Who Were the Ronin of Feudal Japan

A ronin was a samurai warrior in feudal Japan without a master or lord — known as a  daimyo.  A samurai could become a ronin in several different ways: his master might die or fall from power or the samurai might lose his masters favor or patronage and be cast off. The word ronin literally means wave man, so the connotation is that he is a drifter or a wanderer. The term is quite pejorative, as its English equivalent might be vagrant. Originally, during the Nara and Heian eras, the word was applied to serfs who fled from their masters land and took to the road — they would often turn to crime to support themselves, becoming robbers and highwaymen. Over time, the word was transferred up the social hierarchy to rogue samurai. These samurais were seen as outlaws and vagabonds, men who had been expelled from their clans or had renounced their lords. The Path to Becoming a Ronin During the Sengoku period  from 1467 to approximately 1600, a samurai could easily find a new master if his lord was killed in battle. In that chaotic time, every daimyo needed experienced soldiers and ronin did not remain masterless for long. However, once Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who reigned from 1585 to 1598, began to pacify the country and the Tokugawa shoguns brought unity and peace to Japan, there was no longer any need for extra warriors. Those who chose the life of a ronin would usually live in poverty and disgrace. What was the alternative to becoming a ronin? After all, it was not the samurais fault if his master suddenly died, was deposed from his position as daimyo or was killed in battle. In the first two cases, ordinarily, the samurai would go on to serve the new daimyo, usually a close relative of his original lord.   However, if that was not possible, or if he felt too strong a personal loyalty to his late lord to transfer his allegiance, the samurai was expected to commit ritual suicide or  seppuku. Likewise, if his lord was defeated or killed in battle, the samurai was supposed to kill himself, according to the samurai code of  bushido. This was how a samurai preserved his honor. It also served the societys need to avoid revenge killings and vendettas, and to remove freelance warriors from circulation. Honor of the Masterless Those masterless samurais who chose to buck the tradition and continue living fell into disrepute. They still wore the two swords of a samurai, unless they had to sell them when they fell upon hard times. As members of the samurai class, in the strict feudal hierarchy, they could not legally take up a new career as a farmer, artisan, or merchant — and most would have disdained such work.   The more honorable ronin might serve as a bodyguard or a mercenary for wealthy traders or merchants. Many others turned to a life of crime, working for or even operating gangs that ran brothels and illegal gambling shops. Some even shook down local business owners in classic protection rackets. This sort of behavior helped to solidify the ronins image as dangerous and rootless criminals. One major exception to the terrible reputation of the ronin is the true story of the  47 Ronin  who chose to remain alive as ronin in order to avenge their masters unjust death. Once their task was accomplished, they committed suicide as required by the code of bushido. Their actions, although technically illegal, have been held up as the epitome of loyalty and service to ones lord. Today, people in Japan use the word ronin semi-jokingly to describe a high school graduate who has not yet enrolled at a university or an office worker who does not have a job at the moment.

Gun Control Of The United States - 2378 Words

Gun Control in America has been a major debate since 1995. The debate is never ending because there are so many situations that have surfaced, requiring different policies and exceptions. Guns in America have not only provided protection for some citizens but they have also wounded and killed many citizens. Our laws allow for possession of registered guns with a gun license but it is easy to purchase a gun without showing a legal license. We must remember that although guns are used to kill, they are not the root of the problem. Guns are sometimes used as a result of being mentally unstable. We cannot necessarily say if there were tighter gun control laws there would be less gun related fatalities but we can say that it will result in a better understanding of why firearms other problems that are considered dangerous. In 2008 the United States Supreme Court ruled the Second Amendment of The U.S. Constitution gives a citizen an individual right to possess a firearm for personal lawful uses such as self-defense. This ruling has woke the nationwide gun control issue, leaving those for gun control in the dust while those anti-gun control, such as The National Rifle Association, took a massive step towards their final wanted destination, the ability to have guns without worrying if they are in violation of any laws. The Gun Control debate has directly and indirectly affected most citizens of The United States, although we cannot remedy what happened in the past we can work toShow MoreRelatedGun Control Of The United States1698 Words   |  7 Pagesshootings that has happened throughout the Unites States has created a great divide among Americans on what should our nation do to prevent further shootings from happening. Many people believe that forcing new laws on how people purchase weapons should requ ire background checks. Gun Control in the United States of America is a topic that has had lots of criticism and support by many citizens. The critical people of this topic believe that the guns do not kill people, it is the people that kill peopleRead MoreGun Control And The United States1569 Words   |  7 PagesIn the United States gun control is a big controversy that has been blown out of proportion the last few years. Anything that has to do with guns in the news, reporters say it is the guns fault. Gun control laws are being changed and morphed for the new society that we live in today. What gun control really means is a group of laws to control the selling and use of guns.(1). Statistics have proven that most people want more control on guns. Many surveys have shown that the benefits of gun controlRead MoreGun Control Of The United States Essay1412 Words   |  6 PagesGun Control Proposal Gun control is a highly controversial topic in the United States. There are many people who are for gun control - people who want to have stricter laws to make it so criminals and other dangerous people can’t obtain a firearm. But, there are also the people who disagree with gun control laws and believe there should be a more lenient gun control to help people defend themselves during risky situations. Many gun control laws have been passed for many years. While many have beenRead MoreGun Control And The United States929 Words   |  4 PagesGun control has been a debated, revisited and revised issue for more than a century in the United States. Recently, after several mass shootings in the United States, gun violence issues are; yet again, renewed and in the forefront for the United States. This paper will consist of insight on gun violence in the United States and the newly imposed gun control policies by President Obama; along with, the arguments for and against the new policies and what roles both the formal and informal actorsRead MoreGun Control Of The United States1166 Words   |  5 PagesSince America’s birth, guns have played a large part in it’s society. Citizens of the United States have used firearms to protect the land they love, and their families. They even use them for engaging activities such as hunting and sport. Though firearms may seem to have a commonplace in society, weighing the rights and liberties of citizens against the safety and welfare of the public has always been a delicate process. In the United States, gun control is a of heated issue that has two sides.Read MoreGun Control And The United States988 Words   |  4 PagesGun Control Reassessment in the United States Imagine this: you are in World History class at your high school almost falling asleep learning about Ancient China. It is a normal day for you and your classmates, until you hear an announcement from the principal. You expect the typical lockdown drill, but this situation is far from typical. A man with a gun breaks into your school. BANG! Several of your classmates are killed before this man can be controlled. You survive, but live the rest of yourRead MoreGun Control Of The United States1704 Words   |  7 Pagesshootings that has happened all through the Unites States has made an great divide among Americans on what ought our country do to keep further shootings from happening. Numerous individuals trust that forcing new laws on how people buy weapons should require background verifications. Gun Control in the United States of America is a topic that has had lots of criticism and support by numerous citizens. The critical people of this topic trust that the guns don t murder peo ple, is that people kill peopleRead MoreGun Control in the United States1306 Words   |  6 Pages Gun Control in the United States has gone out of control. The United States should enforce laws to not allow any guns in a house hold in order to reduce violence and crime in the country. Reducing the rate of crime in the United States, controlling big weapons, taxing ammunition, and gun collection can help make this happen. Gun Control can make this country a safer environment to live in. Gun Control has obviously gone out of control in the recent years. Look around, they are everywhere. ReducingRead MoreGun Control And The United States1435 Words   |  6 PagesGun Control For gun control, there should be some requirements for the people to take in order to own a gun for themselves. Throughout the United States, gun control should allow people to still have guns; however, the citizens should go through some changes to ensure safety throughout the nation. Gun control has given some helpful ideals before that would help the people understand the responsibilities of their guns. They want to make sure that these laws maintain to progress as a better solutionRead MoreGun Control And The United States886 Words   |  4 PagesGun Control in the United States On December 14, 2012, a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 20 children and six adults. This tragedy shook the nation and made Americans wonder, how could this have been prevented? Recently published research suggests mass shootings are becoming more common in the United States. Harvard University researchers said in October 2014 that a mass shooting has occurred every 64 days, on average, since 2011, compared with every

A Great Man Free Essays

January 4, 1643 is the time when our great mathematician and physicist, Isaac Newton, was born. His hometown was Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. His father was a noble farmer but unfortunately he died before Isaac Newton was born. We will write a custom essay sample on A Great Man or any similar topic only for you Order Now After his father’s death, his mother was married again, thus he was left with his grandparent’s custody. He went to Cambridge University to study in 1661. During that year, he became interested in various fields including mathematics. He was also become interested in optics, astronomy and physics but in 1665 a plague epidemic came in the University that forces Newton to go back to his hometown. During his two years in Cambridge, he already thought about gravity and in fact began to study optics and mathematics particularly calculus. After the plague, he returned to Cambridge. He became a second Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. In 1668, he made a reflecting telescope which attracts the attention of the scientific community and eventually he became a member of the famous Royal Society. His passion in optics and science was manifested by his series of experiments in the composition of light which resulted to the discovery of the various behavior of light. He published â€Å"The Opticks† which consists of concepts of light and color1704. Aside from â€Å"The Opticks†, he also published several paper works in history, theology and alchemy. One of his greatest works is the â€Å"Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica† (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy). This works is all about how force and gravity were applied to all objects in the universe. In 1689, he was elected to become the MP for Cambridge University and in 1696; he became the warden of the Royal Mint in London. In 1703, he was elected as the President of the Royal Society. Before he died, he has contributed a lot of concepts, discoveries, theories and ideas on different field such as optics, physics, astronomy and mathematics. His interest in mathematics was first manifested during his undergraduate year in Cambridge University. During this time he became accustomed to various mathematical works of several mathematicians like Descartes and John Wallis. His works in mathematics include the proof and improvement of the so called â€Å"binomial theorem†. Newton was not first to discover the formula ((a + b) n) behind the binomial theorem. In fact an Islamic mathematician namely al-Karaji made a binomial coefficient table up to n=5. Also, another Muslim mathematician namely Omar Khayyam established a method of finding nth roots using the binomial expansion. Also in Europe, a century ago, Blaise Pascal has presented his concepts of how to generate binomial coefficients. Those discoveries by various mathematicians, including Pascal, were only applicable to positive values of n. Newton on the other hand, discovered the formula for (a+b)n that would work for any real. He arrived at this formula: (a+b)n = an + nan-1b + [n(n-1)an-2b2] / 2! + [n(n-1)(n-2)an-3b3] / 3! + . . . + bn His finding about the binomial expansion was; for values of n element of the interval (-1, 1), the formula (a+b)n generates an infinite, converging series. Newton’s discovery of binomial expansion/series was a great help in calculating pi ( ). As we all know, a binomial series recurs repeatedly which becomes a very useful instrument for mathematical analysis. The method of fluxions was Newton’s greatest discovery in calculus. In 1671, two years before Leibnitz established his own concepts about calculus, Newton started to study fluxions which is basically include concepts, notations and ideas on Calculus. His works on calculus was well established during 1665 in which he presented symbolisms for partial derivatives which is now an important method in calculus. The idea of binomial theorem and knowledge about infinite series gave Newton a solid idea on derivatives and integrals of functions. As a result of his studies, he showed that integral and derivatives can be expressed as a binomial expansion of infinite series particularly the power series. Newton discussed and solved problem using Method of fluxions. The problems include differentiation of algebraic function, integration of algebraic functions using inverse method, first-order differential equations, optimization problem which includes the locating the maxima and minima of a given function and lastly drawing tangent line of functions at any point. Moreover, with the aid of fluxion, Newton developed a geometric idea of â€Å"first and last† ratio of lines. In 1660, Newton became interested to study the nature of light and vision. In fact because of his fascination on light, he actually stared directly on the sun and poked the sides of his eyeballs by a small knife to observe activities and behavior of light and which risked blinding himself. These kinds of wild experiments and other sensible ones gave way to the formulation of theories about nature, behavior of the spectrum of light. Furthermore, Newton made its great leap in the scientific world when he published his â€Å"New Theory about Light and Colors† in the Royal Society’s journal. As a result of his various experiments, he forced to conclude that Light is a heterogeneous mixture of refrangible rays meaning light is not a homogenous entity. When he passed a white light on a glass prism, he observed that spectrum of colors were formed in opposite walls which explained the property of light known as refraction. In line with the study of optics, he constructed a reflecting telescope, the first, to overcome the distortions of chromatic dispersion. One of his greatest contributions in the field of physics was his Law of Universal Gravitation. Isaac Newton made a comparison of the moon acceleration to the object’s acceleration on Earth. He believed that gravitational forces were accountable for the acceleration of each other. He made a vital conclusion that gravity depends mainly on distance. From his comparison, he concluded that the gravitational force of attraction between the Earth and other objects is inversely proportional to distance between the center of the earth and the object. In other words, if the object is near the center of the earth, the gravitational force of attraction is high and vise versa. But there are other factors, aside from distance that affects the magnitude of the gravitational force. Newton knew that mass is the other factor that affects the gravity or acceleration of an object. Another important conclusion was drawn and that the gravitational force exerted by the earth on the object is directly proportional to the mass of the object. Newton’s law of universal gravitation was applied outside earth, hence gravity is really universal. With this finding, Newton was included in the gravity hall of fame. Also, with the aid of Law of Universal Gravitation, the three laws of motion were formulated. The formulation of these three laws, particularly the second law of motion allows numerical computations of how velocity changes when force acts on it. Newton left several manuscripts and paper works about alchemy and chemistry. Most of these were part of books, bibliographies, dictionaries and many other sources however; we could count in our fingers the original one from them. He began his experiments in 1669. He wanted to know the truth about alchemical obscurity and mysticism and the nature of and structure of all matter that he believed that God created all of these. Newton’s notable contribution on chemistry is his publication of an incomplete theory of chemical force. One of his written works is Opticks, which is first written in English. This was his most remarkable works on theories in light and color. In Opticks, he proved and explained through experiment and logical reasoning and which includes numerous axioms, theorems, propositional statements and lots of definitions. He integrated his mathematical reasoning in his works and eventually Opticks turned out to be the basis of all experimental physics. The Opticks contained findings that light like sound is composed of waves. He obtained several criticisms from other scientist like Robert Hooke and Christian Huygens. But Newton insisted that light was composed of discrete particles that move in straight lines. Furthermore, Newton combined the ideas that light is a particle and at the same time a wave. Again, from this result he received criticisms from Hooke and other scientists. Principia, his most remarkable, notable work and considered his masterpiece was divided in three books. The first book of the Principia contains eight definitions and three axioms. The three axioms were later known as the Three Laws of Motion. These laws were the main parts of Book I of Principia and in fact all discussions of Newton in his Book I were based on these. In the Book II of Principia, he tacked motion of fluids and other bodies. On this book, he questioned Descartes and Kepler ideas about the vortex theory. In his Book III which was subtitled the System of the World, he showed how he arrived on his famous Law of Universal Gravitation. The Principia was considered the most influential and greatest scientific piece during Newton’s era. His laws of motion and universal gravitation were his two most popular discoveries but Newton still believes that there is a supreme being that governs and makes these phenomena possible and that is God. Newton was a religious person. In fact he has written more on religion than in natural science. As a summary, Newton was a remarkable scientist in the history of the world making remarkable scientific advancements and discoveries in mathematics, physics, astronomy, optics, alchemy, chemistry and even in the religion. In mathematics, he contributed a lot of ideas on analytical geometry, algebra and calculus. His discovery of the binomial formula and method of fluxions were very significant in the advancement of various topics in mathematics. In physics, astronomy and optics, he made several findings and discoveries like the theories of light, Universal gravitation, laws of motion, ideas on fluid mechanics and invention of reflecting telescope. His book, â€Å"Opticks†, became the basis of many experiments in physics because of the employment of scientific method in his own experiments. Newton also has some contribution in alchemy and chemistry although some written works were in question. Newton was a great mathematician, a great physicist, a great astronomer and a great believer of God. Although all his works were scientific, he did deny the existence of a divine being. He was really a religious person and I think this was the reason why Sir Isaac Newton was successful in his career. We owed a lot to Newton so let us thanked him for his great contribution in humanity. Work Cited â€Å"Hatch, Robert A. † 1999. Sir Isaac Newton. 1 December 2007, http: // www. clas. ufl. edu/users/rhatch/pages/01-Courses/current-courses /08sr-newton. htm. â€Å"Henderson, Tom†. 2007. Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation. 1 December 2007, http://www. glenbrook. k12. il. us/gbssci/phys/Class/circles/ u6l3c. html. Newton, Sir Isaac. 1 December 2007, http://www. phy. hr/~dpaar/fizicari/xnewton. html. Sir Isaac Newton’s Invention of the Calculus Fluxions and Infinite Series. 1 December 2007, http://www. polybiblio. com/bud/19178. html. â€Å"Smoller, Laura. † June 2001. Applications: Web-Based Precalculus. 1 December 2007 http://ualr. edu/lasmoller/newton. html . How to cite A Great Man, Papers

Apartheid System Essay Example For Students

Apartheid System Essay Sirens blared, voices screamed and shouted, wood cracked and windows shattered, children bawled, dogs barked and footsteps pounded7. This scene is from the autobiography Kaffir Boy written by Mark Mathabane. That is one of the scenes he had to live through every morning in apartheid South Africa. Apartheid is a policy of segregation and economic discrimination against non-whites. Apartheid system affected every black person living in South Africa during that time. It forced blacks to become slaves in their own country. The system forced blacks to live in unsanitary environments, work-degrading jobs and carry passes, and receive limited education. Blacks and whites were living in different sections during apartheid. While whites lived comfortable lives in their extravagant mansions and driving their fancy cars blacks had to live in a disease infested neighborhood with no electricity or in door plumbing. Approximately one thousand people lived in shacks that were squeezed together in a one-mile zone. The alleys were filled with dirt, rats, human wasted and diseases. Blacks lived in houses made of old whitewash, a leaking ceiling of rusted Inx propped up by a thin wall of crumbling adobe bricks, two tiny windows made of cardboard and pieces of glass, a creaky, termite-eaten door low for a person of average height to pass throughand a floor made of patches of cement earth31. Living in such a degrading environment kills self-esteem, lowers work ethic and leaves no hope for the future. Degrading low paying jobs were the only jobs available for black men. Women worked as servants for whites. Men had to work in mines, clean up toilets or work as police officers abusing their own people. Shit-men-belligerent immigrant workers who, because of what they did, were looked upon by many black people-went about the communal lavatories picking up buckets of excrement83. Working as servants for whites was one of the better jobs for black women. Blacks could not walk around freely in their own country without carrying a passbook. Without a passbook, blacks could not work or travel. The passbook had to be paid for by black families who did not have any money. They were arrested and put in jail if their passbooks were not in order. Blacks were trapped with no way out, not even the hope of education. The education facilities provided for black children were under horrible conditions. The schools were over crowded, there was a major shortage of teachers, and the children were constantly beaten for not paying their school fees. Blacks only received enough education to enable them to work for whites. They did not have nearly as much of an opportunity as the white children. We were so tightly packed into that narrow courtyard that some children fainted from excessive heat and stuffiness136. half a dozen children fainted and were revived, some only to find again.136. Black children were not given the proper opportunity, and environment to succeed.

Perrines Literature Structure, Sound, Sense 11th Ed. (Short Stories) Essay Example

Perrines Literature Structure, Sound, Sense 11th Ed. (Short Stories) Paper Commercial Fiction Fiction intended solely to entertain. Literary Fiction Written with serious artistic intentions with hopes to broaden, deepen, and sharpen the readers awareness of life. Plot Sequence of incidents or events through which an author constructs a story. Conflict A clash of actions, ideas, desires, or wills. Protagonist The central character in a conflict. Antagonist Any force arranged against the protagonist. Suspense The quality in a story that makes readers ask Whats going to happen next? or How will this turn out? Mystery An unusual set of circumstances for which the reader craves an explanation. Dilema A position in which the protagonist must choose between two courses of action, both undesirable. Surprise Ending An ending that features a sudden, unexpected turn or twist. Happy Ending A happy ending. Unhappy Ending An unhappy Ending. Indeterminate Ending An ending in which no definitive conclusion is reached. Artistic Unity Everything is relevant and contributes to the meaning. Plot Manipulation A plot that is unjustified by the situation or characters. Relies too heavily on chance. Also known as Deux Ex Machina. Deux Ex Machina Latin for god from machine. See: Plot Manipulation. Chance The occurrence of an event that has no apparent cause in previous events or in predisposition of character. Coincidence Is the chance occurrence of two events that may have a peculiar correspondence. Characterization For literary fiction writers, the most important element of their art. Direct Presentation Characters are described straight out by exposition or analysis or by another character. Indirect Presentation The characters are described through their actions. Motivation Where characters words and actions spring from Flat Character Usually have one or two predominant traits; they can be summed up in a sentence or two. Round Character Complex and many sided; they have the three-dimensional quality of real people. Stock Character Stereotyped figures who have recurred so often in fiction that we recognize them at once. Static Character Remains essentially the same person from the beginning to the end of the story. Developing Character There is distinct change of character, personality, or outlook. Epiphany A moment of spiritual insight into life or into the characters own circumstances. Theme Is the controlling idea or its central insight. The unifying generalization about life stated or implied by the story. Point of View Who tells the story. Omniscient Point of View The story is told in the third person by a narrator whose knowledge and prerogatives are unlimited. Third Person Limited Point of View The story is told in the third person, but from the viewpoint of one character in the story. First Person Point of View The author disappears into one of the characters, who tells the story in the first person. Objective Point of View The narrator disappears into a kind of roving sound camera. Literary Symbol Something that means more than what it suggests on the surface. Allegory A story that has a second meaning beneath the surface, endowing a cluster of characters, objects, or events with added significance; often the pattern relates each literal item to a corresponding abstract idea or moral principle. Fantasy Transcends the bounds of known reality. Sarcasm Is simply language one person uses to belittle or ridicule another. Verbal Irony Is a figure of speech in which the speaker says the opposite of what he or she intends to say. Dramatic Irony The contrast between what a character says or thinks and what the reader knows to be true. Irony of Situation Usually the most important kind for the fiction writer, the discrepancy is between appearance and reality, or between expectation and fulfillment, or between what is and what would seem appropriate. Sentimentality Stories that try to elicit easy or unearned emotional responses. Editorialize Comment on the story and, in a manner, instruct us how to feel. Poeticize Use an immoderately heightened and distended language to accomplish their effects.

Manufacturing Research Paper

Manufacturing Research Paper Introduction The main aim of the research paper is to ascertain the extent of participation, the types of alliances used and the problems faced by these firms which are basically into developing and manufacturing telecommunications, transport, information, lethal platforms, and components for the operation of these platforms for military organisations. Exposure to decreasing defence budgets of nations, global competition, and open market practices, has made the environment of the defence equipment manufacturing firms, which have constraints for technology transfers and use of popular corporate strategies due to the very nature of their business, unpredictable, uncertain, and a threat to their survival. In such a situation, strategic alliances are a good option for these firms. But given the political and commercial constraints, the best practices of the alliance formation may not be relevant to these firms. This paper looks at how these firms are practising strategic alliances. The Defence Industry Environment It appears that the issues facing the defence industry and the new emerging constraints have attracted a lot of attention of contemporary authors, but the responses to these issues and their effects are somewhat still unclear to the industry. Since the end of the cold war in early 1990s, the trend in Europe is that of declining defence expenditures, shutting down of many such defence equipment manufactures and the reduction of employees in this sector. Two other important factors that influence the sector are the decreasing control of the state in arms manufacturing and the break up of the military industrial complexes. Also, due to reduction in Russian threat, the customer base has reduced, but competition has increased. This has been highlighted by the example of the Aerospace industry, wherein only four models exist, but every contract is vital for the company’s survival. This condition has led to increasing alliances even between competitors in an attempt to prevent or rev erse poor performance. The authors have adopted Cosentino’s seven symptoms of change in the defence industry as more costly programs, cuts in military expenses, growing Asian markets, reducing government support, demand for return on investment, new competition, and demanding customer requirements. The globalisation of arms market and the diminishing national control over arms supplies has resulted in competitive disadvantages for firms which have persisted with purely national procurement and manufacturing strategies. The authors have summarised the reasons for the changes in the defence industry as declining budgets of governments, demand for greater accountability in defence procurement, growing demand for latest and best technology, declining market size, and increasing competition from global players. The authors observe that the conditions, which existed previously, have resulted in conditioning of employees of these firs to aberrant business practices. But this disadva ntage is negated by their common cultural backgrounds. Types of Strategic Alliances Strategic alliances are agreements between firms to cooperate with each other in some way for varying lengths of time. What differs is the degree of co-operation, structure and duration. Strategic alliances have gained popularity across many industries and the literature available or the studies conducted are not industry specific, but mostly cross-sectoral. There are many ways of classifying strategic alliances. They can be classified into four categories based on the nature of allying firms as pro-competitive (inter industry), non-competitive (intra industry, non competing), competitive (direct competitors), and pre-competitive (unrelated industries). They can also be classified as horizontal (between competitors), vertical (between members of supply chain), or diagonal (between firms in different industries). In any case, what is common to all these alliances is transfer of knowledge, which may or may not be equal in both directions for the allying firms. Strategic alliances inclu de collaboration, joint ventures, consortia, licensing agreements, offset agreements and essentially any form of co-operation or exchange of resources between two or more partners. Drivers of Strategic Alliance Formation The drivers of strategic alliance formation include global economic downturns, new economic opportunities, the need for survival within the firm and the collective fear of risk inherent in business. Also, the process of selection of the right type of alliance is a mix of selecting suitable ones and eliminating unsuitable ones. The process is also dependent on the dominant drivers during the alliance formation and the tailoring of the type of alliance is done to suit the needs and goals of the allying partners. The primary driver of strategic alliances seems to be globalisation, or the advent of global competition, due to which such alliances are observed commonly across various industries like automobile, pharmaceutical, aerospace, etc on a global level. What needs to be examined is whether firms are adopting this as defensive business strategy for survival, or proactive strategy to reduce competition. Motives of Strategic Alliance Formation The motives pertain more to specific sectors or firms within the industry as opposed to drivers, which create an overall need for change within the industry. It is necessary for the motives to fit into a strategic plan. Examples of motives are acquisition of technology, or resources, or attaining economies of scale, which seems relevant to the defence industry. If they do not fit into the strategic plan, they may pose hurdles in further strategic moves. Strategic Alliance Life Cycles The authors have adopted the concept from Doz and Hamel, who have developed a process for alliance formation which is classified under four headings as operational scope, configurations and contributions, alliance governance, and alliance interface. These are not unambiguous and the whole process can be looked at as a map of alliance formation, with different kinds of alliances having different starting and ending points. Learning, Trust and Culture Various researches have proved that a lot depends on the inter-relation of these three parameters in a strategic alliance. During the period of alliance, the firm that learns more from its partner, stand to gain more from the alliance. Hammel refers to this as internalisation of partner’s skills. Such internalisation is primary motive of many firms in entering alliances and on termination of the alliance, they are still successful in their motive. The most attractive resources to internalise are leading edge technology and management techniques. For such alliances, the structure, culture, and communication patterns are not as important as the learning process. The authors touch upon the issue of trust by mentioning that the best practices of interaction between senior executives of partnering firms, shared values, effective communication, and a multi-disciplinary effort between the firms is responsible for good trust building. Culture and its compatibility, especially in pooli ng of resources for research and development work is also an important aspect of strategic alliance, relevant to defence manufacturing industry. Defence Manufacturing and Strategic Alliances Not surprisingly, there is a tremendous growth in the strategic alliances in defence manufacturing industry as a result of the factors mentioned above. However, one factor that goes against this phenomenon is the sovereignty of operations as a result of the state determining supply and demand of this industry, which is a strategic economical d military asset. The advantages of such alliances have been adopted from Draper as acquisition of technological assets, lowering of unit costs, and vertical development of supply chain. The objectives of the nation to maintain its proprietary technology are contrast with the objectives of joint ventures, which are to gain technological resources for the second tier countries, and to gain access to cheaper manufacturing and sourcing for the first tier countries, besides the joint objectives of larger market access and amortisation of defence research. An option to full blown cross border mergers is collaboration which has the advantage of sharing of non-recurring costs, interoperability, economies of scale, lesser chances of scraping of projects amongst others. But the chief deterrent is the issue of sharing workload in proportion to investment made, leading to excessive capacities, complex industrial arrangements, and impedance to free technology transfer. Alliance Life Cycles Within the Defence Manufacturing Industry Due to the decline of number of firms in this industry, the firms lay emphasis on reputation and experience in strategic alliances as well as the technology to choose their partners from the limited pool. In the first phase of alliance formation, the opportunities from the business venture are checked for fit with the firm’s strategic plan. In the second stage, a cost benefit analysis is done. The further life cycle is very well demonstrated with a diagram, which highlights stages like Partner selection, Agreement on goals, Development of relationships, Binding initial agreement, and Ensuring equality. Also, this industry is characterised by typically high research costs and the risks were formerly covered by the large national defence budgets. But with reducing budgets and the demand for cutting edge semiconductor technology, this risk has now blown beyond proportion for firms to handle it alone. An unsuccessful bid may result in a financial hiccup whereas an uncompetitive pr oduct would result in shutting down of a large part of production units. Results of Empirical Investigations The formation of strategic alliances varies between the sectors within the industry due to varying corporate culture. The levels of cross border cooperation vary between sectors, with electronics leading the pack and ordnance and small arms lagging far behind. The structure of alliance depends on the size of the partners, with the SMEs preferring licensing agreements and the larger players preferring collaboration, for commercial and governance reasons. On the other hand, joint ventures allow the marriage of complementary competencies and provide an opportunity to gain contracts from the partners’ markets. In partnerships involving partners of unequal sizes, friction is caused due to different perceptions of life cycle and time. The development of the structure in the defence manufacturing industry depends very much on the position of the firms within the industrys hierarchy and its ability to select the best structure to fit into its overall group structure. Yet this is very much customer driven and depends on the governments, which are the major customers. If the goal of the alliance is knowledge transfer, there is a lot of communication at lower levels in the student teacher mould, and this diminishes with time. Also, it depends on the sizes of the firms. The nationalities of firms induce superiority or inferiority complexes in partners based on history. Relationship development is important and is demonstrated with the help of the example that though UK and US have compatible cultures and one would expect successful strategic alliances between them, that is not the case and there arise many misunderstandings between partnering firms. This also demonstrates the importance of cultural compatibilities and the need for the senior executives of the partnering firms to make conscious efforts to internationalise and remove cultural interpretative difficulties. Legality of the agreement is given particular emphasis because of the high cost of cutting edge te chnology and the sensitive nature of the industry. The agreements ensure that the resources promised by the partners are released, that the potential demands are not inflated and the technology is not sold to a rival government to be used against the firm’s nation. Firms use this initial period of agreement formation to try to identify any hidden agendas on the part of the prospective partner by analysing what the partner is looking for and why. Issues of equality of control and risk are sensitive to handle and have importance only in equity based alliances. In a working alliance, communication gaps are a major problem, owing to difference in language, culture and management styles. The degree of communication required depends on the type of alliance, being maximum in joint ventures and least in licensing. The older executives tend to neglect the market dynamics, owing to an orientation towards protected industry as it used to be. Also, it can be hypothesised that the degree to which an alliance is formally reviewed depends on the size of the firm. Contrary to the literature, which says that alliances in this industry are formed for operational reasons like gaining economies of scale and share risk, the research finds that the alliances are formed for strategic reasons like maintaining market share and market power. Discussion The authors say that contrary to the belief, globalisation is not the primary driver for alliances in the defence manufacturing industry, which is consolidating. They point out that the high technology, which is tools for many industries for operations, is the product for this industry and its expenses and relationships are well documented. To gain the advantages of controlling the partnership and the prevention of the partner’s internalisation of its competencies, the firms in this industry prefer collaboration, which are also easier to manage, and can be structured to accommodate legal changes to initial agreements, like workshare proportions, sales estimates, etc, including change of partners. The nature of the strategic alliances also depends on the nationality of firms, with the US firms showing significant orientation for collaborations and licensing agreements. Also, the US firms indulge in a lot of alliances and most of them are to gain technology which they have not a lready developed. But they later impose restrictions such that market development for their partners, using the US technology becomes impossible. UK, France and Germany are next in the number of alliances, with UK- France partnerships being primarily in electronics and Germany’s involvement in land vehicles, aircrafts, etc. The authors also point out that the effect of commercial practices on corporate culture needs to be investigated. The authors end with a note on convergence of mutual perceptions. The give examples of The US firms perceiving European short tem partners as less beneficial in the long run and UK experiencing competition from other European countries to partner with US. The authors are quick to point out that the future of European markets is difficult to predict and that a lot would depend on Government support and influence. Personal Opinion The drivers for change in the defence manufacturing industry have rightly been identified. In today’s world, no country has the economy to sustain long term war, except the US. Owing to this, the market for the industry in question is definitely reducing. The other observation is about government control over this industry. With the primary intention of building efficiencies in this industry and to incorporate accountability, the states are making conscious efforts to privatise the industry. As a result, the support which the industry had to cover financial risks is fast disappearing. Also, the sensitivity of the industry, makes it difficult for the players to operate in the open economy environment and to indulge in technology transfer. All these key issues have definitely made strategic alliances a key strategic policy. This also the reason why the industry is consolidating. Also, the issue of costs of research and development is another prime driver. But what needs a deeper thought is the way the companies exercise this strategic tool. For this analysis, the concept of life cycle of the alliance is very useful. But a detail study of some of the failures need to be done in the context of the lifecycle. What kind of partnership can go wrong at what stage with what kind of mistakes needs to be found out. The strategies for success, in this case lie in searching the reasons for failure. Also, the prices of most of these equipments is prohibitively high. So the strategic alliances for firms belonging to nations, which do not have the potential to buy the equipment, is a sensitive issue. It need to be found that what kind of companies look for partners in such countries. Are sourcing considerations the only ones for such alliances, and the benefits derived for the smaller partner need to be looked at. The other major consideration is the influence of European Council on such partnerships. Also, the organisations like NATO should have some effect on them. Wh at needs to be found out is the stage of the lifecycle in which these factors gain importance. Also, the extent to which these factors influence is not known. Another important part is that the customers drive the decision about the kind of alliance that the partners enter into. But does this not conflict with the aim of the organisations? This a question to which answers can be provided only by scrutinising case studies of attempts to form strategic alliances. The one other important issue is the legality of the agreements. The issues involved are sensitive and the partners try to make these as watertight as possible. The effect of this on the trust and information sharing between partners is of prime importance. The transfer of knowledge and it use later on is dependent on these agreements, and the US seems to be taking complete advantage of thefact for maximum benefit. And the final point that comes to the mind is the effect of such alliances on the relations between the nations of the partnering firms. In some cases, the relations between the nations have an effect on the strength and structure of partnerships. In some cases, it is the opposite, and the relations between the nations may be based on the strengths of the partnerships. Conclusion To conclude, I would like to say that the best practices for the success of strategic alliances are based on the structure of industries. It is pretty obvious that when it comes to defence industry, the structure is significantly different from the other industries. So, the best practices in other industries may not be viable in the case of the defence industry. But the recommendable practices need to be identified to help the industry benefit from the experience of the other firms in theprocess of such strategic alliances.

SPSS data analysis in marketing field Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

SPSS data analysis in marketing field - Essay Example we also have 154 females in the 1(X32) (N) and on average, they have 128X32 with standard deviation of 10.368 X32.The last column shows the two groups Std error mean. Basing on table 2, the p value of Levenes test is 0.816.In this case, this p value is greater than 0.05 the alpha. Therefore, we will have to use the middle row of the output (‘labeled Equal variances assumed.’).So we will have to assume that the variances are equal and we need to use the middle row of the output. The labeled column ‘‘t’’, provides a calculated t value. In this case the t value is 0.667 assuming equal variance. The labeled column df provides the degree of freedom related with the test. In this case we have 445 degrees of freedom. The labeled column sig (2 –tailed) provides p value related to the t test. In this case, the p value 0.816. If p ≠¤ ÃŽ ±, then reject H0.Therefore, 0.816 is not equal or less than 0.05.So we fail to reject the null hypothesis. This means that we failed to observe a difference in the reasons to choosing the restaurant between men and women. As shown in table 3, for each dependent variable, the output shows the sample size, minimum, maximum standard deviation, standard error and confidence interval for every independent variable level (quasi) In this case, the p value of 0.466 is greater than the 0.05; we fail to reject the null hypothesis. This means that there is limited evidence that the variances aren’t equal and the variance assumption homogeneity may fit. The 2 value in the table above is the between groups degrees of freedom, 446 is within groups degrees of freedom,0.864 is the F ratio from the F column,0.460 is the p value and 16927.906 is within groups mean square estimate of variance. The last task now involves whether to reject null hypothesis. In this case the p value of 0.460 is seen to be greater than the 0.05.Therefore we fail to reject the null hypothesis. This means different distances have no influence on the