History of Computers free essay sample

The math device was an early guide for numerical calculations. Its lone worth is that it helps the memory of the human playing out the figuring. A talented math device administrator can take a shot at expansion and deduction issues at the speed of an individual furnished with a hand mini-computer. The math device is regularly wrongly ascribed to China. Truth be told, the most established enduring math device was utilized in 300 B. C. by the Babylonians. The math device is still being used today, essentially in the far east. A cutting edge math device comprises of rings that slide over poles, however the more seasoned one presented beneath dates from when rocks were utilized for checking (the word analytics originates from the Latin word for stone). In 1617 an unpredictable Scotsman named John Napier concocted logarithms, which are an innovation that permits increase to be performed by means of expansion. The enchantment fixing is the logarithm of every operand, which was initially gotten from a printed table. We will compose a custom paper test on History of Computers or on the other hand any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Be that as it may, Napier likewise imagined an option in contrast to tables, where the logarithm esteems were cut on ivory sticks which are currently called Napiers Bones. In 1642 Blaise Pascal, at age 19, developed the Pascaline as a guide for his dad who was an expense gatherer. Pascal fabricated 50 of this apparatus driven one-work number cruncher yet couldnt sell numerous as a result of their excessive expense and on the grounds that they truly werent that precise. Up until the current age when vehicle dashboards went advanced, the odometer part of a vehicles speedometer utilized exactly the same component as the Pascaline to increase the following wheel after each full upheaval of the earlier wheel. Pascal was a kid wonder. At 12 years old, he was found doing his adaptation of Euclids thirty-second suggestion on the kitchen floor. Pascal proceeded to concoct likelihood hypothesis, the water powered press, and the syringe. Appeared beneath is a 8 digit adaptation of the Pascaline. Only a couple of years after Pascal, the German Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz figured out how to construct a four adding machine that he called the ventured reckoner on the grounds that, rather than gears, it utilized fluted drums having ten woodwinds organized around their outline in a step style. Despite the fact that the ventured reckoner utilized the decimal number framework, Leibniz was the first to advocate utilization of the parallel number framework which is crucial to the activity of present day PCs. Leibniz is viewed as one of the best of the logicians yet he kicked the bucket poor and alone. In 1801 the Frenchman Joseph Marie Jacquard developed a force loom that could base its weave (and subsequently the structure on the texture) upon an example naturally read from punched wooden cards, held together in a long line by rope. Descendents of these punched cards have been being used from that point forward. By 1822 the English mathematician Charles Babbage was proposing a steam driven figuring machine the size of a room, which he called the Difference Engine. This machine would have the option to process tables of numbers, for example, logarithm tables. Holleriths innovation, known as the Hollerith work area, comprised of a card peruser which detected the gaps likely, an apparatus driven instrument which could tally, and a huge mass of dial markers to show the consequences of the check. Hollerith assembled an organization, the Tabulating Machine Company which, after a couple of buyouts, in the long run became International Business Machines, referred to today as IBM. IBM developed quickly and punched cards got universal. Your gas bill would show up every month with a punch card you needed to come back with your installment.

Employee Resistance to Change Essay

Contemporary business elements are constraining associations to change and adjust viable procedures to work and stay serious inside this serious condition. Subsequently, associations are reacting by holding onto change as a feature of the change and strategising process (Pieterse, Caniels and Homan, 2012, p. 799). Be that as it may, when changes in the associations happen, representatives are probably going to oppose such changes (Zwick,â 2002, p. 542). As indicated by Bovey and Hede (2001, p. 372) when individuals are stood up to with major authoritative changes, they are probably going to experience a response procedure since change includes moving from known to obscure. Representative protection from change happens when directors receive top-down change process, overlooking that workers are significant piece of the change procedure; worker incorporation and inspiration is critical and unavoidable. This paper is directed to investigate the primary issue of worker protection from c hange and spurring factors that lead to representative opposition. This paper will likewise propose suggestion of proper answers for this issue. Associations in the 21st century need to strategise and build up compelling intensity by embraced transformational change activities. Transformational change expects associations to make radical adjustments to their plans of action as a feature of managing contemporary unsure business condition just as repositioning viably in the more extensive business condition (Pieterse, Caniels and Homan, 2012, pp. 799-800). Hierarchical directors would need to lead moderately smooth and profitable change activities as a component of their duties of overseeing associations suitably. Nonetheless, when changes do happen, Manuela and Clara (2003, p. 148) has built up that workers are probably going to oppose the changes. Obstruction has toâ be seen as a characteristic procedure that will undoubtedly occur and ought to be relied upon to any change procedure. Protection from hierarchical change shows in a few different ways. As per Bovey and Hede (2001, p. 540) significant manners by which protection from change happens incorporate representatives having complaints, level of turnover expanding, effectiveness declining, yield diminishing, and animosity to the board expanding. Numerous associations want to attempt changes that change and emphatically sway their association, despite the fact that this doesn't occur much of the time. As per Pieterse, Caniels and Homan (2012, p. 798) change is turning into a typical component of hierarchical life. Balogun and Hailey (2008) call attention to that association that are quick to stay serious are those that are proceeding to adjust to changing business condition. In any case, in any event, when this is the situation, Grant and Marshak (2011, p. 204) have contended that compelling authoritative changes are probably not going to be experienced by an association when they are started. In a prior research that was completed by Hughes (2011, p. 451) it was contended that 70% of progress programs that associations embrace neglect to accomplish their planned results or purposes. Simultaneously, Schraeder (2004, p. 340) discovered that 34% of associations that embrace authoritative changes are probably going to accomplish positive outcomes, implying that 66% of associations will undoubtedly flop in their change activities. Thus, Zwick (2002, p. 542) has noticed that actualizing change programs in associations that acknowledge positive results stay tricky for some associations in the 21st century. Ayodeji and Oyesola (2011, p. 235) have hypothesized that authoritative change is a unique procedure, which when taken ineffectively add to representative protection from it, and in the long run prompts disappointment of the entire procedure. Workers oppose changes when they happen in the associations for a few reasons. Numerous associations when they acquaint changes are likely with adhere to the ‘top-down hierarchical change’ process (Awasthy, Chandrasekaran and Gupta, 2011, pp. 43-45). Top-down change process gives solution thatâ has just been created by top supervisors and given to drop unit workers down the positions to expend without their information. As indicated by Bovey and Hede (2001, p. 540) obstruction happens at the individual level, where workers are roused by mental variables to change that incorporate hatred, disappointment, low inspiration and assurance, dread, and sentiments of disappointment. Simultaneously, prior distribution by Yilmaz and Kilicoglu (2013, pp. 17-18) recognized four factors that inspire representatives to oppose changes in the association: workers concentrating on personal matters instead of those of the association, having insufficient comprehension of progress and its suggestions, having conviction that change needs sense for the association, and representatives having low resistance. What's more, representatives oppose change, which as per Martin, Jones and Callan (2005, pp. 265-268) is because of creating specific negative recognition to the procedure, having propensity for not enduring change, seeing change as bothering or loss of opportunity, dread of financial ramifications from the procedure, dread of obscure, and recollecting past terrible encounters with change process. Associations can deliver representative protection from authoritative change by actualizing three classes of suggestions dependent on the Kurt Lewin Change Model. Lewin’s model is otherwise called ‘Unfreeze-change-refreeze’ approach, where any change procedure in the association ought to be grasped in the wake of having careful comprehension of the procedure and sufficient inspiration for those influenced must be encouraged (Brisson-Banks, 2010, p. 244). The main phase of progress includes unfreezing, which should involveâ organisations making sufficient arrangements all together for foreseen changes to be acknowledged. This is where business as usual hindering change procedure ought to be weakened and broken effectively. During the unfreezing, it is significant for association to attempt a few measures planned for lessening opposition: have away from of what ought to be changed, research to set up momentum condition of the association, have away from of what change ought to be sought after, and produce sufficient help from the administration for the procedure (Brisson-Banks, 2010, p. 244). Simultaneously, the board ought to make need and want for change in the association by making an alluring and inspiring message about the significance of progress for the association and conveying it to workers, building up a dream and crucial representatives can become tied up with, expanding correspondence among influenced representatives, and re-underlining to workers the significance of progress (Smith, 2005, p. 410). Another significant advance is for supervisory crew to get questions and worries that representatives are showing and be in a situation to deliver and react to them fittingly. The subsequent stage includes an association undertaking and executing change process while working and weakening all sources that may raise protection from the procedure. Change becomes effective when correspondence and sharing of data happens much of the time (Weber and Weber, 2001, pp. 291-292). Correspondence is all around arranged and executed as a component of the change procedure. Simultaneously, the executives ought to now and again impart to representatives benefits that will undoubtedly originate from actualizing change programs. For this situation, it is suggested that administration ought to clearlyâ explain careful advantages that will happen and how the entire procedure will influence representatives (Burnes, 2004, p. 313). Besides, more prominent exertion ought to be coordinated towards planning representatives who are influenced by the procedure. The thought ought to be to present change programs on steady procedure, and cultivating checking, while at the same time imparting and sharing data by all partners included. Subsequently, the board should work to scatter doubt, misjudging, and dread among representatives that intensify the procedure (Wim, 2005, pp. 129-130. This ought to be accomplished through giving convenient, open, and legitimate responses to all worries by representatives, managing rising issues quickly, and building up a positive change picture in the brains of workers (Weber and Weber, 2001, pp. 291-292). All the more significantly, associations can encourage less protection from change process whenever they enable representatives by expanding chances to empower workers take an interest simultaneously, giving appropriate bearing to representatives, and improving representative commitment all the while (Denise, Rodney and Schmaltz, 2003, p. 317). Furthermore, representatives ought to be engaged with each phase of progress process, create feeling of claiming the procedure, and feeling to take an interest in the process satisfactorily while their requirements are tended to successfully. The last phase of the change procedure includes refreezing, where exertion ought to be upgraded to guarantee changes occurring are being moored in the way of life and representatives being spurred to continue them in their day by day exercises. In this stage, the executives of the association ought to guarantee workers have more noteworthy tasks to carry out in guaranteeing change process creates long haul benefits (Brisson-Banks, 2010, p. 245). This ought to include offering fundamental help to workers, for example, re-preparing them to gain newâ skills to connect more in the change procedure. Simultaneously, viable and satisfactory participative authority ought to be given to assist representatives with seeing more noteworthy advantages of the change procedure (Brisson-Banks, 2010, pp. 245-248). Likewise, the board should make a comprehensive prize framework to inspire workers and perceive their positive commitment to the change procedure. Likewise, viable input frameworks that regard workers ought to be made to use in observing and assessing the entire procedure of progress in the association (Barratt-Pugh, Bahn and Gakere, 2013, p. 752). Plus, data sharing and backing for representatives ought to be upgraded an

Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development

Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development “I find myself opposed to the view of knowledge as a passive copy of reality.  â€" Jean PiagetHow do we learn things? The answers to this age-old question have been examined and analyzed by many scientists. There are plenty of prominent theories explaining cognitive development and helping us to understand the foundation of knowledge.One of the most prominent answers to the question has come from a Swiss psychologist, Jean Piget. What is Piaget’s theory of cognitive development? Let’s examine the theory and its core concepts, before analyzing its applications and the critique the theory has received. PIAGET AND HIS THEORY IN A NUTSHELLLet’s start by introducing Jean Piaget, the theory’s founding father, together with the core idea of his theory.Who was Jean Piaget?Jean Piaget was a psychologist, who became famous for creating his scientific theory about the intellectual development of children. He was born in Switzerland in 1896, showing an interest towards nature and science from an early age. When he was just 10 years old, he published a scientific paper about albino sparrow in a naturalist magazine. Piaget gained his Ph.D. in natural history at the age of 22 at the University of Neuchatel, after which he gained formal training in psychology.Piaget spent some time studying with Carl Jung and during this time, he met with Theodore Simon, who had been a collaborating with Alfred Binet. Simon offered Piaget a role, which led to Piaget developing an interest in the cognitive development of children. The role saw him supervise the standardization of an intelligence test develope d by Binet and Simon. While working, Piaget observed children and concluded that children are not less intelligent than adults, but the difference is how they think and view things.Piaget’s interest in cognitive development of children was further increased by his nephew Gerard, and specifically how he played around with toys in ways that seemed irrational to adults. When Piaget had his daughter Jacqueline, he paid specific interest in her early development. These observations reinforced his idea that children’s minds aren’t just miniature adult brains, but that development and intelligence are gained in stages. He believed strongly that education is the greatest strengths of humankind and said“only education is capable of saving our societies from possible collapse, whether violent, or gradual”.Piaget was one of the first psychologists to construct a systematic understanding of cognitive development â€" how do we learn? How do we gain intelligence? He contributed to a num ber of fields, including children’s cognitive development but also genetic epistemology. In 1955, Piaget founded the International Center for Genetic Epistemology in Geneva. He worked on the faculty of the University of Geneva and as the director of the Center until his death in 1980.The essence of Piaget’s theoryAlbert Einstein once called Piaget’s discoveries of cognitive development as, “so simply only a genius could have thought of it”. As the above shows, Piaget’s theory was born out of observations of children, especially as they were conducting play. When he was analyzing the results of the intelligence test, he noticed that young children provide qualitatively different answers to older children.This suggested to him younger children are not dumber, since this would be a quantitative position â€" an older child is smarter with more experience. Instead, the children simply answered differently because they thought of things differently. Similarly, when Piaget obse rved his nephew Gerard playing with a ball, he noticed something that to adults seems irrational. When the ball rolled out of sight under a sofa, Gerard began looking at it from the spot he last saw the ball, not under the sofa. These observations reinforced his idea that young children and older children have qualitative and quantitative differences in thinking.At the heart of Piaget’s theory is the idea that children are born with a basic mental structure, which provides the structure for future learning and knowledge. He saw development as a progressive reorganisation of these mental processes. This came about due to biological maturation, as well as environmental experience.We are essentially constructing a world around us in which we try to align things that we already know and what we suddenly discover. Through the process, a child develops knowledge and intelligence, which helps him or her to reason and think independently. Instead of there being a gradual increase in the c omplexity of behavior and ideas, development is marked by qualitative differences. We simply don’t yet have a proper alignment of things we know with things we discover. Therefore, Piaget’s theory has two core aspects to it:We first construct our image of the world â€" coming to know something.We then go through stages of implementing the knowledge with what the world around us is telling â€" discovering the discrepancies.The below clip is a great illustration of Piaget’s theory in a nutshell: THREE COMPONENTS OF THE THEORYThe theory is built around three core components: schemas, equilibrium, assimilation and accommodation, and the different stages of development.SchemasA schema is a description of both the mental and physical actions required in understanding and knowing. It’s a category of knowledge used in interpreting and understanding the world â€" the building blocks of knowledge. Without them, you would find the world incomprehensible. The world with its things would n’t mean anything.But schemas provide you a way to organize your knowledge, creating units of objects, actions and abstract concepts. According to Piaget’s own definition of schema, from his 1952 book The origins of intelligence in children, they are,“a cohesive, repeatable action sequence possessing component actions that are tightly interconnected and governed by a core meaning”.You have many schemas about a variety of things. An example could be your schema about potatoes â€" what do you know about them? Your knowledge might be based on your experiences; they taste good when baked, they have an outer layer and they are grown underground. Your schema is essentially the knowledge you have (they grow under the ground) and your experiences of the object/idea (they taste good when baked). Therefore, a schema will change over time.SCHEMATAA schema is a cognitive structure that represents knowledge about everything that we know about the world, including oneself, others, events, etc.A schema is important because it allows us to quickly make sense of a person, situation, event, or a place on the basis of limited information.So, when a schema is activated, it fills in missing detailsSource: SlidePlayer  presentation by Kazuyo NakabayashiPiaget thought schemas to have this ability to change as people process more experiences. According to his theory, a child would modify, add or change the existing schemas as new information or experiences occur. So, if the child would one day eat a disgusting potato, he or she would add to the existing schema. Potatoes wouldn’t be just tasty, but could have the occasional foul taste to them.Piaget’s ideas of schemas were driven by his background in biology. He saw the schemas as mental organizations controlling behavior or adaptation to the environment. Furthermore, as you gain maturity, the schemas become more complex. For instance, your schema about potatoes becomes much wider; perhaps you gain more information about t he different varieties, you understand how different potatoes taste different and so on.Piaget suggested that the schemas eventually become organized in a hierarchical order, from a general schema to a specific schema. An infant has a schema, such as the sucking reflex. When something touches the baby’s lips, they start sucking. On the other hand, as you grow older these schemas become less genetic and more about our surroundings. You don’t go to a restaurant, pay the bill, eat the food, and then order. You do it all in reverse order and this is an example of a complex schema.Equilibrium, assimilation and accommodationThe second fundamental concept is the compilation of three concepts: equilibrium, assimilation and accommodation. Out of these three, assimilation and accommodation are the two core processes people use in order to adapt to the environment â€" the attempt to make sense of new information and to use it for future.On the other hand, equilibrium is the attempt to stri ke a balance between the schemas in your head and then what the environment is telling.AssimilationWhen you take in new information regarding your existing schema, you are assimilating. When you encounter French fries and identify it as potato, you are assimilating the French fries into your pre-existing schema. You are essentially using a pre-existing schema to deal with a new experience, situation, object or idea. You take the French fries and assimilate them inside a schema, instead of creating a new one. The process of assimilation is a subjective occurrence, since we are always modifying experiences and information in a way that fits our pre-existing beliefs.Children’s assimilation can, therefore, seem silly on the onset. R.S Siegler et al. gave an example of a child with a pre-existing schema of clowns in their 2003 book How Children Develop. A young child might have an image of a clown and according to his or her schema, clowns have shaved heads and lots of frizzy hair on t he sides. When the child encounters a man with the haircut (even without clown costumes and the like), the child might point to him and say “clown”.AccommodationAssimilation is the first attempt of understanding new information and experiences, with accommodation adding another solution if the above is insufficient. In accommodation, you try to modify your existing schemas and ideas, with the process giving you a new experience or knowledge and often resulting in the birth of new schemas. For example, you might see French fries, but after biting into them realise they are made from sweet potato. You therefore, accommodate your existing schema (not everything that looks like French fries is potato) and add or create a new schema (you can use sweet potato to make French fries). You are changing the existing structures or the knowledge you have to fit the environment around you.Generally, accommodation is a result of a failure of the schema. The existing knowledge you have simply d oesn’t work in the situation you are in â€" the French fries just don’t taste like potato, no matter how hard you try. Therefore, to overcome this obstacle, you change, add and modify your strategy or schema. If you think about the example of the child and the clown, the child’s parent might explain how the man is not a clown, but that the hairstyle was just something he has and it isn’t there for laughs. Now the child would need to change the schema of clown to include other things (making people laugh, red nose, funny costume) in order for it to work.EquilibriumFinally, you have the idea of equilibrium, which Piaget believed to be the child’s attempt to strike a balance between the two mechanisms: assimilation and accommodation. Piaget believed it to be the mechanism children use in order to move from one stage of thought to the other.The process involves the child applying previous knowledge (assimilation) and changing the behaviour if the knowledge is not aligned with the new knowledge (accommodation). The process is beautifully illustrated in the below image: Source: Based on SlidePlayer  presentationCognitive development is not a steady process according to Piaget’s theory. Instead of knowledge being something we gain at a steady rate, we tend to develop in leaps and bounds. Therefore, equilibrium occurs in different ways and is the key process children, specifically, use to move beyond simply assimilating things. You could think of equilibrium as a sort of balance restoring process.When you encounter the odd taste of the sweet potato fries, you don’t just go frustrated and wonder what is happening, but you restore balance by accommodating your existing schemas. Next time you encounter a French fry that looks like it’s from sweet potato, you won’t assume it’s potato anymore. If the taste doesn’t match to sweet potato, you again try to accommodate â€" perhaps it was carrots!The stages of developmentThe final core concept of Piaget’s theory is perhaps the most important: the stages of development. As I mentioned above, Piaget thought cognitive development as a process or construction of a mental model of the world. Development is biological and as the child matures, changes occur in cognitive understanding. According to Piaget, there are four universal stages of cognitive development:Sensorimotor stage â€" The core idea for the sensorimotor stage is object permanence. This requires the formation of a schema of the object and the knowledge the object continues to exist even after it is out of view. According to Piaget, the stage allows people to learn objects are distinct entities, with an existence out of the individual’s perception. The ball will still be a ball even when it rolls under the sofa.Pre-operational stage â€" Thinking begins moving towards symbolical stages during the pre-operational period. You learn that words and objects can be something other than themselves. Children start to develop imagination and things can start having more meaning. You might remember having a ball as a best frie nd or you made a toy plane out of cardboard. Nonetheless, the pre-operational stage is still controlled by egocentric thoughts. This means you would find it difficult to see another person’s viewpoint and illogical thinking can still occur. For example, if you split water into two jugs, one wider and the other taller, the child might think the taller one has more water inside it.Concrete operational stage  â€" Things start heating up during the concrete operational stage. According to Piaget’s theory, this is when the child starts showcasing logical or operational thought. Instead of having to physically try things (such as pouring the water back him- or herself), the child begins to think things through internally. While the developmental stage sees more logic in thinking, the thought patterns continue to be rigid. Another important aspect is the diminishing of egocentric thinking. Children begin to understand their thoughts, feelings and ideas are unique and other’s might th ink and feel differently.Formal operational stage â€" The final stage for Piaget was about the ability to increase logical thinking, using deductive reasoning and understanding abstract ideas. You don’t just think there’s one solution to problems, but you start using abstract ideas and different hypotheses to go about your life. The operational stage doesn’t really end, as we continue to gain new knowledge and experience long into adulthood.Piaget never assigned any specific years to each stage, although there have later been an attempt to indicate an average age at which the child might reach each stage. More importantly than that, Piaget did believe the stages to be experienced in the same order by everyone and you can’t miss a stage under normal development.APPLICATION OF PIAGETS THEORYPiaget’s theory is one of the most influential cognitive development theories out there. Despite being conducted and challenged (as I’ll explain in the next section), the findings have been used in a number of different contexts. Based on Piaget’s observations, the ideas have been applied in classrooms, dealing with young children. But the ideas and concept at play can also tell a lot about training and development in more general.You should keep in mind that Piaget didn’t ever relate his theory to education, but other psychologists and researchers have applied his ideas to educating and training children. The theory was used as a basis for primary education practices in the UK, for example. Nonetheless, Piaget did have a few essential things to say about learning and development, which you should take note of.First, Piaget based his ideas on biological maturation and stages, which means there is a concept of ‘readiness’ involved with development. He believed children to require a certain level of maturity before they can be taught a specific concept. Until the child is mature enough to think of other people’s feelings, it can be difficult to make them u nderstand how other children might not find teddy bears cuddly.Piaget also thought assimilation and accommodation to be active learning experiences. To him, problem solving is not a skill to be taught, but to be discovered. Therefore, children and other learners must be active participants of the training or education, not just passive participants. Therefore, many classrooms use active discovery learning as the basis, in which the teacher simply facilitates learning instead of directing. The child essentially gets to make his or her own experiments while learning.If you want to draw certain application conclusions from Piaget’s theory, they could be the following:Use props and other aids to support learning. Since development is an active experience, you want to engage the person learning. You should provide the opportunity to test things, feel things, and experiment with things in order to boost to engagement and ensure the child gets to test assimilation and possibly accommodat ing to the new information.Combining actions with words. In the earlier stages, it is especially important to keep things simple and short. You want to give a presentation and an explanation at the same time. For example, if you are teaching how to build a paper plane, you should explain the building process while simultaneously showing how it’s done.Understanding the different experiences people have. As well as teaching children about the importance of understanding other people’s experiences or feelings, you need to be conscious of this. People ascribe different meanings to words and the schemas might be different to everyone. When you encounter such a situation, you need to understand it rather than fight against it. Both you, as a teacher, and the person, as the student, might occasionally need to assimilate and accommodate your schemas.When it comes to application of Piaget’s theory, it’s crucial to remember he didn’t think intellectual development is a quantitative process, i.e. you aren’t just adding more information to existing knowledge over time. Instead, development is about qualitative change, meaning that you gradually process more information and change your existing understanding accordingly.CRITIQUE OF PIAGET’S THEORYWhile Piaget’s theory has caught a lot of attention and many educational institutions have used it, the concept has also attracted its fair share of criticism. What do researchers find most bothersome about the theory? One of the key critique is directed to the theory’s focus on development as stages.While Piaget didn’t think these stages occur at a specific age, he nonetheless suggested you move from one stage to another. According to scientist who find this problematic are Lev Vygotsky and Bruner, who believed development to be a fully continuous process. Instead of moving from a single stage to another, they feel cognitive development is never ending process that doesn’t transform in its essence. The Russi an psychologist, Vygotsky, also disagreed with Piaget’s notion that language is secondary to action. Piaget believed thoughts always precede language, while Vygotsky thought the origin of human reasoning to be rooted in our ability to communicate rather than interacting with the material world.Furthermore, Piaget’s theory is criticized for its emphasis of biological maturation. The theory sees development as a genetic and biological process and therefore leaves out the impact of culture or social setting. Dasen shares in his essay in the book Psychology and Culture his observations amongst aboriginal children in Australia.The children did similar spatial awareness and conservation tasks that Piaget conducted, with the aboriginal children having the ability to conserve later than Piaget’s Swiss children. On the other hand, the aboriginals had learned spatial awareness much earlier to Swiss children. According to Dasen, cognitive development is therefore not just a maturation pr ocess, but also dependent on cultural factors. In this instance, spatial awareness is crucial for nomadic groups to survive and live on a day-to-day basis.Piaget’s theory was based largely on observation and clinical interviews. As I outlined at the beginning, he got interested in the topic as he observed children’s answers and playtime. But observation is more open to bias than anything else. My observations of a child playing with a ball might be very different to your observations.This is especially true for his theory, as he constructed the whole theory on his observations alone. If he had discussed the findings with another researcher, the results might be found more reliable. For example, his interviews weren’t observed by another psychologist or observer â€" the answers might have been interpreted differently if someone else also looked at them.FINAL THOUGHTSThe key takeaway from Piaget’s theory should be that learning and gaining intelligence is an active process, no t passive. The theory believes development to be about continuous change and adaptation to the environment â€" you aren’t just obtaining information, but you are actively transforming your thoughts to fit the reality around you.You use your obtained knowledge, the schemas, and implement new knowledge either through assimilation or accommodation. Essentially, the search for information is about finding equilibrium â€" balancing your existing knowledge with new. While Piaget’s theory has attracted criticism from other behavioral scientists, some of its core findings about learning and education are still being used in training facilities for young and for old.

Women in Special Forces - 2185 Words

submit paper: Step 2 of 2 * AuthorPeter Rivera * TitleWomen in Special Forces Preview Paper Women in Special Forces (Green Beret) Peter Rivera Management 410 Dr. Beth Hogan Women in Special Forces In this paper I will present my position about women working in Special Forces (green berets). I will mention other countries that have women in combat positions or units. I will explain the job involvement of Special Forces, the training and qualifications required, and the job demands, both physical and mental when in a combat unit. Base on what I had seen and been true in my 22 years in the military I’ll have to disagree with women been in Special Forces or any combat unit for that matter. In today’s 21st century, women have†¦show more content†¦You have to be able to swim 50 meters wearing your battle dress uniform (BDU) and boots. The Army Physical Fitness Test used to be 240, an average of 80 points in each event such as push-ups, sit-ups and the two-mile run, but it is down to 206 with no less than 60 points in any event. Individuals need a Special Forces Medical Fitness Standard, or physical. Secret Clearances are needed but can be waived for certain pe riods of time, and once you have all this then you can start training to become a green beret. Special Forces Assessment (SFAS) is 24 days of intense training in which your intelligence, agility and resourcefulness will be tested. After passing the SFAS you will go into the SF Qualification Course. In this course you will go through five different phases (II-VI). Individual skills, phase II, consists of life fire, small unit tactics, land navigation, and survival skills. This phase is 13 weeks of pure intensity with minimal sleep or time to eat. Phase III is the MOS qualification in which you will receive training on the Special Forces MOS you will have, and it is about another 15 weeks. The phase IV is your collective training in which you will be evaluated on your unconventional warfare operations, air and mobile infiltrations, direct action operations, methods of instruction, common skills, your specialist, and whatever else they can think about at the moment. Phase V is your lan guage phase and is basically picked for youShow MoreRelatedThe Integration Of Women Into The Service1319 Words   |  6 Pagesthe armed forces. Back to the days of the Romans and the Greeks women made an effort to enter the battlefield. In the modern military, women have their place in the service, but some still desire more. More women are attempting to answer the call of duty every day, some are even trying to join special forces teams that are for only the best of the best. Recently in America we have progressed in our acceptance of women in the military made it possible for them to join these elite forces. The integrationRead MoreThe United States Armed Forces Essay865 Words   |  4 PagesThere are currently 2,204,836 people serving in the United States Armed Forces. Females currently make up 16.2% of those currently serving equating to 358,156 this number includes both enlisted, reserve, and the officer corps. While the Armed Forces has downsized, the percentage of females s erving has increased with females now making up 17.8% of all active duty personnel and roughly thirty-nine thousand serving as active duty officers. With the increasing diversity of the military, Secretary ofRead MoreWomen Should Be Integrated Into Combat Positions1057 Words   |  5 PagesWomen should be integrated into combat positions such as infantry, artillery, and Special Forces. If a woman chooses this kind of challenge, then she is more than capable. Women are as tough as men. They can do what a man can do, and if that is going into combat then yes, why not? Women can fight, shoot, run, work hard, and win for this country like the men of this country do. Women have been in combat for a long time, but now women are actually in combat rather than helping the men out with injuriesRead MorePolicy Introduction And Identification Of The Military Services And United States Special Operations Command1453 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment Rule† (Carter, 2015). This takes all re strictions off women allowing all who meet the qualifications to hold a combat role in the military. The Armed Forces have opened over 110,000 positions to women and have set their standards. Anyone, who can meet operationally relevant and gender neutral standards, regardless of gender, should have the opportunity to serve in any position (Carter, 2015). The Military Services and United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) were directed to implementRead MoreHistory of the Fbi and Women1574 Words   |  7 Pagesreduction of force. In 1972, JoAnne Misko and Susan Malone were the first two women to enter the FBI Academy. In 1978, Special Agent Christine Karpoch (Jung) would become the first female firearms instructor—and she would shoot the coveted â€Å"possible,† a perfect score on the FBI’s Practical Pistol Range. In 1990, Special Agents Susan Sprengel and Helen Bachor were sent to London and Montevideo, Uruguay to serve as the FBI’s first fem ale assistant legal attachà ©s. In 2001, Special Agent KathleenRead MoreCritical Thinking On Business Writing1262 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction and Purpose: Women on board are bringing in diversity and intellect to the organization. The main idea of the article is to show how diversity in teams led to higher profitability and greater client satisfaction. The essence and central theme of this article is that increased number of women in an organization has increased its collective intelligence. There has been a strong correlation between the number of women on board and in the company’s ROI and ROE. Strengths : †¢ Women bring in enhancedRead MoreBreast Cancer : The Most Common Cause Of Death Among Women Essay1574 Words   |  7 PagesBreast cancer is the most common cause of death among women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) state that in 2013 230,815 women in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer, and in 2013 40,860 women died from breast cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). From 2002 to 2012, the occurrences of a breast cancer diagnosis remained at an even level, however the death rate from breastRead MoreNearly One-Fifth Of The U.S Military Is Female, However1319 Words   |  6 Pageshowever certain jobs are not eligible for women. Is it believed that women are not considered for front-line combat and Special Forces positions. Opponents argue that women are physically not capable of being effective for troops and would distract men making the military less effective. However women are fully capable of becoming troops the only thing holding them back is the stereotype that they are not physically capable of handing combat roles. Women in the military have changed drasticallyRead MoreWhy I Choose The Army1356 Words   |  6 Pages The Career I want is to be in the military. The branch I choose is U.S Army. The reason I choose the Army is because the Special Forces they have are more appealing than the Marine Corp, or the Navy. The Army has; the Green Beret, the Rangers, and the one I want to join: 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta, this branch is more commonly known as Delta Force. The U.S Army has a ton of different jobs with the Army, there is; Infantry Branch, Military Police Branch, Air DefenseRead MoreWorld War I And Hari1457 Words   |  6 Pagesthe larger nations (i.e the United States, Germany, and Russia) involved in the war already had established departments within their military forces dedicated to intelligence and counterintelligence. The smaller, neutral nations, like Belgium, did not set up intelligence forces until the early 1900s. Location gave a significant advantage to the Allied forces; particularly when it came to recruiting members of the community to gather information. At this time, Germany was occupying Belgium and France

Selma Book Vs Book Essay - 1451 Words

The conflicts met between the Civil Rights Movement protesters and the white people of the South were incredibly gruesome. While peace and equality for African Americans was the driving force of the protests, violence and inhuman resistance was the force for the white people. In the March Trilogy Books, written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, and in the movie Selma, written by Paul Webb and directed by Ava DuVernay, we are given a glimpse of these troubling times during the 1960’s. The tone was very dark, harsh, and violent. Because voting rights and equality were important to them, the mass of marchers continued their protests despite the beatings and cruelty they faced. Although there were horrendous acts made against the African†¦show more content†¦Where a crowd of resisters were waiting for them. Even though the marchers faced violent opposition and met with conflict, they continued their protests. The books and the movie displayed conflict throughout. One example is during the first attempt to cross the bridge, when the marchers were met by the Alabama State Troopers. It went very dark, very quick, as the troopers barged towards them, making this day known as â€Å"Bloody Sunday†, March 7, 1965. When asked for his comments in the movie by the press after the brutal attack on the marchers, King says â€Å"While rageful violence continues towards the unarmed people of Selma, while they are assaulted with tear gas and batons like enemy in a war, no citizen of this country can call themselves blameless, for we all bear a responsibility for our fellow man. I am appealing to men and women of God and goodwill everywhere, white, black and otherwise. If you believe all are created equal, come to Selma. Join us. Join our march against injustice and inhumanity. We need you to stand with us†. The second attempt to cross the bridge on March 9, 1965 brought clergy, men, and women from all over to join. But faced conflict as well, this time between Martin Luther King Jr, and the marchers themselves. However, there was a major difference regarding this attempt to cross, between the books and the movie. In the books, the marchers were met on the bridge by a Federal Official whoShow MoreRelatedSelma Book Vs Movie Essay1640 Words   |  7 Pagesof the South were incredibly gruesome. While peace and equality for African Americans was the driving force of the protests, violence and inhuman resistance was the force of the white people. In the March Trilogy Books, written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, and in the movie Selma, written by Paul Webb and directed by Ava DuVernay, we are given a glimpse of these troubling times during the 1960’s. The tone was precisely dark, harsh, and violent. Because voting rights and equality were importantRead Moreben sherman Essay13816 Words   |  56 Pagesmaking art during the not-sofun times. As mentioned, in 2008 I kept a writing schedule of three essays or posts each week. No matter what else was going on, the three essays would go up. A few of them were uploaded at 11:55 p.m. from a bad wi-fi connection in a random South Asian guesthouse, but the principle was â€Å"no matter what,† they are not going to be late. Because I knew I’d be writing a book and I wanted to change things up a little, I switched the schedule for 2009 to two major posts a

Political attack ads Free Essays

Americans National University Political advertisements have been a pervasive part of politics In the united States since the dawn of television. Presidential candidates have been making an appearance In the living rooms of Americans since Dwight D. Eisenhower Introduced a series of short campaign ads to the world of television during his presidential race (livingroomcandidate. We will write a custom essay sample on Political attack ads or any similar topic only for you Order Now Org par-I, 2012). From the beginning researchers regarded television as a medium that had the potential to allow people to become more informed, and therefore more included leading to a nonpartisan democracy Chirurgic, Coleman, Blubber, 2009). Individuals who, in the past, had limited access to current affairs have been able to gain a different impression of politics through the medium of television. As television became a comfortable medium for politics, electoral democracies became a game of â€Å"power, persuasion, monopolizing support for policies and politicians, and accumulating votes† (Chirurgic, Coleman, Blubber, 2009). In this paper the writer will attempt to analyze the impact of political television ads on democracy. Throughout political history politicians have used an ray of methods such as speeches, advertising, and political rallies to obtain the winning vote, however political television ads became a popular theme in the race for president. Political attack ads are as old as television and made their first appearance in 1952 in which republicans would give one answer to one group and give a completely different answer to the same question to another group (Greer, 2006). Because of this the opposing party could not be trusted. Some of these ads had quite a lasting effect but none more than the President Johnny’s ad â€Å"Daisy Girl† that sutured a little girl picking the petals off of a daisy then fades into a nuclear bomb going off (Greer, 2006). The ad was a response to Barry Goldwater statement regarding using nuclear weapons in the Vietnam War. Although the ad was only aired once before being pulled from television, many believe It’s Impact was what led to Johnson winning the presidential race In 1964 (Greer, 2006). For more than sixty years politics and television have existed In a state of reciprocated dependence. Politics provides the raw materials while television packages It, subtly reconstructs It, and livers It to the audience (Currently, Coleman, Blubber, 2009). Political advertising has become an Indispensable campaign strategy and many people regard It as fairly obtrusive. Political advertisers are not liable to any regulatory organization, voluntary or otherwise, for the accuracy of their claims (lounger, Prior, 1999). Political ads are complaining about the objectivity of the comments made about them. While television has become a fundamental part of the political process it, in turn, has widely contributed to De-plasticization (Chirurgic, Coleman, Blubber, 2009). Greer ascertains that poll after poll confirms that the electoral process is marked by cynicism and dissatisfaction with contemporary campaign discourse (2006). Nearly 60% of the public in the year 2000 was dissatisfied with how candidates conduct their campaign (Greer, 2006). The focus has moved from political discourse to the personalities and faces of political leaders. Because the focus has turned to spectacle rather than ideas the educational value of election campaigns has greatly diminished. Televised presidential debates have become a battle of physical style which has moved our culture towards a new way of conducting important business Postman, 2005). The lines between show business and political discourse become more blurred with each passing day. Americans tend to have a negative preconception towards political campaign ads. They are inclined to believe that such attack ads undermine not only the election but the democratic government as well. John Greer Author of In Defense of Negativity disagrees with this theory. Greer believes that these political ads enrich the democratic process, providing voters with relevant and substantial information before they head to the polls as they are pitched battles for control of the government (2006). Greer points out that exaggeration in political ads not only apply to negative ads, but to positive election propaganda as well (2006). Many ads point out the positive aspects of a candidates race to become president such as President Reggae’s advertisement of his tax cuts, however he failed to mention the tax increase he previously signed into law. This ad and other similar political ads were not labeled as misleading (Greer, 2006). Americans tend to assume that positive political ads are practical and truthful. Greer states that Bob Squire once said â€Å"most lies in politics are told in positive ads† (Greer, 006). This statement asserts that regardless of the content of the ad it is impossible to truly assess whether or not the ad is misleading. Political attack ads have branched off from the television and people are now turning to the internet for their political news. The television trend is currently on a downward spiral. According to research by the Pew Internet American Life Project the number of Americans going to the internet for their presidential election campaign news has increased by 23% since 2004 while those relying on television dropped by 4% (Pew, 2008). The most popular internet resources are blobs, comedy sites, government websites, candidate sites or alternative sites (Chirurgic, Coleman, Blubber, 2009). Audiences are increasingly becoming active participants in public communication, as senders as well as addressees of mass-circulating messages (Chirurgic, Coleman, Blubber, 2009). Through the internet medium American audience members can intervene and participate in political discourse with a gradation of value that was impossible even twenty years ago. Political advertisement, whether positive or negative, will always mom with a degree of fabrication that misleads one American or another. Political ads set the stage for campaigning and are what gets Americans involved in democracy whether it is a commercial you watched on Television or a Youth video. Americans have been able to gain a sense of involvement that was not possible offended by political attack ads, Greer believes that positive political ads can be Just as misleading if not more. Regardless of the general consensus, political attack ads have gotten the public more involved in not only their local politics, but their national politics as well. References Greer, John G. 2006). How to cite Political attack ads, Papers

Organic Agriculture in the United Arab Emirates

Introduction This paper will provide a detailed business plan for establishing an agribusiness company. The company will focus on production of organic foodstuffs in the United Arab Emirates. The business plan will shed light on the business idea, the value proposition, and the technology that will be required to operate the business.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organic Agriculture in the United Arab Emirates specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A detailed marketing plan that highlights the target customers and the marketing mix will also be discussed. In addition, the business plan will highlight the governance and management structure, as well as, the company’s financial projections. The Business Idea The business idea is to establish an agribusiness company that focuses on organic agriculture. Organic agriculture refers to â€Å"a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems , and people†.1 It focuses on the use of farming techniques that promote sustainability by minimizing negative environmental effects. The company will focus on producing organic vegetables and fruits in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The vegetables that will be produced include tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and capsicum. The fruits will include mangoes, oranges, and strawberries. The choice of Abu Dhabi is based on the fact that it has the largest population in the UAE. Thus, it is likely to have a high demand for organic foodstuffs. In addition, leasing land for farming in Abu Dhabi is cheaper than in other emirates. Value Proposition Production of organic fruits and vegetables is important due to the following reasons. First, organic fruits and vegetables will improve the health status of the residents of Abu Dhabi and the entire UAE. Lifestyle related diseases such as obesity and cancer are major health problems in the UAE. In 2013, the rate of obesity in Abu Dhabi was 33%, whereas 13% of the deaths were caused by cancer.2 The high prevalence of obesity and cancer is partly attributed to consumption of processed and inorganic foodstuffs.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, the residents of the UAE are likely to consume organic fruits and vegetables because they have high nutritional value and insignificant pesticide residue. Moreover, organic vegetables such as tomatoes have high antioxidant capacities, which help in preventing cancer, coronary diseases, and rapid aging. Second, â€Å"organic fruits and vegetables taste better than their inorganic counterparts†.3 Third, producing organic fruits and vegetables in Abu Dhabi will reduce the UAE’s reliance on imported foodstuffs. Imported fruits and vegetables often have negative health effects since the government has little control over their production. Furthermore, they are often expo sed to contamination during transportation. Fourth, establishing an organic farm in Abu Dhabi will reduce the price of fruits and vegetables. The prices will reduce due to the short distance to the target market, which will minimize operating costs. Finally, production of organic fruits and vegetables will promote sustainable agriculture in the UAE. The company will avoid using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides that often reduce soil quality. Technical Model Technology The farm will use greenhouse and drip irrigation technologies to produce various organic fruits and vegetables. A greenhouse is a â€Å"structure in which plants are grown under controlled micro-environment†.4 The structure is made of transparent plastic materials, which facilitate controlled penetration of sunlight and reduce evaporation of water. Drip irrigation is a technique of supplying water evenly to all plants in a garden. The use of greenhouse and drip irrigation technologies will help in conserving water, which is very scarce in Abu Dhabi. They will also lead to high returns on investments by facilitating production throughout the year.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organic Agriculture in the United Arab Emirates specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Farming Practices The vegetables will be produced using organic fertilizers such as compost to prevent accumulation of synthetic chemicals in them. The farm will use pesticides that are manufactured using organic materials to control pests and other disease-causing pathogens.5 This will help in reducing pesticide residues in the fruits and vegetables. Weeds will be controlled using environmentally-generated plant-killing compounds. In addition, the company will focus on producing different crops on the same piece of land to prevent soil degradation. These techniques will preserve soil quality and minimize accumulation of toxic chemicals in the vegetable s. Feasibility Study There is adequate farmland in the rural areas of Abu Dhabi since most of the citizens live in the city. In addition, there are adequate roads that connect the farmlands to the markets in urban areas. Scientific research indicates that the land in Abu Dhabi is very fertile mainly because it has hardly been used for farming. Soil test results show that the soil has the right minerals and nutrients for growing various fruits and vegetables. Water with the right pH can be obtained from the reservoirs of the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City. However, it is more expensive than water from boreholes due to the pumping and recycling costs. Budget The costs associated with acquiring the technology and equipment that will be used in the farm are summarized in table 1. The costs are for the first year of operations.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Table 1 Item Quantity Cost per unit (AED) Total (AED) Land 5 acres 50,000 per year 250,000 Greenhouses 200m x 40m 2 10,758 21,516 250m x 50m 3 13,500 40,500 150m x 60m 2 8,250 16,500 Pesticides 25 liters 230 5,750 Seeds and seedlings Tomatoes 30 kg 150 4,500 Onions 20 kg 124 2,480 Cucumbers 25 kg 85 2,125 Capsicum 25 kg 86 2,150 Oranges 15 kg 156 2,340 Strawberries 10 kg 256 2,560 Mangoes 15 kg 180 2,700 Fertilizer 4,000 kg 5 20,000 Farm equipment 16,000 Consultancy fee 12,000 Labor 50,000 Irrigation 65,000 Distribution 30,650 Marketing 25,000 Total 571,771 Business Model The company will adopt a vertical integration business model.6 The core business activity of the company will be production of various organic fruits and vegetables. The company will be in charge of all farming activities to maintain high product quality standards. However, it will collaborate with established retailers (supermarkets) to distribute the org anic fruits and vegetables. This will involve negotiating for floor space within the supermarkets to sell the products. The company will retain and use its brand name rather than those of the retailers. The retailers will invest in the business by providing shelf and refrigeration facilities. In addition, they will employ the staff who will be in charge of sales within the stores. The company, on the other hand, will be responsible for warehousing and transporting the organic fruits and vegetables from the farm to the stores. The retailers will be entitled to 10% of the gross annual sales as their compensation. The benefit of this business model is that it will enable the company to focus on its core competence, which is production of organic fruits and vegetables. This will enable it to channel its scarce resources towards satisfaction of market needs through process and product innovation. Furthermore, partnering with established retailers will enable the company to get instant ac cess to a huge customer base at a low cost. Target Customers The company will use geographic and psychographic segmentation to identify its customers. Geographic segmentation involves identifying customers by dividing the market into various geographical areas.7 The company will focus on serving the UAE market. Specifically, it will focus on serving the urban populations that live in cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This segmentation strategy is informed by the fact that most of the retailers who will be distributing the products are based in urban rather than rural areas. In the urban market, the company will target the working class due to two reasons. First, the working class is associated with a sedentary lifestyle, which increases the risk of acquiring lifestyle-oriented diseases such as obesity. As a result, they are likely to purchase organic fruits and vegetables to prevent lifestyle-oriented diseases. Second, the working class has a high disposable income that will facil itate expenditure on organic fruits and vegetables. Psychographic segmentation involves identifying the target market by taking into account customers’ lifestyles, education, and socio-economic status.8 In this case, the company will target customers who are aware of the health benefits of eating organic fruits and vegetables. The company will also target customers who are interested in leading a healthy lifestyle. These include people who are already suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer and those who would like to avoid lifestyle-oriented diseases. Customers who are interested in adopting healthy lifestyles are likely to purchase locally produced vegetables and fruits because they are fresher than imported ones. In addition, the company will target the affluent who are interested in consuming high quality organic fruits and vegetables to improve their health and to maintain their high social status in the society. Marketing Plan Market Description The market for fr uits and vegetables in the UAE consists of several products. The market is dominated by inorganic fruits and vegetables. These include imported fruits and vegetables that are produced using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. There are also genetically modified fruits and vegetables in the market. The inorganic and the genetically modified fruits and vegetables are cheaper than their organic counterparts. Most consumers are not able to differentiate between organic and genetically modified fruits and vegetables.9 However, the popularity of organic fruits and vegetables is increasing in urban areas due to health campaigns that promote eating of healthy foodstuffs. Product Review The fruits and vegetables that will be sold by the company have two main features. First, their pesticide residue levels will be less than 0.05%. Second, chemicals will not be used to preserve the fruits and vegetables. They will be made available in the stores within 6 hours after harvesting to maintain th e highest level of freshness. SWOT Analysis of the Products The main strength of organic fruits and vegetables is that they have a superior quality in terms of taste and nutritional value. Moreover, production of organic fruits and vegetables is a form of corporate social responsibility that promotes conservation of the environment and improvement of public health. The main weakness of organic fruits and vegetables is that they are very expensive due to the high cost of producing them. Moreover, they have a shorter shelf life than inorganic and genetically modified fruits and vegetables. The main opportunity that is available to organic fruits and vegetables is that their market is growing rapidly in the UAE due to their health benefits. Moreover, increased regulation of production of genetically modified fruits and vegetables will increase the demand for organic foodstuffs. The threats facing the products include limited shelf space and high competition. The dominant retailers have their own groceries that stock inorganic foodstuffs rather organic fruits and vegetables. Moreover, the low-income earners opt for inorganic foodstuffs, which have low prices. Objectives and Issues In the first year, the first objective will be to gain a market share of 6%. The second objective will be to achieve AED 800,000 in sales. In the second year, the first objective will be to increase market share by 8%. The second objective will be to increase brand awareness by 10%. The last objective will be to increase sales by 16%. At the launch of the company and its products, the main issue will be to create brand awareness in order to attract customers. The company will utilize its promotional activities to create brand awareness. Another major issue will be to negotiate distribution agreements with retailers who have nationwide branch networks. Marketing Strategy: Marketing Mix The fruits and vegetables will be positioned based on the ‘healthy living’ value propositio n. This will facilitate differentiation based on nutritional value and health benefits. Marketing initiatives will focus on highlighting the health benefits of organic fruits and vegetables to reinforce the premium positioning strategy.10 The product strategy will focus on using organic inputs to produce the fruits and vegetables. This will ensure that the products have high quality and nutritional value. Additionally, the products will be sold as fresh produce to preserve their natural taste and appeal. In the first year of market entry, the company will adopt the penetration pricing strategy to gain market share. This will involve selling the products at a low price in order to attract customers. The resulting increase in sales will increase the market share and profits in the long-term. Distribution will be done by retailers who have nationwide branch networks. The company intends to collaborate with at least two major supermarkets that are interested in operating their groceries in collaboration with an organic foods producer. Marketing communications initiatives will focus on using print and electronic media to advertise the products. Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ will be used to create buzz among customers about the brand. The main objective of the advertising campaigns will be to create brand awareness. Public relations will be used to create brand credibility by influencing the public to develop a positive attitude towards organic fruits and vegetables. Breakeven Analysis The objective of the business is to breakeven in the fourth quarter of the first year. Assuming a fixed cost of AED 459,205 in the first year, an average variable cost of AED 0.05/ kg, average retail revenue of AED15/ kg, and equal production volume for each product category, breakeven can be calculated as: This means that the company must sell at least 30,716.05 kilograms of its products in order to breakeven. Governance and Management Structure The company will operate as a privat e corporation that will be registered in Abu Dhabi. It will have a hierarchical organizational structure with a few management levels.11 The board will consist of three directors who will be in charge of developing the company’s strategy and supervising the management. The day-to-day activities of the company will be run by the CEO. The CEO will report to the board of directors. The executive management will consist of the CEO, operations manager, marketing manager, farm manager, and finance manager. The managers will report to the CEO. The management will be responsible for implementing the company’s strategies and supervising the employees. Competition and Survival Strategy Main Competitors There are numerous small-scale producers of organic vegetables and fruits in the UAE. The small-scale producers normally sell directly to customers in their local communities. Al Dahra and Greenheart UAE are the main producers of organic fruits and vegetables in the industry. Al D ahra has over two decades of experience in the industry and a nationwide distribution network. This makes it the main player in the industry. Apart from local producers, the top 4 largest retailers in the UAE import and distribute a wide range of organic fruits and vegetables. The retailers include Carrefour, Lulu, Choithram Sons, and Spinneys-Dubai. These firms have huge financial resources to expand their capacities. Moreover, they control the distribution channel. Overall, the most significant competitive threat comes from the retailers and Al Dahra. Managing Growth and Innovation The company will focus on organic expansion and joint ventures to increase its capacity. After establishing a strong brand image in the market, the company will focus on improving its brand visibility. This will involve opening its retail outlets in Abu Dhabi in the third year of market entry to reduce dependence on retailers’ distribution channels. In the next five years, the company will establ ish three outlets in Abu Dhabi and two in Dubai. It will also sign distribution agreements with at least two more retailers. Moreover, it will extend its product line by introducing more fruits and vegetables. The company will embark on research and development in partnership with local universities to achieve product and process innovation. The research will focus on developing effective and efficient organic farming techniques to improve the quality of the products and to reduce production costs. In the next ten years, the company will focus on value addition by producing fresh fruit juice to increase its revenue. Financial Model Projected Profit and Loss Account for the First Three Years 1styear (AED) 2ndyear (AED) 3rdyear (AED) Total revenue 800,000 928,000 1,076,480 Less Cost of sales 159,605 185,142 214,765 Gross profit 640,395 742,858 861,715 Expenses Accounting and legal fees 8,500 8,500 9,000 Consultancy fees 12,000 12,500 13,000 Marketing 25,000 32,000 40,000 Electricity 8,500 9,000 10,000 Insurance 13,600 13,600 14,000 Salaries and wages 50,000 52,500 55,000 Administrative expenses 35,000 36,000 38,000 Farm expenses 60,605 72,000 90,000 Distribution 10,650 13,200 15,000 Establishment 328,516 250,000 250,000 Miscellaneous 5,000 3,000 2,000 Depreciation 1,000 2,000 3,000 Less Total expenses 558,371 504,300 533,000 Profit before tax 82,024 238,558 322,715 The company expects to make a profit of AED 82,024 in the first year. In the second and the third year, the company expects a profit of AED 238,558 and AED 322,715 respectively. Balance Sheet Beginning as at Sep. 01 2014 (AED) Projected as at Sep. 01 2015 (AED) Projected as at Sep. 01 2016 (AED) Assets Current assets Cash in bank 700,000 93,000 89,900 Accounts receivable 0 300,000 400,000 Inventory 0 150,000 176,500 Prepaid expenses 10,000 45,000 100,000 Other assets 0 26,000 75,000 Total current assets 710,000 61 4,000 841,400 Fixed assets Plant and equipment 94,000 150,000 258,000 Furniture and fixture 10,000 35,000 85,600 Land and buildings 250,000 250,000 615,000 Other assets 0 21,000 25,000 Total fixed assets 354,000 456,000 983,600 Other assets Intangibles 0 5,000 120,000 Goodwill 0 5,000 150,000 Total other assets 0 10,000 170,000 Total assets 1,064,000 1,330,000 1,995,000 Liabilities and equity Current liabilities Accounts payable 0 175,000 237,000 Interest payable 0 20,000 18,000 Taxes payable 0 2,500 2,550 Short-term debts 0 56,000 150,000 Other liabilities 0 0 45,000 Total current liabilities 0 253,000 452,550 Long-term liability Bank loans (payable) 250,000 200,000 150,000 Other long-term debts 0 0 120,000 Total long-term liability 250,000 200,000 270,000 Owners’ equity Invested capital 814,000 816,500 1,072,450 Retained earnings 0 60,000 200,000 Total owners’ equity 814,000 876,500 1,272,450 T otal liabilities and owners’ equity 1,064,000 1,330,000 1,995,000 The company will be worth AED 1,064,000 at its inception in 2014. Its value is expected to increase to AED 1,995,000 in the third year. Projected Cash Flow Statement Sep. 01 2014 Aug. 31 2015 Aug. 31 2016 Cash in hand at the beginning of the year 700,000 700,000 225,653 Cash receipts Cash from sales 0 83,024 240,558 Accounts receivable 0 0 300,000 Total cash receipts 0 83,024 240,558 Total cash available 700,000 783,024 766,211 Cash paid out Accounting and legal fees 0 8,500 8,500 Consultancy fees 0 12,000 12,500 Marketing 0 25,000 32,000 Electricity 0 8,500 9,000 Insurance 0 13,600 13,600 Salaries and wages 0 50,000 52,500 Administrative expenses 0 35,000 36,000 Farm expenses 0 60,605 72,000 Distribution 0 10,650 13,200 Establishment 0 328,516 250,000 Miscellaneous 0 5,000 3,000 Total cash paid out 0 557,371 502,300 Cash in hand (end year) 700,000 225,653 26 3,911 The cash flow statement summarizes the expected cash flow for two years. It highlights the cash that will be received and how it will be utilized. Deployment Plan and Timeline The company will launch its operations in September 2014. In the first three months, the company will focus on establishing the farm by acquiring and installing the required equipment, as well as, preparing the land for farming. In the next 8 months, it will focus on growing the fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the marketing team will embark on negotiating distribution contracts with select retailers. After signing the distribution contracts, the retailers will be expected to establish the shelves and refrigerators that will be used to sell the products. The marketing team will train the retailers’ employees who will be in charge of sales. The training will focus on product features and the marketing programs that will be adopted. Distribution and marketing communications campaign will begi n in the 13th month. The key milestones to be achieved and the timeline are summarized in Gantt chart 1. Gantt chart 1 Bibliography Al-Qassemi Rasha and Ibrahim Mohammed. â€Å"The Sharjah Food Safety Program: Implementing Innovative Best Practice to Improve Public Health.† Worldwide Hospital and Tourism Themes 3, no. 5 (2011): 432-442. Czinkota Michael and Ian Ronkainen. International Marketing. London: Oxford University Press, 2012. Doole, Isaac and Raymond Lowe. International Marketing Strategy. London: Palgrave, 2008. Freeman Eric. Strategic Management. London: Palgrave, 2010. Gemma Harper and Makatouni Aikaterini. â€Å"Consumer Perception of Organic Food Production and Farm Animal Welfare.† British Food Journal 104, no. 3 (2010): 287-299. Ireland John and Soha Rajabzadeh. â€Å"UAE Consumer Concerns about Halal Products.† Journal of Islamic Marketing 2, no. 3 (2011): 274-283. Justorines Paul and Richard Jyoti. â€Å"Consumer Behavior and Purchase Intenti on for Organic Food.† Journal of Consumer Marketing 29, no. 6 (2012): 412-422. Sadler Philip. Strategic Management. 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Michael Czinkota and Ian Ronkainen, International Marketing (London: Oxford University Press, 2012), 113. Paul Justorines and Richard Jyoti, â€Å"Consumer Behavior and Purchase Intensions for Organic Food,† Journal of Consumer Marketing 29, no. 6 (2012): 415. Isaac Doole and Raymond Lowe, International Marketing Strategy (London: Sage, 2008), 90. Eric Freeman, Strategic Management (London: Sage, 2010), 156. This research paper on Organic Agriculture in the United Arab Emirates was written and submitted by user Al1a to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.