International Marketing Strategy of Fortescue Metal Group

International Marketing Strategy of Fortescue Metal Group Executive Summary The external and internal environment of Fortescue Metal Group has been analyzed in this report. The external environment presents several threats, which include high competition, tariff barriers to foreign market entry, high bargaining power of buyers of iron, and high suppliers’ bargaining power.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on International Marketing Strategy of Fortescue Metal Group specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main opportunity that is available to FMG is the expected increase in demand for iron in China and other emerging markets. Moreover, the company has the opportunity to increase its market share because of the low threat of new entrants and substitutes. FMG’s strengths include access to huge iron ore deposits, extensive railroad networks, and a talented workforce. However, its overdependence on the Chinese market is a threat to its long-term profitability. Overal l, the company’s resources and capabilities will improve its long-term success. Case Study Report: Strategic Management Introduction Fortescue Metal Group (FMG) is a leading producer of iron in Australia. Since its inception in 2003, the company has achieved rapid growth through cost reduction and expansion of production capacity. The aim of the company is to become the lowest cost producer of iron in Australia (FMG 2014). This paper will provide a detailed analysis of the internal and the external environment of the company to determine its competitiveness. The aim of the analysis is to identify the internal and external factors that are likely to influence the company’s ability to succeed in the long-term. External Environment PESTEL Analysis International trade policies are the main political factors that influence the performance of firms in the iron industry. Protectionist trade policies such as subsidizing domestic iron producers prevent competition in major mark ets such as China (Hau, Chatterjee Jingliang 2011, pp. 68-81). In emerging markets in Africa and the Middle East, high import duties reduce the competitiveness of imported iron.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Economic growth and exchange rate are the main economic factors that affect iron producers and exporters. Strong economic growth in China and emerging markets in Asia and the Middles East will continue to increase the demand for iron in the next five years (KPMG 2014). Exchange rate fluctuations have both positive and negative effects on export revenues. An appreciation of the Australian dollar against major currencies such as the yuan and euro makes iron exports from Australia to be more expensive in international markets. The reverse effect occurs when the Australian dollar depreciates. The major social factors that influence the competitiveness of ir on producers include increased population growth and urbanization in emerging market economies, as well as, lack of experienced personnel in Australia’s iron industry. High population growth and increased urbanization will increase the demand for housing, which in turn will increase the demand for iron in the international market (KPMG 2014). However, lack of experienced personnel means that Australian iron producers must incur high staff development costs. Production and transportation technologies have a significant effect on the competitiveness of iron producers. Companies that lack access to efficient third party transportation systems are unable to improve their competitiveness. Access to cheap energy and efficient mining technologies improve the competitiveness of companies in Brazil and China (Beresford, Pettit Liu 2011, pp. 32-42). Environmental regulations and access to iron reserves are key determinants of success in the iron industry. Nearly all companies in the g lobal iron industry are incurring high costs due to prohibitive carbon emission fees (Inglezakis Zorpas 2011, pp. 566-580).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on International Marketing Strategy of Fortescue Metal Group specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although Australian and South African companies have access to high quality iron ore, their counterparts in China and Brazil are losing their competitiveness due to limited access to high quality iron ore. Anti-trust law is the main legal factor that influences competition in the iron industry. The Australian Competition Tribunal has the power to declare private railroads to be open access tracks. This limits the incumbents’ ability to prevent entry into the industry (Tian, He Yi 2005, pp. 67-88). Moreover, the competition laws determine the extent to which companies can combine their resources to create synergies. For example, if the joint venture between BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto is blocked, the two companies will lose the opportunity to save $10 billion annually. According to the PESTEL analysis, the main threats to the competitiveness of FMG are limited access to third party transportation systems, tariff barriers to market entry, high carbon emission fees, and exchange rate fluctuations. This means that the company must be able to reduce its operating costs in order to overcome threats such as high import tariffs and carbon emission fees. The opportunities that are available to FMG include the expected increase in demand for iron and availability of high quality iron ore in Australia. Thus, the company can increase its sales and profits by increasing its production to cater for the expected increase in demand. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Suppliers’ Bargaining Power The main suppliers in the iron industry include owners of land with iron ore deposits, suppliers of fuel, and manufacturers of mining equipment. Owners o f land such as the Aborigines have high bargaining power due to the limited supply of land with iron ore deposits.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Suppliers of fuel have high bargaining power due to their low switching costs (KPMG 2014). They can easily shift their supply to other industries such as manufacturing and transportation, which are able to offer high prices. Suppliers of mining equipment have high bargaining power since their products are highly differentiated. The high bargaining power of suppliers means that iron producers can be exploited through high prices of key supplies. Threat of Substitutes Iron is mainly used in the production of steel. In the steel industry, â€Å"scrap metal is the only substitute for iron† (Beresford, Pettit Liu 2011, pp. 32-42). The threat of substitutes is low since iron performs better than scrap metal in terms of quality and availability. The low threat of substitutes means that iron producers face little competition from sellers of scrap metal. Buyers’ Bargaining Power Buyers (steel mills) have a high bargaining power due to their ability to implement backward integr ation strategies. For example, China’s Hunan Valin Iron and Steel Group has invested in FMG to improve its access to iron. The high bargaining power of buyers is also explained by their ability to make bulk purchases. Buyers are also price-sensitive since they focus on reducing production costs in order to improve their profit margins (FMG 2014). The high bargaining power of buyers will continue to put a downward pressure on iron prices, thereby reducing the profits of iron producers (Doole Lowe 2008, p. 121). Threat of Entry The threat of new entrants is low because the incumbents have economies of scale in production and transportation, which acts as a barrier to entry. For example, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto restrict access to their railroads, thereby preventing new companies that cannot construct their own railroads from joining the industry. Other barriers to entry include huge financial capital requirements and the incumbents’ control of major mining sites. The low threat of new entrants is an opportunity to the incumbents to defend their market shares (Czinkota Ronkainen 2012, p. 57). Competitive Rivalry Competition is very high because of the high concentration of the industry. The top three largest firms control over 70% of the market, thereby increasing competition for the remaining 30% of the market. Fixed costs are also high since the industry is labor intensive. Although competition is high, the global market for iron is expected to grow by 11% in the next three years (KPMG 2014). The high competition will reduce the profits of iron producers. According the Porter’s five forces analysis, the factors that are likely to have adverse effects on the competitiveness of FMG are the high bargaining power of buyers, high bargaining power of suppliers, and high competition. This means that the company must respond to suppliers’ high bargaining power by reducing its operating costs (Terpstra, Foley Sarathy 2012, p. 73). Simila rly, it must be able to respond to buyers’ high bargaining power by reducing its prices. These strategies will enable the company to overcome competition. The expected growth of the market is an opportunity to FMG to expand its production capacity to earn high profits. Most Significant Resources and Capabilities The most important resources and capabilities that are shaping FMG’s competitive position include the following. First, the company has access to huge iron ore reserves in Pilbara. In 2013, the company’s iron ore reserves in Chichester and Solomon increased by 12% (FMG 2014). Access to high quality iron core enables the company to compete effectively by meeting its effective demand. In addition, the reserves will enable the company to continue with its mining activities in the next decade. Second, the company is capable of expanding its railroad and production capacity to meet the demand for its products. This enables the company to avoid delays in fulfi lling orders. Third, the company has a highly experienced and talented workforce. In addition, it has an effective organizational culture that promotes commitment and staff retention. As a result, it will be able to achieve product and process innovation (Freeman 2010, p. 89). Finally, the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives focus on strengthening its relationships with the local communities. These include providing training and employment opportunities to Aboriginal groups. This strategy enables the company to avert resistance from the local communities who provide land for mining. These resources will enable the company to expand its operations in future. Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths The company has the following strengths. First, the company is financially stable. It has been able to realize a strong growth in profits in the last four years. In 2013, FMG reported a pre-tax profit of USD $1,746 million, which represents a 12% growth (FMG 2014). Secon d, FMG has a cost advantage in the iron industry. The company is able to maintain low operating costs, which in turn enables it to increase its profit margins. Third, the company has focused on forward integration through joint venture agreements with major buyers of iron such as Hunan Valin Iron and Steel. This enables it to defend its market share. Finally, FGM has an extensive railroad and port infrastructure in Australia. Currently, the company is expanding its railroad to cater for the increase in its transportation activities. The railroad enables the company to reduce the time and the financial resources that it requires to transport raw materials to the production centers. It also enables the company to transport its products in a cost-effective manner and to earn additional revenue from companies that use it for transportation. Weaknesses One of the main weaknesses of the company is its overdependence on the Chinese iron market. The company is likely to make huge loses if t he demand for iron reduces significantly in China. Another weakness of the company is its inability to raise external capital to finance its expansion. Lack of access to external funding will slow the pace at which the company will expand, thereby denying it access to available growth opportunities (Sadler 2003, p. 91). In sum, FMG’s excellent financial performance will enable it to attract investors. Thus, it will overcome its inability to access external capital. The company’s cost advantage will enable it to charge low prices to gain market share in other countries. As a result, it will be able to reduce its dependence on the Chinese market (Witcher Chau 2010, p. 117). Capacity to Succeed in the Long-term The company has adequate capacity to succeed in the long-term due to the following reasons. To begin with, its iron ore reserves at the Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak have a lifespan of 20 years. This means that FMG is assured of access to iron ore in the next ten years. Apart from the existing reserves, the company has focused on extensive exploration to increase its iron ore reserves. In 2013, the company formed a joint venture with China’s Baosteel Group and Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group to exploit huge iron ore deposits at its Iron Bridge reserve (FMG 2014). The Iron Bridge project will significantly increase FMG’s access to high quality iron ore. Moreover, the Iron Bridge reserve is a credible threat to entry that will enable FMG to prevent its competitors from expanding their capacities (Doole Lowe 2008, p. 56). Apart from having huge iron ore reserves, FMG continues to pursue its forward integration strategy to increase its market share. In 2013, Formosa Plastics Group completed its steel plant, which is the largest in the world (FMG 2014). Similarly, Baosteel Group is the second largest producer of steel in the world. By partnering with these companies, FMG will have the largest market share in the long-term. Conclusion The main threats in the iron market include high competition, environmental regulations, high buyers’ bargaining power, and high suppliers’ bargaining power. The opportunities that are available to FMG include the expected increase in demand for iron and low threat of substitutes. The company is capable of overcoming these threats due to its strengths and resources, which include access to large iron ore deposits, extensive railroad networks, strong financial performance, and forming joint ventures with the largest buyers of iron. However, the company needs to reduce its dependence on China’s market by increasing its exports to other emerging markets. References Beresford, A, Pettit, S Liu, Y 2011, ‘Multimodal supply chains: iron ore from Australia to China’, Journal of International Supply Chain Management, vol. 16. no. 1, pp. 32-42. Czinkota, M Ronkainen, I 2012, International marketing, Oxford University Press, London. Doole, I Lowe , R 2008, International marketing strategy, Sage, London. FMG 2014, 2013 annual report. Web. Freeman, E 2010, Strategic management, Sage, London. Hua, S, Chatterjee F Jingliang, C 2011, ‘Achieving competitive advantage in service supply chain: evidence from the Chinese steel industry’, Chinese Management Studies, vol. 5. no. 1, pp. 68-81. Inglezakis, V Zorpas, A 2011, ‘Industrial hazardous waste in the framework of EU and international legislation’, International Journal of Environmental Quality Management, vol. 22. no. 5, 566-580. KPMG 2014, Quarterly commodity insights. Web. Sadler, P 2003, Strategic management, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Terpstra, V, Foley, J Sarathy, R 2012, International marketing, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Tian, Z, He, Y Yi, G 2005, ‘The pricing behavior of firms in the Chinese iron and steel industry’, Asian Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 17. no. 3, pp. 67-88. Witcher, B Chau, V 2010, Stra tegic management, McGraw-Hill, New York.

Data Mining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Data Mining - Essay Example The second stage is Predictive Modeling, whereby patterns discovered in the earlier stage are used to make predictions about the future. The third stage is Forensic Analysis, where the patterns extracted are used to find unusual data elements. 3. One of the pitfalls of data mining is the vast quantities of data that are generated(Khabaza, 2005). When the volume of data is too high, mining becomes sluggish, hence the way to avoid this is by using sampling. Another is the generation of irrelevant data, so that the amount of relevant data mined may be less. Thirdly, if data mining is disorganized, it takes place in an ad hoc manner and will not generate useful results. Avoiding this requires clear definition of goals. When there is incompatibility in data mining tools, this causes interference in exploratory capability and high overhead costs. 4. The data mining program was used to identify hidden trends in the data. The airline company can use the data to identify the specific characteristics of those customers who are frequent users of the airline. The mined data can also be used to find a relationship among different sectors based upon customer behavior. 5. Two specific industries where data mining is likely to be very useful are banking and the retail industry. With the increase in electronic banking, transactional data can be easily captured and data mining helps analyze it. Data mining in the banking industry can help banks to analyze trends and patterns and to predict how customers may react to change sin interest rates. In the retail industry, data is collected when orders are placed and data mining of such information can unearth demographic trends in the data and can help direct marketing efforts. * Khabaza, Tom, 2005. â€Å"Hard hats for data miners: Myths and pitfalls of Data Mining†, DM Review

Assay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assay - Essay Example None of the nearby shops duplicate any of the services being provided by the pharmacy; it is the only pharmacy in the area and the next pharmacy is located in the next suburb. The Campbell Medical Centre and Campbell Nursing Home complement the services provided by the pharmacy. The nearest public toilet is located in the building where the Campbell Pharmacy is located. The pharmacy is located near the bus stop and taxi ranks making it very convenient for customers and employees to access. A reasonably-sized car park is located in Blaemy Street, which is the main street in Campbell suburban. The Justice of the Peace in the area is also our pharmacist and therefore a very popular and well-respected man in the community. I have chosen this pharmacy because it is very convenient and offers many advantages for learning. From a customer’s perspective, I was able to assess that the pharmacy’s services and conclude that the pharmacy is able to provide a wide-range of retail services like postal services, gift glass wear, and photocopying services; and retail products like skin and hair products. The pharmacy is also able to offer professional health services through its pharmacists and pharmacy assistants. These services are mostly related to medicine intake and health maintenance advice. The pharmacy is able to provide health related products through its first aid program and weight loss promotion program. It is also able to cater to diabetics through its blood-sugar control and blood-sugar testing program. The overall message that I got from the pharmacy in terms of the services and products it offers is that the pharmacy is available and eager to care not just for the customers who are sick, but also for those who seek to maintain their health. The pharmacy also seeks to provide the c ustomers with other services that they need in order to stay

Blood spatter Essay Example for Free

Blood spatter Essay Blood spatter is a common form of physical evidence at a death scene, and is often of major relevance. It is not a field in which all forensic pathologists feel confident, as in some jurisdictions it is regarded as totally within the domain of the forensic scientist and in others, the crime scene investigator. It should be reasonably regarded as a shared topic, one understood by all players, as each expert has an individual slant on the subject, and can thus provide separate insights. It is important to avoid evidence clashes. Examination and documentation of blood spatter, including what, where and how much, allows interpretation of the type and form of bleeding, and may provide a reconstruction of the incident and some surrounding circumstances. The form of report produced tends to vary with different departments, but usually is incorporated into the general scene report. Blood loss itself is due to breaches of blood vessels, and this may be due to natural disease processes or trauma. Typical examples of natural disease-causing problems at crime scenes include bleeding from a varicose skin ulcer, which is at ankle or shin level, and bleeding from lung cancer, which produces coughed-up blood. Both of these may be associated with widespread blood deposition. Commonly, these kinds of cases are associated with some degree of cleaning up or self-help, of a type consistent with a solitary life style. The type of loss is dependent on the kind of blood vessels involved. Veins return blood to the heart, operate at low pressure and flow is at a constant rate. A breach causes an ooze or pour of blood. On the other hand, arteries operate at high pressure and have a pulsatile flow. This produces a very variable flow rate, and a breach causes a spray or spurt of blood. The normal blood pressure peak and trough is 120/80mmHg at rest, but can be as high as 180-200mmHg with strenuous activity or stress, excluding any disease process. Obviously, this level may be expected in violent deaths. As veins and arteries commonly run parallel to each other, both types of vessels may be damaged at once. The size of vessel is also important, as small vessels will produce little blood, whereas the major vessels can bleed catastrophically. An arbitrary level of 200ml has been defined as the cut-off between a small and a large volume. The pathologist can rarely estimate the volume directly at the scene with any great degree of accuracy. The estimate may have to be done indirectly by crime scene examiners, such as by weighing areas of soaked carpet, and comparing this with dry areas. Classifications of Blood Stains: The appearance and the size of the blood patterns depend on the force by which they were created. When a sort of an object comes into direct contact with the blood, the force by which that object makes contact moves the blood and enhances its velocity. In some fashion the blood must react to this force transfer. Velocity is calculated in meters per second. There can be an evidence of three forms of blood spatter at a crime scene, high, medium or low blood spatter or a mix combination of these. The predictable process of categorizing blood stains was based on the connection between the speed of the force pressuring the blood drop or source that administer the individuality and dimension and distance of the resulting bloodstains. The three essential grouping of stain groups which were used based on the idea that the dimension of the blood stain being inversely comparative to the power useful to the still blood. Low Velocity Blood Spatter LVBS (Low Velocity Blood Spatters) are stains of blood which are created when the cause of blood is subjected to energy with the speed of up to 5 ft/sec. Major stains calculate normally 4mm in distance or superior. Medium Velocity Blood Spatter MVIS (Medium Velocity Blood Spatter) are stains of blood which are formed when the cause of blood is subjected to a might with a speed in between the range of 6 to 25 ft/sec. The distances of the consequential stains are in the mass range of 1 to 3 mm, even though larger and smaller bloodstains may be there. Stains in this group are normally connected with beatings and stabbings. High Velocity Blood Spatter HVBS (High Velocity Blood Spatter) are stains of blood formed when the cause of blood is subjected to a power with a speed of more than 100ft/sec. The width of the spatter is mainly less than 1mm, although larger and smaller bloodstains are frequently experiential within the outline. Bloodstains in this group are usually related with gun shots and explosions. Other device that formed bloodstains within the mass range of the usual high and medium velocities such as expiratory blood and satellite spatter bloodstains were not valued to the level that misunderstanding might and do occur. Most of the bloodstains forecasters have selected to stop this conservative terms and categorization for a more holistic advancement to bloodstain categorization. The subject that formed the rethinking of the conservative categorization of high-medium-low velocity was the diameter of sizes of stain among the high and medium velocity group and the understanding that devices other than stabbings, gunshots and beatings often formed stains with the dimension ranges within these groups. The pattern and bloodstains are confidential based on their substantial features of distribution, location, size, concentration and shape into inactive stains, splash stains or distorted stains. These are more confidential relation to method that may create stains with that uniqueness with mention to relevant scene, medicinal and case related history and facts of the proof. The forecaster than may be able to set up the exact method by which the outline was formed. More Analysis on the three classifications An abrasion or superficial laceration involves large numbers of very small to small vessels. This produces diffuse velocity from the whole area, and neither a pour nor a spray of blood would be expected. Incision of a superficial artery, such as in the wrist, involves larger vessels, with a small area of origin. This produces mainly a low velocity of blood due to pumping or spurting. A stab of a deep artery, as in the thigh, may mean involvement of a larger deep vessel. Here the presence of overlying tissues will interfere with the production of a spray, and the blood exits as a rapid pour, usually without spurting. However, there is usually still a clearly pulsatile element. But again this would be said as a low velocity blood spatter. The size of blood spots relates to the impulse of dispersal. Low velocity blood spatter such as venous bleeding, will produce large blood spots. A medium velocity blood spatter, such as produced by the use of a blunt instrument, will produce finer spots. High velocity blood spatter, as in gunshot injuries for example, will produce a fine spray. This can also be used in interpretation, as in the case of a crewman missing after an on-board explosion. There were several areas of very fine blood spray near the relevant hatch cover, and also on a broken ships railing. This clearly indicated that the deceased had been hit by the swinging hatch cover, and had broken the railing by force of his impact with it, during the course of being thrown overboard. Some knowledge of the injury pattern will produce the best results in interpretation. For example a slash of the neck might be expected to produce arterial spurts from large superficial vessels. A stab of chest could produce a medium flow, but if the stab is small or angulated, producing a degree of sealing, there may be little external bleeding. For example, multiple heart and aortic stabs with a skewer have been seen to produce only occasional external drops of blood. A stab of the lung may have the combination of direct bleeding from the stab and the expiration of blood mixed with air. Projected bleeding can also occur from mouth and nose following a gunshot wound of the head. During the bleeding process, the blood may be around the injury itself, and be capable of making contact impressions, or may have been projected away from the injury, and no longer be on the body at all. This blood may be around the body, and situated on bedding, furnishings, walls or carpet. The type of patterning will provide the pathologist with insights of where and how the deceased had moved. The blood may be on objects at the scene such as a weapon or a vehicle. The position, patterning and extent may indicate which part of the object caused the injury, and in turn, this may indicate the position of the deceased at the time of sustaining this injury. There may be minimal blood present at the scene, or what appears to be an inadequate amount, in view of the injuries. This may indicate that this is a secondary scene, and that the primary scene must be searched for elsewhere. Produce a fine spatter of blood at low level, with the last drops producing the greatest effect. This may outline the feet on the floor, and will also be present on the inner borders of the feet and the tops of the feet. The blood on the feet may subsequently be transferred elsewhere. The target surface is of major importance, and the effect is far less on a carpet than it would be on tiles, due to the reduced pool effect. Another significant aspect relates to blood which has been deposited from an injury onto a weapon, and is then cast off by the centrifugal force of swinging the weapon again. This may leave blood trails on ceilings or on high walls. There are various forms through which people can be killed. Listed are the few and the classification of which Velocity Blood stain it belongs to: Shootings (Medium and mostly high level Blood Spatter Velocity) Apart from the normal documentation of the scene, it is necessary to consider a number of specific matters. The pathologist must determine if the victim has moved during the course of the shooting, or has shown signs of activity afterwards. This can be done by noting the position of the body, the accessibility of the entry sites in the current body position, the presence of bullets or markings near the exit sites, and blood or tissue spatter patterns. There is usually little back spatter, but there may be considerable forward spatter, especially with more powerful weapons. It is worth bearing in mind that there may also be significant spatter extending from gas splits in the skin, and this could be at right angles to the main bullet track. Knife (Medium Velocity Blood Spatter) As mentioned above, the possibility of movement has to be considered. The volume of blood coming from an injury will depend on factors such as its type, situation and coverings, but if these are held in mind, then useful information can be gathered in order to reconstruct the incident. A knife or other sharp weapon is unlikely to cause damage to the scene, except in the most violent incidents, but it may be wiped or cleaned on the victims clothing or on furnishings, leaving a bloody outline. Axe (Mostly Medium Blood Spatter and at time High velocity) Because of the type of injury produced, these scenes tend to be very bloody. As there is a tendency to inflict multiple blows, there may also be evidence of the way in which these injuries were inflicted, as left by the spatter patterns. These patterns will frequently include cast-off spatter, as well as medium impulse spatter. There may even be loose fragments of soft tissue, bone or teeth. There maybe damage to the scene, particularly near to the body, due to missed hits. Fists and feet (Low velocity Blood Spatter) Assaults by kicking or stamping maybe associated with considerable contamination of the crime scene. This maybe in the form of a low-level blood spatter which may be evident up to a meter or so above ground level. Evidence of the type and position of an earlier phase of the assault is to be looked for, and blood pools that are separate from the final position of the body indicate periods of immobility. The ground surface has to be considered from the point of view of its being the possible anvil opposite some of the injuries, and thus help to interpret the assault. Footprint patterns may help to provide information as to whether bare or shod feet were used. Explosion (High Velocity Blood Spatter) Explosion scenes may extend from those where only a gram or two of explosive material is involved, to those involving tonnes of material. The pathologists approach will vary accordingly. Where a small quantity of material is involved, the pathologist should attempt to assess if there was any movement of the body from its original site to the point at which it is found. Blood and tissue spatter is most valuable here. The crime scene findings must be correlated with the burns and particulate damage later identified at the autopsy. The presence and role of any primary or secondary projectiles must be assessed. The author was involved in the investigation of an explosion on board a ship, where a crewman caused an explosion that blew him overboard. The body was not recovered, but damage to a hatch cover and the ships rail, both with deposition of high-impulse blood spatter and small tissue fragments indicated the extreme nature of the trauma that must have been sustained. Fragmentary body remains may be all that is recovered following a large explosion. As these may be covered with cement dust or other building materials, recognition of these remains at the scene may prove to be difficult, but this task is usually easier for a pathologist than other investigators. Work Cited Page †¢ Book Title: The Practice of Crime Scene Investigation. Contributors: John Horswell author. Publisher: CRC Press. Place of Publication: Boca Raton, FL. Publication Year: 2004. †¢ Catten Ely (2000) Blood Spatter, What is it? From Suite 101. Retrieved on October 23, 2007, from http://www. suite101. com/article. cfm/crime_stories/34498 †¢ Louis L Akin (2005) Blood spatter interpretation at crime and accident scenes: a basic approach. (Focus on Forensics): An article from: The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. Publication: The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (Magazine/Journal) †¢ Book Title Introduction to forensic science criminalistics (2007) Publishers McGraw-Hill †¢ James, Stuart H. (2005) Principles of bloodstain analysis; theory and practice. Publisher CRC Press †¢ Blood Spatter (2006) Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Dundee. Retrieved on October 23, 2007 from http://www. dundee. ac. uk/forensicmedicine/notes/Bloodspatter. htm †¢ Base Pair (2004), Blood Spatter Pattern Analysis. Retrieved on October 23, 2007, from http://www. tx. ncsu. edu/Science_Olympiad/Coaches_workshop/2007%20Presentations/Blood%20Spatter%20Analysis. doc †¢ Blood and Stain Analysis. Retrieved on October 23, 2007, from http://home. iprimus. com. au/ararapaj/craigslea_testbed/Forensic%20Web%20Test%20Site/blood_analysis. htm

How Can I Get Him to Do His Homework? :: Essays Papers

How Can I Get Him to Do His Homework? "The choices you make today determine the choices you get to make tomorrow." When determining the best way to get Student N to complete his homework on a nightly basis rather than putting it off altogether, I inquired about what would get him motivated quickly. Student N rarely did his homework and so his grades were being affected. When I first came to his classroom I immediately noticed Student N was extremely engaged in the lessons and was an active participant in classroom discussions, but when it came to homework there was absolutely no enthusiasm. I took it upon myself to determine the reasoning behind Student N’s anti-interest in after school work. My research was completely discrete and extremely casual. I simply wanted to find out what kept Student N from doing any homework and what steps we could take to get his grades back on track. Homework, for any grade or subject is extremely important. Homework is a way to bring parents into the school setting and enhance learning that took place during the day. Homework is vital to any student as they are reinforcing the information they learned throughout the day. As a beginning teacher I feel strongly about the effects of homework and don’t feel that it should be overlooked by students, parents or even teachers. Although a student should have adequate time to spend with family and friends, it is important that they realize learning doesn’t end when the bell rings for dismissal. Literature Review In order to increase the amount of homework Student N does a variety of approaches and techniques must be considered before prescribing the appropriate anecdote. Student choice is understood to boost student motivation thus improving aspects of their classroom performance. Hess and Cluck found that student motivation could be increased through multiple intelligences—and they have a plan! â€Å"The lack of motivation became evident as observed in incomplete assignments, low-test scores, and disinterest in subject matter. A review of the literature indicated motivation to learn is a problem nationwide. Students need to be self-motivated since extrinsic rewards may be counter-productive.† (Hess et al.) Both my methods and idea for this imparticular inquiry came from Hess and Cluck’s findings. Motivation could be increased through multiple intelligences and thus I set off on my research.

Operant Conditioning

Personality Development & Operant Conditioning Theories of Personality II Ana Iqbal Mirajkar Learning can be defined as any process that leads to a relatively permanent and potential change in behaviour. The term behaviorism refers to the school of psychology founded by John B. Watson based on the belief that behaviors can be measured, trained, and changed. Behavioural theories are all based upon the idea that all behaviours are acquired through conditioning. It is highly objective and focuses on the notion that only observable behaviour should be studied. Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner, Edward, Thorndike, John B. Watson and Clark Hull are major thinkers of this school of thought. B. F. Skinner, a pioneer in behaviorism, invented a mechanical device for automatically recording fine differences in the rate of response. He was one of the pioneers of automation in behavioral research: responses could be detected, recorded and followed up with reinforcements, all by automatic apparatus. Opera nt conditioning is a concept also developed by B. F. Skinner, who said â€Å"Psychology is about behavior, not about the mind, and not about the nervous system.It deals only with variables that can be directly observed. † He emphasized on the role of reinforcement and punishment in shaping behavior and came up with the schedules of reinforcement. Plus, rather than focusing on things that occur before a response he focused on the idea that the events following a response had a great influence on its subsequent rate of occurrence. Operant conditioning can be defined as that if a response (the operant, which is an active behavior that operates upon the environment to generate consequences) is followed by a reinforcing stimulus, the response strength is increased.For instance, every time a child studies well he is rewarded with gifts, according to Skinner, this rewarded response (studying) will be strengthened and increased. B. F Skinner demonstrated that humans and animals alike tend to repeat those responses that are followed by favorable consequences and they tend to not repeat those responses that are followed by neutral or unfavorable consequences. Overall, favorable, neutral or unfavorable consequences involve reinforcement, extinction and punishment respectively. The classic study ofOperant Conditioning by B. F. Skinner involved a cat who was placed in a box with only one way out; a specific area of the box had to be pressed in order for the door to open usually a lever, this was the desired correct response. Outside the box was a fish for the cat, which was another reinforcing stimulus beside its freedom. The cat initially is very comfortable and tries to get out of the box because freedom is reinforcing. In its attempt to escape, the area of the box (lever) is triggered and the door opens.Once placed in the box again, the cat will try to remember what it did to escape the previous time and will again find what it did right the first time that lead to its escape. The more the cat is placed back in the box, the quicker it will press that lever and stop all the incorrect/unrewarded responses. Thus it has learned, through natural consequences, how to gain the reinforcing freedom and fish. 1 Moreover, Skinner also stated that this learning had to occur very slowly and gradually.Extinction occurs when the connection between the stimulus and response has died or become extinct, that is presenting the stimulus no longer brings about the same response. People learn this way every day in our lives. For instance a person makes a mistake on a test paper, this mistake is something that he/she will most likely not forget as it cost them their grade. The next time the same question appears in the exam that person will do things differently remembering their mistake. In this sense, the person has learned to act differently based on the natural consequences of previous actions.The same holds true for positive actions. If something one does re sults in a positive outcome, one is likely to do that same activity again. Positive reinforcement occurs when a positive stimulus is added in the environment, such as giving candy to a child for good behaviour this is usually used to introduce new behaviours in humans and animals. Whereas, negative reinforcement is said to occur when a negative stimulus is removed from the environment. It must be noted though, that negative reinforcement is not to be confused with punishment.Negative reinforcement has similar usage like that of positive reinforcement, which is it is used to strengthen behaviour by following it with the removal or omission of an unpleasant stimulus. There are two types of negative reinforcement, escape and omission. In escape, performing a particular behavior leads to the removal of an unpleasant stimulus. For example, if a person with a headache tries a new pain reliever and the headache quickly disappears, this person will probably use the medication again the next time a headache occurs.In avoidance, people perform a behavior to avoid unpleasant consequences. For example, citizens may pay their taxes to avoid fines and penalties. While, punishment both negative and positive, is usually involved in trying to eliminate some particular behaviour from an organism’s routine. This is of two types; positive punishment and negative punishment. Positive punishment is when a positive stimulus is removed from the environment, for instance a mother takes away her child’s toy because she was banging it loudly.In negative punishment a threatening or unpleasant stimulus is added to the environment. For example grounding a child for a day inside the house would be particularly unpleasant for him. All in all, both reinforcements and punishments are essential tools used by behaviorists in shaping behavior and developing personalities. 2 As in this example, every time Ellen has a temper tantrum and reinforcement occurs, her behaviour is strengthe ned and operant conditioning occurs.While every time Ellen cries and is punished (negative punishment) for it her behaviour is weakened. is one in which reinforcement is made available to the subject only some of the time, according to certain rules; these rules define the schedule. Different schedules give rise to characteristically different patterns of operant behavior. B. F. Skinner believed that human behavior and lives are products of social learning in culture, shaping and Operant Conditioning. There are two types of reinforcement schedule continuous and partial.In continuous reinforcement, the desired behavior is reinforced every single time it occurs. Generally, this schedule is best used during the initial stages of learning in order to create a strong association between the behavior and the response. Once the response if firmly attached, reinforcement is usually switched to a partial reinforcement schedule. In partial reinforcement, the response is reinforced only part o f the time. Learned behaviors are acquired more slowly with partial reinforcement, but the response is more resistant to extinction. There are four schedules of partial reinforcement: Fixed-ratio schedules are those where a response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses. This schedule produces a high, steady rate of responding with only a brief pause after the delivery of the reinforcer. Variable-ratio schedules occur when a response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses. This schedule creates a high steady rate of responding. Gambling, lottery games and the job of a salesman are examples of reward based on a variable ratio schedule.Fixed-interval schedules are those where the first response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed. This schedule causes high amounts of responding near the end of the interval, but much slower responding immediately after the delivery of the reinforcer. The monthly salaries or pocket money peo ple receive are examples of fixed intervals. Variable-interval schedules occur when a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed. This schedule produces a slow, steady rate of response. Examples include social media notifications and fishing. 4

Sports Will Either Be A School Of Virtue Or A School Of

Sports will either be a school of virtue or a school of vice, and that s why the epidemic of cheating in professional sports is, and ought to be, a huge cultural concern† (Landry, 2012, para. 1). Professional sports are littered with cheating scandals and as technology advances so will access to new and clever techniques. There are many ways to cheat in sports, such as fixing games, placing bets on teams, lying about your age, and the biggest one of them all, taking performance enhancing substances. Doping is a matter of great public concern, and equally as concerning, is doping procedures that go undetected because they have been manipulated to slip under the radar. Studies show that placebos have powerful effects on strength,†¦show more content†¦On the day of the actual competition, one of the morphine teams, unknowingly received a saline solution instead (i.e. a placebo), while the other morphine team received naloxone, a chemical that blocks the effects of opioids . Most notably, the team that received morphine during training and then a saline injection on competition day, showed the greatest pain endurance. This included superior performance to one of the teams not given morphine during training but only given a placebo injection of saline on competition day, thus showing the added benefit of pharmacological preconditioning during training sessions. The team given morphine during training but naloxone on competition day did not show any greater pain endurance than the other teams, revealing that the placebo effect experienced by the superior team was opioid-based (Benedetti et al., 2007). These findings have profound ethical implications in sport where certain drugs, like morphine are banned during competition but not during training. The results of the experiment support the theory that â€Å"placebos reduce pain by encouraging the brain to produce more natural opiates than usual† (How to Cheat Without Cheating, 2007). Benedetti et al., (2007) claim that this method of morphine administration followed by a placebo on competition day created â€Å"an opioid-mediated increase of pain endurance and physical performance† (p.576), even though no illicit drug was administered. TheShow MoreRelatedThe National Collegiate Athletic Association1589 Words   |  7 Pagesthe extensive rules and regulations that the Association has created (Andrews). Although the National Collegiate Athletic Association is a famous and well-know organization, it has flaws within the system of regulating college athlete’s collegiate sports career. The condition of which colleg e athletes are in while under regulation of the NCAA is neither ethical nor fair. In this paper I will argue that it is not morally ethical the way that the NCAA treats college athletes; the system must be reformedRead MoreErikson s Theory, Vygotzy, And Piaget s Model1583 Words   |  7 Pagesvariety of social science disciplines and approaches to their theories. 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