Urban Alienation

How have three of the texts you have studied provided insight into the individual's relationships to the urban landscape? The three texts; T. S Elite's The Preludes poem, Jennifer Strauss' Migrant Woman on a Melbourne Tram poem and the short story The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury, provide an insight into each individual's relationship with the urban landscape through the underlying motif of urban alienation. The writers explore the alienating effect of city life as people are forced to suppress and hide their individual identity by conforming to societal expectations, as well as theIdea of examining the universal nature of human despair and Isolation through their depiction off soulless, disconnected and oppressive society. T. S Eliot shows the alienating and disconnection with the urban landscape which Is explored In The Preludes as people are forced to suppress and hide their Individual Identity by conforming to societal expectations wealth city life. Eliot who was a modernist poet, revolted against traditional literary forms and subjects. About the decay of modern salvation, he shared the Ideas of pessimism, disillusionment and futility.As a action to World War l, Eliot describes the metropolis as a place where people physically live, not emotionally live. Throughout the poem there is use of enjambment to render the contemporary disorder and lack of coherence of people's daily lives in the modern city. Alliteration is skillfully used creating emphasis on the imagery of gusty and grimy and the harshness of the rain being described as ;beat on broken blinds'. The city itself is a metaphor or reflection of people's daily lives and inner psyches as they become consumed within the landscape.The second prelude deals tit the personal pain that is so well hidden which is metaphorically presented through the idea of a ‘masquerade'. This pain is shown to be an effect and common lifestyle of this broken city which is shared ‘in a thousand furnished rooms'. In Preludes three and four look at false pretences. Eliot uses the repetition of the conjunction ‘and' to further emphasis the drabness of routine and the endless cycle of existence. There is a sense of prediction and pace through the times four and five and six o' clock' as if trapped in this mechanical routine.People are in the deceitful inform of ‘certain certainties' contained in monotonous activities like ‘fingers of stuffing pipes'. It ends with a sense of emptiness and a sense of searching. The Preludes addresses the need to break the â€Å"chains† or cycle of a personal fixation within the isolation as well as frustration of city life in order to create a stronger relationship with the urban environment. Similarly, â€Å"The Pedestrian† explores alienating effects of city life as people are forced to suppress and hide their Individual Identity by conforming to societal expectations, where the Individual lacks feeling of longing and connectivity. The Pedestrian† Is set AD 2053 In the dyspepsia future. Leonard Mean is the individual whoso Is at odds with his society as he who recognizes the world as soulless and. HIS world has no delve order and Is a futile, anarchic place – where the protagonists name Is also very average and ordinary. There Is a recurring motif of the dead. People are metaphorically described as deadened and zombie-Like or associated with the negative connotation of ;grey phantoms' living In a monotonous and emotionless world.People are trapped and locked inside tomb-like monotony attached with urban living as Leonard goes about his routine he says What's up tonight on Channel 4, Channel 7 and Channel 9? Due to advances in technology, the city dwellers' ability to think for themselves is lost as they become brainwashed and confined to their living rooms watching television, into a dehumidified state. The onomatopoeia and emotive terms Whispering†¦ Murmurs' are both associated with spying or secrets. This suggests Leonard is not conforming to the laws of his society.The harshness and sterility of the robot's ‘metallic' voice idiotically repeats the questions directed to Leonard, asking Walking where? For what? As well the inability to understand his ‘profession' shows an emotionless and artificial world taken over by ever developing technology. This is Juxtaposed between Lemonade's warmth and humor where he replies with a smile ‘nobody wanted me'. Similarly with T. S Elite's The Preludes, in The Pedestrian there are feelings of isolation and being misunderstood by the changing urban society where the world is isolating in cultural and individual identity through the suppressive and conformity.Following the concept of the individual being psychologically â€Å"chained†, the Migrant Woman on a Melbourne Tram reflects Jennifer Strauss' relationship with the urban landscape examined through the portrayal of an illegal alien, where she experiences displacement and anonymity in a foreign urban metropolis. The migrant woman is portrayed as one who ‘hunches' while being described as ‘sweltering with twists in sweating hands'. Further embodying a sense of discomfort is through the rash alliteration of ‘s'.We see the woman as being caught between two cultures; she becomes consumed by the city and forlorn in foreign words and voices'. The effective use of alliteration has a solemn tone which evokes a sense of hopelessness as they ‘echo'. Furthermore; there is a sense of desperation to understand situation. The migrant woman has to break through the language barrier to overcome a loss and lack of cultural identity. There is a threatening and uneasy tone established through the repetition of ‘Impossibly black†¦ Luminosity obscure†¦ Luminosity dark†¦ Possibly departed'. This accumulates and creates an unsettled atmosphere while reflecting the individual's confusion and isolation. This also relates to the women's attire, standing out while being Juxtaposed with the sexualities nature of the ‘impudence of summer thighs/long arms and painted toenails'. This synecdoche may act as a mean to create emphasis on the two contrasting cultures and expose the reader through the notion of the feelings of displacement and complete alienation, which is what the migrant woman would be experiencing.Strauss makes an allusion to Greek hydrology through her reference to the story of Theses and the Minotaur. The migrant woman's almost ‘daunting' and foreboding' feat of making her navigation through an unknown culture alludes to Theses being sent and fed to the Minotaur. The migrant woman is ‘sacrificing herself to this newfound culture and leaving behind her past. The ‘blind beast' may perhaps also signify the industrialized and modern-aged city, ‘devouring or consuming the newly arrived immigrants which correlates with the metaphor of ‘eating up men'. The Preludes and The Pedestrian respond to the ideas shown in the Migrant Woman on a Melbourne Tram in providing an insight to Jennifer Strauss' soulless, disconnected and oppressive relationship with the urban landscape. In the three texts, the readers are provided underlying motif of urban alienation. The ideas explored are when people are forced to suppress and hide their individual identity by conforming to societal expectations, as well as the idea of examining the universal nature of human despair and isolation through their depiction of a soulless, disconnected and oppressive society.

Mutual Defense Alliance Essay

* Russia and Serbia (Russia joined in first after war started between Austria-hungary and serbi, Russia was Serbias alliance, we can say Serbia triggererd the chain reaction) * Germany and Austria-Hungary * France and Russia * Britain and France and Belgium * Japan and Britain Imperialism – Imperialism is when a country increases their power and wealth by bringing additional territories under their control. Before World War 1, Africa and parts of Asia were points of contention amongst the European countries for their resources. Tension caused by this because France and Britain had colonies-Germany was trying to get in on the action-wanted more land Nationalism- Serbian black hand/Gavrilo princip Militarism-Germany and Britain were both increasing their navy power=more tension and in german and russa particularly, militarism was having an influence on public policy Immediate Causes- Theres only one immediate cause, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand :P. This one event made all the aforementioned items come into play. This was in protest to Austria-Hungary having control of this region. Serbia wanted to take over Bosnia and Herzegovina. This assassination led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. Once that was declared Russia declared war on Austria-hungary due to their alliance which led to Germany declaring war etc etc. If we look at the causes, it seems Serbia was the main cause. Sure imperialism and militarism were part of the reason, but they didn’t start the war. Serbian nationalism and its alliance system along with the assassination from a serban nationalist are what triggered the start of World War 1. It was the significance of this particular crime for Austro-Serbian relations that mattered. Guys Important thing to know, when your talking about nationalism don’t say that the black hand was acting on behalf of the government, we’ll get slapped. â€Å"There is no evidence to suggest that Pasic planned the crime. It is unlikely that the Black Hand officers were acting on behalf of the government, because the military and the Radical Party in fact were engaged in a bitter competition to control the state.† BUT if someone does say this quote we can respond with â€Å"Pasic’s responsibility revolves around reports that he was warned of the intended crime, and took inadequate steps to warn Austrian authorities. Despite Pasic’s denials, there is substantial testimony that someone alerted him to the plot, and that Pasic ordered the Serbian ambassador in Vienna to tell the Austrians that an attempt would be made on the life of the heir during his visit to Bosnia† Instead of Pasic saying that he knew of an actual plot, he spoke in terms of a hypothetical assassination attempt, and suggested that a state visit by Franz Ferdinand on the day of Kosovo (June 28) was too provocative. Austrian diplomats failed to read between the lines of this vague comment. By the time the warning reached the Habsburg joint finance minister (the man in charge of Bosnian affairs) any sense of urgency had been lost, and he did nothing to increase security or cancel the heir’s planned visit. After the murders, the Serbian government was even more reluctant to compromise itself by admitting any prior knowledge, hence Pasic’s later denials. This is like the ultimate historiography When Serbia first received the ultimatum, Pasic indicated that he could accept its terms, with a few reservations and requests for clarification. As time passed, however, it became clear that Russia would support Serbia regardless of the situation. After that, Pasic gave up seeking peace. While a long reply was written and sent, Serbia rejected the key points about Austrian interference in domestic judicial and police work. Pasic knew that this meant war, and the Serbian army began to mobilize even before the reply was complete. ^– The Balkans in the Age of Nationalism Steven W. Sowards

History Of Ordnance Corps Essay

The Ordnance Corp is one of the oldest branches of the Army, established May 14, 1812. The U. S. Army Ordnance Department established from The Revolutionary War. General George Washington, the commander of the Continental Army, appointed Ezekiel Cheever to provide ordnance support to army in July 1775. Until 1779, all the armies had Ordnance personnel moving with them. They were civilians and Soldiers, served as conductors for maintenance – ammunition wagon and arms. Each conductor led five to six armorers who repaired small arms. In 1776, Board of War and Ordnance was created. In 1777, the first Ordnance facilities were established at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and the first arsenal and armory operations at Springfield, Massachusetts. Other arsenals and armories were also established at Harpers Ferry, Philadelphia, and Watertown. On May 14, 1812, the Ordnance Department was organized by Congress. The Ordnance Department was responsibility for arms and ammunition production, acquisition, distribution, and storage for the war. In 1832, the Ordnance Corps had new responsibilities for researching and development of field services. Good work of the Ordnance Department continully to developed and tested during the Mexican War. The Mexican War became the foundation for the massive logistics. During the American War, the Ordnance Corps was really tested and developed. The Ordnance Corps brought massive procurement of weapons and supplies, and providing field support for fast moving armies. In 1898, Spain War, the Ordnance Corps first deployed overseas and provided close-combat support. During World War I, the Ordnance Corps mobilized and developed weapons systems, organized Ordnance training facilities, and established overseas supply depots. In World War II saw dramatic expansion of the Ordnance mission of production, maintenance and training. In both Korea War and Vietnam War, the Ordnance Corps provided supplies and maintenance, and was active in the development of rockets, guided missiles and satellites. In modern U. S. Army Regimental System, the Ordnance Corps is organized under the whole branch concept. The Chief of Ordnance serves as the Regimental  Commander, and the Office Chief of Ordnance serves as Headquarters Ordnance Corps. The Ordnance Corps will be always supporting the development, production, acquisition and sustainment of weapons, ammunitions, missiles, electronics, and mobility to supporting combat power to the U. S. Army. The insignia of the Ordnance Corps is yellow color metal shell and flame. The Shell and Flame is considered the oldest branch insignia in the U. S. army. The Shell and Flame had been used by European armies before its adoption by the U. S. army. In fact, it is still used by European armies. This insignia was assigned to the Ordnance Corps in 1832. The branch colors are crimson and yellow. At first, the Ordnance Corps had a red trail, like Artillery. In 1851, Crimson was assigned to the Ordnance Corps. Then in 1902, it was changed to black and scarlet color. Then finally, in 1921, crimson and yellow were assigned to the Ordnance Corps again. The Act of May 14, 1812, recognized the Ordnance Corps. In 1936, the army Institute of Heraldry redesigned and standardized version of the Shell and Flame. Redesigned Shell and Flame remains the current version.

Strategic Management of Carnival Corporation Coursework

Strategic Management of Carnival Corporation - Coursework Example The clear vision she has nowadays for the company is one that highlights the appeal to people, i.e. the "wow factor", "Wow,' I think that's what today's carnival is all about, the wow effect" (Keefe et al., 2006, p.11). A vision of Carnival's present and future that is also sustained by the company's outlined mission and objectives. As identified by Carnival's management the company mission "is to deliver exceptional vacation experiences through the world's best known cruise-brands that cater to a variety of different lifestyles and budgets, all at an outstanding value unrivaled on land or at sea." (Keefe, 2006, p.8). A statement, which illustrates Carnival's customer- and product -oriented approach with respect to their presence in different markets, where each segment is channeled in a way as to maintain a holistic perspective on the entire company philosophy with respect to future growth and development as shown in the entrepreneurial hue of the message. The company also expresses concern for the way it is viewed by the public in terms of its outstanding positioning amongst other cruising and non-cruising industry competitors. Thus it gives a strong message that it would try and sustain its posi tions as a cruise market leader while simultaneously bolstering and expanding its spot when it comes to the rest of the tourist industry. The cruising indu The cruising industry has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9.1% in North America and 8.4% in Europe for the period 1999-2004(10K, p.4). The number of passengers of Carnival was 6,848,386 which amounted to 48.9% of the total number of cruise passengers worldwide (Keefe et al., 2006, p.2). Carnival's 79 ships operate in all three cruise sectors: contemporary, premium and luxury. The contemporary lines are: the Carnival Cruise Lines, which have 21 ships and passenger capacity of 47,820 people. It operates mainly in North and South America and in 2005 carried an industry record of 3.3 million passengers. P&O is another contemporary brand with a capacity of 8,844 targeting mainly the UK market. Representatives of the premium and destination class lines are Princess (14 ships and 29,152 passenger capacity) and Holland America Line (12 ships and 18,930 passengers), both operating in the North and South American regions, the Caribbean. Carnival's luxury Brands include Seaborn Line with 3 luxury yachts and 624 passengers and Windstar Cruises targeting a demographic of 30-50 year old customers. Other regional lines include: Ocean Village (1 ship) based in UK, which sails the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Swan Hellenic operates discovery cruises in the UK, the Mediterranean, North America, South America, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the Far East. Costa Cruises is in Italy and has (10 ships). It sails Europe, South America and the Caribbean. AIDA is in the German market sailing the Mediterranean, the Baltic and the Norwegian Fjords, the Canary Islands and the Caribbean. Of all regions of operations of Carnival the most profitable and the most penetrated market is the North American one with revenues of $6,439, $5,788, and $4,513 in respectively 2005, 2004, 2003 (Note 12,10K, 2006). While the UK is the most developed market in Europe for Carnival with revenues of $1,681, $1,549, $971 respectively for 2005, 2004, 2003, which is still 1/5 of the North American

Case study 3 peer review 1 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Case study 3 peer review 1 - Coursework Example According to business venture policies and regulation controls, Alympia argues that a â€Å"franchiser gets $500 for selling the trademark rights† proposing the adaption a franchisor (context and meaning of franchise and franchisor) business model. However, my argument makes logical sense as I considered regulatory policies stating that a franchisee should acquire trade dress and agree to trade certain product volumes for a specified duration – 10 years, for example. However, one major difference between Alympia’s and my arguments is the use and meaning of the term franchise. Comparing the use of the term franchise in both shows that the term is misused in one instance, Alympia’s. Alympia’s argument shows that she recommends Shania to open a franchisor company so that she can sell trading rights to other businesses. However, Alympia argues that â€Å"Permitting her company to become a franchise will enable every other business to pay for using her trademark† – an indication that the term is misused. On the other hand, I consider a franchise to be a business model that buys trademark rights from a master franchisor. This shows that Shania will be required to adhere to the control, missi on, and vision approaches of a master franchisor if she chooses to adapt a franchise business model. The Colorado Legal Services (2014) states that Chapter 9 of the Labor Law protects individuals from discrimination at workplace and provides guidance to employees on the courses of action they should take if discriminated. Mathew 7:12 states that â€Å"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets† (Open Bible, 2014). With reference to the labor law, discrimination is disallowed therefore Shania cannot discriminate the other employees for not being ethnic minorities. This is not a shared qualification that all employees can support. Religiously, the bible reference shows that Shania should take the best course of

The Architecture of Race and Identity in the United States Essay

The Architecture of Race and Identity in the United States - Essay Example The American dream is an impressive ideology that has lured people to America and moved them around within it. It is that idea that has encouraged millions of immigrants to strive in horrible conditions against impossible odds for centuries. Most Americans celebrate it unthinkingly, along with apple pie and motherhood; criticism is usually limited to imperfections in its application. But like apple pie and motherhood, the American dream turns out to be less than perfect upon closer examination. President Clinton has captured the bundle of shared tenets about achieving success that make up the ideology of the American dream. Those tenets answer the questions: Who may pursue the American dream In what does the pursuit consist How does one successfully pursue the dream Why is the pursuit worthy of our deepest commitment Although describing each tenet in detail is beyond the scope of this essay, we have to look at the flaws intrinsic to this dream, to gain better understanding of its val idity and applicability in contemporary America. The first persuasion, which is that everyone can participate equally and can always start over, is troubling, as throughout most part of the American history, women of any race and men who were Native American, Asian, black, or just poor, were barred from all but a narrow range of elective positions. White men, especially European immigrants, able to ride the wave of the Industrial Revolution to comfort or prosperity, have always been the most valued members of the American society. Those who do not fit to that description, disappear from the collective self-portrait. The situation is that not only has the ideal of universal participation been denied to most Americans, but also the very fact of its denial is been denied in our national self-image. This state of things determines deep misunderstandings and correspondingly deep political tensions. In this essay, we will focus primarily on the first tenet. There is a huge population of Asian and Jewish immigrants who have carved a niche for themselves although there are a million others who have not succeeded. Media is laced with numerous success stories, but no one writes about those, who haven't used their golden chance, who live on welfare or charity. It would be tenable to imply that there are some qualities a person has to possess in order to become successful in the USA. Tocqueville's "Democracy in America" is reffered to as a classical work in sociology and political science. For modern Americans his observations that the president with, his almost royal prerogatives, will have a great need of virtue, are almost prophetic. Nowadays we see what is going on in Iraq, we observe the disenfranchising of voters in the USA, and, of course, we remember the "Patriot Act", which in effect repeals the Fourth Amendment. Thus we can conclude that Tocqueville was rightfully worried about the unlimited power of the majority, and its consequences. Many of his observations are as timeless and applicable as they were in his day. He stated : "Americans of all ages, all stations of life, and all types of disposition are forever forming associations...In democratic countries knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge; on its progress depends that of all the

Emirates Airways Threats and Opportunities Case Study

Emirates Airways Threats and Opportunities - Case Study Example It is the fastest growing airway in the world, flies to over sixty destinations and will add Seoul, Korea on December 1, 2010. (Etihad Airways) For all of these reasons, it is the leading competitor of Emirates Airways. Like Emirates Airways it is based in the UAE and has an extensive global network of routes. It offers Halal meals and staff wearing appropriate clothing. It flies to 100 hundred destinations, has grown by 35% over the last ten years and has a five-star rating from Skyfax. (Qatar Airways) For all of these reasons, it is a keen competitor of Emirates Airways. They have an extensive network of global routes and the company was founded in 1926 so they have a long history. They have a reputation for German quality in engineering. However, in fact, their accident rate is almost three times the industry average much higher than Emirates Airways. (Airline Accident Rates) Like Lufthansa, American Airlines was established in 1926 and has a long history in the industry. Its first pilot was the famous pilot Charles Lindbergh. (American Airlines) Their accident rate is 238% the industry average, much higher than Emirates Airways. (Airline Accident Rates) In 2007, Singapore Airlines celebrated its 60th anniversary and we are the first to put the world’s largest plane into service. â€Å"The A380, the worlds largest commercial plane entered service with Singapore Airlines on 25 October 2007.† Also, according to their website, â€Å"KrisWorld, Singapore Airlines award-winning and ever-expanding in-flight entertainment system,† is the best media available in the air. (Singapore Airlines) However, they only fly to 65 destinations in 35 countries, less than Emirates Airways. They are famous for their safety record, it is 101% below the industry average, much better than the still good record of Emirates Airways. (Airline Accident Rates)

Ethical Reasoning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical Reasoning - Essay Example Lastly, is abductive reasoning which entails the kind of reasoning that depict that conclusions may be clearly defined as obvious though it is mostly based on a plausible reasoning. The field of science mostly uses this kind of reasoning(Rowan & Zinaich, 2003). In each and every profession in jobs there are defined ethics that each and every employee has to put up with. These are referred to as codes of conduct. They are set up to control vices such as irresponsibility and dishonesty among the employees and also for the employees to gain respect for each other. In the school that I once taught four years ago, I remember the scandal that rose when a certain teacher was found to be in a relationship with one of her student. Teachers’ ethics clearly define that any relations within the school compound between teachers and students is a c crime punishable by the law of the land. This is an injustice since the teacher who is an adult enters a student who is definitely a minor into a sexual relationship that usually ends up with the student been ditched. This risks the students’ life since she or he is exposed to early and unwanted pregnancies and infection to H.I.V and A.I.D.S and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. This was a form of injustice to the minor since she was only used as an instrument since the guy was married and had a family (Strain & Robinson, 2005). It was only after I decided reported to the Police when legal steps were taken to protect and to justify the rights of the young girl. It was during the trial that the young girl disclosed to the jury that the teacher only manipulated her since he had found her cheating in the examinations and thus to avoid been suspended from the school she had to satisfy his sexual needs. This shocked every one in the court room since no one expected anything close to that. I never regretted for suing him since I only fought the justice of the young girl. She deserved a better life and the truth had to be revealed

International law discussion 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International law discussion 2 - Essay Example The OAS can directly trace its roots to these meetings. World War II convinced the leaders of the American nations that they needed to come together to guard against outside aggression and to contain conflicts within the hemisphere. In 1948, meetings were held in Bogota. Not only did the attendees sign the Charter of the OAS, it resulted in their pledge to fight communism in the Americas and in the adoption of the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, the world’s first human rights agreement. Like many international treaties, the Charter of the OAS was developed as a response to outside forces—first, to fight imperialism and secondly, to guard against outside aggression, most significantly, communism. With the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s, as well as the return to democracy in Latin America and the increase of globalization in the 1990s, the way in which the OAS has enforced its Charter has changed. There has been some criticism of the OAS and t he Charter as being an arm of the United States, especially after the OAS expelled Cuba in 1962 and Honduras in 2009. One thing that has remained, however, is that in the case of the Charter of the OAS, it was created in response to outside forces and threats. 2.

Ethical Theories Essay Example for Free

Ethical Theories Essay Moral dilemmas are a part of daily life and the solutions presented to them are usually dependent on the ethics that govern the individual facing them. Every person at one point in time has been faced with a moral dilemma. This can be described as the values which are used to determine the right way to handle a situation and the wrong way to go about it. Each society and community has its own moral index and in some societies, an action may be viewed tolerable or right, while the same action in another community would be viewed as intolerable and frowned upon. The moral index of a society usually goes hand in hand with religious beliefs and communities which are religiously inclined to have strict rules on what is suitable behaviour and what is not. Societies which have more secular values usually tolerate extreme or eccentric behavior. The difference in opinions of different people in what is normally right and wrong has led to the development of various ethical theories. Two of these theories are utilitarianism and duty ethics. An example of a situation which brought about different ethical stand points is the Firestone Company tire recall in 1999 and 2000. The company had discovered that its newly designed firestorm Radial ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires were defective back in 1996, after 8 of the 18 times were singled out after they failed a test that tested the endurance of tires under high speed. Of the 14. 4 million tires sold approximately 6. 5 million tires had to be recalled due to defects in the details which involved the tread and one steel belt separating from the other steel belt and carcass The details has led to serious and even fatal accidents as the cars overturned when the accidents occurred while they were in motion. In an attempt to show difference between utilitarianism and duty ethics we shall consider an engineer working for the company at the time and the stand he or she would take if they subscribed to utilitarianism or duty ethics Utilitarianism can be described as an ethical theory that proposes that the action that brings good or favorable consequences to the majority is not subject to whether it is right or wrong meaning it is not subject to questioning. (Fredrick,2003) This theory was greatly championed by utilitarians such as John Stuart Mill. This theory advocates for actions that produce happiness to the greatest or largest number of people. In an ideal situation this may be possible but usually any action can produce happiness to many or a few people depending on the action. The theory does not usually advocate for the use of ethically correct actions at all times and thus actions which may be viewed as wrong sometimes bring happiness to a large group of people but the actions still remain morally wrong. An engineer subscribing to the utilitarianism way to life would have supported the company stand and the action it took. The company discovered that some tires were defective and did not recall the rest of the tires that had already been sold. This lead to accidents which caused suffering and death and it was not until an investigation into the cause of the accidents that finally forced the Firestone Company to admit liability and recall the tires. The company did not recall the tires because it feared the losses that it would face incase the tires were all defective. The company chose to protect their profits margins at the expense of their clients. (Little, 2003) As an engineer with a utilitarianism view point this action would be the best because recalling would mean great losses and downsizing in terms of job which would mean unemployment for many people working at the company affecting both them and their dependants. The duty ethics proposes that the action taken in any situation should be just and honest and respectful to all persons involved. This ethical principle advances for the upholding of principles regardless to the wrong consequences whether they will be good or bad. (Graham,2004) An engineer working for the Firestone Company would have chosen to recall all the defective tires and conducted a through investigation to the causes of the defaults without external pressure or the threat of law suits as inducement. The engineer moral compass would have guided them to make such a stand regardless to the fallout which is this case would have resulted in major losses to the company. As per the requirements of the engineering profession, this mechanical engineer was ascribed to some basic fundamental ethics and the relevant professional codes of conduct while in the jurisdiction of their duty. These are guidelines aimed at providing safety standards for the engineers while at work and the common good of the society. However, the same was objectively inadequate in the Firestone’s case. As a basic requirement, they should exercise their professional skills and also knowledge in providing contentment in the general human life. Impartiality and honesty should prevail in their service where fidelity to the public should never be compromised above that of clients and also employers. Elsewhere, engineers should pursue a continued development in their profession and bring service to their different clients without any conflict. These are the basic fundamentals of mechanical engineers whose proficiency is provided by the support of the canons of mechanical engineering. In conclusion the moral stand point taken by any individual should always be after requiring all the necessary information. This is because in every decision made, there are always individuals who love and those who benefit. As in the Firestone, the recalling decision would have resulted in loss. After careful evaluation one should decide on the decision that brings minimal losses in the involved activity.

History of the Chinese War Strategy

History of the Chinese War Strategy INTRODUCTION The PLA has been undergoing the Strategic Transition from preparing for an early, total and nuclear war in 1985 to a local and limited war in the current context. The PLA understanding of the nature of these future local wars has been greatly influenced by the 1991 Gulf War and the experiences of 1996 Taiwan Straits Crisis. PLA planners believe that future local wars will be a medium sized local war which could involve large scale sea crossing and amphibious landing operations, counter offensive operations in the border regions and repelling local foreign invasion. These wars are likely to manifest in wars involving national unification and disputes over maritime and land boundary issues. PREVIEW The WZC concept was first recorded in 1979 when an adhoc operational area command was formed during the Sino- Vietnam war. It is a doctrine developed for future military operations to be conducted in Chinas strategic neighbourhood as a limited war fought under Joint HQ. It entails limited objectives, greater central control with political settlement as the end result and considerable preparation. In order to develop an understanding of the concept, this paper is laid out as under:- (a) Historical and Theoretical Perspectives of Chinese War Strategy. (b) Chinese Views on the Characteristics of Future Wars. (c) Levels of Conflict. (d) Evolution of Chinese Mil Doctrine. (e) War Zone Campaign. (f) Interpretation of Terms at Operational / Campaign level. HISTORICAL AND THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVEÂ  OF CHINESE WAR STRATEGY Transformation of the PLA. After Maos demise in 1976, saw the re-emergence of Deng Xiaoping. Under his political leadership, the military became disengaged from civilian politics and resumed the political quiescence that characterized its pre-Cultural Revolution role. Focus of military modernization was the reform of military organization, doctrine, education and training, and personnel policies to improve combat effectiveness in combined-arms warfare and the transformation of the defense establishment into a system capable of independently maintaining a modern military force. The reforms were implemented in the PLA from 1978-85. In 1985, the Enlarged Central Military Commission (CMC) endorsed Dengs shift in strategic thinking from preparing for an all out war to preparing for a local war. It carried out a review of sit and threats and concluded that there existed NO threat of early war, however a general war which could have a nuclear backdrop (nuclear war) was very much imminent. In 1995, the Enlarged Central Military Commission (CMC) meeting chaired by Jiang Zemiin officially adopted the Two Transformations (liangge zhuanbian) as the policy for army building to guide all aspects of PLA reform. It called for the Chinese army to undergo a metamorphosis from an army preparing to fight local wars under ordinary conditions to an army preparing to fight and win Local Wars Under Modern High -Tech Conditions; and from an army based on quantity to an army based on quality. Key PLA Teachings on Military Strategy. In 1987 Science of Military Strategy was published by Academy of Military Sciences which reflected change in strategic thinking from total war to local war. It was for internal circulation (neibu) to all officers at the divisional level and above. This, however, offered limited approach to strategy and was primarily based on Peoples War Under Modern Conditions (PWUMC) using positional and mobile warfare along with combined arms operations. It relied heavily on Soviet based invasion setting. In 1999, post Gulf War I, Science of Military Strategy was re-published by PLA National Defence University (NDU) and formed the core teaching text for Strategy Course at NDU. The salient highlights were the broader approach to strategy, covering a range of contingencies under modern hi-tech conditions and covered a range of varied objectives, intensity and lethality. This was followed by publication of Study of Campaigns in 2000. In 2001, AMS published open (gong kai) version of Science of Military Strategy in Chinese and, in 2005, the English version of the book was published. Theoretical Perspective. In general terms, Chinas military doctrine can be divided into four levels as under:- (a) Junshi Sixiang (Military Thought). (b) Zhanlue (Military Strategy). (c) Zhanyi (Military Campaigns). (d) Zhanshu (Military Tactics). Military Thought. This forms the foundational principles and concepts of war fighting and military struggle. It gives out the basic views for guiding and planning the overall situation of military struggle. However, specific guidelines or rules for conducting military operations are not specified. The concept of strategic thoughts is closely linked to Maos military thought and some of the relevant concepts include Active Def and Peoples War. Military Strategy Military Strategy, as per the NDU, is defined as planning and guidance for the overall situation of military struggle, including planning, deploying and guiding the construction and use of military force, to reach the effective achievement of a stated political goal. It is described as a trinity comprising of Strategic Goals (zhanlue mudi) Ends, Strategic Guidelines (zhanlue fangzhen) Ways and Strategic Means (zhanlue shouduan) Means. Strategy links Military Thought and Campaigns by providing general guidance for planning and conduct of military operations. The scope of Strategy includes (a) Threat Assessments. (b) Overall Strategic Goals. (c) Strategic Direction. (d) Basic Principles for conducting military struggle. (e) Means, methods and coordination of military struggle. Strategic Goals. Strategic Goals determine the ultimate political objective in any struggle and thus is linked to national interest. Strategic Missions (zhanlue renwu) are the operational tasks required for achieving strategic goals. Strategic missions and strategic goals are the comprehensive reflection of Strategic Circumstances (zhanlue xingshi) including the main features of international strategic situation and National security requirements. The focus of Strategic Goals during wartime includes operational aspects such as maintenance of initiative, destruction of enemy force. In peacetime, it is to safeguard national interests such as using military means to create deterrence for a stable external environment. Strategic Guidelines. Strategic Guidelines consist of general principles and programs for guiding overall situation of a military struggle. It is a closest analogue to operational doctrine, though at strategic level only, as opposed to campaign or tactical level. Past strategic guidelines include Peoples War Under modern Conditions and the current one being Local Wars under Modern High Tech Conditions. Organizational and operational modernization requirements for a force are determined from identification of appropriate strategic guideline. Strategic guidelines stipulate the following: (a) How to complete a strategic mission. (b) How to realize the strategic goal by identifying key points of struggle. (c) Identification of main Strategic directions. (d) Identification of Strategic deployments. Strategic guidelines are generally composed of five components: (a) Identification of Strategic Opponent. It is based on the threat to national interest and the operational threat is based on the specific military nature of threat. Strategic Direction. It primarily identifies the focal point of struggle and the centre of gravity for use of force to decisively shape the struggle. Basic Points of Preparations for Military Struggle. This refers to the type of struggle e.g. nuclear vs conventional. Basic Methods of Military Struggle. This includes Types of Struggle. Combat Operations vs Deterrence. Types of Strategic Operations. Offense or Defence. Main Operational Forms. Mobile Warfare or Positional Warfare. Types of Operations. Blockade or Ambush. (e) Guiding Thoughts and Principles for use of Military Force. This includes the options of Striking first or second (xianfa zhiren, or houfa zhiren) and Fighting a Protracted Warfare or Quick Decisive War. Strategy manifests in General (zong) or Specific Strategic Guidelines (juti zhanlue fangzhen). The WZC doctrine is a strategic guideline for Local War Under Hi-Tech Conditions (LWUHTC). Strategic Means. Strategic Means spells out ways and methods of using military force to achieve an objective what and how to use including military and non-military means. This can be carried out in basically four ways which include: (a) Actual combat operations in general or local war. (b) Deterrence operations which is the primary method to be used during peace time. (c) Warning operations which include strategic early warning, border defence and internal defence. (d) Combat readiness exercises including force build up, strategic troop transfers, adjustments in deployments, military exercises, weapons tests and war preparation tests. Spheres of Military Strategy. There are three identified spheres of military strategy: (a) Wartime Strategy (zhanzheng shiqi de zhanlue). This refers to periods of time when society as a whole deals with war, such as general war e.g. countering an invasion as the only type of general war China might face. (b) Peacetime Strategy (heping shiqi de zhanlue). This refers to periods when nation is not in a general state of war. Peace should not be confused with absence of future conflict, but LOW LIKELIHOOD of general war. It includes: (i) Deterrence operations. (ii) Crisis managment. Local war. (c) Local War Strategy (jubu zhanzheng de zhanlue). This is a special type of problem that occurs during peacetime. It has been defined as war with limited objectives in a part of an area where limited armed force is used. Traditionally Chinese Strategy has laid much emphasis on the initiative. Hence, the strategy advocated is pro-active vis-Ã  -vis reactive. Successive literatures on strategy have also re-emphasized that the operational or campaign level of operations is the most productive and rewarding for achieving political aims. The strategy adopted must be futuristic and support future national aims or roles. It must factor in economy of options and weigh the cost-benefit evaluation of war i.e. whether to go to war and how best to profitably conclude it. The stated doctrine must also conform to Chinas image and position of assertiveness after century of humiliation. In order to ensure no direct threats to China there is a deliberate effort to gradually move towards capability driven from threat-driven which has been a fallout of emerging international / regional situation. CHARACTERISTICS OF FUTURE WARS Characteristics of Future Conflict. Some of the assessed characteristics of future conflicts are as under:- (a) Future conflicts will be restricted in their scale, means and timing of war. (b) Objectives would be often political / diplomatic rather than military in nature. (c) Conflict processes will be under greater centralized control and political settlement will invariably be the end result. (d) Conflict resolutions will have to be carried out amidst complicated international background. (e) Even though wars would be limited in nature, they would require detailed and prolonged preparation. (f) Pre-emptive strikes would be a major form of action. (g) Costs of wars would be high despite their short duration. (f) Globalization and integration would result in spilling of economically deleterious effects of war. (g) Brief conflicts can best be handled by following the maxim killing the chicken to scare the monkeys. (h) Demonstrative operations would be essential for politically sensitive objectives. (j) A decisive result in conflict resolution will not be essential though welcome. (k) There are going to be political, economic and prestige payoffs resulting from conflicts and hence the need to factor in ways of exercising control over each one of them. (l) Cost-benefit evaluation of wars would be a major input in deciding the end-state decisions of conflicts. (m) Internal perception management of the people will be a major factor in consolidating national efforts. LEVELS OF CONFLICT Levels of Conflict. The levels of conflict assessed to occur in near future are as under:- (a) National Level. A national level conflict would involve national mobilization of resources. It will be characterized by centralized control by the CMC. The objectives and decisions in such a case would be strategic in nature (zhan lue xing). (b) Theatre level. A conflict at theatre level would involve the Military Region (MR) / MRs. The battle area under such circumstances would be called War Zone Front and overall control will be exercised by nominated MR / HQ. (c) Campaign Level (corresponds to own operational level zhanyixing). A campaign level operation would involve Combined Arms Gp Armies (CAGA) or gps of CAGAs (corps equivalents / groups of these). The area of conflict is termed as campaign zone (qu). In peacetime, the area of battle maybe under a Military Region or part of it; in wartime, however, it would be referred to as war zone. The outcome of WZC directly affects realization of national strategic objective. Equivalent weightage is given (employed as appropriate to mission) to all four services. EVOLUTION OF PLA DOCTRINE The PLA Doctrine has evolved over the years commencing from its basic aim to defeat the Nationalist forces to ensuring territorial integrity and subsequently as a tool for diplomacy and external relations. It has transformed itself as under:- Peoples War (Pre 1949 till 1960). The Peoples War doctrine, was the result of lessons learned from the War of Resistance against Japan (1937-1945), and emphasized the preparation of masses of foot soldiers and militia to engage in prolonged guerrilla warfare in Chinas vast interior. This era also marked the looming threat of total, nuclear war and the Chinese capabilities being almost defensive against any strategic nuclear attack. The Chinese strengths basically included space and people and hence basic Strategy involved mobilization of population, trading time for space and final counter-offensive to annihilate the enemy. (b) Peoples War under Modern Conditions (PWUMC). (1960 to 1985) This change in doctrine was a result of the changed perceptions post Sino-Soviet split in 1960. The strategy aimed to develop capability to check aggression forward to gain time for national mobilization and Peoples War. The Chinese strategy during the period was aimed at defeating a Soviet type invasion before it could penetrate deeply into China. It envisaged a forward defense that is near the border, to prevent attack on Chinese cities and industrial facilities, particularly in north and northeast China. Such a defense-in-depth required positional warfare, much closer to the border, in the initial stages of a conflict. This strategy downplayed the peoples war strategy of luring in deep in a protracted war. It also took into account the adaptations in strategy and tactics necessitated by technological advances in weaponry. (c) Limited War (jubu zhanzheng) Under Hi-Tech Conditions (LWUHTC) (Post-1985). This was promulgated after Dengs call for a review of the existing strategy. This came into being due to reduction in the Soviet threat due to Sino- US entente, the demonstration of hi-tech weapon systems employed in the Gulf War I and the post-liberalized growth of Chinese Comprehensive National Power (CNP). The strategy placed reliance on small, effective, hi-tech capable, tri-service integrated troops. It also stressed the need to fight away from borders or exclusive economic zone (EEZ). (d) Limited War under Conditions of Informationization (LWUCI). This f irst found expression in 2004 White Paper. Informationisation was to be treated as a Force Multiplier and it sought to integrate all available platforms or assets. This is also in consonance with development of Chinese infrastructure and capabilities in their efforts to undergo RMA. WZC THE PLAs DOCTRINEÂ  FORÂ  CAMPAIGN IN WARZONES WZC. War Zone Campaign as a doctrine evolved for conducting a limited war under high technological conditions. Future campaigns under the doctrine will be fought by combined arms synergy applied under unified joint command and control HQs. Such a HQ is created in theatre of operations by pooling in resources from Mil Region HQs and offrs from Gen Staff Department. WZC is an intermediate between Combined Arms GA (CAGA) army dominated command and total war where more than one war zones are activated simultaneously. Salient characteristics of the WZC are as under:- (a) The doctrine has been developed by PLA for future wars which are going to be limited wars and conducted in peripheral regions under a joint HQ. (b) It is a joint services campaign and an intermediate between military region and national (CMC) level campaign. (c) WZC is designed for a local / limited campaign but however its outcome determines realization of national objectives. (d) PLA Mil Regions already have AF / Navy on their orbat or under operational control. (e) PLA traditionally has been Mil Region-centric. WZC envisages imposition of another higher HQ to: (i) Coordinate employment of troops of more than one Mil Region. (ii) Act as CMC representatives for employment / control of tactical, strategic and nuclear missiles. As it involves more than one MR, theatre-wide control, coordination and deception is ensured by imposition of this HQ. A recent example is of the Taiwan straits incident when the PLA was engaged in large scale exercises and firing rockets across the Taiwan Strait in 1996 when Gen Kui Fulin from GSD was superimposed on Nanjing MR and Guangzhou MRs and formed the Fujian Front. WZC in the Level of Conflict. WZC is an intermediate between Combined Arms GA (CAGA) army dominated command and total war where more than one war zones are activated simultaneously. In the spectrum of Level of Conflict it is short of a national mobilization but more than CAGA ops. PARTIAL MOB OR TOTAL MOB WZC COMBINED ARMS GP ARMY OPS Salient Features of the Doctrine. The doctrine envisages combined arms and joint service operations. In depth strike. Aim is not to engage enemy at forward positions but in depth through infiltration, forced penetration, air projections and flank intrusions. There is a requirement of professionally and technically qualified person to operate high tech advance equipment. It envisages mastery in outer space. Delegation of command to lower commanders as severe hindrances / loss of command during operations is envisaged. It places great emphasis on C4ISR systems. Interpretation of Terms. Certain important terms used in definition of the doctrine are as under:- (a) Local and Temp Superiority (LATS) Concentration of Force at point of decision. (b) Trans-Regional Sp Ops (TRSO) Flexibility. (c) Gaining Initiative by Striking First (GISF) Initiative, Offensive Action, Pre-emptive Action. (d) Quick Battle, Quick Resolution (QBQR) Simultaneity of ops, Non-Linearity, Tempo (Speed, Momentum). (e) Elite Forces, Sharp Arms (EFSA) Appropriateness, Economy of Effort. Implementation of WZC. The basic aim of WZC is to turn PLA inferiority into superiority by three pronged strategy namely Elite Forces Sharp Arms (EFSA), Gaining Initiative by Striking First (GISF) and Quick Battle, Quick Resolution (QBQR). These are deliberated upon in succeeding paras. Elite Forces Sharp Arms (EFSA) Elite Forces Sharp Arms (EFSA). What justifies EFSA is that limited nature of local war makes it possible to achieve local and temporary superiority through the concentrated use of the EFSA. The use of EFSA can be optimized by their deployment, coordination and command. EFSA Dply Coord Trans Regional Sp Ops (TRSO) Dply per se Comd Deployment. A relatively new concept in this aspect is the Trans Regional Sp Ops (TRSO). Its implication at campaign level and at strategic level is as explained below:- (a) At Campaign Level. Deployment of EFSA must be with the aim to achieve comprehensive strike effects, and for this forces must be carefully selected. The principle also advocates Dispersed deployment of optimal forces to deny enemy window of vulnerability and increase survivability of own forces and to achieve concentration of effects by concentrating destructive effects of these arms and forces which is the basic prerequisite for achieving local and temporary superiority. (b) At Strategic Level. It envisages deployment of the best available forces and arms from other Mil Regions to reinforce war zone where local war may occur. Such a trans regional support operation (TRSO) has many advantages:- (i) It enhances political and diplomatic initiatives. (ii) Avoids sustained force deployment but optimizes readiness in the rear. (iii) RRU/RRFs ensure indirect forward presence by utilizing mobility. (iv) It may also prevent escalation as also enable local and temporary superiority in psychological terms. Coord. Coordination of sub campaigns is a must to achieve synergy of effect w/o inter service friction. It is aimed at permitting service commanders to coordinate and control respective services sub campaigns. As EFSA is associated with technology intensive services [RRF, Special Ops Forces (SOF), Navy, AF, Sec Arty] the relationship between services / branches has to be defined by equality and partnership in a joint services campaign. Hence coordination of joint service campaigns is a crucial issue for successful conduct of WZC. Principles of Coordination of Joint Campaigns. (a) Coordination is centered on whichever service that conducts the sub campaign. It calls for a heightened sense of responsibility and initiative by service commanding officers. (b) An important aspect for coordination is the timing and manner of transition from one phase of the campaign to another for example from electronic to air sub campaign, to sea denial and crossing operations, then to amphibious landing and ground operations. The coordination between various services is also very important during transitions to reduce internal chaos and friendly fire casualty. (c) Coordination in stratagem (e.g. outflanking troop movement to divert enemy forces to secondary fronts) is important to determine whether local and temporary superiority will be achieved on the primary front. (d) A common method of coordination is mutual dispatch of service representatives to coordinate air-land, air-sea or sea land operations. (e) Modes of coordination are strike zone based, target based and timing based. (f) Most important coordination mechanism is establishment of joint force command. Principles of Command. A joint command is established with deputy commanding officers from Air force, Navy and Sec Arty. The joint command formulates joint services operational plans and conducts inter service coordination. Some issues related with command are as under (a) Extent and Timing of Centralised Command. Command must be centralised during planning. However during execution, a decentralized command and service autonomy are desirable. (b) Traditional Mil Region command organs are ground force dominated and hence could be a potential for inter service friction during implementation. (c) Under WZC, a joint command is established using the present Mil Region command as nucleus. (d) The joint command may have higher proportion of command and staff officers from services other than the army as necessitated by the requirement.. 32. Trans Regional Sp Ops (TRSO). (a) This deals with concentration of EFSA at strategic level. (b) It aims at deployment of best forces and arms from other Mil Regions to reinforce the War Zone e.g. Rapid Reaction Forces (RRF), missiles, AF etc. (c) It focuses on development of rapid reaction forces and capabilities in the rear while maintaining a moderate level of forces deployed forward. (d) It contributes to achievement of local and temporary superiority. (e) TRSO stresses on tech based mobility and effectiveness to achieve its aim. (f) Enhances political and diplomatic initiatives by maintaining reduced forces in the fwd areas and de-escalating tensions. Capabilities: RRF. (a) Adaptation and responsiveness are the two key elements of RRF. (b) It is intended for quick reaction to deal with internal security (IS) and local / ltd border conflicts. (c) These forces are maintained at full strength with all terrain and all weather capability including survival training for 48 hours. (d) They have the capability to reach anywhere in any Mil Region within 24 to 48 hours. (e) RRFs of 15 AB Corps can reach anywhere in China within seven days. Gaining Initiative By Striking First (GISF) Gaining Initiative By Striking First (GISF). Increased precision and lethality of high tech weapons causes unprecedented destruction. Under such conditions the side that strikes second may lose momentum and face the prospects of defeat. As also the demarcation between first and second strike will be less relevant and hence by carrying out first strike a local and temporary superiority may be achieved. However, first strike may not lead to temporary initiative if the enemy is well prepared and anticipates the strike. This can be ensured by element of surprise and initiation of the initial battle of the campaign. GISF is hence associated with the beginning of the campaign. Gaining Initiative by Striking First Element of Surprise Initiation and Initial Battle of the Campaign Note: China will not be averse to striking first ? Element of Surprise. There are two key issues while considering Element of Surprise. If adversary is well prepared and anticipates strike, effect is reduced hence the need for element of surprise. There is a requirement of identifying enemy intentions and capabilities and simultaneously concealment of PLA intentions and capability. This can be achieved by concealing the real and demonstrating the false by employing conventional / asymmetric, electronic and civil-military means. (a) Transparency of En Intentions and Capabilities. (i) At the Strat Level. This can be achieved through long term, systematic and institutionalized study and analysis of military target especially with regard to his war fighting doctrine, styles, command, organization and weapon systems. (ii) At the Campaign Preparation Level. This can be achieved by acquiring and affirming intelligence with regard to the enemy by continuously monitor enemy movement, weapons and targets by the use of satellites, surveillance ships, planes, radars, radios and human intelligence. (b) Successful Concealment of PLAs Intentions and Capabilities. Modern technology enables effective surveillance and difficult concealment. Non tech means employed in 1991 Gulf War resulted in successful concealment achieving local and temporary superiority. Also fighting the battle close to Chinas borders would increase success of concealment. Methods of Concealment. Some of the measures which may be employed to confuse the adversary about timing, place, scale, nature and direction of the campaign initiation are:- (a) Create a situation of internal intensity and external relaxation i.e. political and diplomatic means be employed to conceal strategic intentions. (b) Concealing the real (hiding real forces by camouflage). (c) Demonstrate the false (use of dummy planes, ships, tanks, vehicles, artillery pieces and use reserve militia to show false deployment). (d) Blending the real with the false and illusory with the substantial (mixing real and substantial forces with false and illusory ones, meshing forces with civilian facilities). (e) Electronic measures (ECM, deception, ECCM). 37. Initiation and Initial Battle of the Campaign. (a) There is a contradiction between active defence as a central principle of PLA military operations and first strike (GISF in fact becomes a central component of active defence). (b) Window of opportunity for first strike is the period between the failure of political and diplomatic initiatives at the strategic level and completion of enemy deployment between the ens strat choice and his strat probe. (c) The outcome of the first battle would be crucial to determine whether local initiative is seized or not and hence it is necessary to Throw a powerful and superior initial strike force into the initial battle. (d) In order to maintain the advantage created by the initial battle, resolute, active and continuous offensive must be carried out to deny enemy breathing space. Quick Battle Quick Resolution If GISF is the beginning of the campaign, QBQR is the conclusion. QBQR deals with prosecution and conclusion of the campaign. The importance of QBQR arises from the fact that border wars fought for disputed territories will be limited to a confined area and not for total conquest of a country. Hence, there is a need to contain the conflict and achieve final resolution at one stroke. QBQR seeks to avoid prolonging of war as (high tech weapons would also cause extensive damage to own military and civil infrastructure in the event of a prolonged war. As the PLA is deemed inferior in technology, the enemy may regain and counter strike to cause PLA a defeat if war is protracted. QBQR INFO OFFENSIVE OFFENSIVE OPS MOB FIRE POWER AMBUSH SOFT KILL HARD KILL CONTINUOUS DEEP STRIKE VERTICAL STRIKE MOB SURPRISE ATTACK Methods to Achieve QBQR. Mobility and Offensive operations are the two key concepts to achieve QBQR. Mobility. Mobility is a pre-requisite for carrying out continuous and dynamic offensives. Mobile Warfare is dependent on good infrastructure and complex logistics but these leave adequate signature for the enemy to pick up. Whether local information superiority can be achieved will determine whether QBQR can be realized in PLAs favour. Counter reconnaissance is advocated to achieve information superiority (neutralise ens C4I by use of anti svl satl measures, laser and kinetic energy, particle beam wpns and other measures) which also helps in achieving surprise. There is a need to mitigate threats to mobility from air by integrated air defense measures required to defeat over-the-horizon (OTH) beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles and their launch platforms, smart bombs, stealth tactical aircraft and attack helicopters (AH). Modes of Mobilization. Employing various modes of mobilization may enhance deception or reduce exposure and casualty, thus improving the odds of local and temporary initiatives. These include (a) Exterior Line Mobilization. This involves establishment of one or several inter-connected mob

Does Nursing Need Theory?

Does Nursing Need Theory? =Do nurses need theory? A question that can be considered on many different levels. If one considers the evolution of nursing over time, one can observe that the nurse of antiquity was arguably as dependent on the prevalent theories of the day as the current nurse. Theory determines practice and theory justifies practice (Einstein paraphrased in Kuhse Singer 2001). The nurse who changed the blood letting bowls of antiquity was as dependent upon the theories of imbalances in the humors for her practice as were the nurses in the wards of Ignaz Semmelweis (Semmelweis IP. 1861) who may well have found the idiosyncratic insistence on hand washing to remove the presence of the unseen agents of infection completely bizarre until the evidence base of reduction in puerperal infection could be clearly established. In this latter comment we can find one of the major dilemmas facing the nursing theorists of today. The plethora of nursing theories have been subsumed into a goal (albeit defined by the theorists themselves) of finding a unified nursing theory. One that will define the human condition and also medical science’s response to the management of the various conditions of pathophysiology that can befall it. The stumbling block of many theories is the difficulty in establishing a credible evidence base to support it. (Brechin A et al. 2000). To revisit the Einstein quotation cited earlier, one can have a theory that may determine practice, but it is only with the demonstration of an evidence base that the theory can actually be used to justify practice. One of the luminaries of nursing theory and practice was Martha Rogers, the late Dean of Nursing at New York University. To illustrate the point, Rogers published many nursing theories in her working life. Some (the Unitary theory) have gained a degree of general acceptance others have faded in the mists of time. It was her stated goal to define a unified theory of nursing. (Meleis, A 1997). The Rogerian approach appeared to have little room for establishment of evidence bases and we would suggest that this approach is essentially flawed. (Halpern S D 2005). To consider an extrapolation into other scientific disciplines by way of analogy, we note that it has not been possible to define a unified theory of biological science. Biology is essentially a study of life in general. It does not seek to be a theory of life. Although theories may be postulated in the explanations of the various phenomenon encountered in the field, such as natural selection or the function of the genome, these are used to test the various hypotheses underpinning practical observations, laboratory work and in some cases, mathematical models. There is no all-encompassing biological theory. At a more fundamental level we can observe that biology is based on chemistry which, in turn, is ultimately based on principles of physics. Again we can observe that there is no unified theory encompassing the entire field. (after Green J et al. 1998). This analogy is applicable to nursing theory if one considers the huge range of skills and requirements needed by the modern profes sional nurse. The spectrum of tasks required and expected of the nurse in a variety of situations is legion. To be effective the nurse must understand the human condition from the viewpoint of the pathophysiology, the psychology, the human dynamic and socio-economic elements of the patient’s presentation and disease trajectory. (Yura H et al. 1998). Much of our understanding of these elements is encapsulated into various concepts or theories which are perhaps best regarded as dynamic and fluid or in a process of evolution. (Wadensten et al. 2003). A practical consideration would suggest that the nurse is responsible for giving medication, undertaking procedures of medical intervention as well as caring for the general physical well-being of the patient, they record various parameters of their patient’s progress. They can be the patient’s advocate in terms of their dealings with other healthcare professionals, organisations or even commercial concerns. (Hogston, R et al. 2002). In order to carry out these ( and many other) functions efficiently. The nurse needs to be competent in a huge number of areas with skills in interpersonal relationships, organisational, technical and clerical areas. It follows that these skills are derived from a large number of disparate areas such as anatomy, physiology, therapeutics, psychology, management theory, bookkeeping and tabulation. (Mason T et al. 2003) The point being made here is that, in the light of these comments, it seems inappropriate to consider that there should be, in Rogerian terms, a unified theory of nursing (Rogers, M E 1970). The overall goal would undoubtedly be that the professional nurse should seek to improve the overall well-being of their patients. This target is the accumulative result of any number of different and disparate processes and skills form many differing academic and human disciplines. We would suggest that it is not amenable to the reductionist philosophy of Rogers. Despite the notable article by Christensen (P et al. 1994) which criticises authors who have applied such strategies to both extrapolate from and to expand implications of Rogerian theory, reductionist strategies are not totally inappropriate. In a further scientific analogy, we can point to a classic case of reductionism which contributed greatly to our understanding of the natural world. When Newton made his mathematical models linking orbiting planets, projectiles and falling apples, he produced one of the most dramatically valid reductions in scientific literature. Reductionism per se. is not an inappropriate process. Herein lies a frequently perpetuated fallacy that permeates the field of literature on nursing theory. The term â€Å"Reductionâ€Å", in a nursing context, can have two distinct connotations. It can be observed that some nursing theorists apply the term to the tendency of some healthcare professionals to visualise and regard the patient as a number, a set of symptoms or a demonstration of a particular element of pathophysiology rather than as an individual in their own specific socio-economic, cultural and psychological setting. (Alcock P, 2003). Although this is a completely appropriate and specific use of the term, it is distinctly different from the implications of â€Å"Reductionism† in the scientific and analytical sense. Some nursing theorists (viz. Christensen) use the term in a derogatory or disparaging form that does not appreciate or even acknowledge the positive aspects of the technique. (Hott, J R et al. 1999). We would suggest that such confusion in the terminology has led to some nursing theory being discredited. If we expand this theme by staying with Rogerian theory as an illustration of the point, we can suggest that in the broader context of medicine generally, scientific reduction has enabled progress in medical science by allowing the accurate identification of causal agents of disease and thereby allowing the development of appropriate strategies to combat and eliminate them. Nursing theorists should embrace this aspect of the concept of reductionism while combating any suggestion of a reduction of the status of the patient from that of an autonomous human being (Mill JS 1982). To consider the situation as Christensen does and to decry the use of reductionism and to treat events as essentially causal, does no favours for the analytical process that is central to any theoretical process. It effectively takes nursing theory out of the realms of science which, almost by definition, considers processes as cause and effect. (Polit, D F et al. 1997). Even if we consider processes that are essentially acausal such as the spontaneous degradation of atomic nuclei, one can point to the fact that these processes are still quite capable of being considered reliable processes because they can be detected, demonstrated, quantifiable, repeatable and amenable to statistical analysis. If we contrast this to the nursing theorists in general, and perhaps Rogers in particular, we can show that their writing and reasoning is largely devoid of causal argument and subsequent reasoning. (Barnum, B J. S. 1998). The reasons for this are clearly a matter of speculation. The less charitable analyst might be tempted to conclude that some of the theories propounded do not meet common sense standards. Few of the theories meet the criteria that would satisfy a reputable evidence base as they appear to avoid rigorous testing. To take a specific example, the theory of therapeutic touch is certainly complete enough to permit a degree of submission to testing. Much of the literature cited by Rogers is however, very subjective, done by unblinded clinicians and very speculative. Some is purely in the form of no more than reported anecdotes (Rosa, L et al. 1998). This trend has done little to increase the confidence of the analytically minded investigator in the usefulness and relevance of nursing theory. To a casual observer, who considered only these elements of nursing theory, it might appear that the theorists had allowed themselves to become detached from the scientific rigour of logical deduction or experimental validation and thereby effectively deprived the field of any degree of precision of predictive possibility (which any useful theory should have). To support this view, one can cite Rogers herself (cited in Meleis 1997). Reality does not exist but appears to exist as expressed by human beings. In this respect, we can put forward a coherent argument that nursing does not need theory. Having presented this argument, we can also examine the opposing view put forward by Prof Margaret Rosenthal (Rosenthal 2000) in her thought provoking book â€Å"Changing Practice in Health and Social Careâ€Å". The book itself is primarily about accountability in healthcare, but in its discussion it considers the relevance of the nursing theorists in general. The author puts forward the view that the public have experienced a decline in the trust and standards of the healthcare professionals. She cites the media as being one of the major contributors to this erosion, rather than the actual reality of the situation and suggests that the way forward is to submit all types of clinical practice to the scrutiny of its evidence base. She suggests rejecting practices that do not have a secure evidence base in favour of those that do so that â€Å"at every level so that the public in general and the patients in particular, are able to feel confident in every therapeutic manoeuvre that t hey are offeredâ€Å". (quote from McNicol M et al 1993 Pg 219). As an overview the author suggests that all dealings, whether they are practical or theoretical, should have â€Å"accountability as their watchword†. In some respects, this is a simple conceptual extension of the comments advanced by Florence Nightingale a century and a half earlier, that the ultimate objective of working in a healthcare environment as a healthcare professional is to provide the best form of support, treatment and care for the patient. (Nightingale F 1859). We would both concur and expand the sentiments expressed by adding that this may be best achieved by considering that the best form of treatment is the one that has the strongest evidence base for its use. Having made these comments, it is appropriate to consider the more positive aspects of nursing theory. If we accept Wadenstein’s view (Wadenstein B et al. 2003) that it is an important purpose of theories to challenge practice, create new approaches to practice and remodel the structures of rules and principles, then we could usefully progress this argument by considering some of those theories which help to explain patient behaviour and thereby modify the nursing approach. The basic nursing process is traditionally based on assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. The particular theories that we shall consider here, together with the models that they support, all basically follow the same pattern, but each analyses the patient situation from a different aspect or in different terms. (Fawcett J 2005) The Roper Logan Tierney model (Roper, Logan and Tierney 2000) is primarily concerned with the activities of daily living. It requires identification of the problems and then dealing with them on a problem solving basis. This type of model has been extensively reported, evaluated and is one of the most generally accepted models of the nursing process. (Holland K et al. 2003). This type of approach is very useful for problems which are mainly or primarily based on a physical or disability orientated disease process. Its major shortcomings revolve around the fact that it is not very useful in describing strategies that cope with patient responses that are overtly manipulative or psychological in nature. The theories that underpin this model have largely withstood the test of time and clinical practice and have accumulated a large evidence base in the literature. (Holland K et al. 2003). For patients who fall into the category of manipulation or functional symptomatology as a result of an adaptation process for coping with their illness the Roy adaptation model (Roy 1991) is useful in describing the abilities of a patient to adapt (or maladapt) to the evolving pattern of their illness. This model allows for changing perceptions and adaptation mechanisms on the part of the patient and can be used to explain the various behaviour patterns exhibited by various patients as their disease trajectory unfolds. It allows for the major patterns of illness adaptation but has the major shortcoming that it does not allow for the behaviour patterns that are consistent with denial of the underlying diagnosis. The patient who has a diagnosis of terminal cancer but copes with a total refusal to accept it and continues as if all is well, is not described in this particular approach. The model dismisses this as a degree of cognitive distortion rather than a coping mechanism. It can be seen as possibly choosing to ignore the reality of the situation and changing the theory to make it more coherent. It would categorise the patient as not adapting to the situation by choosing to ignore it. (Steiger, N. J. et al. 1995) This particular situation is better dealt with by the application of the theories associated with the Johnson Behavioural System ( in Wilkerson et al 1996). This model can be considered useful in describing the situation of denial considered above but it too has shortcomings insofar as most experienced clinicians would note that a patient in denial of a terminal illness almost always is forced into acceptance by the progressive nature of the illness itself. (Johnson, D. E. 1990) The majority therefore have to accept their terminal status as they are overtaken by progressive physical manifestations of the disease process and other symptoms. This element of the argument is presented as showing that the basis of some nursing theories is valid and useful but also even the most accepted theories have their shortcomings and limitations. (Tomey A M, Alligood M R 2005). To paraphrase the comment of Wadensten (et al 2003), one can observe that the nursing models and theories all have their place, but one has to add the caveat that there is not one satisfactory theory or model which can account for all aspects of care and all eventualities. The thrust of this essay is directed at the preposition that some nursing theories are indeed useful and some are not. Even a brief consideration of the literature on the subject will reveal a plethora of opinions. (Powers, B. A 1995). It is vital to consider each theory or model in isolation and make a critical judgement relating to its ability to inform the nurse and to predict practice for the overall benefit of the patient. Those, such as the ones discussed in the early part of this essay, which rely heavily on intuition and anecdote and also have a marked lack of independent validation, are clearly less likely to be of value to the practical nurse and, in the worst analysis, in the opinion of Prof. Rosenthal, may contribute to the reduction of public confidence in the healthcare professions in general terms. By contrast, the more accepted, reproducible and statistically valid theories which have predictive value and are amenable to independent validation are much more likely to be considered of value to the profession in general terms. In direct consideration of the title of this essay â€Å"Does nursing need theory?† the considered answer must be a qualified â€Å"Yes† but within the limitations that we have outlined here. References Alcock P, 2003  Social policy in Britain,  Macmillan 2003. Barnum, Barbara J. S. 1998 Nursing Theory: Analysis, Application, Evaluation. 5th ed.  Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams Wilkins, 1998 .; 2 : 217-21. Brechin A. Brown, H and Eby, M (2000)  Critical Practice in Health and Social Care  Open University, Milton Keynes. 2000 Christensen, P., R. Sowell and S.H. Gueldner. 1994.  Nursing in Space: Theoretical Foundations and Potential Practice Applications within Rogerian Science. Visions: The Journal of Rogerian Nursing Science 2. 1994   Fawcett J 2005  Contemporary Nursing Knowledge: Analysis and Evaluation of Nursing Models and Theories, 2nd Edition  Boston: Davis Co 2005 ISBN: 0-8036-1194-3 Green J, Britten N. 1998  Qualitative research and evidence based medicine.  BMJ 1998; 316: 1230-1233 Halpern S D 2005 Towards evidence based bioethics BMJ, Oct 2005 ; 331 : 901 903 ; Hogston, R. Simpson, P. M. 2002  Foundations in nursing practice 2nd Edition,  London : Palgrave Macmillian. 2002 Holland K, Jenkins, J Solomon J, Whittam S 2003  Applying the Roper-Logan-Tierney Model in Practice Churchill Livingstone 2003 ISBN 0443071578 Hott, Jacqueline R., and Budin, Wendy C.1999 Notters Essentials of Nursing Research. 6th ed.  New York: Springer Pub. Co., 1999.   Johnson, D. E. 1999.  The behavioral system model for nursing. In M. E. Parker (Ed.), Nursing theories in practice (pp. 23-32).  New York: National League for Nursing. Kuhse Singer 2001  A companion to bioethics  ISBN: 063123019X Pub Date 05 July 2001   Mason T and Whitehead E 2003  Thinking Nursing.  Open University. Maidenhead. 2003 McNicol M, Layton A, Morgan G. 1993  Team working: the key to implementing guidelines.  Quality in Health Care 1993 Meleis, Afaf. 1997.  Theoretical Nursing: Development and Progress, 3rd ed.  Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams Wilkins Mill JS 1982  On Liberty, 1982,  Harmondsworth: Penguin, p 68. Nightingale F 1859  Notes on Nursing: What is it and what it is not  London : Harrison 1859 Polit, Densie F., and Hungler, Bernadette P. 1997 Essentials of Nursing Research: Methods, Appraisal, and Utilization. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 1997 Powers, B. A. Knapp, T. R. (1995).  A dictionary of nursing theory and research (2nd Ed.) Thousand Oaks,  CA : Sage Publications. 1995 Rogers, Martha E., 1970  An introduction to the theoretical basis of nursing.  Philadelphia, 1970. F.A. Davis Company Roper, Logan and Tierneys (2000)  Ã¢â‚¬ËœActivities of Living model London : Churchill Livingstone 1983 ISBN 0443063737 Rosa, L., E. Rosa, L. Sarner and S. Barrett. 1998.  A Close Look at Therapeutic Touch.  JAMA 1 April : 1005-1010. Rosenthal MA 2000 Book: Changing Practice in Health and Social Care BMJ, Nov 2000 ; 321 : 1355 ; Roy C 1991  An Adaption model (Notes on the Nursing theories Vol 3)  OUP: London 1991 Semmelweis IP. 1861  Die aetiologie, der begriff und die prophylaxis des kindbettfiebers. Pest, Wien und Leipzig:  CA Hartlebens Verlags-Expedition 1861. Steiger, N. J. Lipson, J.G. (1995).  Self-care nursing: Theory and practice.  Bowie: Md. 1997 Tomey A M, Alligood M R 2005  Nursing Theorists and Their Work, 6th edition Mosby ISBN 0323030106 Published November 2005 Wadenstein B Carlsson M 2003  Nursing theory views on how to support the process of ageing. J Adv Nurs. 2003 Apr ; 42 (2) : 118-24. Yura H, Walsh M. 1998  The nursing process. Assessing, planning, implementing, evaluating. 5th edition. Norwalk, CT: Appleton Lange, 1998. ################################################################ 16.6.06 PDG Word count 3,272

The Regime of Nazi Germany :: Papers

The Regime of Nazi Germany l Physical education was given 15% of school time, and some sports such as boxing became compulsory for boys. Pupils had to pass an examination, and unsatisfactory performance could lead to being expelled. l History. This concentrated on the rise of the Nazi Party, the injustices of the Treaty of Versailles and the evils of communism and the Jews. l Biology explained Nazi ideas on race and population control. Pupils were taught how to measure their skulls and to classify racial types; also that Aryans were superior and should not marry inferior races. l German. This taught pupils to be conscious of their national identity by reading about German heroes of the Hitler Youth and First World War. l Geography taught about the lands, which were once part of Germany and the need for more living space for Germans. l Religious studies became less important and by 1937 pupils could drop the subject. Girls usually had a different curriculum from boys. They also studied domestic science and eugenics (how to produce perfect offspring by selecting ideal qualities in the parents) c) The Hitler Youth was an organization formed by the Nazis, for young boys or girls to join this organization at the age of 14 and do hiking, singing folk-songs, camping and sport. The German Maidens was an organization for girls only. They had to do similar activities and tests as the boys, but in a certain extent it was slightly less military. Both boys and girls marched in exciting parades with loud bands. They were also physically fit and their leisure time was devoted to the Nazis and Hitler. They were strong cross-country runners, and confident at reading maps. After years of summer camps, they were comfortable camping out of doors, and the boys knew how to clean a rifle and keep it in good condition. d) The boys were preparing to fight in battles, they had to be fierce and grow hate for Jews, and show no any mercy to any of them.

The Roman Legacy Essay -- Ancient Rome

With the decline and fall of the western empire, the classical age of Rome came to a close as disease, warfare and corruption conspired to bring about the downfall of an ailing empire that had once conquered the known world. Where once enlightened despots had ruled a debauched and unwieldy polity, now barbarians stood over the ruins of a once thriving metropolis. In its absence a new world would arise with new values and ideals. Turning their back on a pagan past the Christian children of these wild men from the north would spawn the greatest houses of future European nobility, and when they looked back for a legacy, they would not see their ancestors as pillagers picking at the bones of a defiled Rome, but instead as its trusted guardians, partnering with the Church to carry her legacy through the â€Å"Dark Ages†. Greece, which had endured its own dark ages millennia beforehand, became the cradle of the western artistic ideal. It’s society was like none other. Organizationally, it preferred a unique form of government called democracy, when other societies around god-kings and despotic strong men. Its ambitions asserted the perfection of man, his unique place in the world. As stories became myth and myths became legends, humans (or human like) gods began to appear in the religious centres of worship. Unlike the gods of Egypt, who almost always have some animalistic component to their physiology, the Greek gods were human-like. Zeus had a human body, hands and feet; for all intents and purposes, he was the first super-man. This was an epic reversal. Where once man relegated himself to the animals, now the Greeks had placed man above the merely natural and into the realm of the supernatural. The human form was exemplified in sculptur... ...prayer books, we get illustrations of the peasant farmer at work in his fields throughout the seasons, alluding to the year round labor required to feed a near starving passel of half a dozen children. In the illuminated Bibles, we see fabulous illustrations off the fabled kingdoms of the east and wild bestiaries of exotic man-imals and creatures said to dwell in terras ingonito, daring men to venture into the unknown again and call at the courts of Pryster John, lord of all the Indias. In the Cathedrals, some of the most dramatic mathematical aspirations were envisioned in stone as towns and masons set out to trump one another with brilliant feats of engineering not attempted since the heights of Rome. This was a world trying to right itself again after the fall of the greatest empire the world had ever seen, a world many wanted to see gain a new purchase on earth.

Persuasive Essay on Positive Thinking Essay

Positive thinking is a skill that I believe everyone should master and use as a everyday way of life.First you need to know the law of attraction. From there you can start a new life style that can only really benefit you. The law of attraction is how positive energy attracts positive energy and negative energy attracts negative energy. There is a man named Morris Goodman I learned about in the book The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne. His story is amazing. Morris Goodman was in a plane crash march of 1981. Morris surrvived the plane crash but was left paralyzed, his spinal cord was crushed, and his diaphram was destroyed which left him unable to breath on his own. He lost the ability to do anything but blink and think*. No one thought he would be much of anything ever again because of the severity of his injuries. Morris did not believe this. He set a goal of walking out of that hospital by Christmas. All Morris did was focus on breathing, and walking, and being positive, not allowing anyone or anything distract him from his goal. He did, Morris achieved his goal. Doctors were at a loss for explanation, but Morris Goodman walked out of that hospital before Christmas. Morris Goodman is The Maracle Man. He proved that whatever you put your mind to you can do. The power of positive thinking can benefit everyone in countless ways; increase self esteem, increase confidence, and a more relaxed state of mind. Just to name a few. Â  You see the consequences of negative thinking everyday. You see it in war and violence, even on the local level. Depression and poverty are often consequences of negative thinking as well. Â  Could you imagine what the world would be like if the whole world believed they could achieve anything they dream of? Could you imagine what your life would be like if you truely believed you could achieve anything you want? If you are always thinking positive there is no room for the negative. Increase of self esteem, confidence, a more relaxed state of mind will all manifest from just that . This is a skill that I believe everyone can benefit from. * Some of this info taken from themaracleman.org run by Morris Goodman.

Project Management Essay

First, develop project selection criteria and a high level process for applying the criteria and managing the portfolio. The criteria should be consistent with the business environment for the industry, consistent with your company’s overall mission/strategies, and consistent with the mission and strategies of your strategic business unit. You are proposing a process, not individual projects. The deliverable for Part 1 is a written proposal for the project selection criteria and a high level description of a proposed portfolio management process. You may also be expected to make an informal presentation of the report in class. The proposal should be in the form of a memorandum to your Vice President (your instructor) outlining your proposal. The memorandum should be no more than 10 pages, including any figures and tables. It should be double-spaced, 10 or 12 point font with one-inch margins. This is a summary for an executive, so be concise, to the point, and leave out the fluff. If you don’t need 10 pages to document your proposal fully, I am sure that your Vice President will be happy with less as long as it is complete. Using appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure will be part of your grade. The actual proposal should include the following: 1. A description of the proposed portfolio process. You are explaining it to the executives. 2. The reasons it was selected (tie to strategies as appropriate. ) 3. A description of the proposed selection criteria. How will the process be applied in your SBU? 4. The method for applying the selection criteria, and the justification for both. How are you going to score the projects and evaluate the scores? This is not a complete project proposal or even a complete status report. You are making a specific proposal to management of a â€Å"Project Portfolio Evaluation and Selection Process†. All reports and memos to executives should include an executive summary at the beginning. This one is no exception. The discussion of the organization should be limited to how the SBU organization supports projects and the PPM process. It is not necessary to discuss the total company. Pay attention to the specifics requested in the deliverables. Do NOT make your memo a list of questions and answers. That is not the way a business memo is written. It is easy to select a process that is presented in a reference but you must propose one that works for your SBU. When you think you are finished put yourself in the role of someone who was not working on the solution and read your presentation. You can assume you know the basics of PPM. †¢Does your presentation provide a good description of the process and how it will be applied? †¢Are there obvious questions that it raises that are not answered? This is not a classroom assignment, it is a business memo. Also it is not a research report and you are not trying to demonstrate your academic expertise and how well you are read. Part 2 In Part 1 of the project, the new Vice President (your instructor) of your Strategic Business Unit had asked you to create a portfolio management process and project selection criteria for use by the SBU. It is now time to apply this process in selecting this year’s projects for your portfolio. In the annual budget cycle, your SBU was allocated $24 million dollars of funding uniformly spread over the next year for your portfolio. This means you have $6 million dollars to spend any given quarter. You may select any of the below projects to be included in your portfolio, but you cannot spend more than the allotted dollars allocated to your SBU. Your task is to select those projects, using your selection criteria, that most benefit the overall company without exceeding you quarterly budget of $6 million dollars. You must also lay out a plan for what quarter your selected projects will start in. Below are your possible projects: Project Call Center Currently you have no call center to address customer complaints or accept orders. Customers must use the internet to fill out an online form to address their complaints or service needs. These forms are processed by employees in your department. Currently the turnaround time on any given form is between four to eight hours. This creates a number of other customer complaints. Project Call Center is designed to reduce this turnaround time by 75% by creating and staffing a call center in Tampa. Building acquisition, building renovations, building fit out, IT system upgrades, and hiring and training of staff are estimated to cost $8. 5 million dollars. This $8.5 million dollars can be paid evenly in any two quarters in the next year. In addition, seven new employees will need to be hired at $40,000 burdened labor costs per year to staff the call center. Management of this project could easily be done with the current in-house staff. Most of the work of this project would be outsourced and will have minimal impact on day-to-operations. Project Ordering Upgrade Currently ordering processing is done online. The software and hardware used in this system are about ten years old. As such, order processing is a long, arduous process for the fifteen person staff. Upgrading this process to a state of the art system would cost approximately $2. 5 million dollars, and it is a onetime pay in full internal charge to your SBU. It would also result in a reduction in the fifteen person staff by 7 individuals and reduce order processing time by 50%. Each individual in this department is paid $35,000 burdened labor costs a year. Most of the work of this project could be done internally with existing staff. One weekend of operations will be impacted by the project in its entirety. Project Rocky The Alaskan cruise ship industry is booming. For some reason, people like to look at icebergs. Unfortunately, our company is servicing no cruise ships in Alaska. Project Rocky is to expand into the Alaskan market. This project will require the acquisition of property in Alaska, renovation of that property, and staffing of the facility. This project is seen as a major money maker for the company and has a NPV of $19 million dollars over five years. Its costs would be $13 million dollars to initially set up the project and $400,000 a year to operate the facility. This initial cost can be spread evenly over each of four quarters of the entire year. These initial costs should be recovered within the first two or three years of operation. Most of the work of this project would be outsourced and management of the project would likely be difficult. Project Europa The Mediterranean cruise ship industry is booming. Unfortunately, our company is servicing no cruise ships in the entire European area. Project Europa is to expand into the Mediterranean market. This project will require the acquisition of property in Italy, renovation of that property, and staffing of the facility. The current governmental overspending and austerity issues may impact this project. However, this project is seen as a major money maker for the company and has a NPV of $15 million dollars over seven years. Its costs would be $11 million dollars to initially set up the project and $500,000 a year to operate the facility. This initial cost can be spread evenly over each of the four quarters of the entire year. These initial costs should be recovered within the first three years of operation. Most of the work of this project would be outsourced and management of the project would be extremely difficult. Project Robot Our key distribution center is in St. Petersburg, Florida. It has a staff of 100 individuals to process the linens for the Florida cruise industry. Automation would allow us to reduce staff by 35 individuals. The average burdened labor costs of each of these individuals is $45,000 dollars a year. The cost of such automation would be in the neighborhood of $17 million dollars. This initial cost can be spread evenly over the entire year. This project would also likely disrupt the facility for about 3 months while the work is being done. Upon completion, the newly remodeled facility will be 1/3 smaller allowing our need for warehousing space to be reduced by 1/3. This would allow us to sublet this space for an estimated $2 million dollars a year in revenue. Most of the work of this project would be outsourced. Project Tableware In order to become the provider of choice for the cruise industry, our company needs to expand to more than just linens. A suggestion was made to expand into supplying tableware to the cruise industry, as much tableware is lost every cruise to breakage. Currently this need is supplied by a number of smaller companies that we could easily compete with. This project would involve creating a Just In Time process to receive and supply the cruise ships. It would also involve the need for a minimal warehouse facility. This project is likely to cost $5.5 million dollars and have a NPV of $1 million dollars over five years. All initial costs can be spread over any two quarters of the upcoming year. It would likely take four years to recover the initial costs of this project. It would further cost approximately $300,000 dollars a year to operate this facility. All of the work of this project would be outsourced. Your Assignment Your task is to use your portfolio process to determine which of the above projects best fit into your portfolio and create a time based plan by quarters as to when each project selected should begin and be paid for. Once this is accomplished, you need to write an internal memo to your Vice President denoting the projects selected, the time based plan in quarters, and why you chose as you did. The document should be double-spaced, 10 or 12 point font with one inch margins. This is a Recommendation Memo for an executive, so be concise and to the point. If you don’t need more than eight pages to document your plan adequately, I am sure that your manager will be happy with it as long as it is complete. The use of appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure is part of your grade. Submit This Document to the Dropbox by the end of Week 5.