A Financial Analysis Of Spirit Airlines Essay - 981 Words

A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF SPIRIT AIRLINES WHY I CHOSE THIS COMPANY Founded in 1964, Spirit Airlines actually began operations in the trucking industry under the name â€Å"Clippert Trucking Company,† based in Michigan. In subsequent years the firm encountered many changes in name, headquarters, as well as shifted into different industries entirely. In 1983, the company branched out into the charter tour operating sector, as â€Å"Charter One.† Particularly, they provided tours to entertainment destinations such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and the islands to the southeast of Florida known as The Bahamas. Almost three decades later in 1992, the company officially changed its name to the ultra-low cost passenger carrier company we all know today as Spirit Airlines, which is based in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, under CEO Ben Baldanza. 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According to NASDAQ.com, the money that was raised on the IPO was $187.2 million dollars, with 5 million dollars in expenses. After the underwriting cost eliminated they approximately raised171.0 million. After the IPO saleRead MoreFactors that Influence Strategy: Southeastern Jet Airways1665 Words   |  7 PagesDecisions on Financial Results To illustrate the direct impact of business decisions on financial results, SEJA ended period 8 with a net income of $203,381, stock price of $36.45, 66% quality rating, 91.8% reliability, and $1,241,434 cumulative net income. Passengers pay for only transportation service from point â€Å"A† to point â€Å"B† which allows the organization to concentrate on its core competencies. Some experts in the industry are reporting that SEJA, the fastest growing regional airline, have theRead MoreConceptualizing a Business Bus/4751344 Words   |  6 Pagesstrategic objective must be in place. 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Use of Character Flaws and Literary Devices to Teach...

Use of Character Flaws and Literary Devices to Teach Morals in Oedipus Rex The Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex is an excellent example of how an author can use literary techniques and personality traits to teach a certain moral or theme. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles communicates his themes and morals to the reader through the character flaws of Oedipus, a tragic hero. The most prominent character flaw that Oedipus possesses is his excessive arrogance. One way this flaw is displayed is Oedipus repeated use of the pronoun I. In lines sixty seven through eighty alone, Oedipus uses the word I eight times, projecting his haughty personality. I have found one helpful course, and that I have taken: I have sent Creon†¦to Delphi†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦In this quote Oedipus mocks Teiresias because he is unwilling to except Teiresias view of the future. Oedipus is so egotistical and proud that he dares to suggest that he is superior to a high priest of Apollo. Another major character flaw that Oedipus holds is his inability to view a problem on more than one plane of thought. Every time Oedipus is confronted with a situation he makes a rash decision and assumes, because of his hubris, that he has made the best choice. These decisions, however, contribute to the ultimate fall of Oedipus. I found one helpful course, and that I have taken states Oedipus, displaying his characteristic of looking at a problem and considering only one solution (70-71). Oedipus seems solve problems with rash and close minded solutions. This can be seen when Oedipus, no matter what the consequences, insists on knowing his true origin even after Jocasta pleads him to stop questioning the messenger: For gods love, let us have no more questioning! Is your life nothing to you? (1005-1006). However base my birth, I must know about it. replies Oedipus (1024). Since Oedipus did not stop to consider what might be revealed in his past, he obtained all knowledge and fell from his high pedestal. When Oedipus was living in Corinth with his supposed parents a soothsayer told him that his destiny was to murder his father and marry his mother. Stricken with fear, Oedipus considered only one solution toShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagespermission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, phot ocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. Many of the designations by manufacturers and seller to distinguish their products

Religion, Rituals, and Health Free Essays

Chapter 4 Religion, Rituals, and Health Overview of Chapter Topics †¢ Introduction: Religion, spirituality, and ritual †¢ Religion in the U. S. †¢ Religion and health behaviors – Effect of religion on health-related behaviors – Religion and health outcomes – Religion and medical decisions †¢ Rituals in relation to health practices †¢ Case Study: Cystic fibrosis in a Hasidic Jewish patient Religion, Spirituality, and Ritual †¢ There is considerable overlap between religion and spirituality. We will write a custom essay sample on Religion, Rituals, and Health or any similar topic only for you Order Now Religion: a belief in and respect for a supernatural power or powers, which is regarded as creator and governor of the universe, and a personal or institutionalized system grounded in such a belief or worship †¢ Spirituality: the life force within each of us, and it refers to an individual’s attempt to find meaning and purpose in life Religion, Spirituality, and Ritual †¢ Religion is more associated with behaviors that can be quantified than the more inchoate term, spirituality. †¢ Religion can be categorized by denomination, so there is more agreement about the meaning of the term, and it can be more easily quantified (i. . , place of worship) †¢ Similar overlap exists between religion and ritual. – Religion may include established rituals, but not all rituals are associated with a specific religion. – Consequently, this chapter examines the relationship between ritual and health separately from the relationship between religion and health. Religion in the U. S. †¢ In 1999, 95% of population in U. S. reported a belief in God or higher power. †¢ In a 2005 study, 57% of those queried stated that religion is very important in their lives, while some 28% stated that it is fairly important. Since 1992, studies have found consistent rates of attendance at religious places of worship. †¢ Religion and ethnicity may be loosely linked, but a person’s religious affiliation should not be assumed based on his/her ethnicity. Religion and Health Behaviors †¢ Lifestyle is single most prominent influence over health today. †¢ People with religious ties have been shown to follow healthier behavioral patterns than the nonreligious related to – Wider networks of social support than does a strictly secular life – Social networks are often key to coping with life stress so improved coping mechanisms – Proscribed behaviors (i. . , no alcohol consumption or premarital sex) Religion and Heal th Behaviors †¢ Dietary practices with possible effects on health – Prohibition or restriction of consumption of animal products and beverages – Fasting – Prohibition or restriction of use of stimulants and depressants because of addictive properties †¢ Some religions incorporate the use of stimulants or depressants into their ceremonies †¢ Religious practice may correlate with positive health behaviors generally, as well as with reduced rates of depression and higher rates of marital stability Religion and Health Behaviors Religion thought to correlate to positive outcomes with respect to: – – – – – – – – – – – Hypertension Mortality/longevity Depression Suicide Promiscuous sexual behavior Drug and alcohol use Delinquency General feelings of well-being Hope/purpose/meaning in life Self-esteem Educational attainment Religion and Health Outcomes †¢ Religion also can h arm health – Sometimes used to justify hatred, aggression, and prejudice – Can be judgmental, alienating, exclusive – Can cause feeling of religious guilt or feeling of failure to meet religious expectations – May restrict health care services because belief that health is in God’s hands Religion and Medical Decisions †¢ Beginning of life decisions – Abortion: Opposed or strictly limited by many religions (i. e. , health of the mother is at risk if pregnancy continued; child would be born with a disability that will cause suffering; rape; incest) – Birth control usage: Varying methods approved or strongly opposed by certain religions; some religions permit hormonal methods but not the methods that block or destroy sperm Religion and Medical Decisions †¢ End of life decisions – Religious belief may influence decisions to accept/reject optional treatments to prolong life at the end i. . , respirators, organ transplants, feeding tubes Religion and Medical Decisions †¢ End of life decisions †¢ Organ donation: perspective is changing— some now view it an act of compassion; related to belief in resurrection †¢ Euthanasia: the act or practice of ending life of someone who is suffering from a terminal illness or incurable condition by lethal injection or suspension of medical treatment – Opposed when viewed as murder or suicide or that it will damage karma (states that one must show respect for preservation of life) – Some see as an act of compassion and concern for dignity Religion and Medical Decisions †¢ End of life decisions †¢ Use of advance directives for end of life care †¢ Advanced directives are legal documents that enable a person to convey his or her decisions about care ahead of time †¢ Include information about use of life-sustaining equipment, artificial hydration and nutrition (tube feeding), resuscitation, organ donation, comfort care †¢ Concerns related to appointing one person as the decision maker in collectivists cultures, person undergoing needless suffering, and if you discuss it, it will happen Ritual in Relation to Health Practices †¢ Ritual: a set of actions that usually are very structured and have symbolic meaning or value †¢ May be performed on certain occasions, at regular intervals, or at discretion of individuals or communities; held in private or public †¢ Tied to numerous activities and events i. e. , births, deaths, holidays, club meetings, etc. †¢ Many rituals in health care settings i. . , being on time for appointments, how people are addressed, where patient’s sit Ritual in Relation to Health Practices †¢ Objects as rituals (i. e. , amulets, bracelets, statues, crosses) †¢ Importance of shrines in ritual activities (many are for health and healing) †¢ Rituals involving animal sacrifice (done to build and maintain personal relationship with a spirit) †¢ Birth rituals (i. e. food restrictions, silent birth, how placenta is discarded) †¢ Death rituals (how and when the body is disposed of, prayer, dress, use of flowers) Summary †¢ Religion and spirituality play a major role in people’s lives and in their health decisions and behaviors. †¢ It has been shown to improve health, but also can contribute to health problems †¢ Impacts medical decisions †¢ Many rituals are related to health and some are tied to specific religions . How to cite Religion, Rituals, and Health, Essay examples

Corporations Threat to Global Economies - Civil Societies and Environme

Question: Discuss about theCorporations Threat to Global Economies, Civil Societies and Environment. Answer: Introduction The argument of the academic commentators that neoliberalism is out of control and contributing to destruction and weakening of the global society in a variety of ways has the truth in itself to some extent. Neoliberalism ideology was defined by Korten (2002, p. 27) as a policy model that puts emphasis on the benefits of the free market competition. However, there have been conflicting definitions concerning the features of neoliberalism. Some scholars argue that neoliberalism is largely associated with the laissez-faire economics. Eun-Suk (2013, p. 167 noted that in the real sense neoliberalism is confined in the economic growth as the way of achieving human advancement. In support (Abbey, 2015, p. 472) advocated that neoliberalism provides confidence in the free markets because the allocation of resources requires the minimum intervention of the government in both social and economic affairs. In addition, it emphasizes on the freedom of capital movement and trade. The general definition of neoliberalism seems to originate from the ideology of Adams-smith in the 1770s when he argued that markets are controlled by the invisible forces, and thus there should be reduced state intervention(Eun-Suk, 2013, p. 165). On the other side, modern liberalism emerged and evolved from socio-liberal tradition. The social-liberal laid emphasis on elimination of aspects that had come into existence because of capitalism. Such aspects included ignorance, discrimination, disease, inequality and poverty. Even though, the neoliberalism ideology gave the organizations the freedom to operate in the market it has contributed to the both merits and demerits to the global economies, civil societies, and the environment. For comprehensive and extensive analysis of neoliberalism, this report tries to answer the question whether the power of the corporations is availing the threat to global economies, civil societies and environment. The earliest supporters of the neoliberalism argued that even though neoliberalism was good, there was a need to have minimum government intervention(Derber, 2008, p. 83). This argument leads this report to advocate that at sometimes the forces of the free market may deviate from taking the economy to the right direction hence calling for the intervention of the state. Therefore, the powerful nature of the organizations can be a threat to the world economy, society as well as the global environment. This is because they operate in with capitalistic ideology which entails amassing of wealth as an individual but not as a society or community. Their goal is profit, and thus they focus more on their objectives at the expense of the world economy, civil societies or environment (Anderson, et al., 2010, p. 49). Despite the benefits of the capitalistic nature, it comes out clearly that the powerful organizations may be a threat to the key components of the world. For example, the collapse of giant companies in the United States such as Enron and WorldCom had an enormous impact on both the national and world economy(Derber, 2008, p. 22). This is because of the billions of shareholders who suffered loss for the benefit of only a few selfish individuals. Therefore, this report holds that the organizations are too powerful and as a result, they have posed a threat to the global economies, civil societies, and the environment. Impacts of Corporations Power on Global Economies The fluctuations in the economy are key fundamentals in determining the nature of the markets(Derber, 2008). Similarly, the markets can determine the direction the economy will take. Therefore, it is non-arguably that the two aspects must work together. The organizations produce the products and services of which their amount of sales depend largely on the amount of money circulating in the economy. Additionally, the level of employment by the organizations will also be a subject of resources available within the economy. From this overview, it is well portrayed that the organizations are controlled by the forces of the economy. However, there are scenarios the powerful forces of the corporations might supersede those of the global economy. This means that the economy will not be able to control the organizations and in return, the world will experience the distortion of the global economy. The findings indicate that the corporations are the major influences of the todays people livelihood. According to Shah (2012) of the hundred global largest economies, fifty-one are corporations with only forty-nine being the countries. In support (Kercher, 2007, p. 7) observed that in the event of internationalization the less economically disadvantaged people were getting bitter at the intentions of the multinational corporations. This explained why there was ever increasing protest on the globalization of corporations. However, the organizations were able to overcome these challenges and have gone further to reclaim their influence in the global arena. The success of the corporations in the international economies may be attributed to various factors. First, it is evident that the corporations are the key basis of the economic growth. To conform to this ideology the world has provided the space for the organizations to operate with the notion that they will contribute to the sustainable economic growth and thus result in human progress. Secondly, the free markets without government interference will be fair and thus will lead to efficiency and social optimism in the allocation of resources. Thirdly, the supporters of the globalization of the corporations argued that it will be of benefit for all once the economy is globalized. Finally, if the government has no responsibility in regulating the economy, it should thus focus on providing critical resources such as infrastructure. This will facilitate the enhancement of property ownership by the individuals and the economies. From the analysis of the roles which should be played by the corporations to improve the state of the economy, it becomes out clear that the government has been locked out. As a result, the economy has been left in the hands of the corporations. Given the fact that the market forces are prone to changes and not predictable, the organizations have claimed the control of the world economy. This can be largely attributed to the fact the organizations exist maximize wealth for the shareholders and achieve their main target which is profit(Korten, 2002, p. 56). In return, this turned the world economy as a group of corporations rather than the union of the nations. Therefore, it is non-argumentative that powerful corporations have taken control of the world economy. How Corporations Influence Global Economies In many nations, the government has the key responsibility of regulating the economy. This is to ensure that the micro and macro elements of the economy are maintained at the acceptable levels. However, global corporations largely affect both national and local government policies. This has created a new way on how countries compete economically. The nations nowadays compete with each other basing on the level of multinational corporation investment. Again, the corporations have weakened the global economies by their monopoly powers either on the intellectual or technological property. Given their sizes and the power to control the economy, corporations are very influential on governments economic policies. The findings indicate that multinational corporations use the threat of withdrawing from the market to impact the government economic policies(Roach, 2007, p. 12). According to Vargas-Hernandez, et al. (2014, p. 448) corporations has led to global economic exploitation through for eign investment. It has been found that the global developing economies are the major victims of corporations power. For example, they have facilitated the movement of resources from the weak economies to the more strong and stable economies. This has led to the creation of imbalanced global economy. Therefore, it clearly comes out that the corporation's powers are a threat to the global economy. Impacts of Corporations on Civil Societies Corporations can commit a crime to the civil society. The findings have shown that corporations can contribute to more harm to the society than the individuals(Serafeim, 2014, p. 4). This is because they have access to huge resources such as highly qualified and competent lawyers, capital as well as monetary power. Alternatively, despite corporations having access to these resources they also enjoy reduced legal ramifications for the crimes they commit(Robert, et al., 2011, p. 118). Again, unethical corporations can pay the individuals to woe them to remain silent to cover up and avoid civil lawsuits. This report uses the case study of Toyota to expound on how the corporations can contribute to threats to the civil societies. Nearly, the end of 2009 Toyota Company declared to the federal government that the company had realized some fault on some of its manufactured vehicles. The company disclosed that in the millions of its manufactured cars some of them had malfunctioning acceleration pedal, famously referred to as sticky pedal by the media. The findings indicated that approximately four hundred people had been killed in road accidents and others injured because of the faulty pedal. Toyota Company agreed to compensate the victims of the malfunctioning pedal for 1.2 billion. This was to be paid in form of fines for the accidents caused and negligence in the manufacture of the cars. Among the four hundred lawsuits against the company eight of them were dealt with out of courts. This portrays how the corporations can be influential to the society to the extent of outwitting the individuals to hide their crimes. The Toyota scenario contributed to deaths, injuries, and pain both to the victims and the loved ones. Despite, the affected individuals and family ones of those who died being compensated this did not serve as the true indemnification to the victims(Douglas Fletcher, 2014). This means that the Toyota Company should have focused on manufacturing safe cars to prevent the tragedies associated with the road vehicles. Many argued and held that the compensation was not enough and thus the federal government should have focused on sending the company top executives to t jail. For example, in one of Washington post argued that the enormous compensation to the victims meant nothing provided that the company executives did not face the sentence(Douglas Fletcher, 2014). However, corporations are separate entity from those who run them and thus it would have been impossible to file a lawsuit against the company executives. This brings out how the corporations can cause harm to the civil societ y without total intervention by the government. From the analysis of the Toyota Company case study, it comes out clearly that, the mighty power of the corporations has continued to threaten and weaken the civil societies. Multinational corporations are too close to the civil societies than the individuals, and thus their impact is felt a bit more(Hunter Mahony, 2004, p. 8). Alternatively, they are endowed with the massive resources which can be used to compensate those who are affected by their operations. Bearing in mind the organizations are artificial persons with rights and obligations from the perspective of the law, they can commit a crime against the natural persons. The civil societies comprise of the natural persons, and thus they will be highly affected by the wrongdoings of the corporations when compared to wrongs committed by the fellow natural person. Corporations as Threats to the Natural Environment The term corporation refers to a legal entity, an artificial person created by law which is distinct from shareholders, stakeholders and any other people who own it (Olijnyk, 2016, p. 1). On the other hand, an environment about a corporation is described as the immediate surroundings of an organization plus the external and internal factors which affect its performance (Holden, 206, p. 37). However, in this case, the report shall discuss the natural environment and how it is affected by the corporations. Environmental degradation and deforestation refer to the process of deteriorating resources such as land, air and water and clearing vegetation and trees (Ahmed et al. 2015, p. 100).As corporations grow, they need to set up more premises and more branches. For example, Bhp Billiton and Rio Tinto which are mining companies, cause environmental threat since they tend to cut down vegetation so as to create more space to perform their activities. Excessive destruction of vegetation and degradation will lead to rugged landscape, excessive soil erosion as well as aridity and desertification in such areas. Pollution is also another effect being created by the corporations. This is the act of contaminating the environment with harmful or poisonous substances (Broome et al., p. 22). Most corporations cause a threat to the environment by emitting harmful gases into the air; others dump their wastes in rivers whose waters will be used by human beings, plants, and animals. For example, Dow Chemical Company in the United States is said to be one among other corporations which cause pollution. In 1984, there was a case concerning gas and chemical leakage which caused death and injury to many Indians. It was referred to as the Bhopal disaster. Over exploitation of natural resources is another effect that arises when corporations use too many non-renewable resources than they are supposed to use (Moran, 2014 p. 48). Agriculture firms may use much water for irrigation purposes. The people depending on such water in the lower stages of that river may experience a decline in the water supply. It also happens in lakes and rivers when fish firms overfish. Loss of fish in waters will cause an adverse effect on the marine biodiversity by destroying fish habitats and disrupting food chain and ecology. Bio-technical corporations have also been the forefront in destruction the global physical environment (Moran, 2014 p. 59). They are companies which manufacture products containing chemical substances. For example, pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides. They are made to kill particular living organisms. If not properly used, they may reach undesired targets and cause harm, and there may be a threat to the environment. Such products can result in poisoning of human beings and animals. Most scientists encourage other ways of eliminating insects, weeds, and pests by using scientific methods such as trapping them or using genetic resistance other than pesticides. However, despite the corporations being a threat to the environment, some have engaged in the effective methods of ensuring environmental conservation. Corporations pay for the environmental destruction through corporate social responsibility (Tam, 2016). Currently, companies are embracing the social responsibility by participating in developing and improving the environment. For example, Firms such as The Walt Disney Company have a higher reputation in social responsibility(Anderson, et al., 2010, p. 37). Most of them are responsible for their wastes, they have waste disposal channels and make sure that any waste products and gases produced are non-toxic. Corporations are also involved in volunteer work to the community especially in constructing gabions and bridges for preventing soil erosion. Not only does this shape the corporations name to the public, but also helps in preserving the environment. Making environmental friendly products is a strategy that business organizations should adopt in ensuring safety of the environment (Tam, 2016). For example, diesel and petrol companies can manufacture low-Sulphur diesel which when smoke is emitted to the atmosphere does not pollute the air that living organisms use. Alternatively, electrical appliances can be made to consume less energy, produce less noise and heat. In such a way, the corporation will have improved the environment. Another strategy that should be adopted is innovation of low-carbon solutions. Most corporations are acknowledged for the production of low-carbon products. In the U.K, the enterprises have established Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to curb carbon emissions to the atmosphere which are affecting its climate. They have advocated for the use of hydrogen power and provided education to schools, hospitals and the public on reducing carbon emission to prevent global warming. Planting rainforests and reduced paper waste is another way of environmental conservation measure. Greening Australia is a non-profit corporation which is dedicated to planting trees in Australia to restore the native vegetation (Auld et al. p.3).This reduces deforestation in the US and helps in the environment to regain its lost forests in the Amazon area. Firms are recycling used paper instead of dumping them. Similarly, more corporations use soft copy data through technological devices. This prevents cutting down of trees. Use of green renewable energy renders the environment safe for living organisms (Holden, 2016 p. 9). It involves the use of renewable energy-generating sources such as wind turbines and biogas. In the United States of America, corporations such as Pearson and Mohawk are operating on the green energy. This source of energy is environmental friendly for it does not emit smoke and other gases to the air. Using green energy does not only show awareness on environmental issues, but it also saves the business organization from paying more taxes to the government. Businesses in remote areas are encouraged to use this type of energy in performing its operations. Conclusion As discussed throughout this report, corporations affect global economies, civil societies, and natural environment both positively and negatively. In some ways, they cause threat and in other ways they are friendly to it. For example, corporations ensure that the global is favorable for the flourish of business activities. Again, they empower the civil societies through engaging in environmental conversation measures. However, the participation in the corporate social responsibility has come as the result of government intervention on creating awareness about the environment. Therefore, most organizations are now participating in activities which are helpful to restore the lost beauty of the environment. Even though the corporations have positively impacted global economies, civil societies, and the environment recently, they seem to weaken and contribute threats to these critical aspects. References Abbey, R., 2015. Is Liberalism Now an Essentially Contested Concept?. New Political Science, 4(27), pp. 461-480. Ahmed, K., Shahbaz, M., Qasim, A. and Long, W., 2015. The linkages between deforestation, energy and growth for environmental degradation in Pakistan. Ecological Indicators, 49, pp.95-103. Anderson, Sarah John, C., 2010. Top 200: The Rise of Corporate Global Power. Washington, D.C.: Institute for Policy Studies, Auld, T.D., Denham, A., Tozer, M., Porter, J., Mackenzie, B. and Keith, D., 2015. Saving arid and semi-arid southern Australia after over 150 years of exotic grazing pressure: Have we got the time and the will? Australasian Plant Conservation: Journal of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation, 24(2), p.3. Derber, C., 2008. Corporation Nation: How Corporations Are Taking Over Our Lives and What We Can Do About It. St. Martins Press: New York. Douglas, D. Fletcher, M. A., 2014. Toyota reaches $1.2 billion settlement to end probe of accelerator problems. [Online] [Accessed 8 October 2016]. Eun-Suk, 2013. Distorted Democracy and Freedom of the Press under Capitalism. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(11), pp. 161-171. Holden, A., 2016. Environment and tourism. Routledge. Hunter, B. M. Mahony, J. O., 2004. The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Regulating Business, London: London School of Economics. Kercher, K., 2007. Corporate Social Responsibility: Impact of globalization and international business. Corporate Governance eJournal, 4(12), pp. 1-12. Korten, D. C., 2002. When Corporations Rule the World. Kumarian Press, Inc., Bloomfield, CT and Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc: San Francisco. Moran, T.H., 2014. Multinational corporations and the politics of dependence: Copper in Chile. Princeton University Press. Olijnyk, A., 2015. Case Note: The Corporations Power in Williams (No 2). University of Western Australia Law Review, 39(418), pp.2016-01. Roach, B., 2007. Corporate Power in a Global Economy, Medford: Tufts University . Robert , G.. E., Michael , K. George, . S., 2011. Market Interest in Nonfinancial Information.. Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, 23(4), pp. 113-127. Serafeim, G., 2014. The Role of the Corporation in Society: An Alternative View and Opportunities for Future Research , s.l.: Harvard Business School . Shah, A., 2012. The Rise of Corporations. [Online] Available at: https://www.globalissues.org/article/234/the-rise-of-corporations [Accessed 7 October 2016]. Tam, L., 2016. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) services: What are public relations agencies selling? Vargas-Hernandez, J. G., Sandoval-Valencia, M. Lpez-Morales, J. S., 2014. The Power of Multinational Companies in a Global World The Focus of Corporate Governance and its Impact on Business Ethics. International Review of Business Management Research, 3(1), pp. 444-453.

Into The Time Warp The Rocky Horror Picture Show As An Enduring Pop E

Into The ?Time Warp?: The Rocky Horror Picture Show As An Enduring Pop Cult Classic For years, with its phenomenal success as a midnight movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has made ?don't dream it, be it? the motto for its ever-growing cult audience. The film continues to be regarded by critics and audiences as the only no-holds-barred, ultimate theatre experience, which has seemingly drawn a repeat audience of cult film followers year after year. More than just a movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (RHPS) has become a community, a loud, profane, exuberant collection of cult film freaks freaks: the beautiful, the creative, the lovers and the lost. Despite its first success as a play and then initial failure when produced as a mainstream film, RHPS has become a successful paradigmatic cult classic due to its strange and unusual theatrical exhibition and the film's blend of thematic, visual and verbal elements, which parody accepted societal conventions. According to the RHPS Anniversary Commentary, a young actor by the name of Richard O'Brien originally wrote RHPS's musical predecessor, The Rocky Horror Show. After performing small roles in the films Carry On Cowboy and Casino Royale, O'Brien landed roles in the musicals Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, and made one disastrous yet fateful performance in each. Although he did not succeed in either of the shows, O'Brien had the opportunity to present his rock musical entitled ?They Came From Denton High? to Jesus Christ Superstar's director Jim Sharman. Through Sharman, a solo acoustic tape of O'Brien singing the future RHPS opener ?Science Fiction, Double Feature,? came across the desk of independent theater producer Michael White. White became fascinated with the tape and story concept, and agreed to sponsor the production as a small experimental stage production at London's Royal Court Theatre Upstairs. O'Brien spent countless hours in movie houses watching the tasteless thrillers which would later inspire him to write The Rocky Horror Show. The play was based on a combination of ?grade B Horror movies, Steve Reeves muscle flicks and fifties rock 'n' roll. It starred O'Brien as a maniacal handyman named Riff-Raff, and another Hair alumnus, Tim Curry, in the leading role as Dr. Frank N. Furter, the kinky scientist who creates ?Rocky Horror', his personal Adonis? (The Rocky Horror Picture Show Anniversary Commentary). The play ran for many months and was warmly received by both critics and audiences. However, the RHPS Anniversary Commentary adds, when American producer and entrepreneur Lou Adler was brought to a performance, the show ?took a dramatic leap as a production.? Adler was immediately impressed with The Rocky Horror Show. Within two days, Adler had arranged with Michael White to obtain the rights to the show. On March 24th, 1974 (only nine months after opening in London), The Rocky Horror Show made its American debut at Adler's Roxy Theater on the infamous Sunset Strip in Hollywood. The show played to sold-out audiences for the duration of its nine-month run, with Tim Curry reprising his astounding leading performance. As a result of the show's theatrical success at the Roxy Theater, 20th Century Fox posed a deal to create a film based on the play, thus renaming it The Rocky Horror Picture Show (The Rocky Horror Picture Show Anniversary Commentary). The entire film was shot over the course of eight weeks in England and cost a little less than one million dollars to make. However, with the exception of a little business in Los Angeles, the reaction to the release of RHPS in 1975 was extremely unresponsive. According to the RHPS Anniversary Commentary, the film's flop was attributed to being poorly distributed and unenthusiastically promoted, and it received very few reviews outside of film publications. It was not until a few years later that RHPS hit the midnight circuit scene and once again became popular, but this time as an enduring cult classic. ?Shown every Friday and Saturday night in some 200 theaters ever since, it has been seen by more people each year? (Siegel 305). The film has become a weekly staple for avid Rocky Horror devotees and has joined the ranks as a spirited cult celebration and long-term cinematic attachment, an achievement that it never set out to accomplish. According to critics,

Statistics on ACT Math Strategies for Mean, Medium, Mode

Statistics on ACT Math Strategies for Mean, Medium, Mode SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Statistics questions on the ACT are often simpler than the statistics questions you have seen in class. Most all of the statistics questions on the ACT boil down to finding or manipulating means, medians, and modes of a set of numbers. If you are already familiar with these terms, you will have a good head-start on these types of problems. But even if you aren't familiar with these terms, most of ACT stats questions require that you understand and apply just a few key concepts (all of which we will go through in this guide). This will be your complete guide to ACT means, medians, and modes- what they mean, how you'll see them on the test, and how to solve even the most complicated of ACT statistics questions. What is a Mean, Median, or Mode? Before we look at how to solve these kinds of problems, let's define our terms: A mean is the statistical average of a group of numbers. In order to find the mean, we must add up the sum of the numbers in our set and then divide that sum by the amount of numbers in the set. (Note: on the ACT, the question will almost always use the word "average" instead of "mean.") What is the average speed of six runners if their race times were, in seconds: 85, 67, 88, 75, 91, and 80? To find the average (mean), we must find the sum of all the numbers and then divide that number by the total amount, which in this case is 6. $(85 + 67 + 88 + 75 + 91 + 80)/6$ $486/6$ $81$ The mean (average) race time is 81 seconds. The median is the number directly in the middle of a set of numbers, after they have been arranged in numerical order. (Note: the number will be halfway into the set, but is NOT necessarily the mid-value between the largest and smallest number.) For example, take a set of numbers {14, 15, 23, 37, 213}, the median would be 23, as it is in the middle of the set. This is true, despite the fact that 23 is NOT halfway between 14 and 213. If your set has an even amount of numbers, then you must take the mean (average) of both the numbers in the middle. Find the median value of the set of numbers {10, 2, 34, 47, 17, 8}. First, arrange the numbers in order from least to greatest. 2, 8, 10, 17, 34, 47 We have an even number of terms in our set, so we must take the average of the two middle terms. $(10 + 17)/2$ $27/2$ $13.5$ Our median is 13.5 The mode is the number or numbers in a set that repeat(s) most frequently. In the set of numbers {4, 6, 6, 4, 3, 6, 12}, our mode is 6. Even though the number 4 occurred twice, the number 6 occurred three times and is thus our most frequently appearing number. If each number in your set occurs only once, there is no mode. In the set of numbers {3, 11, 7, 23, 19}, there is no mode, since no number repeats. If multiple numbers in a set repeat the same number of times, your set will have more than one mode. In the set {4, 11, 11, 11, 13, 21, 23, 23, 23, 43, 43, 43}, we have three modes- 11, 23, and 43. All three numbers occur exactly three times and no other numbers occur more frequently, which means that we have multiple modes. The more you get used to statistics questions, the more quickly you'll be able to spot your answers. Typical Mean, Median, and Mode Questions Mean, median, and mode questions are fairly simple once you get the hang of how they work. Because these types of questions will appear 1 to 2 times on the test, you will see them in a variety of different forms. But always keep in mind that, no matter how unusual they look, mean, median, and mode questions will always break down to the concepts we outlined above in their definitions. For mean questions, there will be two types- weighted and unweighted averages. Unweighted averages are by far the most common, but you'll need to know how to tackle both. Unweighted Average Unweighted average questions are solved exactly how we found our means above. We simply find the sum of our set and divide this number by the amount of numbers in the set. The monthly fees for single rooms at 5 colleges are $\$ 370$, $\$ 310$, $\$ 340$ 380$, and $\$ 310$, respectively. What is the mean of these monthly fees? F. $\$ 310$G. $\$ 340$H. $\$ 342$J. $\$ 350$K. $\$ 380$ We must find the sum of our terms and divide by the amount of terms (in this case 5). $(370 + 310 + 380 + 340 + 310)/5$ $1710/5$ $342$ We have found our mean. Our final answer is H, 342. Weighted Average A weighted average, on the other hand, puts more emphasis on (gives more "weight" to) some numbers more than others. When this is the case, you must multiply each number in the set by its weight and then add their sums and divide as normal. Let us look at this process in action: In Karen's math class, the final class grade is determined by a combination of quizzes, homework, and test scores. Quizzes make up 30% of the final grade, homework accounts for 25% of the final grade, and test scores account for 45% of the final grade. Each assignment/test has a potential score of 100 points. Karen received a 92 and an 83 on her two quizzes, scores of 100 on her three homework assignments, and test scores of 78, 89, and 98. What is Karen's final grade in the class? First, we must find the average of each type of assignment as normal and then multiply that average by the weight allotted to the assignment. So, to find the number of total points she earns from her quizzes, we would say: $(92 + 83)/2$ $175/2$ $87.5$ She earned an average of 87.5 on her quizzes, but now we must multiply it by the percentage allotted to the quiz scores in terms of her overall grade (the weight). $(87.5)(0.3)$ $26.25$ Her quiz score will contribute 26.25 points towards her overall score. Now let us do the same for her homework. $(100 + 100 + 100)/3$ $300/3$ $100$ The homework is weighted as 25% of the grade, so we must multiply the average by its weight. $(100)(0.25)$ $25$ And again for her test scores. $(78 + 89 + 98)/3$ $265/3$ $88.33$ And again, we must multiply this average by the allotted weight. $(88.33)(0.45)$ $39.75$ Now, simply add them all together to find her final score. $26.25 + 25 + 39.75$ $91$ Karen's final grade in the class will be a 91. Now that we've seen our different types of mean questions, let's look at the other types of statistics questions on the ACT. Most all the statistics questions you'll see on the ACT will be on means/averages, but a few will involve medians. These are generally straightforward, so long as you understand how to find your median. What is the median of the following 7 scores? 42, 67, 33, 79, 33, 79, 21 A. 42B. 52C. 54.5D. 56E. 79 First, let us, as always, put our numbers in ascending order. 21, 33, 33, 42, 67, 79, 89 Since we have a set of 7 numbers, there is a number exactly in the middle of our set. Now that we've put them in order, we can see that the middle number is 42. Our final answer is A, 42. And lastly, mode questions very rarely show up on the ACT. You should still know what a "mode" means in case you do see a mode question on the test, but odds are you'll only be asked to find means and/or medians. Though the questions may appear different, just remember that they are all variations on the same few concepts. How to Solve Mean, Median, and Mode Questions Since you will see these questions multiple time on any given test, it can be easy to rush through them and/or underestimate them. But as you go through your test, remember to keep these ACT math tips in mind: #1: Always (always!) pay attention to exactly what the question is asking You will be asked to find means/averages the majority of the time, so it can become second nature to immediately start finding a mean when you come across an m-word in a math problem. It may seem obvious right now, but the pulse of a ticking clock and the adrenaline in your veins during the test-taking process can make it so that you misread the words in a math question, and try to find the mean instead of the median (or even vice versa). The test makers know how easy it is for people to make these kinds of errors and will provide bait answers to tempt anyone who makes a mistake. Always double-check that you are answering precisely the right question before you start solving the problem (and especially before bubbling in your answer!). #2: Write It Out Take the time to rearrange your set of numbers in order when dealing with medians and modes, and make sure you write out your equations when dealing with means. It can be tempting to solve problems like these in your head, but a single misplaced digit will give you a wrong answer. In order to avoid losing points to careless errors, always take a moment to write out your problem. It will not take as long as you think it will to reorganize your values and it will almost always lead you (quickly) to the right answer. #3: Use PIA/PIN When Necessary If you find yourself stuck on a problem and have some extra time to spare, don't hesitate to use your fallback strategies of plugging in answers or plugging in numbers where applicable. Always keep in mind that it will often take you a little longer to solve a problem using these techniques, but doing so will almost always lead you to the right answer. Practice and technique are required to master any skill, be it statistics questions or silly walks. Test Your Knowledge And now, let's put your knowledge of statistics to the test against real ACT math problems. 1. Tom has taken 5 of the 8 equally weighted tests in his U.S. History class this semester, and he has an average score of exactly 78.0 points. How many points does he need to earn on the 6th test to bring his average score up to exactly 80.0 points? A. 90B. 88C. 82D. 80E. 79 2. 3. What is the difference between the mean and the median of the set {3, 8, 10, 15}? A. 0B. 1C. 4D. 9E. 12 4. To increase the mean of 4 numbers by 2, how much would the sum of the 4 numbers have to increase? F. 2G. 4H. 6J. 8K. 16 Answers: A, B, A, J Answer Explanations: 1. In order to find out how much we need to increase our sum, we first need to find our original sum. Let us represent the original sum with the variable $x$ and use our mean equation to find it. $x/5 = 78$ $x = 390$ Let us use this original sum for our new mean equation with the set of 6 terms. We will represent the missing value with $y$ and set our equation to the needed 80 points. $(390 + y)/6 = 80$ $390 + y = 480$ $y = 90$ We have found the amount necessary to increase our sum in order to get an average of 90 with 6 terms. Our final answer is A, 90. 2. We are told that there are 43 soccer games, so we must find the percentage of each match and multiply this figure by the number of goals per match. For instance, there are 4 matches in which there were 0 goals. Which would give us: $(0)(4/43)$ $(0)(0.093)$ $0$ Now, we need to do the same for all the matches and add them together. $0 + (10/43)(1) + (5/43)(2) + (9/43)(3) + (7/43)(4) + (5/43)(5) + (1/43)(6) + (2/43)(7)$ $0.2325 + 0.2326 + 0.6279 + 0.6512 + 0.5814 + 0.1395 + 0.3256$ $2.79$ Finally, we need to round this number to the nearest 0.1, as we were told to. $2.8$ Our final answer is B, 2.8. 3. The numbers in our set are already in numerical order, so we do not need to rearrange them. Let us find our median: We have two numbers in the middle of our set, because there are an even amount of numbers in our set. This means we must take the average of the two middle numbers. $(8 + 10)/2$ $18/2$ $9$ Now let us also find our mean: $(3 + 8 + 10 + 15)/4$ $36/4$ $9$ We can see that the mean and the median are equal, so the difference between the two is 0. Our final answer is A, 0. 4. We have two different ways to solve this question- using algebra and using PIN. Let's look at both methods. Method 1: Algebra Let us represent both the sum and the mean by the variables $x$ and $y$, respectively in our mean equation. $x/4 = y$ $x = 4y$ Now, let's look at how this changes when we add 2 to to our mean. $x/4 = y + 2$ $x = 4(y + 2)$ $x = 4y + 8$ We can see that we need to add 8 to our previous mean of $4y$. Our final answer is J, 8. Method 2: PIN We could also use plugging in numbers in this case. So let us pick four numbers and find their mean. Let's just say our four numbers are: 3, 4, 6, and 10. (Why those numbers? Why not!) (3 + 4 + 7 + 10)/4 $24/4$ $6$ Now, we want to increase our mean by 2, which would make it: $6 + 2 = 8$ Which means that now we have: $(24 + x)/4 = 8$ $24 + x = 32$ $x = 8$ We can see that we need to add 8 to our sum in order to increase our mean by 2. Our final answer is again J, 8. (Or boy or other gender). Either way, go you! The raptors are proud. The Take Aways Once you know your way around the techniques of finding your means, medians, and modes, you will be able to tackle most any ACT question on the topic. All ACT statistics questions are simply variations on the same theme, so knowing your foundations is essential. As we saw above, there are often multiple ways to solve these types of problems, so don't hesitate to use PIA or PIN if you have the time to spare and if you feel uncomfortable with the algebra. Otherwise, always make absolutely sure you are answering the proper question and don't take for granted that these questions are simple (a careless error will still lose you precious points!). What's Next? You've tackled all there is to know about ACT stats questions and now you're hungry for more ACT math guides...right? Right! Well, lucky for you, we've got guides on all the ACT math topics you could ask for. Need to brush up on your formulas? How about your trigonometry? In the mood to tackle ratios (or set up your own ratios to figure out how many seconds there are in a year)? Browse through our ACT math tab to find what you're looking for. Think you might need a tutor? Look to our guides to find the best ACT tutor for you (and your budget). Running out of time on ACT math? Check out our guide on how to maximize your time (and your points!) before the clock runs out. Looking to get a perfect score? No matter your current level, we've got guides on what to do if you scored lower than you wanted as well as how to get a perfect 36. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Entrepreneurship Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Entrepreneurship - Case Study Example However, in recent days, the concept has been altered greatly and presently it includes several social as well as political elements. Entrepreneurship has a considerable significance in the present business scenario as consumers are greatly influenced by innovative business ideas. The world has witnessed the emergence of many eminent entrepreneurs who contributed to the growth of modern business concepts. At this juncture, this paper will evaluate the entrepreneurial success of James Caan in his venture Hamilton Bradshaw and how his attitudes, approaches, and strategies have played a major role in the success of his venture. James Caan James Caan is a UK entrepreneur who was born in 1960 in Lahore, Pakistan. Caan, who got popularity for his innovations has been developing and selling business ventures since 1985. Lahore Business School has expressed its admiration to Caan when it awarded honorary doctorate to this innovative entrepreneur. The business world witnessed Caan’s he ight of confidence when he sold his venture, the Alexander Mann Group, a company with turnover of ?130m and operations in 50 countries. Recently in 2010, Caan launched his new venture HB Real Estate into market with intent to target investments. History of Hamilton Bradshaw ‘Hamilton Bradshaw is a leading mid-market private equity firm’ which is headquartered at London and it is founded by James Caan in 20031. James Caan himself made whole investments to commence this business venture and that makes the Hamilton Bradshaw different from other similar private firms. Even though Hamilton Bradshaw is a mid-market firm, it has business interests in all sectors of the industry. It ‘invests in companies across sectors and at all stages’ irrespective of the business traditions of firms; Hamilton Bradshaw is also interested in Real Estate business and it has reserved an amount of $35 million for the purpose2. Caan got a gap year after he sold his shares in Alexander Mann, Humana Mann, and Recruitment International. During this period, Caan closely watched different market sectors in addition to his advanced management study at Harvard. From his observations, Caan identified that many industries collapsed as they had failed to develop innovative concepts, and sufficient financial sources that were highly necessary. Caan had good experience in recruitment and hence he believed that the concept of HB would play a vital role in the business world if it made equity investments in financially and strategically struggling companies. Moreover, the sale of Alexander Mann also persuaded Caan to begin this new venture. James Caan strongly believed that major portions of corporate failures can be avoided if the firms are provided with sufficient strategic advices and financial assistance. Hence, HB not only finances the companies but also closely examines their business strategies. It will also identify the most appropriate resources in order to safeguard HB’s interests in those companies. Caan also believed that inter-cooperation between international business houses would avert business failures to a large extent. Since HB is a huge company having world wide network of top performing business houses, it can assist weaker member firms to get access into HB’s global network of resources and thereby increase their operational efficiency. Caan’s admirable innovativeness is evident in the success of

What are the effects of enforced codes in our society Essay

What are the effects of enforced codes in our society - Essay Example However, there are also codes that are enforced by virtue of principles that do not necessarily provide benefits to the individuals. These often come as offshoots of certain principles that emphasize more on the supposed well-being of society when, in fact, are not beneficial for its members. Many of these are hidden in the seemingly good intentions of the basic and secondary school systems as well as in the manner that parents raise their children. Unfortunately, these happen to be the enforced codes that are most influential to young individuals. Concepts regarding the existence and effect of such enforced codes are discussed John Taylor Gatto’s Against Schools and in Michael Kimmel’s Bros before Hos: The Guy Code. Both Gatto and Kimmel raise the points of these rules in the school and in the home respectively. Gatto explains that the public system in the US is producing individuals who are schooled but not educated, people who are much easier compelled into submissio n to authorities, whether state or corporate, due to the lack of analytical capabilities. On the other hand, Kimmel argues that the initial phase of the development of the sexist concept of masculinity is right at the point of boyhood, that this is further reinforced by the popular notions on male bonding and interaction, and that this has also led to certain emotional weaknesses of the male. Both discuss the enforcement of certain codes that have profound effects on the individuals and ultimately on society itself. While Gatto expounds on the instilling of the wrong kind of attitude and the mis-education of American public school students through state school policies, Kimmel writes about the upholding of the concepts that are unhealthy emotionally and socially. The enforced codes channeled through the schools and homes are far more powerful than those done through laws written by any other institution to which individuals belong. Such

Oscar Wilde Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Oscar Wilde - Essay Example I. Importance of being Earnest The importance of being Earnest revolved around a man named Jack Worthing, who was leading a double life in order to get away from the societal pressures of acting a certain way. His alter ego was named Earnest and he hid his personality from others by telling that Earnest was his unruly younger brother. Although, a dramatic turn of events reveal that he had been unconsciously playing out the truth all his life, but Jack’s charade depicts the hypocrisy that pervaded the upper class English society and depicted the double standards within the society. His friend dubs Jack’s habit as ‘Bunburying’ and when he soon follows suit, Jack comments, â€Å"This ghastly state of things is what you call Bunburying, I suppose?† (Wilde 367) Jack was discovered in a handbag stowed away in the cloakroom of the London Railway station, only to be discovered by a wealthy man named Thomas Cardew. Cardew adopts Jack and gives him the name â €˜Worthing’. ... According to Walter E. Houghton, Earnest’s character was indeed Jack’s bridge to understanding other facets of life, which is nearly impossible within the confines of the moral code set by the Victorian society. Hence, it can be postulated that Jack’s alter ego was a way for him to venture and discover the intellectual and moral side of humanity. Houghton further notes that the name Earnest slowly evolved not only as a name of the character, but he also took the form of an ideal characteristic that was sought in every individual that centered on the integrity of one’s character. It can be concluded from Houghton’s hypothesis that Jack was playing the part of Earnest in order to unlock the secret to a successful life. Houghton further elaborates that human life is not simply a journey from the realm of the living to the realm of the dead, but indeed it involves the individual actually exposing themselves to all aspects of the society to help strength en their resolve against the forces of evil (Houghton 221). Although, the men are not completely noble when it comes to their alter-ego and they spin an intricate web of lies in order to get the attention of the women they love, but the men are not intrinsically evil. As a matter of fact, both Jack and Algernon were simply escapists, who wished to use Earnest’s name in order to get away from the society’s pressure. It was a mask for the protagonist and donning it allowed him to get the sense of freedom that he had always craved for (Adams 183). When Jack is not roaming the streets of London under the name of Earnest, he is seen as a dignified gentleman. He is depicted by Wilde as

Solar Energy Sector In India General Studies Essay

Solar Energy Sector In India General Studies Essay India with abundant sunlight, unutilized manufacturing potential, readily available labour and significant demand for power, is one of the most promising markets for solar energy. The country is currently the seventh largest producer solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and ninth largest producer of solar thermal energy. Most parts of the country receive 4-7 kWh of solar radiation per square meter per day. There are 250-300 clear, sunny days in a year. This puts countrys solar potential at around 600TW per year. Still, solar energy is not the most popular source of renewable energy in India. Wind at 9,522 MW, continues to dominate the renewable energy sector , accounting for over 70% of total renewable capacity of 13,451 MW as of Sept, 2008. This sectoral report tries to cover the niche sector of solar energy in India which is still in nascent stage with very few detailed reports available. The sectoral report covers the size and growth of this sector various government initiatives taken to ensure the growth momentum considering the fact that solar power is still quite costly as compared to conventional sources of power. Thereafter the various key success parameters in the form of various issues challenges which decides the growth in this sector are covered like managing high cost, policy hurdles, environmental concerns, low land availability, power evacuation hurdles, profitability problems, entry barriers for new manufacturing facilities etc. Next the key enablers to sustainable success of solar energy sector in the form of technological innovations is discussed based on various factors. Here the focus is on various upcoming technologies in the solar sector like crystalline silicon, thin film, solar thermal/ CSP etc . Sectoral Report also give a brief overview of the key initiatives in the solar sector taken by a company which made it a leading company in solar sector. Finally the growth projection for the solar sector as a whole is being highlighted. Size and Growth of Solar energy sector in India The government of India started focusing on the solar energy segment when Ministry of New and renewable Energy (MNRE) launched a countrywide solar PV programme as a part of its renewable energy programme. It aimed to provide remote village electrification through decentralized distributed generation(DDG) using solar technologies and promote such technologies for urban, industrial and commercial applications. India has since transformed into a low cost hub for manufacturing solar PV cells and modules, a large proportion of which is exported to other countries. For instance, according to a 2008 study on solar PV industry by Indian Semiconductor Association, India produced 335 MWp of PV products during the period 2002-07 of which 225 MWp was exported. The annual production of solar PV cells increased from 9.5 MW in March 2000 to 110 MW in March 2000. The production of solar PV modules grew from 11 MW to 135 MW over the same period. In 1982, the government launched the national solar thermal energy programme to promote solar technologies such as parabolic troughs, parabolic dishes and solar power towers for generating grid-interactive power. The programme involved increasing awareness about the use of solar thermal energy as well as encouraging the manufacture of solar thermal equipment. The government even subsidized solar thermal products like water heating systems and solar cookers. Since then, Indias solar thermal energy collector area (a solar thermal collector absorbs sunlight to convert it into heat energy) has increased significantly from 119,000 square metres to over 1.66 million square metres as of March 2007. However the number of solar thermal installations (comprising parabolic troughs, parabolic dishes and solar towers) per 1000 people is still very low at 0.52. The MNRE has targeted installing 5 million square metres of collector area by 2012. In terms of end-use, there was area of solar water heating systems and 0.62 million box-type solar cooker units as of Dec, 2007. Recent government initiatives In June 2008, the prime minister launched the National Action Plan for Climate change (NPACC), which categorically targets an increase in solar based generation in country. As part of the plan, the government has approved the creation of national solar mission on the lines of the Atomic Commission. The mission has a target of adding 1000 MW of concentrated solar power in the next 10 years. Also as part of governments plan for solar energy segment is the launch of a major research and development programme which would enable the creation of more affordable and convenient solar power systems, and promote innovations for storing solar power for sustained, long term use. International cooperation would be an important part of RD programme. The US government recently sent a delegation including fourteen US-based solar energy companies on its first trade mission on solar energy in India. Till date the union government has made various concessions for solar energy development in India. The MNRE in an effort to promote large sized grid-interactive solar power generation projects, recently introduced a generation based incentive (GBI) of Rs 15 per kWh for solar PV and Rs 13 per kWh for solar thermal projects. Solar PV power generation plants with minimum installed capacity of 1 MWp per plant are eligible for the incentive. However, the incentive is available only for maximum cumulative capacity of 10 MWp of grid-interactive solar PV power generation projects in a single state, with the overall project size being limited to 50 MWp. Further, no single entity can achieve GBI for projects of more than 5 MW. The industry has been demanding the removal of the total capacity and per plant limits but, so far , no steps have been taken by the government in this regard. The government has also sanctioned the Development of Solar Cities Programme for the Eleventh Plan Period. The programme will extend support to municipal corporations for preparing and implementing the plan to set up 60 solar cities at investment of Rs 5million, which will enable a minimum of 10 per cent reduction in total demand conventional energy by 2012. The Forum of Electricity Regulators, headed by the Chairperson of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, is working on the road map to achieving the NAPCCs target of sourcing 5% of total power generation from renewable sources. Key Success Parameter for Solar Sector Growth: Handling Issues Challenges Despite these efforts, the solar industry still faces a plethora of issues including high production costs, lack of land, inadequate financing options and rising environment concerns. Moreover, despite the government offering many incentives, the industry is demanding more in order to be commercially viable. Policy Hurdles According to project developers, further policy action is required on the solar energy front. There is still a cloud of confusion surrounding the policy framework. Developers have cited issues as lack of clarity regarding the clearances required to set up operations. Others complain that it takes excessive time to obtain the multiple clearances required. Many developers have also faced problems with state governments as the latter have not adhered to the power purchase agreements. There is also strong demand for removing the cap on MNREs GBI. High Costs Despite costs coming down over the years, power generation from solar PV is still four to five time more expensive than fossil fuel-based generation. The estimated cost of generation from solar PV and solar thermal sources in India is Rs 12-20 per KWh and Rs 10-15 per KWh respectively. On the other hand, power from conventional sources can cost as little as Rs 3-4 per KWh. According to industry estimates, the current tariffs for initial 10-year period are not sufficient to make solar projects viable. This combined with project financing at 12-14 per cent with a loan tenor of seven-eight years result in internal rate of return (IRRs) of 6-10 %. Attractive IRRs have been the single most important factor for growth for the solar PV industry in Europe, with developers receiving at least an incremental return of 4-6 per cent over the capital/ financing cost. Several factors have contributed to this trend. With respect to crystalline solar PV-based power production, one of the most significant cost components is the high cost of energy, which constitutes around 11% of the total production cost (for a vertical integrated plant). Energy costs borne by solar power developers in India are especially high as industrial consumers are typically charged higher energy tariff to cross subsidize domestic and agricultural consumers. Interest cost and depreciation are two other important cost components, comprising 15% of production cost. According to a presentation by Rajeewa Arya, Chief Executive Officer, Mosaer Baer Photo Voltaic , project financing for solar power developers is usually granted at an interest rate of 12-14% for a loan tenor of seven-eight years, making solar PV projects ‘unviable. Thin film based solar PV technology is a cheaper alternative to mono or polysilicon based solar PV technologies as it costs less to manufacture thin film modules. Thin film modules are created by coating entire sheets of glass or steel with thin layers of semiconducting materials, which obviates the need for large quantities of semiconductors, thus lowering energy inputs and, consequently, the cost of production. With thin film modules, there is also added opportunity of locally sourcing raw material. The current cost structure of thin film silicon-based modules varies from Rs 50 to Rs 64per watt peak (Wp) depending on the efficiency (6 to 8.5%) of the module compared to Rs 88.7per Wp for silicon crystalline modules. Entry Barrier against Competitors for Manufacturing Process Solar PV cell manufacturing is a technology-intensive process requiring sophisticated expertise and know how. The technological landscape is changing rapidly. Moreover, as it is challenging for new entrants to replicate the success of companies having a long standing in solar PV market, competition is reduced to an extent. Environmental Concerns Some of the raw materials used for producing solar PV cells, like cadmium , are hazardous. Other raw materials, like plastics are non-biodegradable. Although some of the wasted generated during the manufacturing process is recyclable (for example silicon), not all materials are recyclable . As a result disposal is challenge. Low Land availability Solar Power plants require large areas of land 35-40 acres for a 5 MWp installation. However suitable tracts of land are not always available and land acquisition is sometimes subjected to local resistance. Power Evacuation In the past, it has been often seen that a transmission line is required to be drawn from solar power plant site to the nearest substation, which is usually 4-5 Km away. The concerned power utilities generally insist the line be drawn by the promoter of solar project. Setting up a transmission line is not only unfamiliar work for solar project promoters or engineering, procurement and construction contractor , it also adds substantially to the capital costs incurred. For conventional power plants, the respective transmission or distribution companies set up the line and purchases power from premises of the generating station. This is because TD companies have the experience and legal support to tackle socio-political issues that arises while setting up transmission lines across land owned by multiple landowners. Profitability In addition to raw material and project financing costs, Indian solar PV manufacturing companies face the problem of achieving profitability, as most companies are partially integrated. This means that they either buy wafers and convert them into cells , or buy cells and convert them into modules. In the value chain, 60% of value addition lies in the polysilicon and wafer manufacturing segments. In India, however cell and module manufacturing is largely carried out domestically, leaving polysilicon and wafers to be imported. This leads to a substantial loss in margins, increases the cost of the solar panel, and thereby increases the cost of the energy generated from solar power. If it is assumed that both the partially integrated manufacturer and vertically integrated manufacturer can sell the module at around Rs 145( based on international pricing of a crystalline silicon module), this gives the vertically integrated manufacturer a margin gain of 42 percentage points over the partially integrated one. There are however , several technical limitations as a result of which partial integration is more feasible than vertical integration. These include unavailability of technology and raw material. A key reason for this is high capital requirement for setting up such manufacturing capacities. In light of this , capital subsidies could boost vertical integration and reduce cost of production. Solar Thermal Advantages of Solar Thermal Power Solar Thermal power exhibits a different set of dynamics from solar PV as energy storage is much easier in the former. Solar thermal power plants have systems for heat storage and , consequently , generate power even after sunset . Solar thermal technologies have the additional advantages of being able to generate electricity right after the construction of collector (in other technologies, there is usually a gap between plant construction and production of electricity , which increases the interest cost to investment made). Limitations of Solar Thermal Technology On the flip side, however the technology has two key limitations. First, while PV systems can be installed in proximity to customers , thereby decreasing transmission and distribution costs, concentrated solar thermal systems require optimal solar conditions and large open spaces, which are only available at a great distance from customers. The second reason, as is explained in a report by McKinsey Consulting, â€Å"The ability of concentrated solar thermal power to cut costs further may be limited because it relies on conventional devices such as pipes and reflectors whose costs will probably fall less significantly than those of materials used in semiconductor-based PVs†. Issues Challenges- Going Forward Overall, solar energy costs can be expected to decrease significantly in the future. Capital costs have already declined over the past two decades, bringing down the cost of solar PV and solar thermal. Costs are projected to continue reducing to eventually compete with fossil fuel prices. With economies of scale and development of new technologies, the industry is targeting to achieve a level of Rs6-8 per kWh in three to five years. Analysts have further advocated that developers undertake cost cutting measures such as sharing operational resources, and building the plant closer to consumers to save on transmission expenses etc. Moreover, a carbon tax on coal based generation could provide a significant boost to CSP technology. Breakthroughs in nanotechnology also promises a significant increase in solar cell efficiencies from current values of around 15% to over 50%, which could subsequently reduce the cost of the solar energy produced. Key Success Enabler for Sustainable Growth in Solar: Growth in Technological Innovations Crystalline silicon The development of crystalline silicon technology took shape in 1976 when the government launched a five year programme focusing on indigenous commercial production of solar cells and modules based on crystalline silicon. Advantages of Crystalline Silicon Crystalline silicon technologies have several advantages. They are tried and tested and relatively more widely available in the Indian market, thus familiarity among groups and producers. Consequently, most applications for solar PV use have been designed on the basis of silicon-based PV characteristics. The technology also has relatively high conversion efficiencies of 15 to 18% for the polycrystalline versions and 17-18% for the monocrystalline version. Hence, they are ideal for locations with space constraints as the size of the panels need not be very large. Issues with Crystalline Silicon On the flip side , however , crystalline solar PV technologies are heavily dependent on pure solar grade silicon which has limited supply. Though accessing high quality of sand for manufacturing silicon is not a constraint in India, production of refined metallurgical silicon is costly , complicated and energy intensive. Crystalline technologies are also expensive, costing $2.4 and $2.15 to produce a 1 Watt monocrystalline and polycrystalline cell respectively. Crystalline technologies consume 8-9 grams of silicon per watt. However, silicon is a scarce commodity in India and these costs end up constituting a large part (40-50%) of the module costs. Over the years though, silicon usage in crystalline technologies (in terms of grams per watt) is expected to reduce. Future outlook of Crystalline Silicon The future of crystalline silicon technologies will be driven by technological advances that will establish new benchmarks in solar PV cell efficiency using materials that can trap a higher proportion of incident spectrum and convert it into useful energy and reduce cost by developing less energy intensive techniques of production and benefiting from decreasing polysilicon prices , and reduces waste. In the future, though other emerging technologies are likely to gain prominence , industry experts expect that solar PV systems based on crystalline silicon will dominate the off-grid applications segment with small rooftop-based installations. Though crystalline technologies monopolize the solar PV market at present, they are expected to slowly be replaced by more cost-effective technologies such as those based on thin film. By 2011-12 , the market share of silicon crystalline is expected to decline to 65-70%. Thin Film Thin film-based solar PV technology is a low cost alternative to crystalline silicon. The market share of thin film technologies currently stands at around 8% but is expected to go up to 35%in the next few years in India. In contrast to silicon crystalline technologies, thin films are expected to be especially important for on-grid applications in India Advantages of using Thin Film The key advantage of thin-film technologies is that they are more cost effective than other crystalline-based solar PV technologies as they require fewer materials and energy. Issues with Thin Film However thin film-based technologies are still at research and evolution stage and have relatively lower conversion efficiency compared to silicon crystalline technologies. There are other future challenges. Although thin film technologies have revealed long-term stability, some degradation has been observed. This is yet to be properly understood and dealt with. Moreover, in the long term , the availability and price of tellurium ( a key raw material in the production of thin films) are likely to become a bigger concern when the production capacity level reaches tens of gigawatts. Solar thermal/ CSP In addition to solar PV, solar thermal technology is also gaining traction in India. For on-grid applications, concentrated solar power (CSP) systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. This technology is commercially available with over 12 billion units of operation experience. The one drawback it faces is its use of an oil based heat transfer medium, which restricts operating temperature to up to 400 C , resulting in stream of moderate quality. This technology is again suited for grid connected plants but with high temperature process heat requirement. The highest capacity achieved until now for a single unit with this technology is 10 MWe. This technology is ideally suited for stand-alone, off-grid power systems or clustered to larger grid-connected dish parks. The highest single unit solar capacity achieved with this technology is 25 kWe. In some recent designs, a unit size of about 10 kWe has been claimed. However projected mass production goals and costs are yet to be achieved. Status of Solar Thermal in India The cumulative collector area of solar thermal thermal energy in India has grown steadily from 119,000 sq metres in 1989 to more than 2.6 million square metres in December,2008. Though this is substantial increment , the absolute number of solar thermal installations per 1000 people is very low at 0.52. In terms of end-use, there are 2.6 million square metres of collector area of solar water heating systems and 640,000 box-type solar cooker units as of January, 2009. Issues with spread of Solar Thermal The key disadvantage with all concentrated solar power systems is that the hours of power production coincide theoretically with hours of sunshine. However, with some adaptations , such as energy storage , it is possible to control the hours of power production. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy , India has a gross potential of about 30 million square meters of collector area. In fact , in its draft policy , it has target of installing 5 million square metres of collector area till 2012. However, given the current status, a lot of distance is yet to be covered. However there are several key issues that needs to be addressed. Solar thermal power developers have to incur a high initial cost of equipment. Solar thermal equipment also requires a large quantity of space compared to conventional electric equipment. Currently , the number of equipment suppliers, spare part manufacturers and service providers for solar thermal equipment is limited. According to industry players , there is an urgent need for developing supply chain that can bring efficiencies to the system , from design to delivery. Concentrated Solar PV systems In order to tackle the above challenges, the industry is experimenting with concentrated solar PV-based systems, which use mirrors or lenses to focus light onto solar PV cells to produce electricity. This is in contrast to concentrated solar power using parabolic troughs or dishes that use heat from sun to produce steam, which turns an electric generator. Concentrated solar PV systems are so far at an experimental stage. Spanish firm Solfocus is working on a 3 MW concentrated solar PV power plant in southern part of the country. Future Growth Projections of Technological innovations in solar Substantial research is being undertaken to come out with more cost-efficient and conversion-efficient versions of solar power technologies. Researchers are targeting conversion efficiencies between 30% to 60% , while using similar low-cost materials and manufacturing techniques. In the solar PV field, new and emerging technologies are being designed to overcome the shortcomings of thin film such as poor electrical performance while maintaining low production costs. New solar cells made of nano materials are reportedly the next big advancement in the solar PV industry. Nano materials exhibit superior properties , such as high strength and flexibility , and trap more energy than conventional solar PV cells. Leading Companies in Solar Sector Applied Materials Inc.: Key success factors Future Growth projections Applied materials creates and commercializes nanomanufacturing technology that helps produce virtually every semiconductor chip and liquid crystal flat panel display in the world. Applied materials built on that expertise to enter PV cell manufacturing equipment industry and become the number one supplier in 2008 (Source: VLSI Research, Inc.) For crystalline silicon, they have the best-in-class tools with a focus on thinnest wafers , highest productivity and higher efficiency . The Precision Wafering System division offers MaxEdge â„ ¢ using the dual wire concept to enable cutting large loads with thin wire along with wire saw systems for cropping and squaring. The Baccini â„ ¢cell division offers the industry-leading solution in line metallization and test that can handle ultra-thin wafers. Further the companys Aton â„ ¢ offers the highest productivity and cost benefits for ARC deposition and passivation in cell manufacturing. For the thin film market, Applied has developed the SunFabâ„ ¢ Thin Film production line , the worlds first line capable of producing 5.7 square meter solar modules. As PV manufacturers seek to build highly automated , efficient plants, Applied Materials ability to commercialize innovative solar technologies and its unmatched global resources and service network bring the promise of a cleaner, brighter energy future. Future Growth Projections in Solar Energy Sector According to analysts and financial consultants, there may be temporary slowdown in the solar energy sector due to the current economic crisis. Funds have become restricted and companies are looking for safer investments. However the situation is going to turn around with increased government focus. According to industry estimates, the total annual demand for solar energy (including solar thermal systems) in India will rise from current 30-40 MW to 700 MW by 2012 due to falling costs of solar systems. The MNRE is targeting a solar energy capacity of 500 MW by the end of the eleventh plan period. However, this target is expected to be surpassed. By 2017, the MNRE expects Indias solar capacity addition is expected to rise from current 30-40 MW per annum to 70 MW by 2012, driven by decreases in the prices of solar PV. Around 50% of capacity addition is expected to come from solar PV based grid-interactive generation. Solar based generation for the grid is expected to be 25 MW, 50 MW, 75 MW and 100 MW in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The increase will be partially drawn by generation based incentive, which has already led to companies such as Reliance Industries and Moser Baer expressing interest in setting up grid-interactive solar PV plants worth over 1000 MW. All in all , the Indian solar energy industry is looking at busy times ahead. List of References: http://mnes.nic.in/ http://www.powermin.nic.in/ http://www.projectsmonitor.com/ http://www.indiasolar.com/ren-india.htm Datamonitor- Online Library Resources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_India http://www.solarpowerindia.com/ http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ multiple news related to solar power sector http://www.cercind.gov.in/ http://www.crisil.com/research/ Based on Three years of work-experience in power sector related industry contacts Study of various textbooks literature regarding solar energy while I was doing Post Graduate diploma course in Thermal Power Plant engg from an institute under ministry of Power

the dead Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"The Dead†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some say that people never change. They may be right, but no one really knows. What people do know is that every living person has one thing in common, something that will never change. Everyone will die, there’s no way around it. Every â€Å"new† and â€Å"old† generation will succumb to the same ghastly fate. The differences in the â€Å"old† generation and â€Å"new† generation sometimes collide in life. The contrast between generations in James Joyce’s â€Å"The Dead† is similar to the contrast in the generations today. The â€Å"baby boomer† generation is the old fashioned generation preoccupied with hospitality and tradition, where as, â€Å"generation x† is the new generation, preoccupied with knowledge and intellect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"old† generation that James Joyce writes about is a generation of â€Å"humanity, of hospitality, of kindly humour†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg 127). The qualities of this generation seem to be fading away. The older generation mentions that they no longer know of any singers that were as good as those of the present time. The old generation is to be remembered with â€Å"†¦pride and affection†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg 127). The memories of the old will never die and will always be cherished. The old generation is good at keeping in touch with their past. They are proud of their heritage, one of which they mention is their good old Irish hospitality. The qualities of the past are qualities of passion and humanity, differing greatly from the qualities of the new generat...

Essay on Biography of Barak Obama

Research Front Arnab B Chowdhury – Founder and Knowledge Architect, Ninad Consultancy Services www. ninad. in, [email  protected] in When Technology Meets Health Care in Knowledge Society†¦ Aurosiksha: online learning platform for blindness prevention workers â€Å"Intelligence and capability are not enough. There must also be the joy of doing something beautiful. Being of service to God and humanity means going well beyond the sophistication of the best technology, to the humble demonstration of courtesy and compassion to each patient. † – Dr. G Venkataswamy (Founder Chairman – Aravind Eye Care System) Abstract: This case study (www. urosiksha. org) is about two great movements one in Technology (the FOSS) and the other in Health Care – the Aravind Eye Care Systems (AECS) and LAICO that trains blindness prevention workers. At the con? uence of the two is an eLearning platform called Aurosiksha, which is based on Moodle. Aurosiksha seeks to r each out to the global user, share its rich knowledge base, and in the process create a community of lifelong learners. Keywords: FOSS, ICT, LMS, MOODLE, mLearning, Mobile Moodle, AECS, Aravind, Aravind Eye Care System, Vision 2020, WHO, LAICO, Aurosiksha, eLearning Platform, knowledge society, ocial health care. Introduction As we all know, the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) movement began as a renegade call to what was felt to be increasing restrictions on collaborative development, distribution, and ownership of software[2]. Free software focuses on the philosophical freedoms (a matter of liberty rather than price) it gives to users, whereas open-source software focuses on the perceived strengths of its peer-topeer development model. Openness, coownership, and transparent collaboration continue to drive the FOSS movement. Development, modi? cation, ownership, and redistribution of software could now e cohesively managed by communities of like-minded developers. This also le d to an evolutionary model of copyright and licensing (GPL) ensuring community ownership. The FOSS movement has evolved from the stages of philosophy and licensing into a complex and pragmatic ecosystem for software production and distribution bene? ting humanity globally. FOSS has introduced technological self-reliance, efficient use and sharing of resources, and C SI Communications | June 2012 | 12 collaborative innovation  and development. One of the most signi? cant areas where the FOSS movement has made strides is in the ?eld of education.During the past decade, education has been rapidly reorganized to leverage information and communication technology (ICT) within the classic teaching-learning-assessing cycle. At the foundation of FOSS is a desire for an equitable and open model of access to knowledge. If one of the aims of FOSS technologies is dissemination of educational content, then Aurosiksha is a case in point. The Case Aurosiksha is an online learning management syste m (LMS). An initiative launched recently (25th July, 2011) in its beta version by Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO), established in 1992 with the support of he Lions Club International, SightFirst Program, and Seva Sight Program. LAICO is Asia's ? rst international training facility for the broad range of blindness prevention workers from India and other parts of the world. It contributes in improving the quality of eye care services through teaching, training, capacity building, advocacy, research, and management consultancy. It offers university-affiliated long-term courses in Eye Care Management, with eye care management programs for directors of eye hospitals, program managers, as well as several skill development courses in the areas of instrument maintenance, community utreach and social marketing, counseling in India, Africa, and South East Asia. LAICO accomplishes this objective within the broader environment of Aravind Eye Hospitals and Aravind Medi cal Research Foundation – all aspects of AECS. Headquartered at Madurai, India, AECS is the world’s largest eye care service provider, which performs 300,000 surgeries per year. Aravind Eye Care was founded and directed by the legendary Padmashree Dr. G Venkataswamy known as Dr. V. Fig. 1: Inspiration and Inspirer www. csi-india. org Fig. 2: LAICO's global reach Designated by the World Health Organization as a Collaborating Centre forPrevention of Blindness, Aravind is studied as a model in prestigious business schools around the world, including Harvard, Stanford, Michigan, IMD-Lausanne, and the Indian Institutes of Management. Currently, LAICO works with over 270 hospitals across the developing world replicating Aravind model of high-quality, low-cost eye care service delivery. Followup studies have shown that several of the programs exposed to the Aravind model have doubled (and in some cases even tripled) surgical productivity and as a result are now ? nancially se lf-sustaining. †¢ †¢ 270+ hospitals (and still growing) that are partnering with Aravind?How do we create courses that cover the broad needs of our trainees that include paraprofessionals, ophthalmologists, eye care program managers, administrators, and others? How do we continue to empower our all-women team of paraprofessionals who form the backbone (about 60%) of Aravind’s workforce? Since †¢ †¢ most of them come from humble, rural background and are trained as assistants and nurses, can this eLearning platform give them the opportunity for continuous training? How can eLearning work consciously toward the empowerment of women and gender equality – an important objective within the Millennium Development Goals?How do we collate, aggregate content to create an interactive Knowledge society The Challenge The real challenge for knowledge society then is in creating equal opportunity in offering the ability to access, to create, to develop, and to ut ilize the right information at the right time in a cost-effective manner. This applies to the public (consumer) as well as the service provider professionals. In this case study, we focus on a decisive initiative with the objective of providing quality training and management skills via the virtual medium for eye care, which is an important area of social health care. †¢ How do we train more than 10,000 lindness prevention workers worldwide, year after year, across Education FOSS ICT Aurosiksha AECS LAICO Education & Management Fig. 3: The case for Aurosiksha C SI Communications | June 2012 | 13 ophthalmic technology evolving so quickly, everyone recognizes the importance of keeping our eye care management skills and knowledge up-todate for the bene? t of our patients. The eLearning solution will allow especially the paramedics to access continuous educational opportunities over the Internet and provide a valuable forum for our members/experts to exchange views and tap into the expertise of their colleagues and fellow olleagues around the world. † Aurosiksha has leveraged ICT in an inclusive way. It is meant Fig. 4: Aurosiksha home page and introduction to provide a one-point Internet access to eye training mechanism that does care training for professionals worldwide justice to the enormous data and with the premise that ‘up to 80% of experiences that Aravind has the world's blindness is avoidable†¦ ’ collected over decades and share it where ‘avoidable blindness is de? ned as with the world so that other blindness blindness which could be either treated prevention professionals and social or prevented by entrepreneurs may feel inspired to nown, cost-effective create Aravinds elsewhere? means’ (VISION 2020 †¢ How do we create a viable way Action Plan 2006to share this ocean of aggregated 2010  © World Health experiences into meaningful content Organization). harvested since 1976? The Solution †¢ How do we instill the Aravind model into our courseware? Especially since Aurosiksha – the the Aravind model needs to be ‘lived’ need of the times and ‘experienced’ as a broad set of LAICO came up values of service, compassion, and with Aurosiksha to self-reliance at its core, along with enhance the reach and management principles that identify quality of education uality care and efficiency that drawn from the rich Aravind stands for? knowledge base that These were perhaps the broad AECS has harvested questions that LAICO asked itself after it since 1976. In this age trained and consulted 60 hospitals in 29 of knowledge society, [1] countries and 213 hospitals in India . its four essential On the eve of the launch of characteristics Aurosiksha, Mr. R D Thulasiraj, Executive digitization, Director (LAICO) said, â€Å"I think this immediacy, is a very important development and virtualization, and underscores the AECS’s commitment globalization – drive to continually enhance the range of nowledge sharing. services we offer to eye care service. With C SI Communications | June 2012 | 14 Aurosiksha was developed and implemented by the LAICO team with the help of instructional designers who joined the AECS as volunteers for the sole purpose of developing its own online educational program. Promoting lifelong learning The goal is to allow all users to take highly engaging and interactive units in order to learn about the theories, techniques, and practical aspects of both clinical and nonclinical management. The idea is to provide an online space where AECS staff can learn, share, and develop their nowledge of providing the best eye care services in all aspects ranging from fundamental concepts to advanced skills using assessed, accredited, and selfre? ective activities and resources. The program The program includes: †¢ Courses & stand-alone sessions: These have been developed by internal and external subject matter experts (SMEs) with the assistance of instructional designers and technicians by using standard training curriculum. They are also assisted by JCPHO, ICO, and other professionals from leading noneye care institutes, such as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM). Quality Fig. 5: Course on cataract ww. csi-india. org Camstasia studio Moodle environment MOODLE usability Pedagogy Technology: MOODLE Information transfer †¢ Add resources (docs, web links) †¢ Forum †¢ Wiki †¢ Glossary †¢ Lessons †¢ Assignments Communication and interaction Assessment of learning †¢ Tests †¢ Discussion forum Co-creation of content †¢ Quiz (self-test) †¢ Lessons †¢ Assignments †¢ Discussion forum †¢ Wiki †¢ Database Articulate quizmaker Fig. 6: The Moodle-based Aurosiksha environment check is performed by including sessions in Aravind’s acclaimed training program. The material is interactive with voice narration, with short quizzes in between ideos to assess the learning. †¢ Assessment with immediate feedback: Assessment is featured in different ways like an organized discussion forum, Q forum, blogs (students are allowed to create), and exercises/quiz. After quiz/exercises, immediate feedback will be given to the student on each submit. For example, if a student chooses a wrong answer, the feedback will spell out why the answer is incorrect and give the correct answer to ensure learning is happening with each and every activity. †¢ Course completion tracking: The tracking feature controls the student/ teacher to provide a better learning/ teaching experience.The tool gives accurate course completion and grading report. This includes customized reports for the bene? ciaries on the impact side. Selecting the tool – a con? uence of spirit and values LAICO’s systems division began with an open mind and explored various Content Management Systems (CMS) and related technologies (Course Manageme nt Systems) both proprietary and FOSS, such as WizIQ, Joomla! , ConferenceXP (an open-source videoconferencing platform from Microsoft Research), and MOODLE (abbreviation for Modular ObjectOriented Dynamic Learning Environment). Echoing Aravind’s values – quality, compassion, self-reliance – Aurosiksha’s bjectives resonated with Moodle. At its core, Moodle is an educational software grounded in a philosophy of collaborative learning, often referred to as social constructionist pedagogy. Additionally, Aurosiksha’s pedagogical approach matched with that of Moodle. The organization and design of Moodle’s interface supports learners and learning tasks, rather than technology and tools. Moodle presented the ideal vehicle for Aurosiksha. LAICO adapted its knowledge resources to the Moodle mould; customization was minimal. It was a happy con? uence of technology and LAICO vision; both shared the same spirit and values.Moodle is based on a social co nstructionist approach, which helps us understand how learning happens in a group and how learning is a product of innumerable human choices. Moodle was built with elements and tools that embody pedagogical understanding. A Moodlebased course can consist of lessons, including reading materials, activities (such as quizzes and projects), and social events that encourage participation between students. In Aurosiksha, one ? nds the Camstasia Studio software to be integrated in Moodle for quality and streaming-like videos for the audiovisual elements in its courses. Similarly, Articulate Quizmaker andles the self-test modules at the end of the lessons. An open (institutional) learning environment Cloud environment Educational institutional environment WEB PAGES Student ID database se Student information system WEB 2. 0 apps Assessment tools Proprietary and licensed content Collaboration tools Student generated content Personal publishing tools Open content Fig. 7: Open learning environm ent C SI Communications | June 2012 | 15 Fig. 8: Beta users statistics As Aurosiksha grows in terms of content repository, user base, and feedback from users, it will trigger a proportionate scaling in features, tools, and technologies ithin and outside Moodle. The following pointers can be considered for Aurosiksha’s future: †¢ Interoperability: Aurosiksha may want to communicate and share its data with that of other medical research institutions. It also needs to be SCORM-compliant (Sharable Content Object Reference Model). †¢ Deeper reach with low-cost handheld devices and low Internet bandwidth leading to low footprint m-learning: With greater penetration of ICT and hand-held devices ranging from tablets (such as Akash) to mobile phones (voice and short messaging services), a strippeddown version of Aurosiksha can be An open learning environment:Moodle and Aurosiksha Apart from being part of FOSS family and therefore free, Moodle is an Open Source Course Managem ent System (CMS). It is also known as an LMS or a virtual learning environment (VLE) and is very popular among educators around the world as a tool for creating online dynamic web sites for their students. Aurosiksha as the learning arm of LAICO-AECS is an experiment in a similar space, moving from Constructionism to Constructivism – an environment in which human beings don’t just act (Construct) but also make sense of their actions as a group (Constructivist). This happens as humans make sense of reality, learn and reate new knowledge continuously while learning. Effective learning happens while learners are in an actively constructing knowledge mode rather than in a passive reading, viewing, and memorizing mode. The kind of knowledge generated impacts attitudes of learners, which in turn re? ects in their actions (practice). Aurosiksha is a Community of Learners in the making, offering insight and reaching out with a sense of service. Future Direction Aurosiksha, in its beta stage, is currently being tested by over 500 beta testers worldwide that range from paraprofessionals, managers, eye care professionals to faculty members.C SI Communications | June 2012 | 16 Fig. 9: Course creation www. csi-india. org †¢ Mentor-guided courseware †¢ Turnitin (functionality to let the student submit assignments) Acknowledgment Fig. 10: E- and M-learning: logical system architecture †¢ a source of knowledge to especially paraprofessionals on the ? eld. Extensive reach with browserbased handheld devices leading to m-learning: With proliferation of 3G and upcoming 4G, Aurosiksha can be experienced on devices, such as iPhone, iPad, and Android-based phones quite extensively with Mobile Moodle (a set of mobile apps and server components from Moodle). †¢ †¢Right now, Google Analytics and Google Maps are being applied to study the online learning behavior of the beta users. This initiative could be further explored with other statistics gen erated dynamically. Relevant pedagogical applications that can be included (already available in Moodle) are as follows: †¢ Grade report †¢ Timer-based courseware Fig. 11: Google maps: geographical spread of beta users We wish to thank Mr. R D Thulsiraj (Director – Operations, AECS; Executive Director – LAICO) and Dr. R D Ravindran (Chairman and Director – Quality, AECS) for all the insightful and frank conversations we had with them. We thank Prof.R K Shyamasundar (Faculty of Technology & Computer Science – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) and Mr. M D Agrawal (President – Computer Society of India) for their encouragement. We acknowledge the spirit of FOSS and the World Wide Web (WWW) to continue to grow as active members of the knowledge society they foster. Finally we wish to acknowledge the spirit and values of Dr. G Venkataswamy (Dr. V) that pulsate through everything that Aravind is and does. We bow with deep reverence to the spiritual teachers of Dr. V: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. References [1] P. Mehta, and S Shenoy, In? nite vision: how Aravind became the orld’s greatest business case for compassion, 1st ed. , Berrett—Kohler Publishers Inc. San Francisco [2] Satish Babu, â€Å"The FOSS Movement and its impact on Education†, CSI Communications, vol. 35, Issue 6, September 2011, pp. 19-20 [3] http://moodle. org/about [4] http://aravind. org/ [5] http://laico. org/ [6] http://aurosiksha. org/ [7] h ttp://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Free_ and_open_source_software [8] h t t p : //w w w. i f o s s f. o r g /i f o s s f _ library_0 [9] h ttp://www. vision2020india. org / orbiscourse/homepage. htm [10] h ttp://www. vision2020. org/main. cfm? Type=NI=4460 [11] h ttp://www. ats-pyjamas. net / wp-content /uploads/2010/05/ M o o d l e To o l G u i d e fo r Te a c h e rs _ May2010_JS. pdf n Selected among the top 4 papers expressing ‘Collaboration for inclusive growth' at   SEARCC 2011    seminar (South East Asia Regional Computer Confederation, Mumbai, December 2011) [With inputs from Prarthana Kalaskar – Design Principal (Ninad), Remi Boutinet – Outreach Consultant (Ninad), Shwetav Agarwal – Solution Architect (Sri Aurobindo Institute of Culture), LAICO team (Deepa Krishnan – Senior Manager – Operations; Vinoth Palanichamy – Online Manager – Education)] C SI Communications | June 2012 | 17