and linseed oil. Its another very safe demonstration, though not safe enough to eat, like sugar and baking soda. Ammonium Dichromate Green Snake The green snake is a variation on the ammonium dichromate volcano. The volcano is a cool chemistry demonstration (orange sparks, green ash, smoke), but its a chemistry-lab-only demonstration (not safe for kids at all) because the chromium compound is toxic. The green soda snakes are made from: Two parts of ammonium nitrateOne part of powdered sugarOne part of ammonium dichromate Mix the ingredients, add a small amount of water, and roll the result into a snake shape (using gloves is strongly recommended). Allow the snake to dry (the tutorial suggests using a hairdryer to speed the process). Light one end of the snake.  Its worth knowing how to do this demonstration if you have ammonium dichromate and ammonium nitrate on hand, otherwise, let the Russian photos suffice and play with the sugar and baking soda snakes instead.  In this case, an orange snake burns to green ash.  Another (spectacular) form of black carbon snake results from reacting sugar and sulfuric acid. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.

Chicago Referencing †4 Things You Should Know

Chicago Referencing – 4 Things You Should Know Chicago Referencing – 4 Things You Should Know Chicago referencing is a flexible system for citing sources in academic writing. If it’s your colleges chosen system or you’re writing a paper for a journal, knowing how to use Chicago referencing is vital. Before you set to work, though, there are a few things you should know. 1. The Chicago Manual of Style Chicago referencing is set out in The Chicago Manual of Style. The 16th edition of this was released in 2010 and includes details on every aspect of editorial practice, from grammar to formatting. In the U.S., The Chicago Manual of Style is commonly used by publications in the social and human sciences. However, if your college simply specifies â€Å"Chicago referencing,† it’s only the rules for citing sources that you need to worry about. 2. One Manual, Two Styles Chicago referencing can be a little confusing because it incorporates two citation styles: author-date citations and a footnote and bibliography version. Author-date citations use a style similar to APA referencing, with the author’s surname, year of publication and (if relevant) page numbers given in brackets: The New World was colonized around 11,000 B.C. (Diamond 1997, 67). This is accompanied by full publication detail in a reference list. The footnote and bibliography system, meanwhile, cites sources with superscript numbers (e.g., 1, 2, 3) in the main text. You can then give source information in footnotes (as well as in a bibliography). The first footnote for the source named above, for example, would appear as: 1. Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000 Years (London: Vintage, 1997), 67. The fact there are two citation styles within Chicago referencing makes it crucial to check your style guide before you start writing. 3. Subsequent Citations If you’re using the author-date system, citing the same source more than once simply requires giving the author’s name and year of publication each time. With the footnote and bibliography system, however, you can shorten subsequent citations of the same source. For consecutive citations, you can use the Latin term â€Å"Ibid.† For nonconsecutive citations, give the author’s surname, a shortened title and relevant page numbers: 1. Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000 Years (London: Vintage, 1997), 67. 2. Ibid., 112. 3. Derek Author, A Different Book, (New York: Publisher Inc., 2005), 45. 4. Diamond, Guns, Germs Steel, 23. 4. Reference List/Bibliography The two citation systems covered by Chicago referencing use a similar format for creating a reference list/bibliography, but there are differences. The information required for a book in a reference list when using the author-date system is: Author Surname, First Name. Year. Title. City of Publication: Publisher. With the footnote and bibliography system, on the other hand, publication information should be presented as follows: Author Surname, First Name. Title. City of Publication: Publisher, Year.

Advanced Financial Reporting and Regulation Essay - 1

Advanced Financial Reporting and Regulation - Essay Example The problem with this approach arises when the market for the asset becomes illiquid. This sets in the use of complex models that the company must come up with through the help of a specialist. These assets are grouped as Level three assets. During the financial crisis, there was a fall in the prices of mortgage and related securities. The result was illiquid markets for them and banks marked down their assets largely. This made banks have a great problem in meeting up their capital requirement. The critics claim that money could have helped solve the crisis that existed at that time. However, banks obtained cash through the sale of assets that further made a downward trend in the prices of assets. This led to an economic downturn and became a cycle. This is the main reason, critics of fair value accounting claim that it had a hand in the financial crisis that occurred. Most critics have distinguished mark- to-market accounting a mechanism through which fair accounting can contribute to the financial crisis. There is a link between bank regulation and fair value accounting when trying to evaluate how fair value accounting can lead to a crisis. Fair value depends on the market prices, which are not consistent and sometimes can deviate due to some reasons. The distorted prices can cause a bank to write down its assets to match the distorted prices. As a result, the regulatory capital of the bank would be depleted and it may force the bank to sell assets at lower prices. If the lower prices in the distressed bank become relevant to other banks, it can result to regulatory capital problems and write-downs even for sound banks (Laux and Leuz, 2009). Laux and Leuz (2009) found out that by the management paying attention to the company’s earnings might create the contagion problems. The management can sell their assets at relatively low prices that result to a contagion effect to the other banks. This makes other banks price their assets

Political Speeches and Press Releases Assignment

Political Speeches and Press Releases - Assignment Example The President did not talk of the need or goal of creating a world without boundaries; in fact, he vehemently recognized and accepted the differences between the people, their cultures, and their faiths (Obama). Instead, he stressed on the need to view one populace as alien or enemies if the other; in essence, he denounced the concept of â€Å"othering† as regards the political and social environment (Obama). He stressed that it was imperative for the global development of the world for countries to exist in peace and to understand that diversity can be used to unify the communities instead of breaking them apart (Obama). He maintained that it was very important for the Oriental countries to decide their leadership themselves and to own their freedom through the process of democracy (Obama), since it was in the vested interest of the American government to bring harmony in the Eastern society so that new market could open up for the American trade, and business could flourish, which would result in the progress and development of the countries

Daoism, Confucianism, and Shinto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Daoism, Confucianism, and Shinto - Essay Example Too much of something is poisonous. For example, overeating results in physiological harm; therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to the body’s self-regulating mechanisms. The passage also cautions against reliance on material things as the ultimate source of happiness by inferring that people only need what is enough to lead a prosperous happy life. For example, social relationships that nurture and provide affection are crucial for sustaining happiness. In my opinion, this passage stresses on the importance of understanding oneself before attempting to understand others. In doing so, one will be able to behave in a manner that mirrors their principles while at the same time respecting the opinions of those around them. For example, when one understands that dishonesty appalls them, they will behave in a trustworthy manner, which in turn sends out a signal to others to do the same while interacting with the individual. Daoist teachers negated principles advanced by adherents of Confucianism. They focused on comprehending the nature of reality, ordering life morally, practicing rulership, increasing longevity, and regulating their diet and consciousness (Molloy, 2010). At the core of their ideologies lay naturalness (ziran), effortless action (Wu wei), and teachings about how to become a realized person (zhenren) or sage (shengren) (Molloy, 2010). In addition, they believed it was useless to try to oppose the nature by intervening, as they believe nature had its own way of intervening to end imbalance in the society. For example, Daoist teachers implored rulers to refrain from using weapons as a means of ending social problems, as they believed nature would mitigate the problem. Daoist teachings in their entirety mirror its adherents’ belief in change, which they inferred defined life’s reality. They also believed that the â€Å"Dao† was inexplicable, as it surpassed all conceivable phenomena. However, it was attainable through effortless

Japanese cinema Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Japanese cinema - Movie Review Example The present essay is dedicated to the discussion of the cultural shift from the comprehension of the warrior code among yakuza to realizing their criminal nature. At first, a large amount of attention is devoted to the discussion of the Battles without Honor and Humanity. Then, the history of common perception of yakuza through folklore is unfolded. The difference between older yakuza representation and the newer one is analysed next. Finally, global prerequisites of the cultural shift, described in Battles without Honor and Humanity, are given one by one: post-war political situation, nuclear threat, American occupation, and the corruption of the police forces. Most of the Japanese films about yakuza made before Kinji Fukasaku's Battles without Honor and Humanity were concentrated on the confrontation of the good yakuza and the bad yakuza. While being outlaws they were divided by 'jingi' - the code of honor. That is, good yakuza always acted in accordance with jingi, while their opposites showed treachery, dishonor, and other signs of falling from yakuza's grace with their actions. Moreover, jingi was respected so greatly among yakuza that even evil characters had to hide their true nature from other gang members. Once the disrespect to jingi was discovered, antagonists were quickly and violently dealt with. Obviously, the real life was far from the ideal picture drawn by th... Indeed, Fukasaku's life has made him to be able to judge about the authenticity of yakuza image in the Japanese cinema. Kenji Fukasaku was born in 1930 in hard times for Japan. At first the Japanese invasion into China, then the Second World War ending with nuclear explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki - constant wars have transformed the everyday life into the battle for survival. With his youth spent at that times, no wonder that Fukasaku's view of a post-war Hiroshima in his Battles without Honor and Humanity is filled with cynicism and fatalism. His work as a director at the Toei studio began in 1961. At that time the studio was focused on the production of historical 'jidaigeki' films, and with the studio policy, obliging directors to simply carry out instructions rather than be creative, the film made by Fukasaku in 1973 can be perceived almost as a revolution. Battles without Honor and Humanity offer a realistic view of yakuza gangs emerging in radioactive dust of post-war Hiroshima, and at the same time Fukasaku's film is very personal - it is almost like the director himself talks to us. At the beginning of the film the main character Hirono Shozo performed by Bunta Sugawara comes out of the prison where he was put for dispatching some American soldier. Hirono has no plans for new peaceful life; instead he is instantly taken under the wing of the Yamamori yakuza group. Traditionally to yakuza genre, Hirono represents a hero fallen behind the new life, which has changed seriously while he was in prison. The second difference between Shozo and other yakuza is that he still believes in 'jingi', offering loyalty to his boss, while the other

Marketing BDD proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing BDD proposal - Essay Example After which, BDD believes that HMC will be better off as a key account in the company to better take advantage of its multidivisional efforts. This proposal will show how HMC can best utilize its strategic partnership with BDD in response to its current financial dilemma. Our company is currently aware that HMC is in a tight financial situation due to the decline in state funding. In this regard, HMC seeks to reduce medical management cost by $175,000, $100,000 of which is assigned to medical acquisition cost. BDD is also aware that the company sought a supplier which can possibly slash the prices currently charged to HMC. Thus, Terumo, a Japanese manufacturer offered to charge a price 15% lower than HMC. Further evaluation revealed that Terumo's products passed the standard of the hospital and was thus considered. Slashing the medical acquisition cost of 15% will lead to $32,000 cost savings. It is of BDD's interest to help HMC with its effort to cut operating cost through this proposal. The counter proposal of BDD far outweighs the cost savings to be generated should HMC accept Terumo's offer. Initially, BDD offers to cut the HMC's acquisition cost by 10%. At first, it might seem that Terumo offers higher cost advantage than BDD as the proposed 10% cut will only reflect a $21,333 saving as opposed to $32,000. However, BDD will undermine the first offer by posting more cost savings in the form of value-added services. It should be noted that BDD wants to convey more value to HMC in the form of add-on services not covered in the deal with Terumo. Through the partnership of BDD and HMC, the latter avails of the basic services offered by the company which include fulfillment accuracy, on time delivery, damage-free goods, efficient order-inquiry routines, effective sales representation, accurate invoicing, and efficient in-servicing of end users. Acceptance of this proposal will assure HMC of the aforementioned services. However, it should be noted that deciding to choose Terumo will risk incurring the associated cost should the company fail to delivery the above services. It is irrefutable that Terumo's inability to ensure efficiency will be recorded as other costs. It is estimated that ordering inefficiency alone will HMC incur $2,500 a year. It is assumed that HMC acquire additional $8,500 if Terumo fails to deliver BDD's basic services. This significantly erodes the cost savings initially covered by Terumo's $32,000 cost savings. It should also be noted that since Terumo cannot supply all the syringes and needles provided b y HMC, this will cost another $7,000 for HMC. Thus, HMC will only be able to save $16,500 if it chooses to accept the proposal of Terumo. As HMC will be converted into a key account instead of a national account, it will also benefit from BDD's multidivisional efforts. The table below summarizes the cost savings of HMC between the two alternatives. Aside from the 10% discount, HMC will also directly benefit from the multidivisional effort of BDD in the form of lower ordering, transportation, warehousing, and disposal cost. In the multidivisional program, HMC will not need to place order every now and then as BDD's information system facilitates automatic ordering. This reduction in operation processes is expected to generate a $2,000 savings

Foreign Direct Investment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Foreign Direct Investment - Assignment Example In other words, FDI inflows might supplement the limited financial resources which retard the growth of an economy. Moreover, FDI inflows could assist in technology transfers that could prove to be more efficient in terms of production and thus, be of high assistance to the developing economies especially in case of LDCs (Assadourian, 2005). On the other hand, too much dependence upon FDIs for economic development, from a particular host nation might turn detrimental in case that the latter exploits the former on such grounds. In addition, the recipient country also suffers if FDI inflows invigorate production processes which ultimately injure the environment. Moreover, in case the benefits of FDI inflows trickle down to any particular segment of the economy only, possibilities of social uprisings grow intense among those who are not directly benefitted out of the same (OECD, 2002). FDI outflows could be turn to be beneficial for the source economy through boosting its current accoun t position in terms of profit returns from sales made in the host economy. Moreover, prospects of rise in employment are also multiplied in the source economy when the raw materials produced in the host nation are brought in for manufacture of final goods. Lastly, technology and skill from the host nation are also passed into the home country, thus benefitting the latter. One of the highest costs incurred in FDI outflows is that of capital account deficits owing to a massive outflow in the initial phase. Secondly, the home country suffers from a current account deficit if the purpose of FDI outflow is to import low-cost raw materials (Vaidya, 2006). Determinants of FDI The primary factors which determine the flow of... The primary factors which determine the flow of FDI within an economy are – †¢ At the face of competition, the foreign investors often consider foreign investment to be beneficial for their long run growths against their rivals. Such a measure could help them in securing their foothold in a non-domestic market. †¢ Such measures are often adopted in order to maintain a long term relationship which might prove to be profitable in the future, either in terms of a sustained flow of cost efficient inputs or technology. Moreover, a long term commitment could be advantageous at times of bargain as well. †¢ In addition, involvement in new product in a foreign market is associated with economies of moving in first (Moosa, 2002). Answer to Question 2 The association between openness to trade and economic growth of an economy is a highly debatable topic. There exist theories as well as empirical evidences supporting and opposing the facts, so that the applicability of any one of them cannot be asserted in the true sense of the term. One robust theory which could be raised in support of the hypothesis is that lower the degree of trade restrictions in an economy, higher will be the inflow of export revenues in the nation which in turn boosts the national income of the economy. Moreover, abolition of restrictions over trade such as import tariffs or export quotas could help in extracting the benefits of comparative advantage which is beneficial in lowering the cost of production.

Japanese cinema Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Japanese cinema - Movie Review Example The present essay is dedicated to the discussion of the cultural shift from the comprehension of the warrior code among yakuza to realizing their criminal nature. At first, a large amount of attention is devoted to the discussion of the Battles without Honor and Humanity. Then, the history of common perception of yakuza through folklore is unfolded. The difference between older yakuza representation and the newer one is analysed next. Finally, global prerequisites of the cultural shift, described in Battles without Honor and Humanity, are given one by one: post-war political situation, nuclear threat, American occupation, and the corruption of the police forces. Most of the Japanese films about yakuza made before Kinji Fukasaku's Battles without Honor and Humanity were concentrated on the confrontation of the good yakuza and the bad yakuza. While being outlaws they were divided by 'jingi' - the code of honor. That is, good yakuza always acted in accordance with jingi, while their opposites showed treachery, dishonor, and other signs of falling from yakuza's grace with their actions. Moreover, jingi was respected so greatly among yakuza that even evil characters had to hide their true nature from other gang members. Once the disrespect to jingi was discovered, antagonists were quickly and violently dealt with. Obviously, the real life was far from the ideal picture drawn by th... Indeed, Fukasaku's life has made him to be able to judge about the authenticity of yakuza image in the Japanese cinema. Kenji Fukasaku was born in 1930 in hard times for Japan. At first the Japanese invasion into China, then the Second World War ending with nuclear explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki - constant wars have transformed the everyday life into the battle for survival. With his youth spent at that times, no wonder that Fukasaku's view of a post-war Hiroshima in his Battles without Honor and Humanity is filled with cynicism and fatalism. His work as a director at the Toei studio began in 1961. At that time the studio was focused on the production of historical 'jidaigeki' films, and with the studio policy, obliging directors to simply carry out instructions rather than be creative, the film made by Fukasaku in 1973 can be perceived almost as a revolution. Battles without Honor and Humanity offer a realistic view of yakuza gangs emerging in radioactive dust of post-war Hiroshima, and at the same time Fukasaku's film is very personal - it is almost like the director himself talks to us. At the beginning of the film the main character Hirono Shozo performed by Bunta Sugawara comes out of the prison where he was put for dispatching some American soldier. Hirono has no plans for new peaceful life; instead he is instantly taken under the wing of the Yamamori yakuza group. Traditionally to yakuza genre, Hirono represents a hero fallen behind the new life, which has changed seriously while he was in prison. The second difference between Shozo and other yakuza is that he still believes in 'jingi', offering loyalty to his boss, while the other

Foreign Direct Investment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Foreign Direct Investment - Assignment Example In other words, FDI inflows might supplement the limited financial resources which retard the growth of an economy. Moreover, FDI inflows could assist in technology transfers that could prove to be more efficient in terms of production and thus, be of high assistance to the developing economies especially in case of LDCs (Assadourian, 2005). On the other hand, too much dependence upon FDIs for economic development, from a particular host nation might turn detrimental in case that the latter exploits the former on such grounds. In addition, the recipient country also suffers if FDI inflows invigorate production processes which ultimately injure the environment. Moreover, in case the benefits of FDI inflows trickle down to any particular segment of the economy only, possibilities of social uprisings grow intense among those who are not directly benefitted out of the same (OECD, 2002). FDI outflows could be turn to be beneficial for the source economy through boosting its current accoun t position in terms of profit returns from sales made in the host economy. Moreover, prospects of rise in employment are also multiplied in the source economy when the raw materials produced in the host nation are brought in for manufacture of final goods. Lastly, technology and skill from the host nation are also passed into the home country, thus benefitting the latter. One of the highest costs incurred in FDI outflows is that of capital account deficits owing to a massive outflow in the initial phase. Secondly, the home country suffers from a current account deficit if the purpose of FDI outflow is to import low-cost raw materials (Vaidya, 2006). Determinants of FDI The primary factors which determine the flow of... The primary factors which determine the flow of FDI within an economy are – †¢ At the face of competition, the foreign investors often consider foreign investment to be beneficial for their long run growths against their rivals. Such a measure could help them in securing their foothold in a non-domestic market. †¢ Such measures are often adopted in order to maintain a long term relationship which might prove to be profitable in the future, either in terms of a sustained flow of cost efficient inputs or technology. Moreover, a long term commitment could be advantageous at times of bargain as well. †¢ In addition, involvement in new product in a foreign market is associated with economies of moving in first (Moosa, 2002). Answer to Question 2 The association between openness to trade and economic growth of an economy is a highly debatable topic. There exist theories as well as empirical evidences supporting and opposing the facts, so that the applicability of any one of them cannot be asserted in the true sense of the term. One robust theory which could be raised in support of the hypothesis is that lower the degree of trade restrictions in an economy, higher will be the inflow of export revenues in the nation which in turn boosts the national income of the economy. Moreover, abolition of restrictions over trade such as import tariffs or export quotas could help in extracting the benefits of comparative advantage which is beneficial in lowering the cost of production.

Financial Ratios and Division Managers Essay Example for Free

Financial Ratios and Division Managers Essay The front desk receptionist routinely takes an extra 20 minutes of lunch to run personal errands. Agency Problem: she took an extra 20 minutes to do her personal errands instead of working, which she puts her own self interests before the best interests of the company. Occurred cost: the salary that the company pays to her. The solution would depend on the boss on her work performance in the past. If she has an important personal errand to do during that time, then boss might need to talk to her and explain the solution for her. This problem can be final dealt by clocking-in and clocking-out even time for lunch hours. B) Division managers are padding cost estimates so as to show short-term efficiency gains when the costs come in lower than the estimates. Agency Problem: Division managers use their authority to mislead information and a problem exists when management and stockholders have conflicting ideas on how the company should be run in short-term. It will mess up the management in order to plan costs. Also it might ruin the number balance sheets and which could affect future gains. This might mean that the division managers who wish to engage in capital expenditures can now secure a short-term benefit from lower estimates. Occurred cost: The solution is management should monitor division managers performance and might give managers the performance shares which result in meeting the stated performance goals. These goals must be more efficient and accurate in order for management to plan goal to generate profit. Agency cost: By reducing and by providing appropriate incentives to align the interests to division managers. C) The firm’s chief executive officer has secret talks with a competitor about the possibility of a merger in which he would become the CEO of the combined firms. Agency Problem: The chief executive officer risks negative behavior because of dealing with the competition and did not involve his company’s best interests. He is putting his needs of planning a secret merger with his competition, which most likely can result potential profit for him, and possibly his company, if the merger is a positive one. Since he knows that his merger will occur (due to the fact of his direct â€Å"under the table† dealings with his competition), he can then go forward openly with his own company to promote the merger. Occurred cost: The CEO should know himself and the risks of CEO overconfidence. His behavior results in exactly this type of good faith mismanagement of the business. It is very important that the company should continue improving both legal and non-legal mechanisms that remedy conflict-of-interest problems by guarding against looting, fraud, and other forms of corporate corruption and disloyalty and by incentivizing managers to maximize shareholder value. The added challenge for corporate governance is to move beyond managerial motives to account more for human psychology and how managers actually behave and make business decisions when they are well-intentioned. D) A branch manager lay off experienced fulltime employees and staffs customer service positions with part-time or temporary workers to lower employment costs and raise this year’s branch profit. The manager’s bonus is based on profitability. Agency Problem: the branch manager created the personal goal to get more bonuses which depends on profitability and did not look into the company’s performance. Occurred cost: the management should be able to see that profitability does not come from sales. The cross section analysis helps the analyst to find out as to how a particular firm has performed in relation to its competitors. Time-Series analysis evaluates performance overtime by comparing current to the past performance. To look at significant year-to-year changes may be symptomatic of a major problem. Time series analysis helps to the firm to assess whether the firm is approaching the long-term goals or not. The Time series analysis looks for (1) important trends in financial performance (2) shift in trend over the years (3) significant deviation if any from the other set of data. So, I will compare the actual year 2007, 2008 and 2009. Liquidity by look at the current ratio and quick ratio that evaluating the speed with which certain accounts are converted into cash and its look at the ability of a company to meet its short-term obligations. As actual year 2009 the current ratio (2. 48) and quick ratio (1. 35) higher than the industry average and the higher is the better for company. If we look at the balance sheet we will see that the current asset and the current liability is decreased which is the big decreased from accounts payable. This shows that Marin Manufacturing Company have enough quick assets to pay off all current liabilities. Activity It shows relationship between the sales the assets. By evaluate inventory turnover, average collection period, and total asset turnover. As the inventory turnover of the Marin Manufacturing Company is less the industry average which I recommends that the company should manage inventory more efficiently. The average collection period is higher than both industry average and the past year which the manager should emphasis on the collection to decrease this number. It means that they have to change their policy of lending business for more efficiency of debt collection. The total asset turnover for the actual year is 1. 6 which more then the past year but it still less than the industry average. So, the company needs to increase sakes to meet the industry average. Debt can analyze by debt ratio and time interest earned ratio. The debt ratio of actual year 2009 is higher than the industry average it continue increasing since year 2007-2008. Its means that the company has high leveraged and might borrows more money in the year 2008. Also the higher debt ratio means higher risk for lenders and investors. For the time interest ratio which decrease from year 2008 at 1. 9 to be 1. 6 in year 2009 and lower than industry average it means the company might facing the risk that cash flows from operations will be insufficient to cover interest and principal payment. Profitability by evaluate gross profit margin, net profit margin, ROA and ROE. Gross Profit Margin is measuring how much amount is left to meet other expenses earn net profit which actual 2009 is at 27% that higher than the industry average (26%). Its mean that the company has high ability to sell goods at intended selling price. At 0. 65 % of net profit margin that decrease from 1. 1 % in 2007 to 1. 0% in year 2008 and less than industry average (1. 2%) that create low safety to the company. The higher risk that a decline in sales will erase profits and might result in net loss. The ROA and ROE both in year 2009 are decreasing to be less than the industry average and decresing from the past year. This show that the managerment is not managing asset effeicincy or assets are not being utilized effectively and lower ROE might caused by high debt. It seem like when this company are not very attractive for invertor if they looking at return on stockholders investment which is decreasing to be lower than industry averange. Market can analyze from P/E ratio and M/B ratio. For P/E in year 2009 is 34. 4 compare with the industry average at 43. 4 which lower and if compare to the past year it lower than year 2008. It means that investors are not perceive good growth potential of Marin Manufacturing Company.

Employment of Special Forces in Conventional Operations

Employment of Special Forces in Conventional Operations INTRODUCTION General 1. The history of warfare is replete with instances of a band of elite troops taking on a numerically superior force and using surprise to achieve relative superiority to emerge victorious. In a world where the nature of threat is becoming increasingly complex encompasses the entire spectrum of warfare, Special Forces hold their own importance. These highly trained motivated troops with sophisticated weapons equipment are capable of operating in all types of terrain weather conditions to seek a favourable response to sensitive situations. 2. In an era of modern warfare where all dimensions of force, time, space even virtual space or cyberspace are likely to be exploited to gain moral or physical ascendancy over the adversary, the role of the Special Forces becomes very important. It is therefore incumbent on any nation to have these forces fully geared up to confidently take up the challenges of the modern battlefield environment with a sound backing of tried tested doctrines employment concepts. Hypothesis 3. Given the changing face of warfare the aspirations of our nation to be a global player, there is a requirement of carrying out organisational doctrinal changes to our Special Forces for undertaking conventional operations in the future. Statement of the Problem 4. It seems quite obvious that there indeed is a need for having a re-look at the way the Special Forces are employed in present context of operations. Therefore, the problem can be stated as What are the organisational doctrinal changes required for effective employment of the Special Forces in conventional operations in the future? Justification of the Study 5. Recent wars such as those in Kosovo or Iraq have amply proved that no single instrument of war wins a campaign or successfully executes a mission. As conflicts become more complex and diverse, those involved with planning and executing campaigns and missions have greater challenges at hand[i]. 6. The Special Forces, by virtue of their superior combat training specialised weapons equipment, are a force multiplier unit available not only to a tactical commander to gain an upper hand vis-a-vis the adversary in a tactical battle, but also to a strategic force commander due to their ability to strike at the decisive points of the enemy. Special Forces are also a very effective force available to the commander in sub conventional operations where the very nature of the latter is based on small team concept. 7. On a larger canvas, as part of our growing influence in world matters our expanding interests in the Asian region, it may be necessary in future to station own Special Forces in some of the nations for safeguarding of our foreign assets as well as to improve our capability to react to an Out of Area contingency. 8. It is therefore mandatory to study as to what are the fundamental changes, if any, which are required so that our Special Forces are able to effectively execute the multifarious tasks expected out them in the future battlefield. Scope 9. The scope of the study encompasses a brief overview of the organization structure of the special operations forces of a few major developing developed countries followed by an assessment of the present organisation concept of employing our special forces. The study will thereafter analyse the likely future world order the spectrum of conflicts in the future analyse the changes in present organisation concept of employment to meet challenges of conventional operations in the future. 10. The study does not deliberate upon the specific operations of the Special Forces. However, an operation or part thereof may be included in a chapter to bring out certain lessons having a bearing on the topic. 11. The study will be carried out in the following manner:- (a) Chapter I : Overview of the Special Forces of various nations. (b) Chapter II : Present organisation concept of employment of Indias Special Forces. (c) Chapter III : Future world order spectrum of conflict. (c) Chapter IV : Changes in present organisation concept of employment to meet challenges of conventional operations in the future. (d) Conclusion. i Air Power Special Operations: AIR POWER Journal Vol. 2 No. 2 SUMMER 2005 (Apr-Jun) 102 pp 91-93 . CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE SP ECIAL FORCES OF VARIOUS NATIONS Intro duction 1. The evolution of the SF has been a continuous process the world over since the times of the Vikings the Mongols. Every age has produced a special soldier, be it the Greek Hoplite, the English Archer, Chhatrapati Shivaji of India, the Green Beret of the USA the Paratrooper Regiment of India. 2. The process of evolution of the SF gathered pace during after the World War II. Today, almost all nations with a standing army have the Special Operations Forces on their strength. In order to derive lessons about the role employment of the Indian Special Forces, it is therefore pertinent to study the organisational employment models of some of the modern Special forces of various nations of the world. SEC – 1: SPECIAL AIR SERVICE ( SAS) OF UK 3. In the post war western world, the UK has been the leading nation in evolving SF organisations, specialised equipment, training employment doctrines. 4. Organisation . The SAS was raised in the 1950s has evolved into a balanced, well trained force headed by the Director, Special Forces Group. The Director reports directly to Whitehall the Chief of Defence Staff. Under him, he has the following forces[ii]:- (a) 21st, 22nd 23rd SAS Regiments. (b) Special Boat Section (SBS). (c) 14th Intelligence Group. Note . Of these, the 22nd SAS is the only active regiment while the other two are Territorial Army SAS units. 5. The Royal Air Force (RAF) has a dedicated squadron which includes fixed rotary wing aircrafts for the operations in support of the SAS. 6. The primary mission of the SAS has been to undertake unconventional military operations in a conventional war. The SAS has performed this mission in various conflicts like the Falklands War the Gulf War with remarkable degree of success. Another task which the SAS was assigned in the near past was that of incident response operations dealing with intervention in hijack hostage situations. The SAS earned a niche for themselves by providing quality training advisory teams to a large number of Middle Eastern African nations. 7. Over the years, the SAS has developed into a highly professional force with clearly defined missions well equipped, highly trained motivated personnel to execute them. SEC 2: SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES (SOF) OF THE USA 6. The USA has the most elaborate well organised SF establishment in the world. It is also one of the largest with an overall strength of over 45,000 personnel a budget of over $ 4 bn. 7. The US adopts a systems approach to respond to problems which shows their bureaucracy in a good light demonstrates the clarity of thought determination of their leadership. 8. The US SOF has a dual role in todays context. They are seen as the nations penetration strike force as well as warrior diplomats capable of influencing, advising, training conducting operations with foreign forces, officials population. 9. The Posture Statement mandates the SOF to be able to undertake the following types of missions:- (a) Counter Proliferation. (b) Counter Terrorism. (c) Foreign International Defence. (d) Special Reconnaissance. (e) Direct Action. (f) Psychological Operations. (g) Civil Affairs. (h) Unconventional Warfare. (j) Information Operations. 10. As can be seen, the SOF of the US has been created to undertake a plethora of operations. More importantly, they have also been tasked to carry out operations like Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations Information Operations which have assumed tremendous importance in todays conflicts. Organisation 11. The SOF has an elaborate joint services organisational structure headed by a four star General who reports directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff the National Command Authority. The detailed organisation of the SOF is as shown at Appendix A[iii]. 12. Each of the unified theatre commands has a separate Special Operations Command (SOC) to meet their special requirements. The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a joint headquarters that deals with organisational training aspects is designed to study special operations requirements techniques, ensure interoperability equipment standardisation, plan conduct joint special operations exercises training. SEC- 3 : SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES OF CHINA 11. The SOF of China is modelled upon the Russian SOF pattern. Chinese forces, although adept at guerrilla warfare special missions, did not have a dedicated Special Forces component until the early 1990s when China underwent a doctrinal change from peoples war towards fighting a local war under high-tech conditions[iv]. 12. All the seven mil regions in China have a dedicated SOF component capable of deploying upto a regiment sized force. As its strategic reserve, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) also has the 51st Airborne Division equipped with the BMD3 Paratrooper vehicles. The division has the capability to conduct airborne operations in a radius of upto 900 kms is likely to be employed for sabotage missions, disruption of command control structures etc. 13. PLA Airborne Corps plays a critical role in special operations scenario. It forms part of the PLAs strategic reserve rapid reaction forces. Airborne operations in the context of China include paratroops operations, air transport operations, heliborne operations special operations. The division inventory of the AB Corps is similar to that of an infantry division except for the heavy weaponry like tanks, heavy artillery anti-aircraft weapons. 14. The PLA Navy (PLAN) also has several elite units specialised in underwater special operations is known as the Amphibious Reconnaissance Groups. These are similar to the SBS of UK or the SEALs of the USA. 15. The SOFs Taiwan-focused training over the years has made them highly proficient at locating and destroying transportation nodes, logistics depots, and conducting reconnaissance missions. With the growing threat of terrorism on its Western borders, the SOF has also been strengthened in the fields of counter-terrorism, unconventional combat, as well as direct attack missions. 16. Although a conflict with China over disputed territory is by no means imminent, it would be wise for Indian policy makers and defence analysts to take note of the SOFs relatively newly acquired strengths, especially its ability to locate and destroy transportation nodes and logistics depots. In the event of hostilities, a PLA first strike would likely involve air strikes followed by a ground incursion and in order for this to occur, the SOF would need to create ground conditions that would be conducive to such operations. India should remain vigilant along its disputed border with China and should maximise any opportunity that it has to observe Taiwan-focused PLA training[v]. 17. Major indicators of the role importance of the SOF suggest the following:- (a) The evolution development of the SOF in China display both traditional modern principles of special operations. (b) The Chinese have emphasised on specialised warfare techniques since the 1990s after a deep study analysis of Gulf War the ongoing War on Terror. (c) The role of the SF in anti-terror operations is the new element that has been added to the overall strategy in the recent time. (d) Improvement in specific areas like sea-borne operations, EW IW suggest that these could be extensively employed in future regional conflicts with India etc. (e) Efforts to improve AB operational capabilities indicate its ambitions to gain strategic advantage in the Himalayan Region. SEC- 4: SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES OF PAKISTAN 18. The SOF of Pakistan is known as the Special Services Group (SSG). The first unit was formed in the late fifties with an initial strength of 12 companies including a SCUBA company. Post the debacle of 1965 Indo- Pak war, the SSG was reorganised expanded. Two new battalions a HQ were raised. In 1970, the SSG formed an independent combat diver unit by re-designating the old SCUBA Company. An additional company, the ZARAR Company was raised in 1980 as a CT force with the assistance of the British SAS[vi]. 19. The current strength of the SSG is estimated to be upto four battalions of 700 personnel each. The Commander SSG, of the rank of a Brigadier oversees the operations of the SSG. The Group has dedicated air assets earmarked for its employment. Of the four battalions, one battalion is under training at any given time, two are under operational deployment one is deployed for security of vital strategic assets. 20. The missions of the SSG include the following:- (a) Unconventional Warfare. (b) Long-range reconnaissance intelligence gathering. (c) Riverine operations. (d) CT. (e) Tactical Assaults. (f) Target designations for air force artillery. (g) Protection of vulnerable points. 21. The SSG is a battle- hardened force has grown in strength experience since the debacle of 1965. It has gained some really worthy experience during its recent employment in the operations against the Taliban al-Qaeda in NWFP Swat valley. ii Brigadier Deepak Sinha: Beyond the Bayonet Indian Special Operations Forces in the 21st Century. Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi. iii Ibid pp 60-67. iv Ibid pp 115-116. v Lieutenant General Vijay Oberoi, PVSM, AVSM, VSM: Approach Paper for Seminar on Doctrine, Structure Employment of Special Forces Across the Spectrum of Conflict in Indian Context (Centre of Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi, Sep 2005). vi Ibid pp 97-101, pg 104. CHAPTER II PRESENT ORGANISATION CONCEPT OF EMPLOYMENT OF INDIAS SPECIAL FORCES. Introduction 1. The employment of specialised guerrilla forces in Indian context dates back to the ancient ages. However, in the recent history it can be traced to the rule of the Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji. Shivaji employed his small forces to infiltrate into enemies defences thereby turning them causing panic large scale casualties. 2. The modern SOF in India was raised consequent to the directions of Sir Winston Churchill which led to the raising of the 50 Independent Parachute Brigade in 1941. This brigade was employed in the Battle of Shangsak in an airborne operation in the WW II in the Burma Theatre. The 50 Independent Parachute Brigade is the oldest formation in the world to have continuously remained in airborne role. 3. Today, the Indian SOF comprises of the Parachute the Parachute Special Forces Battalions, the National Security Guards (NSG), the Marine Commandos (MARCOS) the Special Frontier Force (SFF). The organisation employment of these forces is discussed in the following chapters. Concept of Emp loyment of Special Forces 4. In war, Special Forces are an invaluable adjunct to conventional forces. Selectively employed, they have a force multiplier effect. In situations short of declared war, they are capable of sophisticated, specialized and measured response in complex politico-military situations where the application of conventional military forces is inappropriate because it could trigger an escalating response. 5. In order to fulfill the role and execute missions – Special Forces should have the capacity to operate in all kinds of terrain in the areas of interest and exploit adverse weather to own advantage. They should be capable of using the medium of land, sea and air for carrying out deep penetration to accomplish the assigned mission, which implies that their organization needs to be an integrated unit to maximize effectiveness. 6. The organization of Special Forces is designed to be cellular with the smallest functional group being a buddy pair. Based on past experiences, it was realized that there was a requirement of distributing danger, provide greater internal resources for psychological and physical backup and a need of varied combat skills namely – demolition, navigation, communication, medical, weapon proficiency and language within the group, have necessitated enlargement of the smallest functional group from a buddy pair to a combat patrol of a four- five men assault squad. Four such squads would be ideal to make a troop for carrying out overt and limited covert military special operations in war and situations short of declared war, either independently or in conjunction on with other special forces of similar nature, in own areas of interest to achieve military and or political objectives in support of military and / or national aims. SEC – 1: THE PARACHUTE BATTALIONS Organisation Employment 7. The Parachute Battalions are the oldest of the SOF in our country. These were formed either by converting the standard infantry battalions into Parachute Battalions or by the integration of the Indian Parachute Battalions post independence. Presently we have five Parachute Battalions of which, three battalions form part of the 50(Independent) Parachute Brigade. These are considered to be the only rapid reaction forces available with the country. 8. The 50(Independent) Parachute Brigade is a brigade group comprising of elements of all arms services[vii]. The Parachute Battalions are organised on lines similar to the regular infantry units. However, they are different from them in terms of their equipment profile. Another significant aspect is their manpower which is purely on the basis of volunteers who are selected after a very tough challenging probation for a period of three months. 9. The Parachute Battalions are organised trained for offensive operations behind enemy lines Out Of Area Contingencies. The Parachute Brigade over the years has been kept as an Army HQ Reserve or employed piecemeal in certain operations. 10. The Parachute Battalions have been employed with a fair degree of success in conventional operations in the past. The Para Brigade was successfully employed against the Portuguese in Goa, as a coy sized task force at Bara Hoti against the Chinese in early 1961 in the Kutch operations in 1965. The most successful operation of the Paras still remains the para drop of a battalion sized force at Tangail. This operation is arguably the one which tilted the balance in Indias favour. As regards failed operations, the most glaring example is that of the failed paradrop at the Jaffna University during Op PAWAN. However, the failure of this operation may not be attributable as much to the Paras as it would be to faulty planning coordination at higher levels. 11. Over the last decade a half, the Parachute Battalions have been employed in Counter Insurgency (CI) operations. Their employment in these operations has been quite successful with almost all battalions having been awarded the Chief of Army Staff Citation. 12. The Parachute Battalions have been employed as a rapid reaction force as a crack force to act upon hard intelligence to destroy terrorist hideouts. They have also been employed in covert role for surveillance pseudo operations. 13. In the recent past, perceptions among certain sections of the defence establishment have led to the crystallisation of the belief that large scale airborne operations are not feasible in the modern context. This has seriously affected the tactical strategic airlift capability. 14. In CI operations, the Parachute Battalions have been employed as regular infantry battalions- although as a tougher version of the latter. Couple this with the high expectations quick results desired from them, we see that the pressure to perform on these battalions is enormous. The fact that despite the above these units have performed exceedingly well is a tribute to their exemplary leadership high standard of training. SEC – 2: MARINE COMMANDOS (MARCOS) History Organisation 15. The evolution of the present day MARCOS dates back to 1986, when the National Security Guards (NSG) was being formed. In response to the requirement of an equivalent force for safeguarding our shore – based off-shore assets, the Indian Marine Special Force was formed in Feb 1987. This force was modelled on the lines of the US Navy SEALS the Royal Navys Special Boat Section. The name was changed from Indian Marine Special Force to the present day Marine Commandos (MARCOS) in 1991[viii]. 16. The present strength of the MARCOS is estimated to be about 2000 personnel[ix]. It is divided into three groups, one each at Mumbai, Kochi Vishakhapatnam. 17. The MARCOS undergo a very rigorous training of two years which includes the Combat Divers Course, the Armys Ghatak Course parachute jumps. Thereafter the personnel are sent to operational groups for on the job training for a year. This includes counter terrorist (CT) operations, storming of oil rigs hostage rescue operations. Employment 18. The CT operations of the MARCOS are executed by the Quick Reaction Sections (QRS) which are upto a platoon size. MARCOS can also be tasked for beach reconnaissance, under water demolitions other operations in support of the amphibious landings. 19. The MARCOS are presently also employed in teams in the JK, where they are primarily deployed along the Dal, Wullar Nageen lakes. Their deployment has led to an effective domination of these water bodies. In the very recent past, the MARCOS were employed during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai on 26 November 2008, wherein the MARCOS teams were heli-landed atop the Hotel Oberoi to eliminate the terrorists. 20. The recent employment of the MARCOS in neutralising the terrorists in Mumbai brought to fore once again the need to have an institutionalised framework for employing the Army Naval SOF in a coordinated manner. There is also a requirement of standardisation of equipment weapons if there has to be any joint operations in any future conflict. There is also a need for enhanced joint training of the army SF the MARCOS as they will surely be employed jointly in any future operation. SEC- 3: NATIONAL SECURITY GUARDS ( NSG) 21. The National Security Guards (NSG) was formed in 1986 under the National Security Guards Act ( Act 47 of 1986) has fast emerged as the elite anti-terror establishment not only in India but in the entire Asian region. The NSG is under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is mandated to carry out CT, anti-kidnapping, anti-sabotage, anti-hijacking hostage rescue missions[x]. 22. The NSG has approx 7500 which are further sub-divided as under:- (a) The Assault Groups, i.e, 51st 52nd Special Action Groups (SAG). (b) The Support Group. (c) Two Bomb Disposal Units. (d) A Dog Unit. (e) A Communications Group (f) A Transport Group. 23. The other element of the NSG is the Special Ranger Group (SRG) whose task is to isolate the target area where the SAG is to operate. However, these are now responsible for providing close security cover to VVIPs politicians. 24. The Support Group is manned by a mix of army para-military forces personnel includes the NSG Training Centre at Manesar near Gurgaon the Force Headquarters headed by a three star police officer of the IPS Cadre. The operational training aspects are handled by the army while the para-military forces look after the logistics budgeting. 25. The NSG has to its credit a string of successful operations is rightly known as the premier specialist CT organisation in India. The NSG successfully executed Op BLACK THUNDER in the precincts of the Golden Temple in 1984 wherein it was able to neutralise the hardcore militants with minimal collateral damage. The other notable operations include the neutralisation of the killers of Rajiv Gandhi at the Bangalore Airport the intervention at the Akshardham Temple in Gujarat. However, the most recent successful operation of the NSG remains the intervention neutralisation of terrorists at the Hotel Oberoi during the terrorist strikes at Mumbai on 26 November 2008. The NSG on the other hand, received a lot of unwarranted flak for its delayed employment during the IC-814 hijack crisis. As the picture of the exact turn of events is now clearing up, one can confidently say that the NSG should have been the last to be blamed in the matter. 26. However, the NSG is plagued with a number of problems of late. The most serious one is that of the Command Control structure. Although the most important aspects of operational role training are handled by the army, the head of the NSG is still an IPS officer. It is important that the command of such a premier CT organisation be vested with someone with a practical on the job experience of CT operations which naturally is with an army officer. The issue has been raised at the highest possible levels time again, most recently after the Mumbai attacks, but to no avail. It is important for the powers that be to stop the lobbyist attitudes which may eventually jeopardise national security. 27. Another major problem that has been created is due to the diversion of the Special Ranger Group (SRG) for VVIP protection tasks. The original task for which the SRG was raised – to isolate the target area for subsequent operations by SAG – has thus suffered a void. 28. Until before the Mumbai attacks, the SAGs were based in New Delhi operated from there. Post the incident, it was realised that there existed a need for the NSG to have operational bases in major metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata Hyderabad for rapid response to a terror strike. Accordingly, additional NSG units have been proposed to be raised for these cities. As to where the manpower for these units is likely to come from, especially when the NSG in its present form itself is plagued with a shortage of manpower, is matter of serious concern. SEC-4: SPECIAL FRONTIER FORCE 29. The Special Frontier Force (SFF) was established in 1962 after the debacle in the war with China. The force has six battalions each with six companies. It also has a training establishment known as the Establishment 22 a Parachute Training School. The force comprises of personnel recruited from the border hill tribes Tibetan refugees. The force is officered by Indian Army officers on deputation. The task of the force is to conduct reconnaissance, carry out raids on vital installations direct air artillery strikes in case of hostilities with China[xi]. 30. In addition to the battalions, the force also has a unit known as the Special Group which is manned fully by personnel on deputation from the army[xii]. This group is organised equipped to carry out CT operations. The exact nature of tasks to be performed their likely employment is not very clearly spelt out. This group provided the core on which the first NSG unit was raised. 31. The SFF saw major combat in the 1971 War for the first time when it was employed in the Chittagong Hill Tracts for carrying out cross- border attacks which preceded the war. It also fought some spectacular actions against the 2nd Commando Battalion SSG of Pakistan during the war. 32. Despite the raison de etre, the SFF today is faced with the serious problem of their relevance. The normalisation of Sino-Indian ties the rapid modernisation of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has diminished the possibility of a liberated Tibet. The fact has been accepted even by the Dalai Lama, who now talks of an Autonomous Tibet instead of Free Tibet. All this has led to a drastic reduction in the number of expatriate Tibetans with knowledge of local language, terrain culture. 33. Over a period of time the force has lost its motivated dedicated Khampa fighters have been replaced with second generation Tibetans who have been born brought up in India are consequently unaware of the terrain, local customs traditions of native Tibet – an aspect of prime importance for employment of the force. The army itself has been facing serious manpower problems especially in the officer cadre sending its officers on deputation to these units means taxing the already critical officer- state in the regular regiments/ battalions 34. Another important drawback in the force structure of the SFF is the Special Group. This Group was initially raised as an anti-hijack building intervention force. Subsequent to the raising of the NSG – for which the Group provided the core element – their employment role has been in a limbo. If it was intended to be employed for covert operations, it has not been done for lack of political will despite opportunities for the same having existed for so many years, especially against terror groups operating out of Pakistan. vii Brigadier Deepak Sinha: Beyond the Bayonet Indian Special Operations Forces in the 21st Century. Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi pp 138-139. viiiIbid pp 164-165. ix Ibid pp 167- 171. x Ibid pp 177- 181. xi Ibid pp 177- 181. CHAPTER III FUTURE WOR LD ORDER SPECTRUM OF CONFLICT 1. In order to fully understand the changing dynamics of the world order the creation of new alliances partnerships, especially in the military realm, it is important for us to set for ourselves a realistic period we are looking at. What should such a period be? Five yrs from now? Or should we look at a timeline of 2020? 2. Given the continued progress of our nation in the Asian region as well as its emergence in the global affairs as a vital player in worlds politico-strategic dynamics, it is saner to look at a period of 2020. This is so because it is not only important for a nation to continue on its path of progress, but it is equally important to keep consolidating the gains as the years go by. Therefore, we can safely assume that by 2020, India would definitely be a long way up on the road to being the second most dominant player in the regional matters after of course, China which aims to be the regional superpower in the corresponding period. 3. What then is the strategic operational role of the army in 2020? What are the challenges it will have to face what are we required to attain to complement supplement the ambitions of our nation in this period? These other such questions are briefly discussed in the succeeding paragraphs. SEC 1: WORLD GEO – STRAT EGIC ENVIRONMENT IN 2020 4. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York on 11 Sep 2001 were two events which redefined the directions of world politics. While the collapse of the Soviet Union led to a creation of a unipolar world ( which is a reality as on date, despite the emergence of the European Union the rapid economic growth of China), the 9/11 terror attacks brought the War on Terror to the doorstep of the Indian sub-continent. 5. Extrapolation of the current geo-political geo-strategic environment to 2020 will, in all probabilities, give us the following picture[xiii]:- (a) While the US will continue to be the sole