Proton Strategic Managemen

 « Task Management – Antiques-2000 | Main | Global Marketing Strategies :Case Study of Peninsula Hotel Group  » November 25, 2010 Strategic Management of Proton, Malaysia | 4| | Strategic Management: Proton, Malaysia Table of Contents TOC o â€Å"1-3† h z u 1. Introduction. PAGEREF _Toc226437728 h 3 2. Background of Proton. PAGEREF _Toc226437729 h 3 3. Macro-Environment Analysis. PAGEREF _Toc226437730 h 5 3. 1 Political PAGEREF _Toc226437731 h 7 3. 2 Economic. PAGEREF _Toc226437732 h 8 3. 3 Social PAGEREF _Toc226437733 h 8 3. Technological PAGEREF _Toc226437734 h 9 4. Micro-Environment Analysis. PAGEREF _Toc226437735 h 10 4. 1 Strengths. PAGEREF _Toc226437736 h 11 4. 2 Weaknesses. PAGEREF _Toc226437737 h 11 4. 3 Opportunities. PAGEREF _Toc226437738 h 12 4. 4 Threats. PAGEREF _Toc226437739 h 13 5. AFTA Compliance Problems. PAGEREF _Toc226437740 h 13 6. Industry Analysis. PAGEREF _Toc226437741 h 15 6. 1 Threats of New Entry. PAGEREF _Toc226437742 h 16 6. 2 Threat of S ubstitution. PAGEREF _Toc226437743 h 16 6. 3 Buyer Power PAGEREF _Toc226437744 h 17 . 4 Suppliers Power PAGEREF _Toc226437745 h 17 6. 5 Competitive Rivalry. PAGEREF _Toc226437746 h 17 7. Recommendation. PAGEREF _Toc226437747 h 18 8. The Strategic Triangle. PAGEREF _Toc226437748 h 18 9. Aligning Organization Wide Strategies. PAGEREF _Toc226437749 h 19 10. Adaptive Processes. PAGEREF _Toc226437750 h 20 11. Metrics/Performance Measures. PAGEREF _Toc226437751 h 20 12. Conclusion. PAGEREF _Toc226437752 h 21 13. References. PAGEREF _Toc226437753 h 23 14. Appendices. PAGEREF _Toc226437754 h 25 14. Appendix A: Strategic Triangle. PAGEREF _Toc226437755 h 25 14. 2 Appendix B: Balance Score Card Dimension of Proton. PAGEREF _Toc226437756 h 26 Table of Table TOC h z c â€Å"Table† Table 1 PEST Analysis. PAGEREF _Toc225758233 h 6 Table 2 SWOT Analysis. PAGEREF _Toc225758234 h 11 Table of Figures TOC h z c â€Å"Figure† Figure 1 Porter's Five Forces. PAGEREF _Toc225758249 h 16 1. In troduction The automotive industry in Malaysia is considered as one of the most vital and significant strategic industries in the manufacturing sector (ESCAP 2009). Malaysia is predominantly a passenger car market and the industry is considered as a domestic market-oriented (ESCAP 2009). The primary reason why passenger care market is prominent in the country is because of the economic status of the country. The objective of this paper is to focus on the case of Proton in terms of facing different dilemmas in the local and global automotive industry. Furthermore, it will use the Delta model in order to analyze the performance and recommend different actions to be done in order to maintain the position of the company in the market. 2. Background of Proton Proton or synonyms for Perusahaan Otomobile Nasional Berhad was incorporated on May 7, 1983 in order to manufacture, assemble and sell different motor vehicles and other related products which include different accessories, spare parts and other important components (PMProject n. d. ). Based on the technology and parts from Mitsubishi, the production of the first model or the Proton Saga began in September 1985 at its first manufacturing plant in Shah Alam Selangor by the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (Histomobile n. d. ; PMProject n. d. ). At first, all of the components of the car were entirely manufactured by Mitsubishi, but the local part has been able to be used, as technologies were transferred and skills were gained. In January 1989, the 100,000th of Proton Sage was produced (Histomobile n. d). At the end of 1990s, the logo of the car was changed from the Malaysia’s coat of arms and a fourteen-pointed star to a stylized tiger head. In 1993, a new model called Proton Wira was introduced that was based on the design and engineering of Mitsubishi Lancer/Colt where in more than 220,000 units were sold from 1996 to 1998. Together with that, the Proton Perdana that was based on the Mitsubishi Eterna was produced in 1994 that was intended for higher market (Histomobile n. d. ). In 1996, an acquisition of Lotus technologies form Bugatti, Proton helped the company to have an additional source of engineering and automotive expertise which enables the company to produce the Proton Gen-2, to become the first of cars to be manufactured and assembled at the new manufacturing plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak which is part of Proton City development project, which was opened in 2004 (Histomobile n. d. ). In 2004, the company purchased a major stock in MV Agusta of Italy which is the manufacturer of MV Agusta, Husqvama and Cagiva motorcycles. Later on, the company sold off its 57. 7% share to MV Agusta to another Italian company for a token of one Euro. Because of the heavy debt by MV Agusta, the selling gives Proton the opportunity to write off the losses off its book. During the same year, the company announced about their planned partnership with the Volkswagen AG of Germany. Under the said partnership both of the company will be able to take advantage of both their strengths. For the company, Volkswagen will be able to share knowledge, expertise and technologies, while the company can offer spare capacity at the latter’s Tanjung Malim in order to assemble cars for export o the South East Asian market, where in the German auto giant has a weak presence. However, on January 13, 2006, Volkswagen had announced that the negotiation of the partnership has failed due to the different reasons, primarily the fact that the plans of the company were different and clashes with the terms and conditions that are being offered by Proton (Histomobile n. . ). In 2002, Proton held a high market share of more than 60% in Malaysia. However due to the different factors such as the economic and social aspects, the said share was reduced to 30% by 2005. The said number will further reduce in the next years due to the AFTA which mandates reduce tariffs to maximum of 5% (Histomobile n. d. ). 3. Macro-Environment Analysis Every industry is being affected by the developments in the macro-environment. Fundamentally, all organizations are affected by the same developments; however, the extent to which organizations successfully cope or take advantage of these developments differs in substantial manner. Furthermore, developments may potentially influence one industry more severely than other. Therefore, it is vital for organizations to identify or anticipate the macro-developments in order to assess their potential impact on the industry and the organization (Nijssen ; Framback 2000, p. 53). Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 1 PEST Analysis PEST Analysis| Political * AFTA; * different environmental Policies| Economic * global and local economic crisis; * slowing growth of Malaysian economy; * poor consumer sentiment and changing buying behavior of the consumer; * increasing competition; * huge total labor force;| Social * huge population; * car ownership (1:5); * set on big-ticket items; * growing knowledge and concern of the people towards the environment; * impact of the image of the brand; * slowing/decreasing buying pattern of the consumer. Technological * competing development in technology; * maturity of technology; * intellectual property; * potential for innovation and development; * maturity and capacity of manufacturing| Table 2 shows the different factors which affect the operation of Proton and other major players in the industry in the country. Thus, all of the factors can be grouped into 4: political, economic, social and technological. 3. 1 Political One of the important factors to consider is the presenc e of AFTA or ASEAN Free Trade Area. Currently, most of ASEAN region are free trade or 96% of the entire ASEAN trade. AFTA was established in January of 1992 in order to eliminate tariff barriers among the Southeast Asian countries. It planned to reduce tariffs to zero to 5% in 15 years among the six nations through a common effective preferential tariff (Ghani ; Zainuddin 2008). Because Malaysia has two national carmakers which are Proton and Perodua, and the government wants to protect their interests. Unfortunately, the said development could prove to be a temporary solution. If we are going to check on the high selling prices of the national cars of Malaysia because of high production costs and lack of vendor efficiency, there is a big possibility that the local market will be ruled by imported cars. As a result, there will be increase in the number of the vehicles on the road and there will be a glut of used cars in the market, because people will tend to trade their cars for cheaper and imported brands (Frost ; Sullivan 2002). On the other hand, the issue regarding the environment is vital because it is considered as one of the most talk about topics in the world. The environmental regulation in Malaysia can be traced back during the colonialism of British which introduced the environmental standards about the mineral and agricultural resources to Europe. 3. 2 Economic The vehicle sales in the country is expected to fall by 12. 4% in 2009 due to different economic aspect, primarily the issue of global financial crisis, which affected the local financial status of the country (AseanOneMonitoring 2009). As a result, the government of the country is expecting a slow economic growth for the country, which can affect the buying behavior of the customers. Furthermore, due to the AFTA, it had increased the competition, which will impact the performance of Proton. However, the performance of the automobile industry will be maintained and managed due to the huge total labor force. Despite of the slower economic growth in 2003, the unemployment rate was only 3. 5%, which shows an almost full employment (PriceWaterHouseCooper 2005). 3. 3 Social The growing population in the country is one of the factors which can affect the automobile industry. In 2008, the country has a total of 27. million citizens (US Department of State n. d. ). This will give a greater number of markets. Furthermore, the ratio of car ownership in the country is somewhat high or total of 1:5, which signifies that people are considering cars as important things in their lives. Furthermore, people will also set on big-ticket items or consumers are expected to put off buying different motor vehicles because of the employment market uncertainty because of the global and lo cal financial crisis (AseanOneMonitoring 2009). Another factor to consider is the growing knowledge and concern of the people regarding different environmental issues. Furthermore, the impact of the image to the loyalty of the customer is also another factor. 3. 4 Technological Technology is considered as one of the most important factor in the automotive industry. Due to the increasing competition, the development in technology is growing and affecting the performance and position of each and every company in the automobile industry. It is also important to consider the maturity of technology, together with the maturity and capacity of manufacturing, which affect the innovation process of any company. The intellectual property is also important factor, because it is considered as a sign of authenticity and uniqueness. Due to the different technologies, primarily the help of computer and the Internet, the potential for innovation and development is increasing. 4. Micro-Environment Analysis Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 2 SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis| Strengths * strong support from the government; * strong brand; * reputation; * flexible manufacturing capability| Weaknesses * lack of R;D; * over reliant on the government; * not so competitive; * higher costs than competitors; * lack of international operations; * lack of original products/services; * limited product line; * existing quality issue; * human resource issue| Opportunities * â€Å"Green† Cars; * available government support; * available technological innovations; * entering new markets; * gain online/e-commerce presence; * strategic alliances and joint ventures| Threats * slow growth of automotive market; * change in the consumer lifestyle; * changes in regulation (AFTA); * changing technology; * competition from the foreign markets; * new competitors entering the market; * price war between competitors| Table 2 shows the internal and external factors that are important for the growth of the company such as its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. 4. 1 Strengths One of the important strengths of the company is its reputation or strong brand image due to the long years it had stayed in the industry. Because of that, the Malaysia people have become familiar and loyal to the brand, aside from the fact that Proton had become the national car brand in the country. Due to that, the car manufacturer has a strong support or back-up from the government, which is considered as an important entity in any business environment. Above all, the company has a manufacturing capability at Tg. Malim to consolidate all models, as well as the existing tariff structure (BuildBoard n. d. ). 4. 2 Weaknesses There are also different weaknesses which must be improved by the company in order to maintain their position in the government. First is the lack of R;D or innovation as well as lack of original products and limited products because of the inability of the company to introduce real new models, which lead them to cannibalize their screwed up line of products (BuildBoard n. d. ). This is because some of the products or models of Proton were based on the model of other international leading brand. It is also important to consider that the company is lacking in international operation, due to the different factors, primarily because of huge competition in the global market. The reputation or image of the company is also facing difficulties because of the current quality issue due to active service units and low plant utilization (BuildBoard n. d. ). Furthermore, company is having different human resource issue due to their inability to retain and cultivate talent. Because of all these reasons, the company is lacking in international operations. Above all, due to it’s over reliance to the government, without the strong support from the government, Proton could lose out to major players in the industry that can cause serious impact on the different supply chain (AseanAffairs 2009). 4. 3 Opportunities The support of the government to the company is an important opportunity, because the government considers the company as their partner, therefore majority of cars needed by local and national government will be Proton. Furthermore, the company can also take advantage of the different technological developments, particularly the different Information Technology (IT) or Information System or IS which can help the company to manage their information that can help them in the decision-making process. Entering new markets will also help the company to expand their business in terms of size; therefore can help to gain more turnovers. It is also important to consider the ongoing popularity of e-commerce or online selling of goods. This will help the company to target more market in more reliable, fast and cost-effective manner. Furthermore, the changing perspective and concern of the people towards the environment also created opportunities for different automotive industry, and that is to offer different â€Å"Green† cars or hybrid cars. 4. 4 Threats The most crucial threats to be faced by the company are the global financial crisis which affects the economy of Malaysia, and affect the lifestyle and buying behavior of the consumer. As a result, as of October of 2008, new-vehicle deliveries slipped by 13% from 42,915 of last year to 37,512 units (Chrysler 2008). The changing and maturing of the technology is also another important factor to consider, together with the growing number of competitors who are entering the market, which result to the price wars. The main reason behind this situation is the AFTA which focus on reducing tariffs from zero to 5% in 15 years among the six nations through a common effective preferential tariff It planned to reduce tariffs to zero to 5% in 15 years among the six nations through a common effective preferential tariff (Ghani ; Zainuddin 2008). 5. AFTA Compliance Problems The ASEAN Free Trade Area or AFTA is a collective effort by the member countries in order to eliminate tariffs on intra-ASEAN trade in the goods sector. The main target is to achieve tariff between 0 – 5% in 2003 for the six original member countries, Vietnam by 2006, Lao PDR and Myanmar by 2008 and Cambodia by 2010, at the same time remove quantitative restrictions and other non-tariff barriers. The reduction or elimination of tariff is undertaken through the Common Effective Preferential Tariff Scheme (Ministry of International Trade and Industry 2008). The main impact of AFTA to the economy of Malaysia is the increase intra-ASEAN competition from lower cost producers; declined competitiveness of traditional export industries which include the high labor cost, lack of resources and expertise and technology obsolescence; removal of protection such as quota system and monopoly status; complying with 40% local content rule; develop competitive local small and medium industries which will focus on the domestic market, dependent on single or few buyers and lack of expertise and backward technology. As a result there are different sectors that might face strong competition primarily the ceramic tiles, cement, plastic products and automotive industry (Ghani ; Zainuddin 2008). AFTA will result to higher economies of scale in the automotive industry in Malaysia. Higher economies of scale will mean lower unit production costs. This will help to translate into lower retail prices and a bigger market. Therefore, AFTA could translate into price cuts of about 20% to 50% on vehicles. Competitive producers can export their products throughout the region at very low import duties and pass on cost savings to consumers. As a result, consumers can exercise a wider and better product choice at very competitive prices (Dey 2002). 6. Industry Analysis Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 1 Porter's Five Forces Competitive Rivalry § Improving product differentiation; § Large number of firms; § Low Switching cost; § High exit barriers; § diversity of rivals| Threat of Substitution § Quality of the substitutes products; § willingness of the buyers to substitute; § Low cost of switching to substitutes. | Buyer Power § Homogeneous products; § Huge number of buyers; § Buyers are fragmented (many, different); § High role of quality of service of products;| Supplier Power § Few dominant suppliers; § High role of quality and service; § High cost of switching| Threat of New Entry § High capital/investment requirements; § Availability of the distribution channels; § Access to technology; § Brand loyalty of the customer; § Friendly government regulations| Figure 1 shows the industry analysis of the automotive industry in general. According to Porter, there are 5 important factors which show the attractiveness or value of the structure of the industry: entry of competitors, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers and rivalry among the existing players. 6. 1 Threats of New Entry The threats of new entry pertain on how easy or difficult for new entrant to start competing (12Manage n. d. ). The primary barriers of new entry are the high capital and investments that are needed in order to enter the industry. This is because it mainly focuses on the different technologies that are needed in order to come up with the quality and services that are being offered by the long time players in the industry. Aside from that, it is also important to consider the availability of the distribution channel which is very important in connecting with the customers. Furthermore, because there is long time player in the industry, brand loyalty of the customers is considered as inevitable. However, due to AFTA, the government offers friendly entrance policies for the possible new entrants. 6. 2 Threat of Substitution The threats of substitution pertain on the ability of the customers to go for substitute products that might be cheaper and accessible. In terms of the passenger car industry, the growing demands for bikes and motorcycles. More and more people are switching from using the passenger cars into using bikes and motorbikes due to two reasons, first is that it helps them to save money because of gasoline, at the same time, the consumer are becoming more aware of their environmental benefits. Thus, thequality of the substitute’s products, the willingness of the customers and the low costs of switching enables the threats of substitution high. 6. 3 Buyer Power The bargaining power of the customers in this industry is somewhat high due to the homogenous or almost the same products, which divide the number of sales from huge number of competitors. But it can be maintained due to the huge number of buyers, primarily in developed countries, aside from the fact that the buyers are fragmented. Above all, the importance of quality of the products and services are important factors which affect the power of the buyer. 6. 4 Suppliers Power The supplier has a neutral power over the industry. This is because there are few dominant suppliers in the industry who are well known for quality and brand image. This is affected by the high role of quality and service in the industry, because the industry is directly connected to safety and quality of life of the customers. The most important factor which add up to the influence of the suppliers is the high cost of switching. 6. 5 Competitive Rivalry The competitive rivalry pertains on the intensity of rivalry among the competitors in the industry. it is important to consider the improving product differentiation due to the extensive effort of each and every automobile company in the world to become unique and have the stronger market position in the industry. This is the major impact of the large number of firms of organization competing in the global market including local players from Korea, China and Japan which result to diversity of cultures and organizational behaviors of the rivals. The low switching cost from one brand to another intensifies the competition in the market and pushes all of the major and minor players to focus on R&D and innovation processes in order to improve their overall performance in the market. Above all, the competition is increased due to high exit barriers due to the human resource and facilities. 7. Recommendation It will be important for the company to focus on the Delta model in the process of planning and implementing their strategy. The Delta model is a strategy framework that was developed by Dean Wilde together with the members of Dean & Company and Arnoldo Hax of MIT/Sloan School of Management (Value Based Management. net n. d. ). 8. The Strategic Triangle There are three options that are represented in Triangle which are considered as the starting point o the dialogue for the development of a strong vision (see Appendix A) (Hax & Wilde II 2003). Due to the current condition of the company regarding their competitive advantage which pertains on the quality of their products, it will be important to focus on the Best Product positioning. This is because of the fact that the best way to attract, satisfy and retain customers is through the inherent characteristics of the product itself. The position is rather inward and narrow, based upon the prevailing product economics. Thus, the major strategic driving forces are the development of an efficient supply chain that will guarantee low cost infrastructure; a proven internal capability for new product development. At the same time, it will help the proper renewal of the existing product line that will help to secure the distribution channels that will help to transfer the products to the targeted market segments (Hax & Wilde II 2003). This will focus on the R&D and innovation process for the company. In order to maintain the process of engineering and designing passenger cars which will suit the taste and preferences of the customers this is affected by different demographics, economics and social factors. Due to the growing problem of global economic crisis, it will be important to focus on low cost or differentiation of the products. 9. Aligning Organization Wide Strategies In this stage, it will be important to focus on organizational change, because it will focus on restructuring the current business rules and policies towards the strategies of the company. In the case of the company, it will be important to focus on the strong product base, solid supply chain infrastructure as well as internal innovation capabilities to match (Hax & Wilde II 2003). 10. Adaptive Processes Because of the fact that the strategies of the company focus on the R&D process of Proton, it will be important to focus on the Innovation as the strategic task. It ensures a continuous stream of new products and services in order to maintain the future viability of the business. It also helps to mobilizes all of the creative resources of the firm which include the technical, production and capabilities in the marketing field in order to develop an innovative infrastructure for the business. Furthermore, the company must not limit itself to the pursuit of the different internal product development, but must focus the sources of innovation from the suppliers, customers and key complementors. It maintains the focus on the renewal of the business to maintain its competitive advantage as well as superior financial performance (Hax & Wilde II 2003). In this stage, it will be important for the company to know the reactions and opinions of the Malaysia customers regarding the design of their models, particularly the issue of almost identical design of each model. 11. Metrics/Performance Measures It is important to consider that metrics providing overview should be supplemented with granular metrics (12Manage n. d. ). A balance score card dimensions for the firm and for each customer segment tier were identified that will allow Proton to monitor and analyze its current executions of customer targeting as well as innovative strategies which represent different changes of key cost drivers of the financial perspective, operational effectiveness, technology as well as customer perspective (Core. org n. d. ) (see Appendix ). Based on the said balance score card dimension, as well as the Delta Model, it is important for Proton to focus on the changing preferences and demands of their current customers, which are their strategic partners from different parts of the globe, as well as their current loyal customers. It is important to focus on new services and products as well as the capability to deliver new car models to their partnership. As a result, the significant dimensions in the performance matrix must be percentage of strategic/exclusive partnership acquisition, percentage of business volume from different strategic/exclusive partnership, as well as switching costs for complementor and customer (Core. org n. d. ). 12. Conclusion Proton was considered as the national car manufacturer of Malaysia and considered as the major player in the industry. However due to the different factors, primarily the implementation of AFTA, the sales and market share of the company decline. In details, the growing competition enables the Malaysian market to have a wide choice of cars to be availed. On the other hand, due to the strong support of the government, as well as the strong position of the company in the market, it can be said that the company failed to focus on the most important aspect of a company in order to maintain competitive advantage, and that is innovation. Most of the customers are saying that the company is no longer offering real new models of cars. Aside from that, the company is also having a problem in their supply chain, which results to high pricing of Proton's car compare to other international brand in the market. In order to solve the current situation of the company, it will be important to focus on innovation or R;D process. This can be done by focusing on applying new IT or IS to speed up the process of designing. It is also important to focus on the HR aspect of the company in order ensure that the company has talented and skilled staffs to develop new and better products that will suit the ever changing preferences of the consumers. 13. References 12Manage. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis. Available from: http://www. 12manage. com/. [25th March 2009] AseanAffairs (2009). Malaysia’s Proton Still Needs Government Support. Available from: http://www. aseanaffairs. com/page/malaysia%27s_proton_still_needs_government_support. 25th March 2009] AseanOneMonitoring (2009). Malaysia Auto Sales to Fall 12. 4 Percent on Slowing Economy. Available from: http://www. asiaone. com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20090122-116465. html. [Accessed 24th March 2009] BuildBoard. Analysis SWOT Proton. A vailable from: http://g4. buildboard. com/images/attachpic/g4/B400/B400F1844T909_8195ded601b2dd2aaee71cb07bd4c006. pdf. [25th March 2009] Core. DMK International (8) – Aggregate and Granular Metrics. Availabe from: http://www. core. org. cn/NR/rdonlyres/Sloan-School-of-Management/15-904Fall-2005/F43E8DBF-9AF8-4B07-BB61-2920E880D30F/0/dm_csstd_dmk8_2. pdf. [2nd April 2009] Chrysler, M. (2008). Malaysian Auto Industry Facing Decline as Global Economy Slows. Available from: http://subscribers. wardsauto. com/ar/malaysian_industry_decline_081208/wall. html? return=http://subscribers. wardsauto. com/ar/malaysian_industry_decline_081208/. [25th March 2009] Dey, A. (2002). The Impact of AFTA on the ASEAN Automotive Industry. Available from: http://www. frost. com/prod/servlet/market-insight-top. pag? docid=IMAY-58VK85. [25th March 2009] ESCAP (2009). V. Malaysia. Available from: http://www. unescap. org/tid/publication/part_two2223_mal. pdf. [Accessed 24th 2009] Frost ; Sullivan (2002). The Impact of AFTA on the ASEAN Automotive Industry. Available from: http://www. frost. om/prod/servlet/market-insight-top. pag? docid=IMAY-58VK85. [Accessed 24th 2009] Ghani, K. , Zainuddin, Y. , Fereidouni, H. G. ; Ziaee, A. (2008). ‘AFTA: Effect on Malaysian Economy’. Journal of Management and Social Sciences. vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 134 – 141. Available from: http://www. biztek . edu. pk/downloads/research/jmss_v4_n2/6. %20Afta. pdf. [25th March 2009] [Accessed 24th 2009] Hax, A. ; Wilde II, D. (2003). ‘The Delta Model- A New Framework of Strategy’. Journal of Strategic Management Education, vol. 1, no. 1. Available from: http://pesona. mmu. edu. my/~wruslan/MISP2/Readings/detail/Reading-37. pdf. Histomobile. Proton (1985-). Available from: http://www. histomobile. com/dvd_histomobile/histomo/63/history2. asp. [Accessed 24th 2009] Ministry of International Trade and Industry 2008. Malaysia and AFTA. Available from: http://www. miti. gov. my/cms/documentstorage/com. tms. cms. document. Document_7d9e2e2f-c0a81573-11c011c0-50afb270/afta. pdf. [25th March 2009] Nijssen, E. J. ; Frambach, R. (2000). Creating Customer Value Through Strategic Marketing Planning: A Management Approach. Springer PMProject. The History of PROTON, Available from: http://pmproject. doubleukay. com/proton_history. html. [Accessed 24th 2009] PriceWaterHouseCooper (2005). Malaysia. Available from: http://www. pwc. om/gx/eng/about/ind/retail/growth/malaysia. pdf. [Accessed 24th 2009] US Department of State. Malaysia. Available from: http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2777. htm. [Accessed 24th 2009] Value Based Management. net. The Delta Model. Available from: http://www. valuebasedmanagement. net/methods_hax_wilde_delta_model. html. [Ac cessed 24th 2009] 14. Appendices 14. 1 Appendix A: Strategic Triangle Enabled Through Effective Use of Technology| System Lock-In * System Economics * Market Dominance * Achieving Complementor Share| System Lock-In * Customer Economics * Cooperation * Achieving Customer Share| Best Products * Product Economics * Rivalry * Achieving Product Share| Source: (Hax ; Wilde II 2003) 14. 2 Appendix B: Balance Score Card Dimension of Proton Balance Scorecard Framework| Shareholder Look| Operational Effectiveness| Organizational Learning| Customer targeting| Proton|  · Volume, revenue, gross margin by technology segment and market segment · Revenue and turnover by geographical segment (Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Pacific) · Revenue and turnover by business domain such as capital, industrial and government. |  · Wholly-owned subsidiary Lotus Engineering UK – leading automotive engineering consultancy company · Application of Information Technology in the R;D and auto development|  · % of sales from new echnology and models; · Training as a % of sales;|  · Customer market share by tier · Profitability by customer tier · Customer satisfaction by tier| Strategic and Integrated Partner companies|  · Volume, revenue, turnover, gross margin by individual client · Year over year sales and turnovers grow th by individual clients; · Return on business relationship investment|  · Cost to serve clients;|  · Number of clients on each country and partner; · Return on investment on collaboration tools per selected clients; · Return on % revenue on the center of excellence establishment|  · Customer satisfaction; · Joint revenue and turnover from complementor relationship · Relationship| Body Shopper|  · Volume, revenue, turnover, gross margin by individual clients; · Return on investment per head; · % revenue and sales from new clients|  · Time needed in order to complete the transaction from start to finish per model or project; · Idle time of engineering; · Return on investment on collaboration; · % of revenue, volume, earnings by different channels:o Referral by clients;o Direct selling;o Cross selling · Cost of training per project|  · Cost of the collaboration tool in order to facilitate transfer of knowledge|  · Cost to serve clients per channel;à ‚ · Customer satisfaction on the models, relationship and cost of products. | Adopted from: (Core. org n. d. ) * Finance Management * Small business account _ Custom Essay Writing Australia Send us your essay instructions. 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Life of a Military Child Essay

It is often stated that soldiers who fight for our country make several sacrifices. While many have made the ultimate sacrifice, there are many more people who are affected by their service than just themselves. Children that belong to parents that have served or have parents currently serving are forced to overcome many obstacles. Not only are they forced to spend large amounts of time separated from their parent/parents, but they are forced to also move and adjust to unexpected changes frequently with no warning. Whether it is ever made known or not, when a solider enlists into any branch of the military, their family enlists as well, and just as they make a sacrifice so does their children. They often sacrifice time bonding with their parents, convenience of stability, and sometimes their wants and needs. Children that belong to a parent that have served or parents that are serving are forced to overcome many obstacles. Military children must adjust to a new life when their parents are away. Sometimes it’s their mother, sometimes it’s their father, but there are many cases where there are both parents away at the same time. The children are separated for various reasons to include their parents going to the field for weeks at a time, and sometimes they are sent overseas on dangerous deployments for up to 15 months at a time. Those children spend a great deal of days and nights worrying and wishing they could see and spend time with their parents. Soldiers are also sometimes sent on hardship permanent changes of station where they aren’t allowed to take their family members for up to 1 year. Almost daily military children are forced to wake up early and go to bed late because their parents work from 6:30 in the morning to after 5:00 in the evening. Military children are also forced to move around a lot. A soldier can receive orders to relocate within a 3 to 6 month window of reporting. Many times they do not have an option so they can be sent anywhere in the world. They could go from the east coast to the west coast or even overseas to Germany or Japan. When soldiers receive their PCS (Permanent Change of Station) Orders, the children are usually uprooted, and they may have to frequently adjust to new people and schools. Because these changes can occur every 2 to 3 years, many times the children are greatly affected because they have to make new friends everywhere they go only to possibly leave those friends and lose contact when the next orders are released. Although military children endure many changes throughout their parents’ time in the service they have many positive attributes because of those constant changes. Most military children are very flexible and adjust very well to change. They are also very well rounded and are usually more outgoing because they meet new people very frequently. What can also sometimes happen however is that they can have separation anxiety and possibly get into more trouble because of the constant changes. Many times the situation can go either way. It is always up to the parent however to do everything that they possibly can to make the child’s life as comfortable as possible and to keep an open relationship when dealing with the affects of being a military child. Although military children sometimes endure a great amount of transitions they have proven to be very successful in life regardless of their childhoods and they usually look back and appreciate their time spent in many different locations.

Iran Country Assessment

The Islamic Republic of Iran is a country governed by a regime that began with a revolution headed by Ayatollah Khomeini over two decades ago. Khomeini was the first to label the United States as the ‘Great Satan. ’ Although the Iranian government denies it, terrorism has been actively supported, both materially and morally, for years by Iran and Iran supports efforts damaging to the U. S. If the more extreme elements in Iran continue to hold power and arm themselves with nuclear weapons, the international repercussions would be far-reaching.Understanding of Iran is important for members of the U. S. Armed Forces in order to comprehend the scope of Iran’s extremist’s leanings. On the other hand, many of Iran’s citizens love the United States and are resentful of Iran’s oppressive regime. The anti democracy and hindrance of personal liberty have taken a large toll on the Iranian youth. Iran’s younger generation has put forth a lot of res istance against this oppressive regime. Over two thirds of Iran’s population is under the age of 30, which is good from an operational standpoint.This massive amount of young people generally feels that there is hope to moderate if not remove the oppressive regime. Recently a few young Iranians have been frustrated to the point of actively demonstrating against the regime. It is also important to mention many younger Iranians want improved relations with the United States. Most urban Iranians have access to the Internet and satellite television and are able to compare their standard of living with that of the United States and Western Europe.The Kurdish people believe that they are a nation in itself that are deserving of a sovereign homeland. After the formation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, many Kurdish sided with the Iranian leftist and protested against Ayatollah Khomeini and his regime. In 1979, the Kurdish formed a rebellion, which ended with thousands of Kurdish dea d. Shortly after this, Khomeini centered his power and banded Kurds from serving in government office and greatly enforced freedom of expression.The Party of Free Life of Kurdistan is a militant group that is based out of Iraq but has been consistently performing operations in Iran. Iran has prepared to conduct military action against the group and has moved a large portion of Iran’s military to Kurdistan to hinder the uprising of the militant group. The Party of Free Life of Kurdistan would be a great asset to possible future operation in Kurdistan. The party is semi supportive of the United States but will most likely be more than willing to help in U.S operations in Iran due to their long-term goal of destroying the regime. Iran is a tough operational problem set due to their advanced military and technical power. Operations in Iran should be focused on using the people of Iran to include the youth and Kurdish people. Intelligence operations would be better suited for usin g Iran’s youth because they are more supportive of the Untied States and have the ability to work in Iran’s government and military. The Kurdish are not trusted in the government and would not be able to provide accurate intelligence.Operations should be held out of North East Iraq due to the likelihood of Iraq cooperating with the United States during operations. Iraq has a large portion of Kurdistan and it would be easy to work with the Kurds right out of Iraq. Iran and Iraq have a long history of war which only furthers Iraqs likelihood of helping the U. S. Iran is a very dynamic and technologically advanced country, which presents many intelligence issues. The help of Kurdistan, Iranian youth and Iraq would greatly increase the likelihood of operational success in Iran.

Movement in education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Movement in education - Essay Example It is further stated that movement affects the brain which is activated during physical activity. The movement enhances the reading with utmost alertness, emotions are monitored and emotional intelligence is regulated through appropriate expressions. The movement also enhances the creativity by memorizing the past which can lead to self confidence. Children’s given physical education training so that their main movement center of brain remains activated enabling effective concentration during class hours. K-12 students are involved in creative topics enhancing their individual creativity. Physical activity is an important factor in building the students brain and physical fitness. Physical education is essential and should be made mandatory and part of the curriculum. All the schools in country should include various activities as part of the curriculum so that students don’t get sleepy sitting in the classroom. Physical activity like exercise, playing, creative development and all other activities apart from education which may build and develop brain’s activeness should be included in the curriculum. It was previously assumed that the physical and mental are separate and it is necessary to concentrate hard on books to be mentally strong. Further it was assumed that physical education may distract mental ability from the academic activity which was the main reason for reduction in recess and physical education in most of the school

Ways People Deal With Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ways People Deal With Stress - Essay Example However, when the frequency and/or the intensity of bombardment cross a certain threshold, it severely affects the mental and physical health adversely. Nonetheless, it is possible to deal with stress and make life worth living. This demands internal and external efforts often called cognitive-behavioral stress management techniques; optimism, staying happy and healthy, liking what you do and being less prone to external pressures help reduce the effects stress can have. ‘Stress, is the outcome of the demands made on an individual beyond the capacity of his potentials to cope with the situation†¦ ability to cope with a task dealing with the situation is inversely related to the degree of stress’ (Shrivasta, pp. 17). Some people can work ten hours a day easily while others find it burdensome. Some people can submit a twenty five page report due on the weekend without taking any painkillers during the course while others suffer from severe migraine and insomnia. It is widely observed that in the race course of life, a few individuals are more prone to tumbling on every hurdle and hurting themselves. A huge factor which may lead to such a performance is lack of self-belief. It is highly essential for an individual to recognize the entity that they are and acknowledge all that they are capable of; without such recognition a person is likely to underestimate their self frequently and harm their personality. An ‘I can do this’ attitude keeps the person moving ahead with determination while an ‘I don’t know how I will ever do this!’ attitude forces them to stop intermittently and get frightened by minor difficulties which causes stress (Shrivasta, pp. 23-25). Therefore, believe in one’s self helps a person fight with the stressful forces they encounter and leads to a stress-free life. Moreover, willingness to do a task and enjoying it contribute positively to stress management. Stress is usually caused by †˜stretching’ activities which require more than one’s regular output or productivity. Enjoying what one is doing automatically increases the level of efficiency and makes stretching activities fun rather than arduous. For instance, a person who likes writing will enjoy their career as a journalist and will take up new demanding projects with a positive vigor; on the other hand, anyone who lacks the ability to write will be facing difficulty and stressing their selves at every step of their work life. Therefore, doing what one enjoys highly reduces the level of stress they will experience (Shrivasta, pp. 29-32). Many a times, when coming across individuals of different natures, we experience a type of people who cannot refuse or cannot say a ‘no’. Such a behavior leads situations where they find themselves trapped. If one is not comfortable with doing something or finds a task totally beyond their capabilities, they should refuse to take the offer rather t han mentally suffering from their own actions. For example, if a girl opts to teach calculus to her friend everyday in her already-hectic life, just because the friend asked for it, she will over-burden herself and may get stressed (Bennet, Zeller, Rosenberg, and McCann, pp. 6-8). The friend and her incapability to refuse will be her stressors. In this situation, if she refused to teach, she could have done well to herself as well as the friend who could have now taken help from someone who has the time and a willingness to teach. The most important thing is to have a positive outlook on life; happiness and relaxation should be on the to-do list every day. Studies have found that laughter may reduce stress by causing a decrease in stress hormones and improve natural killer cell activity (Bennet,

Eliot's Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Eliot's Poetry - Essay Example Some poems had urban landscape as the backdrop; but mostly it is the inner landscape of the individual's mind that he tried to portray. His language focuses on the acute loneliness of the urban life that shows no sympathy to the individual. Isolation in the crowd is aptly expressed by his images, along with the ordinariness of life. His poetic forms could be termed as dreary compared to earlier poets; but he is depicting the depthless dreariness of modern life. He said: 'A large part of any poet's imagination must come from his reading and from his knowledge of history.' His poems had a sense of history, though he ventured into assessing modern society too often. The complexity of modern life has come across through his images. Glimpses of people who live in the impersonal modern world, spiritually exhausted, emotionally unsupported are shown in The Love song' The language shows the inherent confusion, feeble images, and unauthentic pretence that go through life. The culmination in a sense of defeat is almost predictable and the language could not have been clearer. In the same way, the image of the male observer in the Portrait of a Lady sounds acutely detached and unemotional while encroaching the lonely life of the woman without apology. Once again, almost in identical language, he visualises the mundane city life in Preludes. "To early coffee-stands. With the other masquerades That time resumes, One thinks of all the hands That are raising dingy shades In a thousand furnished rooms." (18-23). There is a definite sense of lack of time and difficult endeavours in the Rhapsody of a windy night. The division of hours and too many mentions of time brings it into acute focus. The same sense of rushing time comes across in the Portrait of a lady when her age is mentioned. The miserable lonely existence and the longing are portrayed alongside the mutilated life along with its acute lack of time for better things. Among the windings of the violins And the ariettes Of cracked cornets Inside my brain a dull tom-tom begins Absurdly hammering a prelude of its own, Capricious monotone. His poetic forms and language reflect the defeated and hopeless idealism. His images show that dreams and elegance are left behind. Eliot's images portray modern society's lack of idealism, emptiness and dangerous cynicism in the modern society. He portrayed the prostitutes as one of the uglier sides of city life in Rhapsody... " 'Regard the woman Who hesitates towards you in the light of the door Which opens on her like a grin. You see the border of her dress Is torn and stained with sand, And you see the corner of her eye Twists like a crooked pin.'" (16-22). It almost sounds inhuman and devouring. His language becomes cynically powerful when he depicts the hopelessness and emptiness of the present world. The images become oppressingly pessimistic and perhaps this is the result of the World War which saw horrendous destruction in Europe the signs of which exist

3 reflection questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

3 reflection questions - Assignment Example The video enriched the coaching session between Ms. Wessling and her principal by enabling discussion and comparison of personal opinion and perspectives of what they have observed. Her principal emphasized that one of the advantages of using video in the classroom is for teachers to be self-reflective and to be open-minded to bring out what they have done to talk about it. Using video in practice can also be a way to improve our practice as it offers a certain degree of reality. There might be a difference between what is planned in the abstract of practice and the concrete of reality; thus, video exposes of what is intrinsically natural to teachers. I could record my own practice using three different means: (1) reflective journal, (2) voice recording, (3) video recording, and (4) used of evaluation tool. Just like Ms. Wessling’s rationale, the used of notes or reflective journal will help me to record concretely record my practice and permits expression of personal opinion and observation. The voice recording tool will help me analyze the modulation of my voice and how interesting my voice is to my students if I will be the listener. Sometimes, the manner or quality of teacher’s voice affects engagement of the students in the lesson and this voice quality cannot be best evaluated in a video. Thus, I will also use video recording to have a holistic view of the classroom – management, interaction, and mannerisms in teaching. Lastly, I added the used of evaluation tool in order to systematically and quantitatively support findings from other means of recording

Discussion Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Discussion Questions - Assignment Example Businesses found on godly principles embrace concepts such as commitment, diligence, honesty, kindness, excellence and others. By upholding such values, the business will ensure that its products are of high value and satisfy customers’ needs. These are values that most people appreciate in business. Such values can earn a business loyalty from its customers. Positioning involves influencing perceptions of customers about a product (Pride & Ferrell, 2006). To a marketer, not only are words necessary, but also deeds or actions to supplement the words. Words are important since they enable the marketer persuade customers to purchase a product or act in a certain manner. A marketer must choose words carefully so that they can be pleasing as well as convincing to the customer (Pride & Ferrell, 2006). Words must be complemented by the appropriate actions. If this does not occur, customers may level criticism against the business. In order to retain customers, actions must supplement what the words promised to deliver. If customers do not get what was promised by mere words, they will most probably spread criticism by telling others. This may tarnish the business’s image in the eyes of potential

Nursing Shortage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Shortage - Essay Example The shortage is everyone's problem and the solution will need to come from the federal government, the states, hospitals, professional organizations, and local medical institutions. The nursing shortage is a national crisis and any solution will need to have the support of the federal government. The Nurse Reinvestment Act of 2002 appropriated funds to aid in the recruitment and retention of nurses at all levels, but has seen budget cuts in recent years. The bill expires in 2007 and the Congress should reauthorize the bill and increase the funding from $150 million in 2007 to a minimum of $200 million in 2008. This is the level that had been recommended by the Nursing Organizations Alliance and many other members of the nursing community (Beu 1063). Known as Title VIII, it funds nursing grants, education, retention grants, loan repayment, scholarship programs, faculty loans, and diversity grants. An expansion of these programs is a necessary foundation for increasing the supply of qualified nurses. In addition to increasing the funding for Title VIII, the federal government also needs to make a legislated commitment to enhancing the educational infrastructure. In 2005, nearly 150,000 qualified nursing school applicants were turned away because there were too few places to train them (Cooper and Aiken 68S). This was due partly to a lack of faculty, but was also a result of a lack of facilities. This extends from the classroom into the clinical setting. Attracting new student nurses through scholarships and loan repayment programs can only be productive if they have quality programs to enter. The federal government should also set a policy on limiting immigrant nurses. Though there is a substantial pool of qualified nurses in developing countries, it may be counter-productive for the US to depend on this international resource. The US should pursue bilateral agreements with countries that have served as a major source of nurses. It is in the international ethical interest that the US does not deplete the nursing supply in the developing nations and leave them in a medical crisis. These agreements would also protect our nation's supply of nurses as the world becomes more mobile. Buchan warns us that though the US is currently the premier market for working nurses. " ... I think you will see some more nurses moving from your country to others, perhaps for reasons other than purely financial" (23S). By cooperating to keep the source countries at a healthy level, we can assure that this international resource will not run out. The State Responsibility While the federal government can stimulate the supply of nurses, it is up to the states and the institution of nursing to retain them. A survey by Lynn and Redman in 2006 reported that the two most important factors for nursing retention was an increase in pay and "a climate of retention in health care facilities" (685). The intangible climate that the nurses spoke of included team work, decreased workload, communications, and being a part of the staffing decision process. A policy of employee empowerment would reduce psychological burnout. Women who have traditionally made up the bulk of the nursing staff have been presented with opportunities in competing career areas. Hospitals and medical institutions need to reevaluate pay scales and working

There are many types of investment vehicles, one of the vehicles that Essay

There are many types of investment vehicles, one of the vehicles that pay some of the highest returns - Essay Example In this part, the paper will discuss the compensation structure used by hedge funds. The discussion will include the rationale for this compensation structure, its mechanics and the agency issues that can be associated with the compensation structure. The hedge fund structure is usually composed of general partners who handle all the trading activity from the fund and limited partners who supply the capital that is invested in the fund. Other members include the portfolio manager, who is usually the owner of the management company. The investors in the portfolio are usually between 100 and 150 certified investors who are willing to let the portfolio manager manage their funds for profit. The administrators of the hedge funds maintain the books and records and process all the transactions in the funds. Since the investors are not involved in the day to day handling of the fund, it is up to the hedge fund managers to complete all the transactions in the fund and charge fees to the inve stors in form of compensation structures. As already stated, the compensation structures used by hedge funds are different from those used by normal mutual funds since they take more fees in a different manner. The managers in the hedge fund use different strategies to create profits from the funds, and the Limited Partners, also known as the investors receive a percentage of the profit. The compensation structure in hedge funds is usually set on two main types of fees; performance fees and management fees. The performance fee in a hedge fund refers to the fee in the investment fund that a manager charges investors as a percentage of the increase in value of the assets in which the funds are invested. The value of the funds investments is periodically calculated and the fund manager gets a performance fee, usually between 20 and 30% of the Net Asset Value, which is the increase in value. The performance fee in hedge funds is similar to that in mutual funds. However, other fees that are in the hedge fund and not in the mutual funds are the management fees. The management fee is usually 1 to 2% of the fixed fee of the assets in the mutual fund, and in addition, an incentive fee of between 10 and 30% of the assets in the fund is also charged. The contentious point about these fees is that the management fee is usually charged regardless of whether the fund has made any profits, which means that the managers will always earn profits even if the fund fails. However, the performance fee can only be charged if the fund makes a pre-specified level of return, which is usually set at a percentage or decided as an index. This level of return is referred to as an hurdle, and the managers strive to increase the level of performance of the hedge fund in order to earn extra fees. Hurdles typically reduce the size of performance fees and increase the reward for better management of the fund, a factor that accounts or its popularity with investors. Another terminology analogou s with the compensation structure of hedge funds is the high water mark, a term used to refer to the performance of the fund. The highest value of a hedge fund in a year is called the high water mark, and if the fund’s value falls in the subsequent year, the managers are not paid performance fees. This means that in subsequent years, if the funds increase in NAV but does not exceed the high water mark, no performance is also charged on the investors since they do not make any additional

The Insider Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Insider - Movie Review Example Bergman attempts to persuade Wigand to feel free to share the knowledge about the secrets of the tobacco industry. Eventually, Wigand trusts Bergman and Mike Wallace interview him while risking arrest for contempt of court. Wigand has to ensure he maintains his crumbling family life amid glaring lawsuits, as well as, death threats. The CEOs of the Big Tobacco might get away with perjury after compromising Bergman. The Insider is a breathtaking film that elicits feelings of shock as the top management attempt to compromise the secrets of the industry, which have direct effects on the health of the public. The film covers a primary public health issue that relates to the corporate power and tobacco, hazardous product. The film features the critical design and composition of the tobacco that depicts the less concern of the tobacco industry about the harmful elements in the product (Mann). The company is unwilling to recall the product after the tobacco poses a health risk to the public. The investigative journalism has played an enormous role in exposing the threats that the tobacco industry poses to the public by failing to ensure the products are safe for the human consumption. Such a failure is a serious health risk, and tobacco industry should not compromise the standard of the

Health Promotion Essay Example for Free

Health Promotion Essay Individual behavior and state of mind has been noted to have an impact on disease prevention and its associated death. These factors being put into consideration in health promotion puts a demand on the individual to make changes in many aspects of life. Nurses play important role in health promotion by intervening in actions that direct people towards developing resources to maintain or enhance their wellbeing. In this essay three recent publication of professional journal articles reviewed will be discussed as it relates to nursing practice and three level of health promotion. How the role of nurses changed regarding health promotion and the numerous ways nurses implement all aspects of nursing in health promotion. The three levels of health promotion will also be compared. Health Promotion Definition Health promotion is a new model in healthcare. O’Donnell defines it as â€Å"the science and art of helping people change their lifestyle to move towards a state of optimal health.†(Edelman Mandel, 2010, p. 14). Nevertheless, health promotion is mainly all about inhibition and living healthy life style that leads to lower rate of diseases and death. Health promotion is different methods of life style people adopt to maintain good health. These actions lead to good quality life that brings about well-being and improve the quality of life and not only absence of disease. Individuals attain good health by exercising, eating healthy, living stress free life to take charge of their life. The purpose of health promotion in nursing practice is to bring about change in people’s attitude and action to start healthy lifestyle that will sustain or enhance their wellbeing .This helps individuals reach goal towards optimum health. Nurses are in the fore front of this program with main role in health promotion and disease prevention . They engage in changing the healthcare system from old way of managing and curing illness to model of health promotion. The nursing role and responsibilities in health promotion is an active one because they function in all the areas encouraging and reinforcing the positive actions individuals demonstrate towards lifestyle changes. Nurses use evidence base practice, education, providing positive support to reach progress towards goal. In the literature reviewed the three level of health promotion were used to manage diabetes type two in Latino community with positive outcome. With education of the people progress was made towards achieving health promotion. These were done in the public, community level and personal level. The nursing roles and responsibilities evolving in health promotion, and implementing methods for health promotion that encompasses all areas of nursing. In health promotion nurses work together with other health care associates and the community displaying a variety of roles: Advocate by striving to ensure that everybody attain high-quality life style, suitable, and at low cost Case manager role involves gathering of reliable data to make sure there is no duplication of services. Consultant role in their areas of practice or advance practice stand. Primary prevention in type two Diabetic patients in literature review. The first measure includes immunization against disease and disability, good water supply, and safety. The next step is promotion of health by healthy life style ,eating healthy, exercising clean living environment and stress management. Primary prevention is taking initiative and advantage of available programs to detect and stop disease especially for those with risk factors, for example yearly medical exam and screening that will include blood work like fasting blood sugar and HgA1c.as was seen in the literature review. Through the screening and education of the people in this community type two diabetes was successful prevention. The interventions and practices include but are not limited to identification of those with the risk factors, weight reduction, blood works for fasting blood sugar and hga1c.These people were noted to have knowledge deficit on self-care. And with education the main tool used in primary level progress was made towards goal by the evidence in lifestyle modifications leading to significant weight loss and reduction in hemoglobin A1C.(Surucu Turkey, 2011) Secondary prevention in type two diabetic patient literature reviews. In secondary prevention diseases are found in its earliest stages, before it becomes symptomatic. Identification and diagnosing the disease early leads to positive outcome in the healing process, its progression are slowed down prevented and complications, are controlled bringing disability to minimum. This literature review was community based. Learning sensitivity tests, ethnically designed life style for weight reduction and diabetes risk reduction within low-income group were carried out in Spanish-speaking Latinos high risk diabetics. They were erratically allocated to lifestyle intervention care (IC) or usual care. They also examined the success of life style intervention conducted in lower cost lower intensity format to high risk populace. It was found compared with the usual care the IC care had a modest but significant weight reduction and medically meaningful decrease in hemoglobin A1C, insulin resistance and greater reductions in percentage of calories from total and saturated fat. They developed an inexpensive culturally sensitivity diabetes (Ockene et al, 2012) prevention program that resulted in weight loss, improved HbA1c and improved insulin resistance in high risk Latino populace.(American Journal of Public Health 2012) Tertiary prevention in type two diabetic patient literature reviews. If prevention and secondary prevention fails to improve the patient’s health, tertiary prevention will be the next option to combat the ailment. Tertiary prevention program is mainly maintenance of quality of life in individuals affected with some diseases. Complications and disabilities severity reduced with advancement of disease stopped. Therapy is done to restore function. It was conducted by health care professionals and physical therapists. This stage includes follow-up and reviewing of all prescribed medications with reinforcement of its compliance, dietary and lifestyle modifications by community health nurses. In this literature review, the physical therapy was for gait training and stability to improve standing balance control in neuropathic patients with type two diabetes.(2011(Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development 2011). In conclusion nurses are the main people that direct health promotion but the success depends on how individuals, families, communities take charge of their health by practicing all the mentioned life style modifications. References . Last name, first initial (2011, December 7th).Title of the article. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (JRRD). 48(issue) pgs. Edelman, C. L., Mandel, C. L. (2010). Health Promotion Throughout Life Span (seventh edition ed.). Location: Pulisher Ockene et al, I. (2012). Research and Practice Peer Review. American Journal of Public Health, 102.(2) pg. Surucu, H. A., Turkey, S. K. (2011). Selfcare Deficit Nursing theory in the Self-management with type two diabetes. , Journal title, Volume #, (Issue Number) pgs. Comments: Chigo, you did a great job defining and discussing the definition of health promotion and the purpose of nursing in health promotion. This was excellent. You also looked at the roles of nursing in health promotion. Including how these roles are evolving was a needed element. You reviewed a few implementation methods, but this discussion was needed additional details outlining how this encompasses all areas of nursing and utilizing the reviewed articles to support ideas presented. You compared the 3 levels of prevention and reviewed 3 articles related to each level. There were multiple grammatical errors and some of the paragraphs and organization was confusing. Make sure to proof-read the paper. There were several APA errors, missing references, and missing elements for the references listed. Please refer to the APA style guide to help with these issues. Again, you did a great job discussing the definition and purpose of nursing in health promotion. Melanie

Examining The Dangers Of Social Networking Media Essay

Examining The Dangers Of Social Networking Media Essay Social networking websites are web based services where one can create a public profile within almost virtual community. One can have a list of other users (friends) with whom they share a connection with, as well as view information on friends of friends. The main purpose of social networking sites is to build relations between friends who share similar interests. Most of these sites provide instant messaging and email services but are on a high level so that there is an element of complexity eg special software application tools are available in facebook which increase the users presence on that website. . Social networking recently has become a major part of the internet. In fac,t social networking sites are everywhere, nearly every person who has access to the computer and internet indulges with social network related sites on daily basis. Commom sites such as facebook, MySpace, hi5, Bebo and YouTube have millions of visitors daily. Facebook alone, has over 500 million users which make it the most popular social network website on Earth. According to Facebook , 50 % of their users are active users who log on facebook daily and People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook. The rapid increase in popularity of social network such as facebook has encouraged organisations to allow access to these sites within their networks. However many people now question social networks, the popularity of these sites has raised both security and privacy issues of its users. Millions of teenagers and adults exchange and share their personal interests and personal information such as photo s, videos etc, therefore one can learn almost anything about someone or stranger (If the profile page is open to anyone) who they maynot have met before, from their birthday to who their friends are and other personal information such as relationship status. There are many problems and dangers in using social networks however in contrasts there are considerable benefits of using social networks. Social networking is undisputedly one of the easiest way to keep in touch with family and friends as well as a channel in meeting new people with similar interests. One can make connect with people not presently in conact, for example staff in an organisation, students or alumni. Thus, social networking has made it very easy to make new friends or even meet old friends, which is a major benefit of social networking. Now, within the business world, social networking sites can also provide easy opportunity for anyone to advertise. This could either mean advertise an upcoming event or any other form of business advertising. The most important benefit of social networking sites like facebook or MySpace is that it gives an individualan opportunity to create an image of themselves through their profile, in a way he or she wants to be represented. It also gives them the chance to express themselves. There is a strong sense of being able to express ones own creativity. For this reason people find the sites almost personally fulfilling to be part of. Social networking sites have considerable benefits in allowing users to keep in touch with one other. Before social networking, people were only able to stay in touch with friends, families via phone, emails letters or online messengers, but it was very awkward and difficult to maintain contact due lack of communication tools. But sites like facebook have made staying in touch with people much easier where user can also emails as well as do live chat. Use of mobile phones and home computers with cheap internet has opened the doors for users all over the world, thus social networking has rose more than ten fold in the last decade. There is more pressure on people to use the sites because it has becaome almost part of modern living. The benefits somewhat seem to outweight any disadvantage even though the general public may not know at length where significant dangers lie in not setting appropriate User boundries for the applications or not using the applications with care and security. Social networking allow individuals to express themselves. The most popular way for an individual to express them self is by creating a profile which gives basic details about their personality such as personal interests, hobbies and education etc. One can add there details of hobbies and interests which might envoke other users to remain contact with similar interests and create social network between them. Social network sites, such as MySpace allows user to be creative by letting them design their own profile with different colour schemes and background pictures as well as using their own html codes for different layouts. Users such as music artist or writers can also show their creative side by writing blogs to let people know what is going on in their life. Creative artists such musicians, actors etc often use social networking to expand their fan base by using their profile in effect to advertise themselves. They can also get rapid feedbacks on any expressedtype of new ideas fr om their fans However despite all the positives of social networking the negatives overshadow the positives. Social networking has completely changed the nature of privacy by allowing individuals to obtain information of one individual without much effort. Social networking sites do not educate their users of apparent or hidden dangers in publishing their personal information on the World Wide Web. Even if a user is cautious about protecting their privacy it is very difficult for them to absolutely control who can view what on their profile pages. Most of the social networking sites have privacy tools which are not flexible enough to protect users data. This is because they have limited options of just to make the profile private (only friends can view it ) or public ( every one can view)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Social networking has also provided a new way for phishing and scamming to fraudsters. Scams can be posted as comments on an individuals profile or sent as private messages. This could encourage users to click on links that might link to fake version of that social networking site asking to enter logging detail or any other personal detail. This site might have no functionality apart from redirecting the user back to the original social networking site after the user has entered his/her login detail. That way, the scammer can use the login detail to have full access to the victims profile, which then can be used to scam more users and sell their personal detaisl on black market. According to Symantec monthly report [10] on spam phishing, 92 % of phishing scams were carried out through social networking sites. This shows that social networking is a leading area for scammers to either steal personal details or send spams. Figures from fishtank.com [11] show that FaceBook is the 7th mo st targeted website of phishing scams in 2009, this figure might have increased in 2010. According to the article in the guardian paper, lately many phishing attacks have been carried out through Facebook , fraudsters have sent spam messages to users which link to the fbstarter.com or fbaction.net. These sites were phishing scams which looked as if they are Geneon sites, but were used to steel login details of facebook users. However facebook has announced that they have blocked the fbaction.net links from facebook website and messages that links to fbaction.net. Social networking is very common in teenagers or underage users. Most of these teenagers dont take into account or acknowledge the dangers of social networking sites. To them, all the social sites seem innocent. Most of these kids use these sites only to stay in touch with friend. Social networks are a hub for paedophiles and perverts. This is because majority of the children post too much personal imformation. Not just their name, but they post their photos, addresses and the school that they attend. Social networking sites provide neccessary information that these criminal predators need in order to target vulnerable kids. Majority of the parents are also not aware of common dangers in misuse of the sites. Also they may be unaware that their child has access to them or worse still is addicted to them. There are reports, worldwide, of grave concequences of children being involved in such incidents where sites have provides a main medium of communication with the children putting the mselves in dangerous situations. Facts show that out 10 teenagers, at least one has posted a nude/semi nude photos of them self on their profile [15]. An adult can become aware enough and handle all ofl the dangers of posting personal information on a social networking site but it might not be obvious to children, since they simply are not mature nor have developed enough,in mind, to comprehend the complexity of social networking. However, this danger could be prevented if children not only educated about what they should post on the profile and how they should post restricted material but also protected. Carers or parents should know what children are exposed to and what activities they conduct. The use of privacy settings on sites such as facebook can also help to prevent these dangers. One interesting aspect is when an employee can overlook his /her posting on any social networking site and talk about themselves for example to a potential employer. Thay may present a picture of themselves completely differnt to that of the one on thir social site. How are they to know that these details have not been viewed by that person. One example is that they may tell a lie about their whereabouts to someone only to discover that they have found the truth about them on a social site eg on holiday or out shopping instead of sick, at home and off work . It is clear that there is evidence suggesting that social networking is very dangerous indeed, but it is very difficult to ignore social;l trends locally and on a global scale. Can we live without a system that has breeded into our society so rapidly and deeply that it has an impoact on our day to day habits, even sleep is effected. Some people are suffering from an insomnia syndrome due to addictions on ef facebook poker and Farmville and the worrying issue is that the users are now the very young ones, small children. One great disadvantage is the impact on verbal and communication skills for children. The findings are is that children are missing out on being verbally competent, thay are learming to speak properly later in life due to chatting on the internet, thay are more shy or reserved. This danger is one of the impact on society and the future generation. Insead of talking and reasoning verbally, they are typing into the keyboard. Perhaps talking on the phone is better for humans because true emotion can be expressed and maybe we use a different parts of our minds. How much control do you think we will have over this. Social networking is here to saty because Such a big user level No one person has control over it Too many uses Will always be delveoping Too much meny to be made in it May be part of our future jobs May need it for Dangers have to be managed Are there but its have they are controlled/stopped/ Have to have a deeper understanding of what danger is, its impact on us today and toimarrow.. learn from mistakes and continuously work together to protect people and educate them Face [10]http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/enterprise/other_resources/b- state_of_spam_and_phishing_report_02-2010.en-us.pdf [11] http://www.phishtank.com/stats/2009/03/ [12] http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/30/facebook-phishing-scam http://www.yourteenager.co.uk/facebook-your-teen.html http://life.familyeducation.com/teen/internet-safety/57657.html?page=2 [15]http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-08-10/news/17175229_1_social-networking-sites-social-networking-teens

Strategies for Language Translation | Dissertation

Strategies for Language Translation | Dissertation Introduction The present dissertation is largely based on research in the field of translation. Translation is an influential valid feature of our society, and it symbolizes one of the most important aspects in shaping the upcoming course of the planet. . The translators tasks are complex and refer to his/her abilities of dealing with every aspect of the process of translation. The power of translator lies in his/her responsibility for his/her end product. I chose this topic because I believe translation is part of everyones life and it has profound implications in our society. The translation is defined and influenced by the type of source text, the target readers understanding, the context, the translators skills and the linguistic and cultural differences between the source language and the target language. My approach is two-fold: a theoretical perspective A. Theoretical considerations and a practical one B. Application. The first part explains what the translator tasks imply and what factors influence the translational competence, analyzes the characteristics of these skills, offering guidelines and methods of approach for a better understanding. The second part deals with the problems I encountered while translating a part of Ultima noapte de dragoste, à ®ntà ¢ia noapte de război by Camil Petrescu. In the first chapter, â€Å"Who are translators†, I shall try to define the translators profession, what important tools influence the activity of translation as well as what skills a translator should possess in order to be a competent translator. The first subchapter, â€Å"Skills of reading and writing† regards the translators tasks of decoding and encoding a text to offer the correct meaning in his/her translation. The next sub-chapters, â€Å"Subject area and Contrastive knowledge† and â€Å"Source language and Target language knowledge† describe why a translator should be specialized in various fields and the differences between the two languages regarding the language systems and cultures. In the second chapter, â€Å"Factors that influence the translational competence†, I shall begin by theorizing translational competence, which refers to all those factors that lead to perfection in translation. The first subchapter, â€Å"Psychological factors†, underlines the effect of psychology on the process of translation. â€Å"Knowledge of translation theory†, the next subchapter, describes the norms of the field of translation, which help the translator to render the overall meaning of the source text and to have the same effect on the readership. The third subchapter, â€Å"The quality of translation. Efficiency of text analysis†, analyzes what a translator should avoid in order to ensure a correct translation and to establish the necessary level of quality. â€Å"Culture† and â€Å"Experience†, the next subchapters refer to how the knowledge of the source and target culture as well as the experience in the field help the translator to make the right decisions in translation. The second part of the dissertation contains five chapters, which rely on the translation The last night of love, the first night of war. The first chapter, â€Å"The process of translation† presents the steps taken in the process of translation. â€Å"Source text and Target text analysis† deals with analyzing the extratextual and intratextual factors for each of the two languages. The last chapters â€Å"Identification of translation problems† and â€Å"Comments on translation† regard what translation problems were found during the translation process and I will discuss as well the translation difficulties and the way they were solved. The last chapter contains the translation of the first part of the novel by Camil Petrescu. Being a proficient translator may be a quality that comes by nature or by continuous practice. I strongly believe that although theory helps, it is practice that actually leads to perfection in translation. A. Theoretical considerations 1. Who are translators? Translation is one of the various means of communication existing and, from this point of view, it is very important because it establishes a connection between at least two languages, two cultures, two nations; at verbal level it helps transferring their characteristic elements from one into the other as well as understanding them. Not giving it importance equates with a total isolation from the rest of the world. A translation involves three parties, of which the third one, represented by the translator, is the most important. His responsibility is enormous because the burden of transferring the message presses over his shoulders. Knowing a foreign language and the subject is not as important as being sensitive to language and being competent to speak his own language clearly and resourcefully. For a good speaker avoids not only errors of usage but also mistakes of fact and language simply by applying his good sense. A translator has also to have flair and a so-called â€Å"sixth sense†, which is compounded of intelligence, sensibility, intuition and knowledge. S/he perhaps more than any other practitioner of a profession, is continually faced with choices and has to be very careful and extremely fast in making them. If I were to draw a line between translation and the translator and to state which ones importance is greater, I would say that a translation cannot be achieved without the appropriate person to do it, i.e. the translator. The same applies to the translator, who fades away without the core of his profession. They depend on each other and are vital for the welfare of this world. An element of great importance for a translator is the professional pride, a consideration higher than money, because s/he can fell her/his work is appreciated. I believe this is the case not only for in-house people, but also for freelancers. Even a high salary would not motivate as much a translator as the pride in the work. The professional integrity comes with the idea of being reliable, involving in the profession and respecting the ethics. Reliability means doing the job as to meet the users needs. The translator is in a position of translating the texts that the user needs, in the style the client wants them to be translated, and by a deadline requested by the user. The attempt to become a reliable translator may sometimes bring about assignments that are impossible to achieve for many reasons: the texts are morally inappropriate, the necessary work is consumptive or the experience is not enough to deal with such a text. The translator involves in his profession in many ways. If s/he participates to courses and conferences in the field, this will consolidate the professional self-esteem that will definitely encourage and motivate them to accept different challenges: Reading about translation, talking about translation with other translators, discussing problems and solutions related to linguistic transfer, user demands, nonpayment, and the like, taking classes on translation, attending translator conferences, keeping up with technological developments in the field, buying and learning to use new software and hardware − all this gives us the strong sense that we are not isolated underpaid flunkies but professionals surrounded by other professionals who share our concerns. Involvement in the translation profession may even give us the intellectual tools and professional courage to stand up to unreasonable demands, to educate clients and employers rather that submit meekly and seethe inwardly. Being a translator does not mean only being involved in a work that s/he loves but also earning a living. Professional translators know the quality of their work and they will charge their clients according to this criterion. Of course, the amount of money is proportional with the volume of their assignments and the speed they work with. Probably translators are expected to translate fast; usually in-house translators translate fast, but the work in an agency is different from that of a freelancer. Freelancers have a different rhythm of their work and, if they do translations faster, this will bring more money for them. Of course, if one translates for pleasure and amusement, there is no need for being fast. They savor every step in the process and tend to deal with one paragraph for hours. Many factors influence the translation speed. One of them is typing speed. It helps the translator to write rapidly his/her ideas on the computer. Another factor of importance is the degree of text difficulty. A difficult text will slow down the process of translation and will take much more time do it. The continuous practice and experience makes the translator to process easily the difficult words and structures. The same situation is for how the familiar the text will be for the translator. Other factors that interfere in the process of translation are the personal style and the general mental state of the translator. The use of translation memory software is very helpful for a translator and increases the translation speed. Besides these advantages, many things should be taken into account: if the volume of translation is reduced, this will not warrant the cost of the software. Usually, in-house translators use this software. Large corporations usually need a great volume of translations and address to them and not to freelancers. This software is helpful only with texts in digital form; it is not helpful in the case of literal translation. However, freelancers who work for different agencies and who have a high-volume of assignments say that the use of translation memory software is very helpful though it is not very creative. 1.1. Skills of reading and writing The translators knowledge of translation theory and the skills of reading and writing a text are definitely of paramount importance for the quality of the translation. The ethics of translation speak about the way in which a translator should understand the text that needs to be translated, how to recognize the authors intention in order to render the appropriate message into the target language. The translator has to analyze the text linguistically, culturally, philosophically, even politically, if necessary. The first step is to get a general reading and then a closer one to establish the characteristics of that text. The translator has to know how to identify the authors attitude to the subject matter. S/he also must pay special attention to the type of language that is used, grammatical structures, register, rhetorical function, genre, the use of modals and especially to the needs and expectations of the target audience. It is known that all these ethical rules are taught because they do not come instinctively. Usually, if they come naturally, they surely come by experience. A professional translation often arises at the subliminal level due to the fact that the translator has an analytical feeling which helps him/her finding the solutions to those problems that are somehow similar to precedent situations. The novice translators are taught analytical guidelines to help them becoming familiar with the rules and, at the same time to become proficient, without being aware of it. The wheel of experience shows how this analysis of the brain becomes a sort of second nature for the translator during the process of translation. Another reading guideline for the translator is to decide the emotional tone and the degree of formality of the source text. Determining the audience of the target text shows how the target language should be structured, deciding to whom it is addressed, to the educated, the average literate audience or others. Children are a special audienc e and the message is different according to the age, the degree of familiarity with the stories, the amusement that the translation provokes and many others. Eugene Nida explains how the ability of decoding a text should work: Decoding ability in any language involves at least four principal levels: (I) the capacity of children, whose vocabulary and cultural experience are limited; (2) the double-standard of new literates, who can decode oral messages with facility but whose ability to decode written messages is limited; (3) the capacity of the average literate adult, who can handle both oral and written messages with relative ease; and (4) the unusually high capacity of specialists (doctors, theologians, philosophers, scientists, etc.), when they are decoding messages within their own area of specialization. Obviously, a translation designed for children cannot be the same as one prepared for specialists, nor can a translation for children be the same as one for a newly literate adult. The translation has to be the same with the translators intention and point of view and the translator always has to keep in mind the target language readership. The translation of colloquial and intimate phrases are always problematic for the translator and they should be translated carefully. The grammatical analysis helps the translator to understand the relationships between the words and at the same time to help him/her to get the message of the author. It becomes crucial to find the correct meaning of the grammatical constructions given the fact that one construction may have many interpretations or meanings. The problem becomes acute in the case of idioms because they need a special approach when they need to be translated. Eugene Nida and Charles Taber mention the difficulties that arise when translating these expressions: Idioms are typically constructed on quite normal grammatical patterns of phrase structure, but the meaning of the whole idiom is not simply the sum of the meanings of the parts, nor can one segment the meaning (in the many cases where it is complex) and assign a definable portion of the meaning to each grammatical piece (e.g., a morpheme). [] one must treat the entire expression as a semantic unit, even though in the surface structure of the grammar it obeys all of the rules applicable to the individual pieces. Writing skills are as important as reading skills and refer to the ability of writing in a clear and proper form. Translators have to be familiar with different styles of writing according to each domain, as well as with those conventions regarding editing. The skills of reading a source language text are significant qualities for a translator and help him understanding the original text and delivering a translation in an appropriate and correct style. Reading the source text is the first step in the process of translation and the better the translator understands the meaning of the authors intention, the clearest he will render the message into the target language. The understanding of the source text represents a primary ability necessary in the process of translation, followed by a combination between other skills, which will be presented in this chapter. 1.2. Subject area and contrastive knowledge Translators must be aware of the importance of being specialized in various subject fields, such as: medical translation, legal translation, financial translation, technical IT translation, scientific translation, marketing and PR translation, website translation and others. The knowledge of a certain subject area helps the translator to deal with words and constructions that are specific to that domain. Many translators have the courage to say that their knowledge of translation theory allows them to accept texts that need to be translated from different fields. It is somehow premature to say that, especially by a beginner in the field of translation. Of course, an experienced translator may deal easily with this type of texts, but ideally, one should have in mind the necessary training in a particular field. Contrastive knowledge refers to how a translator should be able to find the contrastive elements between the source and target language so as to deliver an accurate message through his/her translation. An analysis should be made at the linguistic level, namely the syntactic, semantic and pragmatic levels, and the literary one. The syntactic level deals with the analysis at the sentence, clause, phrase and word level. The semantic analysis refers to how the translator examines the relationships between the elements found through syntactic analysis. At the pragmatic level, the translator tries to identify the register features of the text which express the intention of the source language author. After these three steps of analysis, follows the stage of synthesis, a stage that starts on the contrary way, with the pragmatic level. 1.3. Source language and Target language knowledge It is well-known the fact that a translator should possess a good knowledge of both source and target language, in other words, s/he should be a master of the two languages. They have to be fluent in the two languages in order to be able to transmit the proper message and to sound as natural as possible in the target language, using a correct style and terminology. What is also important is to know and apply all the rules concerning editing conventions of the two languages which will help the readability of the target language text. The booklet entitled †Bilingual Skills Certificate and Certificate in Community Interpreting† published by the Institute of Linguists gives an interesting definition on bilingualism: Bilingual service providers are people who possess two sets of skills language and professional skills, so that they can give the same standard of service in the context of two languages and cultures. In order to provide an equal standard of service to all clients, the people providing the service should have adequate standards of training and qualification in both sets of skills. For example, allowing people to give medical advice or gather information upon which medical decisions are made when they are not qualified and solely on the grounds that they happen to speak French or Urdu is as bad as giving good medical advice which cannot be understood. One of the risks that translators are dealing with is that of fooling the brain into thinking that the structures used in the target language are correct merely only because they are correct in the source language. This is especially the case of translators who work in their adopted country as a result of the fact that they begin to think like a native. Keeping up with cultural change is the way in which the translator can understand a language properly and s/he can translate it successfully. For this reason it is said that the best translations are done by native speakers, residents in the country where the target language is spoken. If the translator has the possibility to travel to the source language country to work on different tasks, he will be able to date with the source language and culture and at the same time s/he will maintain the knowledge of the mother tongue at the proper level. The translation always needs to be localized for the intended reader. This is a factor of great importance because it governs choice of language, presentation, the level of the language. The language needs to be elementary but not extremely simple. A competent translator will always know how to adapt his ear to the target language and will use his intuition when it comes to adjust to target language rules. 2. Factors that influence the translational competence The language and the process of thinking are not identical phenomena but they are closely linked and interrelated. If we take into account the language as a communicative process, we need to specify that what it is transmitted or communicated is a message, so it is a semantic content. The verbal expression is dependent on choosing the words and the way of phrasing. For example, the verb to say can be expressed by other verbs with an equivalent or words with an approximate meaning: to communicate, to dispose, to inform, to report, to discuss, to talk, to enlighten, to explain, to remember, to advise, to persuade and many others. Communication becomes concrete exactly by using the perfect word, appropriate for a situation. By using the verb to say instead of all the other verbs, we would express ourselves in a generic, graded way, and practically we would not manage to suggest a rich content. In such a situation, a translator will always have to select carefully the words to express th e intention and the attitude of the source language writer. A good knowledge of a foreign language is not sufficient for being a proficient translator. A translator needs to be a translator by his/her nature. There are many skills that I consider to be the most important, for example the knowledge of translation theory, the ability to analyze, compare and convert texts from one cultural domain into another, the experience in the field, the level of implication in the process of translation and many others. Trying to reach an absolute equivalent is impossible even if the translator detains great resources at the linguistic, stylistic and literary level. Psychological factors also affect the process of translation and speak about the level of translators implication when rendering the message into the target language. The translators way of expression comes and forms itself at the mental level and, based on a specific developed background affects the quality of the translation. 2.1. Psychological factors Due to our way of thinking, a man can decide upon the meaning of an object, phenomena or action connected to his environment. This is possible taking into account the new information by reference to the assimilated and systematized background knowledge. This is a part of the mental process involved in the process of translation. The understanding of a translator can be guided by several intentions or points of view. For example, a complex situation, such as translation, which implies natural, economic, geographic and cultural factors, can be understood under different angles. If a translator doesnt have the necessary knowledge s/he cannot decode the meaning of the original text. The translation has to sound as natural as possible, let alone the fact that it shouldnt contain confusing words so as to make harder the reading and understanding of the audience: †[]it should studiously avoid the translationese formal fidelity, with resulting unfaithfulness to the content and the imp act of the message.† The impossibility of making a perfect translation should not become a frustration for the translator. Of course, there will always be persons who will translate better, but maybe in a different style. Showing empathy for a certain author will positively influence his/her work and style of writing. It is unethical for a translator not to be objective inside the translation process. Nevertheless, it is obvious that s/he will think about translation as the experience in the field tells him/her how to do it. Sometimes the experience guides a translator in choosing the words or expressions. Another psychological factor, altering the meaning of the source language text and imposing, consciously or not, a personal viewpoint on the audience is not a good decision for a translator to take. The translator must try to preserve the uniqueness of a culture, its characteristics and norms. In translation, cultural psychology shows how a concept from a certain historic, social-economic or cultural background of a country or region can be found in another one but does not reflect the same thing as in the first one: Phoenix is a legend in Chinas miraculous animals, on behalf of luck, happiness and elegance, it is believed to ride Phoenix a bike can bring good luck, while in Western culture, the legendary phoenix is a phoenix, a regeneration, Resurrection and other means, so that the goods in the West is not surprising that no one is interested. Consumer psychology has implications in the way in which the consumers interests are motivated. Through a good translation, the promotional character of this type of psychology can attract clients or, on the contrary, not even stimulate them at all to buy a product. For example, Happy Cakesgiving!, a collocation taken from an advertisement about a special and tasteful cake, remembers about Thanksgiving Day, a holiday usually celebrated in the United States and Canada. The construction is very interesting and is in fact an adaptation of the holiday, underlying the importance of it for so many people. It is very hard, if not almost impossible to find an equivalent into Romanian, but a translator may always find a solution to satisfy the audience, adapting somehow the term to the local culture. Ziua deliciului may be a variant with relevance for the Romanian culture, resembling with the structure of Ziua mamei (Mothers Day), Ziua Nationala (National Day), Ziua Unirii (Unification Day) a nd so on. The aesthetic psychology works in translation at the pragmatic level. The artistic words and phrases, the combination of structures that reflect the beautiful, the elegant and graceful utterances are to be translated in the same way into the target language. This is a very hard to achieve due to many reasons. One of them is the specific syntax which makes the difference between the languages. Preserving the rhyme of a Romanian text when translating it into English is very difficult. The thematic structure of a text in Romanian is very hard to render into English. If we take the example of a section from Zamolxis, by Lucian Blaga, we will find that is impossible to preserve the elements of rhythm and rhyme. e.g. MÇÅ ½-mpÇÅ ½rtÇÅ ½Ãƒâ€¦Ã… ¸esc cu cà ¢te-un strop din tot ce creÃ…Å ¸te Ã…Å ¸i se pierde. Nimic nu mi-e strein, Ã…Å ¸i numai marea à ®mi lipseÃ…Å ¸te. I share a drop of all that waxes and wanes. Nothing is alien to me, and the sea alone is absent. Another reason for which it is very difficult to preserve the style of a specific text is the word order, which does not permit the translator to deal easily with the style of the original. In order to realize the message of the source language text, a translator will have to take decisions regarding what it should reproduce, either the forms or the ideas of the original. My belief is that a good translator will always be able to maintain the stylistic characteristics of a text and to construct structures that will transfer the propositional content and communicate the purpose intended by the source language writer. 2.2. Knowledge of translation theory In order to gain recognition in the field of translation, a bilingual speaker has to respect the norms that give him the responsibility over a text. Gideon Toury distinguishes between two groups of norms relevant for the process of translation: preliminary and operational. Preliminary norms deal with two major sets of concerns, which are usually interrelated: those regarding the existence of a definite translation strategy, and those related to the truthfulness of translation. Operational norms refer to the decisions made during the act of translation itself. A faithful translation depends on the correct selection of the appropriate method of translation. There are many people who wrongly believe that literary translation is more important than the technical one saying that the latter contains specific terms that are easy to translate whereas the first one is far more complex. Any translation is a very complex task and requires the same knowledge and responsibility from the part of the translator. One of the roles of the translator is to assist and fulfill the target readers expectations. The principle that governs this idea is that a translator should not transmit only the words to the readers, but the ideas of the source language text. The translators task becomes very difficult to achieve if s/he does not understand properly the referential meaning of a text so as to transfer it correctly to the target language. Another important role of the translator is to produce the same impression on the target readers as the author of the source language produces on his/her own readers. Another guideline stipulated by translation theory is that a translator should correct the misrepresentations, which belong to the extralinguistic reality. S/he has to find if a text has a correct syntax, if it contains stereotype phrases, fashionable general words. If the text is not well written, s/he can interfere in the original text and perform intra- and interlingual translation so as to transmit an appropriate message. A close attention must be paid to word order, false friends, common structures which become unnatural by one-to-one translation, the use of elevated usage of words and idioms or the use of infinitives, gerunds and verb-phrase. The translator should write in his own style and should not use words and expressions that produce an artificial effect on the target text. 2.2.1 Translation methods Paraphrasing Another principle related to the knowledge of translation theory is the use of paraphrase as a solution to those words which do not have an equivalent in the target language, whether they are technical, scientific, literary or institutional terms. In translation theory, to paraphrase means trying to express the signification of a word by amplifying or explaining its meaning: [†¦] is a technical term from linguistics and related disciplines, and is characterized by three specific features: (I) it is intralingual rather than interlingual, i.e., it is â€Å"another way of sayng the same thing† in the same language; (2) it is rigorous, in that there are no changes in the semantic components: no additions, no deletions, no skewing of relationships, only a different marking of the same relations between the same elements; (3) specifically as it relates to back-transformation, it is aimed at restatement at a particular level, that of the kernels. This often happens in the case of poorly written texts or it is also a method used in translating the Bible. The latter case implies many debates because paraphrasing the Bible means an interpretation that tends to be subjective due to the translators point of view regarding religion. Eugene A. Nida points out this idea in his work â€Å"Toward a science of translation†: The dangers of subjectivity in translating are directly proportionate to the potential emotional involvement of the translator in the message. For scientific prose such involvement is usually at a minimum, but in religious texts it may be rather great, since religion is concerned with the deepest and most universal value systems. In some instances it is a translators own sense of insecurity which makes it difficult for him to let the document speak for itself, and in other instances a lack of humility may prompt him to translate without consulting the opinions of those who have studied such texts more fully than himself. So, this method includes not only advantages, for the ability to transmit the message, but also disadvantages because it alters the original meaning. By using a paraphrase, the translator can render the meaning of the source language text. Since this is a way to carry in the target text the intention of the author, the paraphrase shows how s/he can remain faithful to the original. Problems about paraphrasing arise when we try to detect its level of fidelity in the process of translation. Every translator will have his/her own way of interpreting the original text and, thus, an original method of paraphrasing. Sometimes trying to eliminate the use of a paraphrase may result in weakening the text. A special attention should be paid to the substantial sense of a translated work after using the paraphrase. Functional Equivalence Functional Equivalence, also called dynamic equivalence is a method in which the translator tries to reflect the intention of the author in the source language at the expense of the original grammatical structure. Are Bureaucracies Involved In Foreign Policy Making? Are Bureaucracies Involved In Foreign Policy Making? In western democracies, especially UK and US, the role of bureaucracy in making policy is analyzed to understand its effective power in the decision making process: is bureaucracy a simple armed arm of the politics or it is completely involved in making policy? The foreign policy is not exempt from this debate and various authors spend their academic career trying to answer to this question. The aim of this essay is to investigate under what circumstances, bureaucrats are passively involved in foreign policy or when they are actively part of the process of decision making. For these reasons the essay will be divided into three parts. The first part is entitled to analyze and explain the Allisons model III (Bureaucratic Politics Model) based on the idea that the decision to follow a certain line in foreign policy is basically the result of bargaining between offices and bureaucrats in different positions of command. This theory is a masterpiece in the analysis of the impact of bureaucracy in foreign policy, consequently it is necessary to mention it. In the second part all the theoretical restrictions of the Allisons model III will be shown and as result an alternative model will be provided. In the last part, all the theoretical assumptions emerged during the analysis will be tested according to two cases study: in one hand the relationship between US bureaucracy and Kis singer, former National Security Advisor (NSA) and head of the Department of State in the US administration; in the other hand the US Navy and the study of its internal bureaucracy. By definition, bureaus are non-profit organizations that are financed, at least in part, from a periodic appropriation or grant bureaus specialise in providing goods and services that some people prefer in larger amounts than would be supplied by their sale at a per-unit rate (Niskanen 1973: 8). They are usually financed by a government department which is financed by tax revenues. The term bureaucrat will be used to describe any full-time employee of a bureau nearly synonymous with civil servant [it] will be used to define the senior official of any bureau with a separate identifiable budgetthese bureaucrats may be either career officials or directly appointed by the elected executive (Niskanen 1973: 11). * * * The Allisons model called Bureaucratic Politics analyses the foreign policy decision making process. The core of the Allisons model III is easily summarized in his words: bargaining along regularized channels among players positioned hierarchically within the government (Allison 1969: 707). The scheme predicts no unitary actor but rather many players focused on different problems. The governmental apparatus is led by political leaders who need to decentralize some of their functions. This process guarantees discretion on the hands of the subject in charge of that function. In foreign policy, different players opt for different solutions because of their perceptions and priorities. In doing so, decisions are the result of the triumph of one group over others. The axioms produced by the Allisons model III are many: governmental actions are the result of compromise and competition among public officials; players are men in jobs (Allison 1969: 709) that means their tasks and obligations are related to the position they hold at that moment; within bureaucratic organization usually the bargaining is driven by parochialism, that influences internal priorities, perceptions and issues; each player has a reasonable probability of success according to the effective power in his/her hands; each decision has critical consequences not only for the strategic problem but for each players organizational, reputational, and personal stakes (Allison 1969: 710). Moreover, bargaining is possible only in certain channels and its results are not the consequence of individual rationality but rather the sum of different intentions (Allison 1969). Through the study of the UK and US foreign policy decision making process, it is possible to identify those elements present in Allisons model III in order to understand how they are implemented in practice. Formal responsibility for the conduct of British foreign policy rests with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and under him the FCO (Wallace 1975: 21). This vision would be limited until we do not recognise also the importance of overseas missions home departments, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, others ministries and officials. In fact, in UK foreign affairs if the policy-making process in lower levels is in the hands of the Foreign Office, for what we consider high policy we need to add the interference of other member of government (with their personal relationships and prejudices) and small group of interests. With the exception of situations of emergency, the decisions are taken into formal channels (e.g. intergovernmental relations, negotiation of treaties and representation abroad) (Wallace 1975). Daily foreign policy making process is, not only an activity related to the Secretary of State, but also to senior officials in important delegations, such as UN, NATO and UE, who effectively become part of the process of policy-making in their areas (Wallace 1975: 36). Each home department has the right to have one or more civilian attachà ©(s) in overseas missions because of their significant international interests. Traditionally, the most important ones are from the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). FCO, Treasury and MoD had responsibilities overlapped with significant areas of high policy as well as low-level external relations (Wallace 1975: 40). Therefore, one of the roles of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet is to pull together different instances and to coordinate the governmental action through the Home Civil Service, a permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that support the national interest with the instances from private industries and public departments. O fficials do their best to ensure that they know their ministers mind and to take his assumed preferences into account in formulating and implementing policy (Wallace 1975: 51). They are considered the protectors of the public interest and they have a particular relationship with the politicians: [i]It is very difficult to assess the relative impact of official advice and political direction on external policyof course there is a difference in outlook between the official, whose professional career is foreign policy, and the minister, who must be more concerned with domestic politics, his constituency, his standing in the party, and the next election (Wallace 1975: 52). However, the relationship between the politicians and their officials in some cases are affected by personal factors more than formal structures. Consequently, foreign policy seems to be driven not only by the national interest but also by personal interest, energy, experience, expertise, friendships, personality and preferences. Different opinions and different attitudes are reflected into different views within the government. The making of US foreign policy is delegated to different actors. The President, the NSA with the National Security Council (NSC), the State Department, the Department of Defence (DoD) and the Intelligence Community (IC) are all of them directly or in part involved in the process of foreign policy decision making. The NSAs organizational origins derive from the NSC system set up in 1947, and from the putative need for Presidents to have on their staff a manager and coordinator for foreign policy (Dumbrell 1997: 89). In fact, [t]The NSA and NSC staff tend to be seen as flexible, responsive, relatively free of bureaucratic baggage, and sensitive to the Presidents political and electoral interest (Dumbrell 1997: 92). The Secretary of State is the official governmental responsible for the making of foreign policy. Although its mandate is clear, it is progressively increasing the tendency for inter-departmental networks of influence to cut traditional institutional linkages. As pointed ou t by Dumbrell (1997: 97), for example, during the Cold war a militarization of diplomacy and a consequent endemic tension between the Pentagon and the State Department monopolized the policy-making process. [T]the CIA was an institutional embodiment of the trend towards non-accountable, subterranean policy-making and security operation (Dumbrell 1997: 102). Therefore, the CIA has to be considered a powerful instrument of foreign policy in the hands of the White House. * * * The Bureaucratic Politics Model is not exempt by critics. Krasner (1972) claims that the Allisons model III is ambiguous and dangerous because in western democracies elected officials are responsible for the acts of government, not public ones. Merits and demerits of the governmental structure because of the implementation of weak policies or wrong ones is direct responsibility of the elected leader, and not of bureaucrats. Moreover, the model lacks in describing how policy is made because it does not consider adequately the figure of the President especially in the US system. Only the President has the power of the ultimate decisions, to choose most of the important players, to set the rules. That explains why even if his/her attention is absent, bureaus are sensitive to his/her values. Neither organizational necessity nor bureaucratic interests are the fundamental determinants of policy. The limits imposed by standard operating procedures as well as the direction of policy are a function of the values of decision-makers. The President creates much of the bureaucratic environment which surrounds him through his selection of bureau chiefs, determination of action-channels, and statutory powers (Krasner 1972: 169). Another controversial point in the Allisons model is that it does not consider the possibility of failure, that is at the end of the process of bargaining the players could not take any decision. According to Krasner (1972) this outcome not only is common but also it reflects confusion over values which afflicts the society and the political elite. In the Bureaucratic Politics Model, this sort of confusion is not allowed because each player is certain about its priorities and parochial interests. Bendor and Hammond (1992) indicate at least four weaknesses in the Allisons model III: the bargaining, the hierarchy, the ambiguity of the assumptions and the extreme complexity. The model suffers when it assumes that the bureaucratic actors have conflicting goals; often what is conflicting within a governmental organization is the beliefs about how to achieve those goals. Furthermore, it is not understandable why the President with all his/her powers has to bargaining with other officials and in doing so the model suffers in understanding the sense of hierarchy within the Executive Branch. The prepositions in the model often are claimed without scientific values, without data support and they seem to be generalizations without proof. After all, the complexity of the model is given by the amount of information necessary to verify it and the number of variables to consider. Welch (1992) identifies the impossibility to test the Allisons model III as one of the main problem of the model itself. What is more, he is aware of two contradictions. The first one is related to the importance of the positions held by the players. According to Allison the position determines the preferences but at the same time the priorities in the mind of the actors are also dictated by their experiences and perceptions. The second one is related to how bureaucratic positions can influence the decision making process. According to Allison the position determines the power of the player but at the same time one fundamental aspect in the bargaining process is the personality. Brady and Kegley (1977) criticize the literature about bureaucratic politics considered by Allison in his assumptions. Generalizations and lack of evidence seem to overemphasize the role of bureaucratic influences. In fact, bureaucratic influences should be explained as a component of the foreign policy decision making process and not the most important one. The way in which bureaucracy influence decisions is only in part related to parochial interests, as shown in situations of crisis, when each organizational position and the consequent process of bargaining is led by the common interest of combating or avoiding a threat for all the players. Not only critics to Allison are necessary, but also the examination of an alternative model can help us in understanding strengths and weaknesses of that model. Aberbach, Putnam and Rockman (1981) created a new model to explain the relationship between politicians and bureaucrats. In this case, the sophisticated model is not simply bureaucratic centric like the Allison one, but it is focused on four different outcomes called images. The first one is the simplest: politicians make policy; civil servants administer. Politicians make decisions; bureaucrats merely implement them (Aberbach, Putnam and Rockman 1981: 4). Public officials are indispensable servants because of their competences and expertise. For Weber, this is the ideal relationship because the institutional functions of politics and administration are separated, but at the same time it is highly improbable because every governmental decision has political considerations and consequences. Authority, simplicity of decision and political supremacy are the potentiality of this image. The second outcome assumes that both politicians and civil servants participate in making policy, but that make distinctive contributions. Civil servants bring facts and knowledge; politicians, interests and values (Aberbach, Putnam and Rockman 1981: 6). Division of labour and rationality are the main characteristics of this model. According to the third image both bureaucrats and politicians engage in policymaking, and both are concerned with politics whereas politicians articulate broad, diffuse interests of unorganized individuals, bureaucrats mediate narrow, focused interests of organized clienteles (Aberbach, Putnam and Rockman 1981: 9). In this case, it is unclear if the initiative comes from the bureaucrats or the interest groups. In any case, the more problematic issues cannot be addresses only by one part, however, during emergencies, the policymaking role of the civil service is irrelevant. In the last outcome, the two roles have been converging perhaps reflecting, as some have argued, a politicization of the bureaucracy and a bureaucratization of politics (Aberbach, Putnam and Rockman 1981: 16). This image has been associated with the expansion of executive agencies like the Cabinet in UK, the Chancellery in Germany or the White House in US, which have absorbed several political administrators. Bureaucrats and politicians are policymakers: the bureaucrats because indirectly manage the governmental apparatus by the implementation of decisions; the politicians are involved directly in policymaking activities. * * * The first case study demonstrates the failure of the Allisons model in terms of bargaining and it confirm some critics present in Bendor, Hammon, Aberbach, Putnam and Rockman. The centurys most thoughtful and practically effective critic of bureaucracy in foreign affairs, Kissinger had no taste or skill to do more than suppress it (Strong 1987: 75). Kissinger developed critics to the bureaucratic system because he was convinced that the only way to solve US bureaucratic problems was in decisions and actions exercised by politicians. When he was appointed NSA during the Nixon administration, they both preferred a system of foreign policymaking that would be centralized in the White House and dominated by the president and his personal advisers (Strong 1987: 57). He modelled a new foreign policy organization, where a series of interdepartmental committees report to the Review Group (RG), chaired by the NSA who will present the topics to the President and the NSC. In such a system, the NSA was in the position to exercise all its influence over information and options and to manipulate the decision making process. He intended the bureaucracy as a source of information about important international issues. He wanted the maximum realm for personal choice in a policymaking environment where circumstance and bureaucratic practice almost always tended to reduce the opportunities for leaders to act (Strong 1987: 61). The objective was to establish White House control over the making of foreign policy. This model of foreign policy making process presents some problems: abuse of power by the NSA, no transparency, it is decision centric, it is run by small stuff which means limited capacity and probable superficiality in dealing with international issues. Scarce expertise, information manipulated, jealousies and ambitions can also affect the political considerations. Also the second case study recommends the failure of the Allisons model in terms of bargaining and it confirms some critics present in Welch, Brady and Kagley. In this case the outcomes cannot be predicted on the basis of parochial interests and the distribution of bureaucratic power (Rhodes 1994: 3). The US Navy is considered one of the most traditionalist military corps of the US. For this reason, internal and external observers have long argued that bureaucratic parochialism within the navy has strongly influenced national decisions over national force posture that is, decisions regarding kinds and levels of naval forces (Rhodes 1994: 3). The main Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is the highest uniformed officer and he is responsible for ruling inter-departmental competition for funds. In fact, all the three components, that is aviators, submariners and surface ship members try to drive the navys force posture. The CNO with his personal experience and bureaucratic baggage is supposed to reflect his membership to one of the components, while he is ruling. According to Allison, in fact, he has a substantial interest in force the posture of Navy in favour of his unit. Analyzing the data available in the forty years between 1950 and 1990 when the Navy had 12 CNOs is possible to deduce that the identity and objectives of the principal bureaucratic interest groups, inside and outside the navy, have remain constant (Rhodes 1994: 21). This bureaucratic model suggest that state behaviour is far from being based on competing interests. The assumption where you stand depends on where you sit failed in front of the evidence that what they think is independent of where they sit. The outcome suggest that instead of parochial interests we should talk about parochial sets of ideas. Except for moment of crisis, the internal trends of a bureaucratic organization tend to remain unaltered across time despite changes in the decision makers environment. Given the weight of evidence that parochial loyalties has been dominant in determining naval force posture, the findings from this case give us considerable reason for scepticism about any generalized claims that bureaucratic politics are critical in shaping state behaviour (Rhodes 2004: 40). According to the cases study presented, the Allisons model III and its attempt to explain state behaviour is suitable for routine and standard decisions. It lacks in predicting outcomes because its strength is describing the intra organizational bargaining. As mentioned by Rourke (1972), the influence of bureaucracy on the foreign policy decision making is not so relevant as Allison tries to demonstrate. Bureaucracy can adopt policies in its interest but when it is in charge to translate political decisions into actions, it is merely following the intentions of the decision-maker. However, it has limited possibilities to influence presidential decisions because political players can easily reduce its power to a subordinate status. Smith and Clarke (1985), focus on the aspect of policy implementation: they affirm that in the process of foreign policy decision making it is important how a certain decision has been implemented, not only how it was taken. The Bureaucratic Politics model tends to have an implicit notion of implementation because it takes it for granted, and this is an unforgivable mistake because usually decisions are ambiguous, therefore all the power is in the hands of those subjects involved in the execution. Only the bureaucracy has the power to control and monitor the outcomes. For all these reasons, in analyzing bureaucracy behaviour, academics should focus on the implementation because it explains the relationships between the decision making process and the results. The Allisons model III (Allison and Halperin 1972) argue that, through the bargaining, bureaucrats are protagonists of the decision making process in foreign policy. Looking at the model in depth, it has been demonstrated how the model can basically give us a dimension of the governmental interactions between hierarchies but it cannot anticipate the outcome. Certainly, it describes the rationality in achieving parochial interests but the results cannot be predetermined a priori. * * * Bureaucrats are servants and masters in the foreign policy making process and during the phase of implementation because even if they know intentions, structures and process of bargaining, it is impossible to foresee the final outcome. Definitively, their behaviour is goal oriented but it is impossible to calculate all the information and variables necessary to achieve that goal. For these reasons, the Bureaucratic Politics model cannot assure definite results. With no doubt, the Aberbach, Putnam and Rockmans model is more appropriate in describing the decision making process, but it is not specific for foreign policy outcomes. The power of bureaucratic organizations over foreign affairs has been exaggerated even if they have the power to channel decisions into practical policies and they are increasingly involved in the administration of the foreign affairs. There is no doubt about the pulling and hauling in governmental debates but it does not affect the presidential choice. If there is no direction or control from the top, then obviously a bureaucratic paradigm is essential for analyzing the foreign policy process; then, decisions are truly the resultants of governmental mechanics. But if there is central control from the top, then the mechanics make no difference.