Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Auditing - Essay Example Later in the year 1999, she was promoted to the post of Vice President in the department of internal audit. However, when the telecom market got saturated the profitability of the company began declining. Cynthia in the year 2002 discovered that the company used illegal practices to manipulate its accounts. It was observed that although the company suffered loss, the balance sheet showed that the company was attaining significant profit. Cynthia thus decided to carry out a secretive investigation on the fraud practices exercised by the company which then resulted to the termination of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Scott Sullivan. In spite of her effort to unveil the illegal accounting practices exercised by the company, she was considered as a major suspect in the federal investigation. Based on the above presented case scenario, this study intends to describe the key criteria for functioning of an effective whistle blower in the corporate level. It also discusses about the polic ies framed by the regulatory bodies to prevent the illegal accounting practices. The term whistle-blower is allocated to a person within an organisation who is engaged in the disclosure of fraudulent and illegal practices executed by employers within the organisation to other organisations or a person who are eligible to take actions for curbing such malpractice (Beller, n.d.). Concerning with case provided, Cynthia Cooper was the whistle-blower who unveiled the fraudulent practices carried in the WorldCom. Almost all organisations are widely concerned about management and employee related fraud. It is thus very important to establish a corporate whistle-blower hotline which ensures effective operation in organisations. The main objective of this hotline should be to detect wrongful accounting practices and avoid future potential illegal practices in organisations. Thus to ensure that the whistle blower hotline is

Characters in your answer Essay Example for Free

Characters in your answer Essay Nearer the end of the book, he deals with another situation he faces in a very childish, careless manner, showing that he just wants it over with as soon as possible, and that he doesnt really care about what is happening, just about himself and his reputation. TJ is about to be hung on Granger Land, by the nightmen for shooting Jim Lee Barnett, and instead of stopping them from murdering TJ, Mr Granger simply says they have to do it on someone elses land. Mr. Granger sent word by me that he aint gonna stand for no hanging on his place. He say yall touch one hair on that boys head while he on this land, hes gonna hold every man here responsible. However eventually Harlan Granger does stop the hanging, to deal with a different difficulty that he is faced with, but his only true motives for this are because the Logan land is on fire and firstly he wants the land, and secondly he doesnt want the fire to spread and destroy his own land. Dry as that timber is, a fire catch hold it wont stop burning for a week. Give that boy to Wade like he wants and get on up there! All in all, Harlan Grangers ways of dealing with difficulties and situations that he is faced with are not well thought out, and he only deals with them out of selfishness, or for his own reasons rather than to help others. Papa is an adult like Harlan Granger, but he too has different ways of dealing with difficulties and situations that he is faced with. Papa deals with things he more logical way. He shows braveness, and philanthropy throughout the novel, dealing with things in a way that will benefit others more than himself, if not solely for others. At the end of the book, when TJ is in trouble, Papa shows the best signs of doing all he can to help others. Even though the Logans are not well off, Papa sets fire to their cotton field, in order to distract the nightmen from hanging TJ, because he knows that they will come and try to put it out. This results in uniting the community. Papa stared out as a bolt of lightning splintered the night into a dazzling brilliance. He is clever, because like Cassie, he plans the situation before he goes through with it, working out how he can make the fire look accidental, realising that the lightning could have struck. He doesnt tell a soul or admit to it, so that no harm can come to him. folks thinkin that lightning struck that fence of yours and started the fire Its better, I think that you stay clear of this whole thing now David Or somebody might start wondering about that fire For his final difficulty, Papa is faced with his four children asking what will become of their friend, TJ. He doesnt lie to them, and yet he doesnt directly answer their question when they ask if TJ could die, so he is not hurting them but they still know. I aint never lied to yall, yall know that. Well, I I wish I could lie to yall now. To sum up Papas character, he is very much like his daughter, calculating, clever, and planning everything, but he is much wiser, and doesnt act childish. His actions usually result in helping other people, they rarely hurt people unnecessarily. He is very unlike Harlan Granger, because he doesnt have his own private agenda. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mildred Taylor section.

Effect of Globalization on IT Service Providers in Europe

Effect of Globalization on IT Service Providers in Europe Opportunities and challenges presented by Globalization: IT Service providers in Continental Europe EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Enterprises within Europe are increasingly trying to seek the advantages of global sourcing. Unlike enterprises in U.S. or U.K., continental European countries have historically been reluctant to engage with offshore providers. The reasons were far stretched, ranging from political sensitivity, labor laws, cultural compatibility and language requirements. Globalization, however, is creating new avenues that European companies can not ignore. A recent report by Gartner shows the potential IT Offshoring market to be in the range of about $ 200 to 240 Billion. The market is expected to register double digit growth for years to come. The current offshore spending by firms amounts to just $17 Billion worldwide. This clearly shows a big gap, a huge market potential which is yet to be exploited. The huge demand has also led to emergence and growth of several new players in the field of IT Outsourcing/ Offshoring services, this is leading to ever increasing competition in the marketplace. In order to cope up with this increased competition and to provide better services, these service providers are increasingly adopting Global delivery models. By selecting an advantageous and cost effective proportion of resources worldwide, Global Delivery Model boosts business performance while also lowering costs. It also helps the supplier deliver requirements that are met on-time, within budget, and with high quality; greater efficiency and responsiveness to their clients. In Europe, nearshore models still dominate the market. But these models are continuously being updated, with more and more providers setting up Offshore Development Centers in locations like India. A framework for building an optimal combination of onsite, nearshore, and offshore delivery capabilities is provided by Capgeminis Rightshore ® model. A recent Gartner report has suggested that, the current US economic slowdown is expected to lead buyers of IT services to consider increasing the percentage of their labor in offshore locations. India will remain the dominant location for IT offshore services for North American and European buyers as a result of its scale, quality of resources and strong presence of local and traditional service providers. INTRODUCTION: EUROPEAN IT MARKET The European market remains a highly complex and competitive market with a large number of providers. Mergers and acquisitions will continue but will be balanced by new market entrants Outsourcing adoption in Europe is increasing for both infrastructure and applications; the widespread lack of well defined sourcing strategies among buyers and the realities of ever-changing business requirements will generate frequent deal negotiations and renegotiations Global delivery and utility services are irreversible trends evolving at different speeds among various European countries. The European multi country, multi language/culture composition increases the evolutionary complexity of these trends Selective outsourcing with multiple providers will remain the preferred model of engagement for European buyers. Governance and end-to-end integration/management of different providers/solutions are the most challenging aspects of it ITO market maturity varies: UK is the most matured IT market in Europe. The other European markets are maturing at different speeds. An acceleration in ITO adoption is now apparent in countries such as France and Germany A focus on achieving service delivery excellence and the best value/quality balance is increasingly driving European organizations (especially those beyond the first generation deal) to consider selecting multiple providers for an outsourcing contract. For example, in the IT Telecom sector, the most common division is by service tower, with customers opting to choose different providers for their network, desktop, data center and application competencies. At the moment, however, providers tend to join forces in an opportunistic manner, as a response to customer demands. This is the cause behind the ever-changing composition of the providers teams; as a consequence, consolidating best practices to manage IT service spin offs between different providers in an effort to guarantee end-to-end service delivery excellence remains challenging. As the number of providers engaged is set to increase, this challenge is likely to intensify. It will also be driven by other market characteristics, which include a persistent tactical use of outsourcing by European customers, insufficient process maturity, and lack of clarity in the definition of roles and responsibilities. As we look at global delivery, it is fair to say that there are two major misconceptions that still exist among the European market: 1) Global delivery is often considered as a synonym of offshore, and 2) IT services delivered through global delivery capabilities are application services. In reality, in the past few years, the European market has witnessed a considerable expansion in terms of both geographical location options (in areas such as Eastern Europe or North Africa, for example) and portfolio of services offered (now including, for example, help desk and remote infrastructure management services). Global delivery and offshore, however, remain the key deal characteristics that need to be treated with extra care in many European geographies, and as a consequence, many deals remain confidential. Traditional providers investment will be directed toward enhancing existing capabilities (especially near shore in Eastern Europe) and ensuring process solidity. Offshore providers inv estment on the other side will be centered on creating front-end capabilities with a focus on specific country and vertical-oriented competencies. While these global delivery models mature and are refined/ optimized, customers satisfaction will remain a challenge. KEY TRENDS SHAPING IT OUTSOURCING MARKET IN EUROPE TRENDS CHARACTERISTICS Selective Outsourcing With Multiple Providers * Embraced by majority of European companies * Objectives: IT excellence and cost optimization * Integration and governance challenges Global Sourcing and Global Delivery Models * Near shore proximity key for European market * Expanding portfolio of outsourcing services * Key area of investment for providers and buyers IT Utility * Industrialization is accelerating * Convergence of IT utility and global delivery * Key drivers: flexibility, efficiency, optimized cost, speed Aggressive ESP Competitive Landscape * National, global and offshore ESPs converging * Mergers, acquisitions and divestitures to continue * Providers are implementing new business models * New offshore market entrants Application Outsourcing to Grow * Drivers: portfolio rationalization, legacy modernization * Global delivery will gain acceptance * Multitude of providers competing Source: Gartner The U.K., Netherlands, Sweden and Finland are examples of countries more attracted by the global delivery model. However, in the meantime, the impact of global competition has started to drive countries such as Germany and France to consider global delivery as a viable option to be considered strategically, rather than when all other options have been exhausted. Despite a slower gestation and the fact that a complete infrastructure utility (IU) offering has not yet been developed, the IU model is continuing to attract new offerings and/or new providers. In the meantime, European customers, attracted by the idea of being able to access IT services in a flexible way, remain cautious as they expect further clarity on issues such as unit definition, pricing mechanisms, integration to existing systems, and security portability In the near future, we expect that the IU for ERP platforms will remain the most common battleground for providers; other providers are expected to instead mask their IU offering behind a package that includes product and support services. The concept of software as a service (SaaS) or ready-to-use applications will continue to generate lot of interest. Expectations for a solid delivery and specific functionalities will drive providers to specialize their offerings. Finally, gains in terms of process efficiency will be seen as crucial to deliver enhanced competitiveness, flexibility, agility and cost optimization. GLOBAL TRENDS: IT OUTSOURCING and OFFSHORING MARKET IT Outsourcing market is showing an average growth of 9% p.a. IT Outsourcing Worldwide forecast (Million $) Source : Gartner Dataquest In terms of volume, North America continues to be the leader in IT outsourcing. Latin America and APAC have shown good growth Europe has fast emerged as a big IT outsourcer Global offshore spending is continuing to register double digit growth. Worldwide Offshore IT Services Spending by Importing Region (million $) Source: Gartner Dataquest, 2004 and Worldwide and U.S. Offshore IT Services 2006-2010 Forecast In terms of volume, the North America continues to be the leader in IT offshoring. Once averse to the idea of outsourcing, Europe is now steadily adopting an IT offshore model to boost the economy Global offshore spending is projected to increase to 29400 $ Million in 2010 The graph on the next page shows the potential market for various types of sourcing options. This clearly depicts that he IT and Business Process offshoring market has grown at a tremendous rate over the past 7 year and the market provides a huge potential which is yet to be exploited. IT and BPO market Source Gartner, Dataquest, Aberdeen Group, McKinsey, Evalueserve, Infosys, IDC and Nasscom strategic review 2008 Currently we are not even exploiting 10% of the potential market size ( IT services off shoring just at $17 Billion, whereas market potential is about $200-240 Billion *) According to a new research by Gartner, the market is likely to grow further after the financial slowdown, as firms will try aggressively to reduce costs and improve efficiency Different Sourcing Models In-sourcing / Shared Services: Sourcing from internal sources or from an affiliated firm in the home economy Onshore Outsourcing: Sourcing from a non-affiliated firm in the home economy Captive Offshoring: Sourcing from an affiliated firm located abroad Offshore Outsourcing: Sourcing from a non-affiliated firm located abroad REGIONAL DYNAMICS ACROSS EUROPE The following section will describe the regional ITO trends and local dynamics across different European locations. UK and IRELAND 2005: â‚ ¬17.2B 2010: â‚ ¬25.7B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.3% ITO drivers: Improve IT quality for end users, speed/flexibility, access to technical skills, cost reduction Inhibitors: Loss of control, lack of trust, security/privacy, IP Key trends: †¢ Most mature market in Europe with wider number of mega deals (public sector) †¢ Deal sophistication, including government. Increasing interest in new pricing schemes, business enhancement and shared services †¢ More selective sourcing and global delivery †¢ Areas such as Scotland and Ireland feeling pressure of Indian and Eastern European operations †¢ Wide potential for application engagements to mature from project engagements into outsourcing based engagements Despite being the largest and most mature market in Europe, the U.K. remains also one of the fast-growing ones. Here organizations seem to have moved away from the equation of outsourcing = cost reduction. While cost remains a key component, other objectives seem more important, such as improving IT service delivery, gaining specific skills, especially for application outsourcing deals, and becoming a more flexible organization. (See Appendix F) Inhibitions remain related to a general lack of trust in the ability to join forces with the providers to manage security, control over IT operations and IP. The U.K. market is characterized by a large number of mega deals, especially in the public sector. These outsourcing deals often include initiatives that have classically been carried out through project engagements and now are increasingly being performed in the initial phases of an IT outsourcing or BPO deal. This change reflects the growing desire of customers for a tighter link between investment and results (for which the outsourcer is responsible during the duration of the contract) and the important shift in role for the internal IT department. Rather than focusing on assembling and managing all of the necessary skills and capabilities to meet a certain objective, IT organizations, in this scenario, are responsible for coordinating the objectives of the Business Unit and the internal and external providers engaged to support them. Often infrastructure outsourcing is at the core of these complex relationships. At the same time, the U.K. is also the largest market in terms of adoption of IT services delivered through a network of global delivery capabilities (which include nearshore and offshore locations). From this point of view, areas that used to be considered as low cost for outsourcing operations (Scotland and Ireland) continue to feel the pressure of Indian and Eastern European capabilities. Finally, organizations that have engaged for a long period of time in project-based application deals are planning to elevate them into more-strategic, long-term application management engagements. This will allow them to gain a longer-term commitment from the service provider and the relevant support to re-evaluate their application portfolio. NORDIC COUNTRIES 2005: â‚ ¬5.2B 2010: â‚ ¬7.6B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.2% Drivers: Cost reduction, access to technical skills (especially in application outsourcing engagements), support in global operations, focus on core business Inhibitors: Loss of control, security/privacy, lack of trust Key trends: †¢ Nordic market generally mature. Many large deals are in second or third generation. Some likely to evolve toward multi sourcing †¢ Large corporations see global delivery as a viable option. SMBs see nearshore option more favorably †¢ Consolidation drives specialization by geography, vertical market or horizontal service †¢ Increased competition between regional and global ESPs †¢ Cultural affinity seen as crucial to guarantee deal success/longevity Each of the four country markets that compose the Nordic region has its own distinct characteristics and buying behaviors in IT services. However, if we look at the forecast growth between 2005 and 2010, we expect the region to grow at a similar speed (despite size differences) of about 8%. Denmark: Sometimes seen as the entry point for the global service providers to the Nordics. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬856 million in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.2 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 7.8%). Finland: Unique in the Nordic region as buyers focus much more on business value of an outsourcing deal rather than just cost. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬1 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.45 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 7.5%) Norway: Remains the smallest outsourcing market in the region. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬1.2 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.8 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 8.1%) Sweden: Largest market and very cost-competitive. Probably the Nordic country targeted most by offshore providers currently. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬2 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬3.1 billion in 2010 (CGR of 8.7%) From a client perspective, the Nordic region market is generally mature, with many large corporations in second- or third-generation outsourcing deals. Global delivery is widely accepted as an option. Competition between regional providers and global providers is increasing; this was initiated by the inability of local providers to support the operations of key Nordic organizations around the globe. However, recent acquisitions and divestitures by both local and international providers prove that the market has still got room for further maturation and consolidation. NETHERLANDS 2005: â‚ ¬3.4B 2010:â‚ ¬5B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8% Drivers: Cost reduction above all, agility/flexibility, improving service to end users Inhibitors: Loss of IP and control, security/privacy, high cost Key trends: Market shows mixed signs of maturity (organizations accept global delivery) and immaturity (sourcing strategy is often neglected) Market split between large global corporations and wide portion of SMBs Increased competition for local/national champions Application under scrutiny for externalization The market in the Netherlands is one of the more modern IT outsourcing environments in Europe, closely following the U.K. in many trends. A focus on global delivery and the expansion of many deals into the application or business process layer points to more market maturity. This maturity is driven primarily by the relatively high proportion of large (and often multinational) enterprises headquartered in the Netherlands and competing in major markets such as financial services. But there are some contradictory characteristics that point to an immature market (cost cutting is by far the major driver, and sourcing strategy is often neglected); this, as a consequence, often inhibits the potential success of outsourcing initiatives. The market remains very challenging and competitive. This is due to the high presence of small and midsize businesses (SMBs), which traditionally tend to consider outsourcing as a threat more than an opportunity and require a higher level of customization, which tests the profitability model of service providers. Competition remains strong for national champions as global and offshore providers continue to target opportunities in the country. Increasingly, application outsourcing opportunities are emerging as organizations look at portfolio rationalization, legacy system transformation, and custom application software development initiatives and accessing application utility solutions. FRANCE 2005: â‚ ¬6.6B 2010: â‚ ¬10B CAGR: 8.4 % Drivers: Cost reduction, refocus internal IT, speed/flexibility Inhibitors: Loss of control, lack of trust, security/privacy Key trends: Beyond its reliance on staff augmentation, Frances outsourcing market shows opportunities in all facets of outsourcing: infrastructure, applications and BPO Selective outsourcing has gained acceptance, and organizations show cautious interest in global service delivery National champions remain under competitive pressure from the global and multinational providers France has long been considered behind in the outsourcing trend. Now, however, the French outsourcing market is consolidating and growing, while the long-standing reliance on staff augmentation is losing strength. The major driver that will support a CAGR of over 8% between 2005 and 2010 is the need for French organizations to reduce cost and enhance their level of competitiveness in the market by refocusing their internal IT skills on more-strategic tasks while gaining flexibility. On the other side, it is interesting to see that challenges related to HR management have lost strength, compared with the traditional fears related to loss of control and security and lack of trust. Large organizations have recently moved toward the adoption of selective outsourcing with multiple providers. This model has gained acceptance as organizations look at maximizing the balance between cost and service delivery excellence. There is also a new focus on application outsourcing. This trend is important not only because it signals an acceleration in the growth of outsourcing in France overall, but because it signals a major change in the way French organizations use different kinds of IT services. Increase in application outsourcing deals also touches on one of the major taboos of IT services in France: offshore outsourcing. As such, although offshore remains a word to be used with extra care in the French market, many organizations would consider that access to global delivery models is an appealing part of outsourcing, especially when delivered by traditional players. In this case, North Africa (Morocco, for example) is emerging as a viable near shore location. National champions, the providers that focus on a specific region or country, remain under competitive pressure from the global and multinational providers. GERMANY 2005: â‚ ¬10.6B 2010: â‚ ¬16B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.6% Drivers: Cost reduction above all, focus on core business, refocus internal IT Inhibitors: Security/privacy, lack of trust, loss of control Key trends: Global economic pressures have forced many organizations to look at outsourcing as a viable option In the short term, objectives such as flexibility and agility are secondary Pressure to divest internal IT departments or internal shared service organizations remains strong Global delivery gaining ground especially toward Eastern Europe Intensifying competition between strong German players and global ones Legacy system modernization will remain a key objective The German market is â€Å"federated† in several ways: government responsibilities, industrial centers, buying centers within enterprises, and management structures in place. All of this makes doing business in Germany (and negotiating significant IT service deals) unique. Decision processes tend to be longer, require more consensus building and often entail more travel than in other parts of Europe. For a long time, the majority of German organizations have considered IT operations as a key component to maintain or enhance their level of competitiveness in the market. This has, as a consequence, slowed the outsourcing growth. In the past two years, however, economic pressures have forced many organizations to look at outsourcing tactically to cut cost. While in the short term, achieving flexibility is a secondary objective, organizations look at outsourcing as a way to refocus their internal capabilities while focusing on their core business. The traditional inhibitors around security, trust and loss of control apply. While non-German external service providers (ESPs) still find it difficult to position themselves in Germany (exceptions are IBM Germany, which established itself early on as a â€Å"German† ESP, and HP, based on its early SAP hosting business and penetration as a technology provider), German providers maintain strong domestic positions and are starting to focus on expanding their international presence (through T-Systems). In the short term, German organizations will still consider selling their own IT capabilities, while global providers will see these as viable targets to build capabilities as long as they provide financial support through a long-term outsourcing deal. Finally, beyond potential healthy growth for ERP application outsourcing initiatives (especially SAP), as many organizations look at legacy system modernization, it is likely that many projects will evolve and deploy model to include the long-term management of applications. EASTERN EUROPE 2005: â‚ ¬1.1B 2010: â‚ ¬1.6B 2005-2010 CAGR: 7.9% Drivers: Acquisitions made by large Western European organizations, increased competition, need to revamp obsolete IT environments (leap-frog) Inhibitors: Low expertise to manage OS deals, high cost of OS, loss of control Key trends: Slow internal consumption of outsourcing Key nearshore delivery hub for providers supporting operations of European organizations Local Eastern European service providers will remain target for acquisitions Long-term growth will be supported by increasing competition, acquisitions made by Western companies and the penetration of Western ESPs in the region The region has become a strong global delivery hub Recent admission to the European Union has transformed countries such as Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic into attractive locations to establish global delivery capabilities designed to deliver IT services to European or global customers. Eastern Europe has been identified as an ideal region to establish a service delivery hub by U.S.-based providers (IBM, Accenture and EDS), European ones (Atos Origin, Capgemini, T-Systems, SIS and ST) and offshore ones (Ness, TCS, Satyam, Infosys and Wipro). When necessary, providers are openly seeking acquisitions to gain scale; it is the case for SIS, which acquired ELAS, HT Computers in Slovakia, and Ibis-Sys in Serbia (February 2005). Others, like Austrian-based ST, are pursuing a strategy of becoming the provider of choice in Eastern Europe through a combination of organic development and local acquisitions. ST acquired Computacenter Austria to strengthen its product resale capabilities. Although internal consumption of outsourcing has been slow, it is expected to grow rapidly, thanks to increasing competition driven by the fact that private-sector companies and public-sector organizations are now focusing on bringing their systems into line with market standards. This is leading to some â€Å"leapfrogging† effects — the IT utility approach, for example, holds significant appeal without posing the same transition challenges as elsewhere — but because these markets are fairly immature, there is still a strong focus on products and product support services rather than more-sophisticated IT service engagements. Italy and Spain are two other major countries with an expected ITO market size of about 5 Billion $ each by the year 2010. GLOBAL DELIVERY MODEL GDM is a unique approach to outsourcing and off shoring, which offers the best of both worlds by blending onsite, onshore and offshore resources and locations. By using a far-reaching network of onsite, onshore, and offshore resources, GDM aims to cuts across geographies to access the right resources, in the right place, at the right cost. By selecting the most advantageous and cost effective proportion of resources worldwide, Global Delivery Model boosts business performance while also lowering costs. It also helps the supplier deliver requirements that are met on-time, within budget, and with high quality; greater efficiency and responsiveness to their clients. In this section we would discuss in detail, the key drivers to a successful GDM. Source: Capgemini, 2008 KEY DRIVERS OF A SUCCESSFUL GDM STRONG PROCESSES Strong processes are the backbone of a successful Global Delivery Model. There is a strong need for detailed, documented and time-tested processes for all the activities and interfaces. Strong quality and project management processes ensure delivery excellence. World class processes for knowledge management and sharing resources encourage improved learning among teams. Processes for managing talent ensure that the projects get the best and most motivated people. Strong processes for interaction and communication within team make it possible for globally distributed groups to interface and collaborate in an effective manner while delivering excellence on a continuous basis. On the other hand, processes, while strong, should leave ample space for creativity and flexibility. It is only then that the Global Delivery Model (GDM) can create far more value than the traditional sourcing models. Here is what it will translate into: Quicker, seamless transitions, and early project ownership Optimum onsite/ offshore mixes through intelligent allocation of the available resources High degree of predictability through processes, sharing and reuse A strong relationship approach to ensure continuity and business focus Sharing of best practices and tools across the enterprise Depth and quality of resources, continuously trained and retrained to suit project needs Adherence to SLA based pricing models to ensure good Return on Investment (ROI) and drive customer satisfaction PROCESS ARCHITECTURE Companies rely on processes to consistently deliver high quality solutions while executing a number of engagements from multiple locations. According to the policies adopted by a leading IT services provider: values, vision and policies should form the first level of the three-tiered process architecture. These are then implemented through process execution at the next level. These processes are defined with clear ownership and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Quality System Documentation Quality System Documentation defines clearly all the processes that should be put into place. These documents provide the engineers and consultations with a vast repository of detailed procedures, templates, standards, guidelines and checklists. The comprehensiveness of these documents supports all tasks from higher-level information abstraction and definition to tasks such as coding and documentation. This is crucial to assure clients with the delivery of high quality and predictable IT solutions that meet their business needs. These documents should also be monitored and updated regularly. Knowledge Sharing Employees are given a forum like a website portal, to share knowledge gained from their experience at the organization. It is meant to be a central repository of the knowledge that can be tapped by peers and as sometimes external clients as well. The collection of documents on this portal is reviewed and classified into different areas: Software development life-cycle activities such as requirements specification, design, build and testing documentation. Software-related topics such as tools and quality documentation. Topics of general or operational interest such as travel or HR policies, etc. Process Assets This is a repository to facilitate sharing and giving out of engagement learning across the organization. The user has the facility to submit to the repository, retrieve from the repository and obtain information on the status of the repository. A process asset can be any information ranging from an engagement, which can be re-used by future engagements. Typically these include project plans, configuration management plans, requirements documents, standards, checklists, design documents, test plans, causal analysis reports and utilities used in the engagement, etc. Process Database The Process Database is a software engineering database to study the processes at the organization with respect to productivity and quality. More specifically, its purpose areas are as follows: To aid estimation of effort and project defects To get the productivity and quality data on different types of projects To aid in creating of a process capability baseline Process Capability Baseline (PCB) Process Capability baseline is used to specify, what the performance of the process is, i.e. what a project can expect when following the process. This estimation is done based on the past data. The performance factors of the process are Effect of Globalization on IT Service Providers in Europe Effect of Globalization on IT Service Providers in Europe Opportunities and challenges presented by Globalization: IT Service providers in Continental Europe EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Enterprises within Europe are increasingly trying to seek the advantages of global sourcing. Unlike enterprises in U.S. or U.K., continental European countries have historically been reluctant to engage with offshore providers. The reasons were far stretched, ranging from political sensitivity, labor laws, cultural compatibility and language requirements. Globalization, however, is creating new avenues that European companies can not ignore. A recent report by Gartner shows the potential IT Offshoring market to be in the range of about $ 200 to 240 Billion. The market is expected to register double digit growth for years to come. The current offshore spending by firms amounts to just $17 Billion worldwide. This clearly shows a big gap, a huge market potential which is yet to be exploited. The huge demand has also led to emergence and growth of several new players in the field of IT Outsourcing/ Offshoring services, this is leading to ever increasing competition in the marketplace. In order to cope up with this increased competition and to provide better services, these service providers are increasingly adopting Global delivery models. By selecting an advantageous and cost effective proportion of resources worldwide, Global Delivery Model boosts business performance while also lowering costs. It also helps the supplier deliver requirements that are met on-time, within budget, and with high quality; greater efficiency and responsiveness to their clients. In Europe, nearshore models still dominate the market. But these models are continuously being updated, with more and more providers setting up Offshore Development Centers in locations like India. A framework for building an optimal combination of onsite, nearshore, and offshore delivery capabilities is provided by Capgeminis Rightshore ® model. A recent Gartner report has suggested that, the current US economic slowdown is expected to lead buyers of IT services to consider increasing the percentage of their labor in offshore locations. India will remain the dominant location for IT offshore services for North American and European buyers as a result of its scale, quality of resources and strong presence of local and traditional service providers. INTRODUCTION: EUROPEAN IT MARKET The European market remains a highly complex and competitive market with a large number of providers. Mergers and acquisitions will continue but will be balanced by new market entrants Outsourcing adoption in Europe is increasing for both infrastructure and applications; the widespread lack of well defined sourcing strategies among buyers and the realities of ever-changing business requirements will generate frequent deal negotiations and renegotiations Global delivery and utility services are irreversible trends evolving at different speeds among various European countries. The European multi country, multi language/culture composition increases the evolutionary complexity of these trends Selective outsourcing with multiple providers will remain the preferred model of engagement for European buyers. Governance and end-to-end integration/management of different providers/solutions are the most challenging aspects of it ITO market maturity varies: UK is the most matured IT market in Europe. The other European markets are maturing at different speeds. An acceleration in ITO adoption is now apparent in countries such as France and Germany A focus on achieving service delivery excellence and the best value/quality balance is increasingly driving European organizations (especially those beyond the first generation deal) to consider selecting multiple providers for an outsourcing contract. For example, in the IT Telecom sector, the most common division is by service tower, with customers opting to choose different providers for their network, desktop, data center and application competencies. At the moment, however, providers tend to join forces in an opportunistic manner, as a response to customer demands. This is the cause behind the ever-changing composition of the providers teams; as a consequence, consolidating best practices to manage IT service spin offs between different providers in an effort to guarantee end-to-end service delivery excellence remains challenging. As the number of providers engaged is set to increase, this challenge is likely to intensify. It will also be driven by other market characteristics, which include a persistent tactical use of outsourcing by European customers, insufficient process maturity, and lack of clarity in the definition of roles and responsibilities. As we look at global delivery, it is fair to say that there are two major misconceptions that still exist among the European market: 1) Global delivery is often considered as a synonym of offshore, and 2) IT services delivered through global delivery capabilities are application services. In reality, in the past few years, the European market has witnessed a considerable expansion in terms of both geographical location options (in areas such as Eastern Europe or North Africa, for example) and portfolio of services offered (now including, for example, help desk and remote infrastructure management services). Global delivery and offshore, however, remain the key deal characteristics that need to be treated with extra care in many European geographies, and as a consequence, many deals remain confidential. Traditional providers investment will be directed toward enhancing existing capabilities (especially near shore in Eastern Europe) and ensuring process solidity. Offshore providers inv estment on the other side will be centered on creating front-end capabilities with a focus on specific country and vertical-oriented competencies. While these global delivery models mature and are refined/ optimized, customers satisfaction will remain a challenge. KEY TRENDS SHAPING IT OUTSOURCING MARKET IN EUROPE TRENDS CHARACTERISTICS Selective Outsourcing With Multiple Providers * Embraced by majority of European companies * Objectives: IT excellence and cost optimization * Integration and governance challenges Global Sourcing and Global Delivery Models * Near shore proximity key for European market * Expanding portfolio of outsourcing services * Key area of investment for providers and buyers IT Utility * Industrialization is accelerating * Convergence of IT utility and global delivery * Key drivers: flexibility, efficiency, optimized cost, speed Aggressive ESP Competitive Landscape * National, global and offshore ESPs converging * Mergers, acquisitions and divestitures to continue * Providers are implementing new business models * New offshore market entrants Application Outsourcing to Grow * Drivers: portfolio rationalization, legacy modernization * Global delivery will gain acceptance * Multitude of providers competing Source: Gartner The U.K., Netherlands, Sweden and Finland are examples of countries more attracted by the global delivery model. However, in the meantime, the impact of global competition has started to drive countries such as Germany and France to consider global delivery as a viable option to be considered strategically, rather than when all other options have been exhausted. Despite a slower gestation and the fact that a complete infrastructure utility (IU) offering has not yet been developed, the IU model is continuing to attract new offerings and/or new providers. In the meantime, European customers, attracted by the idea of being able to access IT services in a flexible way, remain cautious as they expect further clarity on issues such as unit definition, pricing mechanisms, integration to existing systems, and security portability In the near future, we expect that the IU for ERP platforms will remain the most common battleground for providers; other providers are expected to instead mask their IU offering behind a package that includes product and support services. The concept of software as a service (SaaS) or ready-to-use applications will continue to generate lot of interest. Expectations for a solid delivery and specific functionalities will drive providers to specialize their offerings. Finally, gains in terms of process efficiency will be seen as crucial to deliver enhanced competitiveness, flexibility, agility and cost optimization. GLOBAL TRENDS: IT OUTSOURCING and OFFSHORING MARKET IT Outsourcing market is showing an average growth of 9% p.a. IT Outsourcing Worldwide forecast (Million $) Source : Gartner Dataquest In terms of volume, North America continues to be the leader in IT outsourcing. Latin America and APAC have shown good growth Europe has fast emerged as a big IT outsourcer Global offshore spending is continuing to register double digit growth. Worldwide Offshore IT Services Spending by Importing Region (million $) Source: Gartner Dataquest, 2004 and Worldwide and U.S. Offshore IT Services 2006-2010 Forecast In terms of volume, the North America continues to be the leader in IT offshoring. Once averse to the idea of outsourcing, Europe is now steadily adopting an IT offshore model to boost the economy Global offshore spending is projected to increase to 29400 $ Million in 2010 The graph on the next page shows the potential market for various types of sourcing options. This clearly depicts that he IT and Business Process offshoring market has grown at a tremendous rate over the past 7 year and the market provides a huge potential which is yet to be exploited. IT and BPO market Source Gartner, Dataquest, Aberdeen Group, McKinsey, Evalueserve, Infosys, IDC and Nasscom strategic review 2008 Currently we are not even exploiting 10% of the potential market size ( IT services off shoring just at $17 Billion, whereas market potential is about $200-240 Billion *) According to a new research by Gartner, the market is likely to grow further after the financial slowdown, as firms will try aggressively to reduce costs and improve efficiency Different Sourcing Models In-sourcing / Shared Services: Sourcing from internal sources or from an affiliated firm in the home economy Onshore Outsourcing: Sourcing from a non-affiliated firm in the home economy Captive Offshoring: Sourcing from an affiliated firm located abroad Offshore Outsourcing: Sourcing from a non-affiliated firm located abroad REGIONAL DYNAMICS ACROSS EUROPE The following section will describe the regional ITO trends and local dynamics across different European locations. UK and IRELAND 2005: â‚ ¬17.2B 2010: â‚ ¬25.7B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.3% ITO drivers: Improve IT quality for end users, speed/flexibility, access to technical skills, cost reduction Inhibitors: Loss of control, lack of trust, security/privacy, IP Key trends: †¢ Most mature market in Europe with wider number of mega deals (public sector) †¢ Deal sophistication, including government. Increasing interest in new pricing schemes, business enhancement and shared services †¢ More selective sourcing and global delivery †¢ Areas such as Scotland and Ireland feeling pressure of Indian and Eastern European operations †¢ Wide potential for application engagements to mature from project engagements into outsourcing based engagements Despite being the largest and most mature market in Europe, the U.K. remains also one of the fast-growing ones. Here organizations seem to have moved away from the equation of outsourcing = cost reduction. While cost remains a key component, other objectives seem more important, such as improving IT service delivery, gaining specific skills, especially for application outsourcing deals, and becoming a more flexible organization. (See Appendix F) Inhibitions remain related to a general lack of trust in the ability to join forces with the providers to manage security, control over IT operations and IP. The U.K. market is characterized by a large number of mega deals, especially in the public sector. These outsourcing deals often include initiatives that have classically been carried out through project engagements and now are increasingly being performed in the initial phases of an IT outsourcing or BPO deal. This change reflects the growing desire of customers for a tighter link between investment and results (for which the outsourcer is responsible during the duration of the contract) and the important shift in role for the internal IT department. Rather than focusing on assembling and managing all of the necessary skills and capabilities to meet a certain objective, IT organizations, in this scenario, are responsible for coordinating the objectives of the Business Unit and the internal and external providers engaged to support them. Often infrastructure outsourcing is at the core of these complex relationships. At the same time, the U.K. is also the largest market in terms of adoption of IT services delivered through a network of global delivery capabilities (which include nearshore and offshore locations). From this point of view, areas that used to be considered as low cost for outsourcing operations (Scotland and Ireland) continue to feel the pressure of Indian and Eastern European capabilities. Finally, organizations that have engaged for a long period of time in project-based application deals are planning to elevate them into more-strategic, long-term application management engagements. This will allow them to gain a longer-term commitment from the service provider and the relevant support to re-evaluate their application portfolio. NORDIC COUNTRIES 2005: â‚ ¬5.2B 2010: â‚ ¬7.6B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.2% Drivers: Cost reduction, access to technical skills (especially in application outsourcing engagements), support in global operations, focus on core business Inhibitors: Loss of control, security/privacy, lack of trust Key trends: †¢ Nordic market generally mature. Many large deals are in second or third generation. Some likely to evolve toward multi sourcing †¢ Large corporations see global delivery as a viable option. SMBs see nearshore option more favorably †¢ Consolidation drives specialization by geography, vertical market or horizontal service †¢ Increased competition between regional and global ESPs †¢ Cultural affinity seen as crucial to guarantee deal success/longevity Each of the four country markets that compose the Nordic region has its own distinct characteristics and buying behaviors in IT services. However, if we look at the forecast growth between 2005 and 2010, we expect the region to grow at a similar speed (despite size differences) of about 8%. Denmark: Sometimes seen as the entry point for the global service providers to the Nordics. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬856 million in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.2 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 7.8%). Finland: Unique in the Nordic region as buyers focus much more on business value of an outsourcing deal rather than just cost. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬1 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.45 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 7.5%) Norway: Remains the smallest outsourcing market in the region. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬1.2 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬1.8 billion in 2010 (CAGR of 8.1%) Sweden: Largest market and very cost-competitive. Probably the Nordic country targeted most by offshore providers currently. Expected growth is from â‚ ¬2 billion in 2005 to â‚ ¬3.1 billion in 2010 (CGR of 8.7%) From a client perspective, the Nordic region market is generally mature, with many large corporations in second- or third-generation outsourcing deals. Global delivery is widely accepted as an option. Competition between regional providers and global providers is increasing; this was initiated by the inability of local providers to support the operations of key Nordic organizations around the globe. However, recent acquisitions and divestitures by both local and international providers prove that the market has still got room for further maturation and consolidation. NETHERLANDS 2005: â‚ ¬3.4B 2010:â‚ ¬5B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8% Drivers: Cost reduction above all, agility/flexibility, improving service to end users Inhibitors: Loss of IP and control, security/privacy, high cost Key trends: Market shows mixed signs of maturity (organizations accept global delivery) and immaturity (sourcing strategy is often neglected) Market split between large global corporations and wide portion of SMBs Increased competition for local/national champions Application under scrutiny for externalization The market in the Netherlands is one of the more modern IT outsourcing environments in Europe, closely following the U.K. in many trends. A focus on global delivery and the expansion of many deals into the application or business process layer points to more market maturity. This maturity is driven primarily by the relatively high proportion of large (and often multinational) enterprises headquartered in the Netherlands and competing in major markets such as financial services. But there are some contradictory characteristics that point to an immature market (cost cutting is by far the major driver, and sourcing strategy is often neglected); this, as a consequence, often inhibits the potential success of outsourcing initiatives. The market remains very challenging and competitive. This is due to the high presence of small and midsize businesses (SMBs), which traditionally tend to consider outsourcing as a threat more than an opportunity and require a higher level of customization, which tests the profitability model of service providers. Competition remains strong for national champions as global and offshore providers continue to target opportunities in the country. Increasingly, application outsourcing opportunities are emerging as organizations look at portfolio rationalization, legacy system transformation, and custom application software development initiatives and accessing application utility solutions. FRANCE 2005: â‚ ¬6.6B 2010: â‚ ¬10B CAGR: 8.4 % Drivers: Cost reduction, refocus internal IT, speed/flexibility Inhibitors: Loss of control, lack of trust, security/privacy Key trends: Beyond its reliance on staff augmentation, Frances outsourcing market shows opportunities in all facets of outsourcing: infrastructure, applications and BPO Selective outsourcing has gained acceptance, and organizations show cautious interest in global service delivery National champions remain under competitive pressure from the global and multinational providers France has long been considered behind in the outsourcing trend. Now, however, the French outsourcing market is consolidating and growing, while the long-standing reliance on staff augmentation is losing strength. The major driver that will support a CAGR of over 8% between 2005 and 2010 is the need for French organizations to reduce cost and enhance their level of competitiveness in the market by refocusing their internal IT skills on more-strategic tasks while gaining flexibility. On the other side, it is interesting to see that challenges related to HR management have lost strength, compared with the traditional fears related to loss of control and security and lack of trust. Large organizations have recently moved toward the adoption of selective outsourcing with multiple providers. This model has gained acceptance as organizations look at maximizing the balance between cost and service delivery excellence. There is also a new focus on application outsourcing. This trend is important not only because it signals an acceleration in the growth of outsourcing in France overall, but because it signals a major change in the way French organizations use different kinds of IT services. Increase in application outsourcing deals also touches on one of the major taboos of IT services in France: offshore outsourcing. As such, although offshore remains a word to be used with extra care in the French market, many organizations would consider that access to global delivery models is an appealing part of outsourcing, especially when delivered by traditional players. In this case, North Africa (Morocco, for example) is emerging as a viable near shore location. National champions, the providers that focus on a specific region or country, remain under competitive pressure from the global and multinational providers. GERMANY 2005: â‚ ¬10.6B 2010: â‚ ¬16B 2005-2010 CAGR: 8.6% Drivers: Cost reduction above all, focus on core business, refocus internal IT Inhibitors: Security/privacy, lack of trust, loss of control Key trends: Global economic pressures have forced many organizations to look at outsourcing as a viable option In the short term, objectives such as flexibility and agility are secondary Pressure to divest internal IT departments or internal shared service organizations remains strong Global delivery gaining ground especially toward Eastern Europe Intensifying competition between strong German players and global ones Legacy system modernization will remain a key objective The German market is â€Å"federated† in several ways: government responsibilities, industrial centers, buying centers within enterprises, and management structures in place. All of this makes doing business in Germany (and negotiating significant IT service deals) unique. Decision processes tend to be longer, require more consensus building and often entail more travel than in other parts of Europe. For a long time, the majority of German organizations have considered IT operations as a key component to maintain or enhance their level of competitiveness in the market. This has, as a consequence, slowed the outsourcing growth. In the past two years, however, economic pressures have forced many organizations to look at outsourcing tactically to cut cost. While in the short term, achieving flexibility is a secondary objective, organizations look at outsourcing as a way to refocus their internal capabilities while focusing on their core business. The traditional inhibitors around security, trust and loss of control apply. While non-German external service providers (ESPs) still find it difficult to position themselves in Germany (exceptions are IBM Germany, which established itself early on as a â€Å"German† ESP, and HP, based on its early SAP hosting business and penetration as a technology provider), German providers maintain strong domestic positions and are starting to focus on expanding their international presence (through T-Systems). In the short term, German organizations will still consider selling their own IT capabilities, while global providers will see these as viable targets to build capabilities as long as they provide financial support through a long-term outsourcing deal. Finally, beyond potential healthy growth for ERP application outsourcing initiatives (especially SAP), as many organizations look at legacy system modernization, it is likely that many projects will evolve and deploy model to include the long-term management of applications. EASTERN EUROPE 2005: â‚ ¬1.1B 2010: â‚ ¬1.6B 2005-2010 CAGR: 7.9% Drivers: Acquisitions made by large Western European organizations, increased competition, need to revamp obsolete IT environments (leap-frog) Inhibitors: Low expertise to manage OS deals, high cost of OS, loss of control Key trends: Slow internal consumption of outsourcing Key nearshore delivery hub for providers supporting operations of European organizations Local Eastern European service providers will remain target for acquisitions Long-term growth will be supported by increasing competition, acquisitions made by Western companies and the penetration of Western ESPs in the region The region has become a strong global delivery hub Recent admission to the European Union has transformed countries such as Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic into attractive locations to establish global delivery capabilities designed to deliver IT services to European or global customers. Eastern Europe has been identified as an ideal region to establish a service delivery hub by U.S.-based providers (IBM, Accenture and EDS), European ones (Atos Origin, Capgemini, T-Systems, SIS and ST) and offshore ones (Ness, TCS, Satyam, Infosys and Wipro). When necessary, providers are openly seeking acquisitions to gain scale; it is the case for SIS, which acquired ELAS, HT Computers in Slovakia, and Ibis-Sys in Serbia (February 2005). Others, like Austrian-based ST, are pursuing a strategy of becoming the provider of choice in Eastern Europe through a combination of organic development and local acquisitions. ST acquired Computacenter Austria to strengthen its product resale capabilities. Although internal consumption of outsourcing has been slow, it is expected to grow rapidly, thanks to increasing competition driven by the fact that private-sector companies and public-sector organizations are now focusing on bringing their systems into line with market standards. This is leading to some â€Å"leapfrogging† effects — the IT utility approach, for example, holds significant appeal without posing the same transition challenges as elsewhere — but because these markets are fairly immature, there is still a strong focus on products and product support services rather than more-sophisticated IT service engagements. Italy and Spain are two other major countries with an expected ITO market size of about 5 Billion $ each by the year 2010. GLOBAL DELIVERY MODEL GDM is a unique approach to outsourcing and off shoring, which offers the best of both worlds by blending onsite, onshore and offshore resources and locations. By using a far-reaching network of onsite, onshore, and offshore resources, GDM aims to cuts across geographies to access the right resources, in the right place, at the right cost. By selecting the most advantageous and cost effective proportion of resources worldwide, Global Delivery Model boosts business performance while also lowering costs. It also helps the supplier deliver requirements that are met on-time, within budget, and with high quality; greater efficiency and responsiveness to their clients. In this section we would discuss in detail, the key drivers to a successful GDM. Source: Capgemini, 2008 KEY DRIVERS OF A SUCCESSFUL GDM STRONG PROCESSES Strong processes are the backbone of a successful Global Delivery Model. There is a strong need for detailed, documented and time-tested processes for all the activities and interfaces. Strong quality and project management processes ensure delivery excellence. World class processes for knowledge management and sharing resources encourage improved learning among teams. Processes for managing talent ensure that the projects get the best and most motivated people. Strong processes for interaction and communication within team make it possible for globally distributed groups to interface and collaborate in an effective manner while delivering excellence on a continuous basis. On the other hand, processes, while strong, should leave ample space for creativity and flexibility. It is only then that the Global Delivery Model (GDM) can create far more value than the traditional sourcing models. Here is what it will translate into: Quicker, seamless transitions, and early project ownership Optimum onsite/ offshore mixes through intelligent allocation of the available resources High degree of predictability through processes, sharing and reuse A strong relationship approach to ensure continuity and business focus Sharing of best practices and tools across the enterprise Depth and quality of resources, continuously trained and retrained to suit project needs Adherence to SLA based pricing models to ensure good Return on Investment (ROI) and drive customer satisfaction PROCESS ARCHITECTURE Companies rely on processes to consistently deliver high quality solutions while executing a number of engagements from multiple locations. According to the policies adopted by a leading IT services provider: values, vision and policies should form the first level of the three-tiered process architecture. These are then implemented through process execution at the next level. These processes are defined with clear ownership and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Quality System Documentation Quality System Documentation defines clearly all the processes that should be put into place. These documents provide the engineers and consultations with a vast repository of detailed procedures, templates, standards, guidelines and checklists. The comprehensiveness of these documents supports all tasks from higher-level information abstraction and definition to tasks such as coding and documentation. This is crucial to assure clients with the delivery of high quality and predictable IT solutions that meet their business needs. These documents should also be monitored and updated regularly. Knowledge Sharing Employees are given a forum like a website portal, to share knowledge gained from their experience at the organization. It is meant to be a central repository of the knowledge that can be tapped by peers and as sometimes external clients as well. The collection of documents on this portal is reviewed and classified into different areas: Software development life-cycle activities such as requirements specification, design, build and testing documentation. Software-related topics such as tools and quality documentation. Topics of general or operational interest such as travel or HR policies, etc. Process Assets This is a repository to facilitate sharing and giving out of engagement learning across the organization. The user has the facility to submit to the repository, retrieve from the repository and obtain information on the status of the repository. A process asset can be any information ranging from an engagement, which can be re-used by future engagements. Typically these include project plans, configuration management plans, requirements documents, standards, checklists, design documents, test plans, causal analysis reports and utilities used in the engagement, etc. Process Database The Process Database is a software engineering database to study the processes at the organization with respect to productivity and quality. More specifically, its purpose areas are as follows: To aid estimation of effort and project defects To get the productivity and quality data on different types of projects To aid in creating of a process capability baseline Process Capability Baseline (PCB) Process Capability baseline is used to specify, what the performance of the process is, i.e. what a project can expect when following the process. This estimation is done based on the past data. The performance factors of the process are

Causes and Effects of the American Revolution Essay -- Essays on Amer

Both the British and the American colonists contributed to causing the American Revolution. The war grew out of contempt: England’s contempt for the colonies and colonial contempt for British policies. A series of actions by the British eventually pushed the colonists over the edge and towards independence. The results of the war gave many citizens a new role in society while others, like slaves, felt no change at all. This paper will examine the specific causes and effects of the American Revolution. Ideology really laid the foundation for the Revolution. British citizens, including those in the North American colonies, felt a special sense of pride in their political system. Unlike in other European countries at the time, the English king did not possess absolute control over his country. England has a parliament, and that stood as a check against the king’s power. Many Britons grew up skeptical of a single, authoritarian ruler. Within this political framework, there existed the concept of liberty. â€Å"The English had no standing army, no letters de cachet; they had their habeas corpus, their trials by jury, their freedom of speech and conscience, and their right to trade and travel; they were free from arbitrary arrest and punishment; their homes were their castles.† The vast majority of the colonists considered themselves British, and as such, they were entitled to these rights and freedoms. Republicanism coexisted with the notion of liberty. â€Å"According to the classical republican tradition, man was by nature a political being, a citizen who achieved his greatest moral fulfillment by participating in a self-governing republic.† The colonists took this virtuous duty seriously, especially when it came to r... ...t for their right to have a say in how their country should be run. In their old age, the leaders of the American Revolution and eventual founders of the United States worried about the extent to which democracy pervaded society. However, their actions planted the seeds for oppressed groups to fight for their rights. A country whose founding principle is that â€Å"all men are created equal†¦with certain unalienable rights† including â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† will always give people hope for a better future. Works Cited Countryman, Edward. The American Revolution revised edition. New York: Hill and Wang, 2003. Norton, Mary Beth. Liberty’s Daughters: The Revolutionary Experience of American Women, 1750-1800. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1996. Wood, Gordon S. The Radicalism of the American Revolution. New York: Vintage Books, 1991.

Stanley Milgram experiment

Stanley Malaria experiment Could you deliver electroshocks to a person you do not know? In addition, having someone behind you coaxing you the whole way until you get to 450 volts? That was Stanley Amalgam's idea. He wanted to find out how obedient one could be if they were in a position to harm another human being with an administrator in the same room. The administrator would coax the men to administer electroshock to another human being, being unseen, until the learner stops screaming.How far could you go before topping yourself or killing another human being VIA electroshock? Summary of the study and how it was conducted In the sass's, Stanley Malaria conducted a study to see how far a person could go by shocking an unknown individual with heart problems. The study was to show if someone of authoritative position told an individual to deliver an electrical shock to another human being for being wrong on a question. Malaria put an ad into a newspaper that recruited close to 40 men and they were to be paid $4. 50 for their participation. The experiment was conducted in a laboratory at Yale University.There was the administrator, a teacher, and a learner. The teacher had an electroshock machine that went from 15 volts to 450 volts. When the teacher asked a question to the learner and the learner knew the answer there was to be no shock. When the learner got the question incorrect, the teacher would press the buttons in sequential order on the electroshock machine (which was already hooked up to the learner). This would then deliver a current of electroshock to the learner. This was to teach him no to get the questions incorrect. Each time the learner got the question wrong the voltage went up.The learner and teacher only saw each other once and that was before the test. The learner, after a few incorrect answers, started to kick, scream, and protesting the shocks that is being delivered to him. The teacher started to be concerned about the learner, but the adm inistrator would say, â€Å"Please continue† or â€Å"please go on†, â€Å"this experiment requires that you continue†, â€Å"It is absolutely essential that you continue†, muff have no other choice; you must go on. † (Fiske, 2010, Para. 50). What the teacher did not know was that the learner was not really being shocked.This was to see how far the teacher would go before calling t quits on the learner. The learner would be screaming and pleading for his life saying, â€Å"please no more, my heart cannot take it anymore, please stop. † After the 300- volt shock, the room went quite. The administrator told the teacher to take the silence as an incorrect answer and shock again. There still was no voice on the other side. The teacher fell silent and felt stressed and tension. An explanation of the study results: What happened? Were there any unexpected findings? What did the authors conclude? What did the results mean, and what are their implica tions?The results of he Amalgam's study was found to be shocking and appalling. â€Å"The core findings showed that 65% of participants progressed up the shock generator past Danger: Severe Shock to 450 volts labeled simply XX. Only 35% resisted† (Fiske, 2010, Para. 51). The breakdown of the 40 study participants, 26 delivered the maximum amount of shocks to the learner, while only 14 participants quit when the learner was screaming in pain. The majority of the teachers went to the maximum amount of voltage due to the administrator telling them to keep going with the experiment.There was not any unexpected finding with the Amalgam's experiment. However, the numbers for those who went all the way was extremely high. â€Å"Malaria later surveyed the participants and found that 84% were glad to have participated, while only 1% regretted their involvement† (Cherry, n. D. , Para. 10). Malaria concluded that people will comply with orders either out of fear or to cooperate e ven when they are scared or know better. Those who complied through the duration of the experiment struggled with power. Those who participated in the study felt coerced by the administrator. They felt guilt, remorse, and anxiety.If a person of power says meeting is okay, majority of individuals that will continue will be few, but the show will go on. The results from Amalgam's experiment meant that most individuals put into a stressful situation as so; they comply and obey with orders. The select few that did not comply, knew when it was time to stop. They had more of a conscious to stop then to â€Å"kill† a person by shocking them over questions. This study was all about power and obedience. Malaria expected most of the participants to stop when the learner was yelling and screaming in pain. However, that was not the case. After the study was over there was a debrief.The teacher finds out the learner is not injured. Most were relieved to find the learner alive and not hurt . The implications for the Amalgam's experiment are showing that of dangers and obedience. Amalgam's experiment is one of the most psychological studies. If the original variable is not the outcome, then it is time to take a step back and rulebook at the experiment. If the study was reproduced a second time and the same results occur, then that is the purpose of the study would be Justified. An explanation of how the concept situations applies to the study results Situations played a major role in the Amalgam's experiment.The circumstance that was around the teacher was the administrator that was in the same room as the teacher. The administrator was coxing the teacher to keep going even after the yells and screams for help. Most of the teachers went along with the plan even if personal ethics told them not to or to stop. This author believes that if there were not an administrator in the room with the teacher, they would not have gone as far as they did with the electroshock machin e. There were many mitigating circumstances as to why the teacher did not stop when they knew they should have.Do you think the study results might have been different if the participants were from a different cultural, ethnic, or gender group? How so? This author does not believe that the results would have differed if the participants were from different cultures, genders, or ethnic groups. This author saw an updated Amalgam's experiment with females and males and the females was Just as ruthless as the males were in 1960. This author believes that it does not matter where you are from or who you are, but rather what kind of conscious that individual has. Could you be cohered into shocking an individual who said he has a bad heart?That would stop many people, or would it? Do you think the results of the study are important and relevant to contemporary society? Explain This author believes that the results are important. This way when and if the study is conducted again, there is a basis to go by. Does this author believe the results are relevant to contemporary society? This author believes the results were relevant in sass's, but not today. Amalgam's views are out of today's ethical standards. Regardless if the learner was getting shocked or not, many questions still would surface. How would individuals act today?Would the number that takes it all the way be higher? Society would be interested, but not maybe people would report to the study. Conclusion The Malaria study did not go as planned and the results were unexpected. Malaria â€Å"The Malaria studies are a paradigm for understanding evil, but opinions differ as to whether the actual participants were necessarily behaving in an evil manner† (Fiske, 2010, Para. 63). Amalgam's experiment has become a topic in not only Psychology, but also other areas. His experiment has gone down in the books as one of the most studied topics.His experiment shows how obedience is dangerous in this case. The teach ers were being cohered by the administrator to keep going even while the learner was saying, â€Å"his heart hurt to stop. † Luckily, no one was harmed during this experiment and the individuals that went to 450-volts felt remorse.

Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty

Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is the lawful imposition of death as punishment for a crime. In 2004 four (China, Iran, Vietnam, and the US) accounted for 97 percent of all global executions. On average, every 9-10 days a government in the United States executes a prisoner. It is the Eighth Amendment, the constitutional clause that prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, that is at the center of the debate about capital punishment in America. Although most Americans support capital punishment under some circumstances, according to Gallup support for capital punishment has dropped dramatically from a high of 80 percent in 1994 to about 60 percent today. Facts and Figures Red state executions per million population are an order of magnitude greater than blue state executions (46.4 v 4.5). Blacks are executed at a rate significantly disproportionate to their share of the overall population. Based on 2000 data, Texas ranked 13th in the country in violent crime and 17th in murders per 100,000 citizens. However, Texas leads the nation in death penalty convictions and executions. Since the 1976 Supreme Court decision that reinstated the death penalty in the United States, the governments of the United States had executed 1,136, as of December 2008. The 1,000th execution, North Carolinas Kenneth Boyd, occurred in December 2005. There were 42 executions in 2007. Death Row More than 3,300 prisoners were serving death-row sentences in the US in December 2008. Nationwide, juries are delivering fewer death sentences: since the late 1990s, they have dropped 50 percent. The violent crime rate has also dropped dramatically since the mid-90s, reaching the lowest level ever recorded in 2005. Latest Developments In 2007, the Death Penalty Information Center released a report, â€Å"A Crisis of Confidence: Americans’ Doubts About the Death Penalty.† The Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty should reflect the conscience of the community, and that its application should be measured against societys evolving standards of decency. This latest report suggests that 60 percent of Americans do not believe that the death penalty is a deterrent to murder. Moreover, almost 40 percent believe that their moral beliefs would disqualify them from serving on a capital case. And when asked whether they prefer the death penalty or life in prison without parole as punishment for murder, the respondents were split: 47 percent death penalty, 43 percent prison, 10 percent unsure. Interestingly, 75 percent believe that a higher degree of proof is required in a capital case than in a prison as punishment case. (poll margin of error /- ~3%) In addition, since 1973 more than 120 people have had their death row convictions overturned. DNA testing has resulted in 200 non-capital cases to be overturned since 1989. Mistakes like these shake public confidence in the capital punishment system. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that almost 60 percent of those polled- including almost 60 percent of the southerners- in this study believe that the United States should impose a moratorium on the death penalty. An ad hoc moratorium is almost in place. After the 1,000th execution in December 2005, there were almost no executions in 2006 or the first five months of 2007. History Executions as a form of punishment date to at least the 18th century BC. In America, Captain George Kendall was executed in 1608 in the Jamestown Colony of Virginia; he was accused of being a spy for Spain. In 1612, Virginia death penalty violations included what modern citizens would consider minor violations: stealing grapes, killing chickens and trading with Indians. In the 1800s, abolitionists took up the cause of capital punishment, relying in part on Cesare Beccarias 1767 essay, On Crimes and Punishment. From the 1920s-1940s, criminologists argued that the death penalty was a necessary and preventative social measure. The 1930s, also marked by the Depression, saw more executions than any other decade in our history. From the 1950s-1960s, public sentiment turned against capital punishment, and the number executed plummeted. In 1958, the Supreme Court ruled in Trop v. Dulles that the Eighth Amendment contained an evolving standard of decency that marked the progress of a maturing society. And according to Gallup, public support reached an all-time low of 42 percent in 1966. Two 1968 cases caused the nation to rethink its capital punishment law. In U.S. v. Jackson, the Supreme Court ruled that requiring that the death penalty be imposed only upon recommendation of a jury was unconstitutional because it encouraged defendants to plead guilty to avoid trial. In Witherspoon v. Illinois, the Court ruled on juror selection; having a reservation was insufficient cause for dismissal in a capital case. In June 1972, the Supreme Court (5-4) effectively voided death penalty statutes in 40 states and commuted the sentences of 629 death row inmates. In Furman v. Georgia, the Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment with sentencing discretion was cruel and unusual and thus violated the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In 1976, the Court ruled that capital punishment itself was constitutional while holding that new death penalty laws in Florida, Georgia and Texas- which included sentencing guidelines, bifurcated trials, and automatic appellate review- were constitutional. A ten-year moratorium on executions that had begun with the Jackson and Witherspoon ended on 17 January 1977 with the execution of Gary Gilmore by firing squad in Utah. Deterrence There are two common arguments in support of capital punishment: that of deterrence and that of retribution. According to Gallup, most Americans believe that the death penalty is a deterrent to homicide, which helps them justify their support for capital punishment. Other Gallup research suggests that most Americans would not support capital punishment if it did not deter murder. Does capital punishment deter violent crimes? In other words, will a potential murderer consider the possibility that they might be convicted and face the death penalty before committing murder? The answer appears to be no. Social scientists have mined empirical data searching for the definitive answer on deterrence since the early 20th century. And most deterrence research has found that the death penalty has virtually the same effect as long imprisonment on homicide rates. Studies suggesting otherwise (notably, writings of Isaac Ehrlich from the 1970s) have been, in general, criticized for methodological errors. Ehrlichs work was also criticized by the National Academy of Sciences - but it is still cited as a rationale for deterrence. A 1995 survey of police chiefs and country sheriffs found that most ranked the death penalty last in a list of six options that might deter violent crime. Their top two picks? Reducing drug abuse and fostering an economy that provides more jobs. Data on murder rates  seem to discredit the deterrence theory as well. The region of the county with the greatest number of executions- the South- is the region with the largest murder rates. For 2007, the average murder rate in states with the death penalty was 5.5; the average murder rate of the 14 states without the death penalty was 3.1. Thus deterrence, which is offered as a reason to support capital punishment (pro), doesnt wash. Retribution In Gregg v Georgia, the Supreme Court wrote that [t]he instinct for retribution is part of the nature of man... The theory of retribution rests, in part, on the Old Testament and its call for an eye for an eye. Proponents of retribution argue that the punishment must fit the crime. According to The New American: Punishment- sometimes called retribution- is the main reason for imposing the death penalty. Opponents of retribution theory believe in the sanctity of life and often argue that it is just as wrong for society to kill as it is for an individual to kill. Others argue that what drives American support for capital punishment is the impermanent emotion of outrage. Certainly, emotion not reason seems to be the key behind support for capital punishment. Costs Some supporters of the death penalty also contend it is less expensive than a life sentence. Nevertheless, at least 47 states do have life sentences without the possibility of parole. Of those, at least 18 have no possibility of parole. And according to the ACLU: The most comprehensive death penalty study in the country found that the death penalty costs North Carolina $2.16 million more per execution than a non-death penalty murder case with a sentence of life imprisonment (Duke University, May 1993). In its review of death penalty expenses, the State of Kansas concluded that capital cases are 70% more expensive than comparable non-death penalty cases. Conclusion More than 1000 religious leaders  have written an open letter to America and its leaders: We join with many Americans in questioning the need for the death penalty in our modern society and in challenging the effectiveness of this punishment, which has consistently been shown to be ineffective, unfair, and inaccurate...With the prosecution of even a single capital case costing millions of dollars, the cost of executing 1,000 people has easily risen to billions of dollars. In light of the serious economic challenges that our country faces today, the valuable resources that are expended to carry out death sentences would be better spent investing in programs that work to prevent crime, such as improving education, providing services to those with mental illness, and putting more law enforcement officers on our streets. We should make sure that money is spent to improve life, not destroy it...As people of faith, we take this opportunity to reaffirm our opposition to the death penalty and to express our belief in the sacredness of human life and in the human capacity for chan ge. In 2005, Congress considered the Streamlined Procedures Act (SPA), which would have amended the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA). AEDPA placed restrictions on the power of federal courts to grant writs of habeas corpus to state prisoners. The SPA would have imposed additional limits on the ability of state inmates to challenge the constitutionality of their imprisonment through habeas corpus.

What Is the Endoplasmic Reticulum What Does It Do

What Is the Endoplasmic Reticulum What Does It Do SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re getting ready for the AP Biology exam, then you’re probably spending quite a bit of time studying cell structure. But keeping all the structures straight and understanding each one’s function can be confusing! That’s why we’re breaking down cell structures for you, starting with the endoplasmic reticulum, or ER. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about the endoplasmic reticulum, including how it functions in a cell. We’ll even break down the differences between the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum! Ready? Then let’s get started! A Quick Introduction to Cell Structure The endoplasmic reticulum is an essential part of a cell. In your biology class, you probably learned that cells are the building blocks of all life...including humans! Obviously, that makes cells super important, which is why it’s also important to understand how they function. Because plants and animals are complex creatures, the structure of a cell is complex, too. Each cell is made up of many individual parts, each of which has a job within the cell itself! Some help keep everything in one place (like the cell membrane), some produce energy to power the cell (the mitochondria), and there are even parts that help keep the cell clean (lysosomes)! These different structures found within cells are called organelles. The endoplasmic reticulum is an organelle that can be found in both eukaryotic (animal) and prokaryotic (plant) cells. Just keep in mind that not all cells have endoplasmic reticulum! For example, red blood cells don’t have endoplasmic reticuli, even though they’re an important part of animal biology! Endoplasmic Reticulum Definition The endoplasmic reticulum is defined as an organelle that is made up of a series of phospholipid membranes. In fact, the membranes that make up the endoplasmic reticulum can account for half of a cell’s total membrane structure in animal cells! These membranes are called cisternae, are shaped like tubes or sacs, and are continuous with the outer membrane of the cell’s nucleus. That’s a fancy way of saying that the endoplasmic reticulum is attached to the nucleus itself. Endoplasmic Reticulum Function Now let’s talk a little bit more about how an endoplasmic reticulum functions. In general, the endoplasmic reticulum helps with the synthesis, folding, modification, and transport of proteins and lipids. The endoplasmic reticulum does this through ribosomes that are attached to its membrane walls. (We’ll talk more about how this works a little later). The endoplasmic reticulum also stores calcium and releases it when the cell needs it. In fact, many of the proteins and lipids made by the endoplasmic reticulum are used by other organelles in the cell. One of the best ways to understand- and remember!- what the endoplasmic reticulum does is to think of it like a factory. In a manufacturing plant, people take raw materials and make it into something new and usable, which they then ship to other stores, manufacturers, and suppliers around the world. Just like a real-world factory, the endoplasmic reticulum builds the â€Å"products† a cell needs to function, then â€Å"ships† them to where they need to go, when they need to go there. CFCF/WikimediaCommons Endoplasmic Reticulum Appearance So what does the endoplasmic reticulum look like, exactly? Well, do you remember the mazes that you could find in coloring books when you were a kid? The endoplasmic reticulum looks a lot like that! The cisternae stretch out and away from the cell nucleus in a series of folds and tubes, and they extend throughout the cell almost like a highway system. So when you’re looking at a cell diagram, look for the maze-like structure that’s attached to the cell nucleus. That’s the endoplasmic reticulum! You might notice that cell diagrams often picture some areas of the endoplasmic reticulum with bumps, while other sections look smooth. That’s because endoplasmic reticulum is actually comprised of two pieces: the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. Knowing how these different areas work is important to understanding the function of the endoplasmic reticulum as a whole. CFCF/Wikimedia Commons Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum The rough endoplasmic reticulum, or RER, gets its name from the ribosomes embedded in its surface...which make it look rough! The rough endoplasmic reticulum is situated closest to the nucleus- in fact, it’s attached to the nuclear envelope- so that molecules can move directly between the membranes. The ribosomes that are attached to the walls of the rough endoplasmic reticulum function just like free ribosomes would. That means that they synthesize proteins, which provide the energy needed for a cell to operate. The process of creating proteins is called translation. One the ribosomes have synthesized a protein, they are â€Å"labeled† with a specific final destination. Some proteins are sent to the Golgi apparatus, while others are secreted into the cell exterior or kept within the membrane of the rough endoplasmic reticulum itself. There are certain proteins that are sent into the space within the rough endoplasmic reticulum. This space, which is also called the lumen, is where certain proteins are folded, modified, and assembled. Some of these proteins will have sugar groups added to them to form glycoproteins. Likewise, some of these new proteins will be transported out of the endoplasmic reticulum, while others will stay inside the endoplasmic reticulum to perform functions there. The lumen is also where the endoplasmic reticulum does its â€Å"quality control.† When misfolded or otherwise incorrect proteins accumulate in the lumen, the unfolded protein response (or UPR) is triggered. This tells the cell to reduce the amount of protein its producing while enhancing the endoplasmic reticulum’s protein-folding ability. If the problem doesn’t correct itself, it triggers apoptosis, or programmed cell death. One super cool note: the ribosomes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum aren’t permanently attached to the membrane itself. That means that new ribosomes can detach and attach depending on the proteins the cell needs! CFCF/Wikimedia Commons Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum Unlike the rough endoplasmic reticulum, the smooth endoplasmic reticulum doesn’t have any ribosomes attached to it. That makes it look smooth- which is how it gets its name! The smooth endoplasmic reticulum’s function is almost exclusively to make lipids, like phospholipids and cholesterol. How these lipids are used depends on the cell type. Lipids can be used to create new cell membranes, create hormones, and store energy. The smooth endoplasmic reticulum also helps detoxify the cell by converting toxic organic chemicals into safer, water soluble products. Fun fact: when there are lots of toxins present, the smooth endoplasmic reticulum can double its surface area to help clear them out. It will then return to normal size after the toxins have been removed. Liver cells have large amounts of smooth endoplasmic reticulum for this very purpose! Finally, there’s a type of specialized smooth endoplasmic reticulum called the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The sarcoplasmic reticulum is found in muscle cells and is used to store calcium ions that muscles need to function. When muscles experience sustained activity, the sarcoplasmic reticulum can release the stored calcium ions to help the muscles function. Additional Resources If you’ve read through this guide and still would like to know more about how the endoplasmic reticulum works, here are a few other resources that you can check out. Khan Academy Khan Academy has tons of free resources on all sorts of topics including cell structure. Their video on the endoplasmic reticulum is really helpful, and they have articles about it on their website, too. The British Society for Cell Biology The British Society for Cell Biology is a British non-profit organization dedicated to advancing cell biology research, which includes sharing knowledge and information. One of the ways they do this is through educational material, which they share on their website. Their softCell e-Learning portal has tons of good information about all the organelles of a cell, including the endoplasmic reticulum. CrashCourse Who said studying has to be boring? The CrashCourse channel on YouTube- hosted by none other than John and Hank Green of VlogBrothers fame- is all about creating fun and informational educational content. Hank’s series on animal cells is a great resource, and the fourth video in the series (Eukaryopolis!) gives you an overview of the endoplasmic reticulum. What’s Next? Need to brush up on more than just the endoplasmic reticulum before tackling the AP Biology exam? Grabbing a workbook or textbook might be your best bet. Here’s a curated list of the best AP Biology books to help you study harder and smarter. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the AP Biology exam, you’re not alone. There are lots of students who find this test tricky! That’s why we’ve put together a complete AP Biology review guide. It breaks down all of the topics that might appear on the exam, so you can figure out exactly what you need to study. (It also includes some great study tips, too!) The best way to figure out if you’re prepared for the AP Biology test is to take a practice exam. Here’s a list of every AP Biology practice test available. And the best news? They’re free!

Heredity versus Environment Essays

Heredity versus Environment Essays Heredity versus Environment Paper Heredity versus Environment Paper Essay Topic: The Breadwinner A major debate within psychology is whether it is nature or nurture which influences people; the way people act and behave, cognitive development, and what we look for in a partner are just some aspects of the debate. Nature supporters, or Naturists, believe that our behavior is down to genetics and is inherited from our parents. They believe that everything about a person is decided at the moment on conception. Whereas nurture supporters believe hat people learn their behavior from the environment, their upbringings and the surrounding influences; such as friends, peers and work colleagues. There is lots Of research, studies and evidence to support both arguments on a variety of subjects. The nature argument is often used in court cases to describe uncharacteristic or deviant behavior. Humans are often related to as animals as this is believed that people evolved from, Charles Darwin is a leading figure in this side of the argument. He pioneered his theory of evolution, and it is widely accepted that humans did derive from a common ancestor, therefore do eave instinctive behavior, and traits about their personality (Lubrications, 2014). A real life example of this would be a baby, who is unable to communicate, and has little understanding of the world; however still show signs of fear if they were to hear a loud noise. Nurture supporters believe that a persons upbringing is a major factor which influences people in later life. A real life example of this would be serial killers, when studied, they were often subject to horrific abuse as a child and they blame this for their inabilities to conform to societys norms and commit readable crimes. This is supported by a psychological study Bowls 22 juvenile thieve study; people commit crimes due to what kind of upbringing they received. The lack of a secure attachment with their primary care giver (McCollum, 2007). The term gender refers to whether a person socially and culturally class themselves as male or female, and which role they choose to live their life by in society. Rather than the term sex; which is whats chosen biologically by genetics whilst in the womb (Who, 2014). Psychologists look at gender difference within the nature/nurture debate; to e if genetics or environment factors play a part in what makes genders behavior and act differently. There are stereotypical gender roles in society; examples of which are that females are seen as maternal caring and loving people whereas males are seen as aggressive, dominate, and the breadwinners. Scientists know that there are biologically difference between genders; such as hormones, and chromosomes, these are scientifically proven. Also they have been shown to major impact a persons behavior, for example the male hormone testosterone is contributor to aggressive behavior and is the reason behind why males have more muscle mass supporting the nature perspective. Whereas nurture supporters believe that gender differences come from the environment, for example, children are dressed in colors which are stereotypical for their sex; blue for a boy and pink for a girl. This is further supported by the self-fulfilling prophecy; that if a person is told that they are something (male or female in this case) they will eventually believe this which will affect their behavior. Interactions is a term used to describe genetic gender differences which are influence or edified by the environment. Mary Mead conducted an experiment supporting the nurture argument of gender differences in 1935, where she studied three different tribes; Reapers, Mudroom, and Attachable. The reapers were non aggressive, with a caring attitude towards children. The Underground were aggressive and cold towards children. The Attachable was the tribe were the males were submissive and passive. The results were that Mead found a slight pattern in male and female behavior across different cultures however there were a lot more differences. Supporting the nurture argument as in Meads study two ribs showed role reversal; in one tribe the males were dominate and aggressive, whereas in another the females were, and the males were submissive. Also females being cold and uncaring towards children; this showed psychologists that it cant be instinctive or genetic that women must have maternal tendencies. This therefore shows interactions in western society. A criticism of this study is that all three tribes where in close proximity therefore are the sample could be said to be culturally similar (Benson, 2005). Buss et al in 1990 conducted a study which found that males are more aggressive than females regardless of culture. They found cross cultural similarities between the genders; these were in how people look for a perspective reproductive partner. Buss et al found that men preferred youth and attractiveness whereas women looked for wealth and status. This study supports the nature debate as Buss et al studied a wide and varied sample of people, and some people believe that these results can still be seen today in the western world. Another psychologist credited for his work in regards to this debate is Bronchial Mammalians; he carried out a research project in north-western Melanesia in 1929. Mammalians like Mead studied tribes however he looked at their sexual behavior and concluded that sexual behavior dominates every aspect of life regardless of culture, which further supports the nature debate. As with all studies, there are things which may affect the results of the research. With studying tribes there could of been a communication barrier, between the researcher and the participating tribes which would effect the results. The gender of the psychologist performing the study could influence the results as they could be said to be bias; as they may favor there own gender. Also the presence of a researcher in a persons everyday life may alter the way that person behaves and acts around them. To conclude, there are lots of gender differences, some appear similar across the world whereas others appear to be culturally connected. In relation to the nature/nurture debate, there are arguments and studies to support both sides, and will always be a conflicting argument throughout psychology. Critically evaluate some evidence which offers support for the role of nature in the heredity-environment debate on intelligence One disagreement people have in the topic of heredity versus environment is bout the subject of intelligence; are people born an intelligent person or is this acquired over time, when information is learned and absorbed into a person brain. Intelligence is defined as a manifestation of a high metal capacity (Dictionary, 2014). A commonly used test to assess a persons intelligence is a series of questions called an IQ test; the higher the IQ score the more intelligent a person is believed to be. Francis Gallon in 1869 studied the subject of intelligence and since then lots of psychologists have been interested in the debate and there have been many studies conducted (Mali Birch, 1998). In support of the nature debate, there have been a lot of experiments conducted on siblings, including twins studies, and cousins. Twins can be categorized into two groups; minimization (MS), and dogmatic (ADZ). Minimization twins are identical and share the same genetic information as they were produced from one egg, whereas dogmatic twins are produced from two Separate ova and have the same genetic information as two children with the same parents (Mali Birch, 1998). As with all studies in this debate, these have been heavily criticized by supporters of the opposing arguments, this assignment will evaluate some of these. The main criticism of the majority of IQ studies is that all the participants are children or adolescents. Newman et al in 1937 embarked on a ten year research project studying 100 pairs Of twins, 19 of which were adopted MS twins; 7 males and 9 females. These adopted twins had experienced different upbringings so Newman wanted to see how this affected their intelligence (Twin Studies, 2014). The results were that the IQ of minimization twins was higher than that of the dogmatic twins which Newman studied. They also showed that the IQ of twins eared together was higher that if the twins had been separated after birth. However a major criticism of this study is that Newman enrolled the twins that he studied on similarities to ensure that the twins he studied were MS, as at the time the technology wasnt available to scientifically prove whether the twins were identical or not. Also the sample of twins which Newman et al studied has been said to be biased, due to the expense of conducting the experiment; Newman had to pay for the sample to travel and stay in lodgings in Chicago. The results could then be flawed as twins may have acted in a retain way to be chosen for the study in order to go on an all-expenses paid holiday during a time of great depression across America. It has also been proven that a pair of twins from Newsmans sample group were raised in the same town and even attended the same school (Benson, 2005). A more recent twin study was conducted by James Shields in 1962; Shields took a sample Of 44 pairs Of identical twins who had been brought up apart from each other. Shields enlisted these twins by a television advertisement and wanted to find out the correlation between their IQ results. The findings ere that the correlation of identical twins reared apart was higher than the non-identical twins reared together; who Shields also studied. This study is often criticized due to the method the participants were enrolled onto the study; twins were put forward to the study as they looked alike, they may not have necessarily of been proven to be minimization or identical. Another flaw is that although Shields claims that the twins were brought up separately, they were often raised by members of the same family, lived locally, and went to the same schools. It is reported that one pair of twins, lived next door to each other. Despite the flaws this study is often seen as one of the strongest twin studies in psychology in relation to IQ again supporting nature (Firth, 2009). Other than twin studies, some psychologist studied intelligence and how it correlates with differently between different ethnic groups and races in society. Arthur Jensen was one of these, in 1 969 he analyses the differences in IQ results between different races, and published his results, which sparked outrage across America. Senses devised an intelligence test for children, and his pupils to sit the test from the school which he was a professor at. The test imprisoned of two parts; level one abilities or associative learning and level two abilities or conceptual learning. The results were that the white American students performed better at the task two abilities than students of other races (Telegraph, 2013). Jensen concluded that intelligence was 80% inherited, as he believed this from his results that a childs ancestry was the reason that some children scored poorly on the test. This leading to him to believing that intelligence is a factor of genetics and is passed on through generations. However there is an opposing argument, that this study also supports the return debate, as it shows how different cultures are effected differently. For example, the Caucasian children would of come from a higher social class than the ethnic minorities; therefore it was the environment and peers which affected their mental ability. The ethical issues involved with this study are evident as Jensen incited racism by publishing these figures. This could of also led to violence, and sparked hatred within the community and across American. Also some students could of been favored over others, as they would be seen as clever, therefore achieved priority treatment, as proven in Rosenthal Jacobson study in 1968. Jensen completed his test in asss America, which was a hostile time, in particular within regards to race segregation, with the speech and assassination of Mating Luther King. Hans Essence was a German psychologist who is also credited for his work in relation to intelligence and race (Cherry, 2014). He wrote a book called: The IQ argument: race, intelligence and education, based on these studies and summarized the results. This book claims that 80% of variability is inborn (Benson, 2005). Hans was also criticized as his views also focused on the differences between IQ results of blacks and whites, rather than treating people as equally as individuals. Essence believed it to be fact that white people had a higher IQ and set about telling the world. Some people didnt agree with his views which involved him being attacked on numerous occasions and becoming a hated public figure. In conclusion, there are a lot of studies in psychology in regards to the nature/nurture debate, on a whole array of topics. Intelligence is only one of these. Criticisms are prevalent throughout all these studies as it is a debate which people just can not agree on, and everyone has their own opinion.