Animal Communication Methods: Bonding and Imprinting

Animal Communication Methods: Bonding and Imprinting Sarah O’Malley Bonding Imprinting Introduction Imprinting and bonding are important biological processes that aid in the survival of offspring; offspring require parental bonding to survive. These processes allow the offspring to learn skills and behaviours needed for survival, as well as the knowledge of their own species in order to successfully breed in the future. The importance of bonding and breeding differs in different species. Bonding can be important in obtaining food, communicating, survival, and mating. The following includes the mechanisms of imprinting and bonding with differences and similarities between the two. Information regarding Konrad Lorenz and his work is included. A mention of communication and its role in reducing conflict has also been included. Imprinting Imprinting is a classical biological process in birds such as geese and ducks. New-born chicks become attached to the first visible moving object they see. Imprinting is mostly non-species-specific but imprinting between same species does occur; filial imprinting (between offspring and its parent) is more common is precocial animals than in altricial animals as precocial animals are mobile and alert when they are born and therefore have the ability to imprint early. Certain behaviours are affected by imprinting more than other behaviours. There is a significant sensitive period where imprinting takes effect (1). For ducks, this is between 4-48 hours after they have hatched. A duckling will pretty much follow whatever is moving once it has hatched and will eventually learn what it is following and imprint on it. An Austrian named Konrad Zacharias Lorenz was a zoologist, ethologist, and ornithologist (bird behaviour), who studied instinctive behaviour in animals, particularly greylag g eese and the principle of imprinting. These studies led to Lorenz, Niko Tinbergen, and Karl von Frisch winning a Nobel Prize for Medicine. He is regarded as one of the principal founders of ethology. The innate release mechanism, a main concept regarding imprinting, where organisms are genetically predisposed to be responsive to certain stimuli become fixed and imprint on the parents (2). Senses are important for imprinting; as ducks are precocial they imprint on whoever they see within a certain timeframe (4-48hrs) using their sight. As puppies and kittens do not open their eyes for a little over a week after birth, they take a little longer to imprint. Mammals, who are altricial use their smell, sight, and sound to imprint on their mothers, though primates are born with brains that still need to fully develop and so imprinting takes longer. Imprinting is a survival instinct as it ensures the safety and protection for the vulnerable new-born; it prevents the young from predation, a s its mother is there to protect it. It allows the offspring to learn skills for survival and behavioural characteristics from its mother. Imprinting is different to bonding as there is a specific period where imprinting occurs. Lorenz’s theory involved an experiment whereby chicks where hatched in an incubator and then handled by humans. They were placed back with their mother who accepted the goslings but the goslings did not accept her. They followed the human they first saw. Lorenz’s theory argued that imprinting is irreversible and takes place at a certain stage (as mentioned above). It included his theory of imprinting being innate but recognizing the moving object was learnt. Filial imprinting lasts until the offspring becomes adults. Socialization is important and imprinting experiences will have a long-term effect on social behaviour; isolating a puppy will result in the pup displaying abnormal social behaviour such as anxiety. Imprinting has a significant eff ect on sexual preferences, which should be a factor to consider in captivity or rehabilitation centres. Sexual imprinting is where characteristics learnt form siblings will influence their mating preferences in adulthood. This process depends on the species; there could be a period in between filial imprinting and sexual imprinting for some species, whereas for other species it can occur simultaneously (geese). E.g., if a duckling was to imprint on a chicken and considered the hen’s chicks its siblings, it is likely to sexually imprint on chickens in adulthood as it is attracted to the characteristics of the species it imprinted on and believes it to be the same species. The appearance of the object or animal the offspring imprints on will teach them to recognise what future mates should look like (providing they imprint on the correct animal) (3). Imprinting allows the parent to raise her young much easier, as the offspring imprints on her early and will trust her and follo w her wherever she goes, which is vital when it comes to predation. Bonding Bonding is a biological process where animals of same species (pair bonding) and sometimes, different species connect on a social level. This can occur at different stages in their lives. Reasons for bonding include pair bonding, which results in mating and reproduction in mated pairs, and social bonding that is vital in species that form packs or hierarchies etc. Wolves form social bonds within the same pack, which enables them to hunt and live in a social group. For wolves, bonding is crucial as they do everything together, from hunting to defending territory and raising young. Parent-offspring bonding is beneficial for both parents and offspring as the offspring have a greater chance of survival with the protection from its parent(s), and the parent(s), can ensure their genes will be passed on and their offspring makes it to adulthood. Their need to nurse their young originates from the release of a hormone called oxytocin, which influences motherly behaviour, breeding animals wit h this hormone absent results in mothers leaving their offspring earlier than mothers with that hormone. Sibling recognition prevents inbreeding from occurring as well as for cooperating. With mating pairs, bonding behaviours include vocalizations; calls and sounds, movements; dancing, body contact (tactile), and postures, as well as offering gifts. Senses are just as vital in bonding as they are in imprinting. Visual, tactile, vocal, and auditory are important factors in mating pairs and are often expressed in rituals. Every meeting between mating pairs, the rituals are repeated to reinforce the bond. Pairs may bond for certain parts of a breeding season; short term or long term, and other species may mate for life (monogamy) (4), such as swans and geese. Bonding in mating pairs, allows for recognition of the individual’s mate within a crowd (nest site e.g.). It allows the animal to imprint the image of its mate in its head. Bonding requires effort, which confirms their comm itment. It provides a better chance of survival for their offspring as both parents are present for protection and for providing food. The pair does not need to go through the long process of selecting a mate during breeding season. Parent-offspring bonding is not only evident in birds but in other species such as elephants; within their group of family that contains elephants of a range of ages, greet and maintain bonding by tactile – touching and often curling their trunks around the other’s, vocalization communication, and scent. Dominance is expressed through play at an early age, whereby young elephants, both male and female but progresses in males as they get older, charge at each other and wrestle with their trunks. 30 minutes after an elephant is born, it is able to stand up and follow its mother. Females will form close bonds with their mother and will stay by their side for life, which allows the mother to teach her offspring skills needed for survival. Males tend to leave at around 12-15 years where they may temporarily join other groups for mating and feeding. Bonding in elephants, where they stay together for life (females), increases their chances of survival as they form large herds, which makes it more difficult for predation to occur. An example of interspecies relationships is the bond between a lion, tiger, and bear (diagram 2 ^), who were abused in the hands of a drug dealer, bonded for comfort and now consider themselves brothers. They are the only known lion, tiger, and bear to live together in the world; in the wild, they would never meet. Their early experiences as young cubs and the fact that they have never been separated since, strengthened their bonds (5). Differences Similarities Bonding and imprinting are both processes where animals socially connect and both aid in the survival of the animals. Bonding occurs for different reasons and at different stages in animals’ lives, whereas imprinting occurs early within a specific period where the offspring is sensitive to stimuli. Bonding occurs for many reasons including pair bonding, where for mated pairs, occurs later in life (when sexually mature), whereas imprinting is solely for survival in which the young requires from its parent. Bonding involves the bonding of two animals equally whereas imprinting is a one-way thing in which young imprint on the first thing it sees and perceives it to be its mother. Imprinting involves recognition and learned behaviour; as described previously in Lorenz’s theory; the offspring imprint on the first object they see and begin to learn and recognise that object. There is an in between, as the bonding process actually starts with imprinting in specific ways; impri nting takes place early for the purpose of survival but then bonding occurs to strengthen the connection. Parent-offspring bonding involves the bonding between the parent and its offspring and can sometimes involve the offspring imprinting on the parent. The parent releases oxytocin in response, which strengthens the bond (6). Difference between filial imprinting and sexual imprinting: Sexual imprinting involves the young imprinting on the characteristics of opposite-sex kin, whereas filial imprinting is where offspring imprint on its parent as an individual (7). How Communication Reduces Conflict Communication is crucial in reducing conflict, especially between territorial animals; vocalizations scent, and visual senses play an important role in alerting other animals when they have entered another’s territory, which will prevent fighting e.g. an animal will urinate on the edge of its territory to communicate to other animals that is their territory and should not be crossed. Establishing a hierarchy reduces the risk of intraspecies conflict; all the animals within the group are aware of their ranking and role they must play. This enables them to function as a working group, which will aid in their survival. Ritualized combat, a form of agonistic behaviour, is another method used to reduce conflict such as threatening displays to intimidate other animals, and usually prevents fighting from occurring. It is also beneficial in aiding survival as preventing conflict decreases the chance of being killed, losing food or territory, or losing a mate. Submission prevents fighting from occurring, as the submissive animal is likely to give in to the dominant one, which prevents conflict. Conclusion Bonding and imprinting occurs in many species and both ensure the survival of an animal. Lorenz’s work provided further information regarding the importance of imprinting, noting a specific period for it to take place and the possibilities of it going wrong (sexual imprinting on a different species). There are clear differences between bonding and imprinting, with purpose being one of the main ones. However, they are similar in terms of forming a social connection, both interspecies and intraspecies. The senses are a vital part of these connections as they help animals distinguish characteristics and recognise stimuli that influence imprinting/bonding. Bibliography (1) Sensitive Period Lorenz, K (1963). On Aggression. Austria: Methuen Publishing. Pg.258. (PDF version) (2) Konrad Lorenz Hayes, Brian J., [no date]. Konrad Lorenz biography. Ethology – Imprinting. http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/scientist/konrad_lorenz.html (3) Sexual Imprinting Irwin, D and Price, T. Sexual imprinting, learning and speciation. Heredity (1999) 82, 347–354; doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6885270 (4) Pair-Bonding Barash, D.; Lipton, J. (2001). The Myth of Monogamy: Fidelity and Infidelity in Animals and People. New York: Henry Holt and Company (5) Interspecies Bonding Broder Van Dyke, M. May 26th, 2014. BuzzFeed Animals. Lions, Tigers, and Bears. http://www.buzzfeed.com/mbvd/lion-tiger-and-bear-who-love-each-other#.ovl6jp5wL (6) Differences Similarities Thatcher, M. 24 November 2014. Understanding Animal Communication Systems. http://saltiecroc.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/understanding-animal-communication.html (7) Differences SparkNotes ©, 2015. Animal Behaviour: Learning. Imprinting. http://www.sparknotes.com/biology/animalbehavior/learning/section3.rhtml Diagrams: Diagram 1 – Konrad Lorenz Leen, N. July 7th 2008. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Three Pioneer Observers of Animal Behaviour. http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2008/07/three-pioneer-observers-of-animal-behaviour/ Diagram 2 – Bonding Shaikh, T. July 6th 2014. Animal Bonding. http://jugglu.com/adorable-animal-bonding-story-ever.php Diagram 3 – Agonistic Behaviour: Spider Hill, D E. 4 December 2009. Wikipedia. Zygoballus sexpunctatus male agonistic behaviour http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zygoballus_sexpunctatus_male_agonistic_behavior.png Diagram 4 – Pair-Bonding Ander, B L. December 12th 1014. Puffin Love. http://fineartamerica.com/featured/puffin-love-brent-ander.html

Causes of Ignorance

Illiteracy is directly related to two main causes; Schools and Parents/Environment. Schools maintain letter grades that represent the performance and outcome of the students. Grades throughout the semester, cumulative grades and final outcomes. When taking a step back and looking at society and seeing how much ignorance and illiteracy there is it really makes you begin to think about whether or not that is not only the type of environment you wish to be in but whether or not you wish to raise your children there. Typically the schools represent the environment. School funding is also a very large problem that is a leading cause of illiteracy. Many schools simply do not have enough funds to buy the proper, updated and on grade level books. This causes the children to have below average and grade level reading levels, comprehension skills and general knowledge. On a day to day basis parents are blamed for the illiteracy of their children; whether it be because they are not encouraging their children to learn and read, or attend school in general to even try. In many cases the parents are not supportive of their children because they do not want to see them succeed and surpass their families expectations for them. Perhaps this is because they may feel intimidated or as if the child is overstepping some kind of authoritative boundary. Typically the overall education level of a parent is what determines their behavior towards their children and the kind of future that they want them to achieve. If the child's parent did not go very far in their college career, if any college at all then they usually do not press the importance of graduating with a strong degree to be successful. Some believe that schools may also be to blame because the expectations are set too high. In reality many schools just expect too little. Many children need challenges in order to further themselves. By marking a level and saying â€Å"This is what we feel you need to know by this age. † it puts realistic expectations. They do this because the testing that is provided at the end of a high school career that is required to be taken, cannot be altered for any child. They need to be prepared for these tests and in order to do well on them classroom standards must be met. Teachers are as supportive as the student allows them to be. Proper measures and steps need to be taken in order for students to live up to those expectations. Depending on the location of the school, funding is a tremendous problem. You cannot run a school off of nothing. Without proper methods of payment for the teachers, there would be none. Without money to buy the textbooks and teaching supplies, there would be no classes and curriculum for the students to follow. The end result of ill-funded schools is poor educations or none at all. Without proper updated textbooks children would not be kept up on current events; nor would they have the ability to use their common knowledge of today's society. Comprehension skills, in the context of different teaching/learning theories beginning decades ago, up to theories still used and replaced today. Reading levels and the ability to practice reading skills in order to raise the levels for proper education consumption. Illiteracy is based on three sole factors that I have previously stated. Had many schools had better funds and systems to raise money the illiteracy rate would drop severely. The typical factors will not easily be cared for but with the proper dedication and skills, can steadily decrease illiteracy in children which in turn results in illiterate adults.

Karl Marxs Greatest Hits

Karl Marx, born May 5, 1818, is considered one of the founding thinkers of sociology, along with Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Harriet Martineau. Though he lived and died before sociology was a discipline in its own right, his writings as a political-economist provided a still deeply important foundation for theorizing the relationship between economy and political power. In this post, we honor Marxs birth by celebrating some of his most important contributions to sociology. Marxs Dialectic Historical Materialism Marx is typically remembered for giving sociology a conflict theory of how society operates. He formulated this theory by first turning an important philosophical tenet of the day on its head--the Hegelian Dialectic. Hegel, a leading German philosopher during Marxs early studies, theorized that social life and society grew out of thought. Looking at the world around him, with the growing influence of capitalist industry on all other facets of society, Marx saw things differently. He inverted Hegels dialectic, and theorized instead that it is the existing forms of economy and production--the material world--and our experiences within these that shape thought and consciousness. Of this, he wrote in  Capital, Volume 1, The ideal is nothing else than the material world reflected by the human mind, and translated into forms of thought. Core to all of his theory, this perspective became known as historical materialism. Base and Superstructure Marx gave sociology some important conceptual tools as he developed his historical materialist theory and method for studying society. In The German Ideology, written with Friedrich Engels,  Marx explained that society is divided into two realms: the base, and the superstructure. He defined the base as the material aspects of society: that which allow for production of goods. These include the means of production--factories and material resources--as well as the relations of production, or the relationships between people involved, and the distinct roles they play (like laborers, managers, and factory owners), as required by the system. Per his historical materialist account of history and how society functions, it is the base that determines the superstructure, whereby the superstructure is all other aspects of society, like our culture and ideology (world views, values, beliefs, knowledge, norms and expectations); social institutions like education, religion, and media; the polit ical system; and even the identities we subscribe to. Class Conflict and Conflict Theory When looking at society this way, Marx saw that the distribution of power to determine how society functioned was structured in a top-down manner, and was tightly controlled by the wealthy minority who owned and controlled the means of production. Marx and Engels laid out this theory of class conflict in  The Communist Manifesto, published in 1848. They argued that the bourgeoisie, the minority in power, created class conflict by exploiting the labor power of the proletariat, the workers who made the system of production run by selling their labor to the ruling class. By charging far more for the goods produced than they paid the proletariats for their labor, the owners of the means of production earned profit. This arrangement was the basis of the capitalist economy at the time that Marx and Engels wrote, and it remains the basis of it today. Because wealth and power are unevenly distributed between these two classes, Marx and Engels argued that society is in a perpetual state of conflict, wherein the ruling class work to maintain the upper-hand over the majority working class, in order to retain their wealth, power, and overall advantage. (To learn the details of Marxs theory of the labor relations of capitalism, see  Capital, Volume 1.) False Consciousness and  Class Consciousness In  The German Ideology  and  The Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels explained that the rule of the bourgeoisie is achieved and maintained in the realm of the superstructure. That is, the basis of their rule is ideological. Through their control of politics, media, and educational institutions, those in power propagate a worldview that suggests that the system as it is is right and just, that is is designed for the good of all, and that it is even natural and inevitable. Marx referred to the inability of the working class to see and understand the nature of this oppressive class relationship as false consciousness, and theorized that eventually, they would develop a clear and critical understanding of it, which would be class consciousness. With class consciousness, they would have awareness of the realities of the classed society in which they lived, and of their own role in reproducing it. Marx reasoned that once class consciousness had been achieved, a worker-led revolutio n would overthrow the oppressive system. Summation These are the ideas that are central to Marxs theory of economy and society, and are what made him so important to the field of sociology. Of course, Marxs written work is quite voluminous, and any dedicated student of sociology should engage in a close reading of as many of his works as possible, especially as his theory remains relevant today. While the class hierarchy of society is more complex today than that which Marx theorized, and capitalism now operates on a global scale, Marxs observations about the dangers of commodified labor, and about the core relationship between base and superstructure continue to serve as important analytic tools for understanding how the unequal status quo is maintained, and how one can go about disrupting it. Interested readers can find all of Marxs writing digitally archived here.

The Benefits And Possibilities Of Coaching And Teacher...

The purpose of this paper is to inform you, the administration, about the innumerable benefits and possibilities of coaching and teacher mentoring, as well as to familiarize you with an overview of three specific coaching models. These will include cognitive coaching, literacy coaching, and differentiated coaching, each of which have their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses. The coaching process and experience can help the school in countless ways, starting with the teachers and trickling down to the students. According to (Mentoring, 2016, p. 1), â€Å"Peer coaching can bring about a better understanding of best practices, and better articulated curriculum. Peer coaching has contributed to an overall improvement in teaching and learning in the schools† (p. 1). Mentoring (2016) lists some of the many ways in which a coach can help a school reach success. Some of these include the following: †¢ Improved student academic achievement and understanding †¢ Improved teaching practices and competency within the classroom †¢ Higher levels of teacher collaboration and collegiality †¢ Increased positive and supportive attitudes toward change †¢ Improved identification of solutions to problems through goal-making strategies †¢ Improved identification and use of resources (p. 1). Cognitive Coaching Model The first model, cognitive coaching, is an effective way to get teachers to become more self-reflective about their teaching practices and to make effective changes based on thatShow MoreRelatedBecoming a Mentor908 Words   |  4 Pagesitll never work out for a troubled delinquent but based on the research Ive done, I have proven them wrong. Through-out this paper I will provide the pros and cons of mentoring and how they affect both mentor and mentee. 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Practical Implementation Tips Type 2 Diabetes (T2Dm).

Practical Implementation Tips: Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) 1. Identify those at high risk of T2DM on your practice register The State of the nation 2016 (England): time to take control of diabetes1 report from Diabetes UK warns us that 5 million people in England are at high risk of developing T2DM. We have high quality evidence from several international diabetes prevention studies2 that early lifestyle intervention can reduce both long-term progression to T2DM, and long-term incidence of cardiovascular all-cause mortality. Based on this evidence, the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme3 was launched during 2016 to provide individualised lifestyle support for those at high risk of T2DM. NICE Public Health Guidance 38 â€Å"Prevention of T2DM†¦show more content†¦If repeat test is also 48mmol/mol, then a diagnosis of T2DM can be established o If HbA1c 42-47mmol/mol this suggests high risk of diabetes; follow flowchart above o If HbA1c 30kg/m2 †¢ Previous macrosomic baby weighing 4.5kg †¢ A family history of diabetes (1st degree relative with diabetes) †¢ A minority ethnic background with a high prevalence of diabetes (e.g. South or East Asian, Middle Eastern, Afro-Caribbean, Hispanic) †¢ Previous GDM †¢ 2+ glycosuria on antenatal screening (or 1+ on two or more occasions during pregnancy) NICE NG3 Diabetes in Pregnancy11 recommend we diagnose GDM as follows: †¢ A FBG ≠¥5.6mmol/l or a 2-hour blood glucose post 75g oral glucose tolerance test ≠¥7.8mmol/l †¢ As you can see, these thresholds are much lower than we would use to diagnose T2DM in the non-pregnant individual; we need to ensure that we do not miss this significant diagnosis GDM greatly increases the risk of future T2DM12, however, many women with GDM are unfortunately lost to follow-up after pregnancy, often understandably due to busy family lives13. NICE NG3 Diabetes in Pregnancy11 recommend we follow-up those with GDM as follows: †¢ Offer lifestyle advice and check a FBG at 6-13 weeks after birth in those women with GDM. Do not routinely offer an oral glucose tolerance test o Pragmatically, this could comprise part of the routine 6-week post-partum check †¢ If the FBG is ≠¥7mmol/l, a diagnosis of T2DM can be

The Day the Earth Stood Still †1951 vs 2008 Free Essays

â€Å"The Day the Earth Stood Still†, (1951) vs. â€Å"The Day the Earth Stood Still†, (2008) From the 19th to the 20th century there have been many changes in film. Movies went from silent features in black and white, to color with surround sound, and now to digital 3D. We will write a custom essay sample on The Day the Earth Stood Still – 1951 vs 2008 or any similar topic only for you Order Now One of the biggest changes occurred with special effects and the help of CGI (Computer Generated Images), which enhanced movie scenes and brought imagination to life. History has shown us that technology dictates where and how we watch movies, and it is continually evolving. In the 1950’s, television started drawing people away from the movie theatres, until the introduction of technical innovations such as â€Å"Cinerama, Cinemascope, and 3D, reversed the trend.† (Art Institute of Pittsburg Online) Since then, digital technology has brought movies back into the living room once again, delivered on DVD to our HDTV’s. These changes have had a huge impact on society, the way we view our lives, and the prospects of the future. â€Å"The Day the Earth Stood Still† compares two versions of the same movie made 57 years apart: the original was produced in 1951, and the remake was made in 2008. The original movie is one of the first alien invasion movies ever made and has become one of the classic sci-fi thrillers of our time. The alien in this movie, Klatuu, comes to Earth to issue a dire warning about its inhabitants’ aggressive nature. He states that man’s constant violent nature against one another has raised the attention of â€Å"an alien species, which is now threatening to exterminate all of mankind.† (â€Å"The Day the Earth Stood Still†) The premise of the 2008 movie is that humans are destroying earth at an escalating rate, so they have to die in order to save the planet. â€Å"If humans die, earth lives. If humans live, earth dies.† With the melting of the polar ice caps and the threat of global warming, there are real-life consequences that give plausibility to this modern plot. Klatuu requests a meeting with the leaders of all nations. In the older movie, this was redefined as â€Å"a meeting between the 2 super powers; the United States and Russia.† In the early 1950’s when this movie was produced, a meeting between the U.S. and Russia would be unthinkable. World War II had just ended and we were in the middle of the Cold War. McCarthyism was at its height and the paranoid fear of Soviet domination was an obsessive national past-time. The movie was influenced by the use of the atomic bomb and our wars against each other. In that time period, there was a test of the atomic bomb of out in the Yucca Flats in New Mexico. It was believed that if one day these bombs could be strapped to rockets, it would destroy the earth. Unfortunately, there are still wars going on around the world and in our own back yard. In the 2008 movie, the U.S. government sends a woman to represent the president and gives her full authority to act on his behalf. She immediately orders the use of restraints and with the aid of a lie-detector test attempts to extract information from the alien. In another over excessive show of force, she orders all military forces to attack and destroy the alien ship. Klatuu manages to escape through the use of mind control and a lengthy visual display of electrical forces – alien style. In this part of the movie I found the special effects to be less than convincing. Special effects were a very important part of the film remake, so the original story was modified in part to accommodate them. I noticed some of the differences in content are in the language and scenes. The 1951 version had more dialog and placed more emphasis on the meaning and lesson to be learned. Early era movies were more idealistic, with little to no objectionable content or language. They may have implied a situation, but didn’t show anything explicit. The 1951 version had the clean-cut charm of an old â€Å"Leave it to Beaver† episode. The 2008 version had more violence and scenes that were highly graphic in nature. The close-up surgical procedures in this film are not atypical of many of today’s shows and with the use of high density graphics, we get every gory detail. Klatuu, comes to earth in human form in the 1951 movie, along with a robot that was obviously just a tall man in a rubber suit. In the newer movie, with the aid of special effects, he morphs from alien into human form right before our eyes. The robot in the newer movie is several stories high and much more compelling as an enforcer of peace for an entire planet. The acting in the original movie seemed overly dramatized, which was a characteristic that was often used in the earlier films of this genre. Early attempts to simulate believable alien creatures and moving spaceships were crude at best. The first movie comes with a long list of revealing mistakes; wrinkles in metal and zippers in alien attire, while the space ship moving through the sky looked crude at best. The most obvious errors were in the scenes that show the â€Å"crowds running away in panic,† obviously created by speeding up the film. (Janson) In contrast, by 2008 special effects are widely used, portraying realistic action without the overdramatic characterization. Because special effects were not available during the earlier version, actors were much more athletic, usually performing their own stunts. Another industry change that cannot be overlooked is budget. For example, the 1951 movie had an estimated budget of $1,200,000, while the cost of the 2008 movie soared to $80,000,000. This can be attributed in part to the cost of special effects, but we also have to consider that most of the earlier films were usually shorter in length than their modern counterparts. Another consideration for the rising cost in some of today’s movies is found in epic films which have crowd scenes that employ a very large number of actors at union wages. In the final scene of both movies, Klatuu recognizes that the human race is worth saving after witnessing the heartfelt interactions between a woman and her young son. The story ends with Klatuu sacrificing himself to stop the planet’s destruction process and save the human race. This part of the story gives a human quality to the film. In some ways, the old classic movies and today’s movies are the same. They all have a story line and are aimed at a select audience, whether it’s a particular age bracket, ethnicity, social status other special group. Some of the content in movies can also be related to one’s life, such as the relationship between mother and child, fear of the unknown, and the struggles between good and evil or the strong and the weak. Movies often share a common theme about human nature and bring a message home to the audience that is relative to its time. Since the making of silent films to the movies of today, the emphasis has been on entertainment, making it a favorite family pastime throughout the years. It has created a multi-billion dollar industry that serves its creators as well as the public, because it does more than just entertain. It also educates and informs, gives hope, happiness and inspiration, raises awareness in individuals and creates a higher consciousness among people of all origins. As the movie industry gets older and wiser, it gets better at its craft. As it harnesses technology on all levels, we can look forward to future remakes of today’s movies and the possibilities of tomorrow. How to cite The Day the Earth Stood Still – 1951 vs 2008, Essay examples

Business Strategy Report External Issue Affection

Question: Discuss about the Report for Business Strategy Report of External Issue Affection. Answer: Introduction: The aim of the report is to analyze the various factors that lead a company to adopt strategies to move parts of its business activities offshore resulting in the loss of a number of local jobs. In order to achieve this aim, analysis of both internal and external factors that affect the business operation of an organization. In this report, Telstra has been selected for the case study. Report suggested that Telstra has confirmed its off shore shift that resulted in shifting of 670 Australian jobs (ABC News. 2014). A detail analysis of the internal and external issues that has forced the company to take initiative to shift their business offshore will be done in the report. In addition to this, discussion of the impact on the stakeholders of the organization will also be made. Following this, an explanation shall be made to find the reason that helps to continue a number of jobs in Australia. Telstra Corporation or Telstra is Australias largest telecommunication and Media Company which operates with telecommunication networks, mobile, internet, television and other entertainment products and services. With total revenue of A$ 27.1 Billion, the company is head quartered at Melbourne, Australia (telstra.com.au, 2016). When business outsourcing transgresses the national boundaries of a country, outsourcing takes the form of off sourcing. Both internal and external factors are equally responsible for a company to take strategic decision to undertake off shore expansion of business. Evaluation of the external issues affecting the company that have driven it to employ a strategy that has resulted in moving off-shore As pointed out by Wjcik (2013), that a company can find out strategies to improve the internal business of their company but it becomes challenging for the company to fight against the external changes that results in the loss of the business of the company. Therefore, external factors are highly responsible for the company to move off shore. Some of the external factors for Telstra that compelled the company to move off shore are: Increase in competitors: Top competitors like Vodafone Group Public Limited, Optus Systems Pty Limited and Spark New Zealand Limited supported the regulations proposed by the Government. It was found that of 499 base stations located at different regions, 427 belonged to Telstra. Keeping this particular factor in mind, it can be easily said that this situation created greater impact on the business of the particular company (The Sydney Morning Herald. 2016). Therefore, sharing network shall put negative impact on the profitability of the company. Political factors: Roaming regulations: Government has launched a number of competitive laws to detect the misuse of the market power of the telecommunication companies. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has also declared their intention of asking the domestic telecom service providers to keep a check on the roaming services to the competitors network to operate on the Telstra network in major regional and rural areas (telstra.com.au, 2016). In this matter, Tony Warren, Executive of Telstra group commented that a declaration of the mobile roaming coverage would stop the Company to remain a differentiator in the Australian market. This made the management to remove their rationale for investment in the regions of Australia. Decreasing market share: With the advent of several telecom regulations, it was found that the share of the Company considerable declined. The Vice President of Victorian Farmers Federation also welcomed the regulation set by ACCC on the roaming regulations to open up to a competitive market. It has been found that several other companies from other countries as well use the option of outsourcing or off shoring their service when they find that there is less opportunity of growth in their own country (telstra.com.au, 2016). This was exactly undertaken by Telstra when its market share found to decrease. Emphasis on perfect processes: Many Companies focus to strengthen their business operation by improving their standardization in the internal processes of the business. In order to save time and managements involvement in a particular business project, major companies often take the help of other companies in other countries to carry out their business operations (telstra.com.au, 2016). For Telstra as well, this point is equally valid. In order to think of expansion and bigger operational facility, going off shore is the best process to implement in the business. As pointed out by Wjcik (2013), when a company takes the opportunity of moving off-shore, it becomes one of the steps that they undertake to increase their profit margin. The issues that Telstra faced were not new to the Company but in 1998 as well as in 2005, Telstra released similar discussions in their paper. Network sharing agreement was also ended in the year 2012 and since then the Company do not have any kind of domestic roaming agreements till today. The management has pointed out that network coverage is clearly an important feature for a telecom company and any kind of changes in such plans definitely impact the business operation of a company. Analyses of the internal issues that are making the company consider moving jobs offshore as part of its strategy As pointed out by Fratocchi et al. (2014), that a company undertakes the opportunity to go off shore due to a number of internal factors as well. These factors might range from internal business decisions to the incapability of the labor force in action. Reading Kotlarsky, Scarbrough and Oshri (2014), it has been found that in recent perspective, companies are moving in a sophisticated and more mission-critical function. Moving to countries like China, India and other such countries can provide highly skilled labor with scientific and engineering intelligence. It is for the same reason that many companies of United States and Europe to grab the strategies of moving off shore. The need of skilled and low waged labor makes a Company to take strategic decisions regarding their out sourcing (Dawley, 2014). A number of internal factors that compel a Company to take decision to take outsourcing are: Absence of specialists or experts: In many cases, the sole driver that forces a company to go off shore is the inability or incompetency of the leaders of the Company to manage the operation of the business. In a competitive world, it is important to understand the needs and demand of the dynamic environment (France and Pope 2016). Failing to cope with such situations, some companies grab the option of going offshore. Irregular risk factors: Australia faced sudden risk factors at regular interval of time in situations related to the telecom industry. With regular up downs in the rules and regulatory of the telecom business, it was challenging for Telstra to operate in the competitive market scenario. In case of outsourcing or off shoring a business project, the responsibility of the business gets distributed and is narrowed down (Vitasek, Ledyard and Manrodt 2013). As a result a Company gets prone to the risk factors that arise at any point of time in a market. In case of Telstra, it can be said that lack of skilled labor is one of the main issue that the company has been facing since a long time. In Asian countries like India or China, availability of skilled and low paid workers is easily available. There is great provision for call centers in these countries and many companies from around the Globe are grabbing this opportunity to outsource their business and gain more net profit. Telstra also wanted to grab the same opportunity and access to the qualified personnel of the particular country. Customers of the Company also had complaints regarding the quality of network that the Company served. These complaints against the Company created a negative image of the Company in the market (Gerbl, McIvor and Loane 2014). This was another vital factor for Telstra to move off shore for creating greater reach of their business to people around the world. Identification of the stakeholders in this company and discussion on how the shift of offshore activities will affect these Stakeholders Stakeholders of Telstra include internal stakeholders like the employees, team of management, owners and directors of the Company. External stakeholders include shareholders, customers, dealers and other business partners as well. Primary stakeholders are the group of people who are directly affected either positively or negatively by any kind of action of the agency or the organization. Primary stakeholders of Telstra are all Australians ranging from customers, shareholders and other publics who show greater interest on the matters of the telecom company (Gerbl et al. 2016). It has to be understood that Telstra operates in a community of metropolitan, regional as well as remote areas of Australia. Telstra operates with great responsibility in terms of designing, operating and managing the products and services of the company. These primary stakeholders have been found to get engaged with the community organization of Telstra. Therefore, it can be easily assumed that any kind of business move is bound to affect this group of primary stakeholders of the Company. Customers of Telstra include residents of Australia, small and medium size enterprises and other governmental heads as well. These customers are largely depended on the quality, accessibility and affordability of the product (Lacity and Willcocks 2013). In case if the company goes off shore their might arise certain issues regarding the personal information and services provided to these customers. It has been found that Telstra works with a diverse range of employees including 29,000 employees. The employees get ample opportunity to involve in the business operation of the Company. The employees are always asked to express their views on the business of the Company. Therefore, off shoring the business is a big issue that definitely put impact on the business operation. Another important stakeholder of the company is the Governmental bodies. The local, state and national level Ministers and leaders to other department staffs are depended on the service of this telecommunication department (Duan et al. 2014). Telstras corporate and relationship management team always focus on keeping a good relation with these people. However, in case the Company goes off shore, the company has to be more focused on delivering their information to a world-class information solution. Telstra is a member of the Mobile Carriers Forum that deals with the social and environmental issues. It is also a member of Australian Industry Group and Business Council of Australia. Other stakeholders of Telstra include major companies and organizations which are greatly depended on information communication technology (telstra.com.au 2016). These industries are also interested in any kind of issues that impact the business of a telecommunication industry. Therefore, in case moving off shore becomes one of the strategies of the Company, it is going to affect these federal bodies of Australia as well. Explanation of why a number of jobs will continue to be based in Australia and the associated implications As pointed out by Lacity and Willcocks (2013), a company cannot completely shift its business to other country. In case a company has to undertake the option of shifting its operation to other country or countries, a part of the business operation always remains in the base country. It has been identified that moving off shore shall result in a net loss of 116 jobs from Telstra who are citizens of Australia. However, there shall remain 128 existing job in the country and 12 new ones shall be created. It has also been commented that initiatives have been undertaken by the management of the team to operate in other country by sending a number of important officials to the target country. However, their specification of the role has not been defined yet. Moving a business completely to another country is not feasible for a company. It has to be understood that a company take the opportunity to move its business operation to other country just to grab the opportunities of skilled or low waged laborer or the market opportunity of that particular country. In this situation, it has to be mention that an Australia based company cannot take the risk of completely shifting its operation to another country. In such case, the complete identity of the company might get lost (Duan et al. 2014). The company has tom leave its mark on the home country to maintain a personal identity. It is usually happen that the main operations and higher designated posts job remained in the home country and only the business operation that are depend on a large number of labor support shift to the other country where off shoring has been decided to take place. If the case of Telstra is taken into consideration, it has to be said that the company planned only to shift the customer support channel to the Asian countries like India, China, whereas the important decision making process that requires the involvement of the higher authorities like the managing director or the CEO remain in Australia (Baltzan 2012). The management commented on this initiative that only a part of their operation shall be shifted to Asian countries to grab the opportunity of the skilled and low waged laborer who are available in these countries in abundance (Kim et al. 2013). However, all kind of business decision shall be based completely on the decision making procedure that the management shall decide operating from Australia only. The shifting handover is done only to maximize the profit of the country and not to shift its business operation. Off shoring can be considered as one of the reasons that fulfill the objective of expansion of the business (Stanger 2014). Therefore, it can be said that off shoring is not the process of shifting the business entirely on another country but to use the resources of the other country and make best utilization of it. The same approach has been taken by Telstra in its recent business operation to overcome the issues that the company was facing in operating in Australia. Conclusion: The report based on the analysis of the opportunities that an organization gains when it opt for shifting a part of its business operation over sea. In case of Telstra, a number of internal and external factors have resulted in adoption of the strategies that ultimately resulted in the factor that the company has to off shore its business in other countries like India and China. It has been found that by undertaking the strategies for off shoring, the company tend to improve its business function to a great extent that resulted in improving the condition and fight against the odds that Telstra had to face in its home country. However, it has also been found that it is never feasible to transfer the entire business off shore because it might result in loss of identity of the business or disturb the business strategies and operations undertaken by the company. Therefore, it is likely to use the resources of the other country that might include both human resource and physical resources like land or climate, and the main part of the business still remained in the home country. References: ABC News. 2014. 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