Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Issues in Human Resource Strategies That Improve Organizational Performance Essay

A rapidly changing economic environment, characterized by such phenomena as the globalization, and deregulation of markets, changing customer and investor demands, and ever increasing product market competition, has become the norm for most organization. To compete, they must continually improve their performance by reducing costs; innovating products and processes; improving quality, productivity, and speed to market; and more importantly by improving their individual performance within the organization. In order to do this, a set of distinctive human resource strategies, defined as internally consistent bundles of human resource practices (Dyer & Reeves, 1995), is clearly essential. Sparrow and Marchington (1998) suggested that HR practices are the most advanced, the most sophisticated, and the most efficient basis for organizing and for obtaining high performance from employees since it seeks to strategically integrate the interests of an organization and its employees. In addition, a number of studies have also indicated that there is a positive relationship between effective HR strategies and organizational performance. Specifically, it is suggested that HR practices can improve organizational and operational performance when matched with quality manufacturing strategies (Stone, 2002). Nevertheless, despite the positive relationship found between HR practices and firm performance, there are a number of issues and questions surrounding them. One problem in relating HRM and performance is the lack of theoretical background; resulting in both terms remain ambiguous concepts. Other questions arise in relation with the link between HR strategies and performance are the inconsistent findings in regards to what constitutes a high performance HR strategy (Becker & Gerhart, 1996; Cooke, 2001) and the problems with HRM and performance measurements (Guest et al. , 2003). The aim of this essay is to outline and explain the issues in developing human resource strategies that improve organizational performance. Specifically, the essay shall begin with presenting the issue of theoretical background of the concept of HRM and organizational performance. Subsequently, it shall discuss the issue about diversified strategies used to improve performance, and the problems in measuring HRM and performance. ?HRM and Organizational Performance: The Lack of Theoretical Background Guest (1997) pointed out that to improve our understanding of the impact of HRM on performance; we need a theory about HRM, a theory about performance, and a theory about how they are linked. Unfortunately, there has been a great deal of debates amongst leading researchers and practitioners about the concept and contributions of HRM practice in managing employees in overall organizational objectives (Loosemore, Dainty & Lingard, 2003; Analoui, 1998; Sparrow & Marchington, 1998). McCarthy and Stone (1986) argued that the concept of HRM is ambiguous and that its contribution to organizational performance remains unclear and is not well understood. In addition, Sparrow and Marchington (1998) pointed out that rather than adding value to the business through its strategic integration with managerial objectives, HRM can remain a disappointingly mechanistic function. Similarly, there is no universal theory about performance (Guest, 1997). It was proposed that the meaning of performance involves two dimensions; the types of criteria and the weight of each. Organizations have different interpretations of performance according to the sector of their industries. Service providers, for example, might consider customer satisfaction as their top performance indicator, while manufacturers might view inventory level as an important criterion to measure their performance level. In addition, some organizations put financial results on top of their performance indicator list and employee’s job satisfaction at the bottom, but others may view this in the opposite position. As a result, it is hard, if not impossible, to define the concept of performance that applicable for all organizations. The impact of HR practices on firm performance is without a doubt an important topic in the fields of human resource management, industrial relations, and industrial and organizational psychology (Huselid, 1995; Jones & Wright, 1992). This literature, although largely conceptual, concludes that HR practices can help to create a source of sustained competitive advantage, especially when they are aligned with a firm’s competitive strategy (Jackson & Schuler, 1995; Wright & McMahan, 1992, both as cited in Huselid, 1995). Specifically, a large majority of published studies found an association between HR practices and firm performance, regardless of whether they are cross-sectional or longitudinal, whether conducted at establishment or company level, whether based on strong performance data or subjective estimates, whatever sector they are based on, whatever operational definition of HRM is used, and wherever they are conducted (Guest et al. , 2003). Nevertheless, despite the positive thrust of most empirical findings, Wood and de Menezes (1998, as cited in Guest et al. 2003) failed to find consistent associations between HRM and performance. Furthermore, Wood (1999) has also argued that the relationship between HRM and performance is relatively weak. One possible explanation lies in the various contingency factors, other than HR activities, that might contribute to organizational performance such as organizational culture (Kotter & Heskett, 1992; Van der Post et al. , 1998), business strategy (Richard & Brown Johnson, 1999), and political considerations (Ferris et al. 1998). ?Improvement Strategies: Is There One Best Way? Much of the research on the link between HRM and firm performance has looked at single HR practice such as compensation or selection, while others attempted to look on the impact of combining different HR practices to improve firm performance (Becker & Gerhart, 1996). Pfeffer (1998, as cited in Tyson, 1997), for instance, put forward a seven-principle best practice which he believed is universally applicable. The seven best practice HRM elements include; employment security, selective hiring, self managed teams, high compensation contingent on organizational performance, extensive training, reduction of status difference, and information sharing. Theoretically, bundling several HR practices should produce greater performance effects than any of the individual human practices (Dyer & Reeves, 1995). However, in reality, there is no single standardized bundle of HR strategies that is universally applicable for all organizations. Each firm might require different bundles of HR strategies to improve its organizational performance.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Large Corporations Essay

Large corporations such as Wal-Mart or Home Depot often come under criticism for putting mom-and-pop shops out of business. While this may be a valid criticism, the consumers neglect to realize that they play the biggest part in shutting these businesses down. Consumers across the country are always looking for the best deals or the lowest prices, and in most cases the larger corporations are where products can be found at the lowest price. Many small business owners and the populations of small towns dislike large corporations moving into the area because they believe it negatively effects the local economy. In reality, we should embrace large corporations moving into our communities because they boost the local economy, they lower prices on products we use every day, and they create hundreds of jobs. Some believe that large corporations harm the local economy. While this is true in some cases, studies have shown that placing a Wal-Mart in an area actually increased sales for businesses in or around the area. In a study conducted in 2002 by Jim Simmons, a retired University of Toronto geography professor, the professor states: â€Å"We tried to see if there was a substantial sales decline in the nearby areas, but it was difficult to find,† said Mr. Simmons. â€Å"We couldn’t find any situation where people lost sales or went out of business.† (Shaw, H. 2002). This is just one of the many findings from the study. In an effort to further boost the local economies of the areas new Wal-marts are opened in, Wal-Mart has implemented a Locally Grown program that has been enacted since 2008. Pam Kohn, who is a senior vice president and general grocery merchandise manager, had this to say about the program. â€Å"At Walmart we are committed to increasing our locally grown offerings and the number of local small farms we work with. Through this program we are able to cut shipping costs and decrease food miles, but most importantly we are offering our customers an opportunity to support their local farmers without worrying about the impact on their wallets.† (Economics Week, 2008) This means that not only are they benefitting the stores around the area, but also the farmers in the area as well. This leads to a stronger local economy, and ultimately a thriving community. Stores like Wal-Mart are famous for keeping their prices so low. This is one reason why they are able to maintain a grip on the consumers of an area. They accomplish this by keeping the cost to produce and transport the goods low. In January, a study by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. found that, â€Å"an individual family could save $589 a year on groceries by shopping at a supercenter. Overall, shoppers could save $3.76 billion in merchandise nationwide.† (Blazier, A, 2004) A major reason they can keep prices lower than mom-and-pop run businesses is their ability to buy merchandise in bulk. Buying in bulk works the same way it does for a consumer. The more of a product that is purchased, the less the cost is per unit. Consumers see this every day when they go to stores like Sam’s Club or Costco. When they buy their merchandise in bulk, they are able to offer it to the consumer at a lower price. (Kale, 2011) This is what could eventually drive the mom-and-pop owned businesses out of the area, and draw a negative criticism from the public. The interesting thing about this criticism is that the public complains about Wal-Mart driving these smaller businesses out, yet continue to shop at the Wal-Mart to save money. It would seem as though all that would be needed to be done would be to stop shopping at Wal-Mart and start shopping at the locally owned businesses. On the topic of jobs, there is a general increase in the availability of jobs after a large corporation moves in. Going back to the Wal-Mart example, a study was conducted to show how Wal-Mart affected job creation. In a study conducted by University of Missouri-Columbia professor Emek Basker, Wal-Mart creates a net value of 50 jobs more than it â€Å"destroys.† In her study, she presents these findings: â€Å"I find that immediately after entry, retail employment in the county increases by approximately 100 jobs; this figure declines by half over the next five years as some small and medium-sized retail establishments close. Wholesale employment declines by approximately 20 jobs over five years. Restaurant employment increases slightly; there is no change in employment in manufacturing or in automobile dealerships and service stations.† (Basker, 2005) In addition to the new jobs that are created, most Wal-Mart employees can enroll in health benefit programs, whether part time or full time workers. This means that smaller communities where health insurance options may have been limited will now have jobs where health insurance is a benefit. Also the low income families who can not afford pricey health insurance have the opportunity to receive benefits. Another benefit of having a Wal-Mart move into a community is the money it brings into the area. As with all businesses, large corporations have to pay taxes that go to local governments in the area they operate. In a bi-monthly publishing by the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, Mitch Renkow writes, â€Å"Wal-Mart generates substantial sales tax and property tax revenues for the county in which it locates. This could potentially be of great benefit to the fiscal well-being of the local government in the town or county where the Wal-Mart is located.† (Renkow, 2005) This means that there is more money being generated for local spending, With all of the business that Wal-Mart can do, that is that much more money for the local area, much more than any mom-and-pop shops could provide. We should embrace bigger corporations moving into the area because it ultimately creates a stronger local economy. These corporations bring in products from around the world to communities that would have never gotten a chance to purchase them. They also keep the prices low so that low income families can afford them. Through job creation, slashing prices, and the attention to the area that comes with a big store such as Wal-Mart, it can be said that local economies benefit from these new stores opening in the area. WORKS CITED: Shaw, H. (2002). Wal-mart boosts local economies: Study: Finding shows retail behemoth benefits neighbouring stores. National Post. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/329926525?accountid=32521 Sailee, Kale (2011) How Does Walmart Keep Its Prices So Low? Retrieved from: http://www.business-online-news.com/how-does-walmart-keep-its-prices-so-low.html Blazier, A. (2004, Apr 15). Study concludes Wal-Mart creates more jobs than Retail chain chases away. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/464131659?accountid=32521 Matthews, C. (2012, 07). Ten Ways Wal-Mart Changed the World. Retrieved from http://business.time.com/2012/07/02/ten-ways-walmart-changed-the-world/#ixzz2IYS1yFFm Renkow, M. (2005). N.C. State Economist. Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics. retrieved from: www.ag-econ.ncsu.edu/VIRTUAL_LIBRARY/ECONOMIST/novdec05.pdf Basker, Emek, (2005) Job Creation or Destruction? Labor-Market Effects of Wal-Mart Expansion. Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 87, No. 1, February 2005. retrieved from SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=371102 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.371102

Monday, July 29, 2019

Prejudice in the Movie

This poignant and gripping film illustrates the reality of racial discrimination and bigotry among the contemporary society.   The diverse characters of people from different racial groups like Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics or Latinos are shown in this movie in the city of Los Angeles.It vividly displays so much prejudice, anger and fear of getting discriminated due to several reasons with the comeuppance of certain intense situations to the point where the one who is being inflicted retaliates back which sometimes could result to violence.Prejudice can be in the form of racism or sexism, manifested verbally, unconsciously or deliberately.   These people say what comes to their minds without the filters of propriety and compassion to others.   This class aided me to understand that people typecast or stereotype a person or group due to some irrational preconceived dislike.Based psychologically and socially, we may have experienced a traumatic or upsetting sit uation which made us form a bias against an individual. Economic background is also a basis of prejudice, disliking one belonging to the rich or the poor. Furthermore, raised in different cultures, it is inevitable that one dislikes another person’s behavior since it is different from what one is used to or has been raised in.Crash has expressively and effectively communicated to the viewers how people manifest prejudice to each other.   It displayed how one character can become the offender at one time and a victim in another discrimination situation.   This just shows how each one of us has a prejudice over someone or something.   Movies like Crash, try to impart the harsh realities to provide us the awareness and awaken us to elicit improvement in whatever we fall short of in a personal level as well as in the community.   It forces us to face what is happening so that someday we may have a world free of prejudice.REFERENCECheadle, D., Haggis, P., Moresco, R., Schu lman, C., & Yari, B. (Producers), Haggis, P.  (Director). (2005). Crash [Motion Picture]. United States: Lions Gate Films

Mini-Project Assignment 1 Short Report on Current Information Essay

Mini-Project Assignment 1 Short Report on Current Information Technology - Essay Example Analyzing Italy’s market is imperative and the manner through which this is done is by looking at the P.E.S.T situation of the country alongside the seven P’s of marketing. Italy has been a democratic nation for 46 years now; thus, the political environment is reputable for the marketing of the product. This is from the fact that with the democracy, the government does not inhibit the citizens from purchasing products at will. Moreover, the democracy also allows the United States, the producer of the ipad, to venture into the Italian market easily and consequently have increased sales of the ipad (Fleisher, 2008, 169). The fact that the country has a well laid out judicial system is also important for the marketing of the new ipad. This is from the fact that there is control on the decisions that powerful politicians make. An example is a politician who may talk ill of the ipad and tell people not to purchase it. Such cases are few - the concept of freedom and independe nce is incorporated in the Italian market. One factor that may come as a disadvantage in the marketing of the ipad is with regards to the tax tariffs that the country has. Lately, Italy has set its tariffs very high in an effort to boost its economy. With the increased tariffs, the country will have reduced imports and – consequently – the goods within the country will increase in sales. With this the standards ought to increase and make the economy of the country boost. The issue of tariffs was induced by the executive arm of the government and has been a major hindrance to the sale of products. This factor is bound to affect the marketing of the product in the country (Henry, 2009, 48). Shifting focus to the economic aspect of the country, Italy’s economy is rated eighth largest in the world. This has been effective in ensuring that the circulation of products in the country is well above average. Moreover, this means that most citizens in the country are stab le thus being in a position to market the ipad. This brings down the fears that one may have when introducing the ipad into the Italian market. It is also important to understand the fact that country’s economy is not stagnant but rather on the rise from the various measures taken by the government such as increased taxation (Cohen, 2011, 68). This ensures that the citizens of the country are always up and busy to ensure that they achieve their goals while living a comfortable life. Introduction of the ipad into the market would work great to ensure that these people are always informed on the changing market trends by using the device. This acts as a positive impact on the sale of the ipad, and so there is the need to introduce it into the Italian market. The transport sector is one other factor to consider with regards to the marketing of the ipad in Italy. Italy’s economy has been stable, and ensuring infrastructure development is a key aspect in the country. Italy has well established roads that generate a huge income for the government. The fact that these roads are in great conditions ensures the sale of the ipad is in huge amounts due to accessibility of even the remote areas in the country. This would mean that the incorporation of the ipad into the Italian market would fetch the company a lot of money from many users that would get to know about it. Italy also has rating as one of the wealthiest countries in the world. This

Sunday, July 28, 2019

File Sharing and Burning CDs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

File Sharing and Burning CDs - Essay Example He is now known as the media man. All the videos and movies in our circle of friends come from him. He writes freeware software for us, whenever we need any and then posts them to us. He has all the latest movies and videos that we could want. He however became very possessive about his computer system and didn’t allow others to enter without his permission. Once I tried to log on to his computer without his permission and there was an outbreak from him. He was really upset and called it ‘invasion of privacy’. I however apologized and explained that it was totally unintentional. This experienced opened up a new world of computers for me. Prior to this experience I had always considered computers as a tool which was used to perform work. The closeness that my cousin felt towards his computer created intrigue towards this feeling. I wanted to learn and understand this feeling. The first step was setting up a personal computer which was similar to my cousin’s, only less powerful. Using a fast internet connection I downloaded some movie and share them using torrents. It was indeed a magical experience. There were thousands of people who downloaded from my link and gave thank you notes. Some of them went ahead and asked for other movies which they really wanted to watch. I was flattered this experience gave me an insight into the personal side of file sharing. This practice does not only give you sense of purpose but also gives great joy. The reason for people to engage in this practice is indeed different for different people. Some share file just to earn money through advertisement. This is a hefty amount and many take it up as a full time job. Others however find it joyful to be of service to other and to be liked. It all depends on the psychological contract of individuals. The feeling of sharing and finding a connection with thousands of people all around the world is indeed priceless. Many people find it

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Memento Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Memento - Essay Example In the short story version â€Å"Memento Mori† a man named Earl has lost his short term memory after he and his wife were viciously attacked by an unknown assailant. His wife was killed in the attack but Earl sustained severe head injuries resulting in his short term amnesia. Because he can only remember things for about ten minutes at a time, he uses notes and tattoos to keep track of new information. The story goes between two time-frames. In the first time frame Earl is in a mental institution. The second time frame details his escape from the mental institution which he does not remember. During his escape he sets out to avenge the murder of his wife by finding her killer. Since Earl is lacking long term memory he relies on notes, tattoos and a third person narrative to help him. The story is told using the third person narrative along with a first person narrative. The first person narrative is told from Earl’s point of view with sentences beginning with â€Å"you †, while the third person narrative is an outsider to the story. â€Å" The function of the third-person narration is to juxtapose an external view of Earl with the internal views that Earl expresses in his writing. The third person narrator describes how Earl's short-term memory loss affects his behavior. The external narrator shows Earl stumbling around and reading his endless notes.† (Nolan n. pag.) Earl succeeds in killing his wife’s but cannot remember this incident. The story ends with Earl in the back of a police car after he is arrested for killing his wife’s’ murderer. The film â€Å"Memento† was directed by Christopher Nolan. (Jonathan Nolan’s brother) In it the main character is named Leonard Shelby. Like Earl, Leonard and his wife were attacked viciously by unknown assailants and his wife is killed in the attack. Leonard was brutally beaten by the same man who killed his wife and as a result of this vicious attack he has no short-term memory. Leonard killed the attacker who raped and strangled his wife, but a second clubbed him and escaped. After an investigation by law enforcement, police determined that the attacker who was killed by Leonard acted alone. However Leonard insists that there was a second attacker that he believed was named John G. Like Earl in the short story version Leonard conducts his own investigation using a system of notes and tattoos in order to help himself cope with short term memory loss. He also adds Polaroid photos to help him. However while Earl acted alone Leonard has the help of Natalie, a barmaid and Teddy who claims to be Leonard’s friend. These people seem to random people that Leonard comes across who do not seem to have anything to do with the other. (â€Å"Memento†)Unlike Earl who saw the face of his wife’s killer, â€Å"You remember his face†, (sheepdean), Leonard never saw the faces of the perpetrators in the attack. As a result he win ds up being manipulated by Teddy and Natalie into killing two wrong men. (â€Å"Memento†) The plot of the film version goes from the end of the movie to the beginning of the movie (end of the plot). There are color sequences interconnected with black and white sequences throughout the movie. (Memento) The black and white sequences begin with Leonard sitting in a motel room talking on the phone to an unknown person. The color sequences are also not shown in order. Once Leonard finds out the license plate of â€Å"

Friday, July 26, 2019

What I think the good life means to me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

What I think the good life means to me - Essay Example The book Affluenza gives great information and detail on living a good life while minimizing your daily consumption (De Graaf, Wann, & Naylor, 2001). Affluenza respects the perfect human desires. It also seeks to create different methods to make comfort, elegance, and enjoyment more genuine and durables than purchasable, perishable things. Education, family, relationships, work, moral and ethical principles, spiritual support and success are some of the things that make the cut. Before you can jump into the obvious conclusion of how the above qualities are far from being good, take a walk with me. The goodness of good is relative as well. Since the custodian of this life is squally on me, the definition is equally dependent on my choices. Many philosophers of our time and the past have had much to say on the topic of good. Socrates, for example, defined good as the absence of what was bad. I do not agree with the definition of Socrates (Cohen, 1971). Other philosophers like Plato do not vocally commit to the definition of good but via their writing, it is safe to infer that virtues like courage, wisdom, humility make the list of what is good. The late definition is more of what my qualities mentioned above incline to for support. Education is one of the qualities that I listed above. Education in this case is not just the acquisition of information and knowledge. It is not even the ability to show forth competence in skills and the proficiency with which one’s performance. Education in my book is the ability to use information, technology, skills for the betterment of humanity. As a radiologist, I envision doing my masters and my doctorate before I get to forty-five. These degrees are however only a mirror of academic excellence and pursuit and not education. An educated individual makes leaders out of commoners. Education broadens the vision beyond the visionary. My vision, for example, is that my

Thursday, July 25, 2019

The expression of human feelings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The expression of human feelings - Essay Example Without rejecting the role of violent films and readings in the development of aggressive behaviour, Jones notes that for children the involvement in - imaginary - violent activities is rather beneficial than catastrophic – under the terms highlighted in the particular article. The views of Jones on the potential benefits of violence for the psychology of children are presented to the public using a specific methodology: the extensive reference to the writer’s personal experiences – in various forms and dates, from his childhood up today – in regard to the issue under discussion. More specifically, in the beginning of the article, reference is made to the writer’s personal experiences in his childhood and emphasis is given on the fact that Marvel comics – especially Hulk – helped the writer to face his fears for socializing and taking initiatives. In the writer’s adulthood, Marvel comics, helped him to make an appropriate choice in terms of profession – and become a writer; moreover, it is noted that the reading of comics with violent scenes helped the writer’s son to overcome his fear for getting involved in risky games (such as the climbing of a tree). Furthermore, Jones refers to the views of Melanie Moore, a psychologist who has worked in the specific field; the writer also describes the findings of the research he made himself – having worked with children who faced behavioural problems. The methodology used by Jones regarding the presentation and the support of his views can be characterized as effective, having the advantage of the personal testimony on the issues involved. However, the writer does not refer to relevant findings of the literature – meaning the findings of the empirical research developed by researchers in regard to the specific issue – no reference is made to statistics or to the studies of academic researchers on the particular subject. Moreover, it could be argued that the interpretation of the findings of his research is influenced by his personal perceptions – especially his personal experiences, as described in the introductory paragraphs of his article. At this point, the credibility of the research of Jones could be doubted. In this context, it could be argued that Jones has not achieved to persuade the readers on the validity of the views promoted through his article – referring especially to the potential existence of benefits from offering to the children access to readings and scenes that promote violence. The above view is further analyzed below. At this point, the ideas promoted through the article of Jones should be criticized and evaluated. The use of violent readings (comics, books and so on) or of films/ games which include violent scenes as a tool for helping the natural aggression of children to be expressed should be re-considered. The findings of relevant research provided by Jones may lead to the assumption that such practice is effective for controlling the anger of children, however it is not guaranteed that the opposite results can be avoided. Moreover, each child has different perceptions on the notion of peace and violence – being influenced by the conditions in the family environment. The provision of access to the children to readings and games that refer to violent scenes could negatively

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Defeating Diabetes one step at a time- the Alpha Gamma Delta Essay

Defeating Diabetes one step at a time- the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation - Essay Example According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 23.6 million people representing 8% of population are diabetic which is increasingly becoming a cause of growing concern and hence in dire need of strong and prompt action. It is in the light of these facts that I intend to take up the cause and help make a difference to the society of which we all are a part of. The cause need to be popularized through media as well as through word of mouth, so as to cause awareness about this critical issue and touch the lives of millions of people worldwide by spreading the word. With a host of opportunities available today, especially with the growth of internet and its rising popularity among the young and the old alike, the cause could be conveniently propagated through blogs, social networking sites, video uploading sites, as well as through other forms of media such as T.V and news advertisements. In order to make a difference you need to have a vision – a vision that inspires change. They say that you need to be the change you want to see and to suffice I’d like to quote these lines: â€Å"Maybe I will never be, All the things that I’d like to be, Now is not the time to cry, Now is the time to find out why† –

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Project X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Project X - Essay Example he form of auditing, internal controls, policies and procedures, budget restrictions, and the like all of which can be enforced at some costs given the assumption of symmetric information (Frame, 2003). The main techniques of risk monitoring include assessment, cross-functional teams, inspection, interviews, reports, observations and reviewing. The most usual ones of these are inspection and control charts, and it is possible to use flowcharting and trend analysis to see whether production facilities and budget to the norm or getting worse. However, these tools are used rather late in the day and are more to do with correcting errors and confirming that what is being delivered is what is required. More emphasis needs to be placed on making sure the correct quality or performance is specified at the outset and clearer recognition of the need for a well-motivated team that clearly understands the project. Some researchers underline that performance monitoring is a part of risk management and control. â€Å"Performance monitoring involves measuring operational activities, analyzing the resulting metrics, and comparing them to internally established standards and industry benchmarks to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of existing operations† (Risk Monitoring and Reporting, n.d.). For project X, the most effective monitoring and control methods will be assessment, cross-functional teams and inspection. Cross-functional teams perform an important role in organizations joining different project areas. To achieve the task requires clear definition, good planning, clear roles and responsibilities, appropriate resources and regular reviews as the project proceeds. Inspection (independent monitoring) will help managers to provide external analysis of the resources, current technological processes and compare them with established standards (applied to the industry in general). Interviews and reports can be identified as internal control methods, which allow a manager

Neuropsychological Impact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Neuropsychological Impact - Essay Example On the other hand, impulses were sent by waves on unmyelinated fibers. If a single peripheral fiber has been damaged, the myelins sheath gives off a track that is responsible for its regeneration. The myelin sheath does not always attain the perfect regeneration for each fiber. Sometimes, the correct muscles fibers are nowhere to be found so some motor neurons of the peripheral nervous system die. When the myelin layer is damaged, the individual may be prone to a higher level of dysfunctionality. Unmyelinated fibers and myelinated axons of the mammalian central nervous system do not regenerate. The reason for this is that the CNS of mammals in enclosed in the spinal column, which has a lesser deal of trauma rather than the peripheral nervous system. Research shows that optic nerve fibers in postnatal rats can regroup. But its regeneration often depends on two conditions namely: axonal die-back has to be prevented with appropriate neurotrophic factors and neurite growth inhibitory com ponents have to be inactivated. This led the scientists to further understand the regeneration of nerve fibers in mammalian CNS. For invertebrates, propagation of action potentials in unmyelinated axons is sufficient to run fast. To accelerate the speed, the axon should be a little larger. Increasing the speed of action potentials and increasing the diameter of the axon is not possible in vertebrates. Angeli et al.' s (2010) mentions that Squid giant axons spread up to 1 mm in diameter and have a great speed. Mammalian nerves have about 400 fibers in the same cross-sectional area as the squid giant axon. So if every nerve fiber is size of the squid giant axon, every nerve in mammals would be about 2 cm in diameter. Thus a different... This paper stresses that MS affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, in communication with each other. Nerve cells communicate by electrical signals called action potentials on long-fiber axons that are wrapped in an insulating substance called myelin. In MS, the immune system attacks and damages the myelin. In case of loss of myelin, axons can no longer effectively carry signals. Name comes from multiple sclerosis, scarring and in particular in the white matter of the brain and spinal cord, which consists mainly of myelin. Although much is known about the procedures involved in the disease, the cause remains unknown. Theories include genetics or infections. Many environmental risk factors have been found. Almost all of the neurological symptoms may occur with the disease and often progresses to physical and cognitive disabilities. MS takes several forms, with new symptoms occurring either accumulates in discrete attacks or slowly over time. This report makes a conclusion that there is no known cure for multiple sclerosis. Treatment attempted return of function after an attack, preventing new attacks and prevent disability. MS drugs can have side effects or bad to be tolerated and many patients pursue alternative treatments, despite the lack of support for scientific studies. The prognosis is difficult to predict, depending on the subtype of disease, disease characteristics of each patient; the first symptoms and the degree of disability the person experiences as time advances, the life expectancy of patients 5-10 years younger with respect to the affected population.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Importance of Management and Leadership for an Organization Essay Example for Free

Importance of Management and Leadership for an Organization Essay â€Å"Both management and leadership are needed to make teams and organisations successful. Trying to decide which is more important is like trying to decide whether the right or left wing is more important to an airplane’s flight. I’ll take both please!† (Clemmer, 2005, as cited in McLean, 2005, p.16). The aim of this essay is to answer the age old question as to whether management or leadership is more important to an organisation. Organisations, ranging from professional to social, have been in existence for centuries and the sole purpose of any of these organisations is to grow and succeed. Thus, it is without a doubt that any organisation would accomplish much without a source of management or leadership. Even though it is evident that both management and leadership are both fundamental to a successful organisation, a distinction between the two should be made; although they are both similar in definition and function they do differ in importance in and effect on organisations. It is contended that the implementation of good management has a greater benefit, and therefore has more importance, to an organisation than leadership because: leading is considered as an element of the management function; to manage an organisation is to sustain it whereas to lead is to direct it but if there is no management, there is no entity, which leaves nothing for leaders to lead; leadership is focused on the management of people but an organisation is made up of more than just people; and also the value of leadership depends deeply on the structure and size of the organisation in question. The term ‘good’ is often used to describe something of quality and skill; thus, good management simply means management that is of the highest quality and is effective in producing the greatest results for an organisation: â€Å"Excellent results stem from a combination of skilled management, strategic thought and a good dose of general common sense† (Honig, 1999, as c ited in Samson Daft, 2009, p.14). Every workplace organisation, whether large or small, has a manager or person in charge; whether the appointed person is able to implement good management depends on their skill and capability. Management is the major task of any manager – it involves the use of authority to coordinate and supervise the activities of others and to ensure that tasks are being completed in an effective and efficient manner. More importantly, managers must implement the four key elements of management: planning, organising, leading and controlling in order to attain organisational goals (Bartol, Tein, Matthews Sharma, 2008). Organisational goals, whether they are sales targets or technological developments, are put in place by managers to set out the purpose and scope of an entity. Without such goals an organisation would cease to exist as there would be no direction to grow or move forward. The process of setting goals and deciding how to achieve them is the planning aspect of the management fu nction (Bartol et al., 2008). If effective management is employed, there is a greater likelihood of managers establishing better organisational goals and contingency plans to ensure the future and success of the organisation; because it will not only be goal directed but will also be prepared for unforeseen circumstances that may arise, enabling them to react effectively and efficiently (Samson Daft, 2009). Good management also assists in the successful implementation of action plans to achieve such organisational goals by organising, allocating, arranging and regulating activities and resources within the workplace (Bartol et al., 2008). Leading and managing are terms often used interchangeably because leading is described as a core activity of any manager (McLean, 2005). Leadership involves managers using influence to motivate employees to engage in plans that work towards achieving organisational goals (Bartol et al., 2008; Samson Daft, 2009). This suggests that leadership is intertwined within the task of management. So if good management practices are in place in an organisation, leadership is expected to follow in existence. However, the mistake should not be made to describe leadership and management as the same thing – â€Å"leadership is an element of management but is not the same thing† (Lyson cited in Robinson, 1999, p.20). To say that leading and managing is the same would be to ultimately say planning and managing is the same thing; nevertheless, planning is only a function of management, as is leading. Therefore, if an organisation were given a choice between employing either a good manager or a good leader, the good manager would be the safer bet because it would be expected that a good manager encompasses good leadership. Furthermore, the importance of and need for management in a workplace is supported by the idea that organisations are established to succeed and innovate and such is not possib le without the planning and setting of organisational goals and the attainment of these goals by organising, leading and controlling. Once good management is in practice, the four key functions, including leadership, are sure to be carried out effectively and efficiently. The profitability of an organisation is not a result of good management on its own; however, management is a major contributing factor. Every organisation is goal directed, and as ascribed earlier, management is the attainment of organisational goals with the use of planning, organising, leading and controlling (Bartol et al., 2008). The organisational goals act as an entity’s reason for existence, it strives to achieve these goals in order to grow and accomplish. Therefore it can be concluded that the focus of any organisation is to grow and move forward rather than to remain stationary and unproductive and thus there is an assumption that the life of the entity will be on going. The survival of an organisation depends on the ability of the manager to sustain it by utilizing the effective skills of good management. The manager is responsible for making informed decisions about the welfare of the organisation along with the collective resources owned. These decisions aim to not only achieve goals but to sustain and up hold the organisation to ensure its survival in today’s dynamic environment. Thus there is emphasis on an organisation to have good management in order for the entity to survive, which also acts to highlight the importance of effective management. On the other hand, leadership is implemented as the principle dynamic force to guide and motivate subordinates to attain organisational objectives (Burns, 1978, as cited in Shamas Ofori, 2008) and ultimately bring change to an organisation as more goals are satisfied. If effective leadership is exercised within an organisation, innovation, change and transformation are easily attainable (Bartol et al., 2008). Alternatively, Slap (2010) asserts that although leadership profits and adds value to an organisation by way of innovation, it is not the purpose of introducing leadership. Rather, leadership is used as a tool to share and express important values and experiences to employees in an attempt to bring about an improved change in the workplace environment and in the attitudes held by employees. Leadership in this sense allows leaders to be more easily respected upon employees because they feel more connected with the leader, which also gives the leader greater influence to motivate and encourage hard work. Nevertheless, whichever way leadership is regarded the end result remains the same: innovation of an organisation by way of providing direction to accomplish objectives (Bass, 1990, as cited in Shamas Ofori, 2008). â€Å"A leader innovates; a manager maintains† (Hollingsworth, as cited in Robinson, 1999, p.20); without effective management to keep the organisation alive it is likely to fail, and consequently leaders will be left taskless there will be no goals left to achieve, no employees left to motivate and ultimately no organisation left to innovate. This strongly recognises the importance of good management and the added advantage it brings to an organisation; without good management, good leadership will be ineffective and futile. On the contrary, leadership is often considered as a much more pleasant concept in comparison to that of management: â€Å"leaders are seen as charismatic and often are admired and held in high esteem, managers frequently are thought of as the organizations taskmasters with a whip in one hand and a bullhorn for screaming out orders in the other hand† (Kotterman, 2006, p. 13). Zaleznik (1977) and Burns (1978), as cited in Nienaber (2010), portray m anagement as â€Å"mundane, uninspiring and tactical by nature† and in addition, asserting that management alone cannot guarantee the success of an organisation. Consequently, it has been argued that leadership should be favoured at the expense of management in a successful organisation (Spurgeon Cragg, 2007, as cited in Nienaber, 2010). One of the most important aspects of leadership is the leaders’ followers (Bennis, 1989, as cited in Shamas Ofori, 2008). Iscoe (2005, as cited in McLean, 2005) argues that people would rather follow a leader than a manger, if given the option; this is not surprising as leaders tend to focus more on the people rather than any other aspect of the organisation because in order for a leader to effectively influence and lead others they must work to gain the trust and respect of their followers. Thus, there are various positive reasons as to why leaders are commended over managers among the people, some of which are highlighted in Maccoby (2000), as cited in Shamas Ofori (2008)., p.63: â€Å"hope of success, trust in the leader, excitement about a project or mission, or the opportunity to stretch onese lf to the limit†. Unlike management, leadership is not an assigned role or title placed on someone. The task of managing a corporation is specific to the teams of managers who are formally appointed the position whereas leaders can stem from any sector of an organisation. Therefore, managers are associated with formal authority (McLean, 2005) which means people secondary to them in the organisational hierarchy may view managers as intimidating and unapproachable which further emphasises why leaders are more favourable in an organisation. Yet in reality, success isn’t easily achievable and so in order to attain it, compromise must occur. An organisation cannot survive on leadership alone, because although a leader may possess few managerial qualities, they are unable to satisfy all the tasks of a manager. Nevertheless, as every workplace organisation involves employees, it is evident that leadership is a fundamental aspect of any entity because leaders are responsible for managing the people. However, organisations are about more than just the workers, which illustrates the prevailing importance of managers to control all the remaining aspects of an organisation such as goals, plans, assets and resources. As previously mentioned, every organisation involves employees. The McDonalds restaurant is the largest fast food chain in the world, operating over 30,000 franchises in over 100 countries worldwide. It was revealed in the 2010 McDonalds annual report that the organisation employs over 1.7 million workers from all age groups across their stores. In enormous corporations such as McDonalds, with such a vast number of employees, it is expected that both leaders and managers are equally essential in running the organisation because there is an equally enormous number of duties to be satisfied. However, in contrast, a small, family-owned, local milk bar may only have, at most, three employees. Clearly leadership is not as important in an organisation of three people in comparison to that of one with over one million people, simply because such a minute organisation does not require such a deep extent of leadership. However, it is not to say that the manager of the milk bar should not possess leadership qualities because even though there are very few employees, motivation and communication of direction must still take place (Nienaber, 2010) in order for the business to thrive. Although both management and leadership are both important functions of an organisation, a number of moderating factors determine the effectiveness and importance of leadership including size of the organisation (Fiedler, 1967; Gardner et al., 2005, as cited in Shamas and Ofori, 2008) whereas, regardless of size or type, every organisation needs a person in charge. In other words, management is important and is needed in every organisation but the extent to which leadership is needed varies among different organisations. Conclusively, although leadership and management are functions that must be applied to any successful organisation, effective management has prevailing importance. Theoretically, management is defined as the attainment of organisational goals through planning, organising, leading and controlling (Bartol et al., 2008). Thus it is clear that leadership is encompassed in the task of management so if a manager can perform their task effectively, leadership is likely to follow. However the reverse is not true, as to lead is to influence, direct and motivate others to achieve goals, not to control so management is not a facet of leadership. Management is often considered as a control mechanism in an organisation which some tend to find intimidating and off putting which is why leadership is usually the preferred, softer option (Kotterman, 2006). However, the focus of leaders is often on the people but people are obviously just one aspect of an organisation which is why managers are more important because there are so many other features of an organisation to be controlled. By influencing people to complete tasks effectively and efficiently, leaders bring about change and innovation in an organisation. However, without management acting to sustain organisations in today’s turbulent environment, there is simply no place left for a leader (Hollingsworth, as cited in Robinson, 1999). Finally, the essentiality of leadership in an organisation depends greatly on the size and type of a corporation whereas management is equally important in any and all organisations. These points clearly demonstrate that good management is more important to a successfully running organisation than good leadership. All in all, if an organisation were given an ultimatum between a good manager and a good leader, the good manager is likely to prevail.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Examining The Hollywood Remake Films In Other Countries Media Essay

Examining The Hollywood Remake Films In Other Countries Media Essay It is widely known that Hollywood remake films from other countries become an indispensable element in the industry. More and more Hollywood remake films based on Asian or European films, as a result that international remake films become a special part of globalization. In economic perspective, the film consumer as the mass-audience of remake films is the one that has to consume the films through Hollywood because of the globalized market. According to Marx (1976), every social process of production is at the same time a process of reproduction. Therefore, remaking films as the process of reproduction is a social process at the same time in terms of different perspectives: culture communication and adaptation. Based on this reproduction process, the following section of the essay looks at the reason that films made in one nation and remade in Hollywood. Moreover, third section examines what gets added or removed in the process of adaptation with two specific examples of Hollywood remake films from European and Asian: Vanilla Sky (2001) and The Departed (2006). Additionally, during the comparing and contrasting, the unique cultural communication of Hollywood remake films will be paid more attention to. The major findings with a summary of this paper will be presented at last. 2 the reason that Hollywood remake films from other countries Firstly, increasingly expansion of communication and information development in the recent decades has produced a great require for culture exchange. Hence the culture exchange among states and the interaction of culture has been in active for centuries (Nae, 2003). Within this culture exchange, it can be known that the transnational cultural communication through different media such as TV, newspapers and film. Thus, the Hollywood remake films from other countries are now being practiced more intensively than ever. It seems that transnational cultural communication seems to be the first reason that Hollywood remake films from other countries. Secondly, since the beginning of global cinema, films as cultural commodities have been exported and imported to various areas all around the world. As Kotler (1991) says, the globalization enhances the international business and the motivation of the effectiveness of producing, using new technology and improving management methods. Likewise, as another method of producing films, Hollywood remaking films from other countries is a consequence of globalization. So globalization, especially globalized market, has also resulted in enlarging movement of movies from national to Hollywood. Thirdly, according to Horkheimer and Adorno (1969), the film industry is included in profit driven businesses. Because of commercial profit from the worldwide market, Hollywood may have to find more strategies to earn as much as possible. Remaking film is a win-win for both national film and Hollywood due to maximum financial incomes. On one hand, national films benefit from the copyright income in globalized market. On the other hand, Hollywood might remake the successful national film instead of producing completely new films in order to predict desires of film audiences and save pre-production cost. In addition, Hollywood remake films from other countries are able to express the national unique stories to larger markets and to ethnically diverse audiences. Therefore, another reason to Hollywood remake films from other countries has relevantly been toward producing more economically profit. Finally, another typical illustration to remake films from other nations it is innovation outsourcing. According to Manning et als (2008) definition, outsourcing from different organizations may engage an agreement about trading products or services. Particularly, Hollywood outsources creativity from the other suppliers in other countries. Besides, remake films were also negatively discussed. Some studies claim this outsourcing is a kind of Hollywoods style vampirism. They remake foreign films is a symptom due to the creativity bankrupt. Remaking is seemed to be an easier way of movie production, as a result, the lack of innovation capacity might be another reason. 3 the Process of Adaptation: the Departed (2006) and Vanilla Sky (2001) 3.1 The Departed (2006) To examine what gets added or removed in the adaptation of Hollywood remake films, I make an illustration as Hong Kongs 2002 film Infernal Affairss Hollywood remade version The Departed (2006). The Hollywood director Scorsese displays a creative adaptation to the larger global market of Hollywood by remaking this Hong Kong film. In the essay will focus on discussing this adaptation of remake films between Hong Kong and Hollywood. 3.1.1 A new title The original Chinese title of the film is Wu Jian Dao, which is a word from Buddhist scripture. It means Continuous Suffering Hell, the worst of the Eighth Hells, which refers to the two lead characters suffer from playing as double spy in both bright and dark. So the English translated title of the film is Internal Affairs, also contains a symbolic Buddhist element. The cultural background of Asian audiences is present to help them understand this Buddhism title and the meaning behind it. Likewise, in the Hollywoods choice of the new English title for the remake version: The Departed. It seems to be a reference to the global market. Though The Departed is not the exact the same like the Internal Affairs represented from Buddhism, it supplies as a Hollywoods style adaptation of the Asian religious. The Hollywood is intent to make the global audience understand the film better by avoiding some special cultural gap. These filmmakers are likely to use the new title in order to communicate local culture within their films and make the film suitable to the Hollywood audience. 3.1.2 A new cultural background As it is mentioned above, original version Infernal Affairs is a film that influenced a lot from Buddhism. In Hollywood version, however, even if the plot in The Departed is similar to Infernal Affairs, it does not remain any Buddhism. The reason to this is Scorsese relocate Hong Kong to American city Boston in the Hollywood film. Thinking about the region and racial differences in Boston, The history and religious setting of the film have to adjust. Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) disproves the Catholicism idea of the Churchs want to put people in their place, instead of Infernal Affairss Buddhism. Catholicism is replicated as a religion choice of Costello by refuting the Church. This leads to The Departed in absolute difference to Infernal Affairs. In remaking the Infernal Affairs where the powerful Buddhist themes are in attendance, the religious meaning is changed during the film The Departed. However, as The Departed approaches to final, Catholicism seeped out the film. During the climax, Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) are cornered by Frank Costellos men. In order to help Costigan escape, Queenan blesses the god alone before facing up to Costellos gang. This gesture of religions within the film is an adaptation for the new cultural background. 3.1.3 A new group of audiences Remaking film is not only the transfer between two languages, but also the localized content due to globalized market with a much wider audiences. What is more, a national film exports, such as Hong Kongs Infernal Affairs exports, can be used as a cinema product trying to import under globalization. As a product, movie makes every effort on the growth of its audiences with the intention of catching better outcome at the box office. The goal of remaking films is the same that to strive to appeal more audiences further than the country cinemas borders. What The Departed has gotten is able to be considering as an attempt by Hollywood to make its films accessible to further audiences outside the shores of the previous region. In The Departed, Hollywood has effectively translated every part of characteristics in Infernal Affairs suitable for a bigger audience group who recognizes and believes the Hollywood culture. Transformation into Hollywood The Departed is actually a process of Hong Kong film globalized into the United States film. As Hollywoods worldwide status, The Departed is more accessible to a lot of Hollywood international audiences. These people are armed with a better accepting and acknowledgment of US culture through Hollywood films and for that reason more accessible of The Departed than Infernal Affairs. Nevertheless, the target movie market does not necessarily mean the all content of remaking has been localized. In fact, it depends on audiences demand. 3.1.4 A new language More problematic issue is the language problem, for the reason that language is a cultural identity. Numerous multinational remake movies may ignore a very important part, the language. This would inevitably lead to a translation problem, a language translation process ought to be seen as equally important as cultural adaptation. This should not be erased in the film remake of the language translation or cross-cultural power struggle to clarify the real practical problems. Language translation of a movie really shows the behavior of a cultural force. However, translation is not necessarily just the only activity, dislocation from the country or cultural background, the films language. For instance, Chinese-speaking countries, their national films have to translate properly into English if remaking them by Hollywood. Therefore, cross-border remakes that involve in the translation of the text acts of translation only mix changeable relations among languages, rather than distracting these relationships by themselves. On the other hand, as Bal and Morras (2007) research, it is traditionally a large number of concepts and classification beyond the scope of the project, it is not possible here to repeat lots of debates in relation to language translation. 3.2 Vanilla Sky (2001) I will examine another example of transnational remake film between Hollywood and Europe, which traditionally have been the most significant prolific. Hollywood remade the Spanish psychological suspenseful story Abre los Ojos (1997) into Vanilla Sky in 2001. Although this example is not as systematic as the Hollywood remakes of French films, it point out Hollywoods enlarged cinematic absorbing from a wider nation and culture. Particularly, I engage another illustration of Hollywood remakes in a detailed analysis of the Spanish film Abre los Ojos (1997) and its Hollywood remake Vanilla Sky (2001), paying exacting attention to issues of adaptation. 3.2.1 The same and the different Europe It is generally accepted that the film industries of Europe and Hollywood have been tangled at the beginning because the historically cultural and economical communication. However, these two cores of movie production have had their own unique trajectories and, in fact, the two have been separated by considerably different ideas of cultural. As a consequence of this, perhaps one of the most long-lasting and encircling has been a realistic and metaphorical separation between business and art, where European movies is interpreted as more relate to art invested and Hollywood as more likely driven by income. 3.2.2 Commercial element of Hollywood style Smith (2004) presents a convincing and appealing relative analysis of Abre los Ojos and Vanilla Sky, he discusses the idea of urban alienation and the danger of the image in the movies, and compares the stylistic differences between Vanilla Sky and the Abre los Ojos. According to this, Abre los Ojos states from the start that it will explore the ideological purpose of identity. The first sequence of this film repeats the opening of Abre and reiterates many problems. It seems that ideological constructions of individuals are too dramatic relative to the citys material culture. Nevertheless, the film moved to New York City. As the films main character, David Ames steps out of his attractive Ferrari in Times Square. Here, the city is an obvious commercial space of Hollywood style, seen as the movie quickly presents advertisements. Vanilla Sky thus assigns commercial element of Hollywood style compares to ideological layers carried over from Abre los Ojos. 3.2.3 Cultural imperialism from Hollywood However, cross-border remakes mainly occur as Hollywood remakes of films from other states, which characteristically gather some criticisms as cases of cultural imperialism. And certainly, Hollywoods almost exclusive seized the American media market, together with their supremacy over global film industry. Hollywood emerges to give a structural benefit in remaking movies from other countries, rather than allowing these movies to enter the American media market directly. Since production corporations in many other states cannot catch up with the strong power of Hollywood, they depend on Hollywood for worldwide distribution. Miller, et. al (2001) claims that Hollywood films preserve international appeal through Hollywood style narratives and the communication of American national values. Actually, the financial and cultural relationships between Abre los Ojos and Vanilla Sky disclose a worldwide Spanish national identity, as well as Hollywoods US national identity. Collectively, they reveal the complexity of regarding Spanish national identity outside of transnational capitalism. Moreover, it demonstrates the influential power of American national identity in the international film industry. Current system of international film industry enables Hollywood not only to distribute and make money from other places, but also to support its creations and be in charge of global market by remaking national films that proved to be successful in their local markets. Cultural imperialism is added in the adaptation of these films, as a result, the Hollywood remake films from other countries is a way to keep themselves in priority position. 4 Conclusions Increasingly with the growth of Hollywood remake films from cross-cultural communication, throughout this essay, firstly we have seen the reason that films made in one nation and remade in Hollywood in the reproduction process. Then the essay has focused on studying two specifically illustrations from Asian and Europe. One is remaking of Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs to the Departed (2006). The other is remaking from Spanish film Abre los Ojos into Vanilla Sky (2001). Based on these two cases, the essay analyses what gets added or removed in the process of adaptation from seven different aspects: a new title, a new cultural background, a new group of audiences, a new language, Europe and Hollywood, commercial element of Hollywood style and cultural imperialism from Hollywood.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

The Effect Of Globalisation On Corporate Social Responsibility

The Effect Of Globalisation On Corporate Social Responsibility This study will discuss the effect of globalisation on corporate social responsibility and interpret the current situation of the practice of corporate social responsibility in China. First, this study will give the comprehensive understanding of The Understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility and Globalisation Most firms take ethical and moral behaviours and activities expressing the concerns of consumers and shareholders interests or increase the investment in the corporate social responsibility projects. However, the previous aspects are not the true understandings of corporate social responsibility. Baker (2003) proposed that corporate social responsibility is about how firms employ and control their business activities and processes producing a positive outcome for the whole society. Moreover, the definition from the European Commission (2011) is more comprehensive and meaning, which is that companies incorporate social and environmental concerns into their business activities and the interaction with their shareholders and consumers to benefit the whole society. These definitions on corporate social responsibility concentrate on the improvement of social welfare and society. However, the definition from the European Commission further indicates that environmental, social and ethical i ssues are embedded in the business processes. In this study, the true meaning of corporate social responsibility is that firms integrate environmental, social and ethical issues in business processes and decision making process with the motivation of benefiting the stakeholders. The concept of globalisation is described as one of the most leading thoughts considerably affecting modern business theories and practices. This concept significantly make most scholars and practitioners concentrate on its influences on every aspect of human living and modern business, such as economic restructure, firms business operation, environment sustainability, culture, technology and governance (Bhagwati, 2004). Scherer and Palazzo (2008) proposed that globalisation is defined as a process of amplification and acceleration of social activities and economic cooperation across areas and countries. This process makes multinational corporates gain more free space and flexible to employ international business and trade for more profits. However, without more restricts on law, regulation and social influence in a specific area or country, new global problems and challenges are produced during this process, such as climate change, distribution of income and welfare and terrorism (S cherer and Palazzo, 2008). In early stage, globalisation involves the transformation and development of technologies in host countries, information sharing in different economies or continents, human resource mobility, and foreign investment from developed economies to less developed countries. However, both developed economies and developing economies have critically encountered religious, environmental and social issues resulting from globalisation (Elizabeth, 2005; Miles, 2007; Lauder et al., 2006). Under the influence of globalisation, economic liberalization, international cooperation between different countries and the previous aspects, such as the transformation of technologies and others, considerable countries have experienced the benefits from globalisation. Furthermore, these countries also need more efforts to be encountered with the challenges and threats created by globalisation. The Impact of Globalisation on Corporate Social Responsibility For multinational corporates, globalisation not only brings more opportunities and benefits for multinational corporates, but also makes multinational corporates adapt to the changing environment and accept the unprecedented challenges in the global level, industrial level and other levels. Corporate social responsibility is considered as one of the most significant aspects facing firms employing international business. In other words, multinational corporates reconsiders the fact that the moral, ethical, environmental and social issues should be incorporated into the process of decision making on business strategies and operations. Globalisation to a great extent promotes this evolution of corporate social responsibility all over the world. In one hand, globalisation further makes the public and organizations recognize and understand the negative consequences, such as the increasing income inequality, the exploitation of labour, and environmental unsustainability (Thomson, 2002). Since multinational corporates and their business further deepen this trend of the negative consequences, corporate responsibility is paid more attention to by the public and international community. However, on other hand, the development of international business and the activities of multinational firms are considered as the solution of global problems, such as the supplier of public goods and the protection of citizenship rights and human rights (Matten and Crane, 2005). Corporate social responsibility is to some extent viewed as one of the considerable forces to solve the negative consequences of globalisation and the existing glo bal problems. The following will give the specific discussion on globalisation and its effect on corporate social responsibility. In accordance with the theoretical perspective, there are two aspects of the effect of globalisation on corporate social responsibility. First, economic growth not only makes the public and national governments concentrate on welfare augmentation and its benefits for the society, but also makes them recognize that economic development is the consequence of the combination of social, economic and moral implications (Friedman, 2006). In ideal environment, economic growth will provide the equal distribution of income and welfare, the respect and protection of human rights and other aspects, which all people will share. However, globalisation to a certain extent further intensifies the phenomenon on inequality. During this process, who to be responsible for the balance between economic growth and inequality is considered as the significant path of coping with the negative consequences of globalisation. This study argues that governments, firms, consumers are described as the principal un dertaker. For firms, they are significant undertakers responsible for the public and social interests and moral issues. The firms incorporate social, environmental and moral issues into the process of their decision making and take the rational responsible behaviour and activities, which brings more and more profits for their shareholders and interests for their stakeholders in the long term. However, some firms made some decision and illegal and immoral and were responsible for the bad consequences. For instance, Enron scandal is considered as the most important example on illegal operation and misbehaviour making shareholders responsible for the huge loss (Healy and Palepu, 2003). Second, during the process of globalisation, the firms can maximize the efficiency and the performance of firms business through the worldwide allocation of resources. Nevertheless, the firms encounter the fierce competition beyond the spectrum of country or area. The competition not only brings more value and interests for their consumers, but also makes firms rethink their concerns of social, ethical and environmental issues and decision making process. There is a fact that more and more consumers concern the perception of firms environmental and social issues and socially responsible behaviours. Furthermore, the shareholders and stakeholders also focus on the implement of the strategies on environment and social communities. They will invest in the responsible and sustainable companies that produce the benefits and profits in the long term. Based on these facts from consumers and shareholders, more and more companies concentrate on the implementation and development of social resp onsibility. In summary, during the process of globalisation, there are the emergence of the global problems and negative consequences, such as global warming and climate change, the increasing unequal distribution of income and welfare, the abuse and invasion of human rights and others. These elements promote the focus and implement of corporate social responsibilities when multinational corporates employ international business and trade. Moreover, the worldwide competition and consumers and shareholders perception make the firms recognize and rethink corporate social responsibility and decision making process concerning environmental, social and ethical issues. The Practice of Corporate Social Responsibility in China China is considered as the second largest economy experiencing the rapid and stable economic growth and development, even in the term of financial crisis. The annual growth of Chinas economy is over 9 per cent, which is the worldwide fastest growing economy because of the implement of Open Door policy in 1978. Moreover, the economic development of China to a great extent is benefited from globalisation. Since implementing the trade and finance liberalisation and foreign investment policies, China is described as one of the most significant destinations of foreign direct investment. However, this process of globalisation results in the increasing pressure on environment and resource, labour relations and work conditions, human rights and community development because of the foreign firms seeking the labour force of cheaper cost and natural resource. Ho and Welford (2006) indicated that environmental pollution and community press in China made local communities and society stop new plants with environmental pollution and other projects. During the past three decades, the leading foreign companies are the dominated drive force to implement corporate social responsibility in China. Today, the Chinese Government recognized and understood the environmental pressure and the effect on the further development of economy and society. In terms of See (2008), a Harmonious Society policy proposed by Chinese President Hu Jintao is dedicated to develop a Chinese own development approach. One element of this policy is the sustainable development and social responsibility. More over, the Chinese Government has encouraged the private sector to implement corporate social responsibility. The following will focus on the two aspects of corporate social responsibility including the environment and the labour. In accordance with Liu and Diamond (2005), air pollution, water pollution, severe biodiversity situation and energy waster make China responsible for the worst environment and development pressure. This fact indicates that environmental issues may be considered as the most significant challenge or opportunity facing firms in China. For example, the leading milk production and packing firm-Mengniu cooperating with World Wide Fund for Nature aims to further reduction of carbon emission (China CSR, 2010). Furthermore, the Chinese Government promote corporate social responsibility and environment sustainable and protection from several aspects, such as the supervision and regulation making of the Governments State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the environmental requirement of IPO (Initial Public Offering) from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). Referring to the labour, the rights of migrant workers and other labour issues in China cannot be effectively protected and at risk of exploitation (Welford and Frost, 2006). There are a huge number of migrant workers from home to southern cities to obtain better wages and others. Chan (2001) indicated that Shenzhen, as the first city of implementing the Open Door policy, has 12 million migrant workers, which account for over 92 per cent of the total population in Shenzhen city. Although there are some laws and regulation on labour relations and protection, the exploitation of labour exists in many provinces and may worsen. For instance, more than 13 workers employed by Foxconn Company in China committed suicide in 2010 because of labour rights (Pomfret et al., 2010). The severe labour rights and their work conditions are the most significant aspects facing the firms implementing corporate social responsibility.

Buster Keatons The Cameraman :: essays research papers

The Cameraman (Rough Draft) The Cameraman (1928), an MGM Buster Keaton feature, is one of the last truly great feature films of the silent era. From the artistic balance it finds between the simplicity of an all-too-familiar storyline and the complexity of technique and cinematography, to the very-entertaining and captivating performances of its actors, the film that was nearly lost to the annals of motion-picture history is a multi-faceted gem that is joyous to watch. Simplicity is one of the big keys to the success of The Cameraman. The simple plot is of the age-old yet noble type (â€Å"hero-sees-girl, is-knocked-off-feet, goes-to-great-lengths-to-be-noticed, getting-in-much-trouble-en-route†). It has Buster trying to get a break as a cameraman into the newsreel department of a famous studio (MGM, and win the affections of the office receptionist, Sally, played by a beautiful Marceline Day. His endeavors land him in all sorts of uproarious situations, including several hilarious altercations with the romantic rival, a snooty â€Å"made† newsman played by Harry Goodwin. The thematic elements stay simple as well. Pungent with cynicism, irony rears its humorous head on more than one occasion. These bits of the film are delivered with perfect timing, laced with a little seriousness. One such instance is near the latter end of movie when Buster, in a daring stunt, saves Sally from drowning. He leaves her unconscious on the shore momenta rily while he rushes into a pharmacy mere yards away to get something to help her. During those few moments, she awakens, and Buster’s rival, who had abandoned her to drown in order to save his own skin, happens upon her just as she opens her eyes. She thinks he has saved her from certain peril and Buster emerges from the drug store with bandages and the like just in time to see them stroll off into the sunset, arm in arm. Another such moment comes when Buster has gone through hell and high water to obtain footage of a gang war going on in the city streets, only to find that he had never loaded film into his camera. Uncomplicated twists such as these lend to the easy, fun watching that The Cameraman is. There is no profoundly deep symbolism to be found, and the lack of any attempt at thought-provoking societal depictions really lend to a successful package. This is supposed to be comedy, and a marvelous one it is. Though simple, the plot of The Cameraman is perfectly construc ted.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Medical Causes of Obesity Essay -- Health, Diseases

Close your eyes and picture this, you are outside of a favorite cafe looking for a table. You are just about to sit on the patio to enjoy a steaming hot cup of coffee, when you look to over and see the most disgusting sight ever. He looks absolutely mountainous; there are rolls upon rolls suffocating his body. Food is flying everywhere, lettuce is being launched through the air, and there are pieces of meat all over the table and floor. You are astounded to see that he is trying to snag his third burger. You then walk away utterly shocked that someone can let their dog get that fat. That is right what I was describing was about a canine, not a human being, which is what I bet you thought while reading the description. Society and the media have put this picture into our heads that obese people sit at restaurants all day stuffing their faces with food, and are extremely lazy. As it turns out, this depiction of obese people is wrong, and there is more involved in obesity than you think. There are a hundred causes as to why a person is obese, but thanks to society and the media we only think of the one reason. In fact, some of the common causes of obesity are diseases. There are many syndromes that could cause obesity but the most common ones are hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease, Prader-Willi syndrome, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. As society frequently passes judgment on obese people they do not stop to think that a disease could be the cause for their obesity. The first genetic disorder that is involved in causing obesity is called hypothyroidism. This disease is fairly common as it affects more than forty percent of Americans (Lowrance, 2009). In order to explain how this disease causes obesity, I will first explain what t... ...ypothyroidism, which is caused by an underactive thyroid gland. Fifteen million have a disease called Cushing’s disease, which happens when the body is overexposed to cortisol. Prader-Willi affects thirty thousand, and it caused by a bad fifteenth chromosome. Fifty percent of women who have polycystic ovarian syndrome are obese. This condition is caused by â€Å"insulin resistance and biochemical signaling.† All of these people affected by these disorders are obese because of something that they could not control, genetics, not overeating and laziness. So please, next time you see an overly obese person think first before you judge them. The quote said by Adelle Davis perfectly sums up my argument, â€Å" To say that obesity is caused by merely consuming too many calories is like saying that the only cause of the American Revolution was the Boston Tea Party,† (Davis, n.d).

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Attacking Wifi Nets with Traffic Injection

I am very much thankful to him. I benefited a lot discussing with him. I am also thankful to my parents who encouraged me and provided such a motivation, so I became able to perform this. I am also thankful to all my friends and those who helped me directly or indirectly in completion of my project. CONTENTS †¢Introduction †¢Crime Definition †¢Laws that have been violated †¢Possible Punishments (IT ACT + INTERNATIONAL LAWS) †¢Unlawful Losses and Gains †¢Working of Attacks †¢Description of Tools INTRODUCTION This term paper is based on â€Å"attacking wifi nets with traffic injection† also nown as packet injection which simply means the hacking of wireless networks with different techniques to send extra amount of traffic (packets, frames, duplicate copies) on a network by which a hacker can able to access the information and identity that a client is using. Some techniques are wireless network sniffing, DOS (denial of service attack), Man in the middle attack etc. Attacks on wireless LANs (WLAN’s) and wireless-enabled laptops are a quick and easy way for hackers to steal data and enter the corporate network.Many types of tools are used to perform hacking. Some of them are named as aircrack-ng, airjack etc. thts paper will later give brief information on tools used , working of tools ,losses and gains with hacking etc. These type of attacks are known as INTEGRITY attacks. Wireless networks broadcast their packets using radio frequency or optical wavelengths. A modern laptop computer can listen in. Worse, an attacker can manufacture new packets on the fly and persuade wireless stations to accept his packets as legitimate. We already know 802. 11 networks are weak.Open networks are prone to any well-known LAN perimeter attack WEP is vulnerable. Traffic injection has changed things like †¢Increased DoS (denial of service) capabilities †¢Dramatically decreased WEP cracking achievement time †¢Allows traf fic tampering †¢Allows stations attacks CRIME DEFINITION Cyber Crime –A crime where the computer is used as a tool or target. Cyber crime encompasses any criminal act dealing with computers and networks (called hacking). Additionally, cyber crime also includes traditional crimes conducted through the Internet.For example; hate crimes, telemarketing and Internet fraud, identity theft, and credit card account thefts are considered to be cyber crimes when the illegal activities are committed through the use of a computer and the Internet. Hacking – Traffic injection attacks comes under hacking. It is defined as whomever with the intent to cause or knowing that he is likely to cause wrongful loss or damage to the public or any person destroys or deletes or alters any information residing in a computer resource or diminishes its value or utility or affects it injuriously by any means, commits hacking.Hacking may also occur when a person willfully, knowingly, and withou t authorization or without reasonable grounds to believe that he or she has such authorization, destroys data, computer programs, or supporting documentation residing or existing internal or external to a computer, computer system, or computer network. Besides the destruction of such data, hacking may also be defined to include the disclosure, use or taking of the data commits an offense against intellectual property.This paper is a survey of wireless attack tools focusing on 802. 11 and Bluetooth. It includes attack tools for three major categories: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Confidentiality attack tools focus on the content of the data and are best known for encryption cracking. Integrity attacks tools focus on the data in transmission and include frame insertion, man in the middle, and replay attacks. Finally, availability attack tools focus on Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. Law That Have Been ViolatedThe laws that have been violated are section 43,65 and 66 of IT ACT 2000. Section 43 of IT ACT 2000, defines as If any person without permission of the owner or any other person who is in charge of a computer, computer system or computer network, — (a) Accesses or secures access to such computer, computer system or computer Network; (b) Downloads, copies or extracts any data, computer data base or information from such computer, computer system or computer network including information or data held or stored in any removable storage medium; c) Introduces or causes to be introduced any computer contaminant or computer virus into any computer, computer system or computer network; (d) Damages or causes to be damaged any computer, computer system or computer network, data, computer data base or any other programs residing in such computer, computer system or computer network; (e) Disrupts or causes disruption of any computer, computer system or computer network; (f) Denies or causes the denial of access to any person authorized to acces s any computer, computer system or computer network by any means; g) Provides any assistance to any person to facilitate access to a computer, computer system or computer network in contravention of the provisions of this Act, rules or regulations made there under; (h) Charges the services availed of by a person to the account of another person by tampering with or manipulating any computer, computer system, or computer network, Section 65 of IT ACT 2000, defines as, Tampering with computer source documentsWhoever knowingly or intentionally conceals, destroys or alters or intentionally or knowingly causes another to conceal, destroy or alter any computer source code used for a computer, computer programs, computer system or computer network, when the computer source code is required to be kept or maintained by law for the time being in force, shall be punishable with imprisonment up to three years, or with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both. Section 66 of IT A CT 2000, defines as, (1) Whoever with the intent to cause or knowing that he is likely to cause rongful loss or damage to the public or any person destroys or deletes or alters any information residing in a computer resource or diminishes its value or utility or affects it injuriously by any means, commits hacking. (2) Whoever commits hacking shall be punished with imprisonment up to three years, or with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both. POSSIBLE PUNISHMENTS (IT ACT + International laws) Cyber crime is a type of crime that not only destroys the security system of a country but also its financial system. One supporter of legislation against cyber crime, Rep.Lamar Smith (R-Texas), stated, â€Å"Our mouse can be just as dangerous as a bullet or a bomb. † Cyber attackers should be penalized and punished severely and most cyber crimes have penalties reflecting the severity of the crime committed. Although in the past many laws against cyber crimes were ins ufficient, law enforcement agencies and governments have recently proposed many innovative plans for fighting cyber crimes. Punishment Cybercrime must be dealt with very seriously because it causes a lot of damage to businesses and the actual punishment should depend on the type of fraud used.The penalty for illegally accessing a computer system ranges from 6 months to 5 years. The penalty for the unofficial modification on a computer ranges from 5 to 10 years. Other penalties are listed below: Telecommunication service theft: The theft of telecommunication services is a very common theft and is punished with a heavy fine and imprisonment. Communications intercept crime: This is a Class-D crime which is followed by a severe punishment of 1 to 5 years of imprisonment with a fine.Other cyber crimes like telecommunication piracy, offensive material dissemination, and other cyber frauds also belong to this category. Information Technology Act-2000: According to this act, different penal ties are available for different crimes. Some of the penalties are as follows: Computer source document tampering: The person who changes the source code on the website or any computer program will get a punishment up to 3 years of imprisonment or fine. Computer hacking: The individual who hacks the computer or computer devices will get an imprisonment up to 3 years or a fine.Government protected system: An act of trying to gain access to a system which is a protected system by the government, will result in imprisonment for 10 years and a heavy fine. The introduction of such penalties have lead to a drastic reduction in the cyber crime rates as more and more criminals are becoming aware of the penalties related to them. Spreading the word about the penalties of cyber crime can serve as a deterrent against such crime. Penalties relating to cyber crime will vary depending on the country and legislation in place. Punishments according to IT ACT 2000The person who commits the crime sha ll be liable to pay damages by way of compensation not exceeding one crore rupees to the person so affected according to section 43 of IT ACT. The person who commits the crime shall be punishable with imprisonment up to three years, or with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both according to section 65 of IT ACT. Whoever commits hacking shall be punished with imprisonment up to three years, or with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both according to section 66 of IT ACT 2000 INTERNATIONAL LAWS In USA section 18 U. S. C.  § 1030 A) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than ten years, or both, in the case of an offense under subsection (a)(1) of this section which does not occur after a conviction for another offense under this section, or an attempt to commit an offense punishable under this subparagraph; and (B) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both, in the case of an offense under subs ection (a)(1) of this section which occurs after a conviction for another offense under this section, or an attempt to commit an offense punishable under this subparagraph; In CanadaThe person who commits the crime is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction. UNLAWFUL LOSSES AND GAINS Losses due to hacking Hackers targeted major companies including Sony, RSA Security, and Citigroup, but also governmental websites and smaller firms. Many companies could have prevented the attacks. Because of their vulnerabilities, they not only lost money, but also risked losing clients, prestige and market share. Multitudes of people were affected by their security breaches Recent reports showed hackers earned $12. billion in 2011, mainly by spamming, phishing, and online frauds. Some companies have made their financial losses public, while others chose not to disclose them. Here’ s a top 5 of the declared losses caused by hackings from last year until present. Undeclared losses may even exceed these ones. 1. $171 million – Sony Hacked in April to June 2011, Sony is by far the most famous recent security attack. After its Playstation network was shut down by LulzSec, Sony reportedly lost almost $171 million. The hack affected 77 million accounts and is still considered the worst gaming community data breach ever.Attackers stole valuable information: full names, logins, passwords, e-mails, home addresses, purchase history, and credit card numbers. 2. $2. 7 million – Citigroup Hacked in June 2011, Citigroup was not a difficult target for hackers. They exploited a basic online vulnerability and stole account information from 200,000 clients. Because of the hacking, Citigroup said it lost $2. 7 million. Just a few months before the attack, the company was affected by another security breach. It started at Epsilon, an email marketing provider for 2,5 00 large companies including Citigroup.Specialists estimated that the Epsilon breach affected millions of people and produced an overall $4 billion loss. 3. $2 million – Stratfor Last Christmas wasn’t so joyful for Stratfor Global Intelligence. Anonymous members hacked the US research group and published confidential information from 4,000 clients, threatening they could also give details about 90,000 credit card accounts. The hackers stated that Stratfor was â€Å"clueless†¦when it comes to database security†. According to the criminal complaint, the hack cost Stratfor $2 million. 4. $2 million – AT&T The US carrier was hacked last year, but said no account information was exposed.They said they warned one million customers about the security breach. Money stolen from the hacked business accounts was used by a group related to Al Qaeda to fund terrorist attacks in Asia. According to reports, refunding costumers cost AT&T almost $2 million. 5 . $1 million – Fidelity Investments, Scottrade, E*Trade, Charles Schwab The most recent declared losses were in a brokerage scam. A Russian national was charged in the US with $1. 4 million in computer and hacking crimes. $1 million was stolen from stock brokerages Fidelity Investments, Scottrade, E*Trade, and Charles Schwab.The rest of the money was taken from fraudulent tax refunds, with the stolen identities of more than 300 people. Gains To Hackers * To use your computer: * as an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) server – hackers wouldn't want to discuss openly about their activities on their ‘own' servers * as Storage for Illicit Material (ex. pirated software, pirated music, pornography, hacking tools etc) * as part of a DDoS Attack – where many computers are controlled by hackers in an attempt to cause resource starvation on a victim's computers or networks * To steal services and/or valuable files For thrill and excitement * To get even – maybe an I T staff who was terminated, or other parties you've ‘wronged' * As a publicity stunt – an example of which was reported in 1998 by Jim Hu in MTV â€Å"hack† backfires * Knowledge/Experiment/Ethical – some hackers probe a computer system to find its security vulnerabilities and then inform the system administrator to help improve their security * Another possible reason is that the hackers might suffer from a disease called Asperger syndrome (AS).They are people who are very good with numbers and at focusing on a problem for a very long period of time, but are not good in social relationships. How AS can possibly be linked to hacking behavior was discussed more thoroughly by M. J. Zuckerman in his ‘USA Today' article, What fuels the mind of a hacker? * Curiosity * To spy on friends, family members or even business rivals * Prestige – bragging rights in their social circle (particularly if they've hacked high-profile sites or systems) * Intellec tual Challenge Money – although most hackers are not motivated by financial gain; many professional criminals make money by using hacking techniques either to * set up fake e-commerce sites to collect credit card details * gain entry to servers that contain credit cards details * engage in other forms of credit card fraud WORKING OF ATTACKS Before studying about how traffic injection attacks works there are some basic terms we shoud have to know WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is a shared-secret key encryption system used to encrypt packets transmitted between a station and an AP.The WEP algorithm is intended to protect wireless communication from eavesdropping. A secondary function of WEP is to prevent unauthorized access to a wireless network. WEP encrypts the payload of data packets. Management and control frames are always transmitted in the clear. WEP uses the RC4 encryption algorithm. The shared-secret key is either 40 or 104 bits long. The key is chosen by the syste m administrator. This key must be shared among all the stations and the AP using mechanisms that are not specified in the IEEE 802. 11. FRAMES Both the station and AP radiate and gather 802. 1 frames as needed. The format of frames is illustrated below. Most of the frames contain IP packets. The other frames are for the management and control of the wireless connection. There are three classes of frames. The management frames establish and maintain communications. These are of Association request, Association response, Reassociation request, Reassociation response, Probe request, Probe response, Beacon, Announcement traffic indication message, Disassociation, Authentication, Deauthentication types. The SSID is part of several of the management frames.Management messages are always sent in the clear, even when link encryption (WEP or WPA) is used, so the SSID is visible to anyone who can intercept these frames. Authentication Authentication is the process of proving identity of a sta tion to another station or AP. In the open system authentication, all stations are authenticated without any checking. A station A sends an Authentication management frame that contains the identity of A, to station B. Station B replies with a frame that indicates recognition, addressed to A. In the closed network architecture, the stations must know the SSID of the AP in order to connect to the AP.The shared key authentication uses a standard challenge and response along with a shared secret key. Traffic injection quick HOWTO †¢1 Insert adapter †¢2 Load driver and activate adapter †¢3 Set driver into monitor mode (real 802. 11 mode) †¢4 Set appropriate channel †¢5 Open PF PACKET/RAW socket on interface (Linux only) †¢6 Use your socket and play †¢ Still, you need a 802. 11 stack over your socket and/or good libs †¢ and tools so you can communicate WORKING – This phase of term paper describes the working of attack by using one tool calle d INJECTION WIZARDInjection Wizard is an application for injecting traffic into WEP-protected Wi-Fi networks, like aireplay-ng, but it's much more easy to use and it can work with worse conditions (for example, more interferences, weaker transmitted/received signals, more restricted access points, etc). The higher the traffic of the network, the earlier we will be able to crack a WEP key with tools like aircrack-ng, airsnort, dwepcrack, weplab, WEPAttack, WEPCrack, etc. However, injecting traffic is not easy because you must build or capture a frame that causes a response frame in any other station (that is, a wireless node).This application carries out automatically all the needed actions to build a frame that causes a response in other station. These actions can be summarized in the following sequence of steps: 1. The application scans Wi-Fi networks and shows a list of WEP-protected networks, then it allows the user to select one of them. 2. It joins the selected network and moni tors that network in order to find a data frame. 3. It tries to extract a keystream prefix from the captured frame and then it tries to extend the keystream up to 40 bytes by means of the W.A. Arbaugh's inductive chosen plaintext attack. 4. It tries to find a host (for example, a connected computer, a network device, etc), which has an IP address belonging to a predefined range, by injecting forged ARP packets. 5. After finding an active host, it injects ARP packets targeted at that host. Some of the benefits of this application are easiness of use (due to its graphical interface, automatic operation, etc) androbustness (detection/management of network disconnections, repetition of failed actions, etc).Moreover, the Arbaugh's inductive attack can be performed by any Wi-Fi interface supporting injection in monitor mode, because the interface driver doesn't need any additional patch as it's usual to happen with the Bittau's fragmentation attack. Besides its higher applicability, this attack is generally more reliable than Chop-Chop attack for recovering a keystream of a given size, because it doesn't have to inject any frame larger than needed. This application is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 (read the license. tm file for more details) and comes with absolutely no warranty. The author assumes no responsibility derived from the use or the distribution of this program. The copyright of this application is owned by Fernando Pablo Romero Navarro (May 2010). Injection Wizard has made use of (with convenient modifications) the following free software applications: * scapy (version 2. 0. 1), distributed under the license: GNU GPL version 2. Copyright: Philippe Biondi,2009 (http://www. secdev. org/projects/scapy). * python-wifi (version 0. 3. 1), distributed under the license: GNU LGPL version 2. 1.Copyright: Roman Joost, 2004-2008 Software Requirements For the client application (graphical interface): †¢Any system with a recent Java virtual machine: JRE version 1. 6 or later. For the server application: * A Linux box with a recent kernel, so it should support Wireless Extensions version 22 or later (since kernel version 2. 6. 21) and the mac80211 stack for Wi-Fi interfaces (since kernel version 2. 6. 24, it is supported by many Wi-Fi adapter drivers). * A Wi-Fi network interface driver supporting injection in monitor mode (sometimes it's required to patch the driver for supporting this feature). The iw system command, if it's not provided by your Linux distribution you can get it by installing the aircrack-ng package or by compiling the source code that can be downloaded from: http://wireless. kernel. org/download/iw. * A Python interpreter with version 2. 5, later versions might also work. Instructions 1. Uncompress the injwiz. zip file. 2. Copy the client directory on a system with a Java virtual machine accessible from the command path (for example, launch a shell, enter the client directory, ex ecute the command: java -version and check the command outputs the JRE version number). .Copy the server directory on a Linux box. If the client and server directories weren't copied on the same machine, you should edit the runserver. sh script (in the server directory) and replace the IP address: 127. 0. 0. 1 with the IP address of the Linux box's network interface that is attached to the same network that the client machine (i. e. the computer that hosts the clientdirectory). 4. Enter the server directory and run the script: . /runserver. sh (the Python interpreter should be accessible from the command path. You can check this by running: ython -V from the command line and verifying that the interpreter version is showed). 5. On the client machine, enter the client directory and run either the script: . /runclient. sh (for Linux or Unix-like operating systems providing a shell compatible with the Bourne shell and whose path for the executable file is: /bin/sh) orrunclient. bat (fo r Windows). DESCRIPTION OF TOOLS The tools used for packet injection purposes are divided into two categories Hardware and software 1. Software Serious hackers usually use Linux-based open source penetration test tools from which to launch their attacks.This section details some of the more popular tools that can be used to search out and hack wifi networks. †¢Aircrack-ng: This suite of tools includes 802. 11 WEP and WPA-PSK key cracking programs that can capture wireless packets and recover keys once enough information been captured. Aircrack-ng supports newer techniques that make WEP cracking much faster. This software has been downloaded over 20,000 times. †¢Airjack: An 802. 11 packet injection tool, Airjack was originally used as a development tool to capture and inject or replay packets.In particular, Airjack can be used to inject forged deauthentication packets, a fundamental technique used in many denial-of-service and Man-in-the-Middle attacks. Repeatedly injecting deauthentication packets into a network wreaks havoc on the connections between wireless clients and access points. †¢AirSnort: AirSnort is wireless LAN (CLAN) tool which recovers WEP encryption keys. AirSnort works by passively monitoring transmissions, and then computing the encryption key when enough packets have been gathered.After that point, all data sent over the network can be decrypted into plain text using the cracked WEP key. †¢Cain ;amp; Able: This is a multi-purpose tool that can intercept network traffic, using information contained in those packets to crack encrypted passwords using dictionary, brute-force and cryptanalysis attack methods, record VoIP conversations, recover wireless network keys, and analyze routing protocols. Its main purpose is the simplified recovery of passwords and credentials. This software has been downloaded over 400,000 times. CommView for WiFi: This commercial product is designed for capturing and analyzing wifi network packets. C ommView for WiFi uses a wireless adapter to capture, decode, and analyze packets sent over a single channel. It allows hackers to view the list of network connections and vital IP statistics and examine individual packets. †¢ElcomSoft Wireless Security Auditor: This is an all-in-one cracking solution that automatically locates wireless networks, intercepts data packets, and uses cryptanalysis techniques to crack WPA/WPA2 PSKs.This software displays all available wireless networks, identified by channel number, AP MAC address, SSID, speed, load, and encryption parameters. While these capabilities can be found in open source tools, ElcomSoft provides a more polished product for professional use by wireless security auditors. †¢Ettercap: Ettercap can be used to perform man-in-the-middle attacks, sniff live connections, and filter intercepted packets on the fly. It includes many features for network and host analysis. This shareware has been downloaded nearly 800,000 times. Fi resheep: This is a plug-in to the Firefox browser that allows the hacker to capture SSL session cookies sent over any unencrypted network (like an open wifi network) and use them to possibly steal their owner’s identities. It is extremely common for websites to protect user passwords by encrypting the initial login with SSL, but then never encrypt anything else sent after login, which leaves the cookie (and the user) vulnerable to â€Å"sidejacking.† When a hacker uses Firesheep to grab these cookies, he may then use the SSL-authenticated session to access the user’s account. Hotspotter: Like KARMA, Hotspotter is another wireless attack tool that mimics any access point being searched for by nearby clients, and then dupes users into connecting to it instead. †¢IKECrack: This is an open source IPsec VPN authentication cracking tool which uses brute force attack methods to analyze captured Internet Key Exchange (IKE) packets to find valid VPN user identity an d secret key combinations. Once cracked, these credentials can be used to gain unauthorized access to an IPsec VPN. KARMA: This evil twin attack listens to nearby wireless clients to determine the name of the network they are searching for and then pretends to be that access point. Once a victim connects to a KARMA evil twin, this tool can be used to redirect web, FTP, and email requests to phone sites in order to steal logins and passwords. †¢Kismet: Kismet takes an intrusion detection approach to wireless security, and can be used to detect and analyze access points within radio range of the computer on which it is installed.This software reports SSIDs (Service Set Identifiers – used to distinguish one wireless network from another) advertised by nearby access points, whether or not the access point is using WEP, and the range of IP addresses being used by connected clients. †¢NetStumbler: This tool turns any WiFi-enabled Windows laptop into an 802. 11 network det ector. NetStumbler and dozens of similar â€Å"war driving† programs can be used with other attack tools to find and hack into discovered wifi networks. †¢WireShark: WireShark is a freeware LAN analyzer that can be used to passively capture 802. 11 packets being transmitted over a wifi network.This software has been downloaded millions of times. 2. Hardware †¢For hackers that prefer a turn-key package, there are also hardware wireless hacking tools available. We’ve highlighted one called WiFi Pineapple. It’s a simple, small, portable device that can be carried into any hotspot and used to attract any laptop trying to find a wifi access point. The Pineapple uses a technique called an Evil Twin attack. Hackers have used tools like KARMA to do the same thing for years, but with Pineapple, now you can buy a piece of hardware for only $100 that allows you to become a hacker without downloading or installing any software. Here’s what their website say s: â€Å"Of course all of the Internet traffic flowing through the pineapple such as e-mail, instant messages and browser sessions are easily viewed or even modified by the pineapple holder. †REFERENCES http://www. cse. wustl. edu/~jain//cse571-07/ftp/wireless_hacking/index. html http://www. cs. wright. edu/~pmateti/InternetSecurity/Lectures/WirelessHacks/Mateti-WirelessHacks. htm#_Toc77524642 http://www. webopedia. com/TERM/C/cyber_crime. html http://www. wi-fiplanet. com/tutorials/article. php/3568066 file:///C:/Users/jsk/Desktop/Wireless%20Hackers%20101. htm