Business Research Method – Volkswagen.Doc

I. Rational II. Situational Analysis III. Theoretical background IV. Conceptual Model V. Research Design VI. Sources I. Rational: According to James R. Healey (2011), reporter for USA Today, customers have lost confidence in Volkswagen’s quality. Volkswagen has been subjected to a real loss in the perception of its customers regarding its cars quality. This situation results mainly from a quality problem. In fact, according to Marty Padgett (May 14, 2007), for the website  www. thecarconnection. om: â€Å"The CEO of Volkswagen of America admits the company generated a lot of ‘venom’ with the massive quality problems it experienced earlier this decade. † This position is emphasized by a Hallmark representative who observed: â€Å"Volkswagen representatives point out that the company's scores are improving, which is true. But so is almost everyone else's. Shame on us that we haven't moved up the ranking. † Volkswagen had difficulty recognizing the pr oblem as evinced by Trahan’s 2010 position on this matter. He was effectively thinking that the brand did better that it got credit for.Nevertheless, according to James R. Healey (2011), for USA Today, the company now seems to be taking the problem seriously since the beginning of 2011. â€Å"We have some trouble in IQS that we have to fix† remarked Trahan earlier this year. In the 2011 IQS, Volkswagen owners reported an average of 131 problems per 100 cars, putting the company into a tie with Mini for 29th  among 32 brands. The best was Lexus at 73/100, and the worst was Dodge at 137/100. Volkswagen’s score in 2010 was slightly worse than Dodge’s in 2011 at 135/100. That said, the company is still struggling to improve his score.According to the 2010 IQS report, Volkswagen score was only slightly worse than the 2011 one, with 135 problems per 100 cars. Historically, Volkswagen has been known for the quality of its cars; quality is measured by a carâ₠¬â„¢s reliability and its ability to make life easier for owners. To improve Volkswagen’s IQS score and thus reverse the trend in the US, the brand should reevaluate its quality standards that originally established its reputation. By doing so, Volkswagen could maintain its leading position in Europe while improving its market share in the US. This could enable the company to remain the most profitable automotive brand.What position should Volkswagen take on the current quality situation? What are the causes of such loss? What departments should Volkswagen restructure to avoid the quality problems? II. Situational Analysis: The brand has always been known for its reliable cars. Jason Chavis (2010), contributor for the website www. ehow. com, easily stressed it out by reminding that, throughout the eighties and the early nineties, Volkswagen was plagued by a number of quality control issues, particularly in its American market. This resulted in a new goal for the company. Volk swagen wanted people to know that driving was fun again.The famous â€Å"die deutsche Qualitat† motto results from this. Nevertheless, things have changed; the quality of Volkswagen products is recently decreasing. The Volkswagen Annual Report 2010 made obvious that Volkswagen does not really realize that its Quality Assurance is not as reliable as it used to be. The report clearly explains that the aim of Volkswagen is â€Å"to secure a pole position in terms of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty†. The problem is that Volkswagen needs to do more than securing a pole position. Volkswagen needs to reach this position. For instance, the J. D. Power – a ebsite providing consumers information by using consumer satisfaction data collected to help them in their buying decisions – and Associates 2011 Initial Quality Survey illustrates this situation quite well: Volkswagen reports 131 problems per 100 vehicles. This is very close to the last one, Dodge, with 137. To make a good comparison, Lexus is first with 73 problems per 100 vehicles. This situation is stressed by the fact that people seem not to trust Volkswagen anymore. As we can easily see in the Consumer Reports' 2011 Car Brand Perception Survey, Volkswagen has received one of the worst ratings.The results are given in a chart on wich figures are aggregates, reflecting a brand's total perception level across seven areas. Volkswagen received one of the worst ratings, with an overall score of only 19. To compare, the lowest rating is given to Isuzu with 2 and the best rating is for Toyota with 147. Volkswagen does effectively not seem to have the image it used to have: the image of all German car manufacturers. Nevertheless, despite all these problems, the German car manufacturer’s Annual Report 2010 shows the willingness of the brand to keep the customers in the heart of the its decision.Although, Volkswagen says in this report that its competitive advantages are not secu red through product quality and appeal alone. The brand reminds the theory following which customers’ loyalty to a specific brand is also influenced by the quality of service they receive. After-sales and customer service in the Volkswagen Group focuses primarily on establishing and maintaining long-term relationships with customers and partners worldwide. Its aim is to captivate customers with their outstanding commitment to good service combined with Volkswagen’s high quality standards.But, as explained before, these standards are not that high. In fact, the current situation is that customers do not trust Volkswagen quality as they used to. This is due to a lot of reported quality problems. Nevertheless the brand has now taken into account this issue and now understands that it has to enhance the quality of their cars. According to www. businessdictionary. com, the brand image is developed over time through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme and is authen ticated through the consumers’ direct experience.To summarize the situation, the downswing in the perception of Volkswagen brand image is due to the last part of this definition. The company has failed to make the consumers enjoy the experience of having a Volkswagen car. As explained before, this is mainly due to the high number of problems experienced by consumers. In order to improve their brand image, the company has to improve its IQS score, which would prove to the consumer that Volkswagen cars are as reliable as they used to be, which would consequently improve the company’s brand image. III.Theoretical background: According to Narasimhan, Ram, Mendez and David (2001) and the Wacker Theory (1989) on quality and evaluative judgment  «Product’s improved quality will take several periods of good performance before customers will recognize its performance as being related to quality†. This means that customers’ point of view regarding brandsâ⠂¬â„¢ quality will not change overnight. It will takes time to prove them that things have changed because customers are more and more dubious and because it takes time to have feedbacks concerning quality.That said quality is not the only factor when it comes to purchasing a car. Indeed, according to Nadia Huitzilin Jimenez Torres (October 2007) from the Universidad de Burgos  «Consumer purchasing decisions relating to foreign products are influenced by economic, psychological and sociological factors ». a. The economic factor: According to the neoclassical school of thought, consumers are rational. They make buying decisions toward getting the most out of everything. They just take into factor the economy of use, convenience, efficiency in use, dependability in use and finally improvement in earnings.Nevertheless in practice, these elements aren’t the only ones used or often poorly applied. Indeed, psychological and sociological factors are also used when making a buyin g decision. b. The psychological factor: Psychological factors affect the way consumers think and behave while making a buying decision. For example some consumers do compulsive purchases because of their mood, which often are completely irrational. According to Black, Donald W. (2007), Compulsive buying disorder (CBD) is characterized by excessive shopping cognitions and buying behavior that leads to distress or impairment. . The sociological factor: This factor is highly important for companies for whom brand image result from reputation. In fact many consumers from all around the world base their buying decision upon stereotypes. Sander Gilman (1985) argued that stereotypes are representations that are not accurate, but a projection of one to another. According to this definition the fact that many people believe that â€Å"Germans make good products† is a stereotype. This phenomenon might result to a biased representation of a product quality.A company can benefit from th e good image of another brand because they both are from the same country. This proves that the county’s reputation helps consumers to discriminate between firms and products they are not familiar with. Consumers can also be influenced by social factor. One can buy a product from the same brand his idol or friends wear because he wants to look like him or them. This is also true with word of mouth, which makes people like or dislike products. As we have seen many factors influence the perception of quality.This diagram summarizes the steps that a consumer follow when analyzing a brand’s quality: [pic] The reputation results from the level of advertising and the brand’s reputation. Added to the perceived monetary price and the consumer’s perceived features of the good, it results to the consumer perceived quality of the product. IV. Conceptual model : [pic] Hypothesis: 1. The more adapted the communication message, the greater the brand ______image is 2. T he better the reputation, the greater the brand image is 3.The better the anterior experience with the product, the greater ______the brand image is 4. The better the media planning, the greater the brand image is V. Research Design a. Nature of proof: A correlational study seems the most adapted in this situation. This will allow us to delineate the important variables associated with the problem. These variables are the communication, the reputation, the customer’s anterior experience. We want to know how the potential and the already granted customers think of Volkswagen. It is now obvious that the study will be a descriptive one. . Unit of analysis: We want to know how many of the population would be interested in buying a Volkswagen car, depending on their opinion about the brand. Thus, we decided to stratify our sample in three groups: country, sex and age. c. Sampling: Stratified sample: [pic] d. Interference of the researcher As the study is a correlational one, this will take place in the same natural environment in which employees normally function, thus in noncontrived settings. Moreover, this kind of study is conducted with minimal interference of the researcher, such as manipulation of variables.According to all these elements, we clearly face a field experiment. e. Source of data & data collection methods: In order to get the most accurate sources, the sources that matched as good as possible, we will use primary data. To collect them, we have prepared one interview, one questionnaire and two observations. The first one, the interview, deals with the variable of the communication; the second one, the questionnaire, is taking care of the reputation; the two last ones deal with the previous experience of customers and the communication. f.Managerial implications: g. Gantt-chart: 1. The more adapted the communication message, the greater the brand image is. Interview : 1) Age / Sex / Nationality / Occupation 2) Do you currently own a Volkswag en  ? If yes  : Why have you bought one  ? If no  : have you own one in the past  ? – If yes  : Why have you changed  ? – If no : Why  ? 3) Have you ever seen a Volkswagen advertisement  ? If yes  : on which media did you see it  ? Do you remember it well  ? Do you remember what was the message communicated during the advert  ? If yes : Did you feel concern by it ?Do you think there could be a better ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccmessage (open question) ccccccccccccccccc Did that make you want to own one  (open question  : why  ? ) ? If no  : for what reason do you think you have never seen one  ? What did you think about Volkswagen 5 years ago ? [pic] Observing 1. Observation of the number of returns in the selected country 2. Number of person who has replaced their Volkswagen by another Volkswagen VI. Sources: – Marty Padgett (May 14, 2007), VW Focused on Prices, Quality, http://www. thecarconnection. com/news/1014959_vw-focus ed-on-prices-quality; James R. Healey (2011), VW: We know you're nervous, but our quality is improving http://content. usatoday. com/communities/driveon/post/2011/08/vw-quality-problems-warranty-costs–/1 – Jason Chavis (2010), History of the Volkswagen Brand http://www. ehow. com/facts_4966661_history-volkswagen-brand. html – The Volkswagen Annual Report (2010), http://www. volkswagenag. com/content/vwcorp/content/en/homepage. html – Syvetril Perryman (2011), J. D. Power Associates 2011 Initial Quality Survey http://businesscenter. jdpower. com/news/pressrelease. aspx? ID=2011089 Consumer Reports' 2011 (January 2011), Car Brand Perception Survey http://www. consumerreports. org/cro/cars/new-cars/news/2011/01/2011-car-brand-perception-survey/overview/index. htm – Narasimhan, Ram, Mendez, David (2001), Wacker Theory (1989), Strategic aspects of quality: A theoretical analysishttp://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa3796/is_200101/ai_n8943712/? tag=co ntent;col1 – Nadia Huitzilin Jimenez Torres (October 2007), The purchase of foreign products: The role of firm’s country-of-origin reputation, consumer ethnocentrism, animosity and trust http://www3. va. es/empresa/uploads/dt_13_07. pdf – Sander L. Gilman (1985), Difference and pathology: stereotypes of sexuality, race and madness – Black, Donald W. (February 2007), A review of compulsive buying disorder http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC1805733/? tool=pmcentrez – Uma Sekaran & Roger Bougie (2009), Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach – Janine Frauendorf (2006), Customer processes in business-to-business service transactions

Traumatic Shoulder Injury Rugby Union Health And Social Care Essay

Classified as a hit athletics by many athleticss sawboness the nature of Rugby Union consequences in comparatively high rates of traumatic hurts compared to other athleticss ( Sundaram et. al 2010 ) . Epidemiologic Injury Incidence Rates ( IIR ) demonstrate that participants who miss at least 24hrs of athletics scope from 69-218 incidences per 1000hrs of drama, with more serious IIRs being recorded every bit frequently as 13.26-13.95/1000hrs ( McManus et al. 2004, Garraway et Al. 1995 ) . New Australian epidemiological research of a big cohort of 1475 rugger participants across all degrees of competition ( School boy, amateur, academy, professional ) have found that 14-28 % of entire rugger hurts involve the upper limb ( McManus et al 2008, Usman 2012 ) , specifically 66 % or an IIR of 13.12/1000hrs happening to the shoulder articulation with hurts such as ; Anterior Dislocations and breaks ( Usman et al 2012 ) .These upper limb hurts have been associated with the longest clip out of drama, quantified as more than 4 matches/28days or more, in the Australian survey ( Usman et al 2012 ) . All of this information indicates that upper limb hurts have a really high prevalence in the athletics and are besides rather enfeebling. In comparing to IIRs associated with rugger participants, the general population rates of Anterior disruption are every bit low as 1.7 % ( Boone 2010 ) .Considering this disparity in statistical happening between the 2 populations, the debilitating nature of this hurt to rugby participants and the fact that it is extremely likely to show in a injury puting I have chosen to concentrate the balance of this essay on Anterior Dislocations of the shoulder.Anatomy and MechanismsPrior to discoursing the mechanism of hurt involved with this rugger associated pathology, it is of import to foremost specify what constitutes the normal anatomical constructions of the shoulder articulation.Normal AnatomyThe shoulder articulation allows for the most extende d scopes of motions ( ROM ) in the full organic structure, due chiefly to the building of the GlenoHumeral Joint ( GHJ ) composite. This big freedom of motion depends on stableness of the joint to stay active and is achieved by the inactive and dynamic stabilizers: Inactive stabilizers include ; the glenoid labrum which increases the otic contact country by up to 50 % , the extrinsic coracoacromial arch and intrinsic ligaments linking the humeral caput and the shoulder blade. Dynamic stabilizers include ; the rotator turnup musculuss known jointly as SITS. Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor and Subscapularis. The GHJ and its associated constructions are innervated by the suprascapular, sidelong pecs and alar nervousnesss. The two groups mentioned above work in concurrence to maintain the humeral caput in close articulation with the glenoid pit and supply important stableness in order to supply a usually functioning articulation. ( Moore et al. 2009 )Mechanism of InjuryAs rugger is a hit athletics with several participants at high speed typically involved in any one incident, it is really difficult to determine one definite mechanism of hurt. When questioned participants are frequently obscure on the inside informations of the mechanism, but it is reported that contact ( e.g. tackle state of affairss ) is responsible for 70 % of GHJ hurts ( Usman et al 2012 ) with foul drama merely being responsible for 6 % ( Crichton et al. 2012 ) .This is no surprise as tackling has been shown to be a major portion of the game with about 330 incidents per game ( Sundaram et al 2010 ) . Queerly neverthele ss undertaking when measured with the usage of force tablets does non exercise a high plenty force to do hurt to the constructions in the shoulder. Usman et Al ( 2011 ) measured proper technique tackle forces utilizing dominant and non-dominant shoulders both in the lab and on the field. The findings demonstrated that undertaking merely produced half the sum of force necessary to do traumatic harm to the shoulder. Therefore there is more elements to the mechanism of GHJ hurt than merely force via undertaking entirely. Subsequently surveies have made usage of picture analysis to reexamine a big base of GHJ hurts in order to set up a mechanism of hurt. It was found that there are three classical places ( c. f. appendix I ) in which GHJ occurs in rugger ; The try-scorer: diving and making with the arm flexed above 90A ° Tackler: Abducted arm driven behind the participant with a ensuing posterior force Direct Impact: Impact to shoulder from hit or land. Slightly flexed or impersonal with some internal rotary motion ( Crichton et al 2012 ) The Try-scorer and tackler were the most common groups for labral and humeral caput hurts happening in Antereoinferior GHJ disruptions, as the caput of the humerus is affected by a lever action from force transmitted through the arm in the wrong place ( Crichton et al 2012 ) . This illustrates that it is non undertaking that is the cause of hurt but more so wrong technique during a tackle or in contact with the land. The beginning of this improper technique is likely to be due to tire happening during the game. Tackling was shown to be a fatiguing activity as less force was produced with each tackle repeat when measured ( Usman et al. 2011 ) Fatigue has besides been shown to hold a negative consequence on an jock ‘s propioception or joint place sense ( JPS ) . As fatigue addition mechanoreceptors around the GHJ musculuss can non accurately describe JPS. Consequently during contact the jock will non hold their GHJ in the optimum place to absorb the force ensuing in hurt such as those described above from less effectual tackling ( Herrington 2008 and 2010, Sundaram et al 2010, Usman et al 2011 ) .Repetitive overloading of the inactive stabilizers through wrong undertaking technique can besides do incompetency of the GHJ taking to micro injury over clip and finally sprain/dislocation of the joint ( Goldberg et al 2003 ) .Other hazard factors that have besides been shown to be lending factors include ; accomplishment, playing experience, equipment, old hurts, playing place and degree of competition ( Usman et al 2011 )PathoanatomyIn Antereoinferior GHJ dislocations the humeral caput is forced down through the deficient inferior capsule and anteriorly due to the boney blocks of the acromial process, coracoid procedure and its tie ining ligament ensuing in a complete tear and rupture of the capsule in most instances. Equally good as the ligamentous capsule hurt there is besides associated harm to both soft tissue and bone ( Thomas et al 2007 ) . With respects t o soft tissue injury the most common pathoanatomy of soft tissue is a Bankart lesion ( Boone et al 2010 ) . This is a withdrawal of the anteroinferior Labrum and Inferior GH ligament with a farther 50 % of these showing with associated break of the Anterior rim of the glenoid pit ( Boone et al 2010 ) . Both of these occur when the humeral caput is forced out of the pit during disruption. If non treated decently, these lesions will take to a chronic instability in the accomplished shoulder, taking to recurrent disruptions as is seen in 21.5 % of incidences during the first lucifer after return to play ( Usman et al 2012 ) . Perennial disruptions are common in rugger due to a figure of factors such as early return to play, non-surgical intervention with stableness and other factors mentioned above in mechanisms. Recurrence causes the figure of constructions involved and the badness to increase dramatically.The figure of Anterioinferior labral lesions addition ( Doo-sup et al. , 2010 ) , Osseous Bankart lesions besides increase up to 56-86 % with perennial dislocators combined with a 67-100 % likeliness of besides holding a Hill-Sachs break ( Boone et al. , 2010, Beran et al. , 2010 ) . Hills-Sachs lesions occur on the postereo-lateral caput of the humerus as it impacts on the glenoid pit.PresentationHistoryOn showing to A & A ; E the patient will more than probably describe one of the three scenarios above, saying that their arm was abducted and externally rotated at the clip of contact. They will besides describe to holding felt a faux pas and â€Å" dead † shoulder after the incident ( Goldberg et al. , 2003 ) . The other chief symptom showing with a disjointed shoulder are terrible hurting and reduced scope of gesture. The patient will besides keep their arm guarded in little abduction and external rotary motion.ExaminationExpression: The patient will look to hold really small ROM when discasing. The shoulder will look â€Å" squared off † with loss of deltoid contour. Feel: The humeral caput is tangible anteriorly in the subcoracoid part. It is besides of import to compare bilateral radial pulsations to govern out vascular hurt and to prove the alar nervus in the ‘regimental badge mark ‘ over the deltoid bilaterally. Move: Active motion ; the patient is unable to finish Apley ‘s abrasion trial, i.e. touch opposite shoulder, opposite shoulder blade, back of the cervix. In Passive motion the patient will defy abduction and internal rotary motion. Imagination: This must be done to govern out differential diagnosings of clavicular or humeral breaks. A shoulder injury series should besides be ordered Pre and Post decrease. An AP or alar X raies are the most suitable for Anterior disruptions. Post decrease movies are highly of import as 37.5 % of breaks such Hills-Sachs are seeable that would hold been missed Pre-reduction. ( Thomas et al. 2007 )Treatment and RecoverySuitable analgesia and musculus relaxants should be selected, nevertheless intra-articular injections of lignocaine have been associated with fewer complications and decreased corsets than traditional IV opiate analgesia ( Wakai et al 2011 ) . The following measure is to instantly cut down the shoulder, as a successful decrease is normally associated with a pronounced decrease in hurting. A ‘clunk ‘ may be observed either palpably or audibly as the humeral caput re-enters the glenoid pit. Nerve map should be assessed anterior to and post-reduction over th e regimental spot country of the shoulder. This is done to measure if the alar nervus was damaged during decrease of the joint. Afterwards the shoulder should so be immobilised ( Thomas et al 2007 ) . Post-reduction tends to mean the terminal of the A & A ; E staff ‘s engagement with the disruption before discharge nevertheless it must be considered if the patient needs an orthopedic referral. In the presence of Bankart and Hills-Sachs lesions surgical intercession is frequently warranted as it is a cause of GHJ instability and a major hazard factor for return. In the bomber group of immature hit participants careful consideration is needed when taking the right process. Open processs are frequently favoured due to a high return rate of 89 % with some arthroscopic operations in contact athletics jocks ( Boone et al 2010, Golberg et al 2003 ) .The unfastened Latarjet-Pette process demonstrates good consequences in some tests with no return and a full return to rugby in 65 % of patients ( Neyton et al 2012 ) . Recovery clip so consists of 4 hebdomads of immobilization in a sling with 0 grades external rotary motion, after which beef uping exercisings can be introduced ( Jolles et al 2004, Auffarth et al 2008, Boone et al 2010 ) .New inventionsRecent research in the orthopedic field has led to the usage of thrombocyte rich plasma ( PRP ) in the intervention of sinew, ligament and bone pathologies. The intervention involves utilizing an autologous blood dressed ore injected straight into the damaged tissue. The hypothesis is that the increased thrombocyte derived growing factors from the dressed ore will rush up the healing procedure. Presently there is non adequate grounds to back up this technique as there are really few RCTs with PRP usage on shoulders. Consequences are inconclusive as different concentrations of thrombocytes and different protocols have been used across different surveies. However as the grounds base grows it may be a valuable clinical tool in the hereafter ( Ujash et al 2012, Hall et al 2009 ) The usage of shoulder tablets in rugger has besides been investigated. When tackle forces with and without tablets were measured merely a non-significant decrease in force was observed. This leads to them exposing similar rates of hurt with lone superficial tissues being protected ( Usman et al 2011 ) .Future research could hence be aimed at doing more effectual shoulder pads/straps that do non alter the authorization of the game as set by the IRB. CAT osteoabsorptiometry has besides been used to measure the chronic effects rugby imposes on the GHJ. This technique tracks mineral denseness measured in Haunsfield units over the glenoid fossa country. Rugby participants compared to the controls, have a Posteroinferior displacement in mineralisation which was observed with 40 % of rugby topics exhibiting an inferior boney glenoid lesion ( Kawasaki et al 2012 ) . These findings may be utile in testing persons to supply trim intervention in order to forestall chronic instability later in life every bit good as decelerating the patterned advance of degenerative arthritis.DecisionsIn drumhead ague anterior disruptions of the shoulder are rather common in rugby participants with rates greatly transcending those of the general population. The mechanism is besides really variable as surveies have demonstrated at least three common ways it can happen. Dislocation is besides seldom unsophisticated with both soft tissues and bone constructio ns involved as in the instance of Bankart and Hills-Sachs lesions, or even damage to the alar nervus doing deltoid palsy and loss of abduction. These factors combined with the particular consideration necessary for the sub-population of immature hit jocks, can greatly act upon intervention and must be taken into history for successful intervention of this traumatic event.Appendix( Crichton et al 2012 )

Social Engineering

Identity Theft: Social Engineering December 5, 2011 Daniel Sama & Stacey Smith Sr Computer Ethics CIS-324, Fall 2011 Strayer University Identity Theft: Social Engineering December 5, 2011 Daniel Sama & Stacey Smith Sr Computer Ethics CIS-324, Fall 2011 Strayer University Abstract Social Engineering from the outset may seem like a topic one might hear when talking about sociology or psychology, when in fact it is a form of identity theft. To an information technology (IT) professional, Social Engineering is a form of voluntary, unintentional identity theft. Many victims fail to realize they are being victimized until it is too late, while many others may never know. This paper will provide a definition of social engineering as it applies to information technology while introducing some the pioneers of social engineering; those who have, essentially, written the book on social engineering. We will provide real world examples of how social engineers apply their trade and provide important points to consider with regards to social engineering attacks. In conclusion we will propose counter-measures, which individuals and organizations should take in order to guard against social engineering. Social Engineering as defined by IT professionals is the practice of deceiving someone, either in person, over the phone or using a computer, with the express intent of breaching some level of security, either personal or professional (Ledford, 2011. ) Implementing quality risk analysis solutions while maintaining data integrity is a crucial element of successful system modeling; within the context of social engineering in the workplace, there are several factors that can make implementing those solutions rather challenging. Social engineering is a type of intrusion, which relies heavily on human interaction and usually involves the tricking of other people to break normal, everyday security policies. Social engineers (SE) often prey on the natural helpfulness of other people. When analyzing and attempting to conduct a particular attack, a SE will commonly appeal to vanity or authority as well as simple eavesdropping to acquire the desired information. Social engineering, in a nutshell is a hacker’s clever manipulation of the natural human tendency to trust. This will provide the unauthorized access to the valued information, system or machine. Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake† (Bonaparte, n. d. ) This is a mantra for all successful SE’s, as they take any and all information about and from a target for later use against said target. The SE will gather as much information as possible about their target in advance, most of which is readily available online, usually , with just a few keystrokes; anything from hobbies to their favorite lunchtime meal. This information helps build a connection and instills trust with the target. With this trust, seemingly innocuous information will come flooding out of the target. Akin to fictional spies like James Bond and Michael Weston, SE’s assume a persona that is not their own and attempt to establish with their target a reasonable justification to fulfill a request. The aforementioned tactics allow the SE to maintain the facade and leave an out to avoid burning his or her information source. Bottom line; a good SE is a good actor. â€Å"All of the firewalls and encryption in the world will never stop a gifted social engineer from rifling a corporate database or an irate employee from crashing the system,† says pioneer Kevin Mitnick, the world’s most celebrated hacker who popularized the term. Mitnick firmly states in his two books The Art of Deception and The Art of Intrusion that it’s much easier to trick someone into giving a password for a system than spending the time using a brute force hack or other more traditional means to compromise the integrity of sensitive data. Mitnick who was a world famous controversial computer hacker in the late 1980’s was sentenced to 46 months in prison for hacking into the Pacific Bell telephone systems while evading the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The notorious hacker also allegedly wiretapped the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), compromised the FBI and Pentagon’s systems. This led Mitnick to spend the majority of his time incarcerated in solitary confinement due to the government’s fear of him attempting to gain control of more sensitive information. Mitnick states in both of his aforementioned books that he compromised computers solely by using passwords and codes acquired as a result of social engineering. As a result, Mitnick was restricted from using any forms of technology upon his release from prison until approximately 5 years ago. Kevin Mitnick is now the CEO of Mitnick Security Consulting, a computer security consultancy. Social engineering awareness is a being addressed at the enterprise level as a vital corporate security initiative. Security experts advise that a properly trained staff, not technology is the best asset against social engineering attacks on sensitive information. The importance placed upon security policies is imperative when attempting to combat this type of attack. Combat strategies require action on both physical and psychological levels. This form appeals to hackers because the Internet is so widely used and it evades all intrusion detection systems. Social engineering is also a desirable method for hackers because of the low risk and low cost involved. There are no compatibility issues with social engineering; it works on every operating system. There’s no audit trail and if executed properly its effects can be completely devastating to the target. These attacks are real and staggering to any company, which is why strong corporate policies should be measured by access control and implementing specific procedures. One of the advantages of having such policies in place is that it negates the responsibility of an employee having to make a judgment call or using discretion regarding a social engineer’s request. Companies and their subsequent staffs have become much too relaxed as it pertains to corporate security initiative. These attacks can potentially be costly and unnerving to management as well as the IT department. Social engineering attacks commonly take place on two different levels: physical and psychological. Physical settings for these attacks can be anything from your office, your trash, over the telephone and even online. A rudimentary, common form of a social engineering attack is social engineering by telephone. Clever social engineers will attempt to target the company’s help desk while fooling the help desk representative into believing they are calling from inside the company. Help desks are specifically the most vulnerable to social engineering attacks since these employees are trained to be accommodating, be friendly and give out information. Help desk employees are minimally educated and get paid a below average salary so it is common for these individuals to answer one question and move right along to the next. This can potentially create an alarming security hole when the proper security initiative is not properly set into place. A classic example of this would be a SE calling the company operator and saying something like â€Å"Hi, I’m your AT&T rep; I’m stuck on a pole. I need you to punch a few buttons for me. † This type of attack is directed at the company’s help desk environment and nearly always successful. Other forms attack target those in charge of making multi-million dollar decisions for corporations, namely the CEO’s and CFO’s. A clever SE can get either one of these individuals to willingly offer information pertinent to hacking into a corporation’s network infrastructure. Though cases such as these are rarely documented, they still occur. Corporations spend millions of dollars to test for these kinds of attacks. Individuals who perform this specialized testing are referred to as Social Engineering Auditors. One of the premier SE Auditors in the industry today is Chris Hadnagy. Hadnagy states that on any given assignment, all he has to do is perform a bit of research on the key players in the company before he is ready to strike. In most cases he will play a sympathy card, pretending to be a member of a charity the CEO or CFO may belong to and make regular donations to. In one case, he called a CEO of a corporation pretending to be a fundraiser for a charity the CEO contributed to in the past. He stated they were having a raffle drawing and named off prizes such as major league game tickets and gift cards to a few restaurants, one of which happened to be a favorite of the CEO. When he was finished explaining all the prizes available he asked if it would be alright to email a flier outlining all the prizes up for grabs in a PDF. The CEO agreed and willingly gave Hadnagy his corporate email address. Hadnagy further asked for the version of Adobe Reader the company used under the guise he wanted to make sure he was sending a PDF the CEO could read. The CEO willingly gave this information up. With this information he was able to send a PDF with malicious code embedded that gave him unfettered access to the CEO’s machine and in essence the company’s servers (Goodchild, 2011). Not all SE attacks occur completely over the phone. Another case that Hadnagy reports on occurred at a theme park. The back story on this case is he was hired by a major theme park concerned about software security as their guest check-in computers were linked with corporate servers, and if the check-in computers were compromised a serious data breach may occur (Goodchild, 2011). Hadnagy started this attack by first calling the park posing as a software salesman, peddling newer PDF-reading software which he was offering free on a trial basis. From this phone call he was able to obtain the version of PDF-reader the park utilized and put the rest of his plan in action. He next headed to the park with his family, walking up to one of the employees at guest services asking if he could use one of their terminals to access his email. He was allowed to access his email to print off a coupon for admission to the park that day. What this email also allowed was to embed malicious code on to the servers and once again gained unfettered access to the parks servers. Hadnagy proposes six points to ponder in regards to social engineering attacks: * No information, regardless of it personal or emotional nature, is off limits for a SE seeking to do harm. It is often the person who thinks he is most secure who poses the biggest vulnerability to an organization. Executives are the easiest SE marks. * An organizations security policy is only as good as its enforcement. * SE’s will often play to the employees good nature and desire to be helpful * Social Engineering should be a part of an organizations defense strategy. * SE’s will often go for the low- hanging fruit. Everyone is a target if security is low. The first countermeasure of social engineering prevention begins with security policies. Employee training is essential in combating even the most cunning and sly social engineers. Just like social engineering itself, training on a psychological and physical basis is required to alleviate these attacks. Training must begin at the top with management. All management must understand that social engineering attacks stem from both a psychological and physical angle therefore they must implement adequate policies that can mitigate the damage from an attacker while having a robust, enforceable penalty process for those that violate those policies. Access control is a good place to start when applying these policies. A competent system administrator and his IT department should work cooperatively with management in hashing out policies that control and limit user’s permission to sensitive data. This will negate the responsibility on the part of an average employee from having to exercise personal judgment and discretion when a potential attack may occur. When suspicious calls for information occur within the company, the employee should keep three questions in mind: 1. Does the person asking deserve this information? 2. Why is she/he asking for it? 3. What are the possible repercussions of giving up the requested information? If there is a strong policy in place with enforceable penalties in place, these questions will help to reduce the potential for a SE attack (Scher, 2011). Another countermeasure against a social engineering attack is to limit the amount of information easily available online. With Facebook, Twitter, Four-Square and the like, there is an overabundance of information readily available at any given moment online. By just drastically limiting the amount of information available online it makes the SE’s task of information gathering that much more difficult. Throughout all of the tactics and strategies utilized when cultivating social engineering expertise, it’s extremely difficult to combat human error. So when implementing employee access control and information security, it is important to remember that everyone is human. This type of awareness can also be costly so it’s important to adopt a practical approach to fighting social engineering. Balancing company morale and pleasant work environment is a common difficulty when dealing with social engineering prevention and awareness. It is vital to keep in perspective that the threat of social engineering is very real and everyone is a potential target. References Bonaparte, N. (n. d. ). BrainyQuote. com. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from BrainyQuote. com Web site: http://www. brainyquote. com/quotes/authors/n/napoleon_bonaparte_3. html Goodchild, J. (2011). Social Engineering: 3 Examples of Human Hacking. Retrieved November 28, 2011 Retrieved from www. csoonline. om Web site: http://www. csoonline. com/article/663329/social-engineering-3-examples-of -human-hacking Fadia, A. and Manu, Z. (2008). Networking Intrusion Alert: An Ethical Hacking Guide to Intrusion Detection. Boston, Massachusetts. Thompson Course Technology. 2008. Ledford, J. (2011). Identity Theft 101, Social Engineering. Retrieved from About. com on December 1, 2011. Retrieved from: http://www. idtheft. about. com/od/glossary/g/Social_Enginneering. htm Long, J. and Mitnick, K. (2008. ) No Tech Hacking: A Guide to Social Engineering, Dumpster Diving and Shoulder Surfing. Burlington, Massachusetts. Syngress Publishing Inc. 2008. Mann, I. Hacking the Human. Burlington, Vermont: Gower Publishing, 2008. Mitnick, K. and Simon, W. The Art of Deception. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing Inc. 2002. Mitnick, K. and Simon, W. (2006. ) The Art of Intrusion. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing Inc. 2006. Scher, R. (2011). Is This the Most Dangerous Man in America? Security Specialist Breaches Networks for Fun & Profit. Retrieved from ComputerPowerUser. com on November 29, 2011. Retrieved from: http://www. social-engineer. org/resources/CPU-MostDangerousMan. pdf

Report about Plagiarism is one form of academic dishonesty, although Essay

Report about Plagiarism is one form of academic dishonesty, although it cannot be assumed that all plagiarism occurs merely because a student is aiming to cheat. Discuss - Essay Example It is basically copying and pasting ideas from an original work of another person.Murdoch University (2004) defines plagiarism as: Plagiarism constitutes using the work of another without indicating by referencing (and by quotation marks when exact phrases and passages are borrowed) that the ideas expressed are not their own. †¦ Plagiarism and collusion apply to work in any medium (for example, written or audio text, film production, computer programs, etc.) (p. 20). Most universities tend to believe that students plagiarise simply because they want to cheat, however an analysis of a qualitative study done on 12 students revealed that there are other factors that influence a student in plagiarising. Such factors range from poor academic skills, self esteem to social and cultural factors. Research findings from other parts of the world are also comparing positively with these research findings and these findings can go along in generating ideas for universities to look into in solving this issue. Several studies all over the world have been conducted to find out what influences students to commit plagiarism. Initial researches have often used the assumption that plagiarism as a form of cheating is done deliberately by students for selfish gain however recently other research institutions have deviated from this assumption to other qualitative views that propels students to plagiarise (MurdochUniversity, 2004). Certain factors associated with education such as academic skills, social pressures, cultural pressures have also been found to contribute to plagiarism without the student necessarily intending. Although in most universities plagiarism is often equated with cheating. Cheating such as taking notes to an exam room, lying so as to get consideration and intentionally coming up with a fake bibliography is more intentional than plagiarism therefore plagiarism should be given a different approach in order to

Quality Management and Continuous Improvement Unit 2 IP Research Paper

Quality Management and Continuous Improvement Unit 2 IP - Research Paper Example It is recognised from the investigation that the current process followed by the hotel to check guest in and out has certain limitations for both including guests and the hotel. In this regard, it is determined that the hotel needs to develop a new process that would ensure convenient and efficient customer experience as well as facilitate in maximum utilisation of the hotel’s resources. Superior quality customer service is an essential requirement for any hotel providing services to guest for ensuring long-term sustainability (Oh, 1999). Based on the above tabular presentation, it can be observed that there are various areas that need to be improved within Hotel Escargo in order to ensure better services to its customers. Corresponding to the scenario provided, Hotel Escargo can make improvements in three broad areas particularly in its check-in and check-out process as well as in-room service. The current check-in and check-out procedure followed by Hotel Escargo is illustrated below with the use of a diagram. It would be vital for Hotel Escargo to upgrade its check-in and check-out procedure implemented by the Rooms Division Department. The improvement in this procedure will facilitate the hotel to offer exceptional services by reducing wastage of time. Nonetheless, there are various other areas that can be improved within the next 3-6 months. Correspondingly, it would be vital for Hotel Escargo to place priority on improving check-in and check-out procedure. It would be relevant for Hotel Escargo to adopt industry standard in order to improve its efficiency of delivering services to its customers. Adhering to industry standards will also facilitate in attracting a large customer base and thereby reap the benefit of increased revenue arising from the improvement made in terms of check-in and checkout procedure.

Paying for College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paying for College - Essay Example There are some people who believe that though college expenses is one of the largest disbursement in a person’s life span, it should be treated as an investment which will give better income, extended career prospects and higher personal contentment as returns throughout one’s life. However, this investment is only possible at a minimum cost therefore, it is necessary to reduce college expenditure. My goal, in this paper, is to establish the point that reduction of college expenditure is absolutely indispensable. To achieve this goal, I have put forward the various reasons for reducing college expenditure in five different sections. In the first section, I have discussed about the negative impact of the debt burden on the parents and students who take loans to pay for higher education because of which reducing cost of education becomes necessary. The second section tells us how this high cost is affecting parents of all classes in the society which makes minimization of higher education costs urgent. In the third section, I have thrown light upon the fact that the high cost of education has made it inaccessible to most of the undergraduates in U.S. which in turn, is creating a deficiency in the workforce of the country. I have ended the paper with the fourth section in which I have discussed how reduction of high costs of college education will make U.S. competitive in the global economy. I have concluded with the fifth section where I have uphold the point that reduction of college education cost is deemed necessary and discussed, in brief, the steps which colleges and the federal government should undertake to reduce the high cost of higher education. However, before discussing these five sections, I would like to put forward the statistical trends of the increase in cost of higher education in recent years. STATISTICAL TRENDS The tuition fees of colleges and universities have been increasing four times faster than the inflation rate (see Fig. 1 ). The cost of educating has soared 439% since 1982 for colleges. The average tuition and fees is around $20,000 annually at a public four year college and it is nearly $30,000- $35, 000 at a private college (Chaudhari). Moreover, it has been predicted that the cost will rise as high as $ 1, 25,000 for a public college and $ 2, 50,000 for a private college by 2015. On an average, families shell out $64 billion annually to send 13.9 million students to public colleges and universities (Immerwahr). According to Rampbell, on an average parents pay for around 37% of the total cost of attending colleges from their savings and income, around 10% of the cost is arranged through borrowing by parents and rest of the expenses are borne by the students themselves or by taking financial aids. Fig. 1 College Tuition and Fees vs. Overall Inflation Debt Burden. There have been recent debates on whether college education should be reduced or not. According to me, it should be reduced because studen ts who study with borrowed money have to face lot of difficulty in paying it back in the long term, though there are some fortunate ones who get grants and scholarships (Chaudhari). There is great concern over the amount of debt students have to take for higher education, though some people argue that financial aids are easily available and payable for students who are willing to

Gender Security and Education for All Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Gender Security and Education for All - Essay Example These sources are credible and more reliable allowing greater credibility of the exercise. The presentation of data was in the form of frequency percentages showing the proportion of women and men in a period ranging from 1970 to 2007. The frequency data represented in percentages makes it clear and easier to understand. Correlation measures like Pearson product that enables one to relate independent variables of modernity and career choice in early years. Correlations provide a measure of establishing the relationship between the variables. Research methods in community development and contexts Data collection methods and analysis are significant in the contemporary world in reiterating the influence of pure and social science in solving human problems. In community development, the methods signify a way data is used in understanding and exploring feminist opinions and beliefs. The methods are used in participatory monitoring and evaluation where they help assess the progress of obj ectives and their transformation into goals. Some methods in data collection also double as monitoring and evaluation tools, which determine relations between men and women in a polarized patriarchal society. These include focus group discussions, observation, interviews and questionnaires. These help the stakeholders to receive and gain knowledge on the status and progress of project work being undertaken at the community level. They are tools that assist in decision making among the project employees and sponsors. Research methods are undoubtedly the epitome of modern science. They are used to make inferences in academic research towards building the body of knowledge through proposition of theories. Action oriented research is intended to solve real problems affecting human life. The methods may involve assessing the problem and monitoring through observation so as to get appropriate and quick solutions. In market research, research methods helps to collect data concerning customer service, perception of consumers towards a new product and also to analyze their behavior. Human resource departments regularly use the methods to obtain employee information regarding motivation, work environment and promotions. In the nut shell, research methods are applied in every fien d of active science. The use of community development strategies, consultation and facilitation methods used in project work Mass mobilization involves influencing the masses of males to consider the change in attitudes, values and beliefs concerning early childhood education. The strategy is best implemented through the mass media where electronic, print and social networking sites like face book play a prominent role. Social action is the behavior of the influential institutions to change the social phenomenon of the people. The government can resolve to provide more incentives for those men willing to join the early childhood career. Citizen participation is critical in ownership and sustainability of the efforts to bring men on board. The participatory role of men is essential in ownership and sustainability of the change required. Public advocacy also helps to develop confidence in

Claude Debussy and the Javanese Gamelan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Claude Debussy and the Javanese Gamelan - Essay Example Its instruments are tuned to play together, and as such different gamelan instruments are not interchangeable. It derives its name from the word gamels, which means to hammer or strike. The suffix,†an† makes the word a collective noun. This paper aims to study Debussy and gamelan, and how Debussy incorporated gamelan figurations into his own music. The paper seeks to discuss the capabilities of the piano, as well as its limitations, and touch on orchestral music. It also seeks to explain why Debussy was so fascinated by the Javanese gamelan as to stop developing his impressionistic music in a western manner. Debussy’s family was destitute, being sustained by his paternal aunt. This led to his much reputed awkward social skills and egotism. He received lessons in piano from Madame de Fleurville, who was a pupil of Chopin. In 1889 at the Paris Universal exposition, Claude Debussy who at the time was a young composer getting his spurs and getting his first works publi shed had a real revelation (Lockspeiser 67). At this exposition, groups from around the globe displayed their countries’ best art, culture music and the way of life. The Eiffel tower was the expositions centrepiece. The musicians visiting the exposition were especially fascinated by the exhibit from the Malay Archipelago of java. This exhibit was a village model demonstrating communal life aspects that included religion, agriculture, and entertainment. The gamelan was a part of their presentation, forming a vital part of their village social and religious life. Then gamelan was a collection of metallic instruments with bell like sounds and had been passed down over thousand years via oral tradition (Lockspeiser 67). This Javanese music sensationalized European musicians (Lockspeiser 69). Debussy as well was taken in by this music. Most of his fruitful hours were spent in the Kampong of the Javanese troupe. He listened to the complexities of the gamelan’s percussive rhy thm, especially its inexhaustible flashing ethereal timbre combinations. Debussy admired various aspects of the gamelan music and adapted them for his own compositions (Lockspeiser 69). Prelude, which is from pour le piano, is an early response to the techniques of the gamelan. Its extended measured trills, pedal points, and tonal relationships that were unusual were incorporated into this piece. The prevalent texture, with its moderately moving tenor, slow moving bass, and fast moving treble suggests gamelan sound. â€Å"Pagodas† from Estampes is a representation directly from a performance of gamelan (Roberts 12). Cycles, bell and gong sounds, pentatonic melodies, which remind one of slendro tunings, together with a layered counterpoint composed of lower voices progressively getting slower can also be gleaned in abundance. Debussy indicates to accelerate gradually and then the tempo is retarded over a period. Then just as is prevalent in the gamelan, the music ends in one f inal stroke of the gong (Roberts 13). â€Å"Bells through the Leaves† also utilizes techniques of the gamelan (Harpole 8). Sounds of bells, pedal sustained, and a thorough utilization of whole tone scale is the surest sign that the piece is from gamelan sound universe. Its utilization of a melody of the balungan type within a texture with four voices is also the most striking use by Debussy in his music of gamelan techniques. â€Å"

Investigating arson and bombings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Investigating arson and bombings - Essay Example In a preliminary investigation, an investigator should be searching for two things once the fire has been extinguished: the point of origin and the cause of the fire. The point of origin is where the fire began; it is easier to determine the cause of the fire once the point of origin is discovered. For instance, the presence of combustible materials far away from an electrical outlet could indicate the point of origin and a candidate for the cause of the fire. In addition, the United States Justice Department recommends that arson investigators, upon arriving to the scene, mentally note evidence at the scene, recognize threats to evidence, and protect evidence from threats. Part of the advantage of arriving on the scene of a potential arson is the identification of the color and height of smoke and flames. The intensity of the fire and the role that accelerants played in starting it can be inferred from the nature of its flames. Depending on the temperature, flames range from red to yellow to blue to white. According to Burke (2006), normal flames tend to burn with a combination of yellow and orange; generally, hydrocarbon accelerants produce a yellow-to-deep red flame and deep red flames with dense black smoke indicates petroleum products. By arriving at the scene early enough, the arson investigator can visually observe these signs of accelerants and infer additional clues. In addition, the flame and smoke of arson cases also gives clues to the other senses, including the sense of smell. The seasoned arson investigator should be able to recognize the scent of accelerants. Gasoline and kerosene, for instance, have noticeably different smells. The investigator should also be able to distinguish between paint thinner and lacquer, which are common accelerants used in arson cases. These various scents are given off and carried when they fuel a fire. Evidence comes in a number of forms. Primary evidence includes direct, material evidence of a crime

The Theology of Pastoral Counseling Essay Example for Free

The Theology of Pastoral Counseling Essay The present paper dwells on the theology of being a pastoral helping presence. It articulates the theological stance in pastoral counseling that can also be defined as spiritual/soul counseling in the contemporary setting. The point of view chosen is the one of the person who is a helping professional. The paper traces the patterns in which counseling and theology are enmeshed in the process of conducting pastoral help: to be precise, the concept of counseling, the specifics of pastoral counseling, the place of religion in conducting and receiving pastoral counseling, the dichotomy of body and soul, spirituality, the processes that structure human perception in regard of counseling needs, and. For the goals of the paper it is important to define the basic concept of pastoral counseling. One may think that the process takes place in a church or some other religious environment exclusively. Judging from the examples of modernity, though, such point of view is hardly correct. As one may see, religion stopped being chained solely to the church as the place where sermons are served and other religious ceremonies are conducted. Once Ross stated that pastoral counseling â€Å"helps each person tell their story in a faith context as well as within their personal context. † It means that the issues of religious faith and helping presence are important in any environment, be it the church, the clinic or home. To add, there is no suppression of the personal mode and value in the pastoral helping process; the specific issue of a person being counseled is integrated into the rich theological system. By theology the research often means the narrow discipline of religious thought. Such a restriction prevents counseling (especially pastoral counseling) to develop in full splendor. One of the arguments against the narrowing of â€Å"theology†-concept is tolerance. Pastoral helping is of high value for both the believers and non-believers in terms of Christian or other faith. The situation of conflict (death, the change of state, loss, disruptive emotions or actions, etc. ) is the common reason for a human being to seek help and clinical or pastoral counseling. Non-pastoral counseling enables a person to look for the conflict resolution but the effect may be unstable and incomplete; meanwhile, pastoral presence makes a person to understand the chain of spirituality and the integrity of existence. If to recall Jonah in the belly of the fish, non-pastoral counseling is the process of Jonah’s salvation from the perilous situation, whereas pastoral counseling makes a human being in crisis open-eyed to the Revelation. Ross after Abram called the pastoral counseling an arena or a ‘transitional space’ in which some revelatory understanding of experience can be developed. The revelation or discovery of God is better structured in the process of pastoral counseling because it comprises moral, ethical and metaphysical elements of a universal theological system and the necessities of everyday human life. The aforesaid necessities visibly echo to the religious concepts such as the one of Holy Trinity, the Exodus, the actions of Prophets and Saints. The essence of pastoral helping, thus, is the one of relationship, revelation and hope. It is interesting to research here the essence of helping and problem solving provided in pastoral counseling in comparison to psychotherapeutic counseling and physical care. According to Ross, pastoral counseling is a relationship in which a person agrees to explore issues of meaning and being, helped by another, drawing on psychological and spiritual insights informed by a tradition shaped within a community of faith. The mentioning of psychological and spiritual insights drives the researcher to recall about psychology and psychiatry with their concept apparatus. These sciences aim at mental healing in the similar was as medicine aims at physical healing. The comparison of psychology, medical care and pastoral counseling makes one think that mind and body are traditionally seen as separate realms of a human being of unequal value. The understanding of soul is even more deemed. Most people see the soul as something opposite to the body or inferior to it. Plato stressed the eternal nature of soul that had been created prior to body; the body was mortal, whereas the soul could not die. In the Old Testament, meanwhile, people are referred to as living souls. The concept of soul means a lot for pastoral counseling as it was proved in the brilliant article by Malony who suggested an extensive discourse on the questions of the soul/spirituality/soulness/soulishness element in counseling. Malony criticized both the rational/emotive approach (Albert Ellis, 1965, 1980) and the nouthetic approach (Jay Adams, 1970, 1979) to counseling in regard to the spiritual filler. The former treats a human being as the physically-oriented creature whose primary task is to adjust to environment. The latter approach emphasizes the salvation of soul in religion as the primary task for a human being. Malony proposed a monistic approach or nonreductive physicalism in order to treat human beings as body/soul unities or entities. Such a dichotomous integrity of flesh and soul in a life was perfectly worded in the famous saying from John 1:14, â€Å"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. † One may assume that there is no rigid boundary between physical and spiritual worlds which are interconnected. In the post-modern environment the genuinely theological quest for the human soul was inherited by psychology with its concepts of mental processes, ego, emotional and cognitive drivers. This theological-psychological relay does not imply complete identity. Whereas theological perspective used to find love, the psychological one means libido. In other words, whereas psychotherapeutic science concentrates on the stimuli or causes for disruptive mental processes, on symptomatic analysis and the structure of mental reactions, theological counseling seems to be more â€Å"interested [†¦] in correcting causes† of human conflicts. And pastoral counsels sincerely believe that the human soul may be tortured with pain and desperation in the same way as the human body may be tortured with cancer. It is the soul which is aided in pastoral counseling. James (1985) assumed that there are four cognitive/perceptual processes that strengthen soul in the process of establishing spiritual integrity and managing conflicts and grieves according to divine laws. He spoke of insights, understandings, feelings, and actions which seem to be brain functions. But Malony noticed that the aforesaid processes are enriched with new meaning when they focus on â€Å"transempirical reality. † In the process of pastoral counseling the current and daily issues of a person in need are reframed against the eternal spiritual and theological perspective. A person is guided to the understanding that â€Å"we are not alone, since the creation points to one who is beyond us so that the ‘why’ question becomes the ‘who’ question. † John Patton (1990) shrewdly stated that pastoral counseling â€Å"involves assisting persons to move from talking generally about themselves and specifically about their problems to talking specifically about themselves and generally about their problems. † Malony, Ross and Patton similarly emphasized the value of theological perspective that made pastoral counseling a powerful media to guide living souls through unstable situations and problematic issues. Like psychotherapeutic or clinical counseling, the pastoral one has the aim of helping the person to fit into the environment in the healthy and authentic way. Any counseling means â€Å"personal healing and social involvement;† it develops diagnosis of the problem into a new process of active self-rediscovering, which is â€Å"a healing endeavor based on active listening and the giving of counsel. † But pastoral counseling has a more valuable effect on a person due to its theological underlining. It helps a person to rediscover and straighten his/her spirituality instead of momentous fixing of a problem with all the spiritual gains and revelations sinking into oblivion the other day. To put it in a nut-shell, the pastoral helping encompasses several systems of knowledge and action including psychology, therapeutic care, communication as well as theological perspective. Though pastoral counseling activates the same brain functions as psychotherapy does – e. g. , insights, understandings, feelings, and actions pastoral counseling seems to be better organized than counseling per se from the transempirical point of view. The pastoral helping reminds people of the higher sense and meaning in life which is not just the implementation of mechanistic and materialistic rules. The relations between the participants of the counseling process are holistic in sense that the recipient of counseling is no less valuable and worth to exist than the pastoral counselor. The latter is always kept on guard by the warning given to Ezra, â€Å"You are not a better judge than God, or more intelligent than the Most High! † It is no surprise that Donald Capps (1981) named counseling â€Å"the activity of God. † The person being counseled analyzes the specific processes of his/her specific life and, simultaneously, he/she is helped to view his/her particularities from the eternal, longitudinal, divine perspective. Works Cited The Complete Bible: An American Translation, trans. J. M. Powis Smith and Edgar J. Goodspeed [book on-line] (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1939, accessed 10 February 2006), 26; available from Questia, http://www.questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=82397656; Internet. Lyall, David. â€Å"Pastoral Counselling In a Postmodern Context. † In Clinical Counselling in Pastoral Settings, edited by Gordon Lynch, 7-21. London: Routledge, 1999. Malony, H. Newton. â€Å"Counseling Body/Soul Persons. † International Journal for the Psychology of Religion 8. 4 (1998): 221-242. Ross, Alistair. â€Å"The Place of Religious Tradition in Pastoral Counselling. † In Clinical Counselling in Pastoral Settings, edited by Gordon Lynch, 37-50. London: Routledge, 1999.

Empirical Analysis On The 7ps Of Pizza Hut Marketing Essay

Empirical Analysis On The 7ps Of Pizza Hut Marketing Essay Abstract and aim By using personal survey questionnaire, 150-200 students of City University of Hong Kong will be asked, in order to find out the competitive advantage of Pizza hut and compare with Spaghetti House for places to buy food in names and addresses from Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories. Addresses were area code to census tracts. Based on individual factors are traditional explanations for the inability of some people to change dietary habits. This study examines the food service by Pizza Hut and its competitive advantages over Spaghetti House Aim This work aims to find out the successful factor of other competitors and to provide suggestions and evidences in order to increase the sales and profits of Pizza Hut by improve Pizza Huts services and its competitive advantages. Background / outline Hong Kong is an international city. There are seven million residents and lots of tourists would love to shop in Hong Kong thus there are different social cultures exist including diet habit. Foreign food is playing an important role in Hong Kong to suit customers different needs. There are a lot of western restaurant in Hong Kong such as, Spaghetti House, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Pizza Hut etc. Lots of people especially teenagers like Pizza Hut very much, they love to eat western foods, so Pizza Hut attracts a bulk amount of regular customer for a long period. Pizza Hut is an American famous restaurant chain, offering different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread, Pizza Hut is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., the worlds largest restaurant company, with approximately 34,000 restaurants, delivery-carry out units, kiosks in 100 countries. Pizza Hut has been serving Hong Kong for almost 30 years. The first Pizza Hut restaurant opened in Hong Kong in 1981 with its first delivery service began in 1992, while the business of Pizza Hut is still increasing every year. Since 1987, Hong Kong Pizza Hut franchise has owned by the Jardine Matheson Group. At present, Hong Kong Pizza Hut has a total of over 70 branches and more than 3000 employees. The main competitor of Pizza Hut is Spaghetti House. Spaghetti House is also a famous western restaurant in Hong Kong. The menu of Spaghetti House is similar to Pizza Hut; its target market is a little different from Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut vs Spaghetti House  ¼Ã… ½Which one is more famous?  ¼Ã… ½Which one do customers prefer?  ¼Ã… ½Which products are more competitive? We hope to find the answer during this project. In this project, well analyze the 7Ps of market strategies of Pizza Hut and take the personal survey in order to find out the competitive advantage of Pizza Hut and the comparison with Spaghetti House in Hong Kong. More, we can also know that which one is better and more famous. Secondly, we focus on physical evidences from customers opinions to improve the environments of both restaurants. Finally, we refer to the result gained from questionnaires to make the recommendations and suggest new marketing strategies to Pizza Hut for the improvement. Objective and research questions Study the demographics of target customers Determine which attributes of pizza are the most important to the customers Determine the preference of product package by the customers Determine the acceptance of new products by our target customers Identify the purchase behavior of the customers Identify which promotion channels are the most effective Measure the satisfactory level of customers towards Pizza Hut Critical Literature Review Western fast food chains development and impact in Asia Majority scholar to believe food is more affected by culture to restrict in consumption product. As far as relatively other products concerned, that is more difficult to change the customers behavior such as U.S breakfasts manufacturer Kelloggs to spend 20 years time in Japan, ability success to entry use as major rice and kelp soup make breakfast of consumption market. Some country and district such as Japan and Hong Kongs children as regards coke, pizza and spaghetti etc foreign countrys food never again, but that local food is accompany children to grow and combine in local culture. From the above, Pizza Hut can identify market opportunities and develop targeted promotion plans. Therefore, research and development professionals stay on HK of competitor initiatives and explore demand for fast food products. Advertising agencies working with clients in the food industries understand the product buyer to develop messages and images that compel consumers to purchase Italian food products. Business development executives understand the dynamics of the market and identify possible partnerships. Finally, information and research center librarians provide market researchers, brand and product managers and other colleagues with the vital information they need to do their jobs more effectively. A 360 ° View of Fast Food and Impulse Habits Here has huge market growth potential for manufacturers and retailers to development in fast food chains and fast food services. According to the ACNielsen survey result, citizens average monthly purchase frequency in fast food, impulse food and drinks is around 20. Monthly Purchase Frequency for Impulse Food and Drinks in Hong Kong In addition, in a global consumer survey conducted over the Internet by ACNielsen in October 2004, 30 percent of Asia Pacific consumers claimed to eat takeaway at least once a week, closely behind the US (33%). As the result, eight of global top tens fast food consumption market from Asia Pacific, and Hong Kong ranks is the worlds No.1, have a fast food than traditional 26% higher than the United States , hard upon is Malaysia (59%) and the Philippines is 54%, 12% said never again to eat fast food, have 35% eat fast food even more. ACNielsens data also showed that although in the United States have 97% of adults do not mind eat fast food, but this data has also been Asia exceeded. From this result, fast food culture can popular in Hong Kong is about the Hong Kong peoples to demand fast and convenient lifestyle. Many people require swift and convenient, hurried cadence of life may not have time to cook at home, it affects our lifestyle, make to popularity of fast food culture in Hong Kong. As the same time because of the convenient location, the price is cheaper. In additional, because may about Hong Kong peoples personality, most are not satisfied to spend too much time on waiting. However, teenagers usually to eating fast food more during the noon or after school. While an adults to eat breakfast is out of home that provides an opportunity for suppliers and retailers. So, fast food culture is the most sales in Hong Kong. Top 10 Global Markets for Weekly Fast Food Consumption Hong Kong 61% Malaysia 59% Philippines 54% Singapore 50% Thailand 44% China 41% India 37% US 35% Australia 30% New Zealand 29% Source: ACNielsen Online Survey, October 2004 Modeling repurchases frequency and customer satisfaction for fast food outlets In this competition environment of Hong Kong, leading the company is necessary customer that requires spending many resources to enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction with the company. Therefore, the company need understanding what factor is affect customers behavior and satisfaction, and then try to improve the customer services quality in the fast food industry, thus help make more loyalty customers. Improving service quality has become one of the most important strategies a service provider can use to differentiate itself from its competitors and thus position itself more effectively in the marketplace (Cronin and Taylor, 1992). Rust and Oliver (1994) suggested that quality is one dimension on which satisfaction is based. Although many studies provide a theoretical basis for studying the relationship between waiting time, consumer satisfaction and return frequency, they have failed to investigate the relationship between waiting time and the return frequency. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of waiting time and other service quality factors on customer satisfaction and return frequency in the fast food industry. As waiting time appears to be a vital factor of the services in fast food operations, therefore, fast food industry is chosen for our research purpose. Based on a survey of fast food outlets, we formulate a repurchase frequency model and a satisfaction model. The repurchase frequency model describes the relationship between the number of return visits and service quality factors including waiting time. The overall satisfaction model describes the relationship between the customers overall satisfaction level, the waiting time and other service quality factors. These models will help managers to identify root causes for customer satisfaction and loyalty and thus enable them to make focused improvements in critical areas to improve profitability. Hong Kong fast food culture Hong Kong is a delicacies paradise, and also is a fast food paradise, various Chinese and Western fast food restaurant at Hong Kong everywhere, lunch take-out to office are also has good idea or business. Hong Kong fast cadence of life, high working performance, many things have to stress efficiency and effectiveness of demand. It is because fast food more emphasize fast, therefore many foods have prepared cooked and heating for consumers. So, fast food culture offers fast and convenient especially popular for peoples. Nowadays, the purposes to co-operate for healthy fashion, fast food already changed into emphasize foods quality and sustenance, many foods have consumer to pay or order then start cook. Therefore, foods will more fresh and higher quality than prepared cooked. At the other hard, fast food chain to be particular about decoration than before, show the high class and city lifestyle; Detrude of fast-food restaurants in recent years, hot pot, iron meals and other food types, making customers to stay longer in the fast-food restaurants, but also because of the fast-food restaurants to make food choices many more customers are willing to patronize fast food restaurants. A financial tsunami to assist development fast food industry Although global financial tsunami cause economic recession, but fast food always is catering trades exotic flowers, Pizza Hut, Burger King, McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) these fast food chains have grow a business volume in this period. Cafà © De Coral, Pizza Hut etc. also want to development this period. Due to economic crisis affected unemployment and so on reason, thus affected consumers confidence. However, relatives enhance of fast foods attraction, increasing peoples in order to save times or money abandoned traditional restaurant meals, and tend to choice fast food. Therefore, fast food chain has obtained more market. Form the above; Pizza Hut should continue its diversification strategy to gain more market share. It should incorporate or develop healthier food include low-carbohydrate pizzas to satisfy the needs of different customer. If it is able to stay ahead of the competition in this aspect, they will have a strong competitive advantage over other companies. Service quality in the fast food industry Service quality has become a predominant part of all advanced organizations strategic plans. Increasing attention paid to service quality has resulted in more progress and profit for organizations. At an international marketing level, in a struggle for a share of market, managers have to understand and know how to modify their operations for success in the various cultures of Hong Kong. From the above reason, can organization provide good service; staffs quality and skills have important influence. Therefore, enhance staff with the training and improve the quality of services, Including improves the quality of staff and customer service and provide effective services such as staff is advised to review the guests a la carte in order to reduce opportunities for error, the menu and dishes can be coded to facilitate data input, restaurant customers should be informed in advance of waiting or cooking time and adoption a recognized service standards and guidelines etc. These can be satisfying consumers needs and attraction their have to patronize. Research methods/ Methodologies Category Options The degree to which the research question has been crystallized 1. Exploratory study 2. Formal study The method of data collection Monitoring Communication Study The power of the researcher to produce effects in the variables under study Experimental Ex post facto The purpose of the study Reporting Descriptive Causal-Explanatory The time dimension Cross-sectional Longitudinal The topical scope Breadth and depth of the study Case Statistical study The research environment Field setting Simulation The participants perceptional awareness of the research activity Actual routine The main purpose of our study is needed to find out the comparison of Pizza Hut and Spaghetti house. We need to collect the primary data and secondary data to analysis Pizza Huts 7Ps mainly. (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process and Physical environment) First, we collect the secondary data from internet to know backgrounds, histories, objective, and the annual reports of Pizza Hut and Spaghetti House etc. Then, we collect other useful information on the internet. Afterwards, we go to libraries to find books such as population information and literature. After that, we use Self- Administered Surveys (Intercept and computer) and Personal Interview (Questionnaire) to collect the primary data. Indeed that information is related to our objective. To collect primary data, we will design a set of questionnaire about 7Ps. The method is taken by samples in Hong Kong (different regions in Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territory). The proportion will be 60:80:60, a half of male and female. It can be avoided unfair saturation. The sample size will be 200 that it can be reduced bias. The age distribution limits are 10 to 40. Our survey method is face-to-face interview, after the interview well give them a gift. (Such as coupon) We can understand Pizza Huts competitive advantage through information and make the recommendations on new market strategies for Pizza Hut for further improvement. However, we have limited information in secondary data. In conclude, our information mainly come from primary data. Secondary data is collected from other peoples or organizations, general major secondary datas sources are internet and daily, moreover including survey, census and companys records. However, the primary data is reversing the secondary data, its major used in survey research works. Secondary datas advantages is save more collect datas time, because many background work may carried out or complete, such as some reviews and case studies was carried out, statistics and published book may used to media promotion. And about the secondary datas disadvantages, because the data sources not every is trusty, even authorities data may undependable. Secondary data can be obtained from two different research strands Quantitative and Qualitative. Quantitative included housing, social security, census and other related databases. Qualitative included focus groups transcripts, observation records, structured interviews, semi-structured, research-related documents and other personal. Any required respondent to complete the questionnaire by oneself is referred to as a self-administered survey. The most survey method is via use internet, fax, newspaper and e-mail, or via restaurant and shops feedback form. According to this self-administered survey is require some inaccurately questionnaire considerations, because have some respondent may cause sensitive question or other special reason thus to indiscriminate answer the questions. Self-administered surveys advantage is using anonymous form to answer the questionnaire, thus make the questionnaires answer have more effective and true. At the other hard, can make respondent more convenient to answer, and can eliminate the bias, the cost is more than telephone and personal interview cheaper. However, the most of self-administered survey also not actual to control who to answer questionnaire, the respondent may read other part of respondents answer, thus affect their feedback. A personal interview is one of direct research method that allows face to face conversation between an interviewer and the respondent at home, in shopping centers or everywhere. The use of personal interviews provides interviewers with opinions, and the process of interaction via understanding. Personal interviews allow analyses of thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and opinions that have a high level of content validity (Babbie, 2006). Personal interviews are an appropriate qualitative data collection methodology in a variety of settings including exploration of issues in sensitive areas such as internal agency evaluations or internal agency satisfaction studies. Personal interviews allow participants to share qualitative information in a manner that allows freer expression of ideas and opinions. Advantages of personal interviews: 1. Qualitative data obtained from small sample. 2. Rapport leads to fewer refusals. 3. In-depth answers possible. 4. Observation improves accuracy. Disadvantage of personal interviews: 1. Invasion of privacy. 2. Interviewer bias. 3. Cost: Professional Interviewer expensive. 4. People not at home. 5. Can be slow and time consuming. 6. Postal surveys: Distributing or mailing door to door a written questionnaire to a sample of buyers for their completion at home or at work. Project Plan/Gantt Chart

Rhetorical Analysis of President Roosevelts Pearl Harbor Speech

Rhetorical Analysis of President Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Speech The Pearl Harbor address to the nation is probably one of the most famous speeches made throughout time. In this essay I will evaluate the rhetorical effectiveness of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's famous speech and show that his speech is a successful argument for the United States of America. I will focus on the speaker's credibility, all the different appeals made throughout the speech, as well as the purpose and the audience of the speech. Also, I will discuss whether or not there are any logical fallacies that may have weakened his speech. President Roosevelt does a few specific things to be able to establish his credibility as a speaker. Since Roosevelt was the current president, the United States was inclined to listen to him and believe what he was saying. Being the president, the people knew that he was a credible source to receive information from. The president had also been appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1920. This shows that he had experience with the United States military services and knew how to handle the Pearl Harbor situation. Roosevelt?s speech is short, but it still utilizes pathos, ethos, and logos and has just enough detail to let the world know what was going on. The author of this essay is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was the president of the United States at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. The purpose of this speech was to inform the entire United States about what had happened the day before at Pearl Harbor. The nation was to be warned that the United States was going to declare war against Japan. The intended audience is everyone in the United States. President Roosevelt ef... ... was a well-written and very credible speech that President Roosevelt gave to the United States of America. Through all the different appeals he makes a successful argument for declaring was. He makes many statements that could have only been made by someone who really knew what was going on. With all the facts he proves that he does know what he is talking about and that everyone should believe him. This speech gave just the right amount of information to be able to let people know what was going on without too much detail that may confuse them. The president did not commit logical fallacies in his speech. It was strictly facts and events that had taken place. The fact that there are no logical fallacies makes it a more credible speech, as well as a successful argument. So, this speech was very successful in the way that the ideas were put together and written.

Isaac Newton :: Biography, Science

Isaac Newton was a brilliant scientist who discovered many important things. The sources for this report are Encyclopedia" and the book "Isaac Newton: The Greatest Scientist of All Time" by Margaret Jean Anderson. Sir Isaac Newton was born on December 25, 1642 (according to the Julian calendar which was in use then; the date was January 4, 1643, according to the Gregorian calendar in use today), at Woolsthorpe, near Grantham in Lincolnshire. His widowed mother remarried when he was three years old, leaving him in care of his feeble grandmother. Eventually his mother was persuaded to send him to grammar school in Grantham. Later, in the summer of 1661, he was sent to Trinity College, at the University of Cambridge. Isaac Newton received his bachelor's degree in 1665. After an intermission of nearly two years he returned to Trinity College, which elected him to a fellowship in 1667. Isaac Newton received his master's degree in 1668. Newton ignored much of the established curriculum of the university to pursue his own interests: mathematics and natural philosophy. Proceeding entirely on his own, he investigated the latest developments in mathematics and the new natural philosophy that treated nature as a complicated machine. Almost immediately, he made fundamental discoveries that were instrumental in his career in science. Sir Isaac Newton, the English mathematician and physicist, is considered to be one of the greatest scientists in history. He made important contributions to many fields of science. His discoveries and theories laid the foundation for much of the progress in science and math since his

Free Essays - Janies Metamorphosis in Their Eyes Were Watching God :: Their Eyes Were Watching God Essays

Janie's Metamorphosis in Their Eyes Were Watching God Their Eyes Were Watching God is a story about identity and reality to say the least. Each stage in Janie's life was a shaping moment. Her exact metamorphosis, while ambiguous was quite significant. Janie's psychological identification was molded by many people, foremost, Nanny, her grandmother and her established companions. Reality, identity, and experience go hand in hand in philosophy, identity is shaped by experience and with experience you accept reality. Life is irrefutably the search for identity and the shaping of it through the acceptance of reality and the experiences in life. Identity is something every human quests for. Individuals tend to manipulate views, ideas, and prerogative. Janie's identity became clay in her family and friends hands. Most noteworthy was Janie's grandmother, Nanny. Janie blossomed into a young woman with an open mind and embryonic perspective on life. Being a young, willing, and full of life, Janie made the "fatal mistake" of becoming involved in the follies of an infatuation with the opposite sex. With this phase in Janie's life Nanny's first strong hold on Janie's neck flexed its grip. Preoccupation with romantic love took the backseat to Nanny's stern view on settling down with someone with financial stability. Hence, Janie's identity went through its first of many transformations. She fought within her self, torn between her adolescent sanction and Nanny's harsh limitations, but final gave way and became a cast of Nanny's reformation. For a short time Janie shared her life with her betrothed husband Logan Killicks. She desperately tried to become her new pseudo identity, to conform to the perfect "housewife" persona. Trying to make a marriage work that couldn't survive without love, love that Janie didn't have for Logan. Time and again Janie referred to love and her life in reference to nature, "Ah wants things sweet wid mah marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think... She often spoke to falling seeds and said Ah hope you fall on soft grounds... She knew the world was a stallion rolling in the blue pasture of ether"(24 - 25). Logan had blown out the hope in Janie's heart for any real love; she experienced the death of the childish imagery that life isn't a fairytale, her first dose of reality encountered and it tasted sour.

Oil & Gas Drilling In Alaska Wildlife Refuge

Since the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) was established by the federal government in 1960, the refuge has often been considered a symbol of Alaska's natural bounty. Located in the northeast corner of the state above the Arctic Circle, ANWR contains more than 19 million acres of pristine land, including high mountains, untouched coastline and tundra (cold, dry regions that are covered by snow for most of the year). It is also home to thousands of animal species including polar bears, migratory birds and caribou.ANWR is also believed to contain one of the largest reserves of oil in the U.S., and for years, public officials have been divided over whether private companies should be allowed to tap into that resource. (Easton, 2004) Since ANWR was set aside as a nature preserve, it has been off-limits to oil prospecting.Yet during the past decade, support for drilling the refuge has gradually mounted. Although efforts to open ANWR long went unheeded, in recent years they have gai ned favor among many public officials, bringing the future of the refuge into question.Citing problems such as rising fuel costs and the U.S.'s increasing dependence on foreign sources of fuel, many observers, including President Bush (R), argue that the refuge's oil supplies must be made available to avert future fuel shortages.â€Å"The only way to become less dependent on foreign sources of crude oil is to explore at home,† Bush says. â€Å"And you bet I want to open up a small part of Alaska, because when that field [ANWR] is online, it will produce one million barrels a day.†(Cunningham, 2005)According to supporters, opening ANWR to development would mark an important step toward expanding the U.S.'s fuel reserves and energy supply. In recent years, citizens and businesses have become increasingly reliant on the Internet and other electronic devices, which require large amounts of power.Furthermore, gasoline consumption has remained high to due unchecked automobil e use and the growing popularity of vans, sport utility vehicles and other inefficient car models. Consequently, the nation's demand for energy has far out-paced domestic fuel production, resulting in rising fuel prices and energy shortages.Fossil fuel consumption is expected to increase in the coming decades. Unless the federal government opens ANWR for oil exploration and drilling, supporters argue, fuel shortages will worsen, hampering economic growth and endangering national security.Advocates also contend that private companies can tap into ANWR's oil with minimal damage to the landscape and wildlife. Technological advances, some analysts argue, have enabled oil companies to drill for oil without causing significant environmental damage. (Cunningham, 2005)Therefore, supporters contend, the U.S. should not squander the economic benefits that could be reaped by opening ANWR to oil drilling. Furthermore, they assert, keeping ANWR off-limits to natural resource extraction is a diss ervice to Alaskan citizens, who would benefit greatly from the economic growth that oil exploration would bring to their state. (Easton, 2004)Yet opponents, including many environmental activists, vehemently oppose oil drilling in ANWR. Regardless of how much oil is contained in the refuge, they argue, its unique ecosystems should not be put at risk. Many commentators argue that opening the refuge to oil drilling is a destructive and short-sighted solution to the U.S.'s energy needs.Oil drilling cannot be conducted in an environmentally safe manner, they argue. Rather than squandering natural treasures such as ANWR, opponents say, government officials should instead focus their attention on developing alternative fuel sources and decreasing fossil fuel consumption.Some observers also assert that oil drilling in ANWR would pose a threat to the livelihood of indigenous people that live in or near the refuge. Tribes such as the Gwich'in, which have inhabited the area for thousands of y ears, have long hunted caribou for subsistence and ceremonial purposes. (Lee, 2001)Opening ANWR to oil drilling, opponents argue, would cause environmental damage that would shrink caribou herds, putting the culture and livelihood of many people at risk. Does the U.S. truly need to open ANWR to oil drilling? How would oil drilling affect the people, animals and plants that inhabit ANWR and its environs?Oil vs. NatureThroughout history, Alaska has been known not only for its natural beauty but also for its natural resources. President Dwight Eisenhower (D), in office 1953-61, established ANWR in 1960, shortly after Alaska gained statehood. While setting aside some land for conservation purposes, Eisenhower also opened 20 million acres of the Arctic coastline to oil prospecting and drilling. In 1968, oil was discovered in the Prudhoe Bay oil field, an area to the east of ANWR.The development of Prudhoe Bay generated thousands of new jobs in Alaska and greatly broadened the state's tax revenue base. (Easton, 2004) The opening of the oil field also led to the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, an 800-mile oil pipeline that runs from Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez, a city in southeastern Alaska. The pipeline continues to serve as an important source of oil for the U.S.As Alaskan oil exploration and drilling increased in earnest during the late 1970s, leaders such as President Jimmy Carter (D), in office 1977-81, made efforts to preserve wilderness areas by setting aside land for conservation. In 1978, he created numerous national monuments, making more than 50 million acres of Alaskan wilderness off-limits to development.In 1980, Carter also ratified the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), a bill that established a system of national parks and nature preserves that covers more than 104 million acres. That law also expanded ANWR to 19 million acres and designated the refuge as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, a na tionwide network of parks and conservation areas managed by the federal government. (Lovins, 2001)Although ANILCA set aside most of ANWR as a wilderness area, it deferred a decision on the future of a 1.5-million-acre area of the refuge's coastal plain. The area is commonly referred to as the 1002 Area, a name derived from section 1002 of ANILCA, which recognized it as both an enormous source of oil and a valuable wildlife habitat. (Cunningham, 2005)During the early 1980s, the U.S. Interior Department, the federal department responsible for managing public lands owned by the federal government, conducted studies on the potential oil reserves of the 1002 Area. In 1986, information gleaned from those studies was submitted to Congress.In 1987, after concluding that the area contained a substantial amount of oil, the Interior Department recommended that the area be opened to drilling. Some public officials, including many Republicans, used those recommendations to rally support for open ing the area to oil exploration. Supporters argued that oil drilling in the area was essential to broadening the nation's domestic fuel base and fueling economic expansion. (Lee, 2001)In 1989, members of the Senate Energy Committee began to debate opening ANWR to drilling. During the same year, an Exxon Corp. oil tanker, the Exxon Valdez, ran aground in Alaska's Prince Edward Sound, spilling tons of oil and causing severe environmental damage to the area.The incident drew vehement protest over the environmental practices of the oil industry, and public support for oil exploration went into decline. As a result, advocates failed to muster support for legislation that would have lifted the prohibition of oil drilling in the refuge.Yet during the mid-to-late 1990s, after Republicans gained a majority in the House of Representatives, public officials began to reconsider the fate of ANWR. In 1995, for example, both chambers of Congress passed a budget bill that would have opened ANWR to oil exploration.However, President Clinton (D), in office from 1993 to 2001, vetoed that bill, and in subsequent years, his administration continued to oppose similar legislation. Before leaving office, Clinton administration officials also considered designating ANWR a national monument, but that action was never taken. (Easton, 2004)During the 2000 presidential race, the fate of ANWR became a central issue in the campaigns of both major candidates. While Vice President Al Gore (D) vowed to block efforts to open ANWR to oil exploration, Bush announced his fervent support for such measures. Whereas Gore argued that the refuge should be preserved, Bush declared a commitment to increasing oil exploration and drilling in order to expand the nation's fuel supply.Although Bush has yet to introduce or sign legislation that would lift the ban on drilling in ANWR, he has continued to voice support for such measures. (Cunningham, 2005) In addition, shortly after taking office he appointed Ga le Norton, a strong advocate of ANWR oil exploration, as secretary of the Interior Department. Meanwhile, many Democrats have vowed to vigorously oppose any attempts to open ANWR to drilling, and the future of the refuge remains a divisive issue.