Applied Research Case Study Essay

Global Innovation’s Challenges On June 5, 2006, Peter Vyas paced his office as he grappled with a request for $2 million to relaunch a mini water-oxidation product. Despite two failures to bring this product to market over the past three years, his team was confident this latest iteration was a winner. For Vyas, general manager of the Filtration Unit of Applied Research Technologies (ART), the request presented a major challenge. He recognized that his team had worked tirelessly to make this project a reality and strongly believed they were now headed in the right direction. But he also understood that the Filtration Unit’s track record of failure during this product’s development had hurt its credibility. If he supported the proposal, he knew he would be putting on the line not only his own personal credibility but also that of the entire unit. Due to the project’s size, final approval would be made by Vyas’s boss, Cynthia Jackson—the newly appointed vice president of ARTâ€℠¢s Water Management Division. Jackson was acutely aware of the mounting losses in the Filtration Unit, and she had already devoted a significant amount of time trying to get them back on track. She had confided to one of her colleagues: When I took on this assignment, I was told my first task was to â€Å"fix† the Filtration Unit. The unit only had one revenue-generating product line and had failed to bring a profitable new product to market in five years. It was clear that I was expected to either turn it around or shut it down. I’m trying to protect them and ensure they get support, but my initial feeling is if they are to survive, they must become much more disciplined. They seem to be making progress on that front, but in all honesty, I sometimes wonder if it is time to cut our losses and initiate a harvest strategy for the unit. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HBS Professor Christopher A. Bartlett and Heather Beckham prepared this case solely as a basis for class discussion and not as an endorsement, a source of primary data, or an illustration of effective or ineffective management. This case, though based on real events, is fictionalized, and any resemblance to actual persons or entities is coincidental. There are occasional references to actual companies in the narration. Copyright  © 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of Harvard Business Publishing. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. ART was one of the technology world’s emerging giants. The company had grown through the merger and acquisition of numerous technology-based industrial companies, acquired in the LBO buyout waves of the 1980s and 1990s. By 2006, ART consisted of a portfolio of about 60 business units, each of which operated as a profit center. Total corporate revenue was $11 billion in 2006.1 Major divisions in the corporation included Healthcare (medical diagnostic equipment), Industrial Automation (robotics), Energy (extraction, conversion, and transportation solutions for the oil and gas industry—–including the Water Management Division), and HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning, including climate control solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial markets). Exhibit 1 shows the organization structure of the company. The company’s success had been built on its innovative and entrepreneurial culture, coupled with a decentralized management philosophy. ART’s vision statement, proudly displayed in almost every office and cubicle, stated: ‘‘We aim to change the world through innovation, and to grow our place in it through entrepreneurship.† Culture and Practices ART was dedicated to supporting innovation not only with funding (the company’s R&D spending was double the rate for U.S. industrial companies), but also in its practices, several of which were deeply embedded in the company’s culture. ART encouraged employees to spend a half day each week ‘‘experimenting, brainstorming, and thinking outside the box.’’ It was a practice that the company’s visionary founder and current CEO, David Hall, referred to as ‘‘tinker time.’’ He explained the concept: Innovation and entrepreneurship are the twin engines driving this company. It’s the reason we’ve ingrained â€Å"tinker time† in our culture†¦I expect all our managers, and particularly those on the front line, to create, promote, and back promising ideas. But we understand that when you go for the big leap, you won’t always clear the bar. So there is no shame in failure when you are stretching for big objectives. Around here we routinely celebrate what we call â€Å"worthy attempts†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ even when they are unsuccessful. Knowledge sharing and dissemination was another key part of ART’s business philosophy, and despite the high level of decentralization and profit accountability, technology and human capital were both widely shared among divisions. For example, experts in one division routinely served as advisors on project committees for other divisions, and it was not uncommon for employees to go ‘‘on loan’’ to help another unit with a promising product idea or technology. The company also moved quickly to bring products to market. If an idea showed promise, funding was usually available for small ‘‘beta batch’’ productions, which often allowed market testing to achieve what was called ‘‘proof of concept’’ within ART. Once an innovation was proven, significant investment was quickly put behind it. Objectives and Priorities To infuse discipline into its decentralized organization, ART’s top management set highly aggressive performance objectives and tied executive compensation tightly to them. In 2006, as in 1 Of that total, Water Management Division sales were $560 million and Filtration Unit sales were $38 million  any other year, each division was expected to deliver sales growth of 10%, pretax margins of 15%, and return on invested capital of 20%, referred to as the ‘‘10/15/20 Target.’’ The belief that innovative products were the source of the company’s ongoing competitive advantage was reflected in a companywide metric requiring 30% of each division’s total sales come from products developed in the last four years.2 Hall also continually emphasized that to be competitive, ART had to shorten the life cycle between a new technology’s conception and its commercialization. In response, the company had introduced the ‘‘Fast Track Pipeline,’’ a program that focused on the highest priority projects by providing them with additional resources and management attention. ART currently had 67 such projects in the pipeline, six in the Water Division, but none in the Filtration Unit. (The mini oxidation unit had not been identified as a ‘‘Fast Track’’ project). In the late 1990s, Hall began pushing to grow ART’s global presence. â€Å"It’s important not just to expand our market access, but also to broaden our talent access,† he insisted. ‘‘Innovation and entrepreneurship know no national boundaries.† In the quest to meet this challenge ‘‘to attract the best and the brightest wherever they live,â€⠄¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ in 2000, the corporate R&D group opened the India Technical Center (ITC)—–a substantial operation that Hall hoped would become a model for  other R&D centers he planned to open up around the globe. The Filtration Business Unit The Filtration Unit was part of a business ART acquired from an oil and gas services company in 1996. Its core product line was in mobile water treatment that allowed oil and gas exploration companies to meet government water recycling requirements at well heads and drilling sites. These products were still the unit’s core line, but in the late 1990s, new competition from Chinese manufacturers had led to a commoditization of the business and an erosion of margins. ART’s newly acquired filtration business had tried to develop the next generation of products and technologies, but after two high-profile new product failures, the unit had lost confidence. By 2006, it was losing about $6 million annually. New Management, New Energy In a promotion from his role as a lab manager in the HVAC Division, the 32-year-old Vyas had assumed the role of business manager for the Filtration Unit in June 2001. He immediately confronted the unit’s twin organizational problems of low morale and growing turnover, and in his first year, rebuilt the team by carefully selecting entrepreneurial-minded individuals to fill the vacancies left by turnover in the unit. One of his key recruits was Janice Wagner, whom he knew from her five years as a marketing manager in the HVAC Division. She was excited to join a unit that had an opportunity to develop a new business from scratch. Convinced that survival depended on innovative growth, Vyas appointed a technology evaluation team early in his tenure, charging them with the responsibility to focus on technologies with the potential to turn the unit around. In one of his first reviews with that team, Vyas learned that for almost a year, the filtration unit had been working with ITC technicians on an exciting new technology the young Indian team had developed based on a license obtained from a Delhi-based start-up company. Developed as a potential solution to the widespread Third World problem of obtaining clean water in remote regions, this small-scale oxidation system was thought to have 2 Hall had recently increased this target from 25% of each unit’s sales from products developed in the last five years.  application in many less-developed markets. But in an effort to cut costs, the filtration unit’s previous management had decided to abandon the collaboration a year earlier. After reviewing the technology, Vyas became convinced that this had been a mistake and encouraged his evaluation team to pursue the project. Working closely with the ITC technologists, the team concluded that the oxidation technology was the most promising opportunity in their portfolio, and recommended developing a small-scale oxidation system that enabled waste-water disinfection in small batches. ‘‘We were so excited by that decision,† said Div Verma, the ITC technologist in charge of the project. ‘‘We believe this project can make a huge difference to the lives of millions.† Motivated by the support they received, the ITC technicians devel oped a promising initial design. Without bulky equipment (the equipment was a 26-inch cube) or an electrical power source (it utilized battery power), this small system could transform waste water into potable water without chemicals in minutes. A single unit had the capacity to process approximately 2,000 liters of contaminated water per day. With pride, they took their design to Vyas. But Vyas wanted to understand the business opportunity and asked Wagner to prepare a brief overview. Wagner learned that only about 2.5% of the world’s water was fresh, and most of that was frozen. Population growth, industrial development, and agricultural expansion were all putting pressure on fresh-water supplies in both developed and developing countries. Indeed, the World Resources Institute found that demand for water was growing at twice the rate of the population. As a result, the World Health Organization estimated that over 1.1 billion people lacked access to clean water, and that 2. 4 billion lacked access to  basic sanitation. The research also revealed that waterborne diseases accounted for 80% of infections in the developing world, and in 2002, 3.1 million deaths occurred (90% children) as a result of diarrheal diseases and malaria. As countries such as India and China industrialized, they used more fresh water and added more pollution to existing water sources. Wagner concluded that the scarcity of clean water was reaching crisis levels in developing nations, and that the mini-oxidation system could help avert some of the catastrophic effects. But she also reported comparable R&D efforts also underway in the government and private sectors in China and Europe, and that several companies in the United States and Canada were researching the technology. Nevertheless, her analysis suggested the ITC team’s product was further along and probably superior to anything else in the space. New Opportunities, New Initiatives Vyas decided to pursue the project and convinced the VP of Corporate R&D who had ITC oversight to allow the three ITC technologists working on it to become members of his technical team—–a move that would allow them to focus on developing commercial designs for the oxidation technology. Simultaneously, he asked Wagner to do a first-cut market assessment to identify potential opportunities for the technology. Over the next few weeks, through focus groups and interviews with potential customers, she uncovered several promising applications. (See Exhibit 2). But while the market research was exciting, progress in bringing a product to market proved to be slow and difficult. From January 2003 to February 2006, the technology team coordinated with separate manufacturing and marketing teams located in the United States to work through two complete cycles of product development, beta batch productions, and test marketing of two different versions of the mini-oxidation system. Both failed due to what were subsequently revealed to be defects in the design and lack of interest in the marketplace. The first-generation product was aimed at the application for which the technology was originally developed—–to provide developing nations with safe drinking water. Largely supported by foreign aid, the mini-oxidation system was field-tested by representatives from funding agencies. Unfortunately, the output water had a detectable odor which the funders found unacceptable. Despite assurances that ITC technicians could fix the problem, the trials failed to convert into orders. The team decided to refocus a second-generation product on specialized applications in Western countries where funding was more available. The plan was to develop a slightly modified version of the product and aim it at a potential market for military use and NGO disaster relief activities that Wagner had identified in her initial analysis. This decision was enormously disappointing to the Indian technologists who had developed the initial prototypes, and Vyas had to work hard to keep them on board . The second-generation product fixed the odor problem, but field trials showed that the solution caused the unit to consume too much power, requiring frequent battery replacement. Once again, no orders were forthcoming. While these trials were occurring, the filtration unit’s small R&D team in the United States persuaded Vyas to allow them to work with corporate R&D on an entirely new version of the product that would utilize ultrasound waves for water disinfection. High frequency vibrations were shown to control the growth of algae, organic waste, and bacteria such as E. coli. Market applications for this technology included treatment for clean water storage receptacles, public/private ponds, fish tanks, and ballast water. However, in 2006 this technology was still in the earliest stages of research and testing. New Oversight, New Discipline In January 2006, just as Vyas and the rest of the mini-oxidation team were launching their secondgeneration system, Cynthia Jackson was appointed vice president of the Water Management Division. Jackson’s attention was soon drawn to the troubled Filtration Unit which she felt needed to put much more rigor into the planning and analysis that supported their product development activities. According to Jackson: Peter Vyas seems to be an excellent talent manager. He was able to recruit and retain good people to his unit, and then build them into highly motivated teams on two different continents. He’s also shown himself to be an outstanding advocate for the group’s ideas -skilled at managing upward, gaining support, and running interference so his team can concentrate on the task at hand. And I’m aware that the company has high hopes for the Filtration Unit, but the results just are not there. In my view, the unit lacks discipline. They had a promising technology that was in search of a market, but had not done the work to nail down either. In the first meeting I had with them I explained that they would be developing any future proposals using a rigorous three-phase process linking market analysis and technological development to business planning. In her first meeting with Vyas, Jackson also made it clear that the unit’s continued existence was in jeopardy if they did not turn things around. Mini-Oxidation’s Third Launch Attempt To coordinate the third launch of the mini-oxidation system, Vyas assembled a single six-person development team with representatives from various functions located in the United States and India. Because Janice Wagner had demonstrated strong project management skills, Vyas named her  as the team leader. (Exhibit 3 details committee membership.) From the outset, the team was highly committed to the product and worked tirelessly  to complete Jackson’s three-phase process. Phase 1: General Product Concept and Market Analysis Wagner took the lead in preparing the Phase 1 requirement ‘‘to develop a general product concept supported by market research.’’ Having learned that the unit lacked the expertise to sell to developing markets, governments, and NGOs, she decided to focus additional research on U.S. data that seemed to indicate strong potential for a residential water purification system. She also decided to see if opportunities might exist in domestic agricultural applications. According to the Palmer Drought Index from April of 2006, 26% of the United States was considered in moderate to extreme drought conditions, and Wagner’s research showed that low rainfall, high wind, and rapid population growth in the Western and Southeastern regions of the country caused a major water scarcity problem for these areas. The resulting government-imposed water restrictions often led to severe limitations or outright bans of water used in residential landscape irrigation. Because re-use of waste water would serve conservation efforts while preserving residential landscaping, Wagner felt that the mini-oxidation system offered a perfect solution for the needs of homeowners in these drought-stricken areas. In addition, since the product would be used for irrigation and not for drinking water, the disinfection quality could be lowered and energy consumption would therefore be reduced compared to past product iterations. Wagner’s research on the U.S. water industry indicated that the domestic water-treatment equipment market generated sales of over $9 billion. (Exhibit 4 provides selected data from the research.) Residential water treatment products ranged from water filters that reduced sediment, rust, and chlorine odor (average retail price $50) to systems that provided more comprehensive household water purification (retail price $1,500 to $3,000). The research also showed that in-ground sprinkler systems cost between $1,800 and $4,000, and after conducting some industry interviews and focus groups, Wagner felt this was a good barometer of what a homeowner was willing to pay for a lush, green lawn. After discussing the product concept with the development committee members, the team decided to recommend a retail price of $2,000 ($1,000 wholesale price) for a residential irrigation mini-oxidation system (RIMOS) capable of supporting a 10,000 square-foot lawn. Pricing for an agricultural irrigation large oxidation system (AILOS) would be significantly less on a per-acre basis, with details to be developed only after further research had been done. Wagner and Vyas compiled the data and product concept information in a formal proposal for Jackson to approve. Jackson responded to the team’s Phase 1 proposal with a flurry of questions and challenges. She highlighted the sparseness of concrete market numbers and their lack of data on target markets. And when the team floated the idea of designing a larger-scale agricultural version of the system, she asked them to think about whether that would stretch resources too thin. With the whole company under pressure to trim budgets, J ackson asked the team to consider reducing the project’s costs by eliminating either the RIMOS or AILOS product. After some discussion, Vyas and his team agreed to focus future product development and marketing efforts on the RIMOS product for the U.S. market. Phase 2: Technical Specifications and Prototype Having won the approval of Phase 1, the team was now ready to begin the second phase of Jackson’s product development process. This involved designing actual product specifications and determining how to do this within the $1,000 wholesale price point that the group had determined was appropriate. A working prototype was also to be created as part of this phase. The team relied heavily on ITC expertise to adapt the existing product originally designed to provide potable water in remote locations, to one capable of processing wastewater for lawn irrigation. During this phase, several misunderstandings surfaced between team members in the United States and India. For example, Wagner became concerned when the Indian team  repeatedly missed design deadlines she had requested. When she confronted Div Verma, the lab leader responsible for the project, he responded tersely: Peter told us he wanted the new design to be flawless. I take that as my number one priority. We can’t meet this deliverable without proper testing. Why is everything so rushed with you? If we don’t have a perfect design, then we run the risk of failing a third time and that is not acceptable. My team will not provide designs for a prototype until we are sure that all the bugs have been worked out. We don’t want to be involved in another failure. Emphasizing the mandate to move quickly while ensuring product quality, Vyas mediated the disagreement by crafting a compromise that gave the Indian technical team a formal schedule allowing them two weeks of extra testing time. ‘‘I felt there was a mix of disappointment and pride that had to be dealt with,† said Vias. ‘‘I also told Div that this third generation product would give us the credibility to return to the developing world project.† Once the prototype was finished, the final designs and specs were again submitted for review. Jackson was impressed by the attention to detail in this latest iteration, but wanted to ensure that the team was fully utilizing the internal expertise available at ART. With Jackson’s help, Vyas tapped engineers and manufacturing managers from the HVAC and Healthcare Divisions who had expertise his team was lacking. He invited them to join his development team, and they quickly became deeply engaged in the project. They identified several design changes and production specifications that increased efficiency and lowered manufacturing costs. Phase 3: Business Plan The development of the business plan was the most difficult phase for Vyas and his team. They were unaccustomed to creating complex sales forecast models and cost estimates. But eventually they developed a detailed product concept, marketing approach, and manufacturing strategy for RIMOS, as well as sales forecasts, cost projections, and expense estimates. They also acknowledged that they still believed there was a significant market in water treatment for the developing world and in emergency relief work, but  these future options had not been included in the current forecasts or business plan. They hoped to explore these with the help of the Oil and Gas Division which had excellent international contacts. Jackson challenged the team’s pro forma financials which she felt lacked the data to support their assumptions. She asked the team to perform additional due diligence and to justify their assumptions. She also pushed back on the projected sales assumptions and suggested that the pro forma financials needed to be stress-tested. But after testing the analysis, Wagner felt her research was sound and was adamant about the size of the opportunity and their ability to capture the market. Vyas stood by Wagner and also defended the financial data which he felt had been carefully developed by the manufacturing and technology experts. Exhibit 5 summarizes the team’s sales and operating margin forecasts. The team acknowledged that its assumptions relied on the ability to gain access to the HVAC Group’s Residential Market Division. As Wagner pointed out, ART’s norms encouraged them to take advantage of these types of synergies, and they had good contacts in the division. However, the HVAC Residential Market Division’s senior executives had full discretion regarding the products distributed through its channels, and they had not yet made a formal decision about  Jackson also expressed her concerns with the $2,000 retail price point and pushed Vyas to clearly identify the risks associated with the plan. After further consideration, the team developed a risk assessment and response matrix, which they included in the business plan (Exhibit 6). The business plan revealed the need for $2 million in funding for beta batch production of RIMOS and the marketing budget to support its distribution and promotion. Toward a Decision: Go or No Go? An hour after receiving the investment proposal from his team, Vyas was still pacing back and forth trying to decide whether to support or reject their request for the $2 million in funding for RIMOS. He knew his development team was absolutely convinced it could succeed, but he also realized that the unit’s existence and even his own career were being openly questioned. Two floors above Vyas’s office, Jackson was also contemplating the RIMOS project. Having heard through the company grapevine that a funding request had been submitted to Vyas, she began to think about how she would handle the request if it was sent up to her. She had heard rumblings from other managers in her division that the Filtration Unit was a drain on division resources and that it was time to pull the plug on any additional funding. As a newly promoted division VP, Jackson understood that her actions would be closely watched. She wanted to make sure she did not drop the ball. Exhibit 1 ART Organization with Filtration Unit Detail Finance Engineering Legal R&D HR David Hall CEO Healthcare Executive VP Energy 3 divisions 17 business units 2 divisions 13 business units Power Generation Oil/Gas Extraction 4 business units 2 direct reports T. Smith Administration Cynthia Jackson VP Water Management Division 5 business units 3 other business units B. Brady R&D USA Industrial Automation W. Steilow Plant Superintendent 5 direct reports 40 plant personnel HVAC 3 divisions 14 business units Power Distribution 3 business units Peter Vyas Manager Filtration Unit J. Wagner Sales and Marketing 2 direct reports B. Wang Production Control P. Gupta Indian Technical Center Team 2 direct reports 3 direct reports Exhibit 2 Wagner’s List of Potential Markets Developing Nations †¢ Provide potable water solutions for areas with unsafe drinking water U.S. Residential †¢ Landscape irrigation †¢ Pools †¢ In-house water recirculation for non-drinking purposes (e.g., laundry, dishwashers, etc.) U.S. Commercial †¢ Restaurants †¢ Grocery stores †¢ Laundromats †¢ Linen/Uniform companies †¢ Farms †¢ Landscape irrigation U.S. and Overseas Emergency Units †¢ Disaster relief †¢ Military Exhibit 3 ART Mini Water Oxidation System—–Development Committee Team Structure New Product Introduction Team Members D. Verma R. Patel B. Wang H. Lewis J. Wagner T. Smith C. Corteza G. Steinberga Laboratory Leader—–Indian Technical Center Product Development—–Indian Technical Center Manufacturing Quality Assurance Marketing (TEAM LEADER) Project Administration HVAC Division Representative Healthcare Division Representative a Member from another unit of ART added in Phase 2 Exhibit 4 Market Research: Summary Data The U.S. Water Industry (Revenues in millions)a Water Treatment Equipment Delivery Equipment Chemicals Contract Operations Consulting/Engineering Maintenance Services Instruments and Testing Wastewater Utilities Drinking Water Utilities Total U.S. Water Industry $9,110 $11,660 $4,020 $2,350 $7,460 $1,780 $1,400 $34,130 $35,070 $106,980 s U.S. Residences (2000 Census) Total Housing Units Single-Family Detached Homes 116 million 70 million Drought Indicators (Palmer Drought Index 4/10/2006) % of the continuous U.S. in severe to extreme drought % of the continuous U.S. in moderate to extreme drought 13% 26% NOTE: Mini-Oxidation Systems are a â€Å"new-to-the-world† product with unknown market potential. a Source: Adapted from the Environmental Business Journal, 2006 Exhibit 5 Summary Sales and Profit Forecast for RIMOS 2007 Forecast Sales ( $ millions) Forecast Operating Income (%) Exhibit 6 2008 2009 2010 2011 $ 5.45 10% $ 7.08 15% $ 8.86 20% $ 10.89 20% $ 13.07 20% Summary Risk Analysis and Risk Mitigation for RIMOS Risk Level Plan May not gain market acceptance High – Ensure HVAC distribution support Highlight ART name Supplement marketing budget for product launch Product design flaws Medium – Monitor beta batch closely Price point too high Medium – Quantify customer savings from increased water efficiency Provide sales training to distributors Emerging competition Low – Get to market first Leverage ART global presence, technical support, supplier relationships, and distribution network

Social Contract Theory of John Locke

Given the honored and extensive authority that the social contract theory upholds, the supposition still endures various assessments. The view that people’s ethical and political responsibilities are reliant upon a contract between them to structure a society is also precisely linked with current ethical and political theory. John Locke (b. 1632, d. 1704), a prominent truth-seeker among other professions of the 17th and early 18th centuries, is primarily recognized for the creation of his influential social contract theory.Censors dispute that most people are raised within an existing society and not presented with opportunity to opt a social contract; therefore, Locke’s social contract theory is considered invalid. Locke’s refute to the censors alleged that a keen understanding of how social contracts transpire must occur prior to the advancement of individuals in the social order. This paper will entail the social contract theory of John Locke and how the value s identified are consistent with the criminal justice system (Uzgalis, 2007,  ¶11). The State of NatureThe social contract theory commences with the idea of a state of nature; the central idea that criminal justice systems are not in existence. The breakdown of effects result in the lack of protection provided; the inability to instill safety measures; and the neglect of civil rights pertaining to property and to individualized refuge. Public order is in disarray resulting in people relying on self-help methods to resolve differences of opinion. The individuality of existence within a state of nature is one of the primary areas under discussion that differences occur among social contract philosophers.Unlike Thomas Hobbes, John Locke’s colleague in philosophy, whom references a state of nature as a battle of everyone in opposition to one another, Locke references state of nature, not as a circumstance of warfare, but nevertheless a problem. Locke theorizes that a community not possessing access to a normal arbitrator would signify that each person would mediate individual cases. This style of adjudication would create recurrent heated discussions being settled by personal brutality.Despite the different thinking techniques of Locke and Hobbes, the agreement exists that the state of nature would generate a sadistic and apprehensive atmosphere (Reese, 2001,  ¶11-12). The State of Nature is a condition of ideal and inclusive autonomy to manage life in the best method one deems necessary, according to Locke. To add clarity, Locke’s proposal was not to include the freedom to do whatever one desires despite the consequences. Although the State of Nature presents a status that municipal influence and government does not discipline individuals for illegal indiscretions, doctrines remain in subsistence.Furthermore, the State of Nature assumes equivalency to others and is equally skilled to make determinations ensured by, what Locke claims, the foundat ion of decency; the Law of Nature. Locke’s viewpoint is that the Law of Nature was provided to mankind by God with the instructions not to cause injury to one another in regard to physical condition, independence, existence, and property. In Locke’s words, â€Å"Moral good and evil is only the conformity or disagreement of our voluntary actions to some law, whereby good or evil is drawn on us, from the will and power of the law-maker† (Laslett, 1967, p. 8). Locke refutes Hobbes theory by making claim that because God owns every living creature, and every human being is considered equivalent, people are not at liberty to eradicate what belongs to God. The State of Nature works as a set of guidelines allowing people to pursue unreservedly happiness by following personal areas of interest and creating personal diplomacy (2001,  ¶3-4). In this observation the decree is established on God’s determination but strangely, the theory is not consistent with Locke ’s assertion pertaining to the Law of Nature.Locke elaborates that because the State of Nature is reasonably passive; people are entitled to seek this happiness free from hindrance. Although the hypothesis is to some extent contradicting, Locke’s theory does add simplicity to the reasoning of why an unbiased criminal justice system is detrimental to society. Two Treaties on Government Locke surmised in the Two Treaties on Government, 1686, originally people agreed to a governmental social contract to ensure safeguarding of property rights and security from aggression.In lieu of defense, community members presented authorization to the government for verification that community members wished to be presided over. Locke made public the claim that any government official can justifiably be replaced if he or she neglects duties or takes advantage of the position. Locke’s view of righteousness is germane to the debate of the United States Criminal Justice System beca use initiators depended upon Locke’s words of wisdom to direct the assembly of an organization of self-governing supremacy.Undeniably, numerous pieces of the United States Declaration of Independence duplicate portions of Locke’s Second Treatise precisely. For example, citizens are gifted â€Å"with certain unalienable rights . . . governments come about to secure the rights and to gain just powers from the consent of the governed† (Laslett, 1967, p. 61). Locke’s statement pertaining to how disparaging the government can become and the entitlement the community members obtain is also noted in the Declaration of Independence. Locke’s dispute resulted as the starting point for structuring an admired government in addition to a validation for rebellion.Political convictions formerly sustained the proposal of community members providing government requirements. The concept of an innovative social contract in which the government subsisted to provide re quirements of the administration created a novel reflection that upheld Lock’s thoughts, â€Å"a person surrendered to the authority of the state only the amount of freedom necessary to ensure protection of the rights of other citizens† (1967, p. 3-7). The fresh proposal concerning contractual association of the government to community members was a creation of an inventive, rising middleclass (1967, p. 15).Conclusion Based on the preceding theories of the highly regarded John Locke, the values identified within the State of Nature are noticeably consistent with the values of existing day criminal justice system. Although challenging, without the basis of Locke’s hypothesis on social contract, the criminal justice system would lack genuineness and compassion creating an unreceptive environment. Locke’s theory makes current the immeasurable array of associations and connections interlinking people. Social contract theory is undeniably a part of the crimina l justice system at present and in the projected future.Locke’s theory, along with other reputable premises, will forever compel the reflection upon the nature of people and the connection to one another.Reference Laslett, P. (December 1967). Two treaties of government and the revolution of 1688. Locke: Two Treatises of Government. Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought. (ISBN- 13 : 9780521069038 | ISBN- 10: 0521069033). Reese, R. (September 2001). Social justice theory. Journal of Ethics and Justice. Uzgalis, W. (2007). Historical background and locke’s life. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Social Contract Theory of John Locke Given the honored and extensive authority that the social contract theory upholds, the supposition still endures various assessments. The view that people’s ethical and political responsibilities are reliant upon a contract between them to structure a society is also precisely linked with current ethical and political theory. John Locke (b. 1632, d. 1704), a prominent truth-seeker among other professions of the 17th and early 18th centuries, is primarily recognized for the creation of his influential social contract theory.Censors dispute that most people are raised within an existing society and not presented with opportunity to opt a social contract; therefore, Locke’s social contract theory is considered invalid. Locke’s refute to the censors alleged that a keen understanding of how social contracts transpire must occur prior to the advancement of individuals in the social order. This paper will entail the social contract theory of John Locke and how the value s identified are consistent with the criminal justice system (Uzgalis, 2007,  ¶11). The State of NatureThe social contract theory commences with the idea of a state of nature; the central idea that criminal justice systems are not in existence. The breakdown of effects result in the lack of protection provided; the inability to instill safety measures; and the neglect of civil rights pertaining to property and to individualized refuge. Public order is in disarray resulting in people relying on self-help methods to resolve differences of opinion. The individuality of existence within a state of nature is one of the primary areas under discussion that differences occur among social contract philosophers.Unlike Thomas Hobbes, John Locke’s colleague in philosophy, whom references a state of nature as a battle of everyone in opposition to one another, Locke references state of nature, not as a circumstance of warfare, but nevertheless a problem. Locke theorizes that a community not possessing access to a normal arbitrator would signify that each person would mediate individual cases. This style of adjudication would create recurrent heated discussions being settled by personal brutality.Despite the different thinking techniques of Locke and Hobbes, the agreement exists that the state of nature would generate a sadistic and apprehensive atmosphere (Reese, 2001,  ¶11-12). The State of Nature is a condition of ideal and inclusive autonomy to manage life in the best method one deems necessary, according to Locke. To add clarity, Locke’s proposal was not to include the freedom to do whatever one desires despite the consequences. Although the State of Nature presents a status that municipal influence and government does not discipline individuals for illegal indiscretions, doctrines remain in subsistence.Furthermore, the State of Nature assumes equivalency to others and is equally skilled to make determinations ensured by, what Locke claims, the foundat ion of decency; the Law of Nature. Locke’s viewpoint is that the Law of Nature was provided to mankind by God with the instructions not to cause injury to one another in regard to physical condition, independence, existence, and property. In Locke’s words, â€Å"Moral good and evil is only the conformity or disagreement of our voluntary actions to some law, whereby good or evil is drawn on us, from the will and power of the law-maker† (Laslett, 1967, p. 8). Locke refutes Hobbes theory by making claim that because God owns every living creature, and every human being is considered equivalent, people are not at liberty to eradicate what belongs to God. The State of Nature works as a set of guidelines allowing people to pursue unreservedly happiness by following personal areas of interest and creating personal diplomacy (2001,  ¶3-4). In this observation the decree is established on God’s determination but strangely, the theory is not consistent with Locke ’s assertion pertaining to the Law of Nature.Locke elaborates that because the State of Nature is reasonably passive; people are entitled to seek this happiness free from hindrance. Although the hypothesis is to some extent contradicting, Locke’s theory does add simplicity to the reasoning of why an unbiased criminal justice system is detrimental to society. Two Treaties on Government Locke surmised in the Two Treaties on Government, 1686, originally people agreed to a governmental social contract to ensure safeguarding of property rights and security from aggression.In lieu of defense, community members presented authorization to the government for verification that community members wished to be presided over. Locke made public the claim that any government official can justifiably be replaced if he or she neglects duties or takes advantage of the position. Locke’s view of righteousness is germane to the debate of the United States Criminal Justice System beca use initiators depended upon Locke’s words of wisdom to direct the assembly of an organization of self-governing supremacy.Undeniably, numerous pieces of the United States Declaration of Independence duplicate portions of Locke’s Second Treatise precisely. For example, citizens are gifted â€Å"with certain unalienable rights . . . governments come about to secure the rights and to gain just powers from the consent of the governed† (Laslett, 1967, p. 61). Locke’s statement pertaining to how disparaging the government can become and the entitlement the community members obtain is also noted in the Declaration of Independence. Locke’s dispute resulted as the starting point for structuring an admired government in addition to a validation for rebellion.Political convictions formerly sustained the proposal of community members providing government requirements. The concept of an innovative social contract in which the government subsisted to provide re quirements of the administration created a novel reflection that upheld Lock’s thoughts, â€Å"a person surrendered to the authority of the state only the amount of freedom necessary to ensure protection of the rights of other citizens† (1967, p. 3-7). The fresh proposal concerning contractual association of the government to community members was a creation of an inventive, rising middleclass (1967, p. 15).Conclusion Based on the preceding theories of the highly regarded John Locke, the values identified within the State of Nature are noticeably consistent with the values of existing day criminal justice system. Although challenging, without the basis of Locke’s hypothesis on social contract, the criminal justice system would lack genuineness and compassion creating an unreceptive environment. Locke’s theory makes current the immeasurable array of associations and connections interlinking people. Social contract theory is undeniably a part of the crimina l justice system at present and in the projected future.Locke’s theory, along with other reputable premises, will forever compel the reflection upon the nature of people and the connection to one another.Reference Laslett, P. (December 1967). Two treaties of government and the revolution of 1688. Locke: Two Treatises of Government. Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought. (ISBN- 13 : 9780521069038 | ISBN- 10: 0521069033). Reese, R. (September 2001). Social justice theory. Journal of Ethics and Justice. Uzgalis, W. (2007). Historical background and locke’s life. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

A Pro Drop Parameter English Language Essay

A Pro Drop Parameter English Language Essay Pro-drop parameter is such a parameter for whether the declarative sentence in universal grammar can omit the subject. It is also known as null subject parameter, non-subject parameter. The so-called â€Å"pro-drop† phenomenon refers to the subject can be deleted in the declarative sentence (White, 1986). The pro-drop parameter (null subject parameter) proposed is based on the phenomenon of omitted subject pronouns in some language. The empty synonymous is commonly known as pro, the language of the subject can be omitted due to the pro appears only in subject position, or the language with no main statement can be called as pro-drop language. Whether the subject can be omitted constitutes a parameter in universal grammar, known as pro-drop parameter. Pro-drop parameter is a universal grammar parameter which is the most discussed (Chomsky and Lasnik, 1991). It is an important parameter to examine the second language acquisition effect in the study of the second language learni ng. Pro-drop parameter assumption studies the adult null subject phenomenon to show the object-drop in the children’s language, the basic premise of the theory is for the most grammar provides null subject parameter for language learners (White, 1986). This default parameter allows null subject, so only when the child’s language environment provides them with clear evidence to prove their language cannot be null subject, it will lead them to reset the parameters. Different languages à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹have different pro-drop parameter values, that is, to determine whether the declarative sentence can omit the subject. Chomsky (2000) argues that the sentence has two levels, one is the deep structure (d-structure) to express the sentence vocabulary meaning, it is the concept structure in the brain before the people to talk; the other is the shallow structure (s -structure) to express the moving relationship of sentence elements, it is the sound people sp eak. Principles and parameters theory claims that empty synonymous pro only appears in d-structure, and does not appear in s-structure (Ouhalla, 2000). In the d-structure of the implied subject sentence, the subject is existed, invisible pro is taken as the subject, the main word syntactic component does not disappear, and it is still present in the speech’s heart and brain syntax with â€Å"psychological reality.† In the s-structure of the implied subject, the subject is existed in the form of â€Å"null†, the subject form of this â€Å"null† is called pro. It knows that the pro is implied in s-structure. Although many studies have tried to explain second language learners like children acquisition native-like to set the open parameters, since the early 1980s, people found that the initial stage of the second language learners will transfer the parameters set in mother tongue (Gass and Schachter, 1989; Lydia, 1989, 1991). Here, taking the implied pro par ameters for illustration here carries out a brief description of the similarities and differences in setting of this parameter in the native language. In addition, it will also explain the potential advantages are of the assumption there is a pro drop parameter. In children’s brain, the setting of the language parameter can be considered a switch: children adjust each parameter value according to their heard language material. Chomsky (2000) suggests that the transition from the initial state to a stable state is actually the process of setting switch direction (Cook and Newson, 2000, pp.110). Acquisition of English syntax means setting the all parameters in universal grammar according to the English habit, and the parameter settings are activated relying on linguistic evidence. Usually there are three linguistic à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹instances: positive evidence, direct negative evidence and indirect negative evidence. Positive evidence refers to the language h eard by children. The linguistic instance heard by British children enables them to find English is a non-implicit pro parameter language. Spanish children will find that Spanish is the implicit pro parameter language. Direct negative evidence, also known as direct correction, is directly from the adult corrections. However, the direct correction is limited. Even if corrected directly, children also tend to ignore, thus the direct correction cannot be the main source for the children to obtain the language skills. Indirect negative evidence is such a language form for the children cannot hear. British children are impossible to hear such as â€Å"Sits.† statement, or reversed predicate word order, such as â€Å"Sits he.† So, some studies suggest that the indirect negative instance contributes to the setting of parameters. Hyams (1981) specifically studied the implicit pro parameter setting in the native language acquisition. She found that the British children could sp eak many sentences without subject like the Spanish, such as: â€Å"Play it.† Or â€Å"No go in†. At the same time, in their language they will leave the words such as ‘it’ and ‘there’. Gradually, they began to understand that the English needs the lexical subject and added the function words ‘it’ and ‘there’ in sentences. While the Spanish children in the beginning thought that Spanish is the language of the implicit parameter, and does not need to change. Hyams (1981) believes that in the acquisition of the mother tongue, the children regard the implied pro parameters as a default, it is, regardless of their language, always speak the sentences without subject, the children eventually found the parameter values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹from the positive evidence. Non-implied pro parameters language English uses impersonal Indefinite pronoun ‘it’ in the sentences expressing weather: â€Å"Ità ¢â‚¬â„¢s raining.† In the presence of the sentence, ‘there’ is used: â€Å"Once upon a time, there were three bears.† The emergence of expletive subject makes the British children were aware of the English is a non-implied subject language. Cook (2000: 90) argued that the basis for the universal grammar to explain language acquisition lies in the positive evidence plays a key role. Children are mainly from the positive evidence rather than negative evidence to acquisition of the mother tongue.

Writer's choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Writer's choice - Essay Example To her, the 6-year old protagonist is a symbol of the racially discriminated, belonging to the weaker sex and ultimately representing those who are unable to fight for their basic rights. She is the epitome of the Black race, considered to be survivors because they are rough and tough. Similarly, Henry Giroux uses the same approach to call the attention of his readers to see what the images after Katrina really meant. Racism, feminism and violence may be the thesis of Hook’s argument but Giroux shifts from racism to specifically point out the social issue on class, where the poor are involved. Katrina may be just a story of disaster to many people but to the second writer, it is a calamity that exposed the naked truth about how the poor are disregarded in America. During Katrina, decaying bodies of different colors including Whites, males and females, young and old; were left alone for several days. Giroux mentions that this shows how the poor are not given much attention; they were not the priority of the government. It may not be necessary to mention but perhaps, if only the cadavers will not become threats to the health of people and the political status of officials, they would have been totally

Argentinian Financial Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Argentinian Financial Crisis - Essay Example Three years after the fiasco, Argentina's economy is growing steadily. The growth is still under 10%, but there is growth and a growing sense of safety and responsibility from the government, creating a very positive outlook for Argentina to emerge in years to come as a dominant presence in Latin America. Globalization is a series of links that a country has with foreign countries. Globalization in essence links a country's economy to other economies so that there is a web of interdependence throughout all linked economies thereby creating a global economy. In a recent report in Latin Business Chronicle (LBC), Argentina was ranked as the 'least-globalise' country in Latin America (Bamrud, 2005). LBC utilized 6 factors to measure each country's level of globalization. These factors included: This is an important Index that LBC created in that it allows investors, and other interested parties an opportunity to view Argentina in an extremely objective light. Remittances, money sent back home by family members working abroad, is an area that is steadily growing for Argentina. A report prepared by the American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF) states, 'remittances area sign of family values, a part of human nature. They are a form of helping one's family. Remittances increase both the income of the recipient and the foreign exchange reserves of the recipient's country. "If remittances are invested, they contribute to output growth, and if they are consumed, then also they generate positive multiplier effects," notes economist, Dilip Ratha in Global Development Finance 2003, a World Bank publication ("Role of Remittances", 2003). By using this 6-step process to cull globalization indexes, one can get a larger view of the financial status of Argentina. LBC report states that Argentina has the lowest import rates in Latin America, it has a low export rate, foreign investment is low (1.2% of GDP) and it has one of the lowest remittance rates in the region as well. Even tourism levels are down (Bamrud, 2005). While Argentina is not facing imminent meltdown, it is still toddling its way back from its financial disaster 3 years ago. However, its economy is rallying. According to the U.S. Department of State's website, Argentina had an annual real growth rate of +9% in 2004, and their GDP stands at $150.0 billion. To give a bit more background, globalization is supposed to help keep countries in line and disciplined because if they have solid economic practices, the assumption is that government will be favoured by foreign investment. If the government does not practice sound economic policies, the reverse is supposed to be true - monies will either not be invested, or will be pulled from that country (Blustein, 2003). This did not happen in Argentina in the years leading up to the crisis, in fact, due to inflated expectations and selective reporting of the country's true financial state, globalization helped to create the massive Argentine downfall. II. What Happened

Decreasing the frequency of patient falls Article

Decreasing the frequency of patient falls - Article Example Falls are associated either with intrinsic (person risk) factor or external environmental conditions (Palmer, 2011). This paper present review of some studies done to ascertain the various causes of falls among older persons, the effect of and relationship between drug prescription and falls and also it will highlight the preventive measures that can be used to reduce incidences of falls. Falls are considered common clinical problems mostly associated with elderly nursing home residents maybe as a result of external environmentally related factors or intrinsic factors (Hill et al., 2009). Again, most reported emergency injury-related casualties resulted from falls. Different scholars have postulated different causes of falls some of which are associated with person factors such as physiological changes and pathological conditions (Palmer, 2011; Hill et al., 2009). While others have associated environmental conditions as the main contributing factors for risks of falling among elderly people. Such environmental conditions include slippery floors, poor lighting or maybe faulty equipment (Farmer, 2003). The theme of the study got its founding gist from the fore-mentioned causes of the falls among the elderly people who are the residents in the nursing homes (Hill, et al., 2009). The study sort to explore the different myths postulated as the causes of falls, namely the person risk factors (intrinsic) and environmental related causes and then get interaction of the two mentioned factors (Palmer, 2011). The study was done from the perspective of the nursing staffs that are mandated with the task of assisting the elderly nursing home residents (Hill, et al., 2009). The caregivers for these elder people in nursing home forms rich resource persons since they are the people closely interacting with the nursing home residents (Farmer, 2003). According to the study done by

Economics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics Paper - Essay Example On the other hand if the local currency is strong, the foreign rate of exchange will be high thus making company's products to be expensive. At this situation, the company may opt for a domestic market for its products. In domestic market, the company has some power to decide on the price of its products. However this will depend on market structure of its product i.e. Whether it is a perfect competition, monopoly, or duopoly. In perfect competition market, the pricing strategy will be based on the forces of demand and supply of its product, which will be determined by the level of competition from other players in the market. Perfect competition market has a perfect elastic demand curve. Here the market determines the equilibrium price level. At this equilibrium price, the company will sell as much as it can. A slight increase in price will mean the company will sell nothing. In monopoly market structure, the company has the sole power to decide on the price it will sell its product. That is why monopolist is known as notorious in charging higher price of their products. Monopoly can interfere with the demand of its product by lowering it's output here the prices will go up and make more profit. In case of the company being a duopoly, it may collude with the other company that produces the same type of product and charge high prices provided that, there is trust between them. Therefore pricing strategy here will be dependent on trust and cooperation among the two market participants. Question two Most companies are profit maximizing and therefore their core objective is to maximize profit. However others aim at maximizing their sales. Profit oriented searcher will aim to produce the quantity and charge the price given by the point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. This is as illustrated in the diagram below Price searcher aiming at maximizing sales will produce as a point total cost curve (TC) cuts total revenue curve m (TR) i.e. at the highest point possible. This is as illustrated below. Price searcher aim at maximizing sales, if his intentions are to promote the welfare of the producers i.e. to create the market to the producer's products. In a nutshell, price searcher must therefore choose between maximizing profit and maximizing sales. Question three Elasticity refers to the responsiveness of quantity demanded or supplied due to change in prices or income i.e. Change in quantity demanded or supplied due to a unit change in price or income. In this scenario I would expect demand for a specific brand of running shoes to be less elastic than the demand for running shoes in general. This is because specific brand limits the taste and preferences of a customer. This in turn limits the ability of the customer choice from a wider variety. Therefore a change in price of that specific brand is likely to be highly elastic. Consumers do not have substitute. Demand for a general brand of shoes will be more elastic since customers have

Modified Rules for Kick-ball Game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Modified Rules for Kick-ball Game - Essay Example Every team shall include minimum three disabled players in their team, and out of those three; two disabled players shall be always on the ground. The disabled player shall be substituted by disabled fellow; however physical strong player upon injury will be allowed to leave the ground and can be substituted by physically strong or disabled player (Joseph, 2005). The disabilities of the participants have been elaborated as, some of the players can hearing problem and cannot hear well; some of the players are walk lamely. The players having hearing disability cannot hear anything unless it is extremely loud. It is important to specify that there is no physical damage to their hearing and locomotive organs of the human body, except for some defects, which has restricted their social life. It is important to highlight that any mischief towards disable players either from team players shall lead to voluntary win of the respective team, provided that referee are able to make consensus. The defensive team shall be allowed to setup in any order, and there shall be no rule for the placement of defending players. However the disabled player shall be the pitcher whenever the disabled player is the batter from the other team. ... The batter has no restriction for attempting to kick the ball, and the rule as per which the batter was previously suppose to wait for the ball to be within three feet of home plate shall be declared void. The batter has to attempt to kick the ball, even if he does not like to pitch. A runner who leaves the base before the pitch reaches home plate is invalid; the runner shall at least complete 2/3 of the runway instead of the entire length. The players with hearing disability shall be given the status of the game after every innings, and if the team leader believes that any information or tactics shall be shared with the disabled players, the team leader has the right for time-out. The frequency and interval of time-out shall be defined, the frequency of time-out shall be twice per innings, and the frequency shall be 2mins for each call-out. The game instructions have been modified such that the disabilities of the players are accounted for. The game shall be thoroughly communicated to the disabled players. Any violation on the part of disabled player shall be accepted, and the disabled student shall be re-communicated about the rules of the game. It is important for the disabled player not to make repeated fouls, if such situation occurs the decision of disqualification of the referee shall be final. The rules of the games have been modified such that the requirements of the players are accounted for. The disabled player with impartial hearing shall be communicated about the situation of the game after every ball, if desired by the team. The physical disabled lame player shall be given rest of three minutes after every

Cases Analysis Part 3 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cases Analysis Part 3 - Coursework Example In this specific case, stating that if Williams ever missed a payment, the store could repossess all the items that Williams had ever bought from Walker, regardless of how long ago they were purchased is a strong example of unconscionable clause. If the clause referred only to that one purchase to which the missed payment referred, it would not be considered unreasonable and unfair. I believe that in this case, the bargaining power of the parties was definitely unequal, placing the consumer in a disadvantaged position. Therefore, Williams should ask the Court not to enforce this specific clause, based on its unconscionability and unfairness. Moreover, in multiple previous cases, it was held that a court can refuse to enforce a clause, if it considers it unconscionable. For example, a leading case in this is Scott v. United States2, where it was held by the Supreme Court that: â€Å"If a contract be unreasonable and unconscionable, but not void for fraud, a court of law will give to the party who sues for its breach damages, not according to its letter, but only such as he is equitably entitled to.† Also, the Uniform Commercial Code provides exact stipulations on this matter in paragraph 2-302, where it stipulates that: â€Å"(1) If the court as a matter of law finds the contract or any clause of the contract to have been unconscionable at the time it was made the court may refuse to enforce the contract, or it may enforce the remainder of the contract without the unconscionable clause, or it may so limit the application of any unconscionable clause as to avoid any unconscionable result. (2) When it is claimed or appears to the court that the contract or any clause thereof may be unconscionable the parties shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to present evidence as to its commercial setting, purpose and effect to aid the court in making the determination. â€Å"3 This means that by law, Courts are entitled to refuse to enforce a contract or a clau se, if it finds it unconscionable, which is the case of Williams. CHAPTER 12 CASE 3 There are several issues that Horizon House Microwave Inc. can use in its favor. First of all, it refers to Hall’s reasons to getting a job for HHM. If Hall decided to become an employee at HHM only because of the promise he was made by Bazzy, it is one thing. BUT, if Hall had been working for HHM for a period prior to the promise, the situation changes. This means that while being employed at HHM, Hall received a full salary package and he was actually fairly remunerated for his work and he suffered no material loss for not purchasing company stocks. Therefore, no material damages can be claimed by Hall from HHM. Another important issue that could be used by Bazzy to refuse to sell stock to Hall as agreed may be the lack of a written agreement on this, that would confirm Bazzy’s intention to be bound to the verbal promise he has made. I would advise Bazzy to refer to the General Statut es, specifically  § 42a-8-319 where it is expressly stipulated that "A contract for the sale of securities is not enforceable by way of action or defense unless (a) there is some writing signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought or by his authorized agent or broker sufficient to indicate that a contract has been made for sale of a stated quantity of described securities at a defined or stated price; or (b) delivery of the security has been accepted or payment has been made but the contract is

Bullshit as a Politics of Discourse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bullshit as a Politics of Discourse - Essay Example 2). All throughout his paper, he argues that bullshit has been used in most cases and varies in purpose. Politically speaking, lying and truth can be an issue of public trust and affects the manner of governance. Bullshit can be used in both cases. The bullshit can be considered as a truth depending on the manner of rhetoric. At the same time, it is also a lie which becloud. It can be considered that bullshit is a mechanism of truth and lie. It can be about lying about a lie or lying about the truth. In these cases, it can be seen that the events of the past has made the American government appear to be bullshitting people for the purpose of telling an invented truth and denying the real truth by political manipulation and possibly after of their own personal agenda as well by making such falsified truth statement. How would this be possible, especially in connection to bullshit? This is the matter that I shall delve into in this paper. BODY Bullshit as a Threat to Society Can bullsh it be a threat towards society and the value of truth? Frankfurt mentioned that â€Å"bullshit is disconnected from a concern with truth† and is â€Å"untruthful† (Frankfurt 1986, p. 12). In a personal sense, this cannot be considered a threat because bullshitting can be considered as a pastime. ... Regarding the 9 / 11 attacks, a lot suspicion came from the people, abruptly criticizing the government for its lack of engagement with the truth regarding the matter. America, as one of the highly advance countries, a lot of people have been wary about the non – interception of the planes that have been â€Å"hijacked† supposedly (BBC 2011). The government, back then, has been arguing that it was the terrorists, particularly, the group of Osama Bin Laden, who has been responsible for such horrendous attack. However, upon thorough investigation by people who have been concerned about what has really happened, there is an assumption that the planes used are not powerful enough to ensure the crash of the World Trade Center (BBC 2011). Some have assumed that the government has played a role in this debacle. They could have been the ones who have implanted the bombs in the tower that paved way for its collapse (BBC 2011). However, the blame has been diverted to the terroris t as the government provided: an escape mechanism. Political Discourse as a Mechanism to Assess Bullshit Political discourse, in a simpler sense, would mean an interpolation of the roles and functions of political institutions in doing its roles and functions accordingly to service of the people especially for the leaders. In this case, truth has a crucial role because it serves as a bastion for democracy, transparency and accountability. The discourse on politics and truth provides a condition for assessment of certain actions of institutions, more importantly; the government where most of politicking and power hunger occurs that exemplifies a distortion of truth. Bullshitting, as a dangerous

The Child Essay Example for Free

The Child Essay Introduction Good afternoon everyone. Today I’m going to talk to you about the high/scope approach in a childcare setting. I’d like to start off by saying for parents I believe a main concern of theirs at this stage of their child’s life if they are sending their child to a childcare setting is finding the best the setting, approach and childcare workers to suit their child needs. High/Scope was established in 1970 by Dr. David P. Weikart, who started the organization to continue research and program activities Dr. Weikart retired in December 2000 and is now deceased; Dr. Lawrence J.Schweinhart is now the HighScope Foundations President. The name High/Scope and its corporate logos are registered trademarks and service marks of the High/Scope Foundation. The high/scope method has being developed over a forty year process it has been shaped by research and while in practice and has been so successful that it is known and used around the world in multiple of childcare settings. For example day care, play groups and primary schools just to name a few. In my opinion the main idea of this approach is that children learn actively independently and naturally while interacting with materials and people. This approach observes, identifies and helps develop children’s main interest and skills. A point in this approach that I found most interesting was their idea that they don’t want the children’s activities to be thought in an institutional manner and if the children make mistakes they are not viewed as mistakes they are viewed as part of learning. The High/Scope environment helps the children to learn while active. For example a child will learn how to talk to others and develop their speech by being involved in conversation with other children and childcare workers. The setting has specific interest areas and activities for example the painting area, home area and block area they are clearly defined so there is no confusing for the children of what that certain area is used for. A block area would not have a little play kitchen in it cause that will confuse the children on what the area is used for. Clear containers are in child height shelving units so they are easily accessible to the children. The containers are clearly word and photo labelled; this will help the children learn the connection between labels, words and  symbols. The children will be able to see what they want and get it without having to look through loads of boxes before finding it for example Bryan wants to play with the blue tractor so he goes to the toy area where the shelves are at his visual height looks at the boxes sees the picture with the tractors on it, the words tractor above it and can get it himself without having to get a childcare worker to look for it or go up high and get it for him, he also can return it after he has finished with it. This encourages the children to practice the Find, Use and Return cycle. The hoped outcome for the children in the setting is that they develop a positive attitude towards themselves and others grow in self-confidence and so on and overall benefit from this approach for their future. ‘A study found that adults at age 40 who had the preschool program had higher earnings, were more likely to hold a job’. Achieving this requires the right environment, materials, trained childcare workers and a successful partnership between both childcare workers and parents. Parent’s involvement is crucial to the high scope approach. The partnership between the parent and the childcare worker will make it easier for the child to be at ease in the setting and with the staff. The childcare workers and the parent’s partnership approach which keeps an on-going passing of information which in turn keeps both adult carers equally informed. Childcare workers document and take daily notes of what they have seen, heard and what has happened while the children are in their care. Observations help the childcare workers plan activities for the next day. For example while the children played with the blocks Anne kept on wandering over to the painting area, so at the activity planning meeting it would be suggested we take Anne’s interest of painting and involve it during the day. Children are assessed daily to observe the level of their development and to see if the activities the children participate in help their development. Children are assessed in ways that the children and adults feel comfortable when information is collected all assessments should provide an educational outcome. The observations are shared with parents at the end of the year and they usually very interested to see how and what their children have been doing. ‘The COR (Child Observation Record) is used to evaluate child progress in High/Scope infant-toddler and preschool programs. The Preschool Program Quality Assessment (PQA) is used to evaluate the quality of the program, focusing on five key areas: learning environment, daily routine, adult-child interaction, and curriculum planning and assessment, and parent involvement. I hoped you enjoyed my presentation. And if you have any question I would be happy to answer them as best as I can. Thank you for listening.

Engineering ewb research Essay Example for Free

Engineering ewb research Essay 1. Introduction The Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) Challenge is a program where first year University Students throughout Australia are required to select from a range of problems associated with the living conditions of a disadvantaged community within Nepal, more specifically the village of Sandikhola, a hilltop community in the Gorkha district. The students are then required to develop creative solutions to combat these problems to benefit the community through design, teamwork and proper communication. This particular research report group 9C will be focusing on Water Supply and Sanitation Systems (WASH), in particular Multiple Use Systems (MUS). MUS refers to a system where the water is used for a range of purposes, so as to minimize the amount of fresh water needed to be drawn from the source and increase the applicability of the source. This report will be outlining research conducted into the MUS including; the geography of the Gorkha district, a case study on a WASH initiative already in place in Nepal, also included in the report will be an evaluation of sources of research, and a conclusion of the report. 2. Research 2.1 Geography of the Gorkha District The Gorkha District in Nepal is located on the mid-southern area of the Terai region roughly the center of Nepal. More specifically the village of Sandikhola is located approximately 42 kilometers North East of Bharatpur, which roughly is over an hour drive each way via a dirt road which is only accessible by 44’s and is not accessible in wet conditions. The village of Sandikhola is located on the side of a hill with an elevation of 1256 meters, and is roughly divided into three different sections consisting of crops, housing and livestock. 2.1.1 Natural Resources Land is seen as the most valuable natural resource to most citizens of the Gorkha district. With over 80% of the population, 24 506 759 people, earning a livelihood from farming, which in turn produces 36.1% of GDP on a national scale. Due to water shortages and unreliability in relation to irrigation, this is not a secure resource for the people of the Gorkha district. The only problem with utilizing land to this major of a scale is that it is being overly depleted due to the accelerating growth of population, leading  to widespread destruction of ecological systems. The other resource is water, which are polluted due to lack of sanitization and the lack of the resource, other than location, is due to de-forestation and the devastating effects it has on the environment. 2.1.2 Technological Resources The Gorkha district has very limited technological resources, especially when 90% of the population live in rural areas and average earnings per family per week are below a dollar which make the affordability of technological resources impossible for poor families. Surprisingly the telephone signal throughout the district is surprisingly good although this is a under used resource due to lack of infrastructure and finances. With under 7% of the population having access to the internet communication on a global and even national scale can be highly difficult. Due to the developing nature of Nepal access to any modern technology is unviable, with it sometimes taking up to and over 6 months for any technology to reach many rural communities e.g. water testing kits. 2.1.3 Population and Income Through researching Population and Income it was found that there are over 30 million people in Nepal, with approximately 300 000 people in Gorkha. The Terai region accommodates for 50.27% of the total population, roughly 15 million people, which is the mountainous/ hilly region of Nepal which can make life very difficult for these people in particular. The average household income is less than one dollar a day with more than 40% living under the poverty line. In the Gorkha district 90% of citizens live in rural areas which goes to show the lack of urban connection further reinforcing the fact that development of technology in relation to water use will greatly affect the population in all aspects of life. 2.1.4 Natural Disasters Natural Disasters have a major effect on developing countries, especially where climate change is concerned. This is due to the high dependence on climate sensitive sectors in the Gorkha district including glaciers, agriculture and forestry, and its low financial adaptive capacity. These disasters are becoming increasingly common with the acceleration of global warming. This is due to the increased temperatures experienced compared to 1990 to 2010 where an increase of 1.9 Degrees Celsius to the average  temperature, these particular natural disasters include an increase in dry periods, floods, intense rainfall, landslides, forest fires, glacial retreats, and glacier lake outburst flood threats. The other main natural disasters common to this area are earthquakes due to the positioning of Gorkha on the meeting point of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. These disasters need to be taken into account so the MUS can withstand destruction via natural disaster. 2.1.5 Climatic Conditions Shown in these two graphs (below) is the average rainfall and temperature of the Gorkha District. By studying these two graphs it can be seen that the year is divided into a wet and dry season with the temperature throughout the year remaining relatively constant with a minimum range of 3 degrees Celsius and a maximum range of 9 degrees Celsius. This research is essential to the analysis of water supply 2.1.6 Education Levels In the Gorkha district education is a work in progress with the basic literacy rate at 45% of males and only 28% of women. In the district alone there are close to 500 schools, 400 of which are public. With the help of many Non-Government Organizations, development of these schools has had an excellent effect on the education system, for example at the end of 2013 1000 computers were distributed to these schools readily making available vast amounts of educational resources to these communities. The problems associated with the education levels include the travel distance especially within rural areas, and also the lack of proper WASH resources which affects the health of the students. 2.1.7 Infrastructure In relation to the Infrastructure available to the people of Gorkha it can be noted as ineffective. This is found as roads to many of the rural areas within which the majority lives, are virtually inaccessible without a 44, as less than a quarter of roads in Nepal actually being paved/concreted. This is increasingly made challenging due to less than 1% of the population actually having access to a car. The main form of transport readily  available are the public buses, but on the other hand they are not extremely reliable with the multitude of strikes which occur, making life for the people more difficult when they have to walk for hours to get where they were going. Another major flaw is the inability for citizens to access a range of services with less than 15% of people having access to formal health care services, children having to walk on average 1-3 hours to attend school, there is also a lack of an electricity supply to majority of rural areas, lack of public sewage treatme nt in the majority of the district and in general isolation of rural areas. 2.2 Existing Solutions In the community of Sandikhola, there is a wide range of problems associated with water supply. These include the accessibility to water sources, the cleanliness/quality of water supply, the amount of water supplied, and the ability for the resource to be effectively used across domestic uses and productive uses. Currently in Sandikhola approximately 80% of WASH techniques are currently in place with there being a few sources of water; one small waterway, eight tap stands and two spring intakes but during the dry season these intakes become unavailable due to low pressure. When this occurs the community must draw water from a larger spring located further away from the village down the hill. In the case of Sandikhola at each spring intake is a reservoir tank, there are three water quality testers spread across the village, one rain monitor and two flow monitors. Also introduced to this community is the use of recycling water, such as; capturing overflows at spring intakes, Rainwater Harvesting (RWH), Ground Water Capture (GWC), fog water, and grey water systems. Through the integration of a range of these sources, systems and techniques we develop a MUS system. 2.2.1 Construction Basically the MUS is constructed via the connection of a range of single use technologies e.g. spring intake, storage tanks, tap stands. This is to reduce the amount of water requires for use by reducing waste water (sustainability), and also to make it more accessible for the villagers. For the construction many of the village members are heavily involved in construction so as to ensure the education of the MUS to the community allowing it to be properly maintained even after the EWB/NEWAH team leaves. 2.2.2 Inputs and Outputs For the implementation of the MUS there are a number of inputs required, these include; help from a third party in this case EWB and NEWAH in relation to funding, research and designing, participation from members of the Sandikhola community, materials, current technologies, and tools. For every input there is an output, in this case once construction is completed some of the outputs of the technology become evident, these including; an increase of income and benefits in relation to this including; general health, nutrition, social empowerment, food security, time savings. Diversification of Livelihood, which is the process by which the community develops a range of activities and social support capabilities in order to survive and improve their standards of living i.e. education, inter/intra-societal interaction. Increase in sustainability including, efficient water transfer from the water source for domestic and productive applications. 3. Evaluation of Sources of Information In research for this assignment, I tend to steer clear of any non-reliable or inaccurate resources. To do this books become an extremely valuable and trusted resource, and when using websites as resources I have stuck to .org websites while at the same time checking the about us section as not all .org sites are official sites. Some ways I checked the accuracy and validity of my sources of information include; analysis of the depth of coverage, determining the intended audience so it is relevant for this report, analysis of language used i.e. sophisticated to low level understanding. The dates of the information are essential for proper research, too old might be inaccurate compared to newer information. Does the source have a bibliography and the type of sources of information the author uses and an analysis of the layout and structure of the document. Through all of this analyzing we are able to determine the accurate and reliable sources of information. 4. Conclusion In conclusion, through the research of the Gorkha district and my project area the MUS, it is possible to realize the positive potential that the implementation of the MUS has on all aspects of life. This is due to water  playing a massive part in the lives of every human, and when there is a lack of sufficient resource, daily functionality is affected. 5. References ï‚ §Renwick, et.al, 2007, â€Å"Multiple Use Water Services For The Poor: Assessing the state of Knowledge,† Winrock International: Arlington, VA ï‚ §Mikhail, et.al, 2008, â€Å"Multiple-Use Water Service Implementation in Nepal and India: Experience and Lessons Scale-Up,† International Development Enterprises: Lakewood, CO ï‚ §Engineers without Borders USA 2014, EWB-USA, Denver viewed 10 March 2014, http://my.ewb-usa.org/project-resources/technical-resources. ï‚ §iDE Organization 2014, iDEORG, Colorado viewed 10 March 2014, http://www.ideorg.org/OurTechnologies/MultipleUseWaterSystems.aspx#. ï‚ §Practical Action 2014, Practical Action, Rugby viewed 12 March 2014, http://practicalaction.org/mus-2. ï‚ §Engineers Without Borders Australia 2014, Engineers Without Borders, North Melbourne viewed 12 March 2014, http://www.ewbchallenge.org/nepal-water-healthnewah/sandikhola. ï‚ §Smith, J., 2014, Personal Communication, 25th February 2014 ï‚ §United Nat ions 2014, United Nations, New York viewed 12th March 2014, http://www.un.org.np/maps/nepal-gorkha-district. ï‚ §Rural poverty portal 2012, IFAD, Vancouver viewed 12 March 2014, http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/en/country/statistics/tags/nepal.

Business Essays Entrepreneurship Pancake Cereal

Business Essays Entrepreneurship Pancake Cereal Entrepreneurship Pancake Cereal Business Model / Mos Pancake and Cereal Bar Introduction Entrepreneurship is a thriving activity in the United States, as well as globally. Increasing numbers of people are deciding to implement their dreams of business ownership. There are between three and five million entrepreneurial business ventures undertaken annually within the United States. Eighty-four percent of those starting a new business venture are first-time entrepreneurs (Zimmerer Scarborough, 2005). This â€Å"adventuresome spirit† is having a significant impact on the national economy and the business environment, as well as playing a significant role in the health of the global economy. These businesses have introduced many new products and services, provided new technological innovations, increased job opportunities, and more importantly, provided their founders with a means to do something they enjoy; however, 64% of small businesses fail within six years (Zimmerer Scarborough, 2005). A business model that offers an interdisciplinary roadmap will provide first-time entrepreneurs with a stronger foundation for initial success. In a recent study, Ernst Young reported that â€Å"78 percent of influential Americans believe that entrepreneurship will be the defining trend of this century† (Zimmerer Scarborough, 2005, p. 2). Downsizing and massive layoffs by many of the country’s largest organizations have created a large population of entrepreneurs with extensive management experience and years left of productive work. The notion of job security has all but disappeared; and as a result, starting a new business is no longer perceived as particularly risky. In light of this favorable environment for entrepreneurial activity, the success of a new business venture, Mo’s Pancake and Cereal Bar (MPCB), located in the vibrant and historical downtown district of Grapevine, Texas, seems particularly promising. Elements of several relevant disciplines will play a vital role in the success or failure of this particular venture. By taking advantage of the perspectives of these particular disciplines, it should be possible to integrate their insights in order to create a viable business plan that will result in the ultimate success of Mo’s Pancake and Cereal Bar (Repko, 2005). There are a wide range of disciplines that could contribute to the creation of a successful business plan for MPCB. Some of these disciplines include architecture, business administration, education, history, political science, sociology, and urban planning and development. Three disciplines have been identified as those making the greatest contribution: urban planning and development, architecture and the subfield of interior design, and business with an emphasis on small business management. An understanding of urban planning and development will be necessary to ensure a business plan that is that is in keeping with the overall goals and the long-term development plans of the city of Grapevine. Urban planning and development plays a key role in understanding patterns of growth and its resulting economic implications (McCarthy, 2007). The ownership and management of MPCB must understand the significance of community goals and the importance of these goals on the ultimate success of MPCB. As an organization, MPCB should develop strong ties with city government and take an active part in promoting its development. One way it can do this is by taking part in such activities as Main Street Days, Grapefest, and various holiday festivities held annually in the city of Grapevine. The design of the physical location of MPCB will require a working knowledge of architecture and interior design (Killory Davids, 2007). The Historical Society of the city of Grapevine will need to be consulted in order to design a facility that is in keeping with city ordinances and the overall historical flavor of downtown Grapevine. The interior design of MPCB must combine a reflection of historical Grapevine and at the same time a â€Å"unique breakfast experience.† These unique parameters will require competent design capabilities and a certain level of architectural expertise. A study of small business management within the discipline of business will provide the foundation upon which to develop a specific business model. This model will include four basic parts: the description of the business, marketing, finances, and management. Each section will provide a detailed analysis in sufficient detail to enable a financing institution to determine the viability and potential success of MPCB. This business model will also describe the corporate mission statement and identify those factors considered to be the keys to success (Bachler, 2007). Another primary function of the business plan will be to convey the overall concept of MPCB, which will be the creation of a â€Å"unique breakfast experience.† It must be evident to someone reading the plan that MPCB offers a unique and different dining experience. The construction of a detailed business model will also provide a roadmap and sense of direction to the management of MPCB, thus facilitating a greater chance for the ultimate success of the business. The goal of this endeavor is to take an interdisciplinary approach to developing a business model that will result in the ultimate success of Mo’s Pancake and Cereal Bar. The research method used will primarily involve a thorough search for applicable information within the relevant disciplines and the collection and assimilation of pertinent data from peer-reviewed sources. This data will provide the basis for statistical analysis needed to determine its value and contribution to the plan. The marketing and sales experience of the owner/managers will also play a critical role in the development of the plan. An interdisciplinary approach to this entrepreneurial venture should facilitate a holistic understanding of the best method of designing a comprehensive business plan through the identification of the benefits of community interaction and the construction of a complementary physical location. Through the integration of relevant disciplinary insights and the creation of a new approach, Mo’s Pancake and Cereal Bar should have a much greater chance for financial success and long-term stability (Repko, 2005). Background As mentioned in the introduction, entrepreneurship is a fast-growing phenomenon that is having a broad impact on the U.S. economy, as well as the global economy. Therefore, the impact of small business failure can be tremendous. Reducing the percentage of small business failures annually within the United States could significantly affect the livelihood of many Americans. The question becomes, â€Å"What is the best way to reduce the incidence of small business failure?† It is well-known in the business community that a strong ego is a prerequisite for the creation of a successful business; however, it can also be a major cause of business failure. Too often entrepreneurs allow their knowledge of their products and services to prevent them from seeking advice and performing the self-evaluations necessary for success. Business owners must continually be on the lookout for the warning signs of falling into the â€Å"ego trap† (see Figure 1, Malone, 2004). Leaders must learn to retain their confidence in themselves, while at the same time remembering that they do not know it all (Malone, 2004). Being willing to learn from others, and by choosing to familiarize oneself with successful small business models within a particular industry, many major mistakes could be avoided. Reducing the failure rate of first-time entrepreneurs will greatly affect the livelihood of residents living within individual communities. In the city of Grapevine, for example, city planners have successfully provided an environment that is conducive to entrepreneurial success. According to a 2007 economic update (City of Grapevine, 2006), Grapevine is considered to be one of the most vibrant communities in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. Decreasing property taxes in Grapevine play a large role in increasing the attraction of small businesses. One of the reasons for decreasing property taxes is the attraction of such large-scale businesses as the Grapevine Mills Mall, the Gaylord Texan Convention Center, and the Great Wolf Lodge; which produce increased tourism traffic resulting in increased area business revenues. These industries are credited with triggering continued growth within Grapevine’s small business sector for the last few years (see Figure 2, City of Grapevine, 2006). This success translates into a vibrant local economy and lower tax rates for area residents. It is evident; therefore, that urban planning plays a large role in reducing the failure rate of first-time entrepreneurs. The premise of this paper is that an interdisciplinary approach to creating a small business model could conceivably lead to the greater likelihood of success for a first-time entrepreneur. By comparing and contrasting the perspectives of the three most relevant disciplines: urban planning and development, architecture, and business; areas of overlap should reveal common ground from which to develop an integrative and viable business model for MPCB leading to the ultimate goal of first-time entrepreneurial success. This means of discovery, an interdisciplinary approach, becomes a unique way of addressing and solving a real-world problem (Repko, 2004). When implementing this approach, the discipline of urban planning and development becomes the umbrella under which the design of the location of MPCB and its’ comprehensive business plan becomes a reality. Understanding the overall parameters set forth by the city of Grapevine is critical to developing a plan that enhances the city’s goals and objectives and ultimately results in the opportunity of success for MPCB. By researching the guidelines for successful urban development, the basic strategy upon which to build a successful business model can be developed. With urban development providing the foundation, the second phase of actual construction of a complimentary facility can begin. Understanding basic architectural concepts and the limits of design should result in a physical location that is harmonious with its surroundings and appealing to potential customers. That appeal is critical to the ultimate success of MPCB since one of the primary goals of this business is the creation of â€Å"a unique dining experience.† That concept will not only include the physical location and the interior design, but the menu as well. The research and effective use of applicable architectural design elements provides another avenue to the ultimate goal of first-time entrepreneurial success. The third element of the plan is the thorough research of proven business principles leading to the construction of the actual business model. Research of successful business models within the food service industry should provide guidance and direction. A comprehensive and thorough â€Å"roadmap† based on those proven business principles should greatly enhance the opportunity for first-time success. This business model should be very detailed and cover every aspect of small business operation. The executive summary, corporate mission statement and keys to success will provide the background information required to facilitate the attainment of financing necessary to begin operations. Tremendous emphasis will be placed on the management and training of employees. Proper training and development is critical to the success of any business, particularly small businesses. Effective employee training and proper motivation techniques are particularly critical in businesses such as MPCB where customer contact is of utmost importance. The small size of MPCB will allow management to have a closer working relationship with each employee and therefore a better understanding of individual training needs. Additionally, training is more easily designed around the corporate objectives of a smaller organization (Blanchard Thacker, 2007). The primary indicator of the success of this interdisciplinary approach will ultimately be the track record of MPCB. By understanding the disciplinary perspectives of the three most relevant disciplines and integrating their insights (Repko, 2005), the goal is to discover the key to first-time entrepreneurial success. References Urban Planning and Development Diamond, J. (2007). Managing the city. London; New York: Routledge. City of Grapevine (2006). 2007 Economic Update. Retrieved March 6, 2008, from http://www.ci.grapevine.tx.us/IndividualDepartments/EconomicDevelopment/tabid/ 95/Default.aspx McCarthy, J. (2007). Partnership, collaborative planning and urban regeneration. Aldershot, England; Burlington, VT: Ashgate. Ofori-Amoah, B. (2007). Beyond the metropolis: Urban geography as if small cities mattered. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. Architecture and Interior Design Killory, C. Davids, R. (2007). Details in contemporary architecture. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Kolleny, J. (2002). Seven outstanding finalists prove that good design pays. Architectural Record, 190(11), 112. P Pearson, C. (2005). Making the scene. Architectural Record, 193(11), 141. P Ryder, B. (2007). New restaurant design/Bethan Ryder. London: Laurence King. Business/Small Business Management Bachler, C. (2007). Plan of attack. Home Business Magazine, 14(5), 28-82. P Blanchard, P. Thacker, J. (2007). Effective training: Systems, strategies, and practices. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Malone, M. (2004). The small business ego trap. Business Horizons, 47(4), 17-22. Price, B. (2007). Five fatal flaws falter small business. Broker Magazine, 9(9), 10-12. P Zimmerer, T. Scarborough, N. (2005). Essentials of entrepreneurship and smallbusiness management. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Other Sources Repko, A. (2005). Interdisciplinary practice: A student guide to research and writing. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing