Friday, January 24, 2020
Sympathy for Lady Macbeth Essay -- Literature Shakespeare Plays Essays
Sympathy for Lady Macbeth In this essay I am going to answer the question above and I will do this by saying whether or not I feel sympathy for lady Macbeth and I go through different parts in the play. After reading parts of the play and watching the video I donââ¬â¢tââ¬â¢ feel very much sympathy for lady Macbeth, although I do feel some sympathy for her in some parts in the play. Over all I think that lady Macbeth is a fiend as she says stuff thatââ¬â¢s not very nice to make Macbeth do the things that she is too scared to do herself. I also think that she is a caring person really but she needed to be made evil by witchcraft, as she would not be able to do what she does through out the play in her normal person. The way that the play has been dramatised effects the way we feel about lady Macbeth. In scene 1 where there is a soliloquy lady Macbeth is just standing there speaking to herself and the audience. As she reads the letter I think that you get an insight as to what she is about. ââ¬Å"Hail king that shalt be. This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing by being ignorant of what greatness is promised theeâ⬠. I think that here she is saying that macbeth is going to be king and that nothing will get in his way as he is crowned king. In this scene you also get a look at lady Macbethââ¬â¢s interpretation of Macbethââ¬â¢s personality, this helps you see what type of person she has to live with and you can tak...
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Marine Barracks Attack
On May 30, 2003, CNN law center made a report, that the attack on the U. S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed 241 American servicemen was an example of a state-sponsored terrorist attack. The report goes on to say that U. S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered that the plaintiffs in this case ââ¬â the servicemen wounded in the bombing and families of those killed, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦have a right to obtain judicial reliefâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (see CNN. com, 2003). This piece of news is referring to an event that happened two decades ago and yet carried so much significance that even after twenty years a U. S.District Court deems it worthy of its precious time and resources. The event in question transformed the way the world view terrorism. More importantly the said event transformed the way the United States perceive the capabilities and commitment of a new breed of enemy that does not believe in or rely on conventional warfare. This paper will take a closer look into the bom bing. And to understand its context a part of the study will be devoted to into looking at other acts of terrorism that used the same modus operandi. Beirut, Lebanon In the year 1982, Lebanon was at war with Israel.It is an understatement to say that the country was war-torn. The situation was bad enough that it required the presence of Western soldiers to achieve peace and if this is not possible then at least creating a sense of order in the midst of chaos. In August of 1982 American soldiers came to Lebanon as part of the multi-national peacekeeping force, which included French, Italian, and British personnel. Yet according to Kushner, the peacekeepers had one other thing in mind and it was to negotiate a cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel (2003, p. 386). It was one of the costliest mistakes the U. S. government and its armed forces ever made.They were not welcome in Lebanon and their desire to end the war was seen as a ploy to help their ally the Israelis. So on the 23rd of O ctober 1983, on a beautiful morning, at about 6:20 AM, a yellow five-ton truck was carrying hundreds of kilos of explosives. The unsuspecting Lebanese guards who worked at a nearby checkpoint, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦did not notice that the bed of the Mercedes-Benz truck was pushed lower than it should have been. The truck was carrying a heavy loadâ⬠(Olson, 2003, p. 4). For days the enemy has been pounding the airport with artillery fire but on this and the day before that all was peace and quiet.This prompted many marines to take a well deserved rest. While the truck was easing its way past the checkpoint most of the marines were asleep in the Battalion Landing Team (BLT) headquarters at the Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) compound (Olson, 2003, p. 6). The Mercedes truck was waved through and ââ¬Å"â⬠¦it proceeded southward at a steady pace along the airport road. To the driverââ¬â¢s right beyond the airport runway, lay the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. To his left ran iron fence t hat separated the road from the marineââ¬â¢s compoundâ⬠(Olson, 2003, p. 6).Then without warning the suicide bomber driving the vehicle accelerated and made a mad dash to its intended target. The vehicle went crashing into the front door of the BLT buildings were hundreds of marines were sleeping. And then, ââ¬Å"Twelve thousand pounds of dynamite detonated among the sleeping marines. The four-story building collapsed to eye level, and many who were not lucky enough to die instantly were buried under tons of rubbleâ⬠(2003, p. 7). As a result of the attack Shai remarked, ââ¬Å"Two hundred and forty-one people were killed and eighty were injured, most of which were U. S.Marines â⬠¦ This terror attack took the heaviest toll on the United States prior to the attacks of September 11, 2001â⬠and quoting the then commander of the U. S. Marines Corp General Kelly who twenty years ago said, ââ¬Å"It was the largest terrorist act in the United States history â⬠¦ the day became the Corpsââ¬â¢ bloodiest since February 1945, when Marines fought to secure Iwo Jimaâ⬠(Shai, 2005, p. 91). It is indeed difficult to grasp the significance of this event post-911. But before the September 11, 2001 attacks there was no precedence to the use of guerilla and suicidal tactics to achieve this kind of destruction.A member of the U. S. Marine Corp is considered to be creme de la creme of the U. S. Armed Forces and taking a few out without firing a single shot is considered very unfortunate. But in the car bombing there were not only a handful of marines that were eliminated, there were hundreds of them and it dealt a severe blow to the collective psyche of the American people and perhaps the peacekeeping team sent to Lebanon. It was later found out that the true perpetrators were coming from the Hizballah (Party of God) which according to a fact finding committee of the U. S. government is a:Radical Shia group formed in Lebanon; dedicated to creatio n of Iranian-style Islamic republic in Lebanon and removal of all non-Islamic influences from area. Strongly anti-West and anti-Israel. Closely allied with, and often directed by, Iran, but may have conducted rogue operations that were not approved by Tehran (see United States Department of State, 1993, p. 46). Car Bombs The modus operandi used here is of course a car bomb which can be a sedan, van or in this case a truck. It is a favorite method of inflicting severe damage. Shaul Shai asserts that the use of a car bomb has several advantages:â⬠¢ A relatively large amount of explosives can be hidden inside a car and transported to the target. â⬠¢ A car can prevent early detection because it blends in the background; cars, vans and trucks are a normal occurrence especially in a very busy area. â⬠¢ The vehicle offers the attackers mobility and flexibility in choosing the target and reaching it. â⬠¢ The vehicle enhances the lethal effect of the attack. â⬠¢ The vehic le enables the arrival at the target under an innocent guise (2003, p. 15). When it comes to a terrorist attack there is nothing more frightening than the prospect of a car bomb being used against a target.Shai (2003) was correct in saying that a vehicle provides a disguise and place to hide the explosives while at the same time allowing the device to be moved from one place to the next. Detection is almost impossible unless the bomb maker or its accomplice would specifically point out the location of the vehicle. Imagine for a moment a car bomb parked outside a shop, outside a school, outside an office and no one would think twice that there is something wrong with that. Another advantage of a car bomb is the fact that it can be delivered to the target by surprise and moving the device very quickly from point A to point B.In the case of the Beirut bombing the truck was able to cover the relatively long distance from the airport gate ââ¬â an area designated for the general publi c ââ¬â to the restricted zone where the temporary barracks was situated. There is no other weapon for a suicide bomber that would have fit his requirements for this specific job. A truck was used not only to provide concealment of the explosive device but it also provides for ample space to store significant amounts of explosives. Also, a truck is one of the most common things that one can see in an airport.And finally a truck has an engine powerful enough to ram through reinforced gates and checkpoints and able to crash through doors. At the same time the bomber can get added protection from the more sturdier frame of a truck than a sedan. Moreover, a car bomb has one final advantage, ââ¬Å"The preparation of a car bomb does not require any special infrastructure; any repair shop or garage can be used for these preparationsâ⬠(2003, p. 15). With a car bomb a terrorist has a very flexible yet very powerful weapon and if they continue to use it and be successful with it the n they would be able to achieve their main goal which is to instill fear.Serious Intent The bombing of the U. S. Marines barracks was not an isolated case where a group suddenly decided to bomb an enemy outpost. It was a premeditated, calculated, and highly coordinated attack. In fact six months before the military barracksââ¬â¢ bombing a similar signature attack was successfully carried out in the U. S. Embassy in Beirut. On April 18, 1983 a Chevrolet pickup truck loaded with about 2,000 pounds of explosives sped through the gate of the Embassy in West Beirut and then rammed itself into the building (Kushner, 2003, p. 386). According to Kushner, the explosion killed 63 people, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦in a blast so powerful it shook the U.S. S. Guadalcanal, anchored five miles awayâ⬠(2003, p. 386). After the U. S. Marine barracks bombing there was another attack using the same method of bombing the target. In less than a year from the said bombing ââ¬â on September 20, 1984 â⬠â another car bomb was successfully detonated in the U. S. Embassy Ideology of Terrorism In all three attacks one can be see a pattern developing. The method used can be broken down into two major aspects. The first one is the use of car bombs and the second part is the use of suicide bombers. Together these two formed a new kind of enemy which is currently being labeled as terrorists.Terrorism is not a very easy thing to comprehend and at the same time a difficult concept that one can put a handle on. As they say, one manââ¬â¢s terrorist is another manââ¬â¢s freedom fighter is profoundly true in many respects. But there are still a few valid arguments that would separate the fanatics from a true soldier that is merely defending their homeland from a zealot who will even take pride in taking out non-combatants. In the case of the terrorists like members of the Hizbollah they attack those that are not even remotely interested in taking away their lands or their freedom.It is at this point when trying to decipher their actions is a mind boggling experience. This is perhaps the reason why the American soldiers stationed in Beirut at that time did not anticipate such savagery and suicidal intent because to their minds they were not their as oppressors but brokers of peace. And is it not that peace and goodwill are part of a universal language understood by all peoples of the world? Apparently the answer is no and it will take more than the scope of this paper to fully understand the enemyââ¬â¢s point of view.It is sufficient for the sake of this study to argue that the Americans made a very costly mistake. They approached the situation from a purely political standpoint. Lebanon was at war with Israel. So, they came in, putting lives and reputation on the line, being so sure that this would have been understood by the enemy as something worthy of respect, even admiration. But what they did not realize is the fact that there are heavy undercurrents opera ting just below the surface and it can be said that the American government was naive enough ââ¬â at that point in time ââ¬â not to understand all these.At that time the idea of fanaticism and radicalism was not fully understood. It has to be put in perspective that the nation of Israeli was still in its infancy. And this is a major issue that is driving the fanatics crazy; they do not want the existence of Israel in the Middle East. Now, here come the Americans with an offer to mediate between the two warring groups. Yet it was clear to all non-Israelis living in the Arab world that the Americans are partial to Israel. The American soldiers had no inkling that in these parts, no one saw them as peacekeepers but on the contrary they are enemy troops defiling a sacred land.It will be found out later that the attack was driven by ideology rather than a kind of nationalistic or ethnic motive driving the perpetrators. This is because the attack was state-sponsored not by Lebanon but by Iran (see CNN. com). According to Shai, the Marine barracks bombings was claimed to be the handiwork of the Islamic Jihad organization which was nothing more than a cover name for Pro-Iranian radical Shiite entities (2005, p. 91). Describing the attackers as a product of a movement or an ideology is not an accurate description.If one uses the argument of ideology then one should use Communism or Marxism as an example which is the struggle for an idea. Communists and Marxists would go to war for this idea and this is similar to what has transpired in the said attacks but there is something more to the suicide bombers than meets the eye. This is because they are not simply fighting for an idea but they are advancing a different kind of spirituality mixed with their own brand of politics. In fact it is difficult to see where politics end and where religion begins in the bombings that occurred in the 1980s and all those that followed subsequently.It is therefore more helpful to see the bombing from the perspective of some theorists like Tore Bjorgo who suggests that the perpetrators of the car bombings were terrorists and that they use methods or strategies of combat that, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦involves premeditated use of violence against (at least primarily) non-combatants in order to achieve a psychological effect of fear on others than the immediate targetsâ⬠(2005, p. 2). These acts of terrorism are guided by a spiritual and political framework which makes it so difficult to anticipate and so hard to neutralize. Human nature is predictable, it is the preservation of ones own life.People will kill others for self-defense and they would even kill their friends for self-preservation but they will not offer their lives for others. In many instance a person will perhaps die trying to save someone but it is rare to see someone die to make a statement or to force others to do something. It is no wonder why the U. S. personnel were ill-equipped to neutralize a n ew type of enemy soldier that emerged in the battle grounds of the Middle East. The Aftermath From the definition above of terrorism one can say that the attack on the U. S. Marine barracks was unique because in a normal terrorist attack the targets are non-combatants.But in this case the terrorists were able to strike hard and fast against the intended target which are the soldiers. According to Shaul Shai, ââ¬Å"One of the guidelines pertaining to the issue of suicide attacks require that the attack achieve exceptional results which can be applied as leverage for political or military changes, and inflict significant losses upon the enemy. In addition, the suicide terrorist must carry out his deed out of a sense of complete understanding and recognition regarding the value of his deed and his personal martyrdomâ⬠(2005, p. 91)Considering the above statement it can be argued that the terrorists responsible for the attack were indeed successful and that they achieved what they set out to do. With regards to the goal of creating leverage for political or military changes, Kushner ââ¬â referring to the Embassy and Marine barracks attacks ââ¬â alluded to how the terrorist group indirectly influenced the outcome of the political and military scenario. And Kushner wrote, ââ¬Å"The double horror of these disasters led to a drop in public support of the U. S. military presence in Lebanon and hastened the withdrawal of U.S. and Western European troops from the countryâ⬠(2003, p. 386). The attacks also achieved one of its primary goals which is to wage an effective psychological warfare over their enemies situated thousands of miles away. In a report to the former President Reagan, Vice-President George Bush made the following remarks, ââ¬Å"Terrorism deeply troubles the American people. A Roper poll â⬠¦ showed that 78 percent of all Americans consider terrorism to be one of the most serious problems facing the U. S. Government today â⬠¦Ã¢ ⬠(Bush, 1987, p. 22).Conclusion The attack on the temporary U. S. Marines barracks on October 23, 1983 at Beirut, Lebanon was one of the deadliest ever. What makes it sadder is the fact that those who died were one of the best and brightest that the U. S. military forces could offer. They died not from combat but from the hands of a fanatical terrorist group that did not consider the fact that they came for peace. The Americans were given strict instructions on maintaining extreme tolerance. They were there to initiate a cease fire between Lebanon and Israel.For their noble efforts they were rewarded with a deadly car bomb that took 241 lives ââ¬â most of them died in their beds without given a chance to defend themselves. The motivation is a crazy mix of politics, ideology, and religion. Conventional warfare is out of the question and the enemy is content in eliminating even non-combatants. In the case of the barracks bombing they felt double pleasure in knowing that they were not only able to take out American lives but also that they dealt a major blow to their primary targets which were the elite U. S. Marines.
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Organisational Strategy Example For Free - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3326 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Report Did you like this example? 1. Introduction This report has been prepared on the request of the CEO of Crossover Technologies Limited (Crossover), a UK headquartered supplier of a range of services to health care professionals. The company has four major service groups, namely, (a) medical transcription, (b) scheduling, (c) billing and coding, and (d) customised software solutions. Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Organisational Strategy Example For Free" essay for you Create order With delivery centres in the United States, the UK, India and Africa, Crossover has been growing steadily since its founding in 2000. The US governments recent decision on widening the health care net in the country in order to include millions of additional people, presently uncovered by health insurance, in its ambit has been accompanied with the framing of policies and regulations for health care professionals; calling upon them to introduce and maintain Electronic Medical Records (EMR) for all their patients (Adams, 2009, p1). This decision has created an enormous new market for suppliers of such services and has radically altered existing perceptions and paradigms in the sector (McCullagh, 2009, p1). Observers expect an enormous shaking up of the sector to occur because of changes in workforce requirements, adoption of HR strategies and policies, new entrants, and introduction of game changing software (McCullagh, 2009, p1). Whilst Crossover and other industry partic ipants have been anticipating such a development in the US, its actual occurrence has proved to be unsettling and most companies are reviewing their strategic options in this radically changed environment. Crossover has on its own been developing proprietary web based software, which, it feels, will help in improvement of its competitive advantage and in the growth of its market share. Overall projected scenarios of the industry are however unclear, because of the possibility of entry into the sector by big players with deep pockets, ramping up of operations by existing sector participants, and development of alternate products by different companies. This report deals with evaluation of the causes for the development of a paradigm shift and the identification of the different external factors that are expected to impact the organisation. The report analyses the existing strategy of the company and evaluates the possible outcomes of the existing strategic programme of Cross over. The concluding section deals with the actual impact of environmental changes and paradigm shifts on the various organisational strategies of market participants. 2. Organisational Overview Crossover was founded in 2000 by two UK based entrepreneurs as a private limited company with equity from personal sources, as well as from family and friends (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). The company aimed to provide services to small and medium medical practices, comprising of one to twenty doctors, in the US and in the UK, for the maintenance of clear and easily accessible records of the medical histories of their patients (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Such records were at that time prepared by the secretarial staff of such practices, either from personal dictations from doctors or from notations on the physical records of individual patients (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Crossover entered the medical transcription business by establishing two small medical transcription centres in South Africa and India (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Health care professionals in the US and the UK would dictate the medical history of patients into recording machines, the contents of which w ould be transmitted across continents over leased lines (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). The voice recordings would be converted into data processed word formats by accent trained workers, edited carefully, and sent back to the clients before the commencement of the next working day (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Whilst the initial years were difficult for the company because of numerous production associated problems, Crossover was able to grow steadily in the US market, especially in the affluent Boston Philadelphia corridor (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). The company has, over the years, added staff to its Indian and South African delivery centres and introduced services in areas of scheduling, billing and coding, and customised software solutions for the health care sector (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Crossover has gained a reputation for quality that has helped it in retaining clients despite the entry of new competitors and rampant occurrence of price cutting between compa nies to wrest away business (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). The company has grown at an annualised growth rate of approximately 13% during the last five years. Its current turnover is approximately 40 million USD (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Crossover employs 450 persons, 375 of whom are based in the delivery centres at Cape Town and Bangalore (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). The majority of the marketing staff is located in the US (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). The corporate headquarters of the business continues to be in the UK, primarily because of its midway location between the delivery centres and the main market of the company (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Medical practitioners in the UK are however beginning to look at EMR seriously and Crossover hopes to achieve some growth in UK revenues in the coming years (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Crossover has invested the major portion of its profits during the last 3 years into the development of a web based technology that can be bought and installed by individual practices (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). The new system has numerous features that simplify and add flexibility to the existing EMR process (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Doctors can manage their complete medical records efficiently with the system, and use voice recording options, if they wish to dispense with transcontinental transcription processes (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Installation of such systems is expected to result in substantial savings of recurrent costs for health care practices (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Crossover derives practically 80% of its revenues from the medical transcription division. The other service divisions came about primarily because of demand from existing clients and the company has made little effort to grow them, both in terms of internal competencies and in terms of sales. 3. Environmental Changes and Development of Paradigm Shift The US government passed a path breaking health care reform bill in March 2010 (Lotich, 2010, p1). The bill aims to make health care more affordable to Americans through (a) the introduction of substantial tax cuts that will benefit middle class families investing in health care, and (b) by reducing premium costs for the families who are unable to afford coverage today (Lotich, 2010, p1). The legislation is expected to help approximately 32 million Americans, (who are at present uncovered), to invest in health care coverage (Lotich, 2010, p1). Approximately 95% of the population of the country is now expected to be covered under health care (Lotich, 2010, p1). The bill will also bring about far greater accountability in the health care sector through the introduction of appropriate rules and regulations for insurance companies and medical practitioners (Lotich, 2010, p1). The health care bill places significant emphasis on implementation of electronic medical records and sy stems, considering them to be instrumental to the ultimate success of health care reform policies (McCullagh, 2009, p1). A recent report from Accenture predicts that approximately 60% of US doctors in small and medium practices, which do not presently use EMRs, intend to purchase and install EMR systems in the coming two years (McCullagh, 2009, p1). Considering that only 6% of such practices use EMRs at present, the expansion in demand is expected to be exponential in nature (McCullagh, 2009, p1). Such increase in adoption of EMR is expected to come about because of two specific causes, financial incentives for implementation of EMR systems and federal financial penalties for their non-adoption (McCullagh, 2009, p1). The intention of hundreds of thousands of doctors in the US to buy and implement EMR systems is expected to radically change a number of premises about the EMR industry and associated businesses like medical transcription. The medical transcription industry wil l be impacted in several ways by the passing of the health care bill. The market for services to health care practitioners is expected to explode in the coming years and generate work of magnitudes that can be compared to the Y2K period. The requirement for implementation of EMRs in the US will lead to the creation of an enormous new market in EMR services. This will in turn spur the formation of thousands of companies across the world that aim to provide such services and lead to the creation of millions of jobs. Market expansion will lead to a surge of new entrants from across the world, especially from countries like India, Brazil and South Africa, and lead to the fresh demand for thousands of jobs in developing countries. With it being difficult to meet such sharp demand in services in such a short period, the increased needs of the US health care sector will inevitably lead to (a) the entry of companies with lesser competencies, (B) quality issues, (c) HR and training ch allenges, and (d) the inevitable demise of many start-ups. The exponential increase in demand will also lead to intense work in development of software and applications by resource rich organisations and to the possible generation of breakthroughs and game changing software. The coming years are thus expected to be uncertain in areas of market size, product development, service formulation, entry of new entrants, development of substitute technology, creation of jobs, cross continental transfer of wealth and services, and intensification of competition. A paradigm shift of such dimensions will very obviously have numerous strategic implications for industry participants, including companies like Crossover. 4. Strategic Implications of Paradigm Shift in Business Environment The anticipated alteration in the US health care services environment will obviously have wide strategic ramifications for market participants (Henry, 2008, p 14-36). The extent of competitiveness in a market is fundamentally gauged, with the use of Porters five forces analysis, from the power of buyers, the power of sellers, the possibility of new entrants, the threats from substitutes, and the intensity of competition between market participants (Henry, 2008, p 14-36). The power of buyers in the sector is expected to reduce because of the enormous anticipated increase in the number of medical practices intending to purchase and implement EMR services. The power of suppliers, namely EMR and medical transcription companies, is not very high at present because of low levels of interest for EMRs among medical practices. Whilst the power of suppliers should in the normal course of events increase with such projected increase in demand, their power could be reduced by the entr y of numerous new entrants in the market place. The threat from substitutes is also expected to be extremely high, with high resource organisations like Google readying their EMR products for the market. Competition amongst existing suppliers is keen at present and is expected to intensify further, as all participants shore up their infrastructure and pitch for increased market share. The overall market is thus expected to be in a state of flux even as competitive activity is expected to increase. The market for medical transcription in the US has until now been influenced mostly by costs considerations, with suppliers ready to provide transcription services at fees ranging from 8 to 12 cents per line (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Whilst the price of medical transcription services is expected to increase in future because of greater demand, as well as financial incentives to medical practices for EMR implementation, the benefit of such increase in prices and market demand m ay well be offset by greater required investment in infrastructure and recruitment and training costs (Crossoverint.com, 2008, p1). Porters theory of generic strategies calls upon companies to choose between strategies that aim either at cost leadership or at differentiation of products and services (Gilligan, 2005, p 7-28). Whilst cost leadership in this area of business will possibly require substantial investments in infrastructure, size of workforce, and training, companies could also find lucrative niche markets through differentiation of services, introduction of new products, and improvement of quality (Gilligan, 2005, p 7-28). Companies will therefore be required to choose specific strategies for the future, whose relevance and market suitability could well decide the success, failure and the ultimate fortunes of such organisations (Gilligan, 2005, p 7-28). Companies like Crossover have different services in their service portfolio, some of which provide them with growth and sustenance, even as others either pull them down or provide hope for the future. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix separates such portfolio components into easily understandable categories like Cash Cows, Stars, Dogs and Question Marks. Cash Cows denote product groups that generate cash and are in the mature period of the product lifecycle, even as Stars represent product groups that are expected to do well and drive organisational growth in future (Business Resourceà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦, 2010, p1). Dogs represent products that are adversely affecting business operations, whilst Question Marks represent groups that are yet to show indication of advantage or disadvantage (Business Resourceà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦, 2010, p1). Crossover, for instance has only one Cash Cow, the transcription business, and its other services can be categorised, either as dogs, or more charitably as question marks. The company does however have a proprietary software product that could become a Star in the changed environment and drive the companys growth considerably in the coming years. Crossover thus faces very important strategic challenges and will need to take important strategic decisions in the near future in light of the shifting of the basic paradigms of its business sector. Crossover will have to give serious thought to the changing environment of its business sector, forecast likely scenarios and competitive environments, take note of the shifting paradigms and decide upon a medium and long term corporate strategy (Baker, 1992, p 3-19) defined paradigm to be sets of rules that define boundaries and instruct organisations on how to behave within such boundaries (Alhujailli, 2008, p1). With the basic premises, assumptions and the boundaries of its business sector going through radical alteration, Crossover will need to decide between staying with its established business of medical transcription and trying to take advantage of its existing infrastruct ure, customer base and skill sets to grow its business, or change the established rules of the game and establish new paradigms for the business (Alhujailli, 2008, p1). The company has over the past few years developed proprietary software that can help doctors to manage their EMR records on their own with great efficiency and dispense with cross continental medical transcription processes. The product provides doctors with the option of recording case details and updating medical histories from any location of their choice, choosing between voice recognition and transcription facilities, and handling medical records on their own or through Crossover. The development of the software through the joint working of its software personnel at South Africa and India has also led to its development at a fraction of the cost that would have been incurred in the UK or the USA and the company can therefore sell it at an extremely attractive price to thousands of doctors. Crossover will need to decide on making a serious effort to sell its proprietary software product and by so doing shift or possibly pioneer a new paradigm in the EMR sector, wherein medical practices become increasingly self-reliant in handling their medical records, or stay with its established medical transcription business and take advantage of the anticipated market expansion to grow its business. The first option appears to be the more optimal strategic decision for the company because of associated first mover benefits and the opportunity to increase growth substantially in its chosen business sector. Continuing with its current service mix might well lead to obsolescence, growing irrelevance, and loss of competitive advantage to other fleet footed, innovative and dynamic market participants. Whilst the company will necessarily have to fund its product introduction through the funds generated from its medical transcription business, it will have to alter its business model of prov iding economical transcription services to clients from distant locations by incorporating the selling of a pioneering and potentially game changing product to a much wider audience in its market strategy. The decision will also require the company to change from its current strategy of cost leadership to one of product differentiation and target a significantly increased market. Such significant strategic changes will require Crossword to bring about important changes in its organisational culture and make marketing of products an important business objective. Organisational cultures are developed over time and whilst represented by a range of symbols and totems are usually manifested in organisational attitudes towards market aggressiveness, innovativeness, internal communication, hierarchical structures, and taking of risks. Crossword is likely to have an entrenched service oriented culture, which whilst customer friendly, may possibly lack the market aggression and init iative of successful selling organisations. The senior management will thus have to bring about changes in organisational culture. Changing organisational culture is a difficult task because of changed resistant attitudes of employees. Experts like Kotter and Lewin recommend the implementation of carefully planned stage wise implementation of change management initiatives for achievement of optimal results. Crossover will be well served by the use of their theories in the formulation of its change management programme. 5. Conclusions This review of the recent developments in the market for services to small and medium health care professionals reveals how the passing of health care legislation in the US has radically changed the existing paradigms of this sector, introduced huge opportunities for market participants to grow and develop their businesses, and created significant challenges that will need to be overcome by such participants for organisational success in a dramatically altered environment. The analysis also reveals the significant effect of environmental changes on the competitiveness of specific business sectors, with special regard to, in this case, increase in intensity of competition and the possibility of threats from substitutes and new entrants. Such changes can, as in the case of Crossover, require companies to forecast likely market scenarios in the short and medium term, and thereafter make critical strategic decisions on alteration of strategic objectives, selection of markets, allocation and use of resources, and assumption of the role of paradigm shifters. Crossovers future success will depend upon the strategic choices it makes today and on the ways in which it deploys its many market and organisational resources and strengths in response to the changed business environment. References Adams, M., 2009, Whats Really in Obamas Health Care Reform Bill, Naturalnews.com, Available at: www.naturalnews.com/026733_health_health_care_healthcare.html (accessed August 17, 2010). Alhujailli, A., 2008, Paradigm Shift Deployment Using Lewins Force Field Analysis, Available at: ezinearticles.com/? Paradigm-Shift-Deployment-Using-Lewins-Force-Field-Analysis (accessed August 17, 2010). Barker, J. A., 1992, Future edge: discovering the new paradigms of success, New York : W. Morrow. Barney, J., 1991, Firm Resources and Sustainable Competitive Advantage, Journal of Management, 17, 1. Burgleman, R., Christensen, C., Wheelwright, S., 2003, Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation, 4th edition, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Business Resource Software Inc, 2010, Boston Consulting Group Matrix, Available at: www.brs-inc.com/models/model14.asp (accessed August 17, 2010). Chheda, C. N., 2005, 2005, Electronic Medical Records and Continuity of Care Records The Uti lity Theory, Application of Information Technology and Economics, Available at: https://www.emrworld.net/emr-research/articles/emr-ccr.pdf (accessed August 17, 2010). Crossoverint.com, 2008, Crossover Medical Technology Inc, Enabling Quality Patient Care, Available at: www.crossoverint.com/ United States(accessed August 17, 2010). EMR Experts Inc, 2009, Electronic Medical Record Practice Management Software, Medical Web Experts, Available at: www.emrexperts.com/(accessed August 17, 2010). Francehan, M., 2010, Whos Cashing In on Health-Care Reform, fastcompany.com, Available at: www.fastcompany.com//health-care-reform-bill-information-technology(accessed August 17, 2010). Gilligan, R. W., 2005, Strategic Marketing management, 3rd edition, Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Henry, A., 2008, Understanding Strategic Management, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Hitt, A. M., Ireland, D. R., Hoskisson, E. R., 2008, Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Global ization, Concepts and Cases, 8th edition, United States: South-Western College Pub. Lotich, B., 2010, What Obamas new health care bill means for us, Christian Personal Finance, Available at: www.csmonitor.com//What-Obama-s-new-health-care-bill-means-for-us (accessed August 17, 2010). McCullagh, D., 2009, U.S. stimulus bill pushes e-health records for all, Available at: news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10161233-38.html (accessed August 17, 2010). McNamara, C., 2008, Driving Forces and a New Organizational Paradigm, Free Management Library, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Porter, M. E., 1985, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, Free Press, 33-61. Schilling, M., 2009, Strategic Management of Technological Innovation, 3rd edition, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Smith, D., 2010, FACTBOX-Summary of Obamas Healthcare proposal, reuters.com, Available at: www.reuters.com/article/idUSN021697012010030 (accessed August 17, 2010). White, C., 2004, Strateg ic Management, 5th edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Essay about Renaissance Man and Renaissance Women - 535 Words
Between the 1300s and 1500s, Europe experienced a period of cultural rebirth known as the Renaissance, marking the transition from medieval times to modern times. The Renaissance brought new importance to individual expression, self-consciousness and worldly experience. The Renaissance man and woman characterized the Renaissance ideals. A renaissance man was a well- educated gentleman who had cultural grace, courage and who understood the arts and sciences. On the other hand, a Renaissance woman was supposed to marry well, be loyal to her husband and give birth to boys. The most famous Renaissance man was Leonardo Da Vinci who was born on April 15th 1452 in Florence, Italy. Da Vinci was truly recognized by many to be a Renaissance childâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦As for Renaissance women, two of them made history: Isabella dââ¬â¢Este and Catherine de Medici. Isabella dââ¬â¢Este was born in 1474. At the age of 16 she married Francesco Gonzaga, Prince of Mantua. She was able to speak Greek and Latin as well as play the lute, sing and dance and debate with people much older than her after the death of her husband, Isabella became chief of state in Mantua. She also founded a school for young women and set artistic fashions and standards. Catherine de Medici was another Renaissance woman born in 1519. Nuns raised her when her parents died and had an arrangement marriage by her uncle the Pope. Three of her sons became kings under her influence. Catherine had a great interest in architecture when she built the new wing of the Louvre Museum, the construction of the Tuilleries Gardens and the building of the Chateau Monceau. In conclusion, Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most famous from the Renaissance period and is the example of the Renaissance man because he was a master of both the world of arts as well as the world of science. Isabella dââ¬â¢Este during her rule set an example for women to break away from the traditional role of what women were supposed to be like during the Renaissance period. By doing this and many other things she was known as the ââ¬Ëââ¬â¢First Lady of the Renaissanceââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢. Catherine was a great patron of arts and being this,Show MoreRelatedGender Equality During the Renaissance Essay1198 Words à |à 5 PagesThe Renaissance was simply ââ¬Å"the green end of one of civilizations hardest wintersâ⬠(Robert 10). In other words, catastrophic events swept through Europe such as the black plague, warfare, and starvation causing a high population of death rates. After an era of destitution, the Renaissance was a period of ââ¬Å"rebirthâ⬠where individ uals could express their intellectual thought through art, science, literature, and education. Itââ¬â¢s true that people during that time express humanist ideals of individualRead MoreThe Renaissance: The Dawning of a New Age Essay1627 Words à |à 7 PagesThe age known as the Renaissance began in the fourteenth century. The word Renaissance means rebirth, those alive in this era witnessed the dawning of a new age. It began as a literary movement among the educated and upper-class men in northern Italian cities (Wiesner 210). Writers and artists studied Roman models and Petrarch, a Renaissance writer, proposed a liberal arts curriculum in order to recapture the previous glory of Rome. The philosophy of humanism became popular bringing about the curiosityRead MoreThe Family And Marriage During The Renaissance953 Words à |à 4 PagesMarriage in the Renaissance A high class family in the Renaissance was one where the father had all the power, the mother was mostly depended on the man, and the children were taken care of by anyone but there parents. In the rich families most of the marriages were arranged for them. The gentlemen of a rich family, for example, usually were educated and never had to do any manual work (Lambert). A man had all the power and was the control over the household, while the women had no say whetherRead More Madonna vs. Eve A portrait of the Renaissance Woman827 Words à |à 4 PagesMadonna vs. Eve A portrait of the Renaissance Woman The role of women has been portrayed through art since prehistoric times. Women have been a sign of hope, downfall, and power. This image of women was most powerful during the Renaissance. A cultural revival or rebirth occurred during the 15th and 16th century in Europe. The economic growth of the 14th century created a prosperous middle class. This allowed more of the mass to invest their income. Patronage of the arts soon became very fashionableRead MoreHamlet Character Analysis1502 Words à |à 7 PagesSociety (Eagleton, 1967) wrote about the culture of Hamlet and the social definitions of man. In the world of Hamlet society defines man, not man defining the society around him. Because of the societal conception of self, there is a high change of it being different to people conception of themselves. There are then three choices that Eagleton says that people can choose, either; accept the social definition of man, give themselves wholly to the public life and definition so they can become valued inRead MoreThe Depiction Of Women During The Renaissance Could Be1727 Words à |à 7 PagesThe depiction of women during the Renaissance could be described as varied, if we were to view the changes of the role of women during this time as distinct and diverse. This train of thought, though, would be doing a disservice to women as, although certain aspects on womenââ¬â¢s position in society did change during the Renaissance, it shouldnââ¬â¢t be observed as a great stride in the advancement of women, rather it is that women were viewed only as certain archetypes, whether they were positive or negativeRead MoreOn the other hand, Shakespeare also maintains the feminine ideal through the use of disguise. In700 Words à |à 3 Pagesparamount, as the destruction of a women was seen as their undoing in a Renaissance society. Mary Rose discusses the idea of purity ââ¬Å"For a woman, a public reputation was dishonourable, a sure sign of immorality and scandalâ⬠. In both cases, the characters have had an impact on society around them, particularly towards men, through the use of disguise and deception. Whilst Shakespeare presents authoritative roles within women, he also presents the contrasting roles of women, particularly in the charactersRead MoreEssay on The Role Of Women in the Renaissance1645 Words à |à 7 PagesWhen one talks about the Renaissance, the most common topic is art and architecture. It is true that the Italian Renaissance was marked by some of the greatest and most prolific masters of painting, sculpture and building. It is also true that the era marked the emergence of a great deal more. It was a time of awakening from the intellectual darkness of the medieval order and the emergence of many of the concepts that would form the basis for civilization as it is known today. The era saw theRead MoreEssay on A Feminist Perspective of William Shakespeare1506 Words à |à 7 PagesA Feminist Perspective of Shakespeare à à à à Although William Shakespeare reflects and at times supports the English Renaissance stereotypes of women and men and their various roles and responsibilities in society, he is also a writer who questions, challenges, and modifies those representations. His stories afford opportunities not only to understand Renaissance culture better but also to confront our own contemporary generalizations about gender, especially what it means to be female. In hisRead MoreThe Reflection of Life During the Renaissance in Literature1601 Words à |à 7 PagesLife in the Renaissance has been greatly reflected through the literature of its time. Many authors from this time reflected life in the Renaissance through their works. Several authors who strongly demonstrated this reflection include William Shakespeare, Thomas Elyot, Christopher Marlowe, Walter Raleigh, and Christine de Pizan. They accomplished this by producing various literary works, such as Hamlet, ââ¬Å"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love,â⬠ââ¬Å"The Nymphââ¬â¢s Reply to the Shepherd,â⬠Le Livre de la
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Professional Sports In The United States Of America, Most
Professional sports in the United States of America, most notably basketball and football, was one of the earliest job markets that Black males were able to succeed in on their own merit by using their bodies to obtain a profitable career. However, the relationship between White team owners, the White public, the predominantly White media and Black player continues to have a long complex existence with its genesis in racial exploitation. Black men were able to break into the sports industry because of the historical focus on Black male hypermasculinity - the exaggeration of male behavior that places an emphasis on physical strength and prowess. These stereotypes are deeply rooted in the history of slavery and the systems of oppressionâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦White slave owners didnââ¬â¢t want their slaves to be intelligent and outspoken because these traits could lead to revolt and insurrection. The owners lived in fear of a revolt lead and backed by Black men who they saw a s ferocious animals. Black men are still killed today without recompense because many White people continue to view them as ââ¬Å"dangerousâ⬠beings with the primary intent to be harmful. Just as Black men were expected to be strong and silent, Black women were expected to be meek. If these women were aggressive and independent, slave owners would lose their source of children who went on to continue the cycle. Rankineââ¬â¢s critique was a prose poem intended to comment on the societal stereotype of the aggressive Black woman. Through this work, the author wanted to make it clear that Black people have the right to be angry about the racism present within the country. Both Black men and Black women have the right to raise their voices as these same voices were and continue to be silenced by society. Because of their position within the world of sports, Black athletes have the platform and financial security to speak on injustice. Within her literary work, Rankine quoted M aurice Blanchot when she said ââ¬Å"It is the White Man who creates the Black man. But it is the Black man who creates. This thing was there, we grasped it in the living motion.â⬠Show MoreRelatedImportant Sports in the Society of The United States Essay1142 Words à |à 5 Pages Sports are important in the society of the United States. Sports promote and motivate the development of physical fitness and sports participation for all Americans of all ages. The four major sports are most popular in the United States ; American football, Basketball, Baseball, and Ice Hockey. They are all enjoyed by not only americans, but also people in all around the world. Especially sports are associated with education in the United States. Most high schools and universities organizedRead MoreWhy Football Is The Greatest Sport1048 Words à |à 5 PagesWhy Football is the Greatest Sport in America Every country has a sport that they find most interesting. Due to the nationwide involvement, this sport will result in a great amount of revenue, and a common form of entertainment. In America, it is evident that this sport is football. No other sport pulls in the same amount of revenue, media and nationwide attention than football does. It is popular in all age groups, and is the staple of sporting events to attend while students are in high schoolRead MoreBaseball is the National Pastime1051 Words à |à 5 PagesFor most sports fans there is nothing like opening day and a baseball field. In recent years I have over heard several people say Baseball is not the National Pastime or National Game any longer. When I query these people the typical response is Football is our new National pastime/game. Frank Deford (Nov 7, 2012) a writer for Sports Illustrated said, Baseball is what we used to be. Football is what we have become. I refuse to believe this based on my knowledge of bo th games. In this paperRead MoreRussian And American Lives : Russia1044 Words à |à 5 Pagesneighboring countries. America, known as the United States of America, is only the third-largest country in the world with a total area of 3,806,000 square miles. It also includes 4 time zones. The early history of Russia, similar to those of numerous nations, is one of moving people groups and old kingdoms. In fact, early Russia was not precisely Russia, but rather a gathering of cities that bit by bit mixed into an empire. The primary Europeans to build up states in North America were the Spanish.Read MoreUnequal Pay Causes the Womens Professional Soccer to Fail649 Words à |à 3 Pagesmakes the United States of America different from other nations. Ironically, in the United States professional soccer leagues there is a dearth of gender equality. This can be seen through the gender difference in salary. In 2013, professional women soccer players were yearly being paid $15,000 each, abou t nine times less than the men earned (Bloomberg BusinessWeek). Just like the United States, Australia also faces unequal pay between men and women in professional soccer. Many professional women soccerRead MoreThe Commercialisation, Professionalization And Equity Of Sport1714 Words à |à 7 Pagesprofessionalization and equity of sport has changed from the 1950s to today. This piece of work will also discuss the different techniques and strategies that organisations within sport used to commercialise, professionalise and set social stratification. The worldwide interest in sport is phenomenal, regardless of your skin colour, religion, health, social status, gender and home nation. Sport is a universal platform for happiness, revenue and success. Even though sport has made the leap from just loveRead MoreEthnographic Interview on Sports in American Culture702 Words à |à 3 Pageswas sports in American culture. Sports are popular in America, and are a big part of the culture in A merica. I would say most people in America have played sports, whether they played as kids, in high school, at the collegiate level, or even professional. A great deal of people also enjoy watching sporting events. The following were the questions asked during the interview. How have sports affected your life? Why do you think sports are so popular in Americaââ¬â¢s culture? How are sports a partRead MoreAtheltes Paid Too Much1152 Words à |à 5 PagesAthletes Do Not Deserve What They Are Paid It would be great to make 31.3 million dollars a year. Adding an additional 47 million dollars in endorsements for simply playing a game that an athlete loves. Michael Jordan, along with several other professional athletes, think getting paid millions of dollars is perfect. In the 1996 season, after playing 3,106 minutes, Michael Jordan made 170,000 dollars a day which is the equivalent of 160.97 dollars a second (Christian Science Monitor). Another unbelievableRead MoreUnderstanding Race1703 Words à |à 7 Pages(102) That America is made up of so many different races that no race is the more superior or in other cases inferior to one another. America is defined by its cultural diversity; it is what makes America the nation that it is. It is the reason that we as Americans have freedoms other people donââ¬â¢t have. It is also one of the reasons we are one of the most powerful nations in the world. The concept of cultural diversity in America defines us and makes us the nation we are today. Appiah states in hisRead MoreAlcohol and Tobacco in Sports914 Words à |à 4 PagesWith sports becoming more and more commercialized, sponsorships have taken over professional sports. In this paper, Alcohol and Tobacco sponsorships will be the issue of this paper. Sports sponsorship has become an important marketing tool for advertiserââ¬â¢s because of the flexibility, broad reach, and high level of brand or corporate exposure that it affords, (Krapp, 49). Yet some sponsors have created an uproar with in the society, these are namely alcohol and tobacco products. These two make up
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Changes in Cinema Perception Free Essays
Nowadays People consume film differently as compared to the previous decade. The advancement of the digital technology and availability of high-speed internet has played a prominent role in the way people consume film. People can watch a movie anywhere in the world provided there is access to the internet connectivity. We will write a custom essay sample on Changes in Cinema Perception or any similar topic only for you Order Now Moreover, the development of technology in mobile devices such as mobile phones, tablets, iPods, and laptops has enabled persons to access the internet anywhere they are, and thus they can use mobile applications, for instance, YouTube to view movies at anyplace for example in a car while they are traveling (Aveyard, 2016). However, film production in theatres is still significant to create awareness among its consumers, provide reliability and as a way of making income. Most people prefer watching movies on their technological devices rather than going to a cinema because it is cheaper and easily accessible. The feature film is a movie that runs for more than 40 minutes and considered the sole of a show. The feature film has been on the market for over a hundred years and sold as a unique audiovisual. And associated with theatre that is, it is watched in cinemas, however, due to the advancement in technology watching the film takes place outside the theatre. As such no distinction is seen while compared to the other audiovisual films. Distributors and online content providers put an effort in ensuring that these films are categorized differently for example in show max and iTunes. Additionally, the television series run for more than ten hours and can be entirely viewed for some days in episodes. An episode is part of a series whereby the series is watched for some minutes and then stopped and continued another day. A television series may contain up to twelve episodes or even more. The introduction of the video cassette recorder (VCR) in 1980 in the market, motivated watching of films outside theatres. The television broadcast showed movies before 1980. However, the advertisement of the VCR surrounded household as the leading practice for watching movies. The VCR was cheap and suitable with the existing technology. VCR provided a way of watching a film without timing and avoiding the annoying television advertisements. However, the adaptation of VCR in homes resulted in affecting the education of the family members. The scholar could watch a movie at any time and forsake analyzing academic materials. Additionally, the feature film set is in a tremendous location and offers quality visualization of the characters as compared to a television movie which is of low quality and uses sound to capture the viewer attention. Practice theory conducted by Jones (2013) tried to explain the perception of viewers at cinemas and home. Jones realized that watching a movie at home with the family members provided a sense of relaxation and gratification to the children and the couples. Therefore, films viewing help to maintain and develop a close bond between individuals and the need for an individual to dedicate time to the family agreement. Consequently, there is a need to address non-theatre movies and its audience due to its social-cultural impact. Reference Aveyard, K. (2016). Film consumption in the 21st century: engaging with non-theatrical viewing. Media International Australia, 160(1), 140-149. How to cite Changes in Cinema Perception, Papers
Friday, December 6, 2019
Importance of Internet Banking free essay sample
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about asymptotic stability of nonlinear systems. For stability of linear systems, see exponential stability. Various types of stability may be discussed for the solutions of differential equations describing dynamical systems. The most important type is that concerning the stability of solutions near to a point of equilibrium. This may be discussed by the theory of Lyapunov. In simple terms, if all solutions of the dynamical system that start out near an equilibrium point stay near forever, then is Lyapunov stable. More strongly, if is Lyapunov stable and all solutions that start out near converge to , then is asymptotically stable. The notion of exponential stability guarantees a minimal rate of decay, i. e. , an estimate of how quickly the solutions converge. The idea of Lyapunov stability can be extended to infinite-dimensional manifolds, where it is known as structural stability, which concerns the behavior of different but nearby solutions to differential equations. We will write a custom essay sample on Importance of Internet Banking or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Input-to-state stability (ISS) applies Lyapunov notions to systems with inputs. Contents [hide] â⬠¢1 History â⬠¢2 Definition for continuous-time systems o2. 1 Lyapunovs second method for stability â⬠¢3 Definition for discrete-time systems â⬠¢4 Stability for linear state space models â⬠¢5 Stability for systems with inputs â⬠¢6 Example â⬠¢7 Barbalats lemma and stability of time-varying systems â⬠¢8 References â⬠¢9 Further reading â⬠¢10 External links [edit] History Lyapunov stability is named after Aleksandr Lyapunov, a Russian mathematician who published his book The General Problem of Stability of Motion in 1892. 1] Lyapunov was the first to consider the modifications necessary in nonlinear systems to the linear theory of stability based on linearizing near a point of equilibrium. His work, initially published in Russian and then translated to French, received little attention for many years. Interest in it started suddenly during the Cold War (1953-1962) period when the so-called Second Method of Lyapunov was found to be applicable to the stability of aerospace guidance systems which typically contain strong nonlinearities not treatable by other methods. A large number of publications appeared then and since in the control and systems literature.More recently the concept of the Lyapunov exponent (related to Lyapunovs First Method of discussing stability) has received wide interest in connection with chaos theory. Lyapunov stability methods have also been applied to finding equilibrium solutions in traffic assignment problems. [7] [edit] Definition for continuous-time systems Consider an autonomous nonlinear dynamical system , where denotes the system state vector, an open set containing the origin, and continuous on . Suppose has an equilibrium . 1. The equilibrium of the above system is said to be Lyapunov stable, if, for every , there exists a such that, if , then , for every . 2. The equilibrium of the above system is said to be asymptotically stable if it is Lyapunov stable and if there exists such that if , then . 3. The equilibrium of the above system is said to be exponentially stable if it is asymptotically stable and if there exist such that if , then , for . Conceptually, the meanings of the above terms are the following: 1. Lyapunov stability of an equilibrium means that solutions starting close enough to the equilibrium (within a distance from it) remain close enough forever (within a distance from it). Note that this must be true for any that one may want to choose. 2. Asymptotic stability means that solutions that start close enough not only remain close enough but also eventually converge to the equilibrium. 3. Exponential stability means that solutions not only converge, but in fact converge faster than or at least as fast as a particular known rate .
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