Communicative Language Teaching: The Origins

Communicative Language Teaching: The Origins This chapter is devoted to the CLT approach, its origins and major features. Also the chapter sheds the light on grammar, how it is handled in language teaching, the way it is defined and lastly, and perhaps most importantly, its role in CLT. 3.1 Communicative Language Teaching CLT is an approach to the teaching of second and foreign languages that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language. It is also referred to as communicative approach to the teaching of foreign languages or simply the communicative approach. 3.1.1 The Origins Educators such as Richards and Rodgers, Savignon, and Sano state that the origins of communicative language teaching are many, in so far as one teaching methodology tends to influence the next. Sano (1984:171) says that the communicative approach could be said to be the product of educators and linguists who had grown dissatisfied with the audio-lingual and grammar-translation method of foreign language instruction. Richards and Rodgers (1986:93), on the other hand, claim that the origins of CLT are to be found in the changes of situational language teaching approaches, which influenced the British language teaching tradition till the late 1960s. 29 Meanwhile, Savignon (1991:262) asserts that the emergence of CLT can be traced to concurrent developments on both sides of the Atlantic, i.e., in Europe and the United States. Educators and linguists e.g., Candlin (1981: 121) and Widdowson (1978: 61) saw the need to focus in language teaching on communicative proficiency rather than on mere mastery of structures. They felt that students were not learning enough realistic, whole language in those methods, i.e., situational language teaching, audio-lingual or grammar-translation method. Students did not know how to communicate using appropriate social languages, gestures, or expressions; in brief, they were at loss to communicate in the cultures of the language studied. In respect of this point, Widdowson remarks the following: The problem is that students, and especially students in developing countries, who have received several years of formal English teaching, frequently remain deficient in the ability to actually use the language, and to understand its use, in normal communication, whether in spoken or written mode (1972:15). Similarly, Howatt says that the original motivation for adopting a communicative approach in the early seventies was remedial, an attempt to overcome the inadequacies of existing, structural syllabuses, materials, and methods (1984:287). To put simply, the rapid application of these ideas by textbook writers; and the equally rapid acceptance of these new principles by British language teaching specialists, curriculum development centers, and even governments gave prominence nationally and internationally to what came to be referred to as communicative approach. There was a positive response from linguists, methodologists, and classroom teachers offering the best hope for the elaboration and diffusion of language teaching methods and materials that work, encourage and support learners in the development of their communicative competence (Savignon, 1991: 264). Although the movement began as largely British innovations focusing on alternative conceptions of a syllabus since the mid 1970s, the scope of communicative language teaching has expanded. Interest in and the development of communicative style teaching mushroomed in those years; authentic language use and classroom exchanges where students engaged in real communication with one another became quite popular. Also, numerous textbooks for teachers and teacher trainers expound on the nature of communicative approaches and offer techniques for varying ages and purposes (Brown, 1994: 217). It is this socio-linguistic perspective, which is the unifying principle and the driving force behind a communicative approach to language teaching (Sano, 1984: 174) Although this socio-linguistic approach is basically a language theory rather than a learning theory, taking into account Richards and Rodgers definition of approach, CLT encompasses a theory of language and a theory of language learning, and see it as an approach than a method. Briefly, they define an approach as a set of theories about the nature of language and of language learning. It is axiomatic, as it takes a number of assumptions as a starting point. A method, on the other hand, is the level at which theory is put into practice and at which choices are made about the particular skills to be taught, the content to be taught, and the order in which the content will be presented. Besides, these writers claim, at the level of language theory, CLT has a rich, if somewhat eclectic theoretical base (1986:102). 3.1.2 Language Theory The rise of interest in the individual and in relationships among individuals, which characterized the sixties, marked the emergence of socio-linguistics, that branch of science where sociology and linguistics meet. A new light was shed on language, not simply as a system of structurally related elements, which form a rule, but as a vehicle for the expression of meaning and social interaction. In other words, the structural view was supplemented with a functional, a semantic and interactional view. It was this idea of language as communication that started off the whole communicative movement (Savignon, 1991: 266). And it was Hymes (1972) that made history by challenging Chomskys view on linguistic competence, and replacing it by the notion of communicative competence (cited in Savignon, 1991: 269). In the words of Canale and Swain (1980:7) communicative competence refers to the interaction between grammatical competence, or knowledge of the rules of grammar, and socio-linguistic competence, or knowledge of the rules of language use. In other words, rules of use and rules of usage are complementary and not mutually exclusive. According to them; the primary goal of a communicative approach must be to facilitate the integration of these two types of knowledge for the learner (1980: 25). Savignon notes that communicative competence characterizes the ability of language learners to interact with other speakers to make meaning, and [it] is relative, not absolute, and depends on the cooperation of all the participants involved (1983:9). Broadly speaking, communicative competence is an aspect convey and interpret messages and to negotiate meanings interpersonally within specific contexts. According to the socio-linguistic theory, the act of communication is seen not as basically an exchange of linguistic messages, but rather as a social phenomenon in which the use of language plays a part. In the field of the ethnography of communication, which Stern (1983:220) defines as the study of the individuals communicative activity in its social setting. language is a sub-ordinate, yet integrated part of social and situational systems, which are actually behavior patterns. Halliday argues the existence of a semantic network which is the linguistic realization of patterns of behavior. He postulates that the more we are able to relate the options in grammatical system to meaning potential in social contexts and behavioral settings, the more insight we shall gain into the nature of the language system (1978:44). In his functional account of language use, Halliday has criticized Chomskys linguistic, theory of competence. He says Linguistics is concerned with the description of speech acts or texts, since only through the study of language in use are all the functions of language, and therefore all components of meaning, brought into focus (1970:145). This view complements Hymes opinion of communicative competence, and we can only understand language if we view it as an instrument or as a communicative tool. To which Widdowson (1979:50) adds that once we accept the need to teach language as communication, we can obviously no longer think of language in te rms only of sentences. This statement provides the justification for the emphasis on discourse in CLT. 3.1.3 Learning Theory In contrast to the amount that has been written in CLT literature about communicative dimensions of language, little has been written about learning theory. However, two of the general learning theories, which emphasize common features among learners, are cognitive theory and skills theory. 3.1.3.1 Cognitive Theory According to cognitive theory, learning involves the ability to understand, to anticipate, and to relate new information to pre-existing mental structures. This focus on meaningful learning is derived from an attempt to make sense of the world. The heavy reliance of CLT practitioners on the mental schema theory is exemplified by Brumfits statement that new learning must be closely assimilated with what is already known, and if language is being learnt for use, then new learning must be directly associated with use (1979:189). Hence, at the level of learning theory this view supports Hallidays claim about the semantic network as a bridge between linguistic form and behaviour pattern, a link between words and the world. As Stern (1983:261) posits The learner must become a participant in a real-life context of language use as a condition of effective learning. Macdonough (1981:27) describes the cognitive process as hypothesis testing, and adds, significantly, that rules can only be found if the risk of error is run (ibid: 29). This view is reflected in the great tolerance of CLT towards errors. Errors are not to be avoided at all cost; they are not to be seen as evidence of non-learning, but being an external manifestation of the continual revision of the inter-language system. They are essential elements in the learning process. 3.1.3.2 Skills Theory This theory emphasizes the importance of cognitive learning and practice. However, advocates of this theory reject mechanical practice altogether as being totally irrelevant to genuine learning. Skills theory links mental and behavioural aspects of performance through a hierarchically organized set of plans, in which low level of automation is necessary to free attention for high level of planning. In this regard, Littlewood states the following: The cognitive aspect involves the internalization of plans for Creating appropriate behaviour. For language use, these plans derive mainly from the language system they include grammatical rules, procedures for selecting vocabulary, and social conventions governing speech. The behavioural aspect involves the automation of these plans so that they can be converted into fluent performance in real time. This occurs mainly through practice in converting plans into performance (1984:74). Skill practice is considered as a legitimate learning principle (Richards and Rodgers 1986), provided that it offers natural options of language use which reproduce the kinds of choice that occur in spontaneous communication (Stern 1983:260). 3.1.4 Major Features CLT is, relatively, a newly adapted approach in the area of foreign/second language teaching. CLT is a hybrid approach to language teaching, essentially progressive rather than traditional. (Wright 2000: 7). CLT can be seen to derive from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes, at least, linguistics, psychology, philosophy, sociology and educational research (Savignon 1991:271). It is generally accepted that, proponents of CLT see it as an approach, not a method (See Richards and Rodgers 1986; Savignon 1991; Brown 1994). For Brown, for instance, [Communicative language teaching] is a unified but broadly- based theoretical position about the nature of language and language learning and teaching(1994: 244-245). He further maintains that though it is difficult to synthesize all of the various definitions that have been offered, the following four interconnected characteristics could be taken as a definition of CLT: 1. Classroom goals are focused on all of the components of communicative competence and not restricted to grammatical or linguistic competence. 2. Language teaching techniques are designed to engage learners in the pragmatic, authentic, functional use of language for meaningful purposes. Language forms are not the central focus but rather aspects of language that enable the learner to accomplish those purposes. 3. Fluency and accuracy are seen as complementary principles underlying communicative techniques. At times fluency may have to take on more importance than accuracy in order to keep learners meaningfully engaged in language use. 4. In the communicative classroom, students ultimately have to use the language, productively and receptively, in unrehearsed contexts (Brown, 1994: 245). The communicative approach is a hazy concept, which can have a variety of meanings along the continuum between a strong version and a weak one. Johnson (1979: 155) argues that the weak version attempts to integrate communicative activities into an existing programme, where as the strong version claims that language is acquired through communication. According to Howatt (1984: 279) the weak version, which became more or less the standard practice in the late 70s and early 80s of the last century, stresses the importance of providing learners with opportunities to use their English for communicative purposes and, characteristically, attempts to integrate such activities into a wider program of language teaching. As for the strong version of communicative teaching it advances the claim that language is acquired through communication, so that it is not merely a question of activating an existing but inert knowledge of the language, but of stimulating the development of the language system itself. If the former could be described as learning to use English, the latter entails using English to learn it (ibid). Howatt adds that creating information gap activities, games, role-plays, dramas, simulations etc., are some of the exercise types in the weak versions of CLT. Although we have different versions and various ways in which CLT is interpreted and applied, educators in the area, Richards and Rodgers (1986, 2001); Littlewood (1981); Finocchiaro and Brumfit (1983); Brumfit (1984); Candlin (1981); Widdowson (1978, 1979); Johnson and Morrow (1981);; Larsen-Freeman (1986); Celce- Murcia (1991b) and Johnson (1982), put some of the major characteristics of CLT as they are presented in the following subsections. 3.1.4.1 Emphasis on Language Function It is felt that students need knowledge of the linguistic form, meaning and functions. However, CLT gives primary importance to the use or function of the language and secondary importance to its structure or form (Larsen-Freeman 1986: 88; Johnson 1982:63). This does not mean that knowledge of grammar is not essential for effective communication, rather systematic treatment of both functions and forms is vital. Stressing on this, Littlewood says one of the most characteristic features of communicative language teaching is that it pays systematic attention to functional as well as structural aspects of language (1981: 1). CLT suggests that grammatical structure might better be subsumed under various functional categorieswe pay considerably less attention to the overt presentation and discussion of grammatical rules than we traditionally did (Brown, 1994: 245). Emphasis is also given to meaning (messages they are creating or task they are completing) rather than form (correctness of language and language structure). For Finocchiaro and Brumfit meaning is paramount (1983:91) since it helps the learners to manage the message they engage with the interlocutors. 3.1.4.2 Fluency and Accuracy Fluency and accuracy are seen as complementary principles underlying communicative techniques (Brown, 1994:245). However, at times fluency may have to take on more importance than accuracy because fluency and acceptable language is the primary goal (Finocchiaro and Brumfit 1983:93) and accuracy is judged not in the abstract but in contexts. Fluency is emphasized over accuracy in order to keep learners meaningfully engaged in language use. It is important, however, that fluency should never be encouraged at the expense of clear, unambiguous, direct communication. And much more spontaneity is present in communicative classrooms (Brown, 1994: 246) 3.1.4.3 Teaching Techniques Language teaching techniques are designed to engage learners in the pragmatic, authentic, functional use of language for meaningful purposes. Classrooms should provide opportunities for rehearsal of real-life situations and provide opportunity for real communication. Emphasis on creative role plays, simulations, dramas, games, projects, etc., is the major activities which can help the learner provide spontaneity and improvisation, not just repetition and drills. Another characteristic of the classroom process is the use of authentic materials because it is felt desirable to give students the opportunity to develop the strategies for understanding language as it is actually used by native speakers. In the classroom, everything is done with a communicative intent. Information gap, choice and feedback are thought to be truly communicative activities (Johnson and Morrow, 1981: 25). 3.1.4.4 Grammar Teaching Grammar can still be taught, but less systematically, in traditional ways along side more innovative approaches. Savignon (2002:5) says for the development of communicative ability [communication depends on grammar], research findings overwhelmingly support the integration of form-focused exercises with meaning-focused experience. Grammar is important; and learners seem to focus best on grammar when it relates to their communicative needs and experiences. Disregard of grammar will virtually guarantee breakdown in communication (Thompson, 1996: 10). These writers also say that there are some misconceptions about CLT that makes difficult for many teachers to see clearly what is happening and to identify the useful innovations that CLT has brought. One of the persistent misconceptions is that CLT means not teaching grammar although the exclusion of explicit attention to grammar was never necessary part of CLT (ibid). In CLT involvement in communicative event is seen as central to language development, and this involvement necessarily requires attention to form (structure). In fact, it is certainly understandable that there was a reaction against the heavy emphasis on structure at the expense of natural communication. Nonetheless, it would seem foolish to make mistakes on the side of using communicative approach exclusively and totally disregard grammar teaching. Regarding this, Celce-Murcia comments: In spite of the intuitive appeal and the anecdotal evidence Supporting proposal for exclusively communicative language teaching, there is equally appealing and anecdotal evidence that grammarless approach. can lead to the development of a broken, ungrammatical, pidgenized form of the target language beyond which students rarely progress (1991a:462). Savignon also remarks that, communicative language teaching does not necessarily mean the rejection of familiar materials [grammar](2002:7). Rivers in her famous statement strengthened Savignons remark in that Saying that we do not need to teach grammar is like saying that we can have a chicken walking around without bones (cited in Arnold, 1994: 122). Nowadays, it seems that educators accept that an appropriate amount of class time should be devoted to grammar, but this does not mean a simple return to a traditional treatment of rules. Rather the focus has now moved away from the teacher covering to the learners discovering grammar (Thompson, 1996: 11). 3.1.4.5 Skills and Activities Communicative approach is not limited to oral skills. Reading and writing skills need to be developed to promote pupils confidence in all four skills areas. Students work on all four skills from the beginning, i.e., a given activity might involve reading, speaking, listening, and perhaps also writing (Celce-Murcia, 1991b: 78). Of course, oral communication is seen to take place through negotiation between speaker(s) and listener(s) (most likely among students), so too is the interaction between the reader and writer, but with no immediate feedback from the reader. Hence, in the classroom, emphasis is given to oral and listening skills, as contact time with language is important. It paves way for more fluid command of the language. Learners do not hear the teacher all the time, but having personal contact themselves, practicing sounds themselves, working on the permutation of sentence patterns and getting chance to make mistakes and learn from doing so. The idea of emphasizing the oral skills creates uncertainty among teachers. They misconceived CLT as if it were devoted to teaching only speaking. But, CLT is not exclusively concerned with face to face oral communication (Savignon, 2002:7). The principles of CLT apply equally to reading and writing activities that engage readers and writers in the interpretation, expression, and negotiation of meaning. In other words, it is important to recognize that it is not only the speaker (or writer) who is communicating. Instead, communication through language happens in both the written and spoken medium, and involves at least two people. Thompson (1996:13) further states that, though there is a complaint that CLT ignores written language, a glance at recent mainstream textbooks shows that reading and writing materials have been given attention too. 3.1.4.6 Pair Work and Group Work Students regularly work in groups or pairs to transfer (and if necessary to negotiate) meaning in situations where one person has information that others lack (Celce-Murcia, 1991b: 82). More emphasis should be given to active modes of learning such as pair or group work in problem-solving tasks in order to maximize the time allotted to each student for learning to negotiate meaning. Many people assume group/pair work is applicable in all contexts. However, classroom group and/or pair work should not be considered an essential feature used all the time, and may well be inappropriate in some contexts (ibid). Thompson (1996:12) and Savignon (2002: 6) claim that group and/or pair work are flexible and useful techniques than that suggests, and they are active modes of learning which can help the learners to negotiate meaning and engage in problem-solving activities. The use of pair/group work is a physical signal of some degree of control and choice passing to the learners; but that needs to be complemented by real choice (learners need to be given some degree of control over their learning). Therefore, the use of pair/group work needs to be complemented by real choice for the following reasons: (1) they can provide the learners with a relatively safe opportunity to try out ideas before launching them in public; (2)they can lead to more developed ideas, and therefore greater confidence and more effective communication; (3) they can also provide knowledge and skills which may complement those of their partners which in turn lead to greater success in undertaking tasks (Thompson, 1996:13). 3.1.4.7 Errors and Correction Errors are seen as a natural outcome of the development of the communication skills and are therefore tolerated. Learners trying their best to use the language creatively and spontaneously are bound to make errors. Constant correction is unnecessary and even counter-productive. Correction noted by the teacher should be discreet. Let the students talk and express themselves and the form of the language becomes secondary. If errors of form are tolerated and are seen as a natural outcome of the development of communication skills, students can have limited linguistic knowledge and still be successful communicators (Larsen-Freeman, 1986: 121). 3.1.4.8 Evaluation Sano (1984: 176) states that evaluation is carried out in terms of fluency and accuracy. Students who have the most control of the structures and vocabulary are not necessarily the best communicators. A teacher may use formal evaluation i.e., he/she is likely to use a communicative test, which is an integrative and has a real communicative function (e.g., Madsen, 1983; Hughes, 1989). Larsen-Freeman (1986: 132) points out that the teacher can also informally evaluate his students performance in his role as an advisor or co-communicator. Savigonon, (1991: 275: ; 2002: 4) reports that the communicative approach follows global, qualitative evaluation of learner achievement as opposed to quantitative assessment of discrete linguistic features. 3.1.4.9 Native Language Use The students native language has no role to play (Larsen Freeman, 1986: 135). The target language is used both during communicative activities and for the purpose of classroom management. The students learn from these classroom management exchanges, and realize that the target language is a vehicle for communication. Whatever the case may be, the teacher should be able to use the target language fluently and appropriately (Celce-Murcia, 1991b: 8). However, for others (e.g., Finocchiaro and Brumfit, 1983: 98) judicious use of native language is accepted where feasible. Teachers may provide directions of homework, class work and test directions by using the native language. 3.1.4.10 Teachers Role The teacher is the facilitator of students learning, manager of classroom activities, advisor during activities and a co-communicator engaged in the communicative activity along with the students (Littlewood, 1981: 9; Breen and Candlin, 1980: 90). But he does not always himself interact with students; rather he acts as an independent participant. Other roles assumed for the teacher are needs analyst, counselor, researcher and learner. Students, on the other hand, are more responsible managers of their own learning. They are expected to interact with other people, either in the flesh, through pair and group work, or in the writings. They are communicators and actively engaged in negotiating meaning in trying to make themselves understood. They learn to communicate by communicating (Larsen-Freeman, 1986: 142). Above all, since the teachers role is less dominant; the teaching/learning process is student-centered rather than teacher-centered. In other words, it is the learner who plays a great role in a large proportion of the process of learning. 3.2 Grammar and Grammars Yule (1996: 87) states that each adult speaker of a language clearly has some type of mental grammar, that is, a form of internal linguistic knowledge which operates in the production and recognition of appropriately structured expressions in that language. This grammar is subconscious and is not the result of any teaching. A second, and quite different, concept of grammar involves what might be considered linguistic etiquette, that is, the identification of the proper or best structures to be used in a language. A third view of grammar involves the study and analysis of the structures found in a language, usually with the aim of establishing a description of the grammar of English, for example, as distinct from the grammar of other languages. Linguists define grammar as a set of components: phonetics (the production and perception of sounds), phonology (how sounds are combined), morphology (the study of forms, or how elements are combined to create words), syntax (how words are strung together into sentences), and semantics or meaning. Because all languages are characterized by these components, by definition, language does not exist without grammar (VanPatten, 1990:288). However, grammar has not always been defined in these terms. Originally, the term grammar, grammatica, referred to the art of writing, as compared to rhetoric, rettorica, the art of speaking. As used today by many teachers and learners, grammar is loosely understood to be a set of rules that govern language, primarily its morphology and syntax. But morphology and syntax are only two components of grammar (Chamot Kupper, 1989: 15). Actually the word grammar has been defined rather differently by various grammarians and dictionary writers. According to Crystal (2003:207), grammar is systematic description of a language. Also, Widdowson describes that grammar is the name given to the knowledge of how words are adapted and arranged to form sentences (1988: 147; cited in Shih-Chuan Chang, 2011: 14). Still other definitions of the term specify the scope of grammar. In fact, grammar is multi-dimensional (Kennedy, 1987: 165) and has multi-meanings. It is generally thought to be a set of rules for choosing words and putting words together to make sense. Every language has grammar. It has been held that if a language is a building, the words are bricks and the grammar is the architects plan. One may have a million bricks, but do not make a building without a plan. Similarly, if a person knows a million English words, but he doesnt know how to put them together, then he cannot speak English (Karavas, 1996: 189). In other words, grammar is a framework to describe languages. 3.2.1 Grammar in Language Teaching The role of grammar is perhaps one of the most controversial issues in language teaching. In the early parts of the twentieth century, grammar teaching formed an essential part of language instruction, so much that other aspects of language learning were either ignored or downplayed. The argument was that if one knew the grammatical rules of the language, he would be able to use it for communication. This concept was strongly challenged in the early 1970s (Ellis, 2006: 90). Knowledge of the grammatical system of the language, it was argued, was but one of the many components which underlay the notion of communicative competence. To be considered a competent user of a language, one needs to know not only the rules of grammar, but also how the rules are used in real communication. During this period, grammar teaching became less prominent, and in some cases, was abandoned (Hudson, 1998: 12). In recent years, grammar teaching has regained its rightful place in the language curriculum. People now agree that grammar is too important to be ignored, and that without a good knowledge of grammar, learners language development will be severely constrained. There is now a general consensus that the issue is not whether or not we should teach grammar. The issue now centers on questions such as, which grammar items do learners need most? How do we go about teaching grammar items in the most effective way? And are they best taught inductively or deductively? (Tomlinson, 1994: 22). In fa

Pat Lyon At The Forge Essay -- John Neagle Artist Painter

Pat Lyon at The Forge John Neagle painted the portrait "Pat Lyon at the Forge" between 1826 and 1827. Just 50 years after the beginning of the American Revolution, this painting shows how much America had evolved. Neagle's portrait is a powerful "celebration of productive labor" (p 281) and the, "entrepreneurial and commercial energies that 'transformed' the country" (p 8). It conveys the notion of 'republican equality' (p 241) that Wood discusses and how was important it was to the leaders of the Revolution. While portraits had earlier been an 'exclusive luxury of the aristocracy' (p 354), Neagle's portrait is a break from that tradition. The painting depicts a blacksmith working in his forge with a young boy, possibly an apprentice, looking on behind him. Pay Lyon looks nothing like an aristocrat. He is a laborer, hard at work with his shirt unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up. In traditional European society, gentlemen didn?t work, only common people did. ?The liberality for which gentlemen were known connoted freedom ? freedom from material want?and freedom from having ...

Language and the Brain

Language and the brain Many people assume the physical basis of language lies in the lips, the tongue, or the ear. But deaf and mute people can also possess language fully. People who have no capacity to use their vocal cords may still be able to comprehend language and use its written forms. And human sign language, which is based on visible gesture rather than the creation of sound waves, is an infinitely creative system just like spoken forms of language.But the basis of sign language is not in the hand, just as spoken language is not based in the lips or tongue. There are many examples of aphasics who lose both the ability to write as well as to express themselves using sign-language, yet they never lose manual dexterity in other tasks, such as sipping with a straw or tying their shoes. Language is brain stuff–not tongue, lip, ear, or hand stuff. The language organ is the mind.More specifically, the language faculty seems to be located in certain areas of the  left hemis pheric cortex in most healthy adults. A special branch of linguistics, New medical imaging techniques such as  PET  and  fMRI  have allowed researchers to generate pictures showing which areas of a living brain are active at a given time. In the past, research was primarily based on observations of loss of ability resulting from damage to thecerebral cortex.Indeed, medical imaging has represented a radical step forward for research on speech processing. Since then, a whole series of relatively large areas of the brain have been found to be involved in speech processing. In more recent research, subcortical regions (those lying below the cerebral cortex such as the  putamen  and the  caudate nucleus) as well as the pre-motor areas (BA 6) have received increased attention.It is now generally assumed that the following structures of the cerebral cortex near the  primary and secondary auditory cortexes  play a fundamental role in speech processing: * Superior temporal gyrus  (STG):  morphosyntactic  processing (anterior section), integration of  syntactic  and  semantic  information (posterior section) * Inferior frontal gyrus  (IFG,  Brodmann area  (BA)  45/47): syntactic processing,  working memory * Inferior frontal gyrus  (IFG,  BA 44): syntactic processing, working memory * Middle temporal gyrus  (MTG):  lexical semantic  processing The left hemisphere is usually dominant in right-handed people, although bilateral activations are not uncommon in the area of syntactic processing. It is now accepted that the right hemisphere plays an important role in the processing of suprasegmental acoustic features like  prosody. Most areas of speech processing develop in the second year of life in the dominant half (hemisphere) of the brain, which often (though not necessarily) corresponds to the opposite of the  dominant hand. 8 percent of right-handed people are left-hemisphere dominant, and the majority of left-hand ed people as well. What can language disorders tell us about the brain's language areas? Tourette's syndrome, which produces random and involuntary emotive reflex responses, including vocalizations This type of disorder, which often affects language use, is caused by a disfunction in the subcortex. There is no filter which prevents the slightest stimulus from producing a vocal response, sometimes of an inappropriate manner using abusive language or expletives. These words are involuntary and often the affected individual is not even aware of uttering them (like â€Å"um† in many individuals) and only realizes it when video is played back.This syndrome is not so much a language disorder per se as a disorder of the filters on the adult emotional reflex system–a kind of expletive hiccup. True language is housed in the cortex of the left hemisphere, not in the subcortical area that controls involuntary responses. Certain types of brain damage can affect language production without actually eliminating language from the brain. A stroke that damages the muscles of the vocal apparatus may leave the abstract cognitive structure of language intact–as witnessed by the fact that right hemisphere stroke victims often understand language perfectly well and write it perfectly with their right hand–although their speech may be slurred due to lack of muscle control.We have also seen that certain disorders involving the subcortex–the seat of involuntary emotional response–may have linguistic side effects, such as in some cases of Tourette's syndrome. But what happens when the areas of the brain which control language are affected directly, and the individual's abstract command of language is affected? We will see that language disorders can shed a great deal of light on the enigma of the human language instinct. SLI. One rare language disorder seems to be inborn rather than the result of damage to a previously normal brain. I have said that children are born with a natural instinct to acquire language, the so-called LAD; however, a tiny minority of babies are born with an apparent defect in this LAD.Certain families appear to have a hereditary language acquisition disorder, labeled  specific language impairment, or  SLI. Children born with this disorder usually have normal intelligence, perhaps even high intelligence, but as children they are never able to acquire language naturally and effortlessly. They are born with their window of opportunity already closed to natural language acquisition. These children grow up without succeeding in acquiring any consistent grammatical patterns. Thus, they never command any language well–even their native language. As children and then as adults, their speech in their native language is a catalog of random grammatical errors, such as:It's a flying birds, they are. These boy eat two cookie.John is work in the factory. These errors are random, not the set patterns o f an alternate dialect:   the next conversation the same SLI-afflicted individual might say  This boys eats two cookies. These sentences, in fact, were uttered by a British teenager who is at the top of his class in mathematics; he is highly intelligent, just grammar blind. SLI sufferers are incapable of perfecting their skills through being taught, just as some people are incapable of being taught how to draw well or how to see certain colors. This is the best proof we have that the language instinct most children are born with is a skill quite distinct from general intelligence.Because SLI occurs in families and seems to have no environmental cause whatsoever, it is assumed to be caused by some hereditary factor–probably a mutant, recessive gene that interferes with or impairs the LAD. The precise gene which causes SLI has yet to be located. Aphasia We know which specific areas of the left hemisphere are involved in the production and processing of particular aspects of language. And we know this primarily from the study of patients who have had damage to certain parts of the left hemispheric cortex. Damage to this area produces a condition called  aphasia, or speech impairment (also called dysphasia in Britain). The study of language loss in a once normal brain is called  aphasiology. Aphasia is caused by damage to the language centers of the left hemisphere in the region of the  sylvian fissure.Nearly 98% of aphasia cases can be traced to damage in the  perisylvian area  of the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex. Remember, however, that in the occasional individual language is localized elsewhere; and in children language is not yet fully localized. SUMMARY Let's sum up three important facts about language and brain. First, humans are born with the innate capacity to acquire the extremely complex, creative system of communication that we call language. We are born with a  language instinct, which Chomsky calls the LAD (language a cquisition device). This language aptitude is completely different from inborn reflex responses to stimuli as laughter, sneezing, or crying.The language instinct seems to be a uniquely human genetic endowment:   nearly all children exposed to language naturally acquire language almost as if by magic. Only in rare cases are children born without this magical ability to absorb abstract syntactic patterns from their environment. These children are said to suffer from  Specific Language Impairment, or  SLI. It is thought that SLI is caused by a mutant gene which disrupts the LAD. The LAD itself, of course, is probably the result of the complex interaction of many genes–not just one–and the malfunction of some single key gene simply short-circuits the system. For example, a faulty carburetor wire may prevent an engine from running, but the engine is more than a single carburetor wire.Many thousands of genes contribute to the makeup of the human brain–more than to any other single aspect of the human body. To isolate the specific set of genes that act as the blueprint for the language organ is something no one has even begun to do. Second, the  natural ability for acquiring language normally diminished rapidly somewhere around the age of puberty. There is a  critical age  for acquiring fluent native language. This phenomenon seems to be connected with thelateralization  of language in the left hemisphere of most individuals–the hemisphere associated with  monolinear cognition  (such as abstract reasoning and step-by step physical tasks) and not the right hemisphere, which is associated with 3D spatial acuity, artistic and musical ability.Unlike adults, children seem to be able to employ both hemispheres to acquire language. In other words, one might say that children acquire language three-dimensionally while adults must learn it two dimensionally. Third and finally, in most adults  the language organ is the perisylvia n area of the left hemispheric cortex. Yesterday we discussed the extensive catalog of evidence that shows language is usually housed in this specific area of the brain. Only the human species uses this area for communication. The signals of animal systems of communication seem to be controlled by the subcortex, the area which in humans controls similar inborn response signals such as laughter, crying, fear, desire, etc.

The family from a sociological approach

The family from a sociological approach The family is the simplest form of social interaction; it forms the base of a society. Ideologies, believes, and functions undertaken in family set-up determine the kind of society that emerges in a particular area. Sociological perspectives and theories are used to define different situations in society; they try to give meaning of existence of certain social phenomenons. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The family from a sociological approach specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although major theories focus on the larger community, the family can also be explained using the similar sociological theories/ideologies (Beah,19-89). This paper diagnoses the concept of family using sociological perspectives and theories. Symbolic interaction After birth, a child is introduced to a family setting; this is where the child gets the initial socialization and life lessons starts. It is in the family that children learn values, a dapt to certain norms, have ideologies and get a sense of belonging. According to symbolic theory, people perform certain duties from the feeling they have towards others; it is in the family, a social institution that children learn to listen and respect adults, parents and value other people’s opinions. The sense of identity and belonging comes into being as the child gets emotional and psychological development. The reinforcements both negative and positive at this stage affect the later life of the child. Functionalism theory According to the theory, the family is seen as the noble most unit of a society where norms and values are learnt; it develops collective conscience among its members. According to the theory, each individual has a function to undertake. Parents have the role of providing food and shelter to their children; this helps the entire family to be maintained; children learn on adaptation attributes and how to share the available resources. Parents set b ase for goals attainment between themselves and for their children. On the other hand, children should respect their parents and perform allocated duties with decency. Home keepers and caregivers can also be taken as part of the family; they play a role in family integration and pattern maintenance.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conflict perspective According to conflicts theory, the society is thought to be under constant struggle for available resources; resources can be wealth, status and power. It sees the world to have two categories of people, the haves and the have-nots. The have-nots are constantly struggling with the haves and the haves are trying available options to oppress and dominate in the have-nots. In a family setting, there is the weaker partner, mostly the woman, she is dominated and have to be submissive to her husband. They are oppressed through income differences, culture and societal briefs. Men dominate families and they have their word as final. Although there are a number of human rights advocators challenging this theory, its effect can be trace in families. Children have to listen and not object what their parents rule; enforced by the community and the societal culture that parents should make decisions for the children. It is seen as struggle since children would not mind having their own will to make decisions. In most cases, family violence emanate from conflicts among family members. Deviance Deviance is said to have occurred in the society if a member of the society does things that contravenes what the majority think as just in most cases, it leads to punishment through correction methods operation in a certain community. In the family, there are disputes between parents and children; they are brought about as social justice is instilled especially to children. Alternatively, people have different beliefs, pe rspectives and personalities; wife and husband may have such differences making them conflict that might result to deviance like domestic violence, rape, abandonment and selfishness. In most societies, culture has a way of solving domestic violence; all that parents need to do is consult the right people with the differences they have. Children on the other hand may deviate from the norms of a family leading to conflict; if they are deviant, then the family will use correction methods put in place to correct such occurrences (Beah,19-89). Social stratification Stratification is division of different classes of people into different social status defined by wealth, status and power. Though in a family, set up the stratification may not be seen out rightly, it exists. Dominating partner in a family is mostly the one who is financially better off while the other is oppressed and has no option than to lie low. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The family from a sociological approach specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The dominant spouse can be said to be in a high social class while the other is in a lower social class. The case above of dominance and unconscious division of power is seen as social stratification in the family. Success in education in children or spouses brings social stratification where the well-performed party feels to have an upper hand than the rest. Childhoods and teen violence When one is talking of domestic violence, what comes in mind is wife or husband violence; in most case women are on the receiving end, they are subjected to physical, psychological and emotional violence. However the scope of domestic violence extend far beyond this believe to include child abuse and the effects that such abuse have on a child. The most common types of violence within the family are wife abuse and child abuse. Violence in this sense may include slaps, pushes, sexual abuse, battering, an d use of abusive words. A research conducted by in United States of America, shown that each year over 3.3 children suffer from domestic violence. The recognition of this is affected by lack of data that can be used for the analysis. The effect is mostly psychological, emotional and sometimes physical. The most noted one is physical and thus emotional and psychological remains not recorded (Beah,19-89). Children are sometimes the subject of war and they suffer from beatings and physical injury; when such a case happens, then the child is more likely to become violent at his later stages in life; this creates another relationship of domestic violence and violence of children and teens: Violence among children and teens (V.C.T.) = f (domestic violence (D.V.)) Child behavior development The environment they are brought up in shapes the behavior of children; in case his families are violent, the behavior that the child will develop is likely to be inclined to that angle. A family is a sociological unit, which includes parents and children. The environment that he grows in will shape the kind of behavior that a child has the relationship is as follows Children behaviour (C.B) = f (domestic violence (D.V.)) Self-esteem The family as the simplest unit of a society moulds children self-esteem; self-esteem means the self-value that human beings hold. If a child is brought up in a violent family, his/her sense of esteem is lowered. The relationship will be as follows:Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Child’s self-esteem (C.E) = f (domestic violence (D.V.)) Conclusions A family is the smallest unit of a society; it has all elements of a society at micro level. When analyzing family concepts and ideologies, sociologists use sociological theories to explain different situations/circumstances within the social unit. Income, education, and societal norms are the major players in maintaining social stratification within the family. Work Cited Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone:Â  Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. New York: Farrar, 2008. Print.

Atlas Group Research

Atlas Group Research Free Online Research Papers The foundation of the Atlas Group was laid in 1962 with the establishment of Shirazi Investments Limited with a capital of half a million rupees and three men doing business in trading shares and real estate in Pakistan. Now, Shirazi Investments is now one of the leading investment companies in Pakistan, engaged in trading shares, fund management, underwriting, real estate and warehousing. The company has played a key role in the promotion and acquisition of the Atlas Group of Companies. Shirazi Investments (Pvt) Limited, the parent company of the Atlas Group, started operations in 1962. It is engaged in capital market, fund management, under-writing, real estate, warehousing and venture capital investments to name a few of the operations. Shirazi Investments (Pvt) Limited took on the key role in sponsoring the acquisition of many group companies. Until 1978, when management agencies were abolished in Pakistan, Shirazi Investments also acted as managing agents for all Atlas Group com panies. The growth of the Atlas Group is the result of its focus on good corporate governance. Today Atlas Group is a diversified group dealing in engineering, financial services and trading. It consists of seven public limited companies out of which six are quoted on the Stock Exchanges in Pakistan, and five private limited companies. Atlas shareholders equity now stands over 25 billion rupees; assets have increased to over 60 billion rupees; personnel strength is over 7000 and annual sales have crossed 60 billion rupees. The Group paid taxes of rupees. 15 billion over 2% of the total government revenues. All this progress is due to the Groups reliance on the intellectual capital, dedicated efforts and team spirit of all the stakeholders. Today my assignment research topics will talks about one of the subsidiary companies of the Atlas Group in Pakistan. The company that I chose for my research topic is called Atlas Battery Limited. The battery company is established in 1966 in Karachi, Pakistan. The company pioneered the manufacture of dry charged hard rubber batteries in Pakistan. It produced automotive and motorcycle batteries packs. The batteries are classified as light, medium and heavy batteries type. Now the company manufactures a complete range of polypropylene and hard rubber batteries which caters to the needs of passenger cars of varied capacities, trucks, tractors, heavy vehicles, construction and road building equipment, as well as host of stationary and industrial applications. Motorcycle batteries have also been added to this range. The company has always been at the vanguard of development in the automotive industry in Pakistan making great strides in the fields of research and development. The AGS bra nd has, over the years, earned a solid reputation as a product of latest Japanese technology with consistently high levels of performance and reliability. The sustained and continued high level of quality is ensured by Atlas Battery Limited’s Quality Department with its exacting standards and state-of-the-art lab facilities manned by highly trained professionals monitoring the quality of batteries being produced. The focal point of the company’s philosophy is customer satisfaction through continued product excellence. Atlas Battery Limited is always aggressively pursuing new ways to serve the needs of the consumers better, and in line with that vision, Atlas Battery has recently test-marketed a new type of battery, which is set to become the industrial standard amongst the car manufacturers in the near future. Atlas Battery Limited aims at maintaining its lead in technology with the help of its in-house research and development program, interfacing with Japan Storage Battery Company Limited. Atlas Battery Limited’s technological superiority is matched by its vast national network of over 600 dealers and retail outlets ensuring availability and prompt delivery of its products. All our regional and zonal offices are equipped with service center and are staffed with trained to provide technical personnel to provide an efficient service backup. The technical personnel also regularl y tour their sales and territories monitoring service needs, problem and trouble-shooting. Our associates are ably supported by a steady supply of instruments and equipment imported and supplied by us, to enable them to carry out testing and repairing services with prompt attention and efficient resolution of operational complaints. Atlas Battery Limited ‘s goal is to achieve market leadership through technological edge, distinguished by quality service and customers’ satisfaction, emphasis on employees long term welfare and ensure adequate return to shareholders. It also aims to be a good corporate citizen of the society and country through harmonized endeavor. Board of directors: Chairman Yusuf H. Shirazi Chief Executive Officer Talha Saad Directors Aitzaz Shabaz Hiroshi Tateiwa Iftikhar H. Shirazi Javaid Anwar Muhammad Atta Karim Company secretary Muhammad Iqbal The company’s stand out points: Vast experience of more than 30 years, having been incorporated in 1966 in collaboration with Japan Storage Battery Company Limited Leading OEM Motorcycle battery manufacturer in Pakistan. Pioneer in Dry-Charge and Heavy Duty Batteries. The only battery company in the industry having a joint venture with a foreign company (G.S. Yuasa Japan). The first company to launch free maintenance batteries in Pakistan. Equipped with sophisticated Laboratory having the latest equipment for testing the performance of battery and Spectrophotometer of testing metals engaged in manufacturing of lead acid batteries. The key technical and management staffs are foreign qualified and trained. First one to introduce UPS, CNG, Diesel Rickshaw Batteries. Frequent visits by Japanese battery experts to ensure the international quality. Well-equipped In-house research development facility. Automatic assembly plant. Obtained ISO-9002 Certificate for Quality Standard. Obtained World Quality Commitment Award, awarded by BID Madrid, Spain. Largest dealer and service network in Pakistan. The 2nd largest manufacturer of automotive batteries; therefore tries that much harder to beat the market leader in quality. Photo sample of automotive batteries Customers for light batteries: Atlas Honda Ltd. Dawood Yamaha Ltd. Delta Innovations Ltd. Fateh Motors Ltd. Sindh Engineering (Pvt.) Ltd. Super Asia Motors Ltd. D.S. Motors N.J. Auto Industries (Pvt.) Ltd. Customers for medium and heavy batteries Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Ltd. Pak Suzuki Motor Company Ltd. Indus Motor Company Ltd. Dewan Farooque Motors Ltd. Sigma Motors (Pvt.) Ltd. Ghandhara Nissan Ltd. Master Motor Corporation Ltd. Competitor’s battery companies: Goliath Automotive Battery Company Limited Exide Pakistan Limited Pakistan Accumulators Ltd Qalandri Battery Limited (Source extracted from atlasbattery.com.pk/) b) Collection and Analysis of Data Financial Ratio Analysis A statistic has little value in isolation. Hence, a profit figure of 100 million is meaningless unless it is related to either the firm’s turnover (sales revenue) or the value of its assets. Ratios are very important in standardizing the numbers and facilitate comparisons. It will also reflect the weakness and strengths of the company. Accounting ratios attempt to highlight the relationships between significant items in the accounts of a firm. Financial ratios are the analyst’s microscope; they allow them to get a better view of the firm’s financial health than just looking at the raw financial statements Ratios are used by both internal and external analysts Internal uses: Planning Evaluation of management External uses: Credit granting Performance monitoring Investment decisions Making of policies Categories of Financial Ratios The accounting ratios can be grouped in to five categories: 1. Liquidity Ratios shows the extent to which the firm can meet its financial obligations. An asset’s liquidity describes the ease with which it can be converted to cash. This ratio evaluates a firm’s ability to generate sufficient cash to meet its short-term obligations. 2. Asset Management Ratios shows that how effectively the firm is managing its assets. This ratio is used to measure the firms success in managing its assets to generate sales. For example, these ratios can provide insight into the success of the firms credit policy and inventory management. 3. Debt Management Ratios or also known as Solvency Ratio shows the extent to which a firm uses debt financing or financial leverages. It showed the company’s ability to meet the obligations created by its long-term debt. This ratio will indicate the company’s level of debts standing. 4. Profitability Ratios relates profits to sales and assets. Profit is the ease with which a company generates income. This ratio measures the company’s past performances and helps to predict its future profitability level. 5. Market Value Ratios are a measure of the return on investment. This ratio relates an observable market value, the stock price, to book values obtained from the firms financial statements. (Source extracted from bized.co.uk/compfact/ratios/index.html) Financial Analysis Comparison: Liquidity Ratio Year 2006 Year 2007 Remarks a) Current Ratio 1.53 1.24 Standard Ratio: 2. The ratio dropped from 1.53 in year 2006 to 1.24 in year 2007. Its liquidity position is weak. b) Quick Ratio 4.86 0.38 The quick ratio dropped significantly from 4.86 in year 2006 to 0.38 in year 2007. The company ability to pay short term debts in weak and deteriorating. Asset Management Ratio Year 2006 Year 2007 Remarks a) Inventory Turnover Ratio 5.55 5.2 The ratio dropped from 5.55 in year 2006 to 5.2 in year 2007.This is not good because the company inventory’s ability to convert into cash is decreasing. b) Days Sales Outstanding Ratio 13.96 11.9 The company is more effective in collecting receivables in year 2007 in comparison to the previous year. c) Fixed Asset Turnover Ratio 5.04 5.1 The ratio is improved as in year 2006, it was 5.04 times and now it has been slightly increased to 5.1 times. The company is able to generate sales more from the fixed assets. d) Total Asset Turnover Ratio 2.15 2.1 The productivity of assets in year 2007 is not as good as it was in previous years. In 2006, it was 2.15 times and now it has been decreased to 2.1 times. Debt Management Ratio Year 2006 Year 2007 Remarks a) Debt Ratio 53 55 This is not good as the debt of the company increased by 2% to 55% in year 2007. b) Time Interest Earned Ratio 4.7 6.5 The company is able to cover the interest expense at a higher margin of safety. Profitability Ratio Year 2006 Year 2007 Remarks a) Profit Margin Ratio 3.42 5.5 The company has been successful in raising their sales to 5.5 in year 2007 and thus increases the profitability. b) Return on Asset Ratio 7.34 11.5 The company has been able to use its total assets more efficiently over these years and have been successful in raising net profit as well. c) Return on Equity Ratio 15.62 26 The company has been able to raise the value of the investments by 11% in year 2007 made by the shareholders. Market Value Ratio Year 2006 Year 2007 Remarks a) Price Earning Ratio 9.5 11.7 The companys earning per share has been increased by 2.2 to 11.7 times in year 2007. b) Price Cash Flow Ratio 2.46 4.82 The companys price per share has increased to 4.82 in year 2007. 5 Forces Analysis Method: In this research, I will use the Five Forces model method as the framework for industry analysis. Just a brief introduction, the 5 forces model is developed by Michael E. Porter and acts as an analysis method that is used as business unit strategy tool to make an analysis of the attractiveness value of an industry structure. (Michael Porter). The five competitive forces model is probably one of the most often used business strategy tools and have proven its usefulness on numerous occasions. Porters model is particularly strong in thinking outside-in. The Five Forces Analysis helps the marketer to contrast a competitive environment. It has similarities with other tools for environmental audit, such as PEST analysis, but tends to focus on the single, stand alone, business or Strategic Business Unit rather than a single product or range of products. The competitive forces analyses are made by the identification of 5 fundamental competitive forces as shown in the diagram below: (Source from training material handouts on Topic 5: IS and Competitive Edge, by Mr. Low Kok Han) As you can see from the diagram above, the 5 forces analysis looks at the key areas namely the threat of new entry, the power of buyers, the power of suppliers, the threat of substitutes, and competitive rivalry. These 5 forces elements are major challenges that are faced by any business company around the world in today’s time. The threat of new entry o Profitable markets that yield high returns will draw firms. This results in many new entrants, which will effectively decrease profitability. Unless the entry of new firms can be blocked by incumbents, the profit rate will fall towards a competitive level. It is not only incumbent rivals that pose a threat to firms in an industry but the possibility that new firms may enter the industry also affects the market competitions. o All products are subject to rivalry including baterries. If a new battery company emerged in the market with a better product or cheap pricing, it will definitely affected the sales of Atlas Battery Ltd company. The power of buyers o The power of buyers is the impact that customers have on a producing industry. In general, when the buyer power is strong, the relationship to the producing industry is near to what an economist terms a monophony a market in which there are many suppliers and one buyer. Under such market conditions, the buyer sets the price. The buyer power is high when the customers have many choices of whom to buy from, and low when the choices are few. o The customers are the main battery buyer. Without them, there will no sales achieved. Atlas Batteries Ltd need to produce the best products with quality with the best price in order to keep the customers satisfied. The power of suppliers o A producing or manufacturing industry requires raw materials such as labour, components, services, machines, and other supplies. This requirement leads to buyer-supplier relationships between the industry and the firms that provide the raw materials used to create the products. Supplier’s power, if it’s powerful can exert an influence on the producing industry, such as selling raw materials at a high price to capture some of the industrys profits. The supplier power is high when buyers have few choices of whom to buy from, and low when there are many choices. o Batteries are made from different components and Atlas Battery Ltd need to source different suppliers for the best pricing for raw materials. Therefore the networking and relationship between suppliers must be wide and strong. The threat of substitutes o The existence of close substitute products increases the propensity of customers to switch to alternatives in response to price increases.To the industry, a threat of substitutes exists when a products demand is affected by the price change of a substitute product. A products price elasticity is affected by the substitute products as more substitutes become available, the demand becomes more elastic since customers have more alternatives. A close substitute product constrains the ability of firms in an industry to raise prices. o A clone battery product will definitely brings threats to the sales of Atlas Battery Ltd because of the pricing and quality issue. Competitive rivalry o For most industries, this is the major determinant of the competitiveness of the industry. Sometimes rivals compete aggressively and sometimes rivals compete in non-price dimensions such as innovation, marketing and others. This is what we called competitive advantage. This is most likely to be high where entry is likely; there is the threat of substitute products, and suppliers and buyers in the market attempt to control. This is why it is always seen in the center of the diagram. o Atlas Batteries Ltd faced a lot of competitions in the battery market from Goliath Automotive Battery Company Limited, Exide Pakistan Limited, Pakistan Accumulators Ltd, Qalandri Battery Limited and others. The competitive edge is very important to keep Atlas Batteries Ltd company in front of their competitors. c) Application of concepts: IT System Recommendations The management of Atlas Batteries Ltd is aware of the escalating costs in every aspect such as raw materials, distribution and so on in the industry market. The management plan to reduce the necessary costs of the company in order to compete in the competitive environments, judging by the current economic turmoil. From the company’s profit and loss statement, the cost that can be likely reduced is the raw material cost which will lead to reduction in the production cost. In this research, I would propose an IT product solution in order to achieve the management plan to reduce the raw material cost. After the initial requirements study and financial analysis, I can conclude that the raw materials cost are the most expensive cost and the major obstacle for the company to achieve higher profits. The company purchased $1,019,970,000 in raw materials in year 2006 and the cost escalated to $1,294,026,000 in year 2007. This showed an increase cost of 27% or $274,056 in raw materials purchasing and the figure is going to increase in years to come. In view of this, the management needs to be aware of the current economic condition and make provisions to counter the raw material cost in case of price increase. The system that I would like to propose to the management of the Atlas Battery Ltd is the Central Purchasing Management System (CPS). This system will integrate all the purchasing order in an online central products portal. Every supplier companies of various raw materials related to Atlas Battery Ltd will be given online access to the particular portal and will be able to view the current stocks information and condition level that Atlas Batteries Ltd had in the company’s database. The requirement of the portal accessibility is internet connection. If any of the stocks are found not at sufficient level, the suppliers can make a submission or proposal for the purchasing manager to decide. The purchasing manager does not need to go or make a call to various supplier companies to enquire about the needed information with this new system because he can make the purchase directly based on the submissions placed by the various suppliers from the information portal. He will able to see all the information such as stock code, quantity, stock arrival, stock types and pricings in the portal itself and have the choice to choose which suppliers he wish to make purchases. Thus it reduces the traditional purchasing method’s hassles such as making calls, invoicing, ordering and follow up. All the information details will be tracked, recorded and stored for management viewing purpose. The information will be stored on a separated secured database in the IT department. This system will be able to provide various reporting such as inventory reports, management reports and others as well. After the order is placed, the suppliers can view the order and proceed with the necessary preparation to deliver the raw materials on time to the company. Once the order is confirmed by the purchasing manager, the order will proceed to the account department for verifications, approval and make payments upon product deliverance. A copy of purchasing summary reports will be extended over to the management for their record keeping on monthly basis via email. This system will able to cut down the costs of papers, telephone billings, manpower, resources and time as well. This new system will bring more benefits and the offered system functions will help to reduce a lot of cost in future. This system also helps to improve the overall purchasing process, reduce the response time, produce accurate results and increase the productivity activity. Atlas Batteries Ltd will be able to save certain costs in purchasing in long term run. Sample of CPS Process Flow: (Source extracted from kensoftsolutions.com/Prod02-cps.html) d) Recommendations: System Installation approach: I would like to recommend Atlas Batteries Ltd management to purchase the CPS system directly from the software company because of the following conditions as stated below: Advantages of system purchase: Ready made product available for set up Faster installation time Provide support maintenance Provide installation and trainings Expertise to resolve the technical issues Disadvantages of in house system developing: Extra recruitments, supervision, and personnel management responsibilities. Long-term expense of maintaining a technical staff. No contractual (legal and financial) leverage over development, implementation, and maintenance. Possibly a lower level of productivity than with contractor personnel and thus higher development cost. Staff turnover and training requirements. Cost Benefit Analysis A cost benefit analysis is done to determine how well, or how poorly, a planned action will turn out. This analysis is a powerful, widely used and relatively easy tool for deciding whether to make a change. Cost-benefit analysis is mainly, but not exclusively, used to assess the value for money of very large private and public sector projects. This is because such projects tend to include costs and benefits that are less amenable to being expressed in financial or monetary terms (e.g. environmental damage), as well as those that can be expressed in monetary terms. Although a cost benefit analysis can be used for almost anything, it is most commonly done on financial questions. Sample of Cost Benefit Weighing Scale: (Source extracted from 12manage.com/methods_cost-benefit_analysis.html) Costs calculation: Equipments: Items Price CPS System Price (Including training ) $ 100,000 10 network PCs with software @ $ 2,500 each $ 25,000 2 Database server @ $10,000 each $ 20,000 3 network printers @ $ 800 each $ 2,400 Cabling installation @ $10,000 $ 10,000 3 years maintenance support @ $ 5,000 $ 5,000 Total cost: $ 162,400 Conclusions: As you can see from the CPS system costing table above, the pricing reflected is economical and the system can be used to save a lot of costs in a long term run. The system is available for 24 hours * 365 days and can be used for number of years to come. It’s easy to use and can be done by one person through a single click in the system to make purchases. There’s no need to call the suppliers, fax, invoice orders, paper works, and so on. Definitely the benefits of this system outweigh the cost of the system in long term. The pay back time of the CPS system cost can be achieved easily in few months time after the implementation. Everything will be controlled, tracked and logged for monitoring purpose by the management. The system will increase the battery production and cut down the overall cost of goods produced. Suppliers and Atlas Batteries Ltd can interact better through this system. Benefits of CPS system introduction: User friendly and easy to use Faster purchasing process Increased battery product production Better networking and relationship with suppliers Centralized the purchasing process into a single process Better management of manpower and time resources Process control is in place. Research Papers on Atlas Group ResearchAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesTwilight of the UAWDefinition of Export QuotasOpen Architechture a white paperResearch Process Part OneThe Project Managment Office SystemPETSTEL analysis of India

Executive report (Management of Information System) Assignment

Executive report (Management of Information System) - Assignment Example The report focuses on the facts that have been taken into account by Global Bike Inc in their expansion to the overseas. This will be helpful in their expansion to the developing and the developed countries of Asia. The Management Information Systems have been worked out excellently by Global Bike Inc and the operations that are conducted are satisfactory in other countries. This marks the fact that it will have no problem in its expansion to the Asian countries taking into account the network infrastructure that will be developed by the necessary investments that might be needed in different countries. The Strategic Information System Planning will ensure that the system is not only comprehensive but also much formalized to the extent that is needed. The customer relationship will be maintained in the same standard way as it is in other countries in which Global Bike Inc is operating. ... Introduction Global Bike Inc is a world class bicycle company that serves both the professional and the ‘prosumer’ in not only the off road racing but also in touring. The company’s primary focus is on the quality, the toughness and the performance that it promises to deliver. In all its time in history to date, Global Bike Inc has been able to deliver innovative high performance bicycles continuously to the most demanding riders in the world. (Magal, 2011). Strengths Awareness of the brand name amongst the customers. Known for high-performance. The operations of Global Bike Inc are global. Excellent relationship with the suppliers of the company. Research and Development facilities. Company focuses on innovation in its products. A larger product line with the company offering different products in order to make the customers feel more comfortable when riding their bicycles. Maintaining a complete and updated information system helps the company to promptly act on any change in the environment. Maintaining IT Systems gives the company an edge over the competitors that it may have in the market. Weaknesses The company is not able to measure the future analysis with great accuracy. Lack of the established manufacturing capabilities in the Asian market. The company relies a lot on the existing suppliers for its production. Increased number of competitors in the Asian markets. Lower establishment of IT in rural areas. The billing plans are usually complex. The external threats to the Information Technology due to the threats of hacking, viruses and malfunctions. (Garcia, 2002) IT Infrastructure The infrastructure that is designed for IT consists of the physical hardware that is used to connect the computers with the customers.

Race and Class Responses Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Race and Class Responses - Article Example Most of them have related their answers to their professional background and principles that they have when it comes to the issue of racism. In the same respect, the ideas that have transpired from the interviews are also based on gender contexts since experiences vary between men and women. At the same time, advocacies and principles are present in the interview that really showcases the dedication of people in addressing the issue of racism in all possible aspects. Despite of the principled engagements and answers provided by the interviewees, there is still the problem that they try to resolve: how to really prevent racism from occurring? There have been instances that have cited the role of culture, especially on how it induces conflict and on how it comes along the process of resolving the problem. It is noticeable in the interviews that there is a degree of sensitivity with the issue of racism. It is noticeable that the interviews deal with the issue of racism with a certain degree of objectivity. If there is a noticeable bias, it is intended as a mechanism to uphold the need to eradicate the said detrimental practice. When it comes to the issue of racism, it is important to point out that it happens everywhere and anytime. What seems to be problematic is that there are still people who do not address these transgressions as pointed out Singh and Mizrahi. Rather, the occurrences of racial judgments are not reprimanded. However, there are efforts that I have seen to be engaging and critical about the issue. There are efforts to organize and to join advocacy groups to lessen the occurrence and eventually stop racism. Both of the interviews have been focusing on the efforts to regulate and address the issue of racism, which has been a long practice since Western domination has started. Both of the interviews share a common view about