A Huey P Newton Story Essay

‘A Huey P Newton Story’, the movie based on the story of Huey P Newton who was a freedom fighter and the co-founder of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in Oakland in 1960s. He was the Minister of Defense in the party and he made a Ten Point Plan based on the demand for basic civil rights and made it public in 1966. The movie is based on hyper-energetic, magnetic, faltering and chain-smoking Newton and Robert Guenveur Smith has played the role of Newton in this movie. Smith is the only person on the stage dressed in black and most of the time sitting on a single wooden chair. He is seen reading poetry, asserting his philosophies, worrying about the potential and complaining about the way everything turned out. The movie was shot in front of the live audience and was completed in single night improvisation. There are some archival footage and some sound effects to support the plot of the story. Like when Newton writes the Ten Point Plan you can hear sound of a typewriter. The movie is directed by Spike Lee and is quite disturbing and provocative at times. It also capture’s Newton’s â€Å"inner mind† and jazz saxophonist Branford Marsails provides olo music for the project. Newton was an extraordinary man and lot of energy and resources was needed to portray him on stage. There are some points in the movie where Smith pushes away the microphone and remains silent and it seems he is recollecting his energies. As Newton was a chain smoker Smith also had to smoke a lot while performing on stage. Smith quotes the saying of Newton, â€Å"Any time a black man in America stands up against the slave mentality, he’s going to scare a lot of white people and some black people, too. † Although the movie depends quite a lot on the clips and the soundtracks it is one man show and that too in front of live audience which in itself is a very difficult task. The chain smoking cigarettes are referred as props for Newton’s anger and similes. Smith is seen shaking and trembling with anxiety and he had to deliver speeches in the same hypocritical manner. The music, clothing and art all had to resemble and have an image of Newton’s surroundings. However Smith resembles Newton somewhat physically and has done justice to the character up to a large extent. The movie shows a man in prison with only one chair to sit on and the stage setting gives an impression of a room in prison. The whole movie is one-man show where the actor talks about everything and the whole story is depicted. In the beginning Newton is shown here proud with military pronouncement like a warrior and then shifting towards poetry and reading poetic recollection of a brother and then recollecting memories of his father who had shifted to California and had to work three jobs in order to support his seven children. Here, every aspect of Newton’s life is epicted because he was not only a freedom fighter but also a human being with all normal feelings and similarly concerned with his family and its welfare. He also recalls his own life and how he turned from burglar to a law student but there is wit and regret in his tone. After joining the revolutionary career he faces lot of problems and he has only one aim that is to get basic rights to his community. Smith also reveals a part of Newton’s character where he is hurt because he cannot dance and he uses philosophical questions to get girls’ phone numbers. He is shown fascinated with â€Å"rap† and seems to be connected with the current generation style too. Then coming back to philosophy of success and failure he says that a leader most of the time disappoints his followers and leaves nothing behind except contempt. He chooses riffs of songs and tells the audience about the fortune of his people. At the end of the performance, the audience is taken to a scene where a young man on the mountainside plays guitar and makes the sun come up. Newton is aware of the fact that he did not make the sun come up for himself. Lee’s direction and Smith’s performance make the audience realize that a human spirit can rise while he waits and watches his own songs. ‘A Huey P Newton Story’ is a powerful plodding film based on one-man stage show by Roger Guenveur Smith and directed by Spike Lee and was premiered on June 18 on Black Starz. Smith is a veteran actor and has very warmly and effectively portrayed Newton with all his talent and imaginative hands. He is dressed in a simple way with black shirt, black pant and shoes and is seen mostly sitting on a single chair kept on the stage. The set resembles the interior of Newton’s Oakland high-rise apartment where he resided in the last few years of his life. He is seen ruminating his life and bouncing his right leg and chain smoking. The presentation of Smith is so noteworthy that he looks as if on the stage at one moment and immediately on the other he seems to be in prison. In this movie Smith uses humor and wit and portrays Newton as a normal guy who has desires like a normal human being too. Newton is the youngest among seven children and hates being teased as â€Å"Baby Huey†, becomes a Black Panther and then he is elated to the fact where he argues for the right to housing, jobs etc. for people. It is felt that Newton is portrayed with mostly positive aspects of his character along with the humanity that is painful and complex. No emphasis is given on Newton who was alleged as a drug user. However the bare stage seems to be monotonous in spite of Smith’s extraordinary performance and so the director uses historic footage and photographs to give a break from the monotonous stage and a single man’s dialogues. 1960 saw quite a lot of political nd social change and also fight for these and so this gives a perfect ground for veteran artists to show their talent. The stories of this time have its contemporary significance and Smith here has tried to take advantage of the same and joined hands with Lee for the purpose. It is for sure that the way Smith and Lee tried to depict the story is completely different from the usual trend of movie making. Newton otherwise would have been the â€Å"icon† for the purpose for which he lived his short life but here he is shown with all the qualities and desires of a normal human being.

My Hero Is My Father Essay

Everyone has someone who has made an impact on his/her life. It can changed the view of this world. Sometimes people can get a hope from the person or the organization to change their life path. Since I have learned the differences between cons and pros, I found my self oriented to my father behavior. A father in love with his daughter. I love him even he is not alive any more. Although he passed away years ago, his advices and recommendations are still in my memory. He studied in a collage of oil and gas, and worked for the company in Iran named National Iranian Oil company. My brothers and I were proud of our parent. He was a strong family man who was devoted to providing the best he could for his family. I believe we were luckiest kids alive to have had two such loving parents. I firmly believe that my parents had impacts on shaping my future life. Especially my father effects on me most of the time when he were alive. body: Education My father always surrounded by books and newspapers that gave me a sense of reading. I grew up in this environment. When I was five years old, my father gave me a book as a gift on my birthday which have had big impact on me since I remember. One of the book that I love it is â€Å"The little prince† by Antoine de saint Exupery . My dad gave this to me when I left high school and whenever I see the cover I recall him. Reading a lot of different book helps improve my writing and my communication skills. I gain a lot of knowledge about the world around me by reading books. Behavior The lessons that my father taught me are very valuable for me. He always taught me to speak the truth, because it is the first step that will take me to success. He told me to be honest with everyone and every thing. This is the path of success in the future. Another value that he told me is to respect the elders and to love those who are younger. By respecting the elders, I will get prayers from them and by giving love to those who are younger, I will feel an internal peace. Personality My dad taught me help myself first try before I as for help. I am patient and determined, since I have tried hard to reach my goal and never complain. I have learned all these values from my father who devote his life to help me build up my personality. Being independent makes it easier to make decisions for me. I don’t rely on others Conclusion To me he is the greatest hero. Undoubtedly, parents play an important role in child’s development.

Gothic Architecture in Medieval France

Gothic Architecture in Medieval France As with most modernization, new concepts are often refined versions of previous techniques. Although structural design during the Middle Ages was already advancing at a large scale, distortions of the classical style were not too apparent until the Gothic era occurred. Taking place during a time of turmoil with the Hundred Years' War and the Black Plague, the Gothic age emerged right as European society was forced into a reflective change. With an increase in trade and a growing violation, an associated development of cities also occurred.Since it was more plausible to centralize churches and monasteries within towns, advancements of stone architecture began in order to meet the needs of the general public. First appearing in Northern France in the mid-12th century, Gothic style began mainly in these newly built or restored cathedrals. The modernization that took place within Gothic architecture directly reflected the changes that were taking pl ace within French society. The two main structural improvements of Gothic architecture were minted arches and ribbed vaulting.Building upon the design of the intersecting arches of groin vaults (primarily seen within the Romanesque period), Gothic architects created rib vaults as a result of using diagonal and transverse arches that intersected crosswise. By switching from curved to more-pointed arches, builders were able to maximize height-space and have all the arches at approximately the same level, regardless of the arches' widths. This allowed the inside of cathedrals to be very spacious and give the appearance of openness.Another structural advantage of the pointed Gothic vaults is its downward weight distribution. Because they require less reinforcement to keep them in position, large windows could be placed underneath the arches instead of supports, making it possible to let more light into the room. These areas were often filled with another prominent Gothic feature: staine d-glass windows. Although it was not originally produced during the Gothic Era, stained-glass gained its standing with its use in cathedrals.By taking advantage f the usable space under pointed arches, architects were able to replace walls with stained-glass and transfer natural light into the building, creating a colored ambiance. Abbot Auger, the Abbot at Saint-Denis (a cathedral noted for being a precursor in Gothic architecture) coined the phrase lug nova, meaning â€Å"new light† to describe the effect of the stained-glass. Aside from transmitting light into the cathedral, the windows acted as a way to present religious illustrations and depictions of Holy Scripture.Although the glass is much more unstable than the rounding stone encasement and structure, Gothic architects were able to reinforce the glass with iron and other materials to make it withstand much weathering. A structure combining glass and stone support that became typical within French Gothic architecture was the rose window, a large circular window that combined the designs of the inside and outsides of the cathedral. The aim of overstated design of cathedrals was not limited Just to the inside of the buildings.While the stonework within the churches was more minimalist, the outsides were overfed with facades of religious sculptures. Acting as a central point to these facades, rose windows were covered in detailed stone work that was best seen from outside the cathedral. It was also a notable gothic style to have the sculptures of saints in a more unassuming manner. The statues began to have individual personalities and more nonjudgmental postures, showing the separate identities of the saints. Another feature of sculptural design was gargoyles.Acting as a way to direct rain water away from the building, gargoyles have played a key part in keeping he stone cathedrals from eroding and to minimize other water damage. Although occurring during a time of struggle, the Gothic era depicts the progression of France throughout this time. The advancements and stylistic techniques that were created continued throughout much of France's history and even spilled into English regions. Considering many of the cathedrals of this time have remained in decent condition even 800 years later, it is safe to say that Gothic style has passed the test of time.

The Passions of Andrew jackson by Andrew Burstin Essay

The Passions of Andrew jackson by Andrew Burstin - Essay Example There are two popular models that are used to describe early childhood behavior. They are â€Å"nature,† which assumes a genetic predisposition to a behavior, and â€Å"nurture,† which predicts that the child’s environment predominantly dictates behavior. The authors of this study take both factors into account by creating three study groups. These groups consisted of a control group, where paternal alcohol abuse was non-existent; a recovered group, where paternal alcohol abuse was in remission; and the target group in which the father abused or was dependent upon alcohol consumption. In an attempt to account for environmental factors, the authors located a family for the target group, and then found demographically similar families that fit the criteria for the control and the recovered groups. This ensured that all of the participants were comparable in ethnicity, neighborhood, income, etc. In all, their samples amounted to a total of 267 families. Each of the three groups was similar in sample size and composition. Using computer-based interviews, the authors interviewed each family once a year for three years. Both parents and children were asked to answer several questions relating to alcohol use and specific behaviors that were of importance to the development of the hypothesis. For example, the fathers were asked questions relevant to their level of alcohol dependence during the prior three months. They were questioned on their awareness of their children’s activities. The adolescents were asked to self-report criteria based upon a combination of items from the Child Behavior Checklist and the Youth Self Report. The results of this study did not support the hypothesis that fluctuations in paternal alcohol use correlates with a higher incidence of adolescent behavior problems. The authors list several reasons to explain the outcome of this study. One of the most obvious is the frequency of the

Marketing Management and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Management and Strategy - Essay Example Different Firms use different strategies for the local and foreign marketing management. The main aim of this report is to critically analyze the international operations of an organization and the chosen company for the purpose is Coca Cola which is such a successful company due to its unique strategies. The Coca Cola Company is known widespread for its fizzy carbonated soft drink which is being sold in stores, cafeterias and retailing machines within more than 200 countries. Coca-Cola head offices are situated in Atlanta, Georgia, from where it was originated. The Coca-Cola Company actually produces beyond three thousands drinks and possesses four of the topmost five brands of soft drinks (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta). ‘Coke’ brand is among the world’s top familiar and extensively sold profitable products. Its biggest competitor is Pepsi. Though coke has been fronting a lot of criticism from many NGOs due to the presence of huge amount of Acid and the unhealthy impacts of the carbonated water but it has built strategies to overcome these and is still most familiar and favorite drink. Additionally the company is known for its ethical and safety considerations (Ford, Stephens, & Cooper, 2007). Initially this carbonated drink was envisioned as a patent medicine in the time it was first invented during early nineteenth century, then Coca Cola was subscribed by wise businessman, named Asa Griggs Candler, who made belligerent marketing strategies and enthusiastic marketing campaigns which steered the brand ‘Coke’ to be the most super and widely accepted brand in the world through the twentieth century. While confronted with charges of tenacious lateral impacts on the health of customers and unchallenged practices of the Coca Cola Company, Coke has continued to be a widespread soft drink in the twenty first century as well (Ford, Stephens, & Cooper, 2007). The company has also made its 2020

Stress & Its Relation to Heart Diseases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Stress & Its Relation to Heart Diseases - Essay Example The paper tells that depending on the nature of the work of an individual, stress due to work may be acute or chronic. Over the years, if chronic stress is allowed to eventually damage a person’s health, it will lead to metabolic syndrome or a combination of medical disorders which may include cardiovascular disorders. This will then develop into coronary heart disease. Low control over decisions regarding the work of people with high stress activities will facilitate health deterioration including the deterioration of arteries and other parts of the heart. Thus, the employers should take precautionary measures for these groups of people who have high work demand and low control over decisions about their work. Perhaps there can be rotation of duties and responsibilities to allow for workers to recover from too much stress while a less affected group substitutes for the purpose of training themselves to become more resilient to higher stress or more stress factors. Rewards sho uld compensate for more difficult jobs. Too much work stress over an extended time can result in damages to the cardiovascular system. But this is also true for the absence of jobs for people who need jobs. Stress can be in the form of job insecurity. It can also be chronic if a person experiences prolonged joblessness and experiences of failing to secure the job they can work on. It can cause depression. With depression comes the common response of the body to develop weak immune system, high blood pressures, frequent irritability, sleepless nights, sour relationships, and other unfavourable response.

The early 20th century USA, Latin America, and Africa Essay - 1

The early 20th century USA, Latin America, and Africa - Essay Example le, there three distinctive trends that they had; there was a tendency to be less and less accessible to the average person, a tendency to glorify art itself as well as to undercut traditional standards and values. A period before the 20th century, music was pretty easy for the average person to understand because they followed common harmonic patters that one could find to frequently popular tunes. (Hoffer, Charles pg. 67) However in the 20th century, composers began to move away from these patters toward what is called atonal music, that which has a pattern not easy to recognize. The century brought with it new freedom and wide experimentation with new musical styles and forms that challenged the accepted rules of early periods. Industrialization led to the inventions of electronic instruments and synthesizer that revolutionized popular music and speeded up the development of new form of music. A good case study is a Latin American music, which has a variety of styles that arrived in America and eventually become influential from the early Spanish and European Baroque to the different beats of the African rhythms.( Gopal, Sarvepalli pg. 102) On the other hand, in visual arts too, the three tendencies could be seen; artists could combine a multiple of perspectives, looking at an object from different points of view and sometimes at different times. It was not easy for an average person to interpret a simple piece of art rather than simply appreciating the art’s use of color, line, composition, as well as the artist’s feelings. They were also influenced by the various movements that fought for the people’s rights and freedom. Africans used various songs to mobilize their members against imperialisms; they also drew diagrams that could only be interpreted by them. But in the 20th century pieces of art have been used to give us, not unfamiliar images, but images that are as familiar as they can possibly be. People have been able to express their feelings in

Local food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Local food - Essay Example The English introduced afternoon tea, fresh food salads, and sandwiches into the world today. While the French added drinks to the English dining table, the Indians added spices and new veggies. The English exploration and a rich heritage of food culture ultimately is an incredible masterpiece of local food for the English people. The English start their day with egg and bacon breakfast taken down with seasoned tea or coffee. The cuisine may also include fried tomatoes, mushrooms, bread and baked beans. Children eat porridge or boiled oats during winter and cereals in summer (F, 2007). Breakfast is served hot and taken heavy; a tradition carried down from the Romans one meal a day policy. Although much of the cuisine disappeared during the food rationing period following World War II, the preserved cuisines heavily represent the ancient English culture. The English local food far outsmarts most foreign cuisines in terms of ease to cook and benefit to the body. The fresh farm produces eaten raw provides vital vitamins and minerals as animal products like eggs and bacon help build the body. Bread is a daily meal in England and a key source of energy foods. The balance created by these foods attracts many food enthusiasts and outweighs most processed foods cuisines. Fish has a historical twitch with the English and is prepared to suite every meal. The English have perfected fish preparation and preserved it for light dinner or lunch (Christopher, 2011). Dry table wine is legendary to both the English and the Italians. Wine is taken to supplement food and usually taken at the end of the meal. Wine, however, is a preserve for the well to do and most prefer water or tea at the end of a meal. Salads make an important part in the local cuisines in England. Salads such as asparagus, carrots, and French beans take center stage at a dinner. Thanks to the India exploration, more salads like chilies, cucumbers and ginger have been added to the cuisine. After

Ideology in Branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ideology in Branding - Essay Example Good ideologies make a business enterprise to prosper despite the strong wave of competition in the world of business today. Thos paper highlights how ideology helps in branding in Apple and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Ideology in Apple Apple Company is among the best performing companies in the world. Its brands such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones continue to dominate the market. There is an increase in usage of the Apple’s products in the world. The Company enjoys a continued flow of loyal customers from all over the globe. Mobile phones such as iphone, ipad, and ipod touch users have a wide range of applications. The secret behind the big leaps of success in Apple lies in its branding strategy (O’Grady, 2008:5). The sound ideology in branding has propelled the Apple Company to enjoy enduring success in the competitive business environment. Apple business strategies and practices adapts to the ever-changing world. The branding ideologies in Apple Company p reserve the core values while stimulating its progress to achieve superior long-term performance. To keep them strong in the market, Apple manufactures products that suits customer demands and preferences. The branding ideologies constantly changes to fit the people’s lifestyles. The branding ideologists have developed a glossy product with a simple advertisement that captures the attention across all ages (O’Grady, 2008:23). ... This has helped the company to monitor and respond to the customers’ demands. Apple Company considers and cares its consumers. The company demonstrates this through taking the product beyond the basic function. It has transformed its products into a status symbol that accommodates the requirement of the customers (O’Grady, 2008:35). Ideology in Understanding Brand and Methods The branding ideology helps the Apple Company to compete in very competitive and vibrant markets. The participants in the electronic markets include personal computer industries and software, the consumer electronic industry that sells ipod. Other players comprise of digital music distribution through the iTunes, smart phone market with the Apple iphone, and ipad tablet-computing device. Apple Company is in the process of establishing an advertising tool in the presence to its competitor Google in the advertising markets through its Appications business and iAd network. Apple has concentrated in cr eating innovative products and services that are in line with technological advancement for a long time. The Apple Macintosh computer products functions as digital for hub for digital services. These include the Apple ipod, cellular phones, digital video, and cameras. The company has advanced and has incorporate customer experience in their strategies. The company offers harmonised, synchronised, and integrated user experience across all its principal products. It uses iCloud as the hub. This is in line with their competence to deliver exceptional experience through quality user interfaces. The company bases its strategy around this goal with the iTunes, the iPhone with touch screen re-used on iPad. The Apple Apps

Yorkshire Dilect and Pronunciation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Yorkshire Dilect and Pronunciation - Case Study Example Ð  quÐ µstionnÐ °irÐ µ contÐ °ining itÐ µms which rÐ µflÐ µctÐ µd Ð ° numbÐ µr of sociÐ °l bond vÐ °riÐ °blÐ µs Ð °nd Ð ° mÐ µÃ °surÐ µ of frÐ µquÐ µncy of Yorkshire diÐ °lect wÐ °s Ð °dministÐ µrÐ µd to Ð ° sÐ °mplÐ µ of collÐ µgÐ µ studÐ µnts. ThÐ µ rÐ µsults indicÐ °tÐ µd thÐ °t nÐ µÃ °rly Ð °ll of thÐ µ sociÐ °l bond mÐ µÃ °surÐ µs wÐ µrÐ µ invÐ µrsÐ µly rÐ µlÐ °tÐ µd to thÐ µ frÐ µquÐ µncy of Yorkshire diÐ °lect. Ð  multivÐ °riÐ °tÐ µ modÐ µl thÐ °t usÐ µd thÐ µsÐ µ sociÐ °l bond mÐ µÃ °surÐ µs Ð µxplÐ °inÐ µd Ð °pproximÐ °tÐ µly onÐ µ-quÐ °rtÐ µr of thÐ µ vÐ °riÐ °ncÐ µ in thÐ µ frÐ µquÐ µncy of Yorkshire diÐ °lect for thÐ µ studÐ µnts in this sÐ °mplÐ µ. The term diÐ °lect refers to Ð ° specific vÐ °riety of Ð ° lÐ °nguÐ °ge, which differs systemÐ °ticÐ °lly from other vÐ °rieties in terms of pronunciÐ °tion, grÐ °mmÐ °r Ð °nd vocÐ °bulÐ °ry, but which is still generÐ °lly comprehensible to speÐ °kers of other diÐ °lects within thÐ °t lÐ °nguÐ °ge. Ð ccent refers simply to different pronunciÐ °tion pÐ °tterns Ð °nd, despite populÐ °r belief to the contrÐ °ry everybody speÐ °ks with Ð °n Ð °ccent. In other words, diÐ °lect is Ð °n umbrellÐ ° term for Ð ° vÐ °riety of linguistic feÐ °tures, one of which is Ð °ccent - the sound pÐ °tterns of Ð ° specific diÐ °lect. ... The chrcteristic fetures of the ccent of the region includeflt, uninflected mnner of speech, with less tonl vrition thn Stndrd English. The "u" sound is pronounced like the stndrd English "oo", so "luck" is pronounced (in IP) . The difference between the Yorkshire Pronuncition of "look" nd "luck" is difficult to her, the "look" vowel being slightly longer in durtion nd tending towrds the IP pronuncition. Shortening of "the" to "t", s in "I'm going down 't pub". Sometimes even the "t" is now omitted totlly, often it is pronounced s glottl stop. Mny dilect words, for exmple "owt" nd "nowt" (sometimes spelled s "ught" nd "nught") for "nything" or "nothing", "bevvy" for drink, "growler" for "pork pie", "lughole" for "er", "gip" for "vomit" funnily mkes the ugly Gipton estte in Leeds into "vomit-town"! etc. The word "us" is often used in plce of "me" or in the plce of "our" we should put us nmes on us property. Use of the singulr second-person pronoun "thou" nd "thee", lrgely in the southern prts of Yorkshire. These re often pronounced "thh" nd "thi". In ll cses of the pst tense of "to be" is "were": "I were wering t'red cot, but he were wering t'green one". The word "self" becomes "sen", prticulrly in North Yorkshire. E.g. "Yourself" becomes "Thy sen" In the South-Est of Yorkshire vowel shifts so "i" becomes "ee", nd "ee" becomes "i", so "Where hve you been lst night" becomes "wherst th bin lst neet". The letter "y" on the end of words is pronounced like the "i" in "city" or "pity" nd is thus shorter thn in Stndrd English "It's piti 't h didn't get sum sweets.". 1 In West Yorkshire, words like "blue" nd "you" hve n exggerted "euw" sound in "bleuw" nd "yeuw". This is best herd in the West Yorkshire

Nationalistic Design in Practice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nationalistic Design in Practice - Assignment Example In this way, the above products all represent some form or fashion of American ideology and majority belief. The Campbell’s soup retains the traditional labeling that has defined the product for so long as a staple of American life. Likewise, the brand’s labeling holds true t the use of Red and White – both colors of the American flag. Secondly, the Ford F-250 is also a quintessentially American product that hearkens back to the days in which a vast frontier stretched before would-be settlers (Ford 1). Reminiscent of the Conestoga wagons, the massive truck is the epitome of American oversize and excess. Lastly, the Dickies brand of work clothes invokes the idea that America is still a country of industrial producing workers (Dickies 1). Although this is far from the truth, the brand continues to evoke such ideas with its careful use of Red, White, and Blue along with the inclusion of a horse shoe in the logo. With regards to three products that are noticeably non-nationalistic in origin, this analysis has chosen to examine Pepperidge Farm’s Pirouettes, Ford’s Fiesta, and American Apparel’s European-themed product offerings. Due to the fact that each of these products draws on inspiration from the other side of the Atlantic, the amount of nationalist influence on the products is limited if not non-existent. Firstly, the Pepperidge Farm product does not even bear a comparable name in English. It is marketed as a French creation even though it is made and distributed by an American bakery (Pepperidge Farm 1). Secondly, the Ford Fiesta has recently had a major face-life and redesign from its earlier days as a very boring and non descript econo-box (Ford 2). As such, the designers have drawn on inspiration from Ford’s European division to design a product offering for the American market that draws heavily on European

Marijuana and Alcohol Essay Example for Free

Marijuana and Alcohol Essay It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that alcohol and marijuana comprise the two most commonly abused drugs by young adults in America. But while many would ask why young adults use these drugs, it’s more important to understand how these drugs affect the body. What exactly do these drugs do to the body and how does the body process them? Are the effects always negative? Does the amount consumed make a significant difference? First I will give a brief history of each drug, followed by the physiological processes of digesting each drug in the body, and I will conclude by examining the short and long-term effects of prolonged use of each substance. My goal is to give honest explanations about the effects of each drug using the most recent and accurate scientific data and statistics. To understand these drugs more effectively, it is important to give a brief history of each. Marijuana use has been documented as early as 2737 B. C. in ancient China. It spread through India, North Africa, and Europe as an â€Å"agent for achieving euphoria† and as a medicine for a variety of illnesses (â€Å"History of Marijuana†). It was first introduced in America in 1611 in Jamestown, Virginia. Up until the 20th century, it was never made illegal in the United States because the users didn’t seem to cause harm to themselves or others while on the drug. It wasn’t until the 1930’s that legislation was introduced to portray marijuana as a dangerous, addictive drug that would lead to narcotic addiction. 40 years later, in the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana was legally classified as a Category 1 drug (the same category as LSD and heroin). During the Reagan administration, very strict marijuana laws were passed in attempt to further discourage teenagers from using the drug. The end result was a decrease in usage in the short term, but there has been a steady upward trend of usage since the early 1990’s (â€Å"History of Marijuana†). The history of alcohol also dates back thousands of years. Fermented grain, fruits, and honey have been used for alcohol production since 7000 BC. Again, the first documented use is in China. Gradually, the use of alcohol spread through India, Babylon, and Europe. By the 16th century, the British government actually encouraged alcohol use for â€Å"medicinal purposes† (â€Å"Alcohol: A Short History†). Not coincidentally, alcoholism became a widespread problem for Great Britain during that time period. But it wasn’t until the late 19th century that attitudes around the world starting changing in regards to alcohol. A movement for prohibition was rising and by 1920, the United States had outlawed production and distribution of alcohol. 13 years later, in response to an enormously uncontrollable black market for alcohol that the government indirectly created, Congress repealed the law. Today, alcohol is widely used by not just those legal to buy it, but also by teenagers and young adults. An estimated 15 million Americans (all ages) suffer from alcoholism and 40% of all deaths due to car accidents involve alcohol. (â€Å"Alcohol: A Short History†) It is important now to focus on the physiological process of digesting marijuana in the body. An article titled â€Å"How Marijuana Works†, written by Kevin Bosner gives extensive detail on how the body processes the drug. Marijuana is most commonly ingested through smoke. The strongest chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannnabinol), which gives a â€Å"high† feeling to users. When smoke from marijuana is inhaled, THC goes into the lungs and is exposed to millions of tiny sacks called alveoli. The alveoli are responsible for the gas exchange between capillaries and lungs. THC enters the alveoli where it is transferred to the blood stream, which then brings the compound into major organs like the brain. Typically, THC reaches the brain within seconds after it is inhaled. After THC reaches the brain, it affects the neurotransmitters in the brain by mimicking and blocking the actions of the neurotransmitters. When neurotransmitters are blocked, the transfer of neurons across the synapse is hindered. This slows down reaction times and cognitive ability. It is also important to note that the brain does have cannabinoid receptors, which process THC, a cannabis chemical. The cannabinoid receptors when activated can have an effect on short-term memory, coordination, learning, and problem solving. The cannabinoid receptors are normally activated by a neurotransmitter called anandamide. THC mimics the actions of anandamide and therefore can bind to cannabinoid receptors, activate neurons, and affect the body and mind. Cannabinoid receptors exist in seven different places in the brain: hippocampus, cerebellum, basal ganglia, amygdala, hypothalamus, neocortex, and brain stem. Each place in the brain controls different functions in the body and each is affected in a different way by the cannabinoid receptors. When THC binds with receptors in the hippocampus, it affects the short-term memory. When THC binds with receptors in the cerebellum, it can affect one’s coordination. THC can affect unconscious muscle movements when its binds to receptors in the basal ganglia leading to a loss of motor coordination skills. People also feel anxious and nervous when ingesting marijuana due to the effect THC has on the amygdala, which is responsible for anxiety, emotion, and fear. When THC binds to receptors in the hypothalamus, it affects one’s appetite, which explains why people tend to get hungry when they feel high. THC impairs problem-solving abilities when THC binds to receptors in the neocortex, which is primarily responsible for â€Å"higher cognitive functions and the integration of sensory information† (â€Å"How Marijuana Works†). Lastly, the effect it has on the brain stem can reduce the sensation of pain. Alcohol, on the other hand, is processed in a different way than marijuana. Alcohol can only be ingested orally, usually in a liquid form that goes straight down the mouth through the esophagus and into the stomach. The Brown University Health Center gives an in-depth discussion of the digestion process of alcohol in an article titled â€Å"Alcohol and Your Body. † Once in the stomach, the alcohol flows through the walls of the stomach into the bloodstream and on to the small intestine. From there it flows into the liver. In the liver, a compound called gastric alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) metabolizes the alcohol. The amount of ADH a person has will determine how well the body can process the alcohol. The more ADH the body has, the better it can process the alcohol. A normal, healthy liver can process about half an ounce of pure alcohol every hour. If the rate of alcohol ingested exceeds 1 pure ounce every hour (about 1 standard drink per hour), the rest of the alcohol continues through the blood stream and flows to the heart. When it enters the heart, alcohol reduces the heart rate, which lowers the amount of blood being pumped through the body. This lets the capillaries relax and as a result, blood pressure goes down. The heart rate will return to normal shortly after the alcohol passes through the heart, but the blood pressure could remain low for up to a half hour after the alcohol goes through the heart. After passing through the heart, alcohol flows through the pulmonary artery into the lungs. After the gas exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide, the blood, which is now oxygenated but still contains alcohol, flows back to the heart through the pulmonary vein, and then out of the heart through the aorta to the rest of the body. It then reaches the brain and retards the transmission between nerve cells that control the ability to think and move. This causes many of the side effects associated with being drunk: fuzzy thinking, impaired judgment, blurred vision, and rubbery muscles. Alcohol also reduces the production of antidiuretic hormones. These hormones prevent the body from making too much urine. A loss of these hormones results in too much urine. Too much urine causes lower levels of liquid, vitamins, and minerals in the body, which is why many people feel so thirsty when they drink and especially the day after they drink. The flow of alcohol throughout the body will continue until the liver can produce enough ADH to metabolize all the alcohol. Obviously, the more alcohol consumed, the more intense the side effects of drunkenness will become (â€Å"Alcohol and Your Body†). Now that the physiological process of alcohol and marijuana is clear, it is necessary to compare the effects of each substance. â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†, an article published on saferchoice. org, outlines both the short and long-term effects. Beginning with the short-term effects (effects felt immediately within minutes of consuming either drug), both drugs impede brain function and cause some similar side effects. However, there are some key differences between the two drugs that must be addressed. First, an excess of alcohol consumption in one sitting can lead to death. If the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) gets too high, (usually . 4% or above) it can slow down the heart to the point where the contractions stop all together causing cardiac arrest. It can impede brain function to the point where unconscious breathing no longer continues resulting in death. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 37,000 people are killed annually in the United States from alcohol abuse (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). The CDC does not even have a category for people killed from marijuana use. There has never been a case of an individual dying from a marijuana overdose. Another differing effect is the impact each drug has on brain cells. It has been well documented that alcohol kills brain cells, but marijuana has not been proven to kill brain cells and in fact, a growing number of studies in the medical community indicate that marijuana has properties that protect brain cells (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). Alcohol can also have damaging effects in its behavioral components. According to â€Å"Drugs of Abuse and The Elicitation of Aggressive Behavior, an article written by Peter Hoaken, â€Å"alcohol is the drug with the most evidence to support a direct intoxication-violence relationship. † On the other hand, marijuana was shown to reduce the likelihood of violence during intoxication. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism also reports 25-30% of violent crimes in the United States have a link to the use of alcohol (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). There is no comparable statistic for violent crimes with a link to marijuana because the government doesn’t track violent crimes related to marijuana use. It is a rare occurrence. Alcohol use has also been shown to contribute to domestic abuse and sexual assault. Obviously, alcohol does not directly cause this problem but those are who more prone to that kind of behavior will likely act on it during alcohol intoxication. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) declared alcohol to be the most commonly used chemical in sexual assault crimes. Interestingly, RAINN’s website gives information about all drugs that are linked to sexual violence and marijuana does not even have a category on their website because it has never been associated with sexual assault crimes (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). Clearly, in the short term, the effects of marijuana are less dangerous than alcohol when both substances are used to get intoxicated. But there is another component to the discussion: alcohol is not necessarily used for intoxication. Most adults drink a beer, or a glass of wine with dinner. The drink or two does not cause any of the serious effects associated with â€Å"drunkenness†, but rather might relax the individual by slightly lowering heart rate and blood pressure. While there are a small minority of people of who use marijuana in this way, (perhaps a small dosage before a meal to improve the taste) it is in no way as widely used in this manner as alcohol. Most people smoke marijuana with the sole purpose of intoxication. So it begs the question, can a drink or two daily be good for the human body? There have been a number of studies in the last decade to suggest that it is indeed beneficial to have a drink or two daily. According to an article â€Å"Alcohol is Good For You? † in the New York Times, there is general consensus in the scientific community that a couple drinks a day ward off diabetes, dementia, and even lowers the risk of heart attacks. The article goes on to say though that a growing number of scientists are starting to question whether this is causation or correlation. Many scientists believe that moderate drinking is not something healthy to do, but rather something that healthy people tend to do. That being said, there are certain factors that lead scientists to the belief that a low amount of alcohol consumed daily can be beneficial: alcohol increases HDL cholesterol which has anticlotting effects and alcohol also reduces the heart rate and blood pressure lowering stress on the body. All in all, more studies are being conducted to determine whether or not there is true causation between moderate drinking and marginal health benefits. However, even the largest proponents of moderate drinking acknowledge the limitations in truly proving causation. The study would be costly and in order to avoid bias and controversy, the study would have to be financed by the government and the government would likely avoid the issue because it is controversial. In terms of marijuana though, there is no group of respected scientists that recommend smoking a joint daily for health benefits. There have been studies showing that smoking moderate amounts of weed may not be as harmful as was originally thought, at least to some parts of the body. But again, it still isn’t recommended. According to an article in Scientific American called â€Å"Casual Marijuana Smoking Not Harmful to Lungs†, smoking one joint per day over long periods of time does not decrease lung function. The study compared the effects of cigarette and marijuana smoke on the lungs over twenty years. Obviously, tobacco was revealed to have negative effects on the lungs, but with pot-smokers, lung capacity was not affected at all and even in some cases seen to have mild improvement. Scientists believe though that this may the effect of the â€Å"deep breathing† that marijuana users often do to sustain a better â€Å"high. † Also, the typical marijuana smoker might smoke one joint per day while the typical cigarette smoker ingests between half a pack and two packs per day. Although the study shows some neutral and slightly positive effects of marijuana on the lungs, they also go on to say that chronic moderate marijuana use, meaning those who smoke up to a joint per day for years, has also been associated with anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and depression. Again, it is hard to prove direct causation between marijuana and mental illnesses, but there certainly is a correlation. The article also says that marijuana affects learning and memory, as well as everyday functioning and alertness. These long-term effects are not necessarily shocking, but depending on the age of the marijuana user, the long-term effects can be extremely detrimental. According to â€Å"Adolescent Pot Use Leaves Lasting Mental Deficits†¦Ã¢â‚¬  an article in Science Daily, marijuana use has much more serious effects on adolescents. The study followed a group of teenagers, documenting their IQ at age 13 and age 38. There was an average decrease of 8 points in those who started using pot chronically (at least once a week for a few years) before 18 years old. There was not a similar decline in those who started using the drug after 18. Worst of all, the damage was irreversible. Many of the ones who lost IQ points stopped smoking marijuana after age 18, but never recovered the cognitive ability they lost due to marijuana. Those who smoked chronically before age 18 were also more likely to suffer from mental illnesses at some point in their life. Many of the same losses in cognitive functioning are associated with underage drinking as well. One of the main reasons the drinking age in the United States is 21 is because it has been proven in numerous studies that alcohol abuse as an adolescent impairs cognitive ability and hinders brain function. Generally speaking for drinkers of all ages, one of the largest long-term effects of chronic alcohol abuse is a wide variety of cancers. Alcohol abuse can cause cancer of the stomach, esophagus, colon, pancreas, liver, and even the prostate (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). In comparison, marijuana has not been associated with any forms of cancer. There is another alarmingly serious consequence associated with alcohol abuse that has not been found with marijuana abuse: addiction. Alcohol is a very addictive substance. It is not uncommon for the body to go through alcohol withdrawals after continuous drinking over even a short period of time. Common alcohol withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, twitchiness, sweating of the palms, and headaches. Marijuana has not been shown to cause any physical withdrawal side effects. There might be a psychological addiction, but no physical symptoms of withdrawal in the body (â€Å"Marijuana vs. Alcohol†). In conclusion, neither drug is recommended in large amounts over a long time period or any time period for that matter. Clearly though, in the short-term, the effects are far less grave and dangerous with marijuana. Alcohol overdoses are deadly. Marijuana â€Å"overdoses† will cause to you to pass out at worst, but will not kill you. Alcohol in large quantities makes people more violent, and can often to lead to sexual assault. Marijuana does neither. Prolonged abuse of either substance though leads to declining cognitive function. Excessive marijuana abuse leads to depression, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses. Excessive alcohol abuse can lead to liver failure, cancer, sometimes depression, and many other diseases. Most importantly, both drugs are especially damaging to adolescents because they affect the development of the brain. Overall, these two drugs, when used in moderation, won’t kill you, and might even have some beneficial effects. For example, marijuana is often used as a medicine: many people recovering from chemotherapy use it to relieve nausea and increase the appetite. One or two drinks of alcohol per day can lower the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke. The big difference between the two is that alcohol has been studied for decades now. The consensus on alcohol is clear: too much is bad and it is acceptable in moderation. Marijuana has not been studied as extensively and more research will need to be done to determine concrete side effects or benefits associated with long-term usage. Obviously, it is not as harmful as originally thought when it was first made illegal in 1970 and classified as a Category 1 drug. Nobody today thinks marijuana is as dangerous as LSD and heroin. That being said, many more studies need to be done before the scientific community can come up with a general consensus about the long-term effects of habitual usage of the drug. Works Cited Adolescent Pot Use Leaves Lasting Mental Deficits; Developing Brain Susceptible to Lasting Damage from Exposure to Marijuana. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2012/08/120827152039. htm. Alcohol and Your Body. Rep. Brown University Health Education, n. d. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. http://brown. edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/alcohol,_tobacco,__other_drugs/alcohol/alcohol__your_body. php. Bosner, Kevin. How Marijuana Works. HowStuffWorks. N. p. , n. d. Web. 18 Nov.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Technology Impact

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Technology Impact THE IMPACT OF CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY ON INFORMATION AND STRATEGY IN THE RETAIL Industry EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This report examines CRMs impact on information use and strategy in the retail sector. Regarding CRMs impact on information use the reports reveal that CRMs data warehousing, automation, mining, knowledge management and knowledge sharing capabilities have significantly impacted how organisations retain, share and disseminate information to relevant areas of the business. Key information on buying trends, customer profiles can be elicited so that appropriate modifications can be made regarding pricing, product, promotional and other elements to provide enhanced products and services. CRM, for many retail organisations, has meant information is now used as a source of competitive advantage. Examining CRMs impact on strategy, the report illustrates through the MIT90s framework that strategic alignment between CRM technology and the organisations structure, its strategy, its people and culture is essential for technology to be integrated effectively. The reports findings reveal numerous barriers to CRM. These centre on an over focus on the technical-requirements than on business strategy, a lack of cross-functional coordination, failure to support monitor and evaluate CRM performance, an unreceptive organisational culture to technological change and an inability to see CRM implementation from a holistic approach. An unwillingness to share information and knowledge was also highlighted as a potential inhibitor to unlocking CRM potential. Evidence illustrates that barriers essentially fall under a strategic misalignment between technology, structure, strategy or culture of an organisation. In response, a number of recommendations to aid retail organisations in unlocking CRM potential are provided. These include: a holistic perspective towards CRM implementation; a focus on strategic alignment between CRM and the organisations strategy, structure, individuals and culture; a CRM strategy, outlining its strategic objectives; understan ding the organisations data needs; encouraging organisational agility to provide a more adaptable structure that CRM technology can be integrated more easily into; introducing tailored recruitment and training programs to foster the right CRM competencies backed with an effective incentive system and the facilitating a communal culture organisational culture emphasising teamwork, empowerment, communication, innovation and a strong customer orientation. INTRODUCTION: With managing customer relationships now central to organisational success (Kohli et al, 2001; OHalloran, 2003; Nguyen et al, 2007), developing long-term customer relationships through user enabling Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology has moved to the ‘top of the corporate priority list for many retail organisations (Smith, 2006:87). But what precisely are the direct implications CRM has on information and on strategy? and why is that many CRM projects in the past have failed? What can retail organisations do to ensure CRM success? It is these areas that this report seeks to explore within a retail sector context. The author has selected to investigate these areas in a retail sector context due to its sheer growth, impact and scale of usage within this industry (Anon, 2009). It has revolutionised the way retail companies utilise data to identify key information trends and thus elicit and apply this knowledge to potentially increase profits (Miller, 1999). The repo rts main body is therefore split into two sections, with section one examining the impact CRM technology has on information use and section two, using the MIT90s framework, exploring the potential consequences CRM has on strategy for retail organisations. Lastly, barriers associated to successful CRM implementation are considered and recommendations presented as to how retail organisations can fully unlock and capitalise on their CRM capabilities. SECTION 1: USE OF TECHNOLOGY The following section provides an explanation of CRM from a theoretical standpoint, through an analysis of literature definitions and a practical one, in terms of hardware, software and data structures. 1.1 Explanation of Technology The range of CRM definitions emerging over the years have provided many interpretations of what precisely CRM is and does (McKie, 2000). Broader, arguably looser definitions view CRM as a natural progression from relationship marketing (Light, 2001), where ‘information systems†¦enable organisations to realise a customer focus (Bull, 2005:593). Richer, complex definitions view CRM technology enabling organisations via the utilisation of customer related information to ‘foster closer relationships with their customers (Levine, 2000; Hsieh, 2009:416). More specifically, McNally (2007:169) defines CRM as a ‘strategic process addressing all aspects associated with identifying customers, creating customer knowledge, building customer relationships, and shaping organisation and product perceptions. Nguyen (et al, 2007:103) echoes this, but provides a more simplified version, ‘CRM is a strategic process that helps companies better understand their customers needs so they can provide these needs to their customers at the right time while improving the companys processes. The emphasis on strategic process in the former two definitions fits particularly well when explaining how CRM works in the retail sector in terms of hardware, software and data structures. Here transactional data from EPOS sales systems, web systems, sales contact systems systems and loyalty schemes (data) through automated data capture is sent to the client server mainframe at head office (hardware) where an analysis of relationships (using software) is conducted (Mutch, 2008). It is then data warehoused and structured in a way that allows the user (with the use of CRM tools) to extract patterns and relationships on important trends, such as information on particular customer profile groups and their purchasing habits, average spend, preference for offers etc. This can then be utilised to identify potential ways of improving profitability and disseminated back to relevant departments. 1.2 Impact of CRM on Information use in the Retail Sector The following section analyses CRM technologys impact on information use in the retail sector. Information here is broken down into three main elements: data; being raw statistics, symbols, numbers, information; processed data considered and knowledge; the application of data and information (Beynon-Davies, 2009). The relationship between one another is also presented throughout. 1.2.1 Impact of CRM on data use A. Provided more efficient and effective use of data, through warehousing, mining and cross-functional integration. CRMs capability for integrating multiple databases across different areas of the retail organisation has impacted data use in the sense that it has enabled users to have access to real time, relevant and accurate customer data. Fallon (2008) and Kaplan (2009) indicate that CRM allows retail companies to absorb raw customer data from multiple sources and integrate it into a centralised CRM system. There it is warehoused and later mined so important trends and information can be elicited and utilised (as applied knowledge) to improve customer relationships (Park and Kim, 2003; Chowdhury, 2009). Where CRMs impact on data use lies is that through data warehousing, users with the aid of CRM mining tools, can analyse masses of real time transactional data such as sales amount, transaction time, place and buyer and non-transactional data, such as customer inquiries/feedback and separate this out into key information on product lines, pricing and customer profile and trends, down to each spe cific retail department and individual store (Miller, 1999). They can then filter back important information and knowledge to management and staff so that the right people at different organisational levels have the necessary know-how to provide enhanced levels of customer service, solve problems and increase profitability (Park and Kim, 2003). B. Negatively impact as a form of customers surveillance Amid growing concerns over data sensitivity and the increasing cross-referencing sale of data CRM has negatively impacted data use (Bodenberg, 2001: Mutch 2008). Literature indicates that CRM technology, with its capability to collect vast amounts of customer data for own strategic purposes, has led to a mass surveillance and monitoring of customer behaviour (Park and Kim, 2003). Consequently, data access and exchange has become more restricted due to stringent data protection legislation and company guidelines over the storage, access and lawful use of personnel customer information (Mutch, 2008). 1.2.2 Impact of CRM on information use A. Information now used as a source of competitive advantage†¦using real time data and information enable a real time response A CRM system allows retail organisations to pull all the transactional and non transactional data together and through the use of CRM tools, extracts key information critical to help coordinate sales, marketing, and customer service departments to better and faster serve customers needs (Smith 2006). In the retail industry CRM has particularly impacted on the way information is used to formulate customer profiles. Organisations can now quickly identify who there customers are, what they buy, how often, the quantities in which they buy etc and use this information to modify pricing, product or service offerings and other elements such as customer service to create an in-depth understanding of customer needs and provide fair value to all customers (Park and Kim, 2003). Put simply, CRM has impacted information use in that users can quickly provide comprehensive summary reports on critical business information to make informed decisions and responses to reduce costs and increase profitab ility at a much faster rate (McLuhan, 2001). 1.1.3 Impact of CRM on how knowledge is used A. CRM impacts on organisations potential for improving knowledge retention, management and sharing†¦.knowledge as a resource Literature advocates that CRM has enhanced organisations ability to share and utilise knowledge (Krebs, 1998; Fan and Ku, 2010). Reychav (2009:235) concurs CRM has improved ‘employees ability to share knowledge both tacit and explicit and thus develop a customer orientation right throughout the business. This is supported by Krebs (1998) although he argues that codifying and storing tacit knowledge to be a much more intricate process. Irrespective, a wealth of evidence indicates CRM has changed the way knowledge is used in terms of how it is shared (Krebs, 1998). For example, in the retail sector, knowledge on particular buying habits of customer groups can be stored on a CRM system at head office where it is accessed by relevant departments (marketing, accounts, sales) who design appropriate promotional deals or joint offers on product lines to increase sales and profitability. This ‘knowledge can than be disseminated to appropriate retail outlets/stores to be implemente d. SECTION 2: STRATEGY The following section examines CRMs impact on strategy within the retail sector and begins with a short outline of the key issues of CRM that prevent CRM from fulfilling its potential capabilities in practice. These are conceptualised in the following sections using Scott-Mortons (1991) MIT90s framework (see below), which stresses strategic alignment and integration of CRM technology within all areas of the business is essential to capitalise on CRM potential. 2.1 Context The key issues of implementing CRM technology and its impact on business strategy are: 1. Strategic alignment between CRM technology and business retail strategy 2. Ensuring the organisations structure works synonymously with CRM technology 3. The provision of individual training, recruitment and within this revised job descriptions to ensure the development of necessary competencies to maximise CRM potential 4. How organisational culture positively or negatively affect an organisations and its employees ability to use information elicited from CRM technology These are now explored in more depth in the following sections using the MIT90s framework model illustrated below. 2.1 Strategy History is littered with past CRM failures, Carsdirect.com (Anon, 2000) and Lexmark (Songini, 2002) being perfect examples. McLuhan (2001) and Ramsey (2003) indicate most CRM failures are due to focusing overly on technical-requirements (technological determinism) rather than on the business strategy and the organisations needs. A lack of cross functional coordination, failure to support monitor and evaluate CRM performance and a failure to approach CRM implementation from a holistic approach are some of the other cited reasons as to why CRM projects fail (McLuhan, 2001; Bull, 2003). Other academics argue an unreceptive organisational culture to technological change coupled with an unwillingness to share information and knowledge as inhibitors to unlocking the potential benefits that CRM offers (Kotorov, 2003; Pavlovets, 2005). Essentially the problems cited by literature come under the central issue of strategic alignment, a notion stressed in Henderson and Venkatramans (1993) Strategic Alignment Model and Turbans, et al. (1999) cultural model, though arguably conceptualised to greater effect in the MIT90s framework (Scott-Morton, 1991) which is predominantly the main framework used in this report. The model advocates that for IT change to be successful, technology must be aligned to the company as a whole, so that organisational strategy, infrastructure, existing technology, individual roles, training programs, management and the organisations culture work synonymously with each other (Scott-Morton, 1991). Macredie et al. (1998), supports this perspective, concurring that CRM success is dependent on alignment between organisational strategy, structure and culture. Misalignment between these areas prevents CRM from fully delivering its potential capabilities. For example, if a retail organisations structur e restricts CRM access to marketing and senior management only than it is unlikely that crucial information will be fed down to middle management and employees at operational level (those who interact with customers on a day to day basis) who require it most. Conversely, if the CRM system is not complemented with a recruitment and training policy that is designed to source and develop core competencies required to use CRM technology efectively, than it will most likely fail. Thus, a strategically aligned approach to information strategy (see appendix figure 1), ensuring information systems strategy, information management strategy, information technology strategy and information resource strategy are connected to each other and the overall organizations strategy is a critical success factor for integrating CRM effectively throughout the organisation (Earl, 2000; Van Bentum, 2005). The following sections now turn towards ensuring alignment within other areas of the organisation. 2.2 Structure Numerous writers cite the sheer importance of aligning organisational structure with strategy, technology, the environment and its organisational culture (Mintzberg, 1989; Miller, 1989). In other words, to maximise your IT capabilities, an organisations structure must fit with its environment (Burns and Stalker, 1991; Senge, 1994). Over the years, this has led many retail organisations to shift away from traditional large-scale bureaucratic and hierarchical organisational forms to less traditional divsionalised structures facilitated by business process reengineering. However, evidence suggests such structures not only lose the benefits associated with large-scale bureaucratic organisations such as functional specialism and data interpretation from middle level managers, but also often fail to build strong links between divisions of the business, leading to a loss of shared core competencies and knowledge (Mabey, Saloman and Storey, 2001; Mutch, 2008). Literature is therefore indicat ive neither structure is particularly appropriate when integrating CRM technology. More recently, de-structured organisational forms, with an emphasis on high performance, knowledge creation and the empowerment of teams reflect a more suitable organisational structure in aiding retail organisations to elicit the potential their CRM application offers (Mabey, Saloman and Storey, 2001). Here, structure is built with speed, integration, innovation and flexibility in mind and an adhoc, boundaryless approach more receptive to technology change is instilled throughout the organisation. This encourages a free flowing information exchange throughout strategic, tactical and operational levels, structuring the organisation in a way where senior and middle management staff at retail organisations disseminate key important information and knowledge to employees at operational level. Where CRM role comes into play, is that it can be used to support these networked/lattice forms of organisations (Zuboff, 1988). It therefore appears that organisational agility, termed by Gunneson (1997:3) as ‘a flat, fast, flexible organisation, with continuous interaction, support, and communications among various disciplines, with highly decentralized management that recognises what its knowledge base is and how it can manage that base most effectively, is an essential component of structure. To achieve this, retail organisations must adopt a lattice/network like structure that has a mix of stability and flexibility to support the organisations capabilities and the empowerment of team working through cross functional teams with a focus on developing the collective intelligence of teams to meet the complexity of the dynamic environment (see Lorrimar, 1999). Such a structure is typically flat with large spans of control, features lateral communication and helps develop and maintain a project teamwork ethos and customer focus to ensure decision-making is guided by customer satisfaction (Friesen, 2005:33 ). This increases employee involvement, enhances communication, speeds up decision-making and breaks down boundaries thus enhancing flexibility and capacity to adapt (Clayton, 2006). 2.3 Roles Literature advocates that it is organisational peoples use of CRM, not the technology itself, which is where organisations truly capitalise on opening up CRMs full capabilities (McNally, 2007:169). Accordingly, recruitment, job descriptions and individual training should be amended in order to ensure the retail organisations have the right processes and programs in place to ascertain the competencies needed to utilise CRM technology. Job specifications for staff or ‘librarians accessing CRM should be amended to encourage a proactive approach towards their duties (Owens, Wilson and Abell, 1996). In addition, selection criteria should be adjusted to identify candidates who possess CRM capabilities through IT/CRM related qualification/certificates or direct experience gained through previous employment. Various levels of CRM training programs tailored to each department, and manager should be introduced and should centre on themes which retail procedure and policies regarding data analysis (McKean, 1999), communication competence, such as the use of emails (Ciaborra and Patriotta, 1996) and the ethical use of information to protect the identification of individual customers (Mason, Mason and Culnan, 1995), as well as CRM operational and functional use and how it works across the organisation (Mutch, 2008). The above changes should help retail organisations foster the necessary competencies to ensure CRMs correct use throughout the organisation (Alter, 2009). It is argued that these changes (jobs, processes and a lattice/network like structure), supporting richer communication and information sharing, allow workers to become informated by CRM and view the organisation in its totality, making information and processes once hidden, transparent (Zuboff, 1988). 2.4 Culture Different aspects of organisational culture impact CRM use both positively and negatively in numerous ways. Van Bentum, (2005) analysis of organisational culture distinguishes between several variants of culture. Of these more ‘mercenary (characterised by heavy inward competition and intense internal and external rivalry) types of culture, often lend themselves to a communication framework that does not match with the knowledge management, knowledge retention and sharing capabilities that CRM offers. This impacts CRM use negatively, creating reluctance on behalf of the individual to use a system that transfers their core knowledge to an internal ‘rival. It is this mismatch between culture and technology that is why many CRM projects fail. Such organisational cultures restrict CRMs knowledge sharing capability and discourage its use by workers (Van Bentum, 2005). Sub-cultures operating within departments or functions of the organisation are also seen to negatively hinder C RM use, often displaying resistance and an unwillingness to change and adapt to CRMs integration (Leverick, et al. 1998). In illustrating a more positive impact culture can have on CRM use, Van Bentum, (2005) advocates a ‘communal culture based on openness, innovation and continuous learning. Here culture positively impacts CRM in the sense that it is embraced by organisational people with a clear customer orientation, who in turn seek to utilise its capabilities to the fullest in their day-to-day activities. It is this type of culture that retail sector organisations currently operating a ‘mercenary type culture, should move towards. Another cultural aspect impacting CRM use is that organisational peoples belief system regarding CRM ease-of-use and usefulness can have a significant impact on its performance highlighted (Avlontis and Panagopoulous, 2005). If perceived useful and easy-to-use, CRM leads to performance improvements. Conversely, if perceived as not useful and difficult to use, CRM will have little impact on performance and on fulfilling its strategic objectives (Avlontis and Panagopoulous, 2005). The above cultural impacts on CRM use are indicative of a clear correlation between the type of organisational culture and IT performance (Davis, 1989; Avlontis and Panagopoulous, 2005). Literature indicates that retail organisations (particularly management spearheading/championing CRM) must nurture a communal CRM culture through an environment of teamwork, innovation, trust and a receptiveness towards CRM technology in order to ensure its embracement throughout the organisation (Avlontis and Panagopoulous, 2005:Van Bentum, 2005). an appropriate cultural foundation, is prerequisite to CRM success. SECTION 3: CONCLUSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS This report has sought to examine CRMs impact on information use and strategy in the retail sector, revealing some of the reasons was as to why CRM projects fail and recommendations to capitalise on CRM potential. The reports main findings and recommendations are summarised below: 3.1 KEY FINDINGS 1. CRM technology has significantly impacted the relationship between data, information and knowledge and their use in the retail industry. Data and information are now used as a source of competitive advantage. Knowledge is now seen as a resource through retention and sharing. 2. Strategic alignment is a critical for CRM success. 3. There are numerous barriers to successful CRM often attributable to a strategic misalignment (summarised in appendix figure 2). 3.2 RECCOMENDATIONS 1. A holistic perspective towards CRM implementation and strategic alignment between CRM and the organisations strategy, structure, individuals and culture is a critical for CRM success (Scott-Morton, 1991; Macredie, et al. 1998; Bull, 2003). 2. A CRM strategy, outlining its strategic objectives and a clear plan for integrating it into the organisations business processes and systems are perquisites for any successful CRM implementation project. 3. Understanding data needs and how the data will be used to extract information and elicit knowledge to increase profitability is critical. 4. Organisational agility to adapt to contextual factors such as new CRM technology is essential. De-structural changes in specific departments such as implementing flatter structures, introducing cross-functional teams and lateral communication channels is more suited to unlocking CRM potential (Lorrimar, 1999; Mabey, Saloman and Storey, 2001). 5. Organisational peoples role in how CRM is used is a major determinant of its success (McNally, 2007). Tailored recruitment and training programs to foster the right CRM competencies supported with an effective incentive system are critical (Avlontis and Panagopoulous, 2005). A communal organisational culture emphasising a strong customer orientation, teamwork, empowerment, communication, innovation, accurate expectations regarding system usage and a receptiveness towards new technology is crucial to elicit employee commitment to CRM (Van Bentum, 2005). APPENDIX * Open focussing on technical-requirements reather than on the business strategy and organisations needs (McLuhan, 2001; Ramsey, 2003) * Lack of cross functional coordination (McLuhan, 2001) * Failure to support monitor and evaluate CRM performance (McLuhan, 2001; Bull, 2003) * Failure to approach CRM implementation from a holistic approach (McLuhan, 2001; Bull, 2003) * An unreceptive organisational culture to technological change (Kotorov, 2003) and sub cultures displaying resistance and an unwillingness to change and adapt to how CRM fits into their working duties acts as a barrier to unlocking CRM potential (Leverick, et al. 1998) * An unwillingness to share information and knowledge as inhibiting CRM potential (Kotorov, 2003; Pavlovets, 2005)

Regional and extra regional players

Regional and extra regional players CHAPTER IV THE REGIONAL AND THE EXTRA REGIONAL PLAYERS AND THEIR ROLES â€Å"Besides a common religion, Islam, foreign invaders- from Alexander the great to British in the 19th century and the Soviets in the 20th century have united the Afghans†. -Insight Magazine, 09 April 1990. Brief History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Afghanistan was the only country in the world to launch a strong protest in United Nations against the induction of Pakistan in 1947 and also to lodge a border dispute with Pakistan when it claimed that Durand Line is no more a binding contract as now there is no British Raj present in the region[1]. It also incited a major incursion in Bajur Agency, NWFP in 1961 with hope to have it annexed with itself and led then Prime Minister Dauod Khan to resign from his post, it plunged Afghanistan into a long spiral fall from which it has yet to recover[2]. Top of Form Bottom of Form   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Afghanistan soon proved to be a tough neighbour and sided with India on every matter which could hurt Pakistani interests using an India-Soviet favouring group. In December 1979 Russia invaded the Afghanistan with the pre-text of supporting the pro-Soviet Government. The USA weary of spreading Communism, Saudi Arabia indebted to the American cause coupled with sense of Muslim power and Pakistan worried of increasingly unstable and hostile Afghanistan combined together to exploit the Islamists waged a â€Å"Jihad† against â€Å"Soviet Invaders†. The Pashtun grievances and warlordism gave way to Taliban (literally meaning students) who rose from Kandhar and took 95% of Afghanistan under control by year 2000. Taliban were the friends of Pakistan and safeguarded the Western frontier of Pakistan against not only Indians but even Soviets[3]. Environmental Realities USA have tried to render peace in Afghanistan, but it has become more complicated due to inability of U.S. and NATO forces to understand the environmental realities peculiar to this region and being alien to the culture and traditions of the people. To have peace requires patience and right priorities. Before peace is attempted we need to understand some hard facts[4] :- (a) The continuing influx of Afghan youth trained in Pakistans madrassas now comprises the bulk of Taliban and Al Queda cadres. They are hooked to glorified violence in the name of jihad, and imbued with robotic discipline. They are an army beyond redemption and reasoning. (b) The silent Pashtun majority is terrorized into submission by Taliban and Al Queda. (c) The internecine warfare between the warlords for the past decade has created an unbridgeable divide between the Pashtuns, the Tajiks, the Uzbeks, the Hazaras and the Persian speaking Shiites of Herat. The past mutual ethnic cleansing and betrayals have created visceral hatred among different tribes. (d) The Pashtun dominated Taliban still cling to the idea of Pashtuns ruling over all Afghanistan which the minorities no longer countenance. This has led to a growing friction between ethnic groups, specifically the Pashtuns and their northern Tajik and Uzbek contemporaries. Foreign Relations Before the Soviet invasion, Afghanistan pursued a policy of neutrality and nonalignment in its foreign relations. After the December 1979 invasion, Afghanistans foreign policy mirrored that of the Soviet Union. The fall of the Taliban in October 2001 opened a new chapter in Afghanistans foreign relations. Afghanistan is now an active member of the international community, and has diplomatic relations with countries from around the world. Iran Iran shares a long border with Afghanistan (900kilometres) and has provided shelter to roughly 1.5million Afghans. Afghanistans relations with Iran have fluctuated over the years, with periodic disputes over the water rights of the Helmand River as the main issue of contention[5]. Initially, due to its war with Iraq, Iran was not actively involved in Afghanistan but later the Shia groups who were bitter due to meagre support from Pakistan became close to Iran. Following the Soviet invasion, Iran supported the cause of the Afghan resistance. Iran shares a cultural, linguistic affinity with northern Afghanistans non-Pashtun elements, which suffered the most under Taliban rule. Tehran resents the atrocities regularly visited upon the Shiah Hazara minority by Sunni fanatics in Afghanistan. Its relations with Afghanistan have improved since the fall of the Taliban and has been active in Afghan reconstruction efforts, particularly in the western portion of the country[6]. Presently, Iran h as adopted a more aloof posture and appears to be avoiding overt commitments or opposition to any single Afghan faction. Iranian policy makers have long sought to prevent an alliance between Pakistan and a Sunni-dominated Afghanistan, which would destabilise its entire eastern border. Besides Irans competition with Pakistan for access to the CARs, Irans Afghanistan policy is largely motivated by sectarian ties to Afghanistans Shia minority. A territorial collapse of Pakistan, or domestic instability that threatened to draw in Afghanistan has always tended to be contrary to Irans interests. It has always been perceived that the nationalistic developments of Pashtunistan could spill over to neighbouring Iran, destabilizing its Baluch population, thereby activating the anti-Iran elements in the form of the establishment of a Greater Balochistan. Thus, Iran is against both formation of a Pashtunistan within the Afghan confederation as it would give greater dominance to Sunni Pashtuns and further deteriorate the conditions of Shias, and also of an independent Pashtunistan which would result in similar demands of independent areas within Iran by other sub nationalistic communities. Prolongation of Afghan instability restricts Pakistans capability to export its light industrial goods in Central Asia and the Caucasus, where government subsidised cheap Iranian consumer exports have proliferated. A peaceful Afghanistan would also offer an unwelcome alternative for carrying Caspian basin oil and gas across Afghanistan to South Asia. Iran may also be concerned that an Afghan settlement could provide a larger opening for American and Turkish economic and political influence in the region[7]. CAR The main concern of the three CARs (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan) bordering Afghanistan was the spill over of militants into their territories. Uzbekistan and Turkey had contacts with General Dostum who had argued that a confederation of autonomous states is the only solution for the chaos in Afghanistan. He warned that the Uzbeks will never again live under Pashtun domination and demanded a separate state, which would be a secular entity and act as a buffer for Central Asia against the spread of Islamic fundamentalism from the Pashtun-dominated area in the south[8]. Afghanistans relations with Tajikistan have been complicated by political upheaval and civil war in Tajikistan, which spurred some 100,000 Tajiks to seek refuge in Afghanistan in late 1992 and early 1993. Also disenchanted by the Talibans harsh treatment of Afghanistans Tajik minority, Tajikistan facilitated assistance to the Northern Alliance. The Karzai government has sought to establish closer ties with its no rthern neighbours in order to capitalize on the potential economic benefits of increased trade. CHINA During the 1970s, the Soviet influence in Kabul, and later their invasion of Afghanistan, has been perceived by Beijing as the purposeful encircling of China by the Soviet Union. Thus, support to Pakistans western border security has been a major feature of Beijings policy. China also has keen interests in Central Asias energy resources and, thus, supports a moderate government at Kabul, because it is believed to be least likely to foment any sort of extremism and disturbance in neighbouring countries. Chinas strategic concerns in the area are mirrored by the security of its lines of communication, which tends to counter Afghanistans rhetoric on Pashtunistan. The ethnic-religious civil wars in Afghanistan have caused rise of Islamic fundamentalism. Just as America has a vision of a modestly stable Afghanistan that will no longer be a haven for extremists, China has a vision of Afghanistan as a secure conduit for roads and energy pipelines that will bring natural resources from the Indian Ocean and elsewhere. So if America defeats Al Qaeda and the irreconcilab le elements of the Taliban, Chinas geopolitical position will be enhanced[9]. This is not a paradox, since China and America have convergence of interests with difference being that whole direction of Americas military and diplomatic effort is toward an exit strategy, whereas the Chinese hope to stay and profit. Saudi Arabia In late seventies, Saudis were facing severe criticism for their close alliance with USA from Arab governments. Saudis used the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan as a springboard to portray their commitment to Muslim causes and brush up their Islamic credentials. In early eighties in close cooperation with America, Saudi Arabia provided a large amount of financial aid for military and humanitarian purposes for Afghanistan. Pakistan had close working relations with all Sunni groups, and never tried to bring Shia groups into the coalition to avoid friction with Saudis. After the cut off of U.S. funds, Saudis became the largest provider of funds for Afghan adventure. The direct role of Saudi Arabia also dramatically increased. Later, especially post 9/11, the warm relations between Taliban and Saudis hit the bottom when Taliban refused to cooperate on Osama bin Ladin issue. Saudis had funded the most conservative individuals and organizations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ironically, most o f them turned against the Saudi royal family and had openly criticized the royal family for its close relationship with USA. Russia Russia though major player until 1991 had markedly reduced influence since its disintegration into many independent states. It has given limited military help to the Taliban opposition and deployed troops in Tajikistan near the border of Afghanistan. It is suspicious of increasing US influence in the area traditionally seen by them as their area of influence but not in a position to challenge the USA. Since the fall of the Taliban, the Karzai government has improved relations with Russia, but Afghanistans outstanding foreign debt to Russia still continues to be a source of contention. While the campaign against international terrorism is a key area in which U.S. and Russian interests converge, Moscow is also wary of growing U.S. influence in especially the oil-rich Caspian Sea basin. Russia is providing military hardware to Afghanistan and is aware of the fact that fragile nature of central authority in Afghanistan, torn by chronic infighting among rival ethnic factions, requires U.S. presence as its disengagement would likely spur renewed competition for influence. Russia has became more interested in confining Pashtun dominated Islam to the south and creating a Tadjik and Uzbek entity as a buffer area for the Central Asian states, which also suits Russias near abroad policy. Pakistan Pakistan shares a border of some 2,400 kilometres with Afghanistan and has 10 million Pashtun citizens of its own. The main aim of Pakistans Afghan policy was to have a friendly government in Afghanistan to secure its Western border. Pakistans policy since its inception has been focused on maintaining a situation that could help it avoid controversy over the Durand Line. It has been trying to force a fusion of communities along own side and inciting separation of those on the other side of the line. Islamabad sought to offset Afghan territorial claims by supporting Afghan Islamic parties. Unfortunately, the policies, which it adopted, had exactly the opposite effects. None of the Afghan governments were willing to subordinate its actions to Pakistans wishes. Many Afghans say Pakistan has exacerbated the ethnic component of their conflict by supporting Pashtun Islamic rule. There was a domestic political incentive as well, linked to Islamabads fears about irredentism. â€Å"Pakistan saw in the Taliban, and other fundamentalists, the opportunity to undermine support for Pashtun nationalism†[10]. Pakistan was the first country to recognise Taliban rule in Afghanistan and initiated efforts to persuade the Taliban to accept a broad-based government in Kabul in which all major ethnic tribes would share power. September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the USA changed everything and presented Pakistan with a stark choice: either make common cause with Washington in its war against bin Ladens al-Qaeda network based in Taliban-controlled neighbouring Afghanistan, or persist with its pro-Taliban Afghan policy and as a consequence suffer international condemnation of guilt by association. On September 13, 2001 then President General Pervez Musharraf announced that Pakistan would lend its unstinted cooperation to the international coalition against terror[11]. General Pervez Musharraf address to the nation on 19 September is attached as appendix B. More recently, Pakistan has been alarmed by Indias growing political, military, and economic ties to Afghanistan, and sees its establishment of consulates in the Pashtun-majority cities of Jalalabad and Kandahar as provocative. Many Afghans feel Islamabads insistence on Pashtun representation in the post-Taliban political order as the â€Å"crying of crocodile tears†, reflective of an inability to give up strategic designs on Afghanistan[12]. Infact it is widely believed â€Å"When push comes to shove, Pakistan is unlikely to hold back, and will use its long border and deep ethnic links with Pashtuns to alter the balance in its favour†, says a senior Pashtun leader in the present Hamid Karzis government[13]. Even though there are more Pashtuns in Pakistan than in Afghanistan and Pakistani Pakhtuns are better educated and more affluent, Pakistan has always been nervous about its Pashtun population. Does that mean Pakistan and Afghanistan will forever remain condemned to instability and seek security by dependence on outside forces? This may not be true, but to bring stability in the region by uniting the furious Pashtuns divided by the Durand line may be a viable option. A weak non-Pashtun dominated state in Afghanistan has never posed any threat to Pakistan because it has neither had any ideological bearings or religious extra-national ambitions nor any ethnic or sub-nationalist stirrings. On the other hand, whenever there has been a strong Pashtun dominated state in Afghanistan, its government has supported Pashtun separatism (refusal to accept the Durand Line) and pose a threat to the territorial integrity and political solidarity of Pakistan[14]. Pakistan has no effective control over a large swath of territory along its border with Afghanistan primarily dominated by Pashtuns[15]. Dangerous extremist groups that are intent on attacking the U.S. such as al-Qaeda, enjoy safe haven in these border areas. United States â€Å"had we looked deeper, we might have found that the root causes behind the enduring and resilient nature of the Taliban have very little to do with religion, and much to do with an ancient ethnic struggle we [the United States] should consider the prospect of creating a Pashtunistan which reflects the tribal boundaries. This would be a new state, carved from parts of both Afghanistan and Pakistan This new area would be composed largely of ethnic Pashtuns, similar to what we have created in Kurdistan or Bosnia, and it would there ­fore very likely have the consent of the population on the ground†[16] -Major Michael D. Holmes Following the Soviet invasion, the United States supported diplomatic efforts to achieve a Soviet withdrawal and contributed to the refugee program in Pakistan to assist Afghans. After the Soviet withdrawal, CIA let Pak ISI deal with the ugly mess of Afghanistan. The USA initially gave a free hand to Pak to build up the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The US wanted the Taliban to develop as a counterweight to the Iranian regime and to check USSRs influence in the region. A favourable govt in Kabul would help USA in numerous ways. With the emergence of CARs as independent countries in 1991 and the prospects of availability of huge oil and gas reserves again brought that area to international focus. Meanwhile, the Taliban on capturing Kabul, imposed a strict Islamic code and practiced fundamentalist policies. This led to the USA gradually distancing itself from the Taliban. Post September 11, 2001 events of cosmic proportions have resulted in world focusing on Afghanistan with a renewed interest to deal with Osama Bin Laden, who was responsible for the acts of terror originating from Afghanistan. The Osama Bin Laden Factor. Osama Bin Laden was once one of the star recruiters of the US intelligence agency the CIA. He enrolled thousands of jihad volunteers from the Middle East for a jihad against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Ironically after winning their jihad against the USSR, these fundamentalists turned their attention onto the other superpower. Post 9/11 led to U.S. GWOT as the Taliban refused to hand over Osama Bin Laden to the USA. Pashtun Factor. U.S. policymakers recognised early on that Pashtun support was needed to create a broader-based moment to replace the Taliban and provide a degree of stability in the region[17]. This approach appears to have long term goal of stabilising effect as U.S. has demonstrated that America supports the Pashtun desire for a stronger position in relation to the Punjabi-dominated government in Islamabad in the Af-Pak border area of Durand Line. U.S. understands that Pashtuns in FATA treasure their long-standing autonomy and do not like to be ruled by Islamabad. What they want is integration into the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) and FATA to form a single unified â€Å"Pashtun† province that enjoys the autonomy envisaged in the inoperative 1973 Pakistan constitution[18]. Al-Qaeda and its â€Å"foreign fighters,† who are mostly Arab, depend on local support from the Taliban for their sanctuary. Unlike Al-Qaeda, with its global terrorist agenda, most of the Tali ban factions focus on local objectives in Afghanistan and FATA; they do not pose a direct threat to the USA. On March 1, 2007, Pakistani ambassador to Washington the Maj. Gen (retired) Mahmud Ali Durrani, said at a seminar at the Pakistan Embassy, â€Å"I hope the Taliban and Pashtun nationalism dont merge. If that happens, weve had it, and were on the verge of that.[19]† India Afghanistan remained the focus of Indian regional policy because of its geo-strategic proximity to Pakistan and the Indian foreign policy was centered on maintaining very cordial relations with it. India in 1950 signed â€Å"Friendship Treaty† to promote bilateral co-operation with Afghanistan to enhance Indian influence. In 1967, the United Pashtunistan Front (UPF) was formed in New Delhi. The then Indian Foreign Minister Swaran Singh told the Indian Parliament that â€Å"we are fully aware of the fundamental freedoms and natural aspirations of the brave Pashtuns which have been consistently denied to them, and their struggle has got our greatest sympathy and we will certainly support the efforts that Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan might undertake in that direction.†[20] After the Soviet invasion in 1979 India doubled up its efforts to further strengthen its relations with Afghanistan. Over the years Indian political elite maintained close contacts with Pasthun leaders on both sides of Durand line. The two countries have always shared a healthy relationship but with the Soviet withdrawal and its disintegration in 1991 and Mujahedeens control of Kabul in April 1992 the relations reached its nadir. During Taliban rule more than 30,000 Afghan refugees moved to India. India is helping Afghanistan rebuild itself and with an ever-increasing belligerence in all fields, including military, intelligence, humanitarian, and economic[21]. India is the largest aid provider to Afghanistan and in the coming few years India likely to project as a regional power is appropriately following a pro-active approach and take the right initiatives on Afghanistan. By fostering greater economic ties with the pro-Indian Northern Alliance dominant Kabul government, New Delhi has dramatically increased its involvement in Afghanistan, and is seeking to marginalize Pakistan[22]. India would prefer a separate Pashtunistan rather than a neo-Taliban ruling over Afghanistan, as this would frustrate Pakistani strategy. India has good relations with Tajikistan and would continue to have good relations with the Tajik section of Afghanistan as well as with a newly formed Pashtunistan. The geo-strategic importance of Afghanistan has a great bearing on India and its approach is primarily Pak focused. Indias economic interests in Afghanistan are secondary to its strategic interests. Apart from the desire to restore Pakistans two-front problem, some of the factors that govern Indian approach to Afghanistan are :- (a) A pro Pak government in Afghanistan is likely to support Pakistan in case of any future Indo-Pak Conflict and would provide them necessary Strategic depth. (b) Pak has been using Taliban militia to wage a proxy war in Kashmir. (c) Afghanistan is the hub of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism[23]. (d) A peaceful and stable Afghanistan will be in the economic interests of India as it will raise the prospects of Indo-Afghanistan trade and also provide greater access to the Central Asian markets and important centers for gas and oil. (e) A fundamentalist Afghanistan is likely to encourage the spread of Islamic fundamentalism in the region which would affect India. Afghanistan constitutes a new battleground for Indo-Pakistani hostility. Credible U.S. media leaks indicate that Pakistani linkages to the car bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul on July 7, 2008.India, thus needs to convince Pakistan that Islamabad instead of exporting hatred and destruction, should seek positive parity with India and others in terms of improving the quality of life of its citizens in an inclusive manner. International Perspective There is no formal international position on the Durand Line, simply a de facto one that recognizes it as a real border. No other state has accepted Afghanistans position that it is not such a border. The question arises so why should there be any international pressure on Pakistan and Afghanistan to negotiate about Durand line? The reason is that since September 11, 2001, FATA and the area alongside the Durand line has been viewed as a site of global insecurity that can be controlled only when Pakistan takes responsibility for its territory and extends the structures of the state into the region through expanding opportunities for economic development and education in the FATA region[24]. This is quite difficult because the security situation is currently poor, which makes launching large development projects difficult. Afghanistans refusal to give de jure recognition to the border therefore stands in the way of a comprehensive development program that would have much more impact th an would parallel developments in each country[25]. Having driven the Taliban and Al Qaeda from Afghanistan, the United States and its allies are particularly keen to end FATAs (and to a lesser extent Baluchistans) along the Durand Line to serve as center of Islamic radicalism that promotes international terrorism and seeks to destabilize Afghanistan. The presence of U.S., International Security Assistance Force(ISAF)[26], and Afghan troops gives the border issue some practical urgency as the insurgents they fight retreat back into Pakistan in the belief that they will not be pursued or attacked across an international boundary[27]. From the perspective of the international community the discussions limited to recognition of the Durand Line as a de jure international boundary would not bring stability in the region even if they succeeded as no government in Afghanistan would be willing to pay the political price for accepting the border unless such an agreement were part of a broader package designed to make the country more secure. P akistan also has much to gain as its economy will get a boost[28]. While Afghanistan is concerned about Pakistans support of the Taliban, in times past it has been Pakistan that has been concerned about Afghanistans tacit support of Pashtun separatists[29]. Afghan Nationalism. On a functional level, Afghanistan cannot be subjectively examined under the Western conception of either a state or a nation. The country simply does not operate in any sense of either definition at this time. Both a limited security apparatus and stalled international support have done little to cultivate ancient divisions based on ethnic and religious elements[30].This relatively low level of Afghan nationalism is a result of internal conflict of last two decades with atrocities committed by all sides on ethnic rivals and forced displacements and makes the task of rekindling the flame of nationalism more difficult. Political reconstruction is the essential pre-requisite for the economic reconstruction of the country. Afghanistan is at a major crossroad of its history today. The chain of events, which has led to the present situation, was beyond the control of Afghans. But now, it is Afghans who will have to do soul searching and make some difficult choices. Afghanistans neighbours need to understand and digest the fact that the entire region will be the net winner in case Afghanistan and Pakistan are good friends. The old theories of using Afghanistan as a pawn to open a second front against any third country need to be buried. Any state which has any motivation to incite sectarian or ethnic divisions in any of its neighbours is following a zero gain policy as far as the long term interest of the entire region is concerned. This is the age of globalisation and not of any â€Å"Forward Policies†. Afghan history has proved that great issues of the day cannot be settled by fighting but by consultation and consensus[31]. Many regional and extra regional powers are trying to retain their respective spheres of influence in Afghanistan but no regional power can afford to antagonise Washington by working openly at cross purposes with its military campaign, it has to be supportive to U.S. goals and objectives in the region to meet its asp irations. The international community, including the U.S. government, has long avoided taking a clear position on the border issue, but its ambivalence is beginning to change[32]. Ghaus, Abdul Samad,The fall of Afghanistan,Pergamon-Brasseys Intenational Defense Publishers,London1988,p109. Qureshi, S.M.M. Pakhtunistan: The Frontier Dispute Between Afghanistan and Pakistan . Pacific Affairs, Vol. 39, No. 1/2 Spring Summer, 1966, pp. 99-114. . â€Å"The future of Afghanistan and Pakistan†. WTF: What the fork? . Puri, Rajinder â€Å"Defusing Af-Pak† June 7, 2009 Ghaus,Op.cit.pp148-149. Afghanistan- Conservapedia. . Tomsen, Peter. â€Å"Geopolitics of an Afghan Settlement.† Perceptions, Journal of International Affairs Dec 2000 Feb 2001, Volume 5, Number 4. . Hussain, Hamid, â€Å"Afghanistan not so great games† Robert D. Kaplan. â€Å"Beijings Afghan Gamble†. The Center for a New American Security Khattak, Afrasiab. Interview with ICG, Chairman, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Peshawar, May 2002. Hussain, Dr. Rifaat â€Å"Pakistans Relations with Afghanistan: Continuity and Change.† The International Crisis Group, â€Å"Afghanistan:The Problem of Pashtun Alienation†.5 August 2003. . ibid. Bhatt, Garurang. â€Å"Coming Chaos in Afghanistan†.23 Aug 2006. Bokhari, Kamran and Burton Fred, â€Å" The Counterinsurgency in Pakistan† Aug 13,2009. . Holmes, Major Michael D. â€Å"Secessionist Jihad: The Talibans Struggle for Pashtunistan,† the Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin, On the Horizon: MI Missions of the Near Future, July-September 2008 Zalmay, Khalilzad and Daniel, Byman, â€Å"Afghanistan: the Consolidation of a Rogue State†, The Washington Quarterly, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Winter 2000), p. 74. Selig S. Harrison, â€Å"Pakistan: The State of the Union† Ibid. Owen, Bennett Jones Nationalism in Pakistan: Eye of the Storm, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002,p. 139. Bhadrakumar, M.K. â€Å"India and the Central Asian Dawn†. The Hindu. 31 Dec 2009. Zaman, Aly, â€Å"Indias Increased Involvement in Afghanistan and Central Asia: Implications for Pakistan,† Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) Journal, Vol. 3, N0.2 (Summer 2003), Bhadrakumar, M.K. â€Å"Indian Interests in Regional Security†. The Hindu. 28 Aug 2009. Subramanian Nirupama, â€Å"Gilgit-Baltistan Autonomy wins few Friends†. The Hindu. 30 Nov 2009. Barfield, Thomas, The Durand Line: History, Consequences, and Future. Conference Organized by the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies and the Hollings Center in Istanbul, Turkey November 2007. â€Å"Across the Durrand Line†. Editorial. The Dawn 24 July 2008. . Bhadrakumar, M.K. Loc.cit. Maitra, Ramtanu, â€Å"Central Asia: Dangerous Line in the Sand†.13 March 2003. . The Durand Line: History, Consequences and Future Istanbul, Turkey July 11-13, 2007 Feiser, Jonathan, â€Å"Central Asia The ghost of GreaterAfghanistan† Jul 23, 2003 Amin, Agha. â€Å"Durand Line-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Border Disputes† Journal of Afghanistan Studies Kabul, November 2004. Neumann, Ronald, â€Å"Borderline Insanity: Thinking Big about Afghanistan† The American Interest, November December 2007 issue.