JGC Localizing Design Services in Saudi Arabia as an IK

Introduction Saudi Arabia’s economy continues to attract a lot of attention from foreign investors. â€Å"It is one of only a few fast-growing countries in the world with a relatively high per capita income of $24,200 in 2010† (Central Intelligence Agency, 2011). In the recent years, the country has recorder a rapid population growth. This, combined with reducing oil shortages, serves as a motivation for the nation to develop its other sectors.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on JGC: Localizing Design Services in Saudi Arabia as an IK-EPC Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It further supports the need for the company to diversify on its sources of income. As a result of a stable and vibrant economy, Saudi Arabia has attracted a lot of interest lately as an investment destination. Managing an EPC company in such an environment is not an easy task. There is a need for a business to have clearl y set objectives. A successful business model and its management are guided by defined goals and timescale. This study explores the relocation of JGC’s Engineering services to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its effect on the costs, and the development of the local expertise, through the execution of Engineering, Procurement, and Construction â€Å"EPC† major projects in the Kingdom. Moreover, it explores the conventional In-Kingdom/Out-Of-Kingdom â€Å"IK/OOK-EPC† model where the Engineering process is being executed out of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Procurement and Construction are executed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Then compare it to the In-Kingdom Engineering Procurement and Construction â€Å"IK-EPC† model, where the three phases are being executed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Through the utilization and development of the local resources during the establishment of those new projects, such IK-EPC Companies are enhancing the local content and developing the local market. The research project is valuable in the following respects: First, it may help to understand the role IK-EPC Companies play in the economic growth of Saudi Arabia. Secondly, supporting the government’s initiatives in improving the local economy and enhancing the local content in such huge projects. Thirdly, understand the challenges those IK-EPC Companies are facing. The results will be presented through a comprehensive study of the relevant topics, as well as developed recommendations at the end of the paper.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Background Of The Company (Jgc) JGC is a leading engineering company in Japan, as well as the whole of Asia. It was established in 1928 and has since completed more than 20,000 projects in different parts of the globe. The company’s expertise is wide ranging from chemicals, hydr ocarbons, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and industrial field, among others. Like JGC (2011) explains, â€Å"from basic planning to commissioning and everything in between design, procurement of materials and equipment and construction, JGC’s engineering services provide a total and consistent system that has been highly evaluated by clients all over the world†. JGC Gulf International Co. Ltd was established in February 2008. It is owned by JGC Corporation and JGC Singapore Ptd in the ratio of 75% and 25% respectively. The company’s head office is located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It also has offices in the Kingdom of Bahrain. According to JGC (2011), the company has carried out various EPC projects in the field of oil and gas/refinery/petrochemical for the services throughout the project, from planning to construction, and operation and maintenance (OM). In order to maximize benefits for its customers, the business performs other roles such as being cont ractors for industrial facilities, offering consultation in the project management industry, and serving as an advisor for those who want to venture into industrial investors. Aim Of The Study Study the relocation of JGC’s engineering services to Saudi Arabia to execute oil and gas and petrochemical related projects as an IK-EPC company. Objectives Of The Study This research explores JGC’s movement from IK/OOK model and the adoption of the IK-EPC model in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in executing Projects in the Oil and Gas, and the Petrochemical Industries by answering the following research questions:Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on JGC: Localizing Design Services in Saudi Arabia as an IK-EPC Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Strategies used by JGC to efficiently and effectively relocate the engineering services and develop the local Engineering expertise as an IK-EPC Company. Challen ges facing JGC in localizing the Engineering Design Services. Which of the models (IK-EPC Vs. IK/OOK-EPC) is better for JGC in terms of technical, economical, and practical feasibility. Whether it is profitable to localize the design services to Saudi Arabia. How IK-EPC model affects the growth of JGC as a corporation. Whether JGC Gulf should expand and invest in growing as an IK-EPC company. Literature Review Saudi Arabia Economy Statistics by Energy Information Administration (2009) reveal that â€Å"Saudi Arabia’s economy command economy is petroleum-based; roughly 75% of budget revenues and 90% of export earnings come from the oil industry†. Comparing revenues from the oil industry and other sectors, the region’s over-dependence on oil is evident. The country’s gross domestic product further proves this. According to Central Intelligence Agency (2011) â€Å"the oil industry comprises about 45% of Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product, compare d with 40% from the private sector†. In the recent years, the country has recorder a rapid population growth. This, combined with reducing oil shortages, serves as a motivation for the nation to develop its other sectors. The country has in the past experienced inconsistent income due to contracting oil reserves and a high rate of population growth. As Bowen (2007) records, â€Å"per capita income fell from a high of $11,700 at the height of the oil boom in 1982 to $6,300 in 1998†. Such periods reveal the need for the government to have diversified sources of income. Other sectors need to have increased contributions to the GDP. The private sector today plays a significant role in the country’s economy (Ammari, 2008). With a realization that the future of the nation relies heavily on the sector, â€Å"the government is attempting to promote growth in the private sector by privatizing industries such as power and telecommunications† (Bowen, 2007). The count ry has continued to prove its commitment to the strategy by privatizing some of the government owned businesses such as the telecommunications company. Due to the importance placed on the industry, the government invests in a diversified program to provide all the stakeholders in the industry with the required support. The industry attracts a lot of interest from the foreign investors and provides the much needed job opportunities. According to the International Finance Corporation, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is rated number 13 in the list of most economically competitive countries globally.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Factors That Influence Markets In Saudi Arabia Costing Costing is a significant factor to consider when investing in a new market. After all, a business would make no sense if it is not profitable. As explained by Bragg (2010), â€Å"all the costing processes documented contain three major steps, market driven costing, product-level costing, and component-level costing†. The input and desired results may vary depending on the number of factors influencing the process. The cost and complexity of achieving the desired results many further vary with the industry, level of expertise, and different market trends in the industry. A product’s characteristics further play a significant role in determining how the target will be achieved. â€Å"Each of the steps involved in costing have defined output: allowable cost, product-level target cost, and component-level target costs respectively† (Weygand, Donald and Paul, 2010). While these factors are similar in every firm t rying to implement costing, the process is more complex in some industries and may result in different outcomes. The market-driven costing portion is affected by the nature of target customer, as well as the intensity of the competition in the specific industry. Product-level costing is influenced by a product’s characteristics, and the firm’s product strategy (Bragg, 2010). Finally, the component-level target costing is affected by the company’s supplier-base strategy. Managing Intensity Of Competition The amount of attention a company is paying to competitive offerings is highly dependent on the intensity of competition a product is facing. The levels of importance a company places on its target costing process can be easily judged from the amount of importance it places on competitive offerings. A study conducted on six Japanese companies by Bragg (2010) â€Å"reveals that all the firms had adopted a confrontational strategy because they lacked the ability t o develop sustainable competitive advantages over each other†. In markets where competition is stiff, businesses are left with no alternative but to compete with each other on the basis of quality and cost. When this happens, low profit margins, less fast mover advantage, and low customer loyalty among other outcomes, become a reality to many businesses. When such a situation occurs, the benefits of costing cannot be under-estimated. The situation puts businesses in fragile position where they cannot afford to make any mistakes, especially when launching new products. By putting the competitive pressure into consideration when designing new products, a business has higher chances of ensuring that the new product is within its survival zone when it is introduced to the market (Bragg, 2010). The results are increased profits for a product, and increased customer loyalty for a product. When the level of competition is low, Weygand, Donald and Paul (2010) explain that strategies t hat are less confrontational strategies can be used. The Degree To Which Customers Understand Their Future Product Requirement The more customers understand their needs, the easier to become for a business to rely on their preferences and feedback. Survey of what they expect can be trusted and results used to locate future survival zones. In contrast, when customers are not certain of their needs and preferences in future, businesses have to spend a lot of money and resources to locate future survival zones. Many times this is hard and they are forced to launch products that eventually fail due to poor approximation of survival zones. Customers have a varying understanding of their future needs for different industries. For example, customers are more aware of what they want in future for food products, but thus may not be so in the electronic industry. As a result, when using customers’ feedback on what they need in future, a business must put this factor into consideration. A business would be in a safer zone if they can exceed their expectations. When this happens, target costing becomes easier since business saves money by being ahead of what customers expect. Benefits Of Ik-Epc Compared To Ook-Epc A Stable And Healthy Economy Saudi Arabia’s economy is considered among the most vibrant in the world today. â€Å"These favorable economic conditions are matched by positive demographic drivers. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the world’s fastest growing large country with a current population in excess of 25 million, 40% higher than the combined population of the rest of the GCC† (Central Intelligence Agency, 2011). Unlike other economies in the world, Saudi Arabia has been able to recover from the global crisis more soon than others did. This is attributed to the fact that the country’s main source of income is oil, whose demand was not very much affected during the crisis. Furthermore, the oil industry has been on an upward trend for the last two years, a trend that is expected to continue. The country’s GDP indicates healthy economy, which would offer a business the much-needed stability. â€Å"Saudi Arabia is the region’s largest economy with a nominal GDP of $608 billion, over 20% greater than the total combined GDP of the other GCC countries† (EDC, 2011). This gives it an advantage over its neighbors. Investing in Saudi Arabia therefore offers business opportunities in the country and its neighboring countries. Saudi Arabia is considered a strategic location for any business with intentions of reaching the whole of the Middle East for business. â€Å"The country has delivered five years of continued economic growth, with GDP increasing by an average of 15% per annum since 2002† (Central Intelligence Agency, 2011). It also remains the central point for foreign direct investors in the region. It is estimated that in 2007 alone, Saudi Arabia received over $17 billion as dir ect foreign investment. Demographics Even though there is still a deficiency in the labor markets for some professional fields, Saudi Arabia offers a good environment for any business that want to set up base in the country. The country’s demographics offer a big population of vibrant and energetic citizens to work in engineering, procurement and construction firms. 67.6% of the country’s population is aged between the age of 15 and 64. Its population growth rate stands at 1.5%. 82% of the total population is in the urban areas. Its literacy level stands at 78.8% (Central Intelligence Agency, 2011). JGC Gulf has largely benefited from availability of casual laborers. This makes it easy to accomplish projects, especially in an industry that is very dependent of casual and manual labor. Increased rates of urbanization further means that more people will access to better education. A more learned population will then provide the much needed professional skills for busines ses such as JGC. Improved Country’s Economy In-Kingdom businesses not only benefit the investors, but also the nation of Saudi Arabia. The country’s over-dependence on oil as explained before is risky. This is evident from the amount of instability experienced in the country every time oil markets are not consistent. IK-EPC Company such as JGC brings in revenue for the country through taxes and funds invested in the business by foreigners. Furthermore, having all the aspects of the business carried out in the country creates the much needed job opportunities for the locals. When such businesses are developed in Saudi Arabia, the country realized the need to develop skills in the country, and invests more in education and training. JGC Gulf has had to import a big percentage of its human resources, a situation that offers the much-needed motivation for locals to invest in developing their skills. Challenges Information Technology IT has been the heart of every subsidiar y of JGC. This is the same for JGC in Saudi Arabia. Gas and petrochemical plants are built in remote areas where there is minimum infrastructure. The role of IT is evident in the level of sophistication of some of the projects. Logistics involved in most of the projects are also immense and require high level of technology. It is for this reason that Saudi Arabia must encourage more in-kingdom business to help create independence in every industry. Currently, JGC Gulf has to rely on JGC Japan to supply most of the IT requirements of its design and construction projects. The company needs to compute infrastructure to allow for more of automated management systems. Communication Style Quoting Bowen (2007), â€Å"differences in communication styles can often be a cultural challenge and as a result, international organizations doing business in Saudi Arabia without adequate briefing may often find themselves feeling confused and frustrated†. JGC has to import most of its human re sources, especially in the engineering division. A majority of its engineers are Japanese and depending on the technicalities of a project, the company gets experts from America and Europe. Since the majority of Saudi Arabians speak Arabic, communication is a significant challenge for the company. The country’s communication style is different from that in most parts of the world. It tends to be quite indirect and may make it hard for a foreigner to understand. People in Saudi Arabia tend to use body language and change of tone to communicate. In a professional setting, this may make it hard to communicate details or lead to mis-communication. Religion Religion plays a significant role in every area of life in Saudi Arabia. It influences the way people relate, the way business deals are made, and the way employees are treated. The country’s regulations and policies are based on the Sharia law. As a result, businesses are expected to adhere to specific customs and socia l duties as dictated by the Islam. It is important for an investor in the country to take time and reach to Islam to ensure a proper co-existence between the business and the people. Ignorance to the Islamic way of life could damage a business’ relationship with employees, suppliers and its clients. Labor Engineering, Procurement and Construction are all areas that are heavily dependent on the availability of casual and manual labor. The size of projects being set up in Saudi Arabia requires a large number of employees for timely completion. Most Mega projects in the region have had their completion dates delayed due to a number of factors, the most common being a shortage of labor. This situation is expected to ease with increased population rate, but this could take a while. The country has put in place measures to attract foreigners that work in different fields, but this has not totally eased the situation. JGC Gulf’s costs of operation are still high due to the ne ed to import most of their professional labor. Most foreigners working for the company have to be paid in foreign currency, a situation that could make it hard to predict labor costs due to fluctuating currencies. Competition Competition in the region could lead to a saturated market. Operating fully in Saudi Arabia makes it hard for the business to diverse to other markets due to logistical and transportation challenges. The business is put under pressure to perform and maintain profitability in one region when they set up full operations in a country. JGC gulf, currently, still faces competition from Korean and Chinese contractors. The Chinese make it particularly hard since they are able to source materials from their country for cheaper prices. IK/OOK-EPC business model would allow JGC to diversify its markets more easily without having to incur the costs of relocating some of the resources from the region. JGC Gulf’s strategy JGC has a good reputation in the Middle East dating back to the 1960. The company has in the past been awarded some of the biggest oil projects to be completed in Saudi Arabia. In 2004, the company was awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction contract for one of the biggest styrene plants in the region. The integrated facility was completed at Al Jubail in just three years. The project which is owned by Saudi Industrial Investment and Chevron Philips Petrochemical Company Limited exposed JGC to other major projects since the owners are big stakeholders in the oil and petrochemical industry in Saudi Arabia. JGC was responsible for handling the fractionating columns, crackers, process units and associated infrastructure and utilities. â€Å"JGC Arabia has a strong background in lump-sum tunkey operations of both hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon related projects with annual sales of approximately US$billion† (JGC, 2011). The company has earned itself a reputation as a reliable, consistent company, with the abi lity to manage extremely projects and deliver quality. After awarding the project to JGC, Chevron Phillips Company’s CEO is quoted as saying thatâ€Å" the company was selected on the basis of its project execution capabilities and due to its record of successful completion of large-scale petrochemical projects in the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia† (JGC, 2011). Other outstanding projects completed by the company include one for Saudi Aramco, another major stakeholder in the region, the Haradh gas plant and the Hawiyah gas plant, both among the biggest gas plants in Saudi Arabia. On-going projects in Saudi Arabia include the Hawiyah NGL and the Manifa crude oil processing plant in the oil and gas sector. In the petrochemical and chemical industry, the company has three projects to complete namely Rabigh, Jubail Chevron Phillips Petrochemicals (JCP) and Narmada Chematur Petrochemicals Ltd. (NCP). Swot Analysis and Risk Zones Industrial diversification (survival , safe zones) Strengths JGC’s experience in the EPC business is a key strength. JGC International has been in existent for the almost 100 years. JGC Gulf, which was established almost four years ago can use the mother company’s experience to gain clients’ evidence. Another strength is the company’s good reputation in the region, putting it in a more advantageous position than its competitors. A significant strength for the company is its financial status. JGC’s profitability since its establishment puts is in a better position to influence the market trends. Weaknesses The company lacks a well defined strategy to deal with stiff competition in the country today. Competition in the region could lead to a saturated market. JGC gulf, currently, still faces competition from Korean and Chinese contractors. The Chinese make it particularly hard since they are able to source materials from their country for cheaper prices. IK/OOK-EPC business model would allow JGC to diversify its markets more easily without having to incur the costs of relocating some of the resources from the region. The company also lacks a human resource development program. Easy access to experts from other countries leaves the business reluctant to develop human resources skills in the local communities. Opportunities The company has an opportunity to create new value in line with its customers’ needs while reinforcing their competitiveness as the best EPC company in Saudi Arabia. This will further allow it to create a new wave of growth in other areas of their business. The market environment in the hydrocarbon engineering, procurement and construction sector in Saudi Arabia is expected to remain positive in future. However, this will depend with the company’s ability to manage competition, which is one of its biggest threats. Among the most significant competitors include Koreans and Chinese. The other opportunity for JGC Arabia arises from the fact that the non-hydrocarbon sectors in Saudi Arabia are steadily expanding. This offers the company a more diverse market. In an effort to encourage more in-kingdom businesses in the country, the government of Saudi Arabia is growing the social infrastructure investment such as power, water and transportation into a massive market. Such development offer promising developments in the hydrocarbon EPC sector for JGC Arabia. Southeast and Central Asia have registered vibrant economies in the recent past. JGC Arabia is strategically located to benefit from any oil and petrochemical EPC in the regions. These areas are particularly focused on social infrastructure and capital investment. This further creates a more vibrant economy that would benefit JGC Arab. Threats Operating fully in Saudi Arabia makes it hard for the business to diverse to other markets due to logistical and transportation challenges. The business is put under pressure to perform and maintain profitability in one re gion when they set up full operations in a country. Increasing levels of competition further threatens the company’s future profitability trends. Strategies Some of the strategies that have worked for the company include; The mother company’s experience JGC Gulf has used the experience of the mother company to develop its business model in Saudi Arabia. Being in existent since 1928, the mother company has completed enough projects to prove its business model. When JGC gulf was established in 2008, most senior positions in the business were assigned to people who had been working in JGC Japan. This has helped the company retain high quality products and services to its clients, even as a new and young company. Furthermore, the company had enough financial support from JGC International. This has enabled the business to take a shorter period of time to settle down and develop a strong business foundation for itself. Understanding The Nature Of The Customer The intensity of customer analysis carried out by JGC is influenced by customer’s characteristics. Most of these characteristics, as identified by the company, are; degree of sophistication, degree to which they understand their future requirements, and rate at which their expectations and needs are changing. As Monden (2000) explains â€Å"these three characteristics appear to help determine the benefits that a firm can potentially derive from target costing because they deal with the width, rate of change of location, and ease of predicting the location of survival zones†. Understanding the customers is particularly beneficial to businesses whose competing environments have smaller survival zones. Locations with such zones are changing rapidly, and businesses need to stay constantly updated on the changes. Understanding customer satisfaction has enabled JGC to know how sensitive its customers are to differences in functionality, price and quality among other parameters of products in the market. The more sophisticated a customer is, the more they are likely to detect the smallest on differences in competitive products. The EPC industry requires a deep understanding of target customers through constant interaction, surveys and feedback. In the process of doing so, the business is able to satisfy its customers by having products custom made to meet their needs. â€Å"The rate at which customer requirements change defines how rapidly the location of survival zones moves over time† (Monden, 2000). The process of understanding the requirements over a long period allows JGC Gulf to develop a pattern that can be used to predict customers’ future needs. An analysis of customers’ needs is therefore a practice that can be used to develop products that keep a business ahead of others. It is also easy for JGC Gulf to schedule changes early and avoid producing products that may be considered already irrelevant in the market. When consumer expectation s and requirements are stable, businesses have a tendency to relax on innovations. However, the opposite happens, they are forced to expend significant amounts of resources and effort to understand and predict customers’ needs. It is such situations that have led to constant innovations in the market, and more profitability for the most creative companies. Companies which are able to keep up with the new developments in the market such as JGC have remained profitable, even during the recent global economic crisis. This proves how important understanding customers’ needs can be to a business. It supports JGC gulf through a need to predict the needs of their clients in order to achieve the best cost for the products before they are needed and released to the market. Opportunities The company has an opportunity to create new value in line with its customers’ needs while reinforcing their competitiveness as the best EPC Company in Saudi Arabia. This will further all ow it to create a new wave of growth in other areas of their business. The market environment in the hydrocarbon Engineering, Procurement and Construction sector in Saudi Arabia is expected to remain positive in future. However, this will depend on the company’s ability to manage competition, which is one of its biggest threats among the most significant competitors including Koreans and Chinese. The other opportunity for JGC Gulf arises from the fact that the non-hydrocarbon sectors in Saudi Arabia are steadily expanding. This offers the company a more diverse market. In an effort to encourage more in-kingdom businesses in the country, the government of Saudi Arabia is growing the social infrastructure investment such as power, water and transportation into a massive market. Such development offer promising developments in the hydrocarbon EPC sector for JGC Gulf.Southeast and Central Asia have registered vibrant economies in the recent past. JGC Gulf is strategically located to benefit from any oil and petrochemical EPC in the regions. These areas are particularly focused on social infrastructure and capital investment. This further creates a more vibrant economy that would benefit JGC Gulf. Succeeding As An Ik-Epc Company Proactive Approach To Cost Management Understanding costs and profitability allows businesses to take a proactive approach to cost management. Traditionally, businesses manage costs when a product is already finished. Direct costs, which make up more than half the cost of a product, remain a challenge to many investors. Target costing as has been evident in many Japanese businesses such JGC international can help a business manage costs by cutting on it at the design level. By having a set cost of production, a business is able to have control of their profitability. A proactive approach reduces speculation and yet makes it possible to approximate profits. Orienting A Business Towards Clients In such a competitive field, it is import ant for a business to orient itself towards its clients. The size of projects managed by JGC means that losing one client could means significant losses for the business. Furthermore, more EPC companies continue to register a presence in the country, leading to a high level of competition. Orienting a business towards clients ensures that a business knows what to expect from the customers, as well as what is expected from them. Since the EPC industry is very much dependent on survival zones, a business is forced to understand its customers comprehensively. This includes their needs, expectations and spending trends, among others. It further forces a business to understand its competitors, strengths and weaknesses. This kind of knowledge and market understanding empowers a business to design and offer services that are needed in the market. Chances of being in the low survival zones are reduced and profitability soars. Breaks Down Barriers Between Investors And Locals For a business to succeed in any foreign country, it is important that it establishes a healthy relationship with the locals. Understanding the market can only be done through feedback. A good relationship with local employees, clients, financial institutions and even the government ensures that a business has access to genuine feedback from different stakeholders. The government of Saudi Arabia plays a significant role in ensuring that foreign investors are accorded all the support that they need. Furthermore, it is only through improved relationships that a company will be able to access the best labor in the market. Having Synchronized Departments The design and production of a product in EPC field is very dependent on the logistics, purchasing, human resource, production, and quality department (Carrillo, 2005). These departments are responsible for ensuring availability of raw materials, how they are managed, designed and how the final product looks like as well as how much it costs. Working together in the initial stages of a product keeps the department and their activities synchronized. When products are out in the market, managing them is an easier task since every department is well conversant with its strengths and weaknesses. Profitability And Feasibility According to the company’s fiscal 2011 first half results, â€Å"increasing demand for energy in emerging countries and population expansion in resource-rich nations are major drives for the business’ profitability† (JGC, 2011b). In the first half of this financial year, JGC international received orders worth over 128 billion Japanese Yens (1.65 billion US Dollars). JGC Gulf has received two major contracts this year both in Rabigh for the Joint Venture of Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical Company. The tenders have already been issued but the business still faces challenges from Korean investors. The business aims to achieve target-consolidated orders of over $300millon by receiving the ab ove projects as well as other small and mid-sized projects in the Middle East. Profitability in the company has been greatly affected by the European financial crisis as fears of global slowdown become more real. Project plans in Saudi Arabia are designed to meet domestic energy demands in the region, and other countries where it exports. The European debt crisis is expected to significantly affect projects. Another significant factor as the business works to improve profitability is democracy movements in Saudi Arabia, which has in the past more or less subsided. Nuclear energy and its development in Saudi Arabia will play as significant role in the company’s profitability. Currently in Saudi Arabia, natural gas is used as an alternative. The development of more renewable energy sources will cut, which means more projects for the company, as well as reduced costs of energy. In its recently released report, the company observes that there is a good overall progress in all its projects being carried out by JGC Gulf, there is a stable market for equipment, material and labor, and a general improvement in the company’s management capability. The company’s plan for the second year targets a continued identification of investment and infrastructure such as resource development. Conclusion â€Å"Saudi Arabia is one of only a few fast-growing countries in the world with a relatively high per capita income of $24,200 in 2010. The country will be launching six â€Å"economic cities† which are planned to be completed by 2020† (Bowen, 2007). This study was aimed at exploring the relocation of JGC’s Engineering services to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its effect on the costs, and the development of the local expertise, through the execution of Engineering, Procurement, and Construction â€Å"EPC† major projects in the Kingdom. The region offers several advantages and to JGC. Urbanization offers the company a significant opportunity. It translates into more demand for petroleum and gas products. If the company is able to place itself strategically, the global markets offer a significant opportunity. The whole Middle East is expanding and offers JGC a bigger market to venture into. The expansion of the global markets results in demand increase for the company’s products and services in the petroleum industry. A stable economy offers the company a significant strength. Saudi Arabia’s economy is considered among the most vibrant the world. It was among the first to recover after the global crisis, proving its level of stability. Having an IK-EPC company further comes with more challenges. Key among them for JGC include lack of professional labor, cultural differences, communication and religion policies which an investor has to adhere to. Due to stiff competition developing in the country, costing has become a significant factor for investors. As explained by Bragg (2010), â€Å"all the costing processes documented contain three major steps, market driven costing, product-level costing, and component-level costing†. The input and desired results may vary depending with the number of factors influencing the process. The cost and complexity of achieving the desired results many further vary with the industry, level of expertise, and different market trends in the industry. A product’s characteristics further play a significant role in determining how the target will be achieved. Despite all the above explained challenges, an in-kingdom business model for JGC has major benefits to the country and the business. They include an improved economy due to increased economic activity in the country. JGC on the other hand benefits from a stable and healthy economy and demographic patterns that provide a more vibrant workforce. JGC Gulf Corporation needs to take advantage of these benefits to improve profitability, as well counter the challenges that may arise fro m being an IK-EPC company. Reccomendations EPC in the oil and petrochemical industry is getting very competitive. JGC faces stiff competition especially from the Koreans and Chinese. The Chinese have the advantage of accessing most of the products at a cheaper price from their country. Increasing competitiveness therefore has to focus on the issue of cost. The company has in the last few years drastically improved its cost competitiveness to increase its business and market base in the oil and petrochemical sector. Having competitive prices makes the company attractive to more clients including the small and upcoming players. Depending on the risks that arise from the market, the level of diversification required, and risks involved, the most suitable business model management strategy for JGC Gulf should be comprehensive and long term to ensure preparedness. Formulating a strategy should involve selection of designs after a fundamental and comprehensive analysis of parameters the c ompany’s products are interested in focusing on (Weygand, Donald and Paul, 2010). In the oil and petrochemical EPC industry, the company should focus on the reliability, durability, ease of the product’s usage and uniqueness. Execution will play a significant part of the plan. Just like any other investment management, a business model management requires constant revision and evaluation. Changes in the price of inputs automatically change the value of a product in the market (Bragg, 2010). Changes in a country’s regulations and policies affect how processes are implemented. Any possible changes in a market will affect a business and must be put into consideration. This calls for regular changes on the investment plan to take care of fluctuations. Change of the business model or implementation may be necessary. Evaluation should be done from time to time to determine what is working and what is not. Like Monden (2000) explains, â€Å"it helps the investor to re alize if the strategy’s returns are in proportion with its risk exposure†. Reference List Ammari, S.S., 2008. Saudi Arabia real estate market set to grow significantly over next years, says Jones Lang LaSalle. Web. Bowen, Wayne H. (2007). The history of Saudi Arabia. New York: Routledge Publishers. Bragg, S., 2010. Business ratios and formulas: A comprehensive guide. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Carrillo, P., 2005. Lessons learned practices in the engineering, procurement and construction sector†. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 12 (3), pp.236-250. Central Intelligence Agency, 2011. The world factbook: Saudi Arabia. Web. EDC. (2011). Saudi Arabia. Web. Energy Information Administration (2009). World proved reserves of oil and natural gas: Most recent estimates. Web. JGC, 2011b. Business overview: Fiscal 2011 first half results briefing. Web. JGC, 2011. Company profile. Web. Monden, Y., 2000. Japanese cost management. London: Imperial College Press . Weygand, J.J., Donald, E.K. and Paul, D.K., 2010. Managerial accounting: Tools for business decision making. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. This case study on JGC: Localizing Design Services in Saudi Arabia as an IK-EPC Company was written and submitted by user Cailyn Lee to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Agile software development Essays

Agile software development Essays Agile software development Essay Agile software development Essay That is the application Of he skills, knowledge and methods of project management to deliver a project that is on time, according to budget and specification (AMP 2006, p. 2). There are two main methods of managing a project. A general summary of the agile approach, as well as the Scrum process, will be explained. In addition, the Waterfall method along with the spiral model, will be discussed respectively. As this essay progresses, a critical analysis considering the edge, shortcomings and major variance of the Agile and Waterfall Methodologies, will be considered in terms of project success. Risk Management that is the ell-organized process of identifying, analyzing and monitoring Project risk (MAMBO, 2004, p. 111) will be explained. Furthermore, the practice of stipulating requirements by analyzing stakeholder needs and the method Of systematically studying and fine-tuning those specifications known as Requirement engineering will also be explained, in terms of its relevance to project success. A conclusion will get documented at the end of all these findings and recommendations about best practices will be delivered. The highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software (Has, 2007, p. 4). This is a statement from the agile manifesto that was compiled by a group of seventeen people called the Agile Alliance. They set up the basic structure of agile in February, 2001 in Utah, ASSAI. It is a project management method that is flexible and allows an iterative and incremental development to managing a project. This means t hat it ensures the client works closely with the software developers, to make sure the desired outcome gets archived (Has, 2007, p. 3). In addition, it releases small parts of the application to reduce risk (Dawson, 2009, p. 128). According to the agile manifesto (Agglomerations, 2014) there are some reminisces associated with the agile approach. These principles stress the prominent status of developers and how they collaborate with customers. They also emphasize on early and continuous release of the project, and they have a very high tolerance to change in requirements. The various agile methodologies are Scrum, Extreme Programming, Lean, Dynamic Systems Development Method, Crystal, and Feature-Driven Development (Haycocks, 2014, p. 1). They share many of the same values, characteristics, and practices but a different standpoint when it comes to implementation (ibid. ). Scrum is a project management model suitable for projects with complicated requirements (Haycocks, 2009, p. 331). The name Scrum is a Rugby strategy that uses teamwork to return a ball that has gone out of play, back into the game. (Haycocks, 2009, p. 451 In Scrum, projects pass through a set of iterations called sprints. The length of a sprint can be as short as one to two weeks or could stretch up to one month. However, the software development team is in total control of deciding how long it lasts. Everybody in the project team works mutually to achieve the set of tasks they have collectively pledged o develop during a sprint. A concise gathering named The Daily Scrum is held every day during the sprint, and it aids in establishing the view of the days job (Schwab, 2004, p. 28). When a sprint ends, the small part of the application that got developed is tested, and if it works correctly, it is considered as shippable. The shippable software gets deployed to get feedback from the client (Wiggeries and Beauty, 2013). The three major roles, when implementing Scrum, are scrum master, product owner, and the team (Schwab, 2004, p. 55). The Scrum Master helps the project team and the product owner overcome obstacles. While, the product owner ensures the business rules are followed, makes plans and sets the priorities in terms of the product backlog. The team converts these backlogs into shippable products during the sprint (ibid. ). The waterfall project process follows a sequential pattern i. E. Room top to bottom thus, the term waterfall (Dallier and Broodier 2007, p. 12). It is a rigid and sequential method to project management. In addition, it follows a command and control management style (Haycocks, 2012, p. 42). With this approach, each stage of the whole project has been given a deadline and planned before the project commences. For this reason, starting any project needs a clear plan and vision Emphasis is laid on project planning and documentation (Haycocks, 201 2, p. 42). With this, timetables and budgets are more accurate, which leads to customer satisfaction. The main stages of a Waterfall approach are requirement analysis, design, implementation, testing/verification and maintenance (Dallier and Broodier 2007, p. 12). Application of a waterfall model can be either incremental or linear Haycocks (201 2, p. 42). The spiral model is comparable to the incremental waterfall approach, with extra stress on risk analysis. The four stages of this method re Planning Risk Analysis, Engineering, and Evaluation (Dallier and Broodier 2007, p. 17). During the planning stage of this model, requirement specifications are collected and documented. In addition, a procedure is carried out to know the risk involved in the project and prepare an alternative solution. At the end of this stage, a prototype is created, and if there is any risk found while analyzing, a different solution is suggested and implemented. The actual project gets developed in the engineering stage of the spiral model and testing is done at the end of this stage. The evaluation stage is the time hen customers can appraise output of part of the project that is ready before the next spiral commences (Wasteful, 2009, p. 133). An example of the linear waterfall project management approach is the structured system analysis and design model (SAD). Project success or failure is often defined by the ability of a project to react to change (Robert and Mica, 2006). For this purpose, a project manager needs to make a plan that is flexible and ready to fine-tune to changes in the business environment. The agile approach allows customers to work closely with the developers, to ensure the desired outcome is reached (Has, 2007). It gives a fabulously flexible design pattern, encouraging a change in plan during development. A small part of the software gets developed during a sprint, and feedback is obtained from the client concurrently (Highlights, 2002, p. 245). This process allows the customer to spot the features they do not like and add new features to make the software more up to date with new trends in their field. On the other hand, a waterfall approach does not consider the changing needs of the Customer. Just like Water flows over the edge of a waterfall and does not flow backward, this approach has a pattern related to the real waterfall. Requirements agreed upon at the beginning of the project are almost impossible to restructure (Haycocks, 201 2, p. 2). Changing the design at any stage of the software development can be chaotic. It is extremely uncompromising and rigid. The rigid structure refers to the fact that, if a fault is in the initial requirement of the project, the entire process has to start all over (ibid. ). Although the waterfall model is intolerant to change, this helps focus on delivering the project at the agreed time (Haycocks, 201 2, p. 39). It is a success factor, considering a plan that has a fixed requirement and delivery ate. It will be easier to make an adequate plan to deliver the software, on the agreed date and time. However, because of tolerance to change in an agile project management approach, it is hard to stick to a final release date because of the requirement changes (Blanknesss et al. , 2011 Imagine a scenario, whereby the software application is essential to a particular event, and the client makes several significant changes to the initial requirements. It will lead to an extension of the release date and eventually when the project is ready it will be useless to the client. So using the waterfall model will be a eye factor for project success in this scenario. Haycocks (2014, p. 6) explains that testing runs in one of the last stages of a Waterfall project management approach. It means that if a bug exists in a part of the software written at the beginning of the project, the chances that this bug will affect the future areas of the software is very high. It makes fixing this bug time-consuming and very expensive. On the contrary, when an agile sprint is complete, the unit of the appli cation undergoes testing, and if it works correctly, it is then deployed to get feedback from the client. If the feedback IS negative, an iteration begins to effect the changes (Wiggeries and Beauty, 2013). It is easier to identify bugs earlier with this approach. According to Steepness (2005, p. 38) documentation is a significant part of software development. It is a secure storage for the teams knowledge about the project. The waterfall documentation process is more reliable than agile because it is plan oriented (Haycocks, 2012, p. 42). An example would be the case whereby a developer leaves a project. In this case, it is easier for a new software developer to take his position, following the documentation without issues because this approach necessitates thorough documentation and planning. In the case of Agile, communication between customers and developers is favored over excessive documentation (Agglomerations, 2014). Developers need to be committed for the duration of the project, for this approach to work effectively. If one person leaves the development team, it could become a disaster as it will be difficult for a new developer to step into the shoes of the one who quit. Neither the Agile nor the Waterfall approach is fundamentally better than the other. Each approach has its uses for instance; Waterfall inclines to be best for static projects, where many changes will not occur throughout the process. In contrast, Agile is better when the end goal Of the project is not clear, the requirements are hazy and the business environment is ambiguous. Agile requires a team of skilled developers who have excellent communication skills and a solid principle of teamwork. Nevertheless, with the extent of customer participation and tolerance to change, Agile has a higher success tendency over the waterfall model in the ever-changing business environment. In order to boost the possibilities of project success, it is essential for a project manager to understand prospective risks (Mobbed and Parker 2002). Then hectically and quantitatively evaluate these risks, predict possible causes, effects, and select a suitable approach to managing these risks (ibid. ). Risk is an unlikely occurrence that holds a positive or negative impact on a projects goals (Haycocks, 2009, p. 40). When negative events are planned for in advance, it will lead to project success because a line of action would be in place for the event. MAMBO, (2004, p. 1 1 1) defines risk management as the well-organized process of identifying, analyzing, responding and monitoring Project risk. It means that, the process takes account of exploiting the usability and costs that definite risks have, reduces the likelihood and costs that negative risks attract. Risk management processes need to be clearly built into decision-making so as to ensure that the potential risks get managed efficiently (Lam et al. , 2007,). This process is used to examine, regulate, reduce loss, mitigate risks by proper planning avoid dissatisfactory projects and improve profit margins (ibid. ). It is an essential tool for determining project viability. The principles of risk management promote quality development and budget estimation by identifying and mitigating Seibel risks before the project Starts (Sounds and Million, 2010). TO ensure a project IS successful, it sets processes that give stakeholders the correlated risk notice early, so as to take remedial actions that will allow a realistic time and budget estimates (ibid. ). These principles develop team participation, by implementing a tool for reporting possible problems and increasing the teams involvement in the overall project success (Hodge, 2002, p. 18 22). Recording risk is a lasting process that ensures that these unlikely events get considered in decisions making process (ibid. ). The purpose of recording these risks is to trace the actions taken to reduce risks. It presents backup strategies that should get summoned, if a risk occurs and has details of cost involved in mitigation of risks. The record can also be used to prove that risk management has taken place (Haycocks, 2009). Lexington and Signalman (2002), have acknowledged that there is an obvious link, connecting the measure of managing risk practiced during a project and the height of success in a project. They also discovered that when risk management got implemented early in a project, the chances of project success is very high. Also, it is important for risk to get estimated at the project brief stage because it helps the generation of the necessary project outcome and raises the chances of the overall success. It will become a real problem in the life cycle Of a project if a significant risk is not identified and mitigated (ibid. ). A software project that gets accomplished within the anticipated time frame and cost, apparently shows that the requirements were understood and documented correctly in the early stage of the project. Requirement is a software competence desired by the user, to resolve a problem or accomplish goal (Lifelong and Wide 2000). Owing to this, all software consists of several requirements. If one of the requirements gets omitted, the project cannot be considered as successful. Requirement engineering represents both the practice of stipulating requirements by analyzing stakeholder needs and the method of systematically studying and fine-tuning those specifications (Hofmann, 2000). The principal outcome of requirement engineering is a specification. A specification is a brief account of the requirements that software must gratify. That is, the condition and capabilities a system must have, to conform to a standard (ibid. . Preferably, a specification allows stakeholders to swiftly study about the software, and developers to comprehend what needs to get implemented. Requirement Engineering comprises of four distinct but connected activities namely, elicitation and analysis, modeling validation and verification (Hull et al 2005). These activities will most likely contrast in timing and intensity for different projects. Typically, the first process would be to elicit requirements from whatever sources available (repositories, current software, or experts). The process of eliciting and modeling requirements are interconnected (ibid). Modeling illustrates a supposed way out in the perspective of an application domain using formal, informal, or semi-formal notations (ibid. ). The continuing normalization Of such ideals in terms of the requirements clues to an acceptable candidate specification, which must be validated and verified (Grady, 1998). This process helps stakeholders correct misinterpretations as early as possible, by giving them the analysis of their requirements (ibid. ). Requirement elicitation is a matter of talking to customers or evaluating documents, but there are more than one elicitation techniques offered (Households and Has, 2008). Some lay emphasis on group sessions in terms of focus groups or workshops; there are others that are engaged mainly to elicit requirements for precise kinds of systems(ibid. ). For instance, developers regularly use sorts, laddering methods, and repertory grids in stating knowledge -based systems. It also contains those actions that search how software can meet organizational objectives, what substitutes exist, and how they impact stakeholders (Somerville, 2011 , p. 100). Modeling Specialists have recommended many modeling techniques and specification languages for precise and consistent requirements (ibid. . By tradition, these procedures have divided the functional, behavioral, and data aspects of requirements and stated software by making one or more different models. Prototypes strive to produce a working model that stakeholders can experience right away (Poll and Erupt, 201 1). According to Young (2004), the idea Of validating requirements is to guarantee that they meet the stakeholders purposes. In other words, validation makes sure these requirements conform to stakeholder business rules. On the other hand, Verification defines if specification conforms to the allocated requirements Hull et al. , 2005). It means that, it examines a specification for inner consistency by mathematical proofs or inspection techniques. Proportioning requirement is an important point in validating and verifying requirements. Taking care of high -priority needs before considering low-priority once, can reduce the cost and duration off project (ibid. ). In conclusion, project management is necessary and choosing an approach that best suits a project is essential to project success. Although there are different methodologies for the project management, Agile and waterfall are the two primary methods. It s clear that a Waterfall approach supports a sequential structure. In addition, it goes through the requirement engineering, design, implementation, testing and deployment phases respectively. Once a phase is concluded it is almost impossible to revert to the previous stage. Agile is a flexible approach and supports an incremental and iterative approach to project management. It encourages collaboration between the customer and the development team. The team observes the principles of the agile manifesto throughout the lifestyle of the project. It is clear in this essay that, both approaches have their edge and shortcomings. Determining a methodology to accomplish a project is entirely dependent on the type of project. The liberty agile presents, to change, is paramount to project success. So if there is a plan that all the requirements are vague and the result is hazy, it is recommended to use an agile approach. On the other hand, a Waterfall model can be used when there are not ambiguous requirements. In other words, all requirements are known and fixed. Risk management and Requirement Engineering are paramount in the lifestyle of a project. Proper risk management helps in predicting the outcome of the project while Requirement Engineering contributes to communicating and identifying the purpose of a project, and the circumstances in which it will get used.

Challenges Of The United Nations Peacekeeping Operations International Law Essay

Challenges Of The United Nations Peacekeeping Operations International Law Essay Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . Challenges Of The United Nations Peacekeeping Operations International Law Essay 1. War is said to be as old as the civilization. First World War was the proof of devastation that took millions of lives. After this, the League of Nations was formed to bring some ground rules to prevent aggression. But no sooner the First World War was over, the Second World War started and the world observed how helpless the League was to prevent misery. Then the United Nations (UN) emerged with the commitments to exterminate war, maintaining international peace and security, securing justice and human rights and promoting social progress and friendly relations among the nations. The UN charter was signed on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco by the 50 founding states for maintaining international peace and security through close cooperation. The UN started its true journey through the Peace Keeping Operations (PKO) in May 1948, with the introduction of United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTS O) in the first Arab Israel war. But due to the tension of the cold war era, UN could not perform its role. After the end of the tension when both the superpowers wanted to contribute to the world peace, the UN took its rebirth. 2. But there were some significant changes after the end of cold war. The classic interstate rivalry ended and more complex and cruel intra state conflict was emerged. Wars were fought to control power and resources in a single state and were not usually between states. Civilians, not the armed combatants, became the intentional targets of violence. Wars in the former Yugoslavia, Africa and Latin America saw huge number of civilian casualties compared to the killed and wounded in either the regular Armed Forces of a state or in the ranks of insurgents.   [ 1 ]    3. The Sri Lanka Armed force with her huge experience in the recent past has got an enormous potential in becoming one of the most important troops contributing nations in the world. Therefore i t is of great importance to analyze the present state of Sri Lanka Army in dealing with changed peacekeeping environment and how best it can adapt itself in meeting the new demand of the United Nations. RESEARCH PROBLEM 4. Sri Lanka is an island nation which has an Armed Force of a considerable strength. Unfortunately the emergence of terrorism put a huge challenge to the Army. At the very outset of the conflict with Liberation Tiger of Tamil Elam (LTTE), the political aim could not be set in accordance with the national interest which allowed the LTTE to grow and emerge as the deadliest terrorist in the world.   [ 2 ]   But after 2000, the leaders of the country could set the aim and strategy to defeat the terrorist once and for all. Thereafter we could experience the win of Sri Lanka Army over LTTE where the total leadership of the terrorist group was wiped out. This victory over terrorism is the testimony of the brilliant performance and professionalism of the Sri Lanka Army. 5. Because of the decade old involvement of the Army in the battle, the Sri Lanka Army could not participate in the UN missions where the neighboring countries of the region could establish their presence the arena. Though there were modest contribution, but it was not enough in comparison to the potentialities of the forces. As time went on, the peacekeeping environment changed in great extent with which most of the countries could adapt themselves. It seems that due to the non involvement in the peace missions, the Sri Lanka Armed Forces could not achieve expected proficiency in the peacekeeping fields. But the fact is, the Sri Lanka Army rather gained a unique expertise in dealing with the Intra State conflict which made them more suitable for dealing with changed peacekeeping environment.

How does the rise of ethical consumers effect corporate social Essay

How does the rise of ethical consumers effect corporate social responsibility - Essay Example While taking price and quality into consideration, ethical consumers apply to the decision making process some additional criteria, which may be their priority issues in some cases. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) encompasses the relationship between corporations or other large organizations and the societies with which they interact. CSR also includes all the responsibilities which are a part of these relationships, for both the organizations and the societies. All stakeholders and constituent groups that have an interest in the organization’s operations are included in CSR’s wide and multiple-level definition of society. Corporate social responsibility can be defined as â€Å"the broad concept that businesses are more than just profit-seeking entities and therefore also have an obligation to benefit society† (Werther & Chandler, 2006: 6-7). Strategic corporate social responsibility is the concept that for long-term benefits to the organization, CSR should be made a part of the firm’s strategic perspective and operations. It has been recognized that the activities of an organization influence the external environment, hence it is important that the organization should be accountable to not only its stakeholders, but also to a wider community. This concept initially took root in the 1970s, and grew as a concern for the company as a member of society, with a wider view of company performance including its social performance (Crowther & Rayman-Bacchus, 2004: 3). Though community accountability was acknowledged as essential, the focus of big business on financial results was observed to be an impediment to social responsiveness, especially in the early years of the accountability concept taking shape. There is now an increasing move towards accountability of companies towards all participants, and this recent phenomenon is getting established as the

Why might democracies be more peaceful in their relations with each Essay

Why might democracies be more peaceful in their relations with each other than with states that are not democracies - Essay Example The democratic government is chose by the people. The democracy in a state or a country works for the people. This fundamental of democracy had continued initially from the era of Roman Empire up to now. The autocracies even led to wars in the ancient times also. The principle of autocracy had been discontinued from that time only. The people at that time elected their own representatives for their benefits. The individualism had significant role from the past up to now. The rulers in the past followed the individualism but in today's era there is democracy in all the parts of the country. Thus there were huge amount of wars which were causing destruction only. In today's era, the democracy has changes the trend towards political and economic liberalization over the past century. The dynamic relations all over the world are quite important for the countries today. The democracy has enabled the different countries to make peaceful relations with each other. The democratically formed rules have enforced the government to work accordingly, thus making worthy relations with other countries. Thus the countries having democracies are maintaining themselves for development of their own as well as of the world. The countries which had not been a democracy today are deferring immensely in development and are threatening other countries. Thus they are not maintaining the peaceful relations. Iran, whose Supreme Leader is a religious figure unfettered by popular elections, and threatens to develop nuclear weapons and potentially wants to dominate the Middle East. The relative lack of attention to variation in the international behavior of non-democratic states represents a startling omission. There are many other countries also which are only having the one party rule like the China and others, but are really maintaining the excellent coalition with other countries. The countries which are not having democracy are having either one party rule or either the dictatorship like the recent one in Afghanistan by the Taliban. Thus these countries never had been on the road of development, relations with other countries, but instead they threatened other countries for wars. The plane attack on plane America on 9th September, 2001by the militants was result of that only. Thus the individualism is neither better for a country nor for the world. So the countries must have a democratic form of government. From the example of Syria it had been clear that democracy is quite important. If the democracy will not exist in a particular country, then it will be under a single person or party, thus these countries are responsible for the wars as conceded from the past also. These countries will cause a threat to other countries and there will be a war like the dictatorship in the past in the Germany, the Italy, and the Japan was responsible for

Philosophy and theories Essay Example for Free

Philosophy and theories Essay Different philosophers have different ideas and theories. This has always been true. In this course, we looked at a number of different philosophers, including Russell, Christian, and Wittgenstein. Each has a unique perspective. Russell looks at philosophy as a very broad field, while others don’t. His definition places philosophy as ideas which fall between science and religion, which he says means it gets attacked from all sides. He also believes that religion has given answers which are too definite without any proof, and science tells people only what is actually true, while philosophy examines questions, to determine what might be true. Christian agrees in some areas. He, too, looks at philosophy as a way to examine questions, to figure out what is possibly true. He extends on this to say that one must also look at the relationships between ideas. He does not mention philosophy as having anything at all to do with religion and science, at least not in the way that Russell does. Wittgenstein believe something much more simple than either Russell or Christian. He looks at philosophy as â€Å"untying the knots† in one’s thinking. He looks at philosophy as answering questions, much like the others, but he doesn’t describe it in terms of religion and science like Russell, nor does he outline several different points as does Christian. Instead, he looks at philosophy as simply a way of thinking in order to understand what is going on (which he is careful to explain does not mean it is simple). In general, all these philosophers agree that philosophy is a way of thinking and of answering questions. However, they each disagree exactly where it came from and how it relates to the rest of the world. That is where philosophy is open to continued discussion.

Narration in The Turn of the Screw Essay -- The Turn of the Screw Henr

Narration in The Turn of the Screw Henry James makes the governess the narrator because she keeps the readers’ interest by also being involved in the story as a main character. However, being involved on this personal level, it can make the governess exaggerate at times and be over-emotional. Her determined and curious nature makes her an ideal candidate to explore the mysterious happenings, however her imagination keeps the reader in suspense, as we are never sure how much she has exaggerated the story. This also adds tension as the full picture is never revealed. This choice of narrator is therefore challenged by Susan Hill’s description that a narrator should be ‘unimaginative and straightforward’ as the governess’ increasing exaggeration, hysteria and ambiguity make her less than straightforward. The governess’s character is established at the beginning of the novel when she meets the master. Her impressionability is displayed when he immediately charms her. She has little experience at being a governess as it says she is ‘The youngest of several daughters of a country parson’, which also indicates her simple country background. Her naivety also makes her very romantic and imaginative. James writes that she has ‘†¦come up to London from the country’ which hints that the governess is very determined and eager for the job. Her trusting nature is also revealed when she doesn’t question the master’s bizarre rule; ‘that she should never trouble him again.’ She doesn’t question him, as she is enthralled and under his spell, hinting at her infatuation. This also could mean that the narrative would be biased in his favour. The governess first sees Peter Quint at dusk in the first few weeks of her gove... ...ry tragic and ambiguous circumstances. It is very intense at the end, because it is just the governess and Miles, and the governess is trying to force a confession out of him. When he does confess, Peter Quint appears and the governess immediately tries to protect the boy, seeing herself locked in a battle of good versus evil, where she is good and Peter Quint is bad. There are also several alternative reasons for Miles’ death open for interpretation to the reader; either the governess smothered him, shock (from seeing Quint), or Quint is involved somehow. The line ‘Peter Quint- you devil’ is in addition ambiguous. Miles is either confessing that Peter Quint is a devil, or that he sees the governess as tormenting him. James ends the story in this way because it leaves the reader questioning how the boy died, and the narrator’s sanity is also questioned. Narration in The Turn of the Screw Essay -- The Turn of the Screw Henr Narration in The Turn of the Screw Henry James makes the governess the narrator because she keeps the readers’ interest by also being involved in the story as a main character. However, being involved on this personal level, it can make the governess exaggerate at times and be over-emotional. Her determined and curious nature makes her an ideal candidate to explore the mysterious happenings, however her imagination keeps the reader in suspense, as we are never sure how much she has exaggerated the story. This also adds tension as the full picture is never revealed. This choice of narrator is therefore challenged by Susan Hill’s description that a narrator should be ‘unimaginative and straightforward’ as the governess’ increasing exaggeration, hysteria and ambiguity make her less than straightforward. The governess’s character is established at the beginning of the novel when she meets the master. Her impressionability is displayed when he immediately charms her. She has little experience at being a governess as it says she is ‘The youngest of several daughters of a country parson’, which also indicates her simple country background. Her naivety also makes her very romantic and imaginative. James writes that she has ‘†¦come up to London from the country’ which hints that the governess is very determined and eager for the job. Her trusting nature is also revealed when she doesn’t question the master’s bizarre rule; ‘that she should never trouble him again.’ She doesn’t question him, as she is enthralled and under his spell, hinting at her infatuation. This also could mean that the narrative would be biased in his favour. The governess first sees Peter Quint at dusk in the first few weeks of her gove... ...ry tragic and ambiguous circumstances. It is very intense at the end, because it is just the governess and Miles, and the governess is trying to force a confession out of him. When he does confess, Peter Quint appears and the governess immediately tries to protect the boy, seeing herself locked in a battle of good versus evil, where she is good and Peter Quint is bad. There are also several alternative reasons for Miles’ death open for interpretation to the reader; either the governess smothered him, shock (from seeing Quint), or Quint is involved somehow. The line ‘Peter Quint- you devil’ is in addition ambiguous. Miles is either confessing that Peter Quint is a devil, or that he sees the governess as tormenting him. James ends the story in this way because it leaves the reader questioning how the boy died, and the narrator’s sanity is also questioned.

Kingdom of matthias

Kingdom of Matthias is one of the literary works that gives focus to an important part of American history, the great age of democratic revivals in the country. The book is an attempt to find meaning and relevance in the Kingdom of Matthias. The authors of the book, Paul Johnson and Sean Wiletnz assert that the Kingdom of Matthias cannot simply be called an evangelical movement for a closer analysis of the movement will reveal that Matthias’ religious vision does not run in parallel with the new evangelicals of the time. Instead, his religious movement ran largely in contrast and in opposition to the evangelicals of the First and Second Great Awakenings. The book is the authors’ attempt to tell the tale of the national scandal that grew out of the Kingdom of Matthias. The authors weave a tale that integrates the three elements that made the Kingdom of Matthias prominent in American history. That is salvation, sex, and murder. The said literary piece is enjoyable to read despite its gruesome and eerie topic for the authors were able to turn the story into a novel. By using the lives of several characters, Johnson and Wilentz were able to reveal the facets of the evangelical movement through the lives of the said characters. This was vital to the story for it prevented the book from being a mere historical account of events by giving it a personal touch. Recounting the personal tales of each of the characters enabled the authors to tell the events in a story-telling manner. The book must also be commended for its ability to relate the events of the past to those of the present. This is vital especially since the book is often times used by students who want to see the relevance of what they are reading to their lives today. However, there are certain cases when the authors were seemingly exhausting the story too much. By doing so, they were clouding the story with tedium to certain extents. For instance, I do not see the need to discuss and expound on the Matthew’s brothers involvement in the anti-masonic hysteria in Rochester. Since the focal point of the book is a evangelical movement, it should be expected that much of the discussion will be centered on the intricacies of the religion and the beliefs it tries to promulgate. However, the authors were not able to give that much focus on the religious beliefs. Instead, the discussion was centered on how the Kingdom of Matthias was at the edge of religious respectability and how its teachings led to the scandal it saw itself in. Finally, the community played a very relevant role in the novel for the authors defined the lives of the main characters based on how the community reacted to them. In each of the stories that were recounted, the community’s role was largely explored. From the denial of certain evangelical movements of the membership of certain characters, to the reactions of the community to the practices of the Kingdom of Matthias, the authors continuously discussed the role and relevance of the community to the story. Kingdom of Matthias is a historical novel that explores the scandal of the evangelical movement of the same name. It tackles the relevance of how radical evangelism helped shaped the country into what it is today.

The Truman Show Essay

The Truman Show Utopia – A perfect world. Truman's world was an utopia. Everything, including the weather, was controlled in a huge Hollywood dome. Truman grew up having no idea he was being watched every hour of the day, and that every step he took was being viewed by millions all over the globe. As the show progressed, it became clear how much media influenced Truman's life, and also how Christof played a huge role in Truman's well-being. First, the influence of media affects our lives in many ways. As The Truman Show ran 24/7, there were no commercials. Therefore, the show had to generate an income by advertising products to the viewers. For example, when Truman's wife showed off her recent purchase, a Chef Pal, she listed many unique characteristics about the product, hoping some of the millions of viewers would purchase it. This shows how much commercials and advertising can persuade us to purchase a product. Without even realizing it, TV viewing can influence people's purchases. Second, a form of media displayed in the show can be described as broadcast media. The Truman Show was broadcasted all over the world and millions of people were watching it. You could see this because during the movie people were shown watching the show in various places. For example, there was a man watching TV while in his bathtub and two security guards enjoyed the show while on patrol. This shows how TV can be addictive, and possibly interfere with our ability to complete everyday tasks. Finally, Truman was basically living in an artificial world. Everything was planned, and the actors were well educated to make Truman believe everything about his life existed in Seahaven. This shows how people can be influenced to believe that something is real or true but in reality it is not. He had a wife who did not love him, a teacher who did not support what he was trying to go after, and a friend who did not actually mean what he said. Truman was influenced by the world and people around him, making him believe everything was normal and not planned out. The world Truman was born into would not have been the way it was without the help of Christof, the show's producer. Everything in Seahaven was operated by machines and computers. These computers were basically controlled my Christof's orders. Early in his life, Truman was traumatized by his father's death at sea. He grew up thinking it was his fault. Because of Christof's planning of the death, Truman was always scared of water. The only way off of Seahaven was by boat, therefore Christof knew he would be able to keep Truman under his control. Christof also did a good job of increasing his audience numbers. When viewers saw the heart-felt moment of Truman reuniting with his father years later, the number of viewers increased. Christof made the scene stand out by changing camera angles and playing background music. In addition, since Truman wanted to make his way to Fiji, Christof strategically planned different events in order to slow Truman down so he wouldn't leave the island. An example of this is when Truman went to purchase a plane ticket, but the flights were all sold out for over a month. Also, when the bus he was going to ride broke down. This proves that Christof manipulated Truman for his own purpose. Christof controlled everything in Truman's life from the weather to who Truman was going to spend his life with. All these points prove how Truman was being used for Christof's benefit; to increase the show's ratings and to gain an income. The storyline of The Truman Show shows us how media affects our lives in many different ways. From something as simple as watching a reality TV show like Survivor to using 5000 cameras to produce a movie. Truman grows up with his world, friends, and even family all being a lie. Christof is the one who did this to Truman. When publicity and fortune become more important than what is right, some people may not realize that what they are doing to others may be harming them. When an opportunity arises, it is sometimes all about what will benefit them. With Truman going through this experience, his eyes most likely opened up to what the real world could be like, and how the world is not always as it seems. The Truman Show Essay The Truman Show Utopia – A perfect world. Truman's world was an utopia. Everything, including the weather, was controlled in a huge Hollywood dome. Truman grew up having no idea he was being watched every hour of the day, and that every step he took was being viewed by millions all over the globe. As the show progressed, it became clear how much media influenced Truman's life, and also how Christof played a huge role in Truman's well-being. First, the influence of media affects our lives in many ways. As The Truman Show ran 24/7, there were no commercials. Therefore, the show had to generate an income by advertising products to the viewers. For example, when Truman's wife showed off her recent purchase, a Chef Pal, she listed many unique characteristics about the product, hoping some of the millions of viewers would purchase it. This shows how much commercials and advertising can persuade us to purchase a product. Without even realizing it, TV viewing can influence people's purchases. Second, a form of media displayed in the show can be described as broadcast media. The Truman Show was broadcasted all over the world and millions of people were watching it. You could see this because during the movie people were shown watching the show in various places. For example, there was a man watching TV while in his bathtub and two security guards enjoyed the show while on patrol. This shows how TV can be addictive, and possibly interfere with our ability to complete everyday tasks. Finally, Truman was basically living in an artificial world. Everything was planned, and the actors were well educated to make Truman believe everything about his life existed in Seahaven. This shows how people can be influenced to believe that something is real or true but in reality it is not. He had a wife who did not love him, a teacher who did not support what he was trying to go after, and a friend who did not actually mean what he said. Truman was influenced by the world and people around him, making him believe everything was normal and not planned out. The world Truman was born into would not have been the way it was without the help of Christof, the show's producer. Everything in Seahaven was operated by machines and computers. These computers were basically controlled my Christof's orders. Early in his life, Truman was traumatized by his father's death at sea. He grew up thinking it was his fault. Because of Christof's planning of the death, Truman was always scared of water. The only way off of Seahaven was by boat, therefore Christof knew he would be able to keep Truman under his control. Christof also did a good job of increasing his audience numbers. When viewers saw the heart-felt moment of Truman reuniting with his father years later, the number of viewers increased. Christof made the scene stand out by changing camera angles and playing background music. In addition, since Truman wanted to make his way to Fiji, Christof strategically planned different events in order to slow Truman down so he wouldn't leave the island. An example of this is when Truman went to purchase a plane ticket, but the flights were all sold out for over a month. Also, when the bus he was going to ride broke down. This proves that Christof manipulated Truman for his own purpose. Christof controlled everything in Truman's life from the weather to who Truman was going to spend his life with. All these points prove how Truman was being used for Christof's benefit; to increase the show's ratings and to gain an income. The storyline of The Truman Show shows us how media affects our lives in many different ways. From something as simple as watching a reality TV show like Survivor to using 5000 cameras to produce a movie. Truman grows up with his world, friends, and even family all being a lie. Christof is the one who did this to Truman. When publicity and fortune become more important than what is right, some people may not realize that what they are doing to others may be harming them. When an opportunity arises, it is sometimes all about what will benefit them. With Truman going through this experience, his eyes most likely opened up to what the real world could be like, and how the world is not always as it seems.

Police Profiling essays

Police Profiling essays During the Civil Rights movement, thousands of blacks were arrested and beaten by police. Toady we face the same problem, police departments gets more and more complaints from black citizens. In New York City in 1999 a street merchant was mistakenly shot to death because a cops thought he pulled out a gun. In New Jersey four college basketball players were heading for tryouts at a college, when stopped the driver couldnt get the van into park the two officers opened fire. Luckily nobody was hurt. Racial Profiling is one of the most volatile civil rights issues in the U.S. and even the most successful African-Americans are not immune to it (Most 89). Recent research shows that crime is down, but it also shows that police target blacks more than whites. Racial subjects attract attention from Civil rights groups, Politics, and the locals. What do they know, were they there when the Cops shot the merchant or the college players? Minorities say theyre more worried about the cops than the crooks (CannonI dont want my sons to be victims of police brutality (Leo 16). Some cant find a reason why blacks are stopped and frisked more than whites, but the blacks coined the phrase DWB is the cause. DWB stand for Driving While Black (Drummond 61). With campaigns going on Al Gore and Bill Bradley fell over them selves to become commander in chief of the forces against racial profiling. Bradley promised an executive order eliminating racial profiling at a federal level, Gore raising the ante to a notional law outlawing racial profiling altogether (Chua-Eoan). The Governor of New Jersey, Chr...

Two discussion questions see below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Two discussion questions see below - Essay Example In the same country, approximately 1 million truly disadvantaged experience crime first hand (Siegel, 2006). This means that in every three truly disadvantaged people in south Belmont, one of them is more prone to crime than the rest and lack the joy of being a young citizen since he or she has to commit crime for sustenance (Siegel, 2006). To both adolescents and adults, crime among the truly disadvantaged is tremendously painful and there is nobody who does it out of fun but influence from parents, friends or politicians. The truly disadvantaged from families that are violent are likely to suffer from social, behavioral, psychological and academic problems than those brought up in good atmospheres. The best criminology theory to explain the Virginia Tech Massacre would be the Interactionist view of crime. It is according to this view that laws banning murder, rapes, and robbery have political undertones. The conflict view of crime has a few of examples of crimes in the society including police brutality, inadequate childcare and price fixing. This view of crime states that reality does not exist and therefore crimes are termed either as good or evil. The best example for this view of crime is people viewing some films while others cannot because they think they are not appropriate (Siegel, 2006). Criminals condemned under this view of crime in the Virginia Tech Massacre are mostly labeled outcasts because they went against the social consensus and norms. All the three perspective views have good points but I think I would go for the conflict view of crime because I is important to acknowledge the differences between the lower classes compared to the upper class and this is the only perspective that can truly address the problem at

Learning the art of good composition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Learning the art of good composition - Essay Example writing an essay will be easy and even fun to a person who is aware of the steps and strategies involved in this process. â€Å"Learning the art of good composition and written expression takes years of practice.† (Wyldeck 2008, P. 5). Following certain tips or guidelines can be useful in the process of effective essay writing and it is important to follow the basic structure of essay, whatever the topic may be. Understanding the essay topic exactly is of primary significance and it is important to undertake a thorough research to begin the essay writing process by gathering information relevant to preparing a strong argument or thesis. After making a good knowledge base on the topic, one may start analyzing the arguments of the essay, clearly defining the claims, writing out the reasons and the evidence. At this stage, a good brainstorming can be greatly useful as it will help one in focusing on the major argument. The next stage involves preparing the thesis statement which is the main point of the essay summed up in a concise sentence and a good essay requires a clear thesis. Outlining the essay structure and main points can be most useful in organizing the essay as a whole. Now, it is time to write down an effective introduction which can grab the attention of the readers, set up the issue of discussion, and lead in to the thesis argument. In preparing the body of the essay, arrange and organize the major arguments in a precise manner, neatly supported and elaborated with evidences, arguments, illustrations etc.