Challenges of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Challenges of Globalization - Essay Example Summary The article by Faizal Yahya â€Å"Challenges of Globalization: Malaysia and India Engagement† deals with international relations establishment between India and Malaysia in the context of globalization process. The coming challenges were facilitated in case bilateral and regional linkages would be intensified. The main emphasis in the article is made on ASEAN region as the main intensifier of inter-regional relations, business and trade. Malaysia is considered as the largest India’s coordinator and a facilitator of India’s integration into the ASEAN region. Moreover, it is interesting to consider international relations establishment between these two countries, as they are historically and culturally linked. Position of the author During the post-Cold War period, India made numerous attempts to increase economic linkages with economies of different countries. Nevertheless, its participation in SAARC has been stalled by complexities of India’s trad e. Therefore, the author of the article makes an attempt to assess the challenges caused by globalization and their impact on India and Malaysia relations. It is evident, that the author considers India to be a perfect alternative trade area for the international business. ... Therefore, the author intrigues us by his dramatic background chosen for the discussion of international relations between India and Malaysia. Therefore, the author of the article makes an attempt to consider establishment of relations between Malaysia and India on a diversified cultural and historical background of the countries’ development. Though this article contributes to the field of international business, the main issues are highlighted in the culturally-marked context. Analysis of the issue The main interest of this issue can be explained by deep-rooted historical background of Malaysia’s history and culture. Nevertheless, starting from 60s this country did not make an attempt to preserve its national identity in spite of taking a chance to participate in the international trade. The main focus of Malaysia’s first Prime Minister was to place international relations above all other considerations. Another Prime Minister Mahathir made an attempt to introd uce â€Å"Look East† policy. A need for Islamic unity was integral for Malaysia at that time. Therefore, it can be claimed that a twofold direction of Malaysia’s relation at the international arena have been historically chosen: to establish international business relations with Asian and foreign partners and preserve Islamic identity of the country at the same time. Concerning India, it should be noted that controversies with Pakistan occurred mainly because of Islamic traditions of the latter country. SAARC lacked economical progress because of controversies between India and Pakistan and at the same time India made attempts to foster relations with partners from ASEAN region. This strategy is supported

Who Wrote the Bible Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Who Wrote the Bible - Dissertation Example For instance, because it was during his lifetime that King James had the Bible translated into English, many have long believed that William Shakespeare actually wrote the book itself. There have many television programs on that subject and believers point to the 46th Psalm as their evidence. â€Å"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD , what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.† Their â€Å"evidence† consists of the fact is the word â€Å"shakes† is forty-six words from the beginning of the verse and â€Å"spear† is forty-six words from the end. Because Shakespeare was forty-six when this passage was printed, that is proof! Therefore, a book was first published in 1987 by Richard Elliott Friedman (updated in 1997) entitled Who Wrote the Bible? Many consider Friedman, a professor of Jewish studies at the University of Georgia, somewhat of an expert on Jewish history and culture and he has studied extensively in Israel, with excerpts of his works published in the Jerusalem Post. He is also a prolific author, for along with Who Wrote the Bible?, Friedman has also published such works as The Disappearance of God and The Bible Now (Friedman). Authors such as Dan Brown and Richard Leigh have concentrated on the New Testament for hidden authorship and meaning (such as Brown’s claim in the Da Vinci Code that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and fathered a child). Interestingly enough, it appears that Friedman has concentrated most of his writings on what Christians call the Old Testament, especially in the first few books of the Bible, what the Jewish people refer to as the Tanakh. As the author himself said in the 1997 preface, he wrote Who Wrote the Bible? as a scholarly work to set his research apart from what he calls the â€Å"popular† works, a thinly veiled references to such authors as Brown. Indeed, he revealed in the decade since he published the original book, many professors and students alike had communicated with him to reveal they h ad used the book in their studies. Friedman humbly dismisses those who compare his findings to that of the rediscovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls or Darwin’s conclusions. However, he does admit that the book should be looked on as a something of a puzzle whose conclusions are somewhat irrefutable (Friedman II, 15). He begins his introduction to Who Wrote the Bible? by asking that very question, concentrating on three areas, the Five Books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) was supposedly written by Moses himself and Lamentations is considered authored by Jeremiah. The third area is considered indisputable by Jews and Christians alike, whether King David wrote most of Psalms. He also mentions that the Bible is such a sacred book in most parts of the

Differences Between Virtual and Real Worlds

Differences Between Virtual and Real Worlds The nearer the virtual world comes to replicating the real world the more we will have to question what, if any, the difference continues to be. Discuss. Introduction The concept of the virtual has been around for much longer than the technology which now makes the virtual part of our lives. In various forms, such as that put forward by Descartes, the concept of the virtual has long permeated the thoughts of scholars. However, it is only in very recent times that the concept of the virtual has really taken flight. For now, with emerging technologies and a world which is more unstable than ever, the world of the virtual has grown rapidly. Now, the virtual is getting closer and closer to reality, and soon we may not be able to distinguish these worlds from each other. Whilst it is clear that right now we have some idea of the difference between the real world and the virtual world, the differences between the two are much less than before. Traditionally, the difference between the virtual and the real worlds was the concept of identity or body – that in the virtual world your mind was separated from your body and therefore the difference between the virtual and the real was the physical form. However, this view is slowly being eroded away and there are many who now believe the virtual cannot be separated from the real in terms of body or physicality. This is a view that the researcher shares, and this concept shall be one of the main points of focus in the essay. Another area which could measure the distinction between the virtual and the real is the concept of risk. Risk is still one of the few concepts which seems to differ in the virtual and the real worlds, at least in a number of cases. Although this difference is being reduced, currently it seems possible to distinguish the virtual and real worlds using the concept of risk. The first part of this essay will look at the way in which the virtual has superseded many aspects of the real world in our lives, and how these areas can no longer be easily distinguished. These normal, everyday events are now both real and virtual simultaneously, and there is no discernible distinction. The second part of the essay will deal with the concept of physicality in the virtual world, and how the evidence now suggests that the virtual and real worlds cannot be distinguished through the identity of the physical body. The final part of the essay will show that despite this convergence between the virtual and the real, there are some distinctions to be made. The way in which the virtual can be distinguished from the real comes down to the concept of risk, although this distinction is also being reduced and perhaps with the introduction of future technologies this distinguishing feature will also be completely eroded. Information, branding and the virtual One area of our lives that has seen a dramatic shift from the real to the virtual over the last ten years is information and branding. Information used to be stored predominantly in ‘real’ forms such as paper books. However, most information is now accessed in virtual form, through computers, radio and television and other digital media. Books and music are now accessed as digital facsimiles of the original, and our world in terms of information has shifted from real to virtual (Argyle and Shields, 1996). This process has come so far that there can be no real distinction between the real and virtual worlds of information. We see books and music in paper form in the same way we do digital e-books and mp3 music. They are perceptually very similar and contain the same information that we require. Our world has shifted from the real and local to the virtual and the global. The shift from real to virtual has also occurred in terms of branding. Brand concepts for many real objects are now so strong that we no longer think of the real object itself but in fact associate the virtual brand as the key identity. For example, vacuum cleaners being called ‘Hoovers’, tissues being called ‘Kleenex’ and digital music players being called ‘Ipods’(Shields, 2003). The brand stands as a virtual representation of the actual real objects, but is virtually indistinguishable, particularly in linguistic terms. The virtual, as Shields puts it, has moved from being something simply transformative and vague to something banal and common. The virtual has permeated or even superseded the real in some aspects of life, and the virtual is now for all intents and purposes indistinguishable from the real. Whilst it could be argued that these virtual forms differ from their real counterparts by way of physical form (i.e. the virtual item has no physical tangible form, whereas the real form does), in the cases of information and branding this distinction of physicality is too small to be clear. For example, the virtual or digital form of a book does have physical form, in that the information can be printed out or used in a physical way just like the real paper book can. This is the same for branding, where the virtual brand names are so synonymous with the real physical objects that they cannot be separated. In these cases ,the virtual has superseded the real, and completely destroyed the boundaries between them. Therefore, this is an area where there cannot be said to be any real distinction between the virtual world and the real world. Physical form, identity within the virtual world The most commonly argued distinction between the real and virtual worlds is the concept of physical form and identity. It is argued by many that in the virtual world you do not have a complete physical identity and that your mind being removed from the physical body is the distinction between the real and virtual. In other words, in the virtual world you have no real identity or physical interaction, whereas in the real world you do. Although it seems clear that the physical characteristics that identify our physical are not obviously visible in the virtual world, the physical self is not completely left behind and we do in fact experience physical manifestations within the virtual world. As pointed out by Katie Argyle and Rob Shields (1996), who point out that ‘presence’ doesn’t simply vanish in the virtual world, and that the technology simply mediates our physical presence. With technology the way it is today, and the fact it is sure to improve in the future, we can now act holistically through our bodies within the virtual world. Although it might seem that our bodies are not part of the virtual, in truth we cannot actually escape our bodies. In other words, we do not lose our body within the virtual world, but rather experience and interact in the virtual world through our bodies. Argyle points out that the emotions we feel whilst interacting in the virtual world are in fact real and are physical. She gives the example of her online presence ‘Kitty’, (Argyle and Shields, 1996, in Kolko, p66) where she says that the interactions she has with people, although in a virtual world the emotions and feeling are real and felt in her body. Argyle’s online interaction shows no separation from the body, and therefore is a suggestion that the physical body cannot be used as a distinguishing feature between real and virtual. This view is supported by Ellen Ullman, who says how she fell in love via email. She only knew this person via the virtual world of email, and not through physical interaction, yet the virtual world elicited real and physical feelings within her. Ullman does differentiate her online body from her ‘real’ one by saying that the love she felt was through her ‘virtual’ body, but she does not separate these two bodies, and the physical form is still linked to the online body or persona (Ullman, 1996) It seems that when interacting online, it is extremely difficult or nearly impossible to completely separate your online persona from your real and physical persona. For instance, in online games where people can send messages to each other within character, they may also ask about the person in ‘real life’, such as how old they are and where they have come from. People often get confused about which ‘life’ the other person is talking about, and so acronyms have been created to stop the confusion such as IC (in character) and IRL (in real life). This confusion is down to the fact that there will always be a part of our persona within the virtual that cannot be separated, and therefore the body cannot be a distinguishing feature between the virtual and the real. Not only does the physical form remain within the virtual world by virtue of its interaction and emotions experienced in the virtual, but many of the laws and rights that govern the real are now also governing the virtual. Even if you want to make a distinction between the virtual body, such as an avatar or image, and the real physical body, many of the outcomes are the same. The laws and rights of the virtual are now mirroring the real, and blurring the lines further between the two worlds. For instance, take the rights of avatars in the virtual world. Whilst avatars cannot have the same basic right as real bodies, namely the right to life (they are not alive after all), they may feel many of the hazards and wish to have the same rights as their real counterparts. For instance, take the example of sexual harassment within the virtual world. Whilst the legal definitions for sexual assault and rape are generally not met by virtual encounters, much of the feelings of intrusion, fear or disgust can be the same. Take the example of Julien Dibbell’s account of Mr Bungle’s rape on the characters Legba and Starsinger in LambdaMOO (Dibbell, 1996). The ‘rape’ was virtual and involved an avatar seizing two other female avatars and graphically describing the actions performed. Whilst this may not constitute ‘real’ rape, the trauma for the two controllers of the female avatars was indeed real. This is because the body cannot be separated compl etely when in the virtual world, and even if the exact actions are not the same it cannot really be said that physicality is a distinguishing factor between the real and the virtual as the body affected similarly in both worlds. The lack of risk within the virtual world Whilst the traditionally held view of being able to distinguish the real and the virtual by the separation of the mind and the body has been shown to be flawed, there is definite promise in the concept of risk as a distinguishing feature. The reasons for this are that risk is something which can only truly be experienced through the physical without the mediating virtual world. Of course, certain risks such as financial risk and emotional risk are possible in the virtual world as these risks will have similar, if slightly dulled, consequences in the virtual world. However, the notion of risk to the physical body or fear is a feature that separates the virtual and the real. For instance, creating virtual business that has real financial consequences may seem to have the same features as real business, but there are differences. Using the virtual world all products can be tested, mapped and made 100% safe before they are sold on. Experiments can be conducted without the potential risks to human life or to property. The concept of risk is in many ways eliminated from the design process, aside from some of the same financial concerns of design costs. Identities and properties can be re-used, re-hashed or completely changed in the virtual world, meaning there is less risk of catastrophic failure. However, perhaps the biggest issue in terms of risk is the fact that fear of physical harm is almost completely removed in the virtual world. Emotions are still prevalent and part of our physicality remains in the virtual. However, the risks associated with physical damage or damage to property cannot be properly appreciated within the virtual world. There are no risks in this sense in the virtual world, whereas there are in the real world. For instance, take the example of realistic computer games such as Forza Motorsport (Lockergnome, 2005). Developed as one of the most advanced driving games for console play, an experiment was conducted to see the difference in performance and reactions between the virtual and real worlds. Six performance cars were driven round the same Atlanta circuit by drivers on the game and on the real life circuit. The results were startling in that the performances between virtual and real worlds were extremely similar. The braking and turning points were extremely similar and the performances in each car were almost the same whether in virtual or real world (Lockergnome, 2005). However, the times in the real world were slower than on the game – much of this attributed to the risk involved in driving the car in the real world. In the game, the drivers could push their cars to the limit in the knowledge that if they crashed there would be no damage to the car. This removed the risk facto r and allowed them to get better times. However, on the real track they had to be more careful, for crashing at 150mph in a high-powered car would be far too risky. This slowed them down, and showed despite all other factors being seemingly indistinguishable, the major difference between the real and the virtual was the risk factor. It can also be seen in the prevalence of online dating and sexual play from people who would not normally engage in such activities in the real world. In the rapidly growing virtual world called Second Life (Linden Research Inc, 2007), there are many groups of various role-players who act out fantasies that they would not do in real life. This is not because it is impossible for them to do in real life (although perhaps some are), but because of the risk factors involved in real life. The feelings they receive from these interactions may be almost identical to the ones they would get in real life interaction, but the crucial difference is risk. Whilst for some interactions this will not affect the sensation, it does for others, such as those involved in fantasies of pain or domination. The risk factor is the one which can distinguish the virtual from the real world. Conclusion Whilst we are still living in a world where the real and the virtual seem in most cases to be separate, this is perhaps less true than we think. The real world of information has become indistinguishable from the virtual, and with new technologies the virtual world has become far more expansive and convincing. This change has meant that it is now impossible to separate all of our real physical identity from the virtual representation of ourselves in the virtual world. However, one factor that still lets us distinguish the virtual from the real is the concept of risk, which is not yet fully realised within the virtual world. However, if in future the technology of the virtual increases to the point where physical sensations can be experienced fully in the virtual world, then physical risk to the body and other items of value will be possible. If risk can be fully replicated in the virtual world, then it seems the two worlds would be very close to being completely indistinguishable. Bibliography Argyle, K., and Shields, R. (1996) Is there a body in the net?, Living Bodies Chapter 4, SAGE publications Ltd, London. Dibbell, J. (1996) ( My Dinner With Catharine MacKinnon and Other Hazards of Theorizing Virtual Rape, available online at http://www.juliandibbell.com/texts/mydinner.html Kolko, B.E. We Are Not Just (Electronic) Words: Learning the Literacies of Culture, Body, and Politics. http://bethkolko.com/includes/pdfs/wearenotjustelectronicwords.pdf Là ©vy, P. (2002) Cyberculture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Shapiro, M.A., and McDonald, D.G. (1992) Im Not a Real Doctor, but I Play One in Virtual Reality: Implications of Virtual Reality for Judgments about Reality Journal of Communication 42 (4), 94–114. Shields, R. (2003) The Virtual, Cultures of internet, Virtual Spaces, Real Histories Chapter 2, Routledge, London. Ullman, E. (1996) Come in, CQ: The Body on the Wire. Wired-Women: Gender and  New Realities in Cyberspace. Ed. Lynn Cherny and Elizabeth Reba Wiese. Seattle: Seal,  1996. 3-23.  

Narrative Techniques in Faulkner’s The Unvanquished and Barn Burning Es

Narrative Techniques in Faulkner’s The Unvanquished and Barn Burning The Unvanquished is composed of a series of stories during which Bayard Sartoris, the narrator, grows up from a twelve-year-old boy to a young man of twenty-four years. The narrative style makes it obvious that events are being related by an adult who is looking back at his past. There are several indications of this: in the very first story â€Å"Ambuscade†, the narrator, while describing his war games with his coloured friend, Ringo, states: â€Å"We were just twelve then†. (5) He tells the readers how they fantasized about the military exploits of John Sartoris, Bayard’s father, seeing them as heroic and exciting adventures. The narrator describes himself and Ringo at this stage of the novel as â€Å"the two supreme undefeated like two moths, two feathers riding above a hurricane† (7), drawing attention to the fact that while the two boys are positioned in the midst of war with all its attendant destruction and insanity, they have no understanding of it s horror. When his father first appears on the scene, the Bayard says: â€Å"He was not big, it was just the things he did†¦ that made him seem big to us† (9). Swept up in the romance of war, with the dust of battle clinging to him, John Sartoris seems to assume a larger than life persona but even as the narrator delineates his father before us, he attaches a caveat that in actuality, the Colonel was different from how he saw him as a young boy. This statement presages the mature understanding of his father’s character that Bayard develops as the novel progresses. In â€Å"The Odor of Verbena†, he has reached such clarity of vision that he can say without much difficulty that his father was a difficult man to get along with, he ac... ...an adult, his articulation of this southern code of morality is coherent and well thought out while Sarty’s reaction to his father’s incendiary behaviour is instinctive and not intellectualized. The image of the violent Southern man is evident in both stories, both boys have fathers who have participated in violence-Abner Snopes has a seething rage which finds satisfaction only through burning the property of people he hates and John Sartoris has been directly involved in the war, has a belligerent disposition and resorts to bloodshed frequently in the novel. But the difference lies in the ultimate response of the central character of each story to the southern ideals of masculinity - Bayard initially abides by but ultimately distances himself from Southern codes of honour while Sarty, being a child, is still far from finding himself at the end of â€Å"Barn Burning†.

Complex and Dynamic Business World

â€Å"The business world has become more complex and more dynamic. Planning tools are designed for stable environments. Therefore, planning should be abandoned. Please, comment on this statement. † 1035 Words 2 I. Introduction In today’s increasingly dynamic and complex business world, it is important to decide whether to use and trust in planning tools or if one should abandon them because they are made for more stable environments. This essay will give an overview of the planning tools and techniques that exist for assessing the environment. It will discuss the use of planning tools in a complex and dynamic business world.The statement that planning should be abandoned in a complex and dynamic business world will be discussed in the following. II. Main Body â€Å"A plan describes the chosen solution to a problem and lists what has to be done to achieve the goal† (Landau, 2012). We can categorize planning into three parts. During the first part goals have to be defined. In the second part the corresponding strategies have to be established. The third part focuses on finalising the plans. â€Å"Managers use planning tools and techniques to help their organizations be more efficient and effective. (Robbins & Coulter, 2009) In a volatile and dynamic environment managers should not rely on planning. They should use planning as an indicator of what could potentially happen in the future and consequently try to restructure their organization in order to cope with market uncertainty. To do so, the managerial establishment has developed several techniques. One technique to assess the business environment is environmental scanning, which fundamentally consists of competitor intelligence and global scanning. Environmental scanning helps to foresee and decode changes in the environment via screening a lot of information.By applying this technique organizations are more likely to predict issues and concerns that could affect their current or planned activities right. Research results show that organizations that use this technique have a higher performance (according to Robbins & Coulter, 2011, pp. 276f. ). One part of the environmental scanning is competitor intelligence. In this process organizations gather information concerning their competitors. The information will be compiled by asking questions about their competitors such as â€Å"Who are they? †, â€Å"What are they doing? and â€Å"How will what they are doing affect us? †. 3 â€Å"Competitor intelligence experts suggest that 80 percent of what managers need to know about competitors can be found out from their own employees, suppliers, and customers. † (Robbins & Coulter, 2011, p. 277) Although this statistic indicates that collecting competitor intelligence can be achieved through the utilization of an organisation’s extended network, competitor intelligence can be seen as a problematic subject as it often features a fine line between e thical and unethical.Another part of environmental scanning is global scanning, which is important for organizations with global activities. In a complex and dynamic environment managers broaden their view to gather global information. â€Å"For instance, they can subscribe to information clipping services that review world newspapers and business periodicals and provide summaries of desired information (Robbins & Coulter, 2011, p. 277). One can say that this technique is very suitable for an unstable and dynamic environment, because it helps to foresee the environment and consequentially helps to realign, if necessary, the organizational goals and plans.On the other hand, gathered information can be interpreted wrongly, which can trigger a chain-reaction from wrong forcasting to wrong goals and plans. A second technique to evaluate the environment is forecasting. Forecasting is a prediction of outcomes, which will help to identify events that will happen in the future. The common consent about this method is that is effective and time efficient. The ultimate goal of forecasting is to facilitate decision making through gathering information. There are two different forecasting techniques.One is quantitative forecasting, which is preferred when sufficient and hard data is given. It is based on historical data and tries to predict outcomes. The other one is qualitative forecasting, which uses personal judgment and knowledge to predict outcomes. This technique is used when hard data is limited or hard to gather. â€Å"First, it’s important to understand that forecasting techniques are most accurate when the environment is not rapidly changing. The more dynamic the environment, the more likely managers are to forecast ineffectively. † (Robbins & Coulter, 2011, p. 79) 4 However, forecasting lacks the ability to effectively predict events like recessions or the actions of competitors. That leads to the assumption that organizations shouldn’t re ly on a single forecasting method, but should use several models to be on the safer side. But the challenge for managers is to interpret and then implement the information into the planning decisions. Finally organizations must remember that forecasting, as a marginal skill, can be trained and improved. A third technique to assess the environment is benchmarking.Benchmarking is a tool to improve an organizations performance by adapting outstanding practices from the top organizations within the environment. Studies verify the statement, â€Å"that users have achieved 69 percent faster growth and 45 percent greater productivity† (Robbins & Coulter, 2011, p. 279) when using benchmarking. Benchmarking can be seen as a four step approach. It starts with the forming of a benchmarking planning team. The second step continues with the gathering of information and external data. Thirdly, when all data is gathered the analysis to identify performance gaps takes place.The last step is the preparing and implementing of an action plan. (Based on Y. K. Shetty, â€Å"Aiming high: Competitive Benchmarking for Superior Performance,† Long Range Planning, February 1993, p. 42) Managers use benchmarking as a tool to approach the leading position of their competitors without overtaking them. And if all organizations work inefficiently it won’t be revealed. So this technique should not be followed in a dynamic environment, because it increases the likelihood that a manager will ‘copy’ the mistakes others make.So one can say â€Å"Plans serve as a road map, although the destination may change due to dynamic market conditions† (Robbins & Coulter, 2009, p. 170). III. Conclusion To sum up, one can say that planning is very helpful and necessary but it can be misleading. No matter how many planning tools managers use, they can only plan effectively if they understand how planning in dynamic environment works. They have to keep in mind that plann ing should only be used as an indicator of what could potentially happen in the future.I believe that planning should not be abandoned, but improved. 5 IV. References Robbins & Coulter, S. P. R. & M. C. , (2009). ‘Planning'. In: Pearson International Edition (ed), Management. 10th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.. pp. (133-174). Robbins & Coulter, S. P. R. & M. C. , (2011). ‘Planning'. In: Pearson Global Edition (ed), Management. 11th ed. : Pearson Education, Inc.. pp. (204-276). Prof. Dr. Christian Landau, Principles of Management, 24. Sep. 2012 (Session 2), EBS Universitat fur Wirtschaft und Recht, Oestrich-Winkel Complex and Dynamic Business World â€Å"The business world has become more complex and more dynamic. Planning tools are designed for stable environments. Therefore, planning should be abandoned. Please, comment on this statement. † 1035 Words 2 I. Introduction In today’s increasingly dynamic and complex business world, it is important to decide whether to use and trust in planning tools or if one should abandon them because they are made for more stable environments. This essay will give an overview of the planning tools and techniques that exist for assessing the environment. It will discuss the use of planning tools in a complex and dynamic business world.The statement that planning should be abandoned in a complex and dynamic business world will be discussed in the following. II. Main Body â€Å"A plan describes the chosen solution to a problem and lists what has to be done to achieve the goal† (Landau, 2012). We can categorize planning into three parts. During the first part goals have to be defined. In the second part the corresponding strategies have to be established. The third part focuses on finalising the plans. â€Å"Managers use planning tools and techniques to help their organizations be more efficient and effective. (Robbins & Coulter, 2009) In a volatile and dynamic environment managers should not rely on planning. They should use planning as an indicator of what could potentially happen in the future and consequently try to restructure their organization in order to cope with market uncertainty. To do so, the managerial establishment has developed several techniques. One technique to assess the business environment is environmental scanning, which fundamentally consists of competitor intelligence and global scanning. Environmental scanning helps to foresee and decode changes in the environment via screening a lot of information.By applying this technique organizations are more likely to predict issues and concerns that could affect their current or planned activities right. Research results show that organizations that use this technique have a higher performance (according to Robbins & Coulter, 2011, pp. 276f. ). One part of the environmental scanning is competitor intelligence. In this process organizations gather information concerning their competitors. The information will be compiled by asking questions about their competitors such as â€Å"Who are they? †, â€Å"What are they doing? and â€Å"How will what they are doing affect us? †. 3 â€Å"Competitor intelligence experts suggest that 80 percent of what managers need to know about competitors can be found out from their own employees, suppliers, and customers. † (Robbins & Coulter, 2011, p. 277) Although this statistic indicates that collecting competitor intelligence can be achieved through the utilization of an organisation’s extended network, competitor intelligence can be seen as a problematic subject as it often features a fine line between e thical and unethical.Another part of environmental scanning is global scanning, which is important for organizations with global activities. In a complex and dynamic environment managers broaden their view to gather global information. â€Å"For instance, they can subscribe to information clipping services that review world newspapers and business periodicals and provide summaries of desired information (Robbins & Coulter, 2011, p. 277). One can say that this technique is very suitable for an unstable and dynamic environment, because it helps to foresee the environment and consequentially helps to realign, if necessary, the organizational goals and plans.On the other hand, gathered information can be interpreted wrongly, which can trigger a chain-reaction from wrong forcasting to wrong goals and plans. A second technique to evaluate the environment is forecasting. Forecasting is a prediction of outcomes, which will help to identify events that will happen in the future. The common consent about this method is that is effective and time efficient. The ultimate goal of forecasting is to facilitate decision making through gathering information. There are two different forecasting techniques.One is quantitative forecasting, which is preferred when sufficient and hard data is given. It is based on historical data and tries to predict outcomes. The other one is qualitative forecasting, which uses personal judgment and knowledge to predict outcomes. This technique is used when hard data is limited or hard to gather. â€Å"First, it’s important to understand that forecasting techniques are most accurate when the environment is not rapidly changing. The more dynamic the environment, the more likely managers are to forecast ineffectively. † (Robbins & Coulter, 2011, p. 79) 4 However, forecasting lacks the ability to effectively predict events like recessions or the actions of competitors. That leads to the assumption that organizations shouldn’t re ly on a single forecasting method, but should use several models to be on the safer side. But the challenge for managers is to interpret and then implement the information into the planning decisions. Finally organizations must remember that forecasting, as a marginal skill, can be trained and improved. A third technique to assess the environment is benchmarking.Benchmarking is a tool to improve an organizations performance by adapting outstanding practices from the top organizations within the environment. Studies verify the statement, â€Å"that users have achieved 69 percent faster growth and 45 percent greater productivity† (Robbins & Coulter, 2011, p. 279) when using benchmarking. Benchmarking can be seen as a four step approach. It starts with the forming of a benchmarking planning team. The second step continues with the gathering of information and external data. Thirdly, when all data is gathered the analysis to identify performance gaps takes place.The last step is the preparing and implementing of an action plan. (Based on Y. K. Shetty, â€Å"Aiming high: Competitive Benchmarking for Superior Performance,† Long Range Planning, February 1993, p. 42) Managers use benchmarking as a tool to approach the leading position of their competitors without overtaking them. And if all organizations work inefficiently it won’t be revealed. So this technique should not be followed in a dynamic environment, because it increases the likelihood that a manager will ‘copy’ the mistakes others make.So one can say â€Å"Plans serve as a road map, although the destination may change due to dynamic market conditions† (Robbins & Coulter, 2009, p. 170). III. Conclusion To sum up, one can say that planning is very helpful and necessary but it can be misleading. No matter how many planning tools managers use, they can only plan effectively if they understand how planning in dynamic environment works. They have to keep in mind that plann ing should only be used as an indicator of what could potentially happen in the future.I believe that planning should not be abandoned, but improved. 5 IV. References Robbins & Coulter, S. P. R. & M. C. , (2009). ‘Planning'. In: Pearson International Edition (ed), Management. 10th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.. pp. (133-174). Robbins & Coulter, S. P. R. & M. C. , (2011). ‘Planning'. In: Pearson Global Edition (ed), Management. 11th ed. : Pearson Education, Inc.. pp. (204-276). Prof. Dr. Christian Landau, Principles of Management, 24. Sep. 2012 (Session 2), EBS Universitat fur Wirtschaft und Recht, Oestrich-Winkel

Religiosity of Hwadu (Koan) Meditation

Hwadu means a Korean word for koan. A koan can be pronounced as ko.an, which is a dialog, a question, a story or a statement in the history and lore of Zen Buddhism. Generally containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet that may be accessible to intuition. Human beings are made perfectly. It has the body, soul and spirit which other creatures here on land do not possess. It has the capacity to rationalize things happen around. The human beings are created as the most intelligent and superior creature here on earth but the argument is how can a human being considered as superior when he/she does not aware of his/her own mind? Perhaps, if a human being ponders and seeks what’s really in his/her mind, he/she will be able to comprehend his true nature.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . A human being who comes to that deep realization and awakening is regarded as a Buddha (Enlightened or Awakened One), a master of all things and a noble man indeed. He or she is one who transcended the commonplace and was awaked from the shared â€Å"bad dream† that we call as normal waking reality. All human beings are perceived as Buddhas in spirit as they are born. But if the mind of a Buddha is obscured by â€Å"normal† upbringing or trauma, he or she will lose awareness of Buddhahood and function as a sentient being. As long as one is only concerned with the body and enslaved by the idea of separation, desire and dependence on satisfaction from the environment, this world will remain as a â€Å"defiled† realm, full of uncertainty, fear and suffering. But upon awakening to one's inherent Buddhahood, this very same world becomes a †Pure   Land†. The purpose of practicing Zen meditation is to awaken the mind. This practice doesn’t involve just sitting quietly and trying to calm and pacify the mind. It doesn’t also entail contemplating the breath. Instead it involves direct inquiry into a hwadu. An example of a hwadu would be a question such as asking of things (what is this? or what is this mind?). What you are searching for can be called by many different names -mind, spirit, soul, true nature, and so forth -but such designations are merely labels. You should put aside all of these names and reflect on the fact that the true master of the body is more than just the label mind. The master of the body is not the Buddha (awakened), for it is not yet awakened nor is it anything material, because it cannot be physically given away or received, nor is it simply empty space, for empty space cannot pose questions or have knowledge of good and evil. There are many ways how hwadu meditation being practiced. Korean Buddhism was able to formulate and developed unique characteristics that will only be found in them. The foremost part of its characteristics is that Korean Buddhism is Seon (Zen: Japanese pronunciation of Chinese character Buddhism. Seon Buddhism follows the tradition of Juaseon or sitting meditation with Hwadu (Koan) practice. The foremost part of its characteristics is that Korean Buddhism is Seon (Zen: Japanese pronunciation of Chinese character Buddhism. Seon Buddhism follows the tradition of Juaseon or sitting meditation with Hwadu (Koan) practice. It aims to bring the human being into his or her own Buddha nature without to study complicated teachings of Buddhism. 1 (Korean Buddhism Basis of Japanese Buddhism, The Soul Times, May29, 2004). The other way is the yogic exercise. Yogic exercise involves not only the mind per se but also it involves body movements like in the form of exercise. There are lots of yogic exercises such as hatha yogic exercise which is known as yoga; physical exercises like jogging, walking, swimming and doing household chores; and yogic breathing. In yogic breathing just combine the three body positions –sitting, standing and lying on the back. To complete it, combine all the three parts- abdominal, middle and upper parts of the chest in a wave-like movement. After exhaling completely, begin to inhale, letting the abdomen come out a little, and filling the lower part of the lungs, then expanding the ribs, while slightly drawing in the stomach until finally the top part of the lungs is filled. Yogic exercise has lots of benefits not only it provides good relaxation but most of all you enjoyed it. The view points of dependent origination especially the religiosity of hwadu meditation is believing and doing the things as they are. Dependent origination is a doctrine that believing the entire teaching of Buddha. They believe in meditation practice especially in tranquility and insight. Buddha taught also breathe, visualization practice and among other as conducive to mental cultivation†¦ Peaceful reflection then gives rise to happiness or bliss, which in turn leads to a state of â€Å"Samadhi† or deep unshakeable concentration. In dependent origination, human being is believed to be anxious and struggle to fulfill their desire which is impossible for anyone to do. The more they search, the more anxious they become. Suffering follows all the way. There is no balance and fulfillment because people's minds are dominated by Ignorance. Therefore, imperfection will always be present. Zen Buddhists are generally known as the â€Å"meditation Buddhists†. Zazen is a particular kind of meditation which is unique to Zen that functions centrally as the very heart of the practice. Basically, zazen is the study of the self. References: Korean Buddhism Basis of Japanese Buddhism. The Seoul Times, May 29, 2004. The Seoul   Times, May 29, 2004 http://www.buddhistnews.tv/current/kr-buddhism-290504.php On Dependent Origination† by Ryuei Michael McCormick   2002. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koan http://www.indiangyan.com/books/yogabooks/yoga_harmony/complete  Ã‚   yogic_breathing.shtml