Queen Bee & Wannabees Essay

In every social setup, groupings are inevitable; it is a part of the natural tendency of people to organization. With every formed group, there is, naturally, a person who will lead. This scenario is pretty easy to picture in a world full of adults. But what happens when this scenario is replaced by children, adolescents? What the book Queen Bee & Wannabees and the movie Lord of the Flies portray is the oft-secreted reality that children, when left on their own, can actually be as mean and conniving as adults are when it comes to their desire for power. It is not a welcome fact as it goes against all that parents hold dear when it comes to their children. Often, they could not, would not, believe that their beautiful daughter or son is capable of harming another human being, more so deliberately. But Wiseman puts it bluntly in her book Queenbees & Wannabees: â€Å"†¦[P]arents don’t like to admit to themselves that their daughters could be mean, exclusive, and catty – or, on the other end of the spectrum, isolated and teased. Parents so often see their daughters’ behaviors as a reflection of the success or failure of their parenting that they refuse to look at their daughters for who they really are (Wiseman). What is it that adolescents do when confronted with the opportunity to belong to a group, and to lead it? This paper will deal with that query within the context of the aforementioned book and movie by comparing and contrasting the differences in the social setup between girls and boys. Their differences do not merely lie in the types of games they would like to play, nor in their interests in books, films or hobbies. A deeper form of separation exists between them, but at the same time, the stereotypes also do run parallel with each other. The comparison and contrast will be dealt with in three levels: first, what are the necessary traits needed for a boy or a girl to become the leader; two, what does it take for that power or leadership to be transferred; and three, what happens to the ex-leader and followers if their leadership is usurped? On the first level, it is important to determine which traits are attractive to relegate a teen girl or boy into the top rung of the social ladder. In an ideal world, what we would find attractive would be a person who is smart, rational, just, fair and decisive. These are what we consider proper markers of a true leader, able to withstand pressure and commit him/herself to a choice that would make the best solution for the problem. However, this is not an ideal world and its inhabitants are far from perfect. Children and adolescents are not exempt from this reality. In the Lord of the Flies, we were first introduced to the would-be leader of the group of stranded British boys, survivors of a plane crash, Ralph, by the shore with Piggy. In that scenario, it was obvious who the stronger character was. Ralph was lean and seemed more confident, while Piggy, apart from having a laughable name, was fat and slow, although very inquisitive and forward. And then arrived the choir boys, led by Jack. At the very onset, it was made clear that he is an even stronger character than Ralph and Piggy combined together. He looked confident and strong, and he easily towered Ralph. But at that point of introduction in the film, he did not present himself as the leader of the group yet, and in fact allowed to be subjected in a votation. Gathered round on the beach, the group of the choir boys and Ralph’s group then decided who will be their leader to organize them while they remain stranded in the island. Ralph easily won the seat of power that time, mainly because he seemed the more rational one amidst all the ruckus that their newly-formed group was creating. But even then, there was already a sort of opposition in Jack’s character, appointing himself as the head of the hunter group. This will later create tension and will shake up the foundation of their organization and leadership. Meanwhile, we see on the other end of the spectrum the choosing process of girls in the book Queenbee & Wannabees. Wiseman describes the Queen Bee as such: â€Å"A combination of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland and Barbie, she is a mixture of charisma, force, money, looks, strong will and manipulation. She reigns supreme, can silence other girls and boys with a look, and her popularity is based on fear and control. † Easily, it can be seen that the Queen Bee is far from the ideal leader we pictured, definitely not fair nor just, and most certainly not caring about what’s rational or not. All that is important to the Queen Bee is for her to retain the influence she enjoys over her court, and that can only be done by doing things that will reaffirm her social status among her friends. There is no denying however, that she is smart. Not necessarily in the book-smart kind of way, though (in fact that’s a point against), but more of street smart. She uses her charms to get what she wants, and if the situation does not look as promising as she would have wanted, she uses manipulation to ensure that she will get the deal closed, and that it will be in her favor. But not only that, she must also be good-looking. This seems to be the biggest consideration of it all. Not only must she be cool and hip and in the know about the latest fashion, she should look good in it. It was also found in the book that having cool accessories – ie. boyfriends – is another sure way to get to the top. Unlike the boys in the movie, picking a Queen Bee does not go through the democratic process of voting. Instead, it happens quietly, with no questions asked. The Queen Bee works her way silently among her group, carefully selecting the people whom she would like to surround herself with, filtering out those that do not meet her own high standards of who should deserve to be in her company. It’s a cruel process that ends up alienating others, but that’s exactly the point there, because it is in this practice of alienation and separation that the Queen Bee is able to reinforce her power and leadership over all the other girls. However, not all remains fine and well in the high court of the young leaders. As in any political setup, there will be opposition. Here, we take a look at how power can be revoked in the two settings. In the movie, Ralph started losing control over the group when the bonfire they had created burned out. It was meant to serve as a smoke signal for potential rescue, and originally, it was Jack and his group who were tasked to make sure it doesn’t go out. However, Jack had other plans. He led his group to hunt down a pig and successfully returned to their site expecting praises. Upon returning, what they found instead was an angry Ralph and Piggy because the bonfire did go out, and so they missed an opportunity for rescue when a plane passed overhead. Of course, Ralph had every reason to be angry. It was the first task given to Jack, and already, he showed his tendency to become insubordinate, showing off to their peers that he does not just follow orders from a â€Å"leader† selected on the beach. What became the straw that broke the camel’s back was how Jack successfully made the rest of the hunter group believe that he is a much better leader because unlike Ralph, he appreciates their effort of bringing the pig home, and being physically strong, he can be even more useful to them. Loyalties quickly changed, and Ralph soon found himself to be deposed and stripped of his leadership because of that event. In the book, it is found that there is a lot of cattiness involved among the girls. There is also a tug-of-war into play when talking about group loyalties, same as with the boys in the movie. However, it can be said that the girls can just be as aggressive as boys, and even more. It can be a very snarky environment in the girl clique, with the girls just â€Å"using† each other to get what they want, and after which, dispose of the â€Å"used† girl. That is why it is important that the girls on their own prove themselves useful to the others, especially the Queen Bee, lest she finds herself thrown out of the social circle. Once that she no longer has a juicy benefit to offer to her peers, then she is more likely to be dumped. She may find herself the victim of a vicious rumor spread around by one of her very own â€Å"friends†, and if there is no one to defend or back her up, then she may find herself from hero to zero. As mentioned earlier, having a cool boyfriend is also a must. It has been found in the book that dating a guy beyond par, so to speak, is a grounds for deposition. What happens then to those kicked out of the group and their followers? No doubt they are put in a very humiliating state. Their former group now perceives them as outcasts, while the bystanders, as Wiseman would call it, are afraid to publicly embrace them for fear of backlash from the Queen Bee and her court. For Ralph and his remaining group, being kicked out meant being left alone to fend for themselves in the island, without the help of the hunter group. There was no group to speak of any longer, just factions, and he belonged to the loser side. The effects on the kicked out members, both in the world of the Queen Bee and in the island in the movie, do run parallel. They are now excluded, and have become the subject of ridicule, even violence. Of course, in the non-fiction world of the Queen Bee, the violence can also go to great lengths such as doing physical harm on the Targets (chosen bullied ones), but it does not come any close to the movie’s depiction of violence culminating with the deaths of Simon and Piggy. But the real difference is how this violence is actually carried out. In the movie, it was plainly depicted that the boys will fight it out with their fists. A scuffle here, a cheered-on fight there, and in the unfortunate case of Simon, a mob mentality beating him up because of mistaken identity. But in the Girl World, the rules for violence are different. Yes, they may get into catfights, pulling at each other’s hair at some point in time, but more often than not, the violence is emotional and physical. Wiseman observes that the girls can be very loyal friends, able to share intimate secrets with each other. But at the same time, this intimacy is what will make them their own worst enemies. Because of all the information they have on each other, good or bad, they become all the more potentially powerful because they can use it against each other later on. The bigger the secret, the bigger the damage. Of course, it should be recognized that the setups between the boys’ club and the Girl World are different, particularly in this paper, because one group is fictional and the other is real. However, that delineating mark ends there, because we see that it is absolutely possible to find the same results in real life. Although, for the boys in the island, they can be defended with the reason that they were pushed against the wall, having been pressured not only by an absence of guiding adults, but on top of all that, they were put in a less than enviable situation, left with no shelter, no food, no safety in the forest on a deserted island. The girls, meanwhile, do have within adults in their plane. But even the adults are filtered out so that their clique can go about their business of backstabbing each other and pleasing the Queen Bee so they may be included in her group, or if lucky, maybe even grab the power of the Queen Bee for herself. At the end of the day, what we do find in this paper is that there are certain universal standards in teen groups (ie. filtering who is in or out), but at the same time, there are certain standards that differ from each other (ie. the method by which power is enacted, and how violence is carried out). What remains constant though is the truth that man indeed is a social animal, and it is a matter of survival for him or her to be included in a social group in order to survive the harsh world out there. WORKS CITED: Talbot, Margaret, Girls Just Want to Be Mean, FASLink, Research, Information, Support & Communication, 24 Feb. 2002, http://www. faslink. org/GirlsJustWantToBeMean. htm, (retrieved 20 Nov. 2008). Wiseman, Rosalind, Queen Bees & Wannabees, Crown Publishers, London, 2002. Film: Brook, Peter (dir. ), Lord of the Flies, Continental Distributing, Inc. , Jan. 1963.

Helicopter Parents Essay

I am writing in response to the article â€Å"Interfering parents ‘damaging children’†. This article said that some parents are far too conscious about their children and they try to monitor their every single action. These parents may force them to ‘friend’ them on facebook account, or even checking their text messages. They are called ‘helicopter parents as they keep on tracking their children. I understand that parents care about their children. They do not want their children to get hurt and they try to keep them away from danger. However, these monitoring actions may cause their children to feel trapped with no freedom. Their children will eventually become secretive and they may try to hide themselves in front of their parents. In this case, their parents will try harder to track their children’s actions, which will turn out to be a vicious cycle. Therefore, parents should learn how cope with their children’s problem. Parents can discuss issues that they concern with children but they should still give their children spaces as well as privacy. Children may have their own friends and social life. They may not want their parents to intrude in their social life and make friends with every friend they know. Parents should try to chat with their children as a friend instead of forcing them to report every detail about their school life. If you are willing to give your child more freedom and not over-reacted, your children will be more willing to tell you things happened around them,  Ã¢â‚¬ËœHelicopter parents’ has become a social problem in recent years. We must understand the reason behind and try to cope with the problem. In conclusion, communication between parents and children are important. If parents and children are willing to communicate with each other, they can be clear about each other’s feelings. Thereby making suitable adjustment on the attitude they take on each other.

A&P by John Updike Essay

The story A&P by John Updike is quite well-written. Despite the fact that the story itself does not have too much content, the author is able to keep the reader interested till the very last line. It’s a simple story and the main theme is the rejection of societal norms and restrictions. Sammy who works in the A&P store represents a teenager who takes an on-the-spot decision to stand up to his boss, disagree with his actions and move on with his life. This occurs when three girls in very skimpy clothes visit the store to buy snacks. Their skimpy attire offends the store manager Mr. Langley and he makes it a point to inform the girls that they should be dressed more appropriately next time they enter his store. â€Å"He comes over and says, â€Å"Girls this isn’t the beach† and when the girls react to his statement he says â€Å"I don’t want to argue with you. After this come in here with your shoulders covered. It’s our policy. † Basically, Langley is a conservative who did not like these girls indecently exposing their bodies. On the other hand, this is a free world and people like Mr. Langley have no right to impose their point of view on others. That is precisely why Sammy decided to quit his job even though he is aware that once he loses this job, his life will become more difficult, and his parents will be worried and angry and that there will be consequences of his action. â€Å"You’ll feel this for the rest of your life,† Lengel says and I know that’s true, too†. Nevertheless, he wants to prove his point and wants to stand up for what he believes and that is why he quits and moves on with his life. Overall, it’s a simple story but makes a valid point and is narrated in a very interesting manner. Some questions for others to think about: 1. Why did Sammy feel so strongly about Mr. Langley’s behavior? 2. Do you think Sammy did the right thing? 3. Do you think its right for teenagers today to behave indecently or do you think it’s the old generation which needs to change their attitude? Bibliography 1. Updike, John. (1993) A&P from Rubinstein and Larson’s Worlds of Fiction. Macmillan Coll Div.

Nurse Manager Skills Inventory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nurse Manager Skills Inventory - Essay Example Bernice Skytt (2008) has found this tool to be is satisfactory for use after doing extensive research. This tool is widely used in clinical settings and was basically developed by three biggest and national level nursing organizations. As part of my current topic, I would be personally be analyzing some parts of this skill inventory and would discuss its implications on my work. Personal and professional accountability My personal growth and development been my strength and I would rate it as expert practices since I have strong annual plans that I implement and I am still carrying on with future education and I intend to carry on with it. For me ethical considerations have always been a top priority and I believe in establishing highest possible ethical and moral standards for my nursing practice. I would rate myself as skillful and competent in the field of professional association involvement. Professional associations for networking and development have been under my consideratio n for a long time and I intend to improve more on them. During my stay at various hospitals, I have earned several certifications in my specialty so I would rate myself as an expert in this. ... Personal journey disciplines Development of individual leadership qualities and strengthening them has always been a top priority for me in the field of nursing. I consider myself as an expert in council management and this is something that promotes my leadership abilities. For me action learning and reflective practice would be placed as competitive skill. I completely understand this and always try to improve more on these standards as to develop better leadership qualities. Reflective practice reference behaviors/tenets To be a successful professional I need to act upon certain guidelines which can put my leadership reflections in my profession and I am an expert in most of these guidelines. I always value integrity and truth in my profession and take it to highest possible levels. Diversity is a tool I am skillful at but I would regard myself a complete expert when it comes to holding multiple perspectives without biased opinion, in discovering potentials of life and keeping my commitments to myself. I would however admit for having novice experience in emotional self. Current Leadership Skills as Method of Improvement I intend to use my leadership to improve workplace on individual and professional grounds for the whole team. Since I have a deep understanding on my field and I am still in process of acquiring knowledge I can use every new aspect I learn on practical grounds and work for welfare of my patients. My understanding on my future helps me in making better and more productive decisions. Moreover, I can use my council management skill in improving the workplace in general but using my leadership qualities and ensuring that all the concerns in a team are

Nuclear Power Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Nuclear Power - Research Paper Example Energy experts build huge dams in order to seize the water, which generates hydropower energy. Consequently, these constructions disrupt flow of rivers, which further result to plausible natural calamities for example, overflows in rivers. In addition, the construction of dams facilitates the impediment of natural flow of sediments in the river. Variably, the impediment results to rivers losing their banks. Moreover, individuals lose their existence because of the evictions, which follow the construction of the dams (Murray 2009). Development of nuclear power facilitates the following consequences: first, from the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster an individual depicts that the power supply in a nuclear plant suffers susceptibility of disability. For example, the machinery at Fukushima experienced a major nuclear accident because of the consequent chilling of the elements of retort. In addition, there are usually, constant releases of radioactive materials, which poison such paramount phenomenon as rivers (Bodansky 2004). Variably, contaminated waters from the plants leak out and cause melanoma and other precarious ailments to individuals. However, the Fukushima Nuclear Plant presents such advantages as generation of a significant high amount of energy from that single plant. Consequently, the plant does not release green house gases, which result to negative aftermaths of worldwide warming. Clearly, unconventional sources of power produce harmful green houses gases hence causing mountains to lose their snowing abilities (Bodansky 2004). Second, the Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown released twenty five percent of radioactive reactor materials. Additionally, the historical accident registers deaths of individuals and continuous re-settlement of people who lived around that area. Further, there were various psychological impacts on the people who experienced the Chernobyl accident (Bodansky 2004). Although

M4A1 PART B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M4A1 PART B - Essay Example This is the reason why measures taken by management and employees are often too late or inadequate. For example, in 2006, Jerry York, a GM board member had urged the automaker to unload Saab and Hummer but the idea met resistance and ended in ultimate losses (Krolicki, 2009). Now, one of these concerns is near bankruptcy whereas the other one is supervised by court. Out of resistance, the current culture of GM is less tolerant to differences, portrays less appetite for risk taking and exploiting the opportunities in hand, and appears to be narrow-minded to the social concerns that are emerging everyday and endangering its stability and existence in future e.g. increasing labor cost with excessive payload of surplus labor, and also the lack of attention paid to environmental issues. Due credit must be given to our predecessors but with the changes in absolutely every segment of our lives, GM must prepare itself first for the present and then for the future by first letting go of its same bureaucratic culture which is a souvenir from baby bombers. GM is trying hard to compete with the companies that value the importance of cultural diversity, innovation and technology along with appropriate leadership. It has acted like a shelter for many managers who were afraid of getting out of their comfort zone and face the current challenges (Krisher, 2012) . Instead our culture has provoked them to use the chain of command principal, as an excuse for lack of performance and innovation. Considering the last near bankruptcy experience, GM culture has to change. In the light of past experiences, I would recommend that GM needs to evaluate the need for change and incorporate all necessary amendments not only in its operations and processes but in the overall organizational culture with a special emphasis to our most valued assets, our human resources. According to

Process Analysis on how to cook a specific item ( author's Choice) Essay

Process Analysis on how to cook a specific item ( author's Choice) - Essay Example Pasta can be used with almost every meal but the taste would be seemingly different in accordance to the type of sauce, cream and associating dishes added to it (Woodruff, 2001). The Al Dente term is defined as ‘to the tooth’ which translates to that pasta strand with the outer lying soft texture but still firm on the inside. In other words, the pasts is not overcooked and is much firmer that most commonly cooked pasta. Al dente pasta is more of a cooking technique rather than an actual type of pasta. Cooking pasta the al dente way means it attains a particular texture. Al dente pasta has its health benefits as it helps lower the glycemic index which translates to our bodies having less blood sugar thus avoiding blood sugar spikes. Overcooked pasta on the contrary, has high Glycemic Index rating which cause a spike in the sugar level in the blood (Woodruff, 2001). Pasta is a starch-based filling just like bread, rice and potatoes which makes for a healthy diet. People ar e encouraged to eat at least 6 servings of starch daily. People can be creative and make the pasta more interesting by making different kinds of pasta. One has the option of using vegetables, chicken and shrimp. Other options include simmering pasta with sauces, spices and herbs like in the Mediterranean dishes. Americans prefer the plain old macaroni and cheese or mixing pasta with casserole dishes (Woodruff, 2001). Ingredients Some of the requirements include several sprigs of fresh rosemary, bread pieces, mustard, quality beef or pork which should be minced for the meat balls. In addition, oregano, salt, pepper, basil, garlic, chili and cheese for spicing up the meat ball sauce. Not forgetting the egg which is used for making the spaghetti meat balls and vinegar, onions, tomatoes and of course s The Pasta One thing that someone must have in mind before starting the cooking of the ‘Al dente’ pasta is that it must be soft enough but also have some sort of rigidity and maintain shape. This means that it must not be sticky but instead be starchy at just the right amount so that the meat ball sauce may stick on it. Method The first step is to put water in a large cooking container and let it boil. The amount of water should be about four to five times the amount of pasta which is being cooked. The amount of pasta also depends on the number of people to be served. So for 250gms of spaghetti, it is advisable for one to use about a liter full of water to prepare it. Salt is added to the water at this point not so much and not too little; just the right amount. Then the pasta is added into the pot or cooking container once the water has boiled. This is done by slowly dropping in the pasta into the boiling water. Once the pasta and water are now boiling in together, the heat at this point should be monitored and kept as a medium. One can simmer down until the pasta is well-cooked or put the heat high enough to stir up the pasta so that the strands remain separated. During the first few minutes, one can stir the pasta with a fork and the stirring can be reduced or completely stopped once the water is becoming used up. By keeping the pasta at the right temperature, and ensuring that the water does not all dry up, then the pasta is less likely to stick onto the sides of the pot. Depending on the instructions on the spaghetti packet, one should not cook for a time longer than what indicated there. About a

The degree of poverty in individual countries Essay

The degree of poverty in individual countries - Essay Example The United Nations World Summit on Social Development passed a declaration, â€Å"Copenhagen Declaration† which defines poverty as â€Å"a state characterized by harsh deficiency of essential human needs, including safe drinking water, food, health, education, sanitation facilities, and information.† When people do not have anything to eat, have access to health facilities- they are considered poor regardless of their level of income. This is the social definition of poverty and does is problematic at times as in this regard, most people living in developing and underdeveloped countries of the world will judged as poor. The Statistical definition yields more relevant results on how poverty should be measured. Using statistical measures, two methods are mostly used to describe poverty. These are Relative Measurement of poverty and Absolute Measurement of Poverty. Both of these measures rely on consumption or income values getting information to accumulate statistics on i mpoverishment much enhanced. The simplest way of measuring the degree of poverty in individual countries is Relative property measure. By using this method, the whole population is classified in order of their per capita income. Then the bottom 10% is believed to be ‘impoverished’ or ‘indigent’. This method is well for country-wide measurements, but it has some great drawbacks in worldwide use. If, for instance a 10% relative poverty extent was applied in a universal setting.

Are there enough initiatives currently running to develop respect to Essay

Are there enough initiatives currently running to develop respect to UK football officials - Essay Example gments and the types of belief that give rise to hatred and intolerance (Bodin, et al , 2005, p.163) Commonwealth of Australia (2008) once stated that â€Å"— it (sport) helps to build social cohesion that binds families, communities, regions and the nation. No other facet of our culture has the capacity to bring together so many different streams --- breaks barriers and unites those who have nothing else in common’(Hoye et al, 2009, p.225). These among the few are benefits of sports events inspiring younger generation to achieve excellence in their field. But the present day sports is more than a sport which displays on field violence by the player between team, indiscipline behavior, breaking the rules of the games, cheating which are all part of the game for winning cause. As mentioned earlier, sports benefit the society with positive inspiration but also spoil the society with the players on field behavior. It is further stated that in professional team sports with a high public profile, including association football (soccer), disciplinary transgressions by players and sanctions that are taken by referees provide a rich source of subject material for debate among pundits, journalists and the general public. The action of players and referees in UK football are keenly and intensely scrutinized in the modern day game in the event of foul play which is followed by referee’s action that in turn creates situation between players and referees, wherein players disrespect the decision of on-field referees (Dawson et al, 2007). This is paper attempts to discuss the issues of football players on field behavior and behavior towards football officials in the United Kingdom. Sources of disrespect against football officials World may think that only players are the one who disrespect the referees for their action and results thereupon. But, Jez Moxey, Wolves Chief Executive states that premier leagues ‘big clubs’ and their players disr espect referees and think that they are above the rules and called for players to be booked for disrespect against football officials. He further added that ‘it is outrageous for a player to turn his back on a referee when he’s being booked and for players, who later gang up on officials (BBC, 2011). Not only players, there are incidence when managers or owners of the club have shown disrespect towards match officials or referees for their action on the field. Manchester United Owner, Alex Ferguson was banned for five matches for post match criticism of referees by the FA. Aresene Wenger, Arsenal manager was also not spared from making comments about officials (Reuters, 2011). However, it is reported that Alex Ferguson has been abusing referees not for the first time, and has a long history of abusing match officials. The football association mentioned that assaults on match officials and referees have gone by 25% and attacks on match officia

The Boeing Company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Boeing Company - Assignment Example The customers of Boeing Company are mainly the famous and established airlines and most of the country airways having their operations going globally (Yennev 2010). These airlines include United Air Lines, Caribbean Airlines, Delta Airlines, Canadian Pacific Airlines and other major airlines, other major customers include the various country Airways. Boeing Defense, Space and Security main customers are United States Air Force, Air France, and other governments’ mainly military jets and airplanes (Yennev 2010). The order qualifiers of this company is that it is a multinational company and has a consolidated financial base overcoming the capital and financial barriers having a number of manufacturing and assembly plants in the major countries globally another major qualifier is that the airplane manufacturing and aerospace aviation industry is less competitive with only a few firms (Russell 2005). The order winners of Boeing Company is a better marketing policies that has edged out its major competitors Airbus Company which involves effective market segmentation of its customers on geographical locations. It is also important to note that the company has an effective positioning and targeting strategies where the company has developed airplanes basing on the distance and capacity to suit the customer’s preference and needs (Russell 2005). Existing problem There are some problems that Boeing company faces currently which include: managerial problems where it is ridged semi-autocratic management style in which the employers and top management make decisions without involving employees which negatively impacts on the development of new operations and management designs that are important to any multinational company thus the need to adopt modern management models (Duane 2009). Secondly is the labour problem mainly affecting production characterized with delayed delivery and this has been greatly attributed by the inexperienced workforce dealing with t he aircraft designs which involves complex operations and advance technologies which is complicated further by the need to adopt new sophisticated manufacturing and production designs considered to be efficient and effective (Yennev 2010). This situation has created more operations management leading to increase in overall cost per plane moreover complains from the major customers thus special inspections are carried out by The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on all the airplanes and jetliners and that the employees motivation has not been taken care resulting into increases inefficiencies in the operations and increased challenges in project management. The airplane and jets commercial market is experiencing a slowdown due to the impacts of terrorism in which the airline industry has been hit harder especially after the 11th Sept there has been low demand and significant reduction in the order number, sales to its major customers mainly the airlines and various other country based airways has significantly reduced. The key problem faced by The Boeing Company can be summarized to be the labour workforce management, operations and the overall effective management of its projects (Duane 2009) Impacts of the problem The above problem has greatly impacted The Boeing Company negatively because of its long term persistence in the

How do advanced technology and related forces of modernity operate in Essay

How do advanced technology and related forces of modernity operate in relation to culture - Essay Example Cultural values cause a significant effect on how advanced technology and related forces of modernity. Diverse cultures persuade management to incorporate the unique market segment in the company advanced technology and related forces of modernity’s operation. For example, the American company is persuaded to hire a Chinese sales person to sell the American made products to the current as well as prospective Chinese clients. The use of a local resident to sell the American products in China will generate more sales than letting a Native American sell the imported American goods in China. The current and prospective Chinese clients will be more comfortable and trusting of a Chinese neighbor, relative, friend, or resident selling the benefits of imported American goods and services. The Chinese sales person can introduce the benefits of eating the Chinese version of the popular American hamburgers to the current and prospective local Chinese clients. The Chinese would surely pre fer hamburgers more if the modern technology and forces of modernity, known as fast food chain stores, sell the modern day hamburger and other fast food products and services (fast food chain selling versus the traditional style of Chinese food establishment) are handled or managed by Chinese employees of the McDonalds restaurant in China (Brandt 121). Using another cultural setting, it is very clear that culture must be incorporated in the marketing strategy of the American advanced technology and related forces of modernity to ensure a huge market share when venturing into the unknown global market place, Japan. The American films, examples of advanced technology and related forces of modernity, can be easily accepted by the local residences in Japan by incorporating the Japanese culture. The American Film makers can penetrate the Japanese movie industry market by converting the American movies’ conversation pieces into Japanese voices.

The Potential of Coconut Bagasse in Making White Charcoal Essay Example for Free

The Potential of Coconut Bagasse in Making White Charcoal Essay AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE REGULATION OF THE CUTTING OF COCONUT TREES, ITS REPLENISHMENT, PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. The Republic Act No. 8048, also known as the â€Å"Coconut Preservation Act of 1995†, states the importance, conservation and replanting of coconut trees. The act was approved on June 7, 1995 http://www.ustcivillaw.com/Republic%20Acts/RepActNo6260.php REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6260 AN ACT INSTITUTING A COCONUT INVESTMENT FUND AND CREATING A COCONUT INVESTMENT COMPANY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION THEREOF. The republic act no. 6260, also known as the coconut investment act, states the development of the coconut industry through the provision of adequate medium and long-term financing for capital investment in the industry by creating a corporation to be known as the Coconut Investment Company. It was approved on June 19, 1971 http://www.chanrobles.com/republicacts/republicactno4403.html REPUBLIC ACT NO. 4403 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 4403 AN ACT ENCOURAGING THE ORGANIZATION OF AGRO-INDUSTRIAL COCONUT COOPERATIVES UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE PHILIPPINE COCONUT ADMINISTRATION, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED ELEVEN HUNDRED FORTY-FIVE| | The republic act no. 4403 states the aim to help planters and processors organize themselves into associations and/or agro-industrial coconut cooperatives with a view to giving them greater control in the marketing of their products, to help them obtain more credit facilities, and to assist them in getting more participation in the income of the coconut industry. It was approved on June 19, 1965 RELATED LITERATURE http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles08/black-white-charcoal.htm Black Charcoal and White Charcoal This contains the differences between black and white charcoal, the procedures in making black and white charcoal and the benefits of white charcoal. It is also said that These charcoals are made by different methods of burning. About the Author: - Junji Takano is a Japanese health researcher involved in investigating the cause of many dreadful diseases. In 1968, he invented PYRO-ENERGEN, the first electrostatic therapy device for electromedicine that effectively eradicates viral diseases, cancer, and diseases of unknown cause. http://www.whitecharcoal.com/history_country.php History and Origin of White Charcoal| The history of white charcoal in goes back several thousand years to the Jomon era (Japan) according to web of japan. During the medieval period, Japan introduced Chinese charcoal-making techniques that represented an advance for those days, and around the 14th century charcoal was in common use. In the early modern period, Chado (the Way of Tea) took on greater importance, and this led to the making of an even finer variety of charcoal for the tea ceremony. Today, Japans charcoal-making techniques are admired worldwide. We can classify the different types of charcoal used in Japan into two broad categories: kuro-zumi (black charcoal) and shiro-zumi (white charcoal). http://www.oilgae.com/energy/sou/ae/re/be/bm/bag/bag.html Bagasse (sometimes spelled bagass) is the biomass remaining after sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract their juice. Bagasse is often used as a primary fuel source for sugar mills; when burned in quantity, it produces sufficient heat energy to supply all the needs of a typical sugar mill, with energy to spare.

Introduction to E-learning: Types, Benefits and Strategies

Introduction to E-learning: Types, Benefits and Strategies Chapter 2. Background and Related Work Introduction During the last decade the amount of literature published in the field of eLearning has grown noticeably, as has the diversity in attitudes and viewpoints of people who work on this subject. The general background presented here with regard to eLearning includes the definition, details of different types and the concept of quality. Information quality within information systems (IS), web mining and information extracting techniques are the main areas on which supporting literature is primarily focused. However, an in-depth explanation of each branch of these research fields is outside the scope of this literature review. The literature presented here is particularly focused on the subtopics of these large research areas which are directly applicable to this research. The structure of this chapter is divided into three main parts: a general view of eLearning including definitions of eLearning, an overview of eLearning types and the concept of quality in eLearning; information quality (IQ) within ISs; and information extraction methods. Each section includes a number of subsections which address the factors that are relevant to this research. ELearning In this part of the literature review, we focus on eLearning by providing a discussion about the definitions of eLearning, eLearning types and the concept of quality in eLearning. Moreover, in this section we lay the foundation for the general concept of quality in eLearning upon which the research will be based. This section also presents a discussion about the relationships between technology, users and content in an eLearning context. ELearning Definition The term eLearning is used in the literature and in business to describe many fields, such as online learning, web-based training, distance learning, distributed learning, virtual learning, or technology-based training. During recent decades, eLearning has been defined in several instances in different ways. In any publication in the field of eLearning, it is important to ensure that the authors understanding exactly matches that of the majority of the readers, therefore, the specific definition used should be stated first. Moreover, to reach a clearer understanding of what eLearning is, in this part of the thesis we present numerous definitions of eLearning as mentioned in the literature. In general, most of the definitions of the term eLearning are used to express the exploitation of technologies which can be used to deliver learning (or learning materials) in an electronic format, most likely via the World Wide Web (WWW). Psaromiligkos and Retalis consider eLearning to be the systems which utilise the WWW as a delivery medium for static learning resources, such as instructional files, or as an interface onto interactive The previous definitions look at eLearning in general; in more detail, eLearning can be in the form of courses or in the form of modules and smaller learning materials it also could take various forms. Romiszowski takes these details into account and summarises the definitions encountered in the literature in a way that emphasises that eLearning can be a solitary, individual activity, or a collaborative group activity. It also suggests that both synchronous and asynchronous interactive forms can be engaged. Naidu also takes into consideration the differences in the forms of interaction when trying to formulate a general definition of eLearning: educational processes that utilize information and communications technology to mediate asynchronous as well as synchronous learning and teaching activities. The position adopted in this research is that eLearning entails the technology used to distribute the learning materials, the quality of these materials, and the interaction with learners. The definition of eLearning used in this research addresses these dimensions in terms of: the use of new multimedia technologies and the Internet to improve the quality of learning by facilitating access to resources and services as well as remote exchange and collaborations ELearning Types As mention earlier, eLearning takes many different forms and includes numerous types of systems. In the extant literature eLearning types are defined following two main axes: the user context (individuals, groups or a community of users) and users engagement and interactivity. Romiszowski takes these details into account and summarises the definitions encountered in the following table, which emphasises that eLearning can be a solitary, individual activity, or a collaborative group activity. It also suggests that both synchronous and asynchronous interactive forms can be engaged. Looking more deeply at the division of the forms of interactivity used in eLearning systems, there are two main types of eLearning: asynchronous and synchronous, depending on learning and teaching activities. Synchronous eLearning environments require tutors and learners, or the online classmates, to be online at the same time, where live interactions take place between them. In this context, Doherty describes an Asynchronous Learning Network (ALN) as a variety of eLearning systems which distribute learning materials and concepts in one direction at a time. Moreover, Spencer and Hiltz express ALN as a place where learners can interact with learning materials, tutors and other learners, through the WWW at different times and from different places. The focus of this research will be on a case where students log-in to and use the system independently of other students and staff members, as well as using asynchronous methods regarding learning content, quality management and delivery which fit firmly into the general definition of the asynchronous eLearning environment. Quality Concept in ELearning The definition of eLearning adopted in this thesis represents three fundamental dimensions: technology, access and quality. The focus in this research will be on quality, which is considered a crucial issue for education in general, and for eLearning in particular. This section of the literature review will discuss concepts of quality in eLearning generally, and highlight the importance of content as the most critical factor for the overall quality. Currently, there are two recognised challenges in eLearning: the demand for overall interoperability and the request for (high) quality. However, quality cannot be expressed and set by a simple definition, since in itself quality is a very abstract notion. In fact, it is much easier to notice the absence of quality than its presence. Despite efforts to reach a comprehensive, universal definition of quality in eLearning, there is still a fundamental ambiguity surrounding the issue. One position is to consider quality as an evaluation of excellence, a stance which is primarily adopted by universities and education institutions. For example, in universities quality teaching and learning are promoted as the top priority, giving less attention to criteria or measurements regarding teaching input into courses, the learning outcomes, and the interactivity with the system. Another trend is to consider the improvement in quality, where quality is improved by moving beyond the set conceptions applied, and generally moving in the direction of a flexible process of negotiation, which needs a very high level of quality capability from those involved. Furthermore, quality can be viewed and considered from different aspects. Here, the SunTrust Equitable report illustrates what they perceive to be the value chain in eLearning in the form of a pyramid. The content is the most critical factor of eLearning. Indeed, to be able to use the internet as a tool to improve learning, the content should not distract learners, but increase their interest for learning. Learning tools and enablers are also important in the learning procedure. In reality, providers of learning platforms and knowledge management systems are key in the successful delivery of content. These companies provide the necessary infrastructure to deliver learning content. Moreover, learning service providers (LSP) are the distribution channels for content providers. One of the challenges facing these knowledge hubs and LSPs is to ensure that the learners are receiving fresh content. Companies focused on educational e-tailing then complete the value pyramid of eLearning. Looking at the pyramid it can be clearly observed that content is the most critical component of learning through the internet. In a similar manner, Henry stated that eLearning is composed of three main aspects: content, technology and services, he also emphasised that content is the most significant factor. Although this thesis will focus on the quality of content delivered by eLearning as the most important criteria and the most influential in the overall level of learning quality, the specified context and the perspectives of users also need to be taken into account when defining quality in eLearning. It is also essential to classify suitable criteria to address this quality. ELearning Technology, Users and Content Although most eLearning explanations focus on the technology and not on the learning, it is important to keep the people eLearning is designed for in mind. Moreover, individual learning styles and required learning materials should be addressed first. Then a suitable electronic delivery method can be adopted. On their website (agelesslearner.com), Karl and Marcia Conner commented, in this regard, that Maybe the e should actually follow the word learning'. Henry describes the content in a way that includes all delivered materials, including the materials which are usually offered in classroom-based learning and that are tailored for eLearning, in addition to any other knowledge the developer might offer. In fact, eLearning systems are considered to be user-adaptive systems, where systems are designed to react with user performance and choices. Webber, Pesty and Balacheff express user modelling as a central issue in the development of user-adaptive systems, whose behaviour is usually based on the users preferences, goals, interests and knowledge. Moreover, they declare that a system can be considered user-adaptive when changes in its functionality, structure or interface can be monitored, in order to consider the different needs of users and, ultimately, their changing needs. In the area of eLearning Heift and Nicholson believe that eLearning systems as adaptive systems are designed to meet the diverse requirements of students who have different levels of knowledge and backgrounds [19]. There is a significant base of literature and research in the area of adaptive systems, which usually base their behaviour on user models. In more detail, Kobsa explained that the user model often depends on one user or a group of users sharing the same profile and it characterises users preferences, goals, interests and knowledge. Webber, Pesty and Balacheff notice that with regard to this point there are two main problems relating to user modelling: to identify the relevant information to be modelled and to decide which method is more suitable to apply in order to determine the relevant information about the user. In fact, personalisation plays an important role in all areas of the e-era, especially in eLearning, as stated by Esposito, Licchelli and Semeraro, where the main issue is student modelling. This is the analysis of student behaviour and the prediction of future activities and learning performance . Furthermore, Ong and Ramachandran perceive that the literature on adaptive systems shows that by modelling the learner, the human tutor and the knowledge domain of instructional content, powerful pedagogical outcomes can be obtained. Although eLearning systems are considered types of adaptive systems, the difference between the concept of the user and the concept of the student creates a fundamental problem in the eLearning area. In this context, Esposito, Licchelli and Semeraro believe that in a general web system the user is free to surf and the system attempts to predict future user steps using the user model in order to improve the interaction between the user and the system, while in the eLearning system the modelling has to improve the educational route, adapting it to the model of the student. As a result it is essential to control and to assess student browsing. The systems should not give the students absolute freedom to decide their way through the content and learning materials, rather, the system should provide a specific educational path and offer a continuous evaluation activity of student performance, towards a defined pedagogical goal. Although delivering web-based educational materials can be very useful as the same content is distributed to a number of students and can be accessed regardless of time and place, this delivery would not be beneficial from a pedagogical point of view if the students, their level of knowledge and their learning style was not known. In fact, Sanatally and Senteni observe that the widely held principle of using the web simply as a form of distributed medium for learning materials does not add significant value to the learning process. This argument leads to the conviction of the importance of developing adaptive eLearning systems. Even if adaptive systems are focused on the interaction with users and changing the course and the content dynamically with their needs, and not on controlling the set sequence of a course, eLearning can exploit adaptive technologies to build learning environments that form user-specific sequencing. Tang and McCalla use the example of the Paper Recommender Sys tem as a good example of this exploitation: the system was designed to give recommendations to students about what conference or journal papers to read, based on their level of understanding and knowledge. We can see more clearly, as suggested by Conati and VanLehn, that the aim of adaptive systems is to build precise, interactively changing models of individual student learning, in order to use them as representations of how learners are progressing within the content of the course. Moreover, Papanikolaou et al. describe adaptivity as being system-controlled and in most cases assists in: planning the content, planning the delivery and presentation of the learning materials, supporting student navigation throughout the field of knowledge and problem solving. From this, it can be deduced that learner models generally characterise learner knowledge levels on the concepts of domain knowledge, pedagogical goals and learning preferences towards diverse styles of learning materials. In this context, they suggest that the domain model should be used in parallel with the learner model to provide a structure for the representation of learner knowledge of the defined domain. Using this procedure , tailored learning materials can be distributed to specific learners to be consistent with their requirements. This corresponds with the vision of Mittal et al., who realised that by creating several broad groups into which it is possible to segment target learners, it can be ensured that the content of learning materials for an absolute beginner student is not the same for that of a student getting ready for an exam. Nowadays, most student modelling systems follow the same method, in which the systems starting point is to create a reference template for a student, thus, the expertise or intelligence encoded into the system can adapt the course organisation and content to the individual student. The use of this method to decide the style and level of content that a student should be offered, according to how students interact with the system, will lead to a more personalised learning experience. In the case of this research, the student and domain model did not entail the complexity of those built in adaptive systems; however, several of the underlying principles of available student and domain modelling techniques proved to be useful. The key issue in most adaptive systems that feature student and domain modelling is a sequence of complex data repositories that give highly precise values about student performance and completion against learning materials. The focus in this research will be on measuring the quality of the content of learning materials distributed via eLearning systems, and establishing how the student will interact with the materials, how they will be able to extract the relevant information from the content and how the context of the online materials will help students to recognise the underlying structure of the content and easily access the parts in which they are interested. This research will gather empirical evidence using online questionnaires, which can be used to directly ask students about their preferences and perspectives. Summary This part of the literature review provided a general overview of eLearning, including definitions of eLearning, a note of eLearning types and consideration of the concept of quality in eLearning. It also identified the definition adopted for eLearning in this study and considered the type upon which this research will focus. Moreover, in this section we laid the foundation for the general concept of quality in eLearning upon which the research will be based. Finally, it presented a brief discussion about the relationships between technology, users and content in an eLearning context. The next part of this chapter will discuss the concept of IQ within ISs; this will be used later on to set standards for IQ in the context of eLearning systems. Information Quality in Information Systems In this part of the literature review we will start with a brief discussion of the terms data quality and information quality, and will shed some light on the concept of IQ within ISs and how it could be defined. We will also provide a comprehensive review of the major historical developments of IQ frameworks. Data Quality(DQ) vs. Information Quality During recent years, much work has been done to build quality frameworks for IQ dimensions. In the past, research focused on DQ, but due to the recent development of internet technologies, ISs today are providing users with information, not only data. Therefore, research attention has shifted to focus on IQ frameworks. While, some researchers explicitly distinguish between the terms data and information and explain information as data which has been processed in some way, sometimes, it may be difficult to discriminate between them in practice . Still, in some studies the term information is interchangeable with data. Likewise, the term data quality is often used synonymously with information quality. Consequently, in this study, the concept of information will be used in a broad sense, which covers the concept of data. Before reviewing the researches that were conducted to formulate (data/information) quality frameworks within ISs, first we will discuss the meaning of IQ and how it could be defined. How Information Quality Could be Defined Although it is important to set standards for IQ, it is a difficult and complex issue, particularly in the area of ISs, because there is no formal definition of IQ, as quality is dependent on the criteria applied to it. Furthermore, it is dependent on the targets, the environment and from which viewpoint we look at the IQ, that is, from the provider or the consumer perspective. Moreover, IQ is both a task-dependent and a subjective concept. Juran summarises these aspects of quality in his quality definition as fitness for use. Similarly, Wang described DQ (which could apply to IQ) as data that is fit-for-use. This description has been adopted by researchers because it brings to light the fact that IQ cannot be defined and evaluated without knowing its context. Defining IQ in a contextual approach seems to be logical because quality criteria, which could be used to assess IQ, can differ according to the context. In fact, IQ is expressed in the literature to be a multi-dimensional concept with varying attributed characteristics depending on the context of the information. However, taking into account the complexity of the IQ concept and that its measurement is expected to be multi-dimensional in nature, the prime issue in defining the quality of any IS is identifying the criteria by which the quality is determined. The criteria result from the multi-dimensional and interdependent nature of quality in ISs, and are dependent on the objectives and the context of the system. Thus, it is common to define IQ on the internet by identifying the main dimensions of the quality, for that purpose IQ fr ameworks are widely used to identify the important quality dimensions in a specific context, these dimensions can be used as benchmark to improve the effectiveness of information systems, as described by Porter. Information Quality Frameworks Today, for any IS to be judged successfully it has first to satisfy additional predefined quality criteria. An eLearning system is a special type of IS so it is important to examine the literature relating to the traditional IS success models and the proposed quality frameworks, in order to test the possibility of extending these success models to identify eLearning content quality criteria in an eLearning context. Much of the work done in IS success has its origins in the well-known DeLone and McLean (DM) IS Success Model.This model provided a comprehensive taxonomy on IS success based on the analysis of more than 180 studies on IS success and it identified over 100 IS success measures during the analysis. It established that system quality, IQ, use, user satisfaction, individual and organisational impact were the most distinct elements of the IS success equation. In a later work, the authors confirmed the original taxonomy and their conclusion, namely that IS success was a multidimensional and interdependent construct. Their model makes two important contributions to the understanding of IS success. First, it provides a scheme for categorising the multitude of IS success measures that have been used in the literature. Second, it suggests a model of temporal and causal interdependencies between the categories. The updated model, which was proposed in 2003, consists of six dimensions: Information quality, which concerns the system content issue. Web content should be personalised, complete, relevant, easy to understand and secure. System quality, which measures the desired characteristics of a web based system such as usability, availability, reliability and adaptability. Service quality Usage, which measures visits to a website, navigation within the site and information retrieval. User satisfaction, which measures users opinions of the system and should cover the entire user experience cycle. Net benefits, which capture the balance of positive and negative impacts of the system on the users. Although this success measure is very important, it cannot be analysed and understood without system quality and IQ measurements. In their model, DeLone and McLean defined three main dimensions for the quality: IQ, systems quality and service quality. Each one has to be measured separately, because singularly or jointly, they will affect subsequent system usage and user satisfaction. In 1996, Wang and Strong proposed their DQ framework, which will be discussed in more detail in the following section. In their framework they categorised characteristics/attributes in to four main types/factors: intrinsic, accessibility, contextual and representational. This method of categorising IQ factors and attributes proved to be a valuable methodology for defining IQ. Lately, several quality management projects in business and government have successfully used this framework. After Wang Strong DQ framework, diverse research efforts were spent in order to identify IQ dimensions in deference contexts. Although these frameworks varied in their approach and application, they shared some of the same characteristics concerning their classifications of the dimensions of quality. In 1996, Gertz focused on finding possible solutions for the problems regarding modeling and managing data quality and integrity of integrated data. H proposed a taxonomy of data quality characteristics that includes important attributes such as timeliness and completeness of local information sources. While Redmans work aimed to set up practical guidelines to analyze and improve information quality within business processes, h proposed a number of quality attributes grouped into six categories: Privacy, Content, Quality of Values, Presentation, Improvement and Commitment. In the same year, Zeist Hendricks identified 32 IQ sub-characteristics grouped in 6 main IQ characteristics which covered functionality, reliability, efficiency, usability, maintainability and portability. Unlike general purpose IQ framework, in 1997 Jarke proposed a special purpose framework where he used the same hierarchical design established by Wang Strong. He defined IQ criteria depending on the context and requirements for specific application; Data Warehouse Quality (DWQ). In his framework, Jarke linked each operational quality goals for data warehouses to the criteria which describe this goal. The main defined criteria are accessibility, interpretability, usefulness, believability, and validation. In 1998, Chen gave a list of IQ criteria with no special taxonomy. He, however, proposed a goal-oriented framework focusing mainly on time-oriented criteria such as response time and network delay. One year later, Alexander Tate proposed their framework for IQ IN Web environment. This framework consisted of 6 main criteria; authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, orientation and navigation. In the same year, Katerattanakul Siau adapted Wang Strong DQ framework to propose their four categories IQ framework of individual websites. Furthermore, Shanks Corbitt recommended a semiotic-based quality framework for information on the Web. This framework includes four semiotic levels. Syntactic level to insure that information is consistent whiles the Semantic level focuses on the information completion and accuracy. Pragmatic level is the third level which covers the usability and the usefulness of the information. The forth level is the social level ensures information understandabil ity. Within their framework there are 11 quality dimension distributed within the identified levels. Dedeke in 2000 developed a conceptual IS quality framework that includes 5 categories; ergonomic, accessible, transactional, contextual and representational quality. Each category consists of number of quality dimensions such as; availability, relevancy and conciseness. Whilst Zhu Gauch described 6 quality metrics for information retrieval on the web; these are availability, authority, currency, information-to-noise ratio and cohesiveness. Leung adapted Zeist Hendrickss quality framework in 2001 and applied it to Intranet applications. He defined 6 main IQ characteristics; functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability and portability. Each quality characteristic in the proposed framework includes numbers of sub-characteristics. Several research in IS quality were undertaken in 2002, Eppler Muenzenmayer suggested two main manifestations for their proposed framework; content quality and media quality. The content quality is focused on the quality of the presented information and it consists of two categories; relevant information and sound information. Whereas media quality is focused on the quality of the medium used to deliver the information and it includes optimized process category and reliable infrastructure category. Each category in the framework contains number of quality dimensions. Khan categorised IQ depending on the context of the system. The framework divided IQ into two main quality types; product and service quality. Moreover, it divided these two types into 4 quality classifications and each classification into number of quality dimensions. The quality classifications are sound information, useful information, dependable information and usable information. In addition, Klein conducted a research in the same year to identify five IQ dimensions chosen Wang Strongs DQ framework to measure IQ in Web context; accuracy, completeness, relevance, timeliness and amount of data. Mecella also proposed an initial framework for quality management in Cooperative Information System (CIS). This framework includes a model for quality data exported by cooperating organizations and the design of an infrastructure service and improving quality. More recent, in 2005 Liu Huang mentioned 6 key dimensions for IQ; source (focused on information availability), content (focused on information completeness), format and presentation (focused on information consistency), currency (focused on information currency and timeliness), accuracy (focused on information accuracy and reliability) and speed (focused on how easily information is downloadable). Besiki et all introduced in 2007 a general framework for IQ assessment. This framework consists of a comprehensive taxonomy of IQ dimensions, and provides a straightforward and powerful predictive method to study IQ problems and reason through them in a systematic and meaningful way. Lately, Kimberly et all presented in 2009 a model for how to think about IQ depending on the application context; they identified number of common IQ metrics. Kargar Azimzadeh also presented an original experimental framework for ranking IQ on the Web log. The results of their research revealed 7 IQ dimensions for IQ in Web log. For each quality dimension, quality variables associated coefficients were calculated and used so that the proposed framework is able to automatically assess IQ of Web logs. In the same year Thi Helfert conducted a research aimed to propose a quality framework based on IS architecture. In their research they identified quality factors for different construct levels of IS architecture. Moreover, they also presented impacts amongst different quality factors which help to analyze the cause of IS defects. In this part we gave a brief review of the researches conducted to formulate (data/information) quality frameworks within ISs. However in the next section we will focus on Wang and Strongs DQ framework as we will use it as a base for this research to measure IQ in eLearning systems along the dimensions of the framework. Wang and Strongs Data Quality Framework Wang Strongs DQ framework, one of the most comprehensive, popular, remarkable and cited DQ frameworks, was established by Richard Wang and Diana Strong in 1996. Their framework was designed empirically by asking users to give their viewpoints about the relevance of the IQ dimensions to capture the most important aspects of DQ to the data consumer. In their framework, Wang and Strong classified quality dimensions into four groups: Intrinsic DQ: refers to the quality dimensions originating from the data on its own. This aspect of quality is independent of the users perspective and context. Contextual DQ: focuses on the aspect of IQ within the context of the task at hand. In this group, the quality dimensions are subjective preferences of the user. Contrary to the first group, DQ dimensions cannot be assessed without considering the users viewpoint about their use of provided information. Representational DQ: is related to the representation of information within the systems. Accessibility DQ: refers

Sources Of Finance For Kfc Finance Essay

Sources Of Finance For Kfc Finance Essay KFC began with Colonel Harland Sanders. He discovered his penchant for cooking when he was only 9 years old. Through the years he grew up to become a personage the world knows as Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC. He reached celebrity status in 1952, when he decided to franchise his famous Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe blends of 11 herbs and spices to the rest of America. By the early 70s, that special recipe reached Malaysia. KFC Holdings owns approximately 27 Kedai Ayamas and 4 Ayamas Depots, making them the nations first branded chicken and chicken-based retain chain. KFC Holdings operates the KFC chain of restaurants in Malaysian, Singapore and Brunei (523 restaurants) and the Rasamas chain of restaurants in Malaysia (about 37 outlets). Sources of finance are where finance comes from. There are three kinds of sources which are Bank loans, Owners (share) capital and Trade credit . Finance is money which is a scarce resource. To obtain it, a business has to compete for it. Individuals, the government and other businesses all seek money to finance their needs. Those with money to lend will lend it provided the rate of return (interest), the risk and flexibility (how quickly the money can be repossessed) are consistent with their expectations. The word lend often implies to short-term; the word invest implies to long-term. Individuals or organisations that lend money, expect to get their money back, with a fixed annual return in a comparatively short time. Those who invest in a company become part-owners share holders. They expect regular payment of cash dividends (whose size varies with the companys success) plus an increase in the value of their shares. A major source of finance for many businesses is the retained profit from sales to customers. A business just starting up or one expanding rapidly has to raise its finance from other sources. There are three kind of finance question which relates the finance which the management should consider. Duration: for how long is the finance required? Cost: which source of finance is the least expensive? repayment: what level is acceptable Duration Duration depends on the reason the money is needed. No-one would take out a 25 year mortgage to finance the purchase of a personal HiFi. Few people would buy a house with a bank overdraft. Businesses apply the same principles of matching the purpose of finance with the source of finance. This makes sense all round. For the business it ensures that finance is guaranteed as long as it is needed. For the investor it ensures that adequate security is available for the duration of the loan as in the case of a 20 year loan secured against a property that will continue to have value for all the 20 years. Cost In general, businesses look for the cheapest source of finance. The easiest way to compare the cost of finance is to express the annual payment to lenders/investors as a percentage of the amount of finance provided. Interest on a loan can be expressed in percentage terms. So can the rate of return to shareholders. Return on investment in shares = Dividend per share, share price change since the start of year The rate of return expected by shareholders becomes the cost to the business of using this form of finance. Repayment A business should not get into a position where all of its profits are being swallowed up in interest payments. There is a real danger of borrowing too much. The same applies to individuals. Type of sources of finance: government purchase loan stock leasing venture capital hire purchase ordinary shares warrant retailed earning borrowings Ordinary Shares Ordinary shares also known as common stock or voting share is a share of stock giving stockholders the right to vote no matters of corporate policy and the composition of the members of the board of directors. Ordinary shares are issued to the owners of a company. They have a nominal or face value, typically of RM1 or 50 cents. The market value of a quoted companys shares bears no relationship to their nominal value, except that when ordinary shares are issued for cash, the issue price must be equal to or be more than the nominal value of the shares. Preference Shares Preference shares, also called preferred stock or preferred shares, is typically a higher ranking stock than common stock, and its terms are negotiated between the corporation and the investor. Preference shares usually carries no voting rights, but may carry priority over common stock in the payment of dividends and upon liquidate Preference shares may carry a dividend that is paid out prior to any dividends being paid to common stock holders. Preference shares may have a convertibility feature into common stock. Preference stockholders will be paid out in assets before common stockholders and after debt holders in bankruptcy. Terms of the preferred stock are stated in a Certificate of Designation. From the companys point of view, preference shares are advantageous in that:  · Dividends do not have to be paid in a year in which profits are poor, while this is not the case with interest payments on long term debt (loans or debentures).  · Since they do not carry voting rights, preference shares avoid diluting the control of existing shareholders while an issue of equity shares would not.  · The issue of preference shares does not restrict the companys borrowing power, at least in the sense that preference share capital is not secured against assets in the business. Loan Stock Common or preferred stock shares that are used as collateral to secure a loan from another party.  The loan will earn a fixed interest rate, much like a standard loan, and can be secured or unsecured.  A secured loan stock may also be called a convertible loan stock if the loan stock can be directly converted to common shares under specified conditions and with a pre-determined conversion rate, as with an irredeemable convertible unsecured loan stock (ICULS).   Retained Earnings Retained earnings refer to the portion of net income which is retained by the corporation rather than distributed to its owners as dividends. Similarly, if the corporation makes a loss, then that loss is retained and called variously retained losses, accumulated losses or accumulated deficit. Retained earnings and losses are cumulative from year to year with losses offsetting earnings. Retained earnings are reported in the shareholders equity section of the balance sheet. Companies with net accumulated losses may refer to negative shareholders equity as a shareholders deficit. A complete report of the retained earnings or retained losses is presented in the Statement of retained earnings or Statement of retained losses. The major reasons for using retained earnings to finance new investments, rather than to pay higher dividends and then raise new equity for the new investments, are as follows: a) The management of many companies believes that retained earnings are funds which do not cost anything, although this is not true. However, it is true that the use of retained earnings as a source of funds does not lead to a payment of cash. b) The dividend policy of the company is in practice determined by the directors. From their standpoint, retained earnings are an attractive source of finance because investment projects can be undertaken without involving either the shareholders or any outsiders. c) The use of retained earnings as opposed to new shares or debentures avoids issue costs. d) The use of retained earnings avoids the possibility of a change in control resulting from an issue of new shares. Borrowings Receiving something of value in exchange for an obligation to pay back something of usually greater value at a particular time in the future. Borrowings are divided into three terms. Short term lending may be in the form of: a) An overdraft, which a company should keep within a limit set by the bank. Interest is charged (at a variable rate) on the amount by which the company is overdrawn from day to day; b) A short-term loan, for up to three years. Medium-term loans are loans for a period of from three to ten years. The rate of interest charged on medium-term bank lending to large companies will be a set margin, with the size of the margin depending on the credit standing and riskiness of the borrower. A loan may have a fixed rate of interest or a variable interest rate, so that the rate of interest charged will be adjusted every three, six, nine or twelve months in line with recent movements in the Base Lending Rate. Longer-term bank loans will sometimes be available, usually for the purchase of property, where the loan takes the form of a mortgage. Leasing Leasing is a process by which a firm can obtain the use of a certain fixed assets for which it must pay a series of contractual, periodic, tax deductible payments. The lessee is the receiver of the services or the assets under the lease contract and the lessor is the owner of the assets. The relationship between the tenant and the landlord is called a tenancy, and can be for a fixed or an indefinite period of time (called the term of the lease). The consideration for the lease is called rent. There are two basic forms of lease: operating leases and finance leases. Operating leases Operating leases are rental agreements between the lessor and the lessee whereby: a) The lessor supplies the equipment to the lessee b) The lessor is responsible for servicing and maintaining the leased equipment Finance leases Finance leases are lease agreements between the user of the leased asset (the lessee) and a provider of finance (the lessor) for most, or all, of the assets expected useful life. Suppose that a company decides to obtain a company car and finance the acquisition by means of a finance lease. A car dealer will supply the car. A finance house will agree to act as lessor in a finance leasing arrangement, and so will purchase the car from the dealer and lease it to the company. The company will take possession of the car from the car dealer, and make regular payments (monthly, quarterly, six monthly or annually) to the finance house under the terms of the lease. Hire Purchase Hire purchase is the legal term for a contract developed in the United Kingdom. It is also called closed-end leasing. In cases where a buyer cannot afford to pay the asked price for an item of property as a lump sum but can afford to pay a percentage as a deposit, a hire-purchase contract allows the buyer to hire the goods for a monthly rent. When a sum equal to the original full price plus interest has been paid in equal installments, the buyer may then exercise an option to buy the goods at a predetermined price (usually a nominal sum) or return the goods to the owner Venture Capital Venture capital (also known as VC or Venture) is a type of private equity capital typically provided for early-stage, high-potential, growth companies in the interest of generating a return through an eventual realization event such as an IPO or trade sale of the company. Venture capital investments are generally made as cash in exchange for shares in the invested company. It is typical for venture capital investors to identify and back companies in high technology industries such as biotechnology and ICT (information and communication technology Franchising Franchising is a method of expanding business on less capital than would otherwise be needed. For suitable businesses, it is an alternative to raising extra capital for growth. Franchisors include Budget Rent-a-Car, Wimpy, Nandos Chicken and Chicken Inn Other possible alternatives can be used by KFCH KFC Holdings have been running their operation with all the types of source of finance as stated above. In order to further enhance themselves as well improving their investors relations, they can apply other kind of source to run their business KFC has not issue warrants throughout the financial year. Warrants are, in effect, options granted by the business that entitle the holder to subscribe for a specified quantity of ordinary shares, for a specified price at, or after, a specified time- usually several years following their issue. The business would usually issue the warrants in one of two ways, that is to sell them, in which case it would derive a cash inflow, or attach them to a loan stock issue as a sweetener or incentive to investors to take up the loan stock. Apart from that, KFC can even issue Employees Share Option Scheme at various options. An employee share scheme is one way to give employees a stake in your business and help  improve its performance. As employees normally have to remain with the business to get this benefit, share schemes encourage loyalty and can help you retain valued staff. They act as an incentive or reward and may also help recruitment. (Extracted from Business Link, http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1074472937) In fact, KFC could even use hire purchase to source their finance. Hire purchase is referred to sales promotion device that creates customers purchasing power in the form of a fixed cost, fixed period installment loan, secured by a lien on the purchased item as the collateral. In case of capital equipment, the customer repays the loan from the earnings generated by the purchased asset (which otherwise would have remained unsold due to the customers lack of cash). During the repayment period the buyer has the possession and use but not the ownership (title) to the item. Only upon the full payment of the loan, the title passes to the buyer. Also called installment buying, it is a social innovation that expands the economy with additional income. (Extracted from Business Dictionary.com, http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/hire-purchase.html) APPENDIX Share capital From the financial statement for the year 2008, KFC holdings issued 1,000,0000 new ordinary shares valued RM1.00 each for the year 2008 and 2007. . However, only 198,275 shares at RM 1.00 each was issued and fully paid. SHARE CAPITAL Number of Ordinary Shares of RM1 each Amount 2008 2007 2008 2007 2008 2007 000 000 RM000 RM000 Authorised At 1 January/ 31 December 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 Issued and fully paid At 1 January/ 31 December 198,275 198,275 198,275 198,275 Retained Earnings The percentage of net earnings not paid out  as dividends, but retained by the company to be reinvested in its core business or to pay debt. It is recorded under shareholders equity on the balance sheet. The formula calculates retained earnings by adding net income to (or subtracting any net losses from) beginning retained earnings and subtracting any dividends paid to shareholders: KFC Holdings recorded RM 316,703,000 of retained earnings in year 2008 compared to RM 257,611,000 in year 2007 for company. This shows that KFC retained their net earnings higher in year 2008 so that they can reinvest in its core business to pay its debt. Borrowings Borrowings are classified under short term borrowings and long term borrowings. KFC Holdings borrowed RM 20,000,000 in year 2008 while there were no borrowings for the year 2007 under company. On the other hand, KFCs long term borrowings amounted to RM 40,000,000 in year 2008 compared to RM 60,000,000 in year 2007. The total borrowings for the two years were RM 60,000,000 respectively. (Refer note: 26) The term loans granted to the Company are secured by the following: i First and third party charge over certain land and buildings as disclosed in Note 12(b) and Note 15 ii Deposits pledged with licensed banks as disclosed in Note 18 iii Corporate guarantee of the Company and a related company iv Debenture of a subsidiarys assets Company 2008 2007 RM000 RM000 Short term borrowings Secured Term loans 20,000 Unsecured Term loans 20,000 Long term borrowings Secured Term loans 40,000 60,000 Unsecured Term loans 40,000 60,000 Total borrowings Secured Term loans 60,000 60,000 Unsecured Term loans 60,000 60,000 Leasing KFCs leasing is analysed as long term leasehold land and short term leasehold land. The groups long term leasehold land notched RM 63,733,000 in 2008 compared to RM 63,868,000 in 2007. However, their short term leasehold land was RM 68,000 in 2008 while in year 2007, it was RM 73,000. Overall, their total leasing was RM 63,841,000 and RM 63,941,000 for the two years respectively. Leasehold land with an aggregate carrying value of RM30, 434,000 (2007: RM30, 822,000) are pledged as securities for borrowings. Group 2008 2007 RM000 RM000 At 1 January 63,941 62,687 Addition 1,830 Disposal (106) Acquisition of a subsidiary 722 Reclassification from property, plant and equipment 333 Amortisation for the year (822) (803) At 31 December 63,841 63,941 Analysed as: Long term leasehold land 63,773 63,868 Short term leasehold land 68 73 63,841 63,941 INCOME STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2008 Group Company Note 2008 2007 2008 2007 RM000 RM000 RM000 RM000 Revenue 3 2,179,788 1,730,371 97,220 88,000 Cost of sales 4 (1,064,548) (770,048) Gross profit 1,115,240 960,323 97,220 88,000 Other income 22,615 22,797 30,210 26,972 Administrative expenses (118,670) (109,061) (28,757) (22,713) Selling and marketing expenses (837,547) (712,109) Other expenses (6,622) (24) (2,310) (26,229) Operating profit 175,016 161,926 96,363 66,030 Finance costs 5 (7,559) (11,302) (2,887) (5,823) Profit before tax 6 167,457 150,624 93,476 60,207 Income tax expense 9 (47,107) (45,081) (9,522) (23,437) Profit for the year 120,350 105,543 83,954 36,770 Attributable to: Equity holders of the Company 118,535 1 04,269 Minority interests 1,815 1,274 120,350 105,543 Earnings per share attributable to equity holders of the Company (sen): Basic, for profit for the year 10 59.8 52.6 BALANCE SHEETS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2008 Group Company Note 2008 2007 2008 2007 RM000 RM000 RM000 RM000 Assets Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 12 615,059 529,658 19,750 19,908 Investments in subsidiaries 13 354,250 353,590 Investment properties 14 898 2,000 585 Prepaid land lease payments 15 63,84 1 63,941 Intangible assets 16 69,835 68,063 Other investment 17 4,500 Fixed deposits 18 6,324 6,324 749,633 674,486 374,000 380,407 Current assets Inventories 19 158,474 112,312 Trade and other receivables 20 128,112 78,972 222,742 156,642 Other investment 17 20,203 Cash and bank balances 21 97,985 140,358 6,797 11,826 404,774 331,642 229,539 168,468 Total assets 1,154,407 1,006,128 603,539 548,875 Equity and liabilities Equity attributable to equity holders of the company Share capital 22 198,275 198,275 198,275 198,275 Other reserves 23 47,705 50,963 22,080 26,560 Retained earnings 24 446,178 352,783 316,703 257,611 692,158 602,021 537,058 482,446 Minority interests 10,232 6,920 Total equity 702,390 608,941 537,058 482,446 Non-current liabilities Retirement benefit obligations 25 3,313 3,758 Borrowings 26 65,944 110,907 40,000 60,000 Deferred tax liabilities 27 31,602 25,036 107 444 100,859 139,701 40,107 60,444 Current liabilities Retirement benefit obligations 25 623 Borrowings 26 75,111 12,080 20,000 Trade and other payables 28 275,424 242,110 6,374 5,985 Current tax payable 3,296 351,158 257,486 26,374 5,985 Total liabilities 452,017 397,187 66,481 66,429 Total equity and liabilities 1,154,407 1,006,128 603,539 548,875

Character and Setting in Popular Music :: Music Communication Essays

Character and Setting in Popular Music Whether it is through music or written literature, such as a novel, characters convey emotion and thought. The audience understands through the characters present. Just as we find characters we love we also find characters we despise. Setting is much the same. Whether the setting is explicitly given or simply implied, the audience has a picture in mind. Sometimes it is a place of great beauty and sometimes it is a place we would rather disregard. It is my observations however that character and setting are to some extent present in every song I listen to. Character and setting are not only additions to music and songs, but seem to be what makes the songs. Of the popular music available today, we can find songs dedicated to telling a story about a lost loved one, a favorite place of recluse, love in general. But not each of the popular songs lay out the setting or give the embodiment of a character. Listening to these songs however, the listener is transposed into the song and can see as the speaker talks. For example, Alicia Keys’s song â€Å"Diary.† This song is the voice of a woman speaking to her lover. â€Å"Lay your head down on my pillow,† she sings. â€Å"Here you can be yourself.† So from the beginning we are invited to witness the sweet whispers of lovers in a room. The bed, inviting and comfortable, sits in center stage. We listen to the woman tell of her love and the security her man can find in her and she in him. â€Å"I am the pages of your diary,† she sings. Again, Alicia does not tell us all the details, but somehow the picture is so clear. Another example of a popular song that has setting and character is a song by India Arie entitled â€Å"Nature.† In this song she is telling a loved one to slow down: â€Å"Let’s sit and watch the flowers grow†¦let’s sit and watch the river flow.† She believes that nature is a show and there is music there. And although she doesn’t really give us a clear character we can relate to, we can see the singer as the character.

Frivolous lawsuits Essay example -- Legal Issues

Do you remember the lawsuit about the woman who ordered the McDonald’s coffee and spilled it in her lap and sued McDonald’s because it did not have a warning label on it? What about the woman who fell in the fountain at the mall while texting and wants to sue the mall? These lawsuits may seem fairly farfetched. They fall into the category called frivolous. Black’s Law Dictionary defines frivolous as lacking a legal basis or legal merit; not serious; not reasonably purposeful (Garner, 2006). When people pursue such lawsuits as these it costs money. â€Å"The civil justice system is plagued by high ‘transaction costs,’ meaning that it is both expensive and time consuming to use the courts to resolve disputes† (Ruschmann, 2006, p. 60). Frivolous lawsuits should not be taken seriously. People should not be awarded money for things that they caused themselves, and they should not cost courts and consumer’s time and/or money. There are many steps to go through once you decide to file a lawsuit. Many Americans suffer from injuries but only a small percentage of them file a lawsuit because many of them have valid claims but they have little money. Sometimes when plaintiffs, the person filing the lawsuit, go to trial there is a lot of money that has to be spent up-front. â€Å"Taking a large case on a contingency fee and advancing all the out-of-pocket cost is a very expensive proposition† (Bourhis, 2005, p. 76). Lawyers have created the contingent-fee arrangement. This is where â€Å"a lawyer agrees to take a case without any money up front and without requiring the client to pay an hourly or flat fee. In return, the lawyer is entitled to receive a percentage of the actual amount of money collected, generally 33 percent, but sometimes 40 percent if ... ...ceived potential for a large payout. Three percent of product liability trials involved toxic substances, including tobacco. Three tobacco product liability trials were disposed of a national sample in 2005. All three of these trials were decided by juries that ruled in favor of the defendants. Toxic substances were linked as 346 of the 354 product liability trials (Cohen, 2009). Tort reformers believe that courts must reduce the ability of defendants’ liability in order to avoid economic decline. In the years to come, the proposals likely to generate the biggest dispute include malpractice and class-action reform, limits on noneconomic and punitive damages, and a legislative solution to asbestos legation (Rushmann, 2006). There are many lawsuits. But the frivolous lawsuits should not be taken seriously and not cost our courts and citizens time and/or money.

Hip Hop Music Culture Essay -- Rap, music and cultural movement

This essay aims to examine the importance of the Hip-Hop culture in 21st century society. It will begin with consideration of the history of Hip-Hop, discussing its stylistic adaptations, cultural preferences and concerns, referring to the studies of black culture by Ellis Cashmore and Mark Neal. Within this I will explore the ethnicity and authenticity of the culture, with reference to last years Popular Music and its Cultural Context unit. The essay will then move on to evaluate the culture’s relationship with the media, concentrating on the well documented moral panics associated with the culture; I will make particular reference to the theories of Stan Cohen. By studying the political and historical patterns of the culture, I endeavour to discover the overall meaning which the culture has for its members and for society. It is primarily important to coin what Hip-Hop is, the dictionary definition describes Hip-Hop as: hip-hop (h p h p ) or hip hop noun. 1. A popular urban youth culture, closely associated with rap music and with the style and fashions of African-American inner-city residents. 2. Rap music. As a culture Hip-Hop includes four main categories of expression; Mixing, Dancing, Graffiti Art and Rapping, known as MC’ing. Hip-Hop was first recognised in New York around the mid 1970s, considered as a reaction to social movements of the time. In America the 70s and 80s were subject to negative behaviour towards black communities which consisted of Jamaican and Puerto Ricans as well as African-Americans, it was argued that the ruling of Reagan led to this behaviour. Hip-Hop culture was seen as an escape from the explosion of gang violence throughout the 1970s and 80s, providing black American youths with a space for expression, this freedom of speech led to the spreading of Hip-Hop to other cities where black communities suffered. As Tricia Rose states, ‘It satisfies poor young black people’s profound need to have their territories acknowledged, recognised and celebrated.’ (Rose, 1994: p.11, cited in Neal, 1997: p.136) The first UK top ten Hip-Hop hit wa s recorded in 1979 by the Sugar Hill Gang, called ‘Rappers Delight’. The recognition of this song noted the continuous exchange of musical ideas between black and white. The atmosphere created between black and white musicians from Britain and America was perfect for the sounds o... ...the Hip-Hop culture will continue. The policing of artists and their music are likely to become stricter, with parental advisory placed on increasingly offensive lyrics and with the boost in crime rates associated with Hip-Hop policing will be more specific. However, I do not believe that increased awareness and policing of Hip-Hop will lead to the waning of its popularity, if anything; I think it will continue to add to the novelty of the culture. Bibliography Baker, H. & Diawara, M. & Lindeborg, R. (1996) Black British Cultural Studies: A Reader, University Press: Chicago Cashmore, E. (1997) The Black Culture Industry, London: Routledge Cohen, P. & Baines, H. (1982) Multi-Racist Britain, London: Macmillan Cohen, S. (1973) Folk Devils and Moral Panics, St Albans: Paladin Dyson, M. (1996) Between God and Gangsta Rap, University Press: Oxford Neal, M. (1999) Black Popular Music and Black Public Culture: What the Music Said, London: Routledge Oliver, P. (1990) Black Music in Britain, University Press: Milton Keynes Springhall, J. (1998) Youth, Popular Culture and Moral Panics, London: Macmillan Thompson, K. (1998) Moral Panics, London: Routledge