Plagiarism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Plagiarism - Research Paper Example Many academic writers consider is acceptable, but in fact this constitutes plagiarism. Compilation is a practice of compiling various chunks of information from a variety of sources to meet the requirements of the paper that is being written. Even if very little information is taken in this way from other sources, it still constitutes plagiarism. Direct quotation – when exact or near-exact words of another author are used in an academic work; the practice is known as direct quotation. Although rarely used in engineering, a direct quotation is often enclosed in inverted commas while being italicized. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Unintentional plagiarism may be the result of a referencing error like attributing a work to an unrelated author, misquoting or failing to mention the work of an author in the document. Intentional plagiarism on the other hand may be ignorant or malicious. Learning and improving the writing skills while adopting good time management techniques may assist in avoiding plagiarism. Academic writing involves a higher level of dedication on part of the writer to produce a work that is academically acceptable. Having a sound knowledge of the referencing allows a writer to avoid plagiarism which is an unforgivable sin, in the world of academic works. For this reason, every student should have the basic understanding about referencing and plagiarism. This will enable the student to produce effective academic content that will ultimately improve his

Organization behavior Essay Example for Free

Organization behavior Essay 1.) Critically review learning theory. Learning theory is a routine that is carried out on a daily basis in order to have an experience in various fields of work. There are several theories that explain learning theory. One of the theories is Maslow’ Hierarchy of needs which explains that, when the need level is satisfied, it ceased to become a motivator and fulfillment of higher level is the next goal. (Francesco and Gold, 2005).The second theory is Hertzberg’s motivation hygiene theory which states that, employees’ growth and esteem needs are driven by the motivation factors, responsibility and achievement. This wills results into a job satisfaction at work place. (Francesco and Gold, 2005). The third theory is McClelland’s learned needs theory which explains that needs is learned through Childhood environment, social norms and assists in the understanding of individual motivation (Francesco and Gold, 2005). The last theory is ERG theory which contributes on Maslow theory. It has three categories of needs. Existence which is the physical and psychological need, relatedness which is the need to share ideas with others and feel secure and growth is the need to achieve to fulfill of self esteemed needs. The learning theories have assisted very many people at work place especially the people who are working in the organizations. (Francesco and Gold, 2005). There have been several philosophers who have tried to explain what is learning. Various theories of learning have been therefore have been discussed. Learning theories are the ideas about why or how changes occur. There has been a theory on the behaviorist orientation to learning .This theory is from theorist such as Thorndike, Pavlov and skinner. (Smith, 1999).This theory argues that people change their behavior from the kind of learning they get. People according to the theory are stimulated by the environment they live in. When people live in a good environment they learn to be good and vise versa. Behaviorists argue that people can be taught to produce behavior change in the desired direction. An educator trying to teach people to change should arrange environment of the person to get the desired response. People can learn through skill development and training as well as behavior according to behaviorists. (Smith, 1999). There is another theory on cognitive orientation to learning. Cognitivist such as Piaget, Bruner and Gagne believe that learning process is an internal mental process. Internal mental process includes receiving insight about information, processing the information, memorizing it and finally making a perception. (Smith, 1999).That is how the learning process is according to Cognitivist. People according to the cognitivist learn through the internal cognitive structuring. This structure helps people develop skills and capacity to learn better. Cognitive structure if followed can help a person develop intelligence learning and memory as function of age as well as learning how to learn. Whichever the theory that is followed learning is an important aspect of human being and people should strive to learn more to improve themselves. (Saljo,1979) 2. Positive and negative reinforcements, punishment and extinction in shaping behavior There are many types of positive reinforcements that Godot can use. First Godot can reward excellent behavior. This is normally a very effective method of reinforcing good behavior. (Verddelho, 1999)The implication here is that when an employee is rewarded for good performance, the employee feels motivated to do even better the next time. In the end this will lead to an improved performance which is good not just for the individual but also for the organization. The second positive reinforcement is recognition. Recognition here implies acknowledging excellent behavior of good work. In this case the meaning for this is that supervisors like Godot can simply acknowledge and commend a well performing employee like Diane. Recognition of good work has the implication of having positive congratulatory words for a job that has been well accomplished. This can simply be achieved by a simple word of mouth like ‘well done.’ Unknown to many supervisors, this simple act of recognition normally has a very positive effects on the motivation of an employee of an individual and can result in positive work behavior. (Francesca Gold, 2008) The use of incentives is another positive reinforcement that can result in improved positive behavior. In this case incentives can be in form of extra or bonus pay for exemplary performance. Incentives can go along way in improving an individual’s performance on the job. (Francesca Gold, 2008)This is more so if an individual is capable of making more money by displaying good performance method. In this case the issue of a tip was a good gesture to the employees since those with exemplary performance would feel encouraged to do more. One negative way of reinforcing behavior is through harshness. In this case, the employees will only perform well because of fear of reprimand by Godot and not because they feel a compelling need to work hard. This is a negative reinforcement because positive organization behavior should be forced but should come spontaneously. The implication here is that employees should not be coerced into behaving well but rather positive behavior should just come naturally. This therefore means that these employees should not work hard because of fear of being reprimanded by the supervisor but instead should do so because of a need to do so. (Dwyer, 2005) 3. Discuss the impact of these reinforcements and punishment has on behavior and on Diane’s behavior specifically Reinforcement theory suggests that a reinforcement/reward and punishment of certain behavior will most likely result in a repeat of that particular behavior. That is to say that if behavior is not recognized or appreciated chances of it being repeated will be low. . (Francesco Gold, 2005)   However, the consequence of reinforcement is determined by whether it is negative or positive. Positive reinforcement will motivate employees and result in behavior that will increase an organization’s output and the opposite is true. . (Francesco Gold, 2005) Diane works hard and her output is great. However, when she breaks a plate one day, Godot yells at her and even makes her pay for the broken plate and the cost of cleaning up the messed caused. Diane has been waiting all along for recognition but she only gets a negative reinforcement for her good output. As it is, it is better to motivate people for the right reasons rather than to punish them for the wrong reasons. (Skinner, 1957). Diane is punished for the wrong reason and fails to get reinforced for the right reasons. Negative reinforcement is not likely to motivate individuals and therefore this will in turn lead to them slacking in their work and thus the overall out put will be low. (Skinner, 1957).   It is because of this that she relaxes when carrying out her duties. Reinforcement suggests that behavior determines outcome and a person will be motivated to seek reinforcement and avoid punishment. When she got a chance to work at a fancy French restaurant at Sydney known La Maison, Diana a University Student could not spend her vacation at her parents home Queabeyan, since she needed money to change on her diet during her next semester . (Skinner, 1957). Ready to prove how good she was, she would balance several plates on her arm and the customers would compliment her on her efficient service, but one day she dropped a bowl of bouillabaisse appetizer on the carpet and hurriedly went for sponge while apologizing but   Godot shouted at her that he would deduct $24.95, $20 from her pay to compensate for appetizer and cost of cleaning rugs respectively, out of anger and confusion, next day Diana slowed down to avoid recurrence of same incident thus she carried   no more than two dishes at a time thus slugging her tips down (Skinner, 1957). Q4 .Effectiveness of hourly pay rates and tips as a method for reinforcing desired behaviors. Tips and hourly rates have been used as a mode of payment against other methods of payment like piece rate and monthly payments. There is a big variation in the effectiveness of the methods. When hourly rate is used as the mode of payment, it has been found to have an effect on quality and speed. These two factors are the one that determine the output of any activity (Encina, 2000). Payment in work acts as an incentive to the worker. Whenever the worker is paid well he will work well and poor pay means poor jobs. It is noted that the worker will always optimize what he has at hand. When he is paid hourly he will do he/her work according to the hour he is being paid. This will spoil the consistency (Encina , 2000). When tips are added to the hourly rate, the worker will optimize on the tips and he/she will improve on his hourly work to get more tips. Things are different when hourly pay is made without the tips as there will be no motivation. Paying on an hourly rate together with the tips may improve on speed but destroy the quality. The use of tips and hourly rate need a balance as what motivate the worker are the conditions of work. Diane on his part was being motivated tips (Encina , 2000). Apart from the pay, there are other factors that motivate worker during their work. Recognition during work is another factor that lender the effectiveness of work. A worker may improve his effectiveness due to tips. This will improve his/her efficiency. When a worker feels that his efficiency has improved, he will look for recognition.   Payment on hourly rates can improve the behaviors of the worker but additional inputs like recognition should be added. Diane opted to work in the right he will perfect the work and in return he will be recognized to get a better pay. For the behavior of an hourly paid worker to improve, incentives have to be added. This will help in improving the efficiency of work and altitude towards work will improve (Schildkraut 2003). The behavior of workers depends very much on the pay and recognition. As much as workers are paid hourly tends to improve the output, their behavior depends much on the supervision. Workers will always maximize on their man hours instead of employers manpower (Schildkraut 2003). Therefore to ensure that the behavior of the worker is good requires supervision. The supervision should not oppress the worker but instead it will help improve his behavior. The role of the supervisor for hourly paid worker is to help the worker to improve in his productivity. Though the supervisor will optimize on production, it should not destroy the quality of the work (Schildkraut 2003). In conclusion hourly rates can improve on the worker behavior but proper measures should be put in place to ensure that the objectives of the company or organization are met. The measure can include recognition after improvement, controlled supervision, and improvement after achievement. There should be no mistake of paying hourly for organization benefit but it should be to the worker (Schildkraut 2003).

Mergers And Acquisitions Current Industry Scenario Management Essay

Mergers And Acquisitions Current Industry Scenario Management Essay The previous chapter had given us an insight of the research that would be conducted providing an introduction to it. A brief discussion was done by the researcher regarding the research and the possible outcomes of the research. In this chapter we would be discussing the relevant literature that would be used by the researcher to conduct this study. It would also give us few insights about the real world scenarios with regard to Mergers and Acquisitions. The key factors that would give success in case of a Merger/Acquisition are discussed. Finally, this chapter concludes with a summary of the key points made throughout the chapter. To reiterate the research title is; What are the repercussions of mergers and acquisitions: do they offer competitive advantage; is the advantage sustainable? A review on GE from 2005 to 2010. The Aim of this research is to critically evaluate the consequences of mergers and acquisitions on the extent to which it can prove to be beneficial for an organization and how well can an organization get accustomed to the competitive advantages from mergers and acquisitions? based on a review of General Electronics from 2005-2010. In meeting this aim, the following Objectives were set: To critically observe the methods and procedures followed by organizations for mergers or acquisition to happen To critically examine if the motivating methods employed by General Electric Company help to yield more output in a merger and acquisition, 2005 to 2010 To assess the scope, these mergers and acquisitions contributed towards increasing both the top line and bottom line growth in General Electric Company, 2005 to 2010 To critically observe the methods and strategies that General Electric Company followed to sustain their growth and development obtained from the merger or acquisition, 2005 to 2010 To identify the areas of integration in an organization that most need improvement and to resolve the problems Mergers Acquisitions Current Industry Scenario: The current industry scenario as far as Mergers Acquisitions (MA) are concerned is more of an act of showing power by the company pushing for the merger or takeover. No one is happy as far as a merger or an acquisition is concerned other than the company which is taking over. A MA normally leads to various staff issues, the culture of an organization goes through a complete change and this change becomes hard to be accepted by the existing staff members of the company which is being taken over. We have seen many scenarios wherein the staffs of the company being taken over have had to either undergo a huge change or leave the organization itself. But, the scenario is always not the same; there have been instances wherein the company taking over have come forward to help the existing staff members in the old organization to blend in the new system which they are not used to. Many companies have made it to the top of their respective industry because of such MAs. In the instance of the most recent takeover of Cadbury by Kraft Foods, both the companies have been known for their bitter rivalry in the industry. But at the end of all this rivalry the board of Cadburys agreed to bow down for 11.5 billion pounds in January 2011. The Chairman of Cadbury Mr.Roger Carr in an interview with BBC was quoted to say that the reason for which Cadbury agreed for the takeover was more in the financial interest of the company. This clearly shows that any kind of merger would just be done on the basis of the financial ability of the company to handle the pressure. Cadbury a company known for its best HR practices had to give away its culture and its practices to a company like Kraft foods which the moment they took over Cadburys, just started replacing the existing staffs with their own staff. This is the kind of attitude that saw many lose their jobs. There were many who were made to leave their jobs by showing the culture of an American company to the British workers. Cadbury was known to take care of its workers and when the takeover was completed it was just cleaned over by Kraft Foods just in the way they wanted. This is not only for Cadbury, this is normally what happens in any takeover and Kraft-Cadbury is just an example of what has been happening around. But, there have been few takeovers which might also result in the growth of the bond. The example for this can be the General Electric Company (GE) takeover of Lineage Power Holdings, Inc., from the Gores Group, LLC. This takeover which happened in March 2011 resulted in the growth of Lineage Power Holdings Inc., in the field of telecommunications and data communication. Though the company was taken over by GE the company still stuck to its culture and none of its staff have been asked to leave by GE. This showed GEs attitude towards its employees even if it meant that it was a company that they had taken over. This attitude of GE shows how a company should handle such acquisitions in a smooth manner without affecting the employees. Though the current scenario gives us a different picture about Mergers Acquisitions it is very important that companies do not take decisions based on the current scenario alone. That is where it becomes important for an organization to do ample research before proceeding for an Acquisition or a Merger. There are number of theories that suggest different kinds of approaches to be taken with regard to a MA. The reviews of the literature on these theories are discussed by the researcher further in this chapter. Mergers Acquisitions Classification: The classifications based on the transactions can be done as Horizontal, Vertical or Conglomerate (Gaughan, 2002, Chunlai Chen and Findlay, 2003). As stated by Chunlai Chen and Findlay (2003), horizontal MA is where the target and the acquiring company are in the same industry. The example for such a merger was discussed earlier when the researcher spoke about Kraft Foods takeover of Cadbury. This is largely due to the fact that there has been substantial change in the technology and liberalization of industries. MA are said to be classified as vertical when there is a combination of firms which were already in a client supplier or a buyer seller relationship. The organizations that are involved in such transactions normally look at downsizing the costs in the value chain and eventually benefit the economics of scope (Chunlai Chen and Findlay, 2003). As stated by Gaughan (2002), a transaction that involves two companies which operate completely unrelated business is called Conglome rate. In addition to the above MA can also be classified as either Friendly or Hostile (Chunlai Chen and Findlay, 2003). A transaction is considered as Friendly if the target companys board agrees to the takeover amount and the MA is carried out. If the takeover happens with the target companys board just needing to surrender to the acquiring company just for the money, it is considered as Hostile. Chunlai Chen and Findlay (2003) also stated that the MA could be Domestic or Cross-Border for the companies that are involved. This is normally done in order to create a presence or to look at having better opportunities for success in the Industry. The classification of MA could then be summarized in the table below: Classification of merger acquisition transactions MA classification in terms of Value chain Relationship Economic area Horizontal MA Vertical MA Conglomerate MA Friendly MA Hostile MA Domestic MA Cross-border MA Taking into account the different classifications in terms of Value Chain, Relationship and Economic Scope the researcher would be considering the different MAs that have been executed by General Electric Company (GE) and look at the effect that such MAs have had upon the employees of the target organization. The researcher further looks at the various theories that would have been considered for different MAs executed by GE. Motives and the Theories behind Mergers Acquisitions: Exploring the motives of firms engaging in MA transactions has been placed with a significant amount of efforts by different authors. Earlier Trautwein (1990) and more recently Cox (2006) provided us with a more brief description of the motives by underlaying different theories (Please refer to Table 2.2: MA Motives). Trautwein(1990) noted that MA makers were more interested in the valuation (the deal yielding a higher Net Present Value) and synergy to justify the merger or acquisition. As expected it is quite clear that managers do not refer monopoly power in any of the benefits that the acquiring organization might be deriving out of the deal. Trautwein (1990) also states that the process and the raider theories have very little evidence on the motives implied by them both in the form of research or in practice. The disturbance theory is also discussed by him as being considered at the macro-economic level than the micro-economic level which is more related to the present research and hence the researcher has not considered the same. Interestingly, Gaughan (2002) gives a more realistic way of viewing the MA motives with numerous empirical case studies which has reference to the theories with more details. There are four main motives for a firm to execute MA according to him, they are: (1) Quick growth comes through M&A; (2) Economics of scope or scale may be gained through M&A; (3) Having a larger firm due to a MA means more access to capital market, which would in the future lead to a lesser cost of capital, i.e., benefits of more financial options; and (4) A firm with superior management skill might also look at MA with an anticipation of higher gains through the target organizations business. One the whole, the researcher quite clearly shows how all the three authors noted above have concurred on the fact that any MA is driven by not one but many complex motives. And all these are not at all similar in any form and would always vary from deal to deal which can never be justified with a single theory/approach. Merger acquisition motives (adapted from Trautwein, 1990 and Cox, 2006) Motives Theory Description Rational Choice MA MA Benefitting Acquirers Shareholders Gaining Based on synergy Efficiency Theory The three major synergies Financial, Managerial and Operational are achieved when MA is executed. Transfer of Wealth from customers Monopoly theory Market power is seized by planning and executing MA. Horizontal Conglomerate MA types wherein the acquiring firm takes control of the industry on the whole. Transfer of Wealth from targets shareholders Raider theory A person who oversees and initiates wealth transfers from the stockholders of the companies he bids for exchange of excessive compensation after a successful takeover is called a Raider. Gaining based on private information Valuation Theory/ Investment Theory This kind of MA is normally planned and executed by managers who have in-depth knowledge about the market of the target company. MA Benefitting Managers Empire- building theory/ Agency theory Instead of increasing the shareholders value, MA is planned and executed to maximize the Managers own utility. Process Outcome MA Process theory MAs are executed as an outcome of another process as per this theory. These processes can be internal or external to the organization. Macro-Economic Phenomenon MA Disturbance theory The MA which is triggered by virtue of an economic disturbance forms the Disturbance theory. These are normally those MAs which are not that successful when it comes to long term as they are a result of an economic imbalance. The successful Acquisition-Integration strategy of General Electric Company A Preview: The case study that has been taken for this research is that of General Electric Company, a name which has been very successful in Mergers Acquisitions mostly due to its strategy techniques. The most successful strategy as far as GE is concerned is the Wheel of Fortune: The Pathfinder model of GE capital. The whole cycle of the integration of both companies as a single entity involves a lot of involvement from both the sides. The most discussed acquisition-integration process is that of the GE Capital Services Wheel of Fortune model coded as the Pathfinder Model. This model is now well established and has been successfully implemented by GE in all its acquisitions. This model consists of four main stages called Action Stages viz. Pre-Acquisition, Foundation Building, Rapid Integration and Assimilation. It starts from when the deal is initiated to the stage where the integration is completed. The four stages are further divided into two or three more processes within each stage. The Pre-Acquisition stage has processes like Due Diligence, Negotiation and Announcement, Closing and Signing off of Deal. The Foundation Building stage consists of the launch of the integration, the acquisition -integration workout and the strategy formulation. The Rapid Integration consists of two processes Implementation of strategy and Course Assessment and Adjustment. The last and final stage is Assimilation wherein you have the long-term evaluation and Adjustment and then the Capitalization of the success of the integration of both organizations. Also in each action stage several best practises which are more specific and practical to help the managers to support the integration process. WOF-GE.jpg The Wheel of Fortune: The Pathfinder Model This model clearly shows that the acquisition integration is in itself an art which can be also a science when it comes to principles followed by this model. A particular sequence of actions which are leveraged according to the requirement of the acquisition-integration process is clearly defined in the Pathfinder model, most of which are more unique in nature.  The model is shown with such representation that it does not eliminate the need for managers to improvise for the integration process but it however prevents this improvisation to become a centre point in the integration process. This is the model that has been successfully implemented by GE time and again and has always paid them rich dividends when it comes to both organization and staff integration, which is very important for the integrated organization to thrive in the current market situation. Conclusion: In the above chapter the researcher has given the insights on the current scenario with regard to the Mergers Acquisitions. The researcher also ventures into the different theories with regard to Mergers and Acquisitions and explains with the help of necessary literature the concepts surrounding these theories. Also the researcher identifies the various scenarios in which these theories are to be used in a merger or acquisition. The researcher further gives information about the reason why GE has been chosen for this research as a case study by emphasising the fact that most of the acquisitions that have been executed by GE have been successful. The Pathfinder model being followed by GE is explained by the researcher, giving a summary of the acquisition-integration process which has helped GE in smoothening of all acquisitions handled by GE. On the whole this chapter deals with various literatures that detailing the MA processes and gives the researcher a strong idea about the Resea rch Methodology to be followed for conducting this research successfully.

Otosclerosis :: Research Hearing Essays

Otosclerosis Hearing serves a very important function in our lives. Much of the time, it is taken for granted. We tend not to appreciate it, until it starts to fail. There are many disorders that can cause a difficulty in hearing and hearing loss. One such disorder is otosclerosis. This disorder deserves a significant amount of research. Not only because we are dependent on our sense of hearing, but because its effects are far reaching. So much so, that it is hard to comprehend how we could ever live without it. It has even been said that Beethoven had otosclerosis. Toward the end of his career, he could not even hear his own music (Goldstein, 1999). Its effects are devastating and are well worth studying. Otosclerosis is a middle-ear disorder. The hearing loss is usually conductive, affecting the bones in the middle ear that conduct sound to the inner ear. This conductive hearing loss is caused by the growth of a spongy bone-like tissue that prevents the ossicles (bones of the middle ear) from moving well. One of the first signs is a small growth of the tissue in the middle ear. This is often in front of the oval window, which separates the middle ear from the inner ear. This can begin in early childhood or adolescence. The tissue may grow rapidly and become hard. The bone tissue grows over the stapes ossicle attaching it to the oval window. At first, hearing loss occurs in the low frequencies. High frequencies are affected next, followed by the loss of hearing in the middle frequencies. Otosclerosis usually begins in one ear, but the other ear often develops it as well (Otosclerosis, 1998). There are different categories of otosclerosis. "Subclinical Otosclerosis" occurs when the tissue does not interfere with the ossicles. A person may have this form for many years and not know it. Another category is "Clinical Otosclerosis." This type can be present in the teen years, but not detected until the young adult years. It is rare for it to occur after the age of fifty. The last category of"Histologic Otosclerosis" occurs when the tissue is present, but it may or may not cause hearing loss. "Cochlear Otosclerosis" has been used to refer to sensorineural hearing loss. This is caused by abnormal blood flow to the middle ear, rather than growth of tissue (Otosclerosis, 1998). Otosclerosis is the most frequent cause of middle ear hearing loss.

Babylon Revisted :: essays papers

Babylon Revisted This Story was intriguing to me for several reasons. Fitzgerald gradually unwinds the plot, posing new questions as he goes. Charlie seems to be someone who has experienced the best as well as the worst in life and it has made him a stronger person. However, his time revisiting Paris proves how one’s past can come back to haunt you. It seems this might be a fairly typical story in the era of the stock market boom and the infamous crash. In this story Fitzgerald slowly shows the past of the main character, Charlie. He is obviously well educated and has been wealth at some point. He speaks of collage and communicates with elegance. Charlie gradually comes to speak of times when he threw away large sums of money for no reason other than entertainment. At one point he speaks of being treated like royalty with the other Americans partying in Paris. A page before that he tells how he spoiled Paris for himself, that the days went by without his knowing. This shows the diversity that the character represents. The darker sides of Charlie’s life are presented through another character, Marion along with her husband Lincoln. These people are related to him by marriage only and have custody of his daughter. Marion reveals the extent of Charlie’s drinking and the problems that arose out of his marriage to her sister, Helen. Marion says that she questions Charlie’s character when he asks to take his daughter, Honoria, home with him. I find this interesting because at one point he also questions his own character saying â€Å" he wanted to jump back a whole generation and trust in character again as the eternally valuable element. Marion seems to blame Charlie for the death of her sister almost goes far enough to accuse him of being involved saying, â€Å"How much you were responsible for Helen’s death I don’t know.† The story takes a turn when Charlie has finally convinced Marion to allow Honoria to travel home with him. As they make the agreements Charlie’s old friends, representing his past, show up at the home of Marion and her family. When they leave Marion rushes out of the room. Her husband claims that shock makes her physically sick. I think that Fitzgerald is trying to make the notion here that Marion is in no better state than Charlie has ever been in.

Eating Disorders in Online Communities :: Communication Computers Papers

The Internet has an infinite amount of resources to occupy its users, and certainly two of the most frequently used applications are that of the chat room and message boards. Chat rooms perfectly exemplify the concept of an online community, where real-time communication happens between users everywhere in the world. Whereas message boards allow for the posting of journals and stories that can later be responded to by others that connect to that website. These virtual interfaces provide the backdrop for a whole new dimension of social interaction. The people who populate this particular form of online community, of course, deserve extensive examination. Many individuals, for instance, seek to communicate their problems and self-destructive tendencies. Significant niches of these people specifically correspond about eating disorders. The motivations and purposes for which they devote their time and energies certainly provide for an interesting case study. When examining the many dementias of chat rooms and message boards, it becomes imperative to consider the individuals who most frequently take advantage of these platforms to discuss eating disorders. These people, obviously, feel the need to communicate on some level with others. What they wish to communicate about, however, literally covers every dementia of the disorder. The wide and limitless variety of chat rooms and message boards on this subject caters to a vast span of related topics; individuals who have eating disorders, are seeking out information, and wish to help others all have a distinct space for discussion. The eating disorder chat participants come into contact with various worldviews and lifestyles that are typical of a diverse web community. Although I know that a countless number of people take advantage of this communication form everyday, it still remains a question as to why eating disorder victims choose to participate. The eating disorder victims who frequent chat rooms and message boards must do so for a massive span of reasons. Logically, I would assume that these people choose this method of communication because they prefer it instead of other alternatives. Perhaps they dislike talking with people about their problem face-to-face. After all, it cannot be ignored that the nature of chat rooms and message boards eliminates the physical connectedness requirement of communication. It is probable that embarrassment, shame, and countless other emotions play significant roles in the victim's decision.

Challenges faced by Indian IT

1. Uncertain global economy: The Indian IT outsourcing industry gets about 75% of its revenues from US and Europe. The renewed concern regarding the European sovereign debt has led to companies slowing down their IT spending. BFSI segment has been the biggest contributor to Indian IT revenues. As shown in the figure below, the recent turmoil in Europe & US has resulted in slowing demand in BFSI segment. Source: Business Standard 2. Protectionist measures: There have been periodic threats of the US stopping all outsourcing work. Rising US rhetoric against shipping of jobs to low cost locations ahead of US presidential elections in November might result in lower market shares for Indian IT companies. The US Senate will be looking into a bill backed by the Democratic party popularly known as the ‘Bring Jobs Home Act’. If the bill is passed, tax benefits will be extended to companies that shift their work back to the US & will end tax incentives for those who send work offshore. On the other hand, Europe has quietly enforced visa restrictions making people difficult to travel onsite for work. . Tough competition from MNCs: Increasing competition from MNCs like IBM, Accenture who have set up bases in several of the IT zones earlier dominated by Indian IT firms. Also, US wages have been decreasing and are on par with Indian wages for some of the sectors. Outsourcing will be less attractive to American employers. 4. Pressure on billing rates: Discounts from key financial sector clients is pinching IT firms. On 12th July, Infosys claimed that pricing has fallen by 3. 7% in the June quarter from the previous quarter. As the growth in demand has fallen, firms are vying for the small pie by opting for price cuts. 5. Low employee utilization: Increasing bench size has been reported across various IT firms. Employee utilization has fallen down to 67% for lot of Indian companies. Companies have to reserve certain human capital so as to accommodate them in case of future demand. 6. Volatility of Indian rupee against the dollar: Depreciating rupee helps the IT industry. Increase its revenues as most of the companies earn in US dollars. However, as the companies would have already hedged against rupee appreciation in advance, the currency volatility wouldn’t affect much. Planning for the future becomes a problem. Major players in Indian IT: 1. TCS is the largest software company in Asia and was one of the pioneers of the global delivery model. Its Q1 results have been slightly better than expected with 14. 6% increase (over previous quarter) in Q1 profit at Rs 3280 crore with revenues at Rs 14869 crores. TCS has said that it is expecting to beat the forecasts of 11-14% growth in revenues set by NASSCOM for FY13. According to the CEO, TCS has been seeing strong growth from markets like North America, UK & Europe despite the gloomy economic environment. 29 new clients were added in the June quarter. Successful execution of its restructuring much before its competitors has been one of the reasons of success for TCS. Also, it is more flexible than its peers when it comes to pricing. And is more open to the client’s suggestions The fixed component is atleast 8-10% higher than that of its peers. 2. Infosys is the 2nd largest Indian IT service provider and reputed for its work ethics & world class management practices. In the past by exceeding revenue expectations, it kept investors and analysts happy. But by failing to meet expectations in 3 of the 5 recent quarters, it has lost its status as the industry bellwether. It has cut down its revenue forecasts for FY13 to 5% down from its April estimate of 8-10% growth. The company has underlined weak macroeconomic environment, falling clients’ confidence & fall in discretionary spending (spending by corporate which can be held back at discretion and are usually for long term benefits) as the reason behind its fall in revenues. Critics have blamed the poor results on the change in leadership, its inability to motivate its employees when the morale is already down because of delayed and small pay raises, premium pricing in the face of slowing economic growth and its conservatism by not using its excessive cash pile (around $3. 7 billion as of June 2012) to make acquisitions that can make it a global company. The CEO said that Infosys is looking out for opportunities in product, consulting, platform space and system integration. The company’s strategy of positioning itself as a premier global consulting & system integration major has backfired since the economy has still not recovered from the slowdown. 3. Wipro is the third biggest Indian IT firm and its revenues for the year 2011-12 stood at $5. 7 billion. It is betting on regions like Latin America, Asia Pacific and Ghana as they have been contributing almost 16-17% of the total revenues for Wipro. Wipro is also shifting its focus from telecom equipment vendors who have reduced IT spending to telecom analytics & mobile broadband where the end users are telecom operators. . HCL Technologies is the fourth largest Indian IT company. In the last 2 quarters, it has won deals worth $2. 5 dollars and Europe has contributed almost 54% to it. It is strong in total IT outsourcing which comprises of infrastructure services, application development and maintenance. While most of the other Indian IT firms are vying for high-end consulting contracts, HCL has bee n focusing on infrastructure deals. Future prospects : Inspite of the economic upheaval, Indian IT firms still feel that BFSI will bring in the maximum revenues. The optimism is based on the fact that even clients were supposed to have cut spending during the credit crisis time, Indian IT exports have grown $33 billion between 2008-09 to 2011-12. However all the IT firms have to get used to lower margins. Gone are the days when experienced 30% growth. IT firms have so far mainly relied on cost differentiation. To cope up with the various challenges, they need to start innovating. So they have to find new markets, new customers, develop products etc. For eg: Wipro has started offering to IT solutions to the petroleum industry in Ghana. Transformations are taking place as the use of cloud computing & mobile devices is slowly increasing. Infosys has added about 20 new clients in the past quarter in cloud, big data and security. With the increase in use of apps on mobiles, programs are being written for mobile. Also companies have started positioning themselves as IT consulting firms. In the near future, government of India might provide the impetus as it plans to go big on digitization. The immediate future for IT companies may not be as bright as it was in the past. But companies should reboot its systems and log on to new sites The decade of 1990 was the golden era for information Technology in India. With liberalization, privatization & globalization, Indian IT Sector took huge leaps in Information Technology. Today, with total revenues of about $88. 1 billion, Indian IT sector being one of strongest industries worldwide has grown for more than 30% for more than 20 years. Indian IT firms have moved up the value chain from low cost programming in the early years to providing premier global IT consulting services. Before the onset of recession in 2008, the IT industry flourished thanks to the exponential increase in global IT spending. During the recession, companies decreased their IT spending thereby slowing down the growth of IT industry. But this created a pent-up demand for IT. With economic recovery, companies have started spending on IT albeit with great caution. Fig : Statistics of IT & BPO in India Intense competition has impacted growth in billing rates thereby affecting revenues. For the first time in 47 quarters, Infosys missed quarter’s expectations. The major IT firms have reduced their growth expectations for the year 2012-13. The top 4 Indian IT companies grew at 17% in the 3rd quarter and at 14% in the fourth quarter as opposed to 24% in the first quarter in the last financial year and this is a cause of worry. Industry Verticals: The various verticals in IT sector are shown in the pie chart. Achievements of Indian IT sector in 2011: Increase in global sourcing industry from 51% in 2009 to 58% in 2011. * Contribution to India’s GDP has increased from 1. 2% in 1998 to 7. 5% in 2012. Demand & Supply : Due to the expansion in IT sector in terms of form, volume etc, there is a continuous demand for engineering graduates, skilled workforce etc. Being a service oriented industry, this sector is highly dependent on manpower. While there is enough of supply of gra duates, it is very important for the labour to be technically competent and possess soft skills.