Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Comparison Of Smes Between China And German Economics Essay

Nowadays the universe economic system has entered the epoch of planetary competition. Economic competition is far more intense than any old historical period, and its strength is turning really fast, so many SMEs face a crisis and a bad state of affairs. The Nobel Laureate in economic sciences, Stiglitz ( cite? ) pointed out that the current globalisation procedure is driven by the involvement of international companies, and it has exacerbated the inequality in the universe. When foreign endeavors enter one state, they frequently destroy local rivals and crush down the aspirations of local SMEs to develop their national industry. Chinese SMEs have 95 % of the entire figure of the national endeavors, and over 3/4 of the urban employed population working in SMEs. Statisticss besides show that SMEs in China are the most dynamic portion of its economic, involve about 65 % of the patented engineering, and more than 75 % of the engineering invention. 80 % of new merchandises are developed by SMEs. Big concern besides comes from the development of SMEs. There is no uncertainty the hereafter of China ‘s economic system to a greater extent dependant on the development of SMEs. Stiglitz besides pointed out that unemployment is more harmful than waste of resources, it is likely to destruct the full market economic system ( mention! ) , while the engine of making new occupations is SMEs. So, how can SMEs to cover with the challenges of globalisation? Possibly the German companies can supply us with the best illustration. The German professor of direction, Herman Simon started to analyze the German endeavors because he was asked such a hard job when he sing Harvard Business School: Germany ‘s top 500 endeavors, in the universe ranking public presentation, are non outstanding, so how can Germany go the universe top exporter for such a long clip, and how did Germany go a universe economic heavyweight. The ten old ages of research findings surprised him.The original German exporters every bit good as the pillar of the economic system is non those familiar companies like Siemens, Bayer, Mercedes-Benz, and so on, but some unknown SMEs such as Brita, Hauni, and Xilabulan. They focus on a peculiar industry, but far more in front in the international market than any other concern, such as production of Brita H2O filters which now have 85 % of the universe market. Most of these SMEs are non familiar to media and public, but they are the true title-holder exporters. There are 100s of those stealth title-holder companies in Germany. Do non believe that they are now little size concerns. For illustration, in the production of tropical fish provender, the Tetra company owns 60 % of the planetary market portion, .Although this is a niche merchandise, it has a turnover of 6 billion USD, and Tetra have wholly-owned subordinates in more than 100 states in the universe. The ground why these SMEs in Germany are little-known to people, is that they are largely non able and non willing to pass 1000000s in self-promotion, or they even intentionally avoid contact with the media in order to avoid excessively many trouble because it might increase the figure of rivals and impersonators. In drumhead, for the developing Chinese SMEs, by comparing the endeavors criterion, direction public presentation, fiscal intermediation and societal services, we should be able to sum up the differences between the two states and seek to derive experience for China.Methodology:Will utilize the methodological analysis of comparative surveies, statistic analyzing, inductive logic.Research inquiry:Differences of endeavors standard, direction public presentation, fiscal intermediation and societal services between China and German.a†¦ . Enterprises standard comparative survey between China and Germany.Standard of the Germans SMEs At present, the popular criterions for SMEs in Germany are the new commissariats for SMEs criterion introduced by the SME Research Center in Bonn and the European Union in 2003. The consequence of Standard Research from SME Research Center in Bonn is shown in Table 1 Table 1 The SME criterion of Germany and the European Uniona‘? Firm size Employees ( No. of individual ) Gross saless per twelvemonth ( 10,000 of EURO ) Firm size Employees ( No. of individual ) Gross saless per twelvemonth ( 10,000 of EURO ) Assetss ( 10,000 of EURO ) Micro & lt ; 9 & lt ; 200 & lt ; 200 Small a†°Ã‚ ¤9 & lt ; 100 Small 10~49 & lt ; 1000 & lt ; 1000 Medium 100~499 100~5000 Medium 50~249 & lt ; 5000 & lt ; 4300 Large a†°?500 a†°?5000 SMEs a†°Ã‚ ¤250 a†°Ã‚ ¤5000 a†°Ã‚ ¤4300 Standard of the Chinese SMEsa‘ µ Chinese SME criterion is introduced by the National Development and Reform Commission Ministry of Finance, National Bureau of Statistics survey in 2003 formulated the â€Å" Probationary Regulations on Standards for SMEs † , such as shown in table 2. Table 2 The SME criterion of chinaa‘ µ Industries Firm size Employees ( No. of individual ) Gross saless per twelvemonth ( 10,000 of RMB/EURO ) Assetss ( 10,000 of RMB/EURO ) Industry Small & lt ; 300 & lt ; 3000/290 & lt ; 4000/387 Medium 300~2000 3000~30000/290~2900 4000~40000/387~3868 Construction Small & lt ; 600 & lt ; 3000/290 & lt ; 4000/387 Medium 600~3000 3000~30000/290~2900 Wholesaling Small & lt ; 100 & lt ; 3000/290 Medium 100~200 3000~30000/290~2900 Retail trade Small & lt ; 100 & lt ; 1000/97 Medium 100~500 1000~15000/97~1451 Transportation system Small & lt ; 500 & lt ; 3000/290 Medium 500~3000 3000~30000/290~2900 Postal services Small & lt ; 400 & lt ; 3000/290 Medium 400~1000 3000~30000/290~2900 Hotel & A ; providing Small & lt ; 400 & lt ; 3000/290 Medium 400~800 3000~15000/290~1541 3. Decision In drumhead, by comparing of the SMEs criterion between China and German can pull the undermentioned decisions: First, the SMEs criterion of China is different from Germany, except the criterion of figure of employees, with entire assets and gross revenues of three commonly are utilizing international indexs, industry indexs as standards for categorization of endeavors with Chinese features. In the standard demands of the seven industries, the primary industry and third industry is non included. The major difference between different industries is the figure of employees.a†¦? . Business direction public presentation comparing between China and Germany1. Business public presentation of Germany SMEs At the terminal of 2005, the figure of SMEs is 99.7 % a‘ ¶of entire figure of endeavors in Germany has reached 33.8 million of gross revenues, in the terminal of 2004 micro-enterprises ( less than nine workers and gross revenues in 2 million euros or less ) ocuppy 81 % of SMEs, making 18.2 % of entire employment. By the terminal of 2005 the gross revenues of German SMEs achieved 39.1 % of entire, supplying 70.9 % of employment ; by the terminal 2004 the added value created 46.7 % , 51.5 % of investings, exports of 66.4 % .The development of SMEs in Germany has a clear difference between parts and industries. There is a rapid develop of west Germany SMEs. German SMEs has an absolute advantage in the agribusiness, forestry and piscaries, building, adjustment and catering industry. Among them, little and average endeavors occupy 94 % of all agricultural endeavors, 85 % of all building endeavors, adjustment and catering industry, 89 % , services 60 % .a‘ ¶ 2. Business public presentation of Chinese SMEs Since 1997, SMEs have been turning quickly in China after authorities declared that the private sector is an of import portion for the state ‘s economic development. The figure of Small and medium endeavors in late 2006 range 42 million, busying more than 99 % of the entire figure of enterprisesa‘ · . At the terminal of 2002 the figure of Micro-enterprises ( less than nine workers ) reached 23.5 million, busying 56 % of the full little and average endeavors. Among them, micro-enterprises create 26.8 % of employment for entire registered labora‘? . During the tenth five-years plan period, little and average industrial endeavors reached about 28 % mean one-year growing rate of value-added, created 60 % of concluding goods and services and about 50 % of taxa‘ · . SMEs have become the chief channel for spread outing employment, supplying more than 75 % of urban occupations, and more than 80 % of discharged workers were re-employed in little and average endeavo rs, the bulk of migratory workers are working in little and average endeavors. A group of powerful SMEs explore the international market really actively. The information from the Ministry of Commerce shown that by the terminal of 2005, there is 88 % of endeavors investing is SMES in Africa a‘? . Chinese SME occupied 68 % of exports in late 2005 a‘? . The development of SMEs in China is besides evidently differences differences between parts and industries. SMEs are located in the eastern part, particularly the southeasterly coastal countries of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shandong, Shanghai and Beijing a‘? . Harmonizing to information provided by â€Å" China ‘s Economic Development Index for SMEs † , the fastest improving industry is the power, gas and H2O production and supply sectors and the index of bettering is 66.76 % ; The second is the building industry, for 66.09 % ; and 3rd is information transmittal, computing machine services and package industry, which is 65.92 % ; and the last is the fabrication sector with 63.22 % . In 1993, the norm registered capital of little and average endeavors is RMB 286,000, in 1995 is RMB 40 million, in 2002 it grow to RMB 2.5 million a‘ » . Because the deficiency of statistical informations for Chinese SMEs bankruptcy rate, there is a unsmooth estimation, bankruptcy rate of Chinese SMEs after the constitution in 3 to 5 old ages is every bit high as 50 % a‘ » . Because deficiency of statistical informations of Chinese SMEs bankruptcy rate. A unsmooth estimation, bankruptcy rate of Chinese SMEs after the constitution in 3 to 5 old ages is every bit high as 50 % a‘ » . 3. Decision In drumhead, through the comparative of little and average endeavors runing public presentation survey between China and Germany, the undermentioned decisions can be drawn. First, whether in the underdeveloped China, or in the developed Germany, little and average endeavors played a prima function in economic development, with the addition exports and make the new occupations. It stabilizes and be the hardcore for economic development and societal development. However, due to the particular background of China ‘s passage economic system, the SME absorb a big figure of discharged workers and excess rural labour force who fired by the state-owned endeavors. Regional is the 2nd ground for the differences between the development of SMEs in both states. The chief difference in Germany is because it divided into East and West. In China, it is because of the coastal countries and inland countries. Therefore, the development of little and average endeavors and regional degrees of economic development are closely linked. Third, due to the lower capital ratio, Chinese and German SMEs both have a high rate of bankruptcy.a†¦? . A Comparative Study of Chinese and German SME fiscal intermediation1. German SME funding The chief resource for SMEs loaning is from sedimentation Bankss, which is about 44.8 % within the entire loans, 20.3 % from the co-operative Bankss, 20.2 % from the private Bankss ( Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, Dresdner Bank and Postbank ) . This proportion of loaning does non alter much in the market portion for a long clip already. There is a direct relationship for the application of bank loans between the successful and the direction of the house. If the gross revenues are less than 100 1000000s euro, the rejection rate for the application of loans reaches 34.7 % . However, if the gross revenues are over 5000 million euro, the rejection rate is merely about 6.6 % .a‘? Harmonizing to the study for the rejection of bank loans, 49.3 % of houses are unable to supply warrants or collateral, 46.8 % is because of the deficiency of free capital and there is 36 % for the alterations in banking policy.With the development of the capital market and the banking system in Germany, there are some alterations for funding within SMEs: ( 1 ) . the standardisation of first balcony funding reduces the cost and the proportion is increasing in the funding market. The German first balcony financing market becomes the 2nd largest market and the first is United Kingdom. With the addition of the first balcony funding, the houses are able to increase their ain capital ratios, thereby increasing the sum of external finance to broaden the beginnings of funding. ( 2 ) . the plus securitization and private capital investing has became the chief resources for the funding in German through the rise in capital market. CLOs: Collateralized Loan Obligations is issued by the bank for the plus securitization in SME. The German Reconstruction bank, KfW Bankengruppe, has developed PROMISE for comprehensive merchandise trading. This market in Germany developed quickly and the trading sum reached 20 billion euro for the first 6 months in 2006. The SME loan securitization market development will take the connexion between the traditional and modern banking establishment. This helps the SME ‘s funding and greatly heighten the liquidness, security of dealing and profitabiliy for Bankss. 2. Chinese SMEs Financing In the World Bank study about China ‘s investing environment, they compared with other Asiatic states and shown China ‘s SMEs are confronting a more serious recognition restraint. In 2000, single and private endeavors received short-run loans merely, by all fiscal establishments to 1 % . The proprietor of the portion of ain capital funding will be reduced as the graduated table of concern rise. Large-scale endeavors ( with figure of employees from 100 to 500 people ) funding from the proprietor ‘s ain financess accounted for 22 % ; but in less than 50 individuals is 45 % . If the proprietor ‘s ain financess and retained net incomes are added as a beginning of funding within the figure of employees is less than 52 little concerns and 67 % of the financess is from the endogenous funding ; in more than 100 big endeavors, the per centum is 57 % . In add-on, the successful rate of obtaining bank loans for the large-scale endeavors is clearly more than the little endeavors. If the bank loans and financess received from the rural recognition co-ops as a amount of intermediation of financess from fiscal establishments, there is merely 8 % for the little concerns get financing while big endeavors are 27 % .. a‘? Professor Lin Hanchuan ( 2003 ) a‘?conducted two studies for the current state of affairs of SMEs in 1998. The first study showed that 75 % of surveyed venture capital funding comes chiefly from self-financing ; acquire bank loans, finance companies accounted for 53.5 % of them state-owned endeavors accounted for 94 % . Bank loans from state-owned banking establishments in the bulk, there are a little figure of corporate endeavors received loans from rural recognition co-ops. And 25 % of private SMEs funding is from non-formal funding channels. The 2nd canvass for the first clip similar consequences, 55 % of the surveyed endeavors to capital derived from the ego, 24 % of the surveyed companies 50 % of the working capital come from self-financing, merely 9 % of endeavors to capital come from bank loans. China Industrial and Commercial Federation and the China Private Economy Research Committee make five probes in 1993,1995,1997,2000 and 2002. Self-financing is the chief signifier of capital funding for SMEs, accounting for 65.5 % , bank loan funding is 21 % a‘? . In the 2002 study, 3258 was merely 23.4 % of SMEs surveyed by the funding Bankss and rural recognition co-ops. Obtaining bank loans to finance companies, 30 % of the endeavors get bank loans for less than RBM 10 million, 73.4 % of endeavors less than RBM 100 million. 53.8 % of the companies with â€Å" trouble in obtaining loans † are the obstruction to enterprise development, one of the most of import factor a’ˆ . Chinese SMEs using for bank loans, faced with three â€Å" favoritism † : the ownership of favoritism, size of favoritism and favoritism in the part. Harmonizing to the standard corporate ownership for the types of endeavors, taking to the Bankss of the differential intervention of different ownership endeavors. With the increasing degrees of economic openness and regional favoritism, favoritism in ownership bit by bit replaced. In more developed countries, non-state-owned endeavors are more readily available for bank loans. Guangdong, for illustration, in 1999 for non-state economic system, portion of bank loans has exceeded the province economic system, accounting for 56 % in 2002 lifting to 65 % . Because of the size of SMEs is self-limited with the deficiency of applications for bank loans warrants and collateral, hence, the smaller the size of the endeavor are more hard for bank loans from Bankss and other formal fiscal establishments, fiscal intermediation, which resulted in the graduated table of favoritism in bank loans. Table 3 Loans for SMEs gained from bank when established Loan sum Sample proportion Sample endeavors Loan sum Sample proportion Sample endeavors & lt ; 0.5 3.66 35 30~50 11.84 113 0.5~1 2.41 23 50~100 11.74 113 1~5 13.42 128 100~200 4.51 43 5~10 11.74 112 200~500 15.51 148 10~15 3.04 29 500~1000 3.14 30 15~20 9.01 86 & gt ; 1000 3.46 33 20~30 6.05 62 Entire 100 954 SME loans among banking establishments in different and uneven development. For illustration, Sichuan Province, as of the terminal of 2007, three big state-owned commercial Bankss accounted for the state ‘s little concern loans little concern loans to 50.31 per centum, but merely the bank ‘s loans to 11.42 % ; while metropolis commercial Bankss and recognition bureau issued little concern loans accounted for 23.84 % , but it is the bank ‘s loan balance of 48.48 % a’? . Large state-owned commercial Bankss are merely developing micro-credit operations from the central office with the particular demands and more restrictive conditions, so the enthusiasm is non high. 3. Decision ( 1 ) there is widespread trouble in obtaining loans for SMEs, non merely is a passage economic system like China, that is, the economically developed in Germany every bit good. Endogenous funding is the chief beginning of SME funding, bank funding accounted for 26.3 % in Germany, but in China, this proportion is much smaller. ( 2 ) SMEs using for bank loans to the trouble is due chiefly to the deficiency of security or collateral, equity capital is unequal. However, in Germany, the banking sector SME loaning alterations are hard for particular grounds ; in China it is the ownership restraints. ( 3 ) funding merchandises offered by fiscal establishments in a individual, hard to run into the funding demands of SMEs in specific variegation. In China, fiscal establishments, the chief funding merchandises offered by bank loans. However, in Germany, in add-on to the traditional bank loan funding outside the capital, first balcony funding and securitization funding portion on the rise. ( 4 ) Germany there is a clear division of labour between Bankss, organizing the major banking establishments for SMEs, sedimentation Bankss and concerted Bankss. Local operation of these Bankss are specialised Bankss, has carried out the comparative advantages of SMEs. In China, about all of the banking establishments have developed little and average endeavors financing concern, nevertheless, big state-owned commercial Bankss and deficiency of motive. Fourth, China and Germany Comparative Study of the societal service system for SMEs SME development requires non merely fiscal intermediation of fiscal services, but besides a assortment of security, evaluations, advice, information and engineering, societal services. Social service system, the building and flawlessness is a requirement for rapid development of SMEs.a†¦? . Comparison of societal service between Chinese and Germany SMEs1. Germany ‘s societal service system for SMEs Germany ‘s societal service system for SMEs is comparatively healthy. Auditing organic structures, accounting houses and banking establishments provide SMEs with the chief information services. In Germany, the chief bank for SMEs, non merely in corporate finance has played a prima function, but besides provide SMEs with a assortment of confer withing, information, and assist them explicate a development program and other intermediary services besides play an unreplaceable function. German SME recognition warrant system for the development of early, early in 1954 set up its first guaranteed Bankss. Presently, in Germany, each province guaranteed at least one bank. After more than 50 old ages of development, Garanti Bank has established a sound recognition evaluation system, a major consideration factors such as corporate fiscal factors ( fiscal place, net incomes, etc. ) on their ain qualities ( director ‘s direction ability, concern history ) , enterprise development stat e of affairs ( merchandises, markets, etc. ) , and historical records ( recognition and non-compliance records, etc. ) . Garanti Bank secured rates at 1.75 % ~ 2.5 % , rate accommodations are chiefly based on the industry in which companies, merchandises and markets, risk-related. Germany guarantees bank loans to bank-specific recognition risk-sharing ratio of 8:2. Occurs when the secured bank loan losingss, the Government has to bear the loss of 65 % , the loaning bank to take hazards to 7 % , the security establishments to presume the hazard of 28 % . In add-on, the Garanti Bank asked to command the loss rate of 4 % or less, the excess by increasing the guaranteed rate, loss ratio or the Government to increase investing write-down, owned, etc.. At nowadays, single warrants Bankss mean loss rate of about 1 % . SMEs have to cut down costs borne by the administrative scrutiny and blessing. In 2003 the German authorities, harmonizing to a study undertaken in the endeavor 460 sorts of administrative scrutiny and blessing costs, borne by SMEs accounted for 80 % . SMEs in order to cut down the costs borne by the administrative scrutiny and blessing, the German authorities promulgated the â€Å" cut down the load on SMEs jurisprudence † . Among them, a really of import step is the criterion Quasi-oriented little and average endeavors to set up, alteration, confer withing services, systems and procedures and processs, to better and heighten services at a velocity and quality. In add-on, when the constitution of little and average endeavors by simplifying administrative scrutiny and blessing processs, set up an electronic enrollment processs to enable endeavors to put up every bit long as on-line enrollment can be completed within a few yearss. 2. China ‘s development of a societal service system for SMEs ( 1 ) Government better the societal service system for SMEs, the steps the Chinese authorities attaches great importance to the development of SMEs, the determination in the â€Å" Eleventh Five-Year † during the execution of the â€Å" SME development undertakings. † This is China ‘s SME development plan of action, including bettering the societal service system for SMEs and improves relevant Torahs and ordinances, heighten the ability of scientific discipline and engineering invention of SMEs in nine steps a‘? . Laws and ordinances in the edifice of little and average endeavors, the Chinese authorities has promulgated the â€Å" SME Promotion Law of The People ‘s Republic of China † â€Å" the State Council on Encouraging, Supporting and steering the person and private and other non-public economic development in a figure of sentiments † , and formed a â€Å" SME Promotion Law † as the nucleus, the relevant supporting paperss to back up the publicity of SMEs and non-public economic development of Torahs, ordinances and policy model system to supply SMEs with a sound external environment for puting the foundation for the jurisprudence. The security system, China has started the pattern of SMEs recognition warrant in 1992, by 2006, the National SME recognition warrant establishments more than 1,000, a sum of 28.7 billion fund-raising, the cumulative sum of loan warrant 120 billion kwais, the cumulative security companies 5 10000.a’‚ In the proficient sup port for SMEs, the Chinese authorities chose Qingdao, Hefei and other metropoliss, combined with technological systems, established a city-backed, engineering invention services for SMEs, regional, professional engineering centre, while set uping and assorted types of technological invention and improved services. ( 2 ) the societal service system for SMEs, although the Chinese SMEs in the development of the societal service system has experienced from abrasion, from little to big rapid development, but still necessitate to foster better and hone. The chief jobs are: Servicess, higher costs. Banking Bureau in Sichuan SME study, the high cost of societal services is to forestall the funding of SMEs, a really of import ground. Small concerns in the procedure of using for bank loans may hold to pay, including audits, indirect appraisals, mortgage enrollment, security, notary, insurance, legal advice, recognition evaluation, concern enquiries, and other disbursals more than 10 points, its amalgamate disbursal ratio may be up to 10 % . Assessment and mortgage enrollment fees occupy a big proportion in bank loan. Mortgage registered in the duplicate of the enrollment, rating and fees, and charges required by the Government has non purely enforced and others are caused by extra direct cause of the high cost a’? . System is non perfect. Management of bank loans because of the high cost of a deficiency of societal recognition direction system, banking, industry and commercialism, revenue enhancement and other societal service bureaus have non yet set up a unified recognition direction system. Government in SME recognition warrant system to step in excessively much in the outgrowth of capital, operational construction and direction of many jobs. For illustration, many local authoritiess funded the constitution of fiscal security bureaus, on the one manus a erstwhile injection of financess, deficiency of compensation mechanism, warrant financess to little ; the other manus, the deficiency of commercial operation, can non fulfill the diversified demands of SMEs. Even in the U.S. , Japan and other large-scale government-funded national, policy loans guaranteed no more than 10 % of SME loans. Therefore, the SME policy entirely can non vouch security, but besides to play a private capital and commercial security function. 3. Decision ( 1 ) Germany ‘s societal system is sound and SME services, including accounting, confer withing, scrutinizing, information and other societal service bureaus. Banks non merely provide fiscal services to SMEs, but besides includes other information and consulting services. Chinese SMEs in the service of societal system, the building and betterment, the biggest job is how to better the warrant system for little and average endeavors. ( 2 ) The German authorities attaches great importance to the development of SMEs, but how the Government will play a back uping SME development, the two states have important differences. The German authorities wage attending to utilize of indirect, economic and legal agencies, such as revenue enhancement policy, through the national policy Bankss indirect fiscal support, to set up a incorporate information system, standardisation of the Government ‘s assorted administrative scrutiny and blessing systems and processs. In add-on, the German authorities by supplying more instruction and preparation chances and better the capacity of endeavor directors to accomplish long-run and sustainable development of SMEs. The Chinese authorities in advancing the development of SMEs in the greater usage of the direct administrative steps and intercessions. For illustration, fiscal investors to set up a recognition warrant system for little and average endeavors, direct operation and directio n of recognition warrant establishments, direct fiscal subsidies. ( 3 ) The German Government has set up export-oriented SMEs in specific administrative and societal service system. By the China Enterprise Evaluation Association in the â€Å" export-oriented SMEs in the survey † points out that China ‘s deficiency of specialised concern services for export-oriented societal system. In the surveyed endeavors, 51 % of export endeavors need to finance and consultative servicesa’? .a†¦Ã‚ ¤ . Enlightenment1. Chinese SMEs are little, but employed more workers, this is the alone consequence of the development phases and conditions. Due to the passage of Economic and societal system, China ‘s SMEs faces an more particular development environment. To work out the specific jobs of SMEs development in China, we ‘d break larning from international experience of other advanced, but besides need to considerate with the particular conditions of China. 2. Chinese SMEs criterions require timely updates and uninterrupted polish. 3. Chinese SMEs faced with the general trouble in obtaining loans, which are an of import beginning of funding. 4. Chinese SMEs warrants system for the commercial operations need imperative development. Guarantee bureaus need to set up a sound capital injection mechanism, modulate the investing of authorities financess and compensation mechanisms to accomplish the variegation of support beginnings. Learn from the successful experience of Germany, the debut of risk-sharing warrant establishments and compensation mechanisms. 5. The constitution of SMEs exporting to China ‘s societal system of professional services. With the uninterrupted development of China ‘s export-oriented economic system, export portion of gross national merchandise is lifting, it should better the export-oriented SMEs, including finance, and consulting, international operations required a assortment of particular services. The Government should put up specifically for the export-oriented SMEs, service platforms, and simplification of administrative scrutiny and blessing processs, hastening the blessing procedure. 6. Rationally specify the authorities ‘s function in SME development. International experience tells us that the Government should utilize economic and legal and other indirect means to cut down the direct administrative intercession and capital subsidy, thereby heightening the effectivity of policy execution to advance sustainable growing of SMEs.

Ethical Issues- Schizophrenia

Many ethical issues can be presented when working in the medical field; a few major issues are presented in the case of Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder in which people may hear voices in their heads that tell them to do immoral things, which are not there. A Schizophrenic person may also sit for hours without moving or talking, and are not completely sane. This disorder is a result of genetic and environmental factors. One of the issues that are involved with schizophrenia is telling schizophrenics, partial truths or lies.Studies have shown that when a schizophrenic is directly confronted, they usually do not return for treatment. As a result, some psychiatrists tell their patients â€Å"half-truths† or lies such as treating patients but telling them the medication is for anxiety or dysphasia, this way patients receive adequate treatment. Ultimately the psychiatrist is doing what is best for the patient, but is it really okay to lie to a patient? Another issu e is presented during the treatment of a schizophrenic patient, occasionally a patient will ask a psychiatrist for heir opinion on whether or not to pursue a lifelong dream they may have.When this occurs, the psychiatrist is presented with the decision of whether or not to support the patient on their dream. If the psychiatrist believes the patient is not capable of accomplishing their goal because of their mental disorder, they might discourage the patient form pursuing it because if they were to pursue it and fail, it could possibly worsen the disorder. On the other hand, the psychiatrist might support the patient in their dream, because in the situation where the patient accomplishes their goal, the notation may improve and could result in a better quality of life.So what should the psychiatrist do in this situation, when is it okay for the psychiatrist to decide what goes on in a patient's life? A third issue would be the whether or not to ask a patient dealing with this disorde r if they would like to write their advance directives. Advance directives are written consent of what would happen to the patient in the occasion that they lose decisional capabilities, what type of treatment they would receive, etc.Although advance directives maybe taken as a precaution and not because anything is occurring with the patient, upon being asked for these documents a patient may be caused fear which could result in worsening of the illness. So should the psychiatrist ask a patient for the advance directives knowing it may have a negative result on their health? The involvement of family in the life of a schizophrenic could be extremely beneficial, but convincing a schizophrenic to involve their family is yet another issue.The process of persuading a mental disorder patient at some point becomes coercion, which is never morally correct because it could be considered as taking advantage of a mentally challenged person. Although coercion is never technically correct, in the long run the involvement of the family will have enormous benefits on the patient, so the psychiatrist must make a decision on if they should or shouldn't coerce the patient to involve their family. I believe that all the ethical issues presented are difficult, but the psychiatrist should always keep the patients well.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Blasted by Sarah Kane Essay

When I was on vacation in San Francisco, the 19:29 Theater Company from London put on the play Blasted, by Sarah Kane.   I knew very little about Kane or her work, but went with a few friends on Monday, June 23.   The play was taking place at the Mossmer Hotel, and we decided to go to the early showing.   Upon hearing people talk about it and seeing some posters, I got a better idea about the kind of experimental play I was about to see.   However, I had no idea what I was getting into, and the experience far exceeded my wildest imaginations and the unconventional nature of this play would stay with me long after the final line was spoken.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When we were about to enter the theater, some people were handing out veils to all the audience members with holes cut out for mouths and eyes.   This was interesting at first, but the festive atmosphere created by the initial strangeness of the veils soon gave way to a creeping fear of something heavy about to be parlayed.   We were in essence walking as if to a firing squad, some of us cognizant of what was about to happen, while some of us still laughed at the novelty and the seriousness of the situation.   As soon as the play began, no one was laughing. Blasted is set in a naturally lit hotel room, with a bed and some furniture and a bathroom that permeated a blue glow.   No programs were given out and the play just began very unceremoniously.   The actor and actress in the hotel room began their dialogue in a style that was very naturalistic and conversational.   The characters are called â€Å"Ian† and â€Å"Cate,† with Ian an older man and Cate a younger woman.   Ian just swears and speaks racists and bigoted tirades, while Cate seems to shrink from him.   Ian tries to get Cate to make love, but she refuses.   After several attempts and severe stages awkwardness, the scene ends to the sound of rain.    The next scene begins the next day after Ian raped Cate.   After a bit, Cate breaks free from Ian out the bathroom window.   Soon after, a soldier runs into the room and a bomb hits it, leaving the scene to end to the sound of rain.   When the next scene begins, the room is virtually destroyed and there is a large hole in the wall.   The stage is much darker and the light is very sparse.   The soldier explains to Ian about the war going on and the terrible things he has witnessed.   The sound of gunfire can be heard continuously. The soldier then rapes Ian and blinds him, and like the other scenes it ends with the sound of rain.   During the next scene, Ian is blind and the soldier has killed himself, and Cate returns carrying a dead baby.   She describes what she has seen and buries the baby under a hole the floor before leaving.   The final scene shows Ian slowly deteriorating into madness and despair.   Starving, he crawls into the hole where Cate put the dead baby and eats it.   A voice offstage then says that Ian dies, and the play ends with Cate coming back with some food that she got by having sex with a soldier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the play I was simply shocked by the turns it took, as well as the bleakness of what was being portrayed on stage.   Even with actors that may not be the most schooled in theater, the material is so deep and disturbing, and the production is tight, that it almost becomes the perfect play.   It certainly stayed with me long after I saw it, and provoked everything but indifference from everyone that saw it.   I like to think that I had a good idea about what Kane was trying to say, but when it comes down to it, I can only guess that her greater message was that life is absurd.   The violence, perversion, and general human degradation she portrayed in Blasted certainly speaks of the darker side of humanity, but one that certainly exists and seems all too common in much of the world. Blasted was Sarah Kane’s breakthrough play, and her emergence put the theatre world on its ear in the 1990s.   More than any other recent theatrical event, the plays of Kane shocked the theatre world to the core.   Kane’s debut play, Blasted, created a scandal when it was released.   The play angered many of the critics, but cemented a lasting impression on the world of theatre.   According to playwright Mark Ravenhill: â€Å"History has made Kane’s critics look rather foolish.   But, really, who could have said then that Blasted was a landmark in theatre?   In retrospect, we – theatres, audiences, translators, teachers, students, biographers – pick out the good art from the bad until we’re left with some kind of canon. But in the moment no one can really tell† (Ravenhill).   Its scenes of anal rape, cannibalism, and brutality created the biggest theatre scandal since the baby stoning scene in Bond’s play Saved; Kane admired Bond’s work and he in turn publicly defended Kane’s play and talent (â€Å"Sarah Kane†).   Blasted’s merits were recognised by fellow playwright Harold Pinter and it was later generally accepted that the play is not an adolescent attempt to shock, but instead draws parallels between acts of domestic abuse and the war being fought in Bosnia, between emotional and physical violence, and thus confronts audiences with moral challenges rather than amoral shock tactics (â€Å"Sarah Kane†). Kane’s subsequent plays continued to deal with violent sexual desire, cruelty, pain, torture, and death, though without the massive scandal caused by her first play.   She measured human suffering through physical and psychological means, and presented theatre that might be offensive and difficult to watch at times, but overall redemptive. Her suicide stigmatized her films, but her work continues to transcend theatrical boundaries and national borders.   Theater critic Michael Billington remarked on the success of Kane’s plays around the world:   â€Å"If we still find it hard to grasp her in Britain, it is because of her ruthlessly uncompromising vision and total rejection of our naturalistic inheritance. The whirligig of time, however, brings in its revenges – and I suspect, judging by her campus popularity, that the next generation of theatre-makers will intuitively understand her black humour and romantic agony† (Billington).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It seems difficult to place the work of Sarah Kane in the same pantheon as Anton Chekhov and Arthur Miller, if only because they seem the opposite ends of the spectrum, but both playwrights have contributed to the spirit of change and were once considered radical departures from the norm.   As Blasted continues to gain acceptance and grows in popularity, Kane’s place in the canon will be assured, and perhaps she will become a part of conventional theatre, like Chekhov and Miller.   As history dictates, what shocks today is a reaction to yesterday’s conventions, so the possibility exists that plays like those of Sarah Kane become commonplace and conventional, only to be subverted by a new, evolved form of genteel light comedy. Works Cited: Billington, Michael. â€Å"The best British playwright you’ll never see;† Guardian Unlimited; 23. Mar 2005. 10 Jul 2008. . Ravenhill, Mark. â€Å"Suicide art?   She’s better than that,† Guardian Unlimited. 12 Oct 2005. 10 Jul . â€Å"Sarah Kane.† Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 5 Jan 2007. Jul 2008. .

Monday, July 29, 2019

Human Resource Management in Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

Human Resource Management in Practice - Essay Example eed to know how human resources (HR) are managed in different regions of the world and how their counterparts in different parts of the globe perceive or react to similar concepts and pressures. It is also important to have an understanding about the main determinants of HRM policies and practices in different regional and national settings. Academics have responded positively to meet the challenges raised by the globalization of business by investigating a number of issues and problems related to international business . They have attempted to examine management from a cross-national viewpoint. This comparison of HRM policies and practices at a national level helps to test the convergence–divergence thesis. The typical questions pursued by comparative researchers are: (1) how is HRM structured in individual countries. (2) What strategies are discussed? (3) What is put into practice? (4) What are the similarities and differences? (5) What is the influence of national factors such as culture, government policy, and education systems? Scholars have also developed and proposed different models of HRM both between and within nations ((Mullins P.97–99, 2002)). Interestingly, most models of HRM have an Anglo–Saxon base. As such, from a global perspective, principles of HRM have been developed from a restricted sample of human experience. During the infancy stage of HRM literature, such an ethnocentric approach was understandable and unavoidable. However, with the growth of a â€Å"global business village,† firms operating in different countries need appropriate information and guidance to develop their HRM policies and practices. Under such dynamic business conditions, the relevance of lessons learned from the Anglo–Saxon experience is questionable. It is therefore important to examine the extent to which Anglo–Saxon models of HRM are applicable in other parts of the world. It has now become clear that the study of HRM needs a cross-national comparative

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Sustainable Value Portfolio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sustainable Value Portfolio - Research Paper Example The research paper "Sustainable Value Portfolio" overviews the sustainability concepts. Sustainability in business refers to the focus an organization puts on the impact of its activities on the environment, economy, and society and can take different concepts, for example, a balance in the operational concepts of a business. An examination of the sustainability value portfolio between Toyota and Hyundai reveals that Hyundai has the best portfolio in terms of sustainability value. To enhance sustainable management issues, Hyundai has put the effort in ensuring awareness among the executives and the staff members concerning sustainability, by ensuring an effective communication system. The company has created a wide sustainable management culture. To enhance sustainability, the company has put in place a global reporting initiative. It has also taken into consideration the social, environmental and economic factors necessary to ensure the performance of the business. Hyundai has also proved to have the best portfolio in terms of sustainability through their stakeholder participation. The company has made a classification of its stakeholders into staff members and stakeholders, subcontractors, customers, shareholders and investors, local communities, and government agencies. This, key issues concerning sustainability management have been assigned to each group. Examining Toyota’s portfolio towards sustainability, the company has focused on ensuring they always make better cars.... Hyundai has also proved to have the best portfolio in terms of sustainability through their stakeholder participation. The company has made a classification of its stakeholders into staff members and stakeholders, subcontractors, customers, shareholders and investors, local communities, and government agencies. Through this, key issues concerning sustainability management have been assigned to each group. However, examining Toyota’s portfolio towards sustainability, the company has focused on ensuring they always make better cars, and enriching the lives of different communities, hence the company is likely to ensure sustainability, however, in the long term range (Becker, 2008). Examining the sustainability value portfolio for Hyundai reveals that; the company has put emphasis on upgrading the core capabilities of the organization. The company has encouraged creative and innovative thinking among the employees, to boost performance in procurement, design and construction mana gement. To ensure global leadership, the company has put in place a vision towards sustainable management. An examination of their future projects, the company has put in place strategies, to accompany the action plans required to unsure sustainable growth of the company (Boudreau, Ramstad, 2005). An examination of the company’s sustainability value portfolio, in terms of the working environment, it is evident that; the company, which is under the construction industry, has undergone rapid transformations in the business environment because of the global environmental issues which include climate change. The business areas of the industry have also expanded and include the development of resources and infrastructure. To enhance sustainability, then company

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Global Warming - Is it the Biggest hoax we have ever faced Thesis

Global Warming - Is it the Biggest hoax we have ever faced - Thesis Example Yet, having bravely asserted their views, these dissenting voices have put an almost accepted fact into a much-heated debate: Is global warming real or a hoax? Unfortunately though, a debate over a scientific issue has become more political and economic rather than scientific. Science has been manipulated. Data are selectively included or excluded to make it appear that global warming is a real threatening problem, purposely, to justify preordained policy preferences. (Avery 1) Thus the questions of the day continue: Is global warming real that people and nations should prepare for doomsday? Is global warming man-made that humanity should pay for it by disusing fossil fuels or is it the biggest hoax humanity has ever faced? These are the interrelated questions which this research study would like to examine and shed light into by going through an intensive review of researches and studies done by authorities of the issue. This study is significant and relevant for the obvious reason that its impact to humanity is too great, as it is affecting almost all aspects of human lives. To start with, it would be necessary to define the issue and how it came to be. Global warming as implied by the term itself â€Å"is an increase in the average temperature of Earths surface† (Mastrandrea & Schneider, par. 1). The average temperature of the Earth is about 13oC or 56 oF (Sagan 1984) to 15 oC or 59 oF (Hart 2005) (qtd. in Tang, par. 2). How global warming has been discovered is a matter of history that has never been clear. Nevertheless, Weart accounts that it was only in 1896 that global warming was discovered by a forlorn Swedish scientist. However, it was regarded only as a mere concept that is fantastic and impossible. Then in 1950, global warming was taken seriously by few scientists in California appraising it as a possibility – a risk that could occur in distant future. This distant future finally

Friday, July 26, 2019

Analysis the article by using what you have learned from lectures

Analysis the by using what you have learned from lectures - Article Example Formal power, however, is unlikely to spur such satisfaction as workers feel that they are only being maintained in the workplace because of their contributions. Formal power also does not encourage a corporate culture that is in support of team work and interdependence among workers. When formal power is in use, employees are much more likely to seek different ways of improving their personal skills and seeking to be more capable than their co-workers in order to be noticed. Interdependence in an organizational workforce can be attained through the distribution of resources and skills, and advanced technology that rearranges work functions as is common in assembly lines. Interdependence is also spurred by having similar goals and the rewarding of various teams or groups instead of singular individuals. This will in turn inspire group effectiveness in various functions of an organization. It will also spur the workers to develop a workplace commitment that will inspire the improvement of overall organizational behavior. Organizational behavior is descriptive of the way that workers behave in any given organization. To realize organizational goals like the creation of a corporate culture that inspires constructive organizational behavior, the management has to ensure that individual responsibilities of every worker are managed well and coordinated. Structure is an important tool in this regard as it deals with identifying formal communication channels, and illustrates how different activities conducted by different employees are connected. In the makeup of an organization, any structure that is not well managed is likely to be confronted with discrepancies. Generally, organizations have to compete aggressively in the present global competitive environment to merit organizational commitment from their workers. Even though it has been supposed that there are personal differences among an organization’s workers

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Discuss ideologies using a marxist approach Essay

Discuss ideologies using a marxist approach - Essay Example This is because the economy and its indices play very important roles in determining who we are. Modern socialism is, in its content, primarily the product of the perception on the one hand of the class antagonisms existing in modem society between possessors and non-possessors, wage workers and bourgeois; and, on the other hand, of the anarchy ruling in production. In its theoretical form, however, it originally appears as a further and ostensibly more logical extension of the principles established by the great French philosophers of the eighteenth century. Like every new theory, it had at first to link itself to the intellectual material which lay ready at hand, however deep its roots lay in economic facts. Engels 185 Marxism principally has to with the modes of production in any society. Marxism recognizes that there are two main social classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The division can be further divided into petit-bourgeoisie and the lumpen-proletariat. The mode of production which Marxists advocate is socialism. Socialism is a system of production in which everyone in the society is equal; in this society, every form of inequality as a result of ownership and control of the mode of production by individuals is not welcome. Unlike what obtains in a capitalist state, the majority will no longer toil only for the non-working upper class to reap the fruit of their labor. However, Marxists believe that the transformation from capitalism will not happen all of a sudden. The change will go through some evolutionary and revolutionary stage. The change which the people desire would only come when they arrive at that point where they determine that they want it bad enough to ask for it—this is the time the proletariat have been pushed to the wall. Marxists believe that capitalism will not exist forever because before it, there were some other modes of production like feudalism and slavery. When the proletariats have taken the reins of power from their oppressors, then socialism will emerge. Socialism is the stage where the masses have been able to remove class stratification. Yet, socialism is itself not perfect until the mode of production become communist. The bottom-line is that no matter what the ideology is, the Marxist approach is against it if it promotes social inequality. In trying to come out as conquerors in the battle waged against capitalism and other holders of ideologies that are incoherent with what Marxism stands for, Marxists are well aware of the fact that one of the first places key to their victory is the minds of the oppressed. In daily living, our consciousness plays a very integral role. Every human being makes use of their consciousness in everything they do. Capitalism has succeeded, through bourgeois ideology, in capturing the operations of the consciousness of many people such that they themselves are now the ones that have given themselves to the dictates of capitalism. All these happen because anything that happens under capitalism is built under the construct of ideology. It is the belief of capitalists that profit must be made at all cost. So, they explore all they can; every machine, every human power. The situation in many capitalist enterprises is such that the laborer is far less important than the machine. Capitalism

Project Management Managing Projects Assignment

Project Management Managing Projects - Assignment Example This relation is shown in the Network diagram by two rectangles "a" and "b" joined by a directed line going from "a" to "b". This helps the user in tracing all tasks on which a particular task is dependent and in tracing all the tasks which depend on a particular task. It also helps the user in estimating the criticality of a task. Business location is still a primary issue in keeping up a company's competitive position -- whether corporate headquarters are looking forward to recruit and keep top talent or a back office looking forward to reduce the amount of operating costs. As today's business situation alters at an ever-increasing rate, businesses, most of the time, find that their current location is no longer providing the competitive vantage it had once upon a time. (Burke, 1999) Consequently, all the companies should evaluate the chances and hazards of moving to a better location for their company. In this paper we will analyse the key issues that cause a business to change its location as well as the different aspects of a feasibility analysis a manager needs to evaluate the chances and hazards of changing the location of a business. Elaboration and globalization of the world economy causes both new opportunities and new competitors on the other hand. (Boddy, 2002) Companies are finding the location of their business operations not only to purchase global opportunities but also to find a more defensible market position. 2. Alterations in the Need for Labour The global contest for labour especially for knowledge workers, has caused companies to change the position of their businesses and repackage their businesses as an "employer of choice" (Maylor, 2003) to gain a competitive vantage for drawing in and retaining talented labour resources. 3. Internal changes in a Company Businesses are experiencing significant change taken by mergers and acquisitions as well as the want to reduce overall cost for operating, caring knowledge as an asset, sustaining internal business growth, and favourably impact business

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The Inundation of North American Coasts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

The Inundation of North American Coasts - Essay Example During coastal inundation, areas nearing the meeting points of creeks and rivers tend to be more susceptible since high seas can lead to the backing up of rivers. Coastal inundation is also accompanied by rising sea levels, which may lead to high intensity storms in the future (Spaulding 588). Several factors can be attributed to be the causes of coastal inundation; one of the main causes of coastal inundation is storm surge. Storm surge details the rise of water abnormally as a result of a storm that may be above the wave conditions that have been predicted. A combination of astronomical tide and storm surge leads to storm tide in the North American Coasts. Storm surge contributes to coastal inundation since it leads to the rise in water level. The rise in the level of water leads to flooding in the coastal areas. A storm surge may emanate from low atmospheric pressure that may emanate from hurricanes (Spaulding 588). Another notable cause of coastal inundation includes large waves that may be experienced in the coastal region. These waves may be caused by local winds or they may emanate from storms that occur from a distance. The waves lead to a rise in the water level, thus causing devastating effects of floods on the land adjacent to the North American Coast. The inundation of the North American Coasts is also caused by wave set-up. This takes place when the average sea level rises, especially in the zone referred as the surf zone. The other cause of coastal inundation includes the flooding of rivers as a result of rain. The flooding of rivers as a result of rain increases the severity of the flood. Seasonal cooling and heating of the oceans can also be referred as another cause of coastal flooding; this is because such variations contribute to high levels of water in the sea (Spaulding 590). Inland floods can also cause coastal inundation; these floods take occur during a fall in the moderate

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Training and Development in health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Training and Development in health care - Essay Example Employees who perform better are usually motivated and are such individuals who will likely to leave a particular job in search of more challenging and interesting work, and bigger overall opportunities. Training and development is one way an organization can retain its better performing employees. It is important to state that a department that does not put into consideration training and development is bound to fail. The constant changes in technology, economy, legislation, finances, and social changes make it mandatory for the organization to offer training and education to its employees. Thus, maintenance and the improvement of the staff abilities ought to be an ongoing effort. Ongoing education is important (Fallon and McConnell, 2007). Measuring competence is important for a health care organization. The increasing sophistications of health care delivery and the changes in the market conditions have forced the health policy makers to enhance the evaluation of â€Å"initial competence of students and new graduates and the continuing competence of experienced and certified practitioners† (Burkhalter, Cooper and Kak, 2001, p4). Health care organizations are required to evaluate individual and organizational performance on a regular basis in order to assess the efficacy of the services they are offering. This assists the organization to know whether that requires designing training and continuing education interventions for the improvement of provider performance. Comparing job performance and the assessments of competence serves as an indicator of the extent to which the organization offers support required for quality care (Burkhalter, Cooper and Kak, 2001). On the other hand, low performance and high competence is an indication that the organization is not offering the required resources, is not correcting poor performance, or rewarding effective performance, and it has not clarified the standards

Monday, July 22, 2019

Cultural Issues in Middle School Essay Example for Free

Cultural Issues in Middle School Essay Middle school is one of the most difficult situations of transition. Middle schoolers are awkward, hard to deal with and confused. They aren’t children but certainly not adults. They are egocentric to say the least and have little concern for the consequences of their actions. Yet, they are also one of the best ages to work with, if one is willing to try to understand their difficult lives. The culture in middle school can be broken down as such: sexuality, intellect, and social status. Sexually, these students have to deal with their changing bodies and feelings. They also have to try to understand how these feelings and changes fit in appropriately within the community. This is the area they are most sensitive toward. Intellectually, students have to decide if being â€Å"smart† is something they are willing to do. In some environments, being smart is cool, so those students who are gifted have no trouble fitting in. In other schools, these students are outcasts. When it is not cool to be smart, many students have a hard decision to make. If they show their gifts, they may sacrifice social standing. When it is cool, the struggling students feel even more left out and troubled. At times, these students may even act dumber to try to hide how much they truly struggle. Social status varies with each school environment. Wealth, possessions, address, family legacy and athletic ability are all indicators of success. Middle school is a contest and students are constantly scrutinizing each other to see who will win, popularity being the prize, of course. There are leaders and followers; the status symbols then change as the leaders themselves change. Whether it is the newest clothing label, shoe or track star, the culture of middle school is dominated by judgment. Evaluation The Illuminative Model of Evaluation rests its assessment on process. It appraises based on qualitative analysis of a situation in order to understand its initiation as clearly as its conclusion. Thus, in order to evaluate a situation, one must observe the effects of the process not simply look at data. The following tools of assessment are based upon that model and are applied to the curriculum overall. Several lessons will be used that typify the learning environment created within the classroom. Evaluation One: How does this lesson provide skills that work outside the testing environment? To evaluate this lesson, the calendar of lessons was assessed. Questions were asked such as, how do the lessons flow and what overall messages are the students receiving? Can they define, find and apply the concepts discussed in class? Upon reviewing the lessons, they seem to present isolated concepts. The entire unit is research process and narrative writing techniques which are two genres and should be taught separately. These lessons are trying to do way too much too fast. Middle school students are more successful when you break the process down and connect it to real world reasons for completing the work. If they would’ve started with day five, â€Å"reading the memoir,† then they could use the text to help define and find the language. Once they can do that, then they can apply the concepts such as writing dialogue, good word choice and using sensory language. The lesson plans as they are, present interesting skill sets but they aren’t connected to the question of, how do I apply this to reading and writing outside school. These skills might help them pass a test, but if you ask them to write dialogue, they will not know how. The non-fiction author board is a great idea but is not developed. They are completing tasks that have a function. This project should be enhanced by having students read Georgia authors and doing actual research and a research project on their author. This schedule needs to be totally revamped in order to serve the real world needs of the students. Evaluation Two: Does this lesson connect to a home environment? As is, there is no connection with the home environment. This will lessen the importance of the work and disconnect the families from what the students are learning. To enhance the process, when having the students write narratives, why not have them collect narratives from family members? This validates the home environment while creating an interest in the school environment at home. For the research section, they could research their family tree or conduct a survey at home regarding their family’s favorite authors. The greater the involvement from the home, the greater opportunity to work with the family for the student’s well being. Evaluation Three: What purpose does technology serve? This also needs improvement. There is no use of technology which works against evaluative point number one. In the larger society, students must be technologically literate. Students should research using the internet, present their projects via power point, and utilize online oral history collections to hear memoirs. Computers should not only be used to type in language arts but should be used as a tool for diversification of learning styles and presentation methods. Conclusion Overall, the learning process in this curriculum model needs to be improved. The questions of evaluation, based on the Illuminative Model, show that the process is flawed. Although there are many interesting lessons, they don’t flow together to teach an entire concept that can be applied to a real world learning situation. The terms need to be taught as part of an entire concept. Students can then define, find and apply what they have learned rather than simply be occupied for a 45 minute block of time. According to this model, students are more successful when the process is improved. The product should be the last point of evaluation rather than the first.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

English Present: Simple And The Present Progressive

English Present: Simple And The Present Progressive Introduction: As a teacher of English to Arabic speaking students I have encountered a number of specific difficulties Arab students have in mastering the English language. In this paper, I would like to focus on a particular grammatical problem they have in the area of verb tenses because, of all the mistakes that my students make, mistakes with verbs and verb tenses impede communication to the greatest degree. The specific problem I will attempt to look at the area of verbs is the problem that Arabic speakers have in using and confusing the present progressive. I will base the evidence for these mistakes on actual writing errors that Arabic students have made. Mistakes such as I am live in Abu Dhabi. come up frequently in my students writing. This paper is basically a contrastive analysis since I feel that the majority of my students problems in this area come from mother tongue interference. However, as will be noted below, this does not mean I rule out other sources of errors such as intralingual errors. The following is the outline of this paper: In the first section of this paper, I will describe the various aspects of the grammatical structure of the present simple and the present progressive in the English language. In the second section of the paper, I will contrast the grammatical structure of the present simple and the present progressive with its Arabic counterparts. I will show how Arabic has structures that vary significantly and radically from their English counterparts. In the third section, I will introduce a number of examples takes from students written work and give an indepth analysis of the possible sources of the errors, mainly with respect to mother tongue interference, but also looking at some possible intralingual sources for these errors as well. Finally, in the last section, I will attempt to suggest a general theoretical approach to dealing with such problems Part One: A grammatical description of the English Present Simple and the Present Progressive: The simple present tense As we already know, the simple present of every verb (with the exception of the verb BE, which I will not be dealing with as a grammatical description since it is not the specific focus of this paper) is identical in every person with the basic unmarked base form of the verb except for the third person forms he, she and it to which we generally add s or es (Quirk 1985, p.98). However, numerous irregularities arise in the spelling and pronunciation of this third person form (Leicester 1998, 12.12)(Thomson 1986, p. 150). Questions are formed by using the auxiliaries do, does, in the present, and did in the past by putting all these before the subject. Negation is formed in the same way using dont (or do not) and doesnt, (or does not) in the present, and didnt (or did not) in the past. These forms go after the subject. In addition, the verb must be changed to the basic form. The simple present is used for statements that are always true, (e.g. The earth revolves around the sun.) (Azar 1989,p.2). The simple present is also used for events, actions or situations which are true in the present period of time and which, for all we know, may continue indefinitely, (e.g. Fatima goes to school at Zayed University.) (Azar 1989, p.2) What we are saying in these expressions is that this is how things stand at the present moment (Huddleston 1984, p.81). A further use of the simple present is for actions that are habitual, things that happen repeatedly, (e.g. We study a lot.) (Alexander 1988, p.163)(Quirke 1985, p.107). Observations and declarations are another use of the present simple, as in the sentence (It says here that there is a new night club opening.)(Alexander 19988, p.163). The present simple can also be used to express the future, especially when we want to express strong certainty, (e.g. When we graduate, we will get jobs.). Swan, Huddleston, Lewis, Thomson and Quirke, et. al. also add eight other functions of the present simple which might come up in other contexts such as: Demonstrations and commentaries (e.g. First, I take a bowl and break two eggs in it, thenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..) The structures here comes and there goes, (e.g. here comes your husband.) Promises and oaths (e.g. I promiseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦., I swear à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, He deniesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..) Formal correspondence (e.g. We write to advise you.) Instructions (e.g. You go left, turn rightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.) Stories (e.g. In act one, Hamlet meets the ghost of his father.), which Huddleston calls the historic present. In expressions of understanding such as hear, see, gather (e.g. I hear youre getting married.) Finally, the simple present can be used in newspaper headlines (e.g. RUSSIANS RAISE OBJECTIONS) Since there are so many instances of when to use the present simple, is there any way to summarize all of these? I concur with Lewis explanation that the present simple: 1-Expresses an event as a total single point in time. 2-Expresses an event as a matter of fact. 3-Expresses an event as immediate rather than remote. The present progressive tense Both the simple and progressive forms usually tell us that an action takes place. But the progressive forms also tell us that an activity is or was, or will be, etc. in progress, or thought of as being in progress. In other words, the present progressive tells us that the speaker sees an action as taking place over a period of time as opposed to a point in time. In addition researchers would add that the speaker sees the period as limited (Lewis 1986; Leech, 1975; Huddleston, 1984; Quirke, 1985). The present progressive tense is formed with the present of be (am/is/are) (which adds aspect and voice), said by Quirke to be the finite verb, plus the ing form (the non-finite form) (Quirke 1985, p. 120). There are no complications with the additional ing form; however the spelling of the ing has some irregularities and needs to be taught to students e.g. write, writing; run, running; begin, beginning; lie, lying). (Alexander 1988; Huddleston 1984; Quirke 1985). Question formation takes place by switching the place of the auxiliary be and the subject. Negation is achieved by inserting not between the subject and the auxiliary or by contracting nt with the auxiliary verb forms (with the exception of the first person singular form am) (Quirke, 1985). In the classroom, the classical reason given for why we use the present progressive is that it shows an uncompleted action in progress at the time of speaking. To emphasise this, we often use adverbials like now, at the moment, just, etc. For example, Hes not home at the moment, hes working. (Quirke 1985). The present progressive can also be used to describe actions which have not been happening for long, or are thought of as being temporary situations, and which are going on around now, e.g. Abdullah is living with his aunt until he can find a place of his own.. A further use of the present progressive is to refer to activities and events planned for the future. We generally use adverbials in such sentences unless the meaning is clear from context, e.g. Were spending next Thursday in Abu Dhabi. (Azar 1989; Huddleston 1984; Quirke 1985). The present progressive can also be used to talk about developing and changing situations, e.g. That child is getting bigger all the time. (Swan 1980). Sometimes the present progressive can be used to talk about feelings, such as I am feeling fine. or My back is hurting me.. The present progressive is used to show repeated actions along with adverbs such as always, constantly, continually, forever, perpetually, and repeatedly, such as He is always helping people.. In this sense it conveys not temporariness, but continuousness. (Leech 1975; Huddleston 1984). The present progressive also is used to show repeated actions that are happening around now, e.g. He is studying a lot of English these days. Why is he going to the library? (Swan 1980). Dynamic versus Stative Verbs in the present simple and the progressive tenses Dynamic/progressive verbs refer to verbs which show actions which are deliberate or voluntary, e.g. Im building a house., or changing situations, e.g. Hes becoming fat.. Dynamic verbs can be used in both the progressive as well as the simple forms e.g. I eat at 5:00 (everyday). as opposed to Im eating now.. Stative verbs (also known as non-progressive verbs) are verbs which indicate a state, condition or experience. Specifically, stative verbs fall into categories such as feelings (like, love), thinking/believing (think, know, realize), wants and preferences (need, want), perception and the senses (smell, see), and being, seeming, having, and owning (seem, look, appear). Stative verbs are generally not used in the progressive forms (Quirke 1985). However some stative verbs can be used in both the present simple and the progressive tenses, which results in a different meaning in each form, e.g. Im thinking of a solution. as opposed to I think he is the best man for the job. or These flowers smell good. as opposed to Latifa is smelling the flowers in the garden.) (Alexander 1988; Azar 1989; Azar 1986; Quirke 1985). The present simple versus the present progressive Swan makes note of a number of areas where students might confuse the present simple with the present continuous. A. We use the simple present to talk about things that are true for the present period of time, or, as was noted above, to say this is how things stand at the present moment for the foreseeable future. However, if the event is temporary and is taking place right now, we use the present progressive. Afrah studies at the Higher Colleges. Afrah is studying her English lesson. B. We use the present progressive to talk about habitual actions if these are happening around the moment of speaking. Fayrouz and Fatima are preparing for the Eid holidays. However, if the habitual action is not closely connected to the moment of speaking, we generally use the present simple. I go to Saudi Arabia once every three years. C. Verbs that refer to physical feelings can sometimes be used in either the simple present or the present progressive. I feel great! or Im feeling great! My head hurts. or My head is hurting. (Swan 1980). PART TWO A grammatical description of the Arabic present simple and the present progressive In this part of the paper, I would like to give readers a very brief background of the Arabic verb system in regard to the simple present and the present progressive. The Arabic verb system is very complicated. However, this does not mean that a teacher has to master the Arabic language before s/he is able to pinpoint errors that may be a result of the interference of Arabic in English. One can study the Arabic language with the goal of simply understanding the structure, rather than with the goal of speaking and writing in the language. Let us first look at the present simple, then the present progressive, and finally the verb to be since all of these grammatical items are specifically relevant to the particular problem at hand. A.The Present Simple In Arabic, the formation of the present simple is radically different from English, since Arabic uses a root system made up of the three most important consonants (though two or four consonant roots do sometimes occur). In Arabic the three basic consonants (the root) stay the same but it is by changes in the vowels, the suffixes and the prefixes that tense and number are indicated. It is vastly more complicated than the way some English verbs change tense by changing vowels, e.g. give, gave. For example, the sentence, he learns could be represented phonetically by ya-droo-soo. The d-r-s is the root, ya is the part that indicates this is a third person singular masculine verb (though this is not the pronoun). The pattern of the vowels and consonants (ya + c1 + c2+ oo + c3 + oo), lets the speaker know that this is the present tense. In contrast, the past could be represented by a different pattern; hence, he learned, dar-ah-sah has the pattern (c1 + ai or ah + c2 + ai or ah + c3 + ah) (and this is just one pattern out of ten!) From a sentence point of view the verb in Arabic is not necessarily treated as the nucleus of a sentence and, in the case of the copula verb BE, can be omitted entirely (as we shall see below). The verb can also be placed at the beginning of the sentence. Like its English counterpart, the present simple tense in Arabic expresses a habitual action. There are other functions, but they are not relevant to this discussion. B.The Present Progressive In general, the present simple form is also used in Arabic to express the idea of a continuous action occurring in the present. Hence, the English sentence He is working now. in Arabic becomes He works now. (represented phonetically by huwwah yaamaloo al eyn.) What is he doing? in Arabic becomes What does he do? (represented phonetically by mehzah yafaaloo al eyn?) Hence, in almost all cases, the present simple form is used to show the idea of continuous action in the present. However, there is a single verb form in Arabic called the ism-ul-fail which is the exact parallel to the idea of continuous action. However, the difference in Arabic is that the ism-ul-fail is used very sparingly compared to English and then only for some very specific verbs of movement, or verbs that indicate changing from one state to another (going up, going in, going down, walking to a place, leaving a place, etc.). Since the ism-ul-fail is radically different in form from the English progressive it is doubtful that any interference in form occurs. C.A Few Points About The Verb BE as a Copula Although BE as a copula is not the focus of this paper, it does deserve mention here for two specific reasons. The first point is that BE in Arabic, when it is the copula in the present tense, is unwritten and unspoken (although this is not true of the copula in the past tense or the future where it is written and spoken). (Kharma, 1989, p. 89). For example, the literal translation of the sentence Ahmed is a student. is Ahmed student.. So it is conceivable that students might leave BE out as a copula OR as the helping verb in the present progressive because it does not exist in the present tense in Arabic (although there are other additional reasons why students might forget to add it to the present progressive as we shall see). The second point is that BE is used so often in English, in so many different kinds of structures, and that it is so irregular, that it might simply add to the confusion of students (Kharma 1989, p. 161). Students who keep on being corrected for leaving out the verb to be when it is necessary, may for example, hypercorrect themselves and start to write it everywhere. Again, we shall explore this issue further below. PART THREE A look at some common written errors made by Arabic speaking students when using the English present simple and present progressive Finding the exact causes of any error can be a difficult and meticulous task. This is partly because there may be multiple reasons as to why students make one particular error and these causes may also overlap at any given time. In addition, it is extremely problematic, even for a native speaker of both Arabic and English, (which I am) to know exactly what is going on linguistically in the mind of a student when s/he makes such an error. However, having said that, even with these obstacles, we can at least make some good hypotheses and lists of possibilities as to why these errors occur with our own students. As a result, we will be able to generate classroom strategies and methods in order to correct and remedy these sorts of mistakes. The following categories of errors are the most common that I have found in students written work with regards to the simple present versus the present progressive. I will look at each category in turn, and offer an analysis of the sources for these types of error. Category One Fatima studies now. Ahmed does his homework now. In these sentences, the intention of the Arabic speaking writer seems to be to convey the meaning of what in English would be a present continuous action, expressed by the present continuous tense. This is clear by the use of the adverb now or in the case of other examples not shown here, from other adverbs or the context of the sentence. In examples one and two, the Arabic speaker seems to be transferring the rules of his native language into English. The Arabic speaker usually uses only the present simple to express events that would be expressed in English by both the present simple and the present continuous. Category Two Mariam cant talk, she eating now. This kind of mistake is a bit more problematic in terms of analysis. It could be that the Arabic speaker, feeling that the full meaning of the action is expressed in the verb with the ing, has decided that the am/are/is forms are redundant and unnecessary. It could also be the case that this mistake is a direct transfer of a particular grammatical form in Arabic. In certain cases Arabic speakers do express the present continuous with a verb and prefix change (called ism-ul-fail), but without the corresponding be form. For example, the literal translation of the sentence Ahmed is running. is Ahmed running. . Category Three Are you knowing the way to Dubai? I am wanting to see my family. In this case, the student has learned the present progressive form, but is over generalizing it to all verbs (or perhaps does not remember or has not been taught the rules for exceptions such as the above). These types of errors could very well be intralingual. This over generalization could also be found in sentences that have the function of explaining, demonstrating teaching or narrating such as: Next I am pouring the oil into the cooking pan. Ali is passing the ball to the goalkeeper. Category Four I am live in Abu Dhabi. We are study English. This category is probably the most difficult to analyze. This is because it is unclear whether the Arabic speaker is making the mistake of adding the additional am/is/are form while trying to use the present tense, or making the mistake of forgetting to use the present participle while trying to use the present progressive tense. That is, did the speaker intend to say I live in Abu Dhabi. and use the extra am form by mistake, or did s/he intend to say I am living in Abu Dhabi. and forget the correct present participle form? Of course, there are other possibilities but these seem like the two most likely. We must obviously look at the context of the paragraph to see if we can get the gist of what the speaker meant. The following is a more detailed analysis of these two possibilities from the standpoint of the students reasoning. 1. If we believe from the context that the student was trying to use the present simple and added the additional am in error, then the following analyses apply: A. The student may be confused by the lack of inflectional endings in English, since Arabic is a highly inflected language, and every personal pronoun has a distinct corresponding inflected verb form. The similarity of the verb forms in I live, you live, etc. may seem very awkward to the Arabic speaker. Hence, they may want to remedy the situation by distinguishing the verb forms in some way by, for example, adding an exceedingly familiar and overused verb form like am, are, or is. B. The student may be over generalising based on what they have learned about the present continuous. That is, they may have learned how to form the present continuous quite easily since there is no mother tongue interference from Arabic, (although they may not have mastered its use). They then may go on to conclude that every verb in the present simple or present continuous in English needs to be preceded by am/is/are. C. Similarly, the student may be hypercorrecting. They may have been corrected so many times for forgetting to use the verb BE in their sentences e.g. Ahmed happy, that they may start to feel that every sentence needs the verb BE. 2. However, if we believe that the student was trying to use the present continuous tense and used the present simple live (instead of the present participle living), then the following analyses apply: A. The student may not have correctly understood how to form the present participle by adding ing to the end of the verb. B. Perhaps students have simply forgotten to add the ing prefix because the structure is so different in their language. This is by no means an exhaustive analysis. However, these are, from my experience and collaboration with other colleagues, both native and non-native speakers, some of the major possibilities. PART FOUR Pedogogical implications of the above research for teaching the present simple and the present progressive to Arabic speaking students From the evidence I have presented here, I believe it is clear that many of the mistakes in using the present simple and the present progressive in form (such as omission of the verb to be in the simple present for Arabic speakers, e.g. I studying), as well as other mistakes in usage (e.g. using the simple present when the present progressive is required) seem to be traceable directly to Arabic mother tongue interference. Based on my analyses, reading and discussion with colleagues, I do feel that in this particular area, teachers of EFL to Arabic speakers must consider mother tongue interference as a major impediment to learning the present tense versus the present progressive. If we know that mother tongue interference is the cause of many errors, what should this imply for our teaching? One thing which I think it does not imply is that we teach English from the point of view of the mother tongue. For example, trying to get students to understand English grammar through word for word translations or using the grammatical structure of Arabic to help students to understand the grammatical structure of English are only useful in certain cases, and then only by someone who is a master of both languages. My experience in reading the research, being bilingual and talking to Arabic speaking students who are at the final stages of their English studies leads me to believe that, at least in the case of Arabic and English, that the two languages are sufficiently different that they are both best looked at in their own respective grammars. Students must be made, not only to think in English, but to understand English grammar in terms of English grammar without constantly switching back and forth to compare it with Arabic. Such practices are ineffective and will cause confusion among students. As Lewis says students should never expect the foreign language to be like their ownà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..the fact that English has verb forms that contain [be] as an auxiliary does not suggest that other languages ought to have a corresponding formà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.students should be positively encouraged to explore the foreign language within itself rather than through the expectations they bring from their own. (Lewis, 1986, pp. 164-165). In addition, I should add that intralingual factors can also be at work when students make such errors (in addition to context specific factors like student motivation, teaching style and competence, etc.). For example, on the intralingual side, we know that students of ESL from many different language groups and even children make common mistakes with the verb to be. Therefore, many such mistakes might be intralingual. (Mattar 1989). Hence, when we try to analyse our students errors we should not be prejudiced to any one theory and we should try to be open to looking at all possible sources of errors. What we as teachers should be doing in the classroom is continually collecting research on student errors and student learning styles in order to form hypotheses about why such errors occur and why such one approach worked and another didnt. We should then be trying to test these hypotheses to see if they are true or not, and afterwards share this information w ith other teachers in similar situations. Only then will we be able to understand why students make errors and what is the most effective way to correct them. Cell Membrane: Structure And Function Cell Membrane: Structure And Function A cell is a dynamic and a complex structure surrounded by a membrane known as the plasma membrane. This acts like a barrier between the inside of the cell and the outside resulting in different chemical environments on the two sides. The cell membrane is not restricted to the outer surface but is also present inside surrounding the organelles. These biological membranes have played a crucial role in the evolution from prokaryotes to multicellular eukaryotes. In prokaryotes, there is only one type of membrane present i.e. the plasma membrane but the unicellular eukaryotes have intracellular membranes compartmentalizing its contents into different functional chambers known as organelles. Each organelle though performs its own specific function, they cross-talk with each other via these membranes in order to work as a unit. Further, different cells in multicellular eukaryotes communicate with each other through these membranes. The membrane, therefore serves a dual purpose of both protecting the interior of the cell from its external environment and also provides a communication interface between the cell and its surroundings or other cells. The diverse functions performed by biological membranes can be attributed to the molecular composition and structure of these membranes. Models for Cell Membrane Structure It took almost a century to develop the present accepted model of a cell membrane based on various physiological and biophysical studies. Physiological experiments involving the transport of molecules and ions across the membrane by Overton in 1899 suggested that the membrane is composed of lipid molecules. Later, Langmuir (1917) showed that lipids when spread on water using Langmuir trough form a monomolecular layer on the surface of the water by calculating the area per lipid molecule. The hydrophobic tails of these lipids were bent and protruding out from the surface of the water. When this method for measuring the area per lipid molecule was applied to the lipids extracted from the known amount of erythrocyte membranes, Gorter and Grendel (1925) concluded that the lipids exist as a bilayer and not a monolayer in a membrane giving birth to the lipid- bilayer membrane model. In 1935, Danielli and Davson elaborated on the model based on the studies measuring the surface tension that membranes are made up of phospholipid bilayer sandwiched between two protein layers. Based on optical imaging of membrane morphology using electron microscopy, Robertson argued that the basic structure of all the membranes is same and proposed the Unit Membrane Model in 1959 []. Several other studies [review or book] suggested that the lipid bilayer has fluid-like properties with lipids and proteins floating in it. Studies of proteins present in erythrocytes membrane and that extracted from other membranes led Singer and Nicolson to classify membrane proteins as peripheral and integral proteins; and finally proposing the Fluid Mosaic Model in 1972 []. This is the most accepted model describing the structure of a cell membrane. According to this model, mosaic of protein molecules is embedded within the fluid of lipid bilayer which is supported by the freeze-fracture studies of the plasma membrane (Figure). Composition of Membranes Membrane Lipids The lipid bilayer is only 5 to 10nm thick organized in distinct regions primarily attributed to the hydrophobic effect caused due to the amphipathic nature of these molecules with both polar and the non-polar regions (Figure). The interactions of these regions with the aqueous environment have been studied with various techniques like x-ray reflectometry,[1] neutron scattering[2HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipid_bilayer#cite_note-Zaccai1975-1] and nuclear magnetic resonance. In order to exclude the non-polar regions from the aqueous environment, lipid molecules arrange in such a manner so that the hydrophobic tails point inwardly towards each other and the polar head groups are exposed on the outside facing the water. The outermost region on either side of the bilayer is completely hydrated and is typically around 8-9Ã… thick. The hydrophobic core of the bilayer is typically 3-4  nm thick. The intermediate region is partially hydrated and is approximately 3 Ã… thick. These lipid molecules arrange spontaneously naturally or artificially in solution to form structures like micelles and liposomes (Figure). Micelles are monolayer spherical structures formed by lipid molecules in aqueous environment. On the other hand, liposomes are concentric bilayer of fluid-filled vesicles surrounding the water compartment on both the surfaces. The membrane of the animal cells is composed primarily of three major types of lipids: phospholipids, glycolipids and cholesterol with phospholipids being the most abundant (Figure). The polar head groups of these phospholipids contain a phosphate group and either a glycerol (known as phosphoglycerides) or sphingosine. There are four major phospholipids present in the animal cells, three are phosphoglycerides namely phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine; and the fourth sphingomyelin is the only sphingolipid. The heads of glycolipids contain a sphingosine with one (known as cerebroside) or more sugars (known as ganglioside) attached to it. Cholesterol is a sterol molecule with a small hydrophilic hydroxyl group and a rigid ring structure that stabilizes the bilayer. Membrane Proteins The membrane consists of different types of proteins accounting for 25-75% of the mass of the membrane and are categorized based on their interactions with the lipid bilayer (Figure). Moreover, the manner in which a protein is associated with the membrane is indicative of its function. Integral or intrinsic proteins are embedded with in the lipid bilayer. These could be transmembrane proteins spanning the entire length of the bilayer and possess hydrophobic domains which are anchored to hydrophobic lipids and hydrophilic domain interacting with external molecules. They could have only one membrane-spanning (single pass transmembrane proteins, e.g. glycophorin) or multispanning (multi-pass transmembrane proteins, e.g. band3 protein of erythrocyte) segments. The transmembrane segments have helical e.g. bacteriorhodopsin or ÃŽÂ ²- barrel structures. These proteins can be extracted from the phospholipid bilayer only by disrupting the hydrophobic interactions by using detergents like S DS or Triton-X 100. Peripheral or the extrinsic proteins, on the other hand, are loosely bound to the hydrophilic lipid and protein groups on the surface of the membrane by weak ionic interactions. These can be easily removed with high salt or extreme pH without disrupting the phospholipid bilayer. Lipid-anchored proteins are covalently bound to lipid molecule which in turn anchors the protein in the cell membrane. The lipid can be phosphatidylinositol, a fatty acid or a prenyl group. Membrane Carbohydrates Carbohydrate moieties are present on the non-cytoplasmic surface of the membrane covalently attached to either protein or lipid molecules forming glycoproteins or glycolipids. These carbohydrates help in orientation of protein molecules on the cell surface and sorting in cellular compartments. The glycocalyx or the cell coat is the layer of carbohydrates on the cell surface that protects it and participates in the cell-cell interaction. The carbohydrates of the glycolipids of the erythrocytes membrane determine the ABO blood groups in human. Fluidity of Membranes Under physiological conditions, phospholipid molecules in the membrane are in the liquid crystalline state and the molecules are not physically attached to each other so, they can move within the bilayer. These movements could be within a monolayer i.e. rotational and lateral or between two layers i.e. flip-flop. Flip-flop movements are rare and slower compared to the other two as it requires energy for a lipid molecule to traverse from one layer to the other. Besides, some proteins also move in the membrane as concluded from studies based on human-mouse cell hybrids produced by fusion of human and mouse cells [Frye and Michael Edidin in 1970] and FRAP (fluorescence recovery after photobleaching) experiments (Figure). Fluidity in the cell membrane is attributed to its lipid composition. The cis-unsaturated fatty acids with kinks in their hydrocarbon tails and shorter lengths of the tails increase the fluidity by preventing the ordered packing of phospholipids in the bilayer. Cholesterol molecules present in the bilayer affects its fluidity differently at different temperatures because of its rigid ring structure. It reduces the fluidity by decreasing the movement of adjacent phospholipids but at low temperatures, it increases the fluidity by preventing solidification [Alberts]. Fluidity of the membrane allows different molecules like proteins to interact with each other to perform various processes like transport of molecules and cell signalling. Moreover, membrane fluidity is required for various cellular processes like cell movement and cell division. Asymmetry of Membranes The two leaflets, that is, the inner and the outer monolayer portions of the lipid bilayer differ in their physical and chemical properties. This is due to the asymmetric organization of the various components of the membrane. For example, glycolipids and glycoproteins are always present on the non-cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane. Membrane regions differ in their lipid composition. The outer leaflet contains predominantly phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin whereas, the inner leaflet contains phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine. The inner leaflet also consists of phosphatidylinositol which play a key role in the transfer of stimuli from the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm [Cooper]. The membrane proteins also differ in their distribution in the two leaflets. For example, spectrin and ankyrin are present on the inner surface of the erythrocytes membrane forming a fibrillar membrane skeleton. GPI-anchored proteins ar present on the external surface of the membr ane. The asymmetry of the membrane suggested different roles played by the components of the membrane present on the two surfaces (Figure eg intestinal epithelial cell membrane:Tight junction , lateral movements). Lipid Rafts The plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells have specialized regions known as lipid rafts which differ in their composition from the rest of the membrane. These detergent-resistant and heterogeneous microdomains are rich in cholesterol, sphingolipids and certain proteins. Lipids in these rafts are more highly ordered and tightly packed as compared to the rest of the lipid bilayer. Various studies have attributed diverse roles like in transport of cholesterol, endocytosis, signal transduction, intracellular trafficking and neural development and function to these lipid rafts. Caveolae is an example of lipid rafts which are the invaginated domains in the plasma membrane. In caveolae, a protein caveolin is associated with the cholesterol in the lipid raft. It plays roles in membrane internalization and cell signaling. [Pike et al, 2002; Wary et al, 1998; Huang et al, 1999; Rothberg et al, 1992] (Review: Razani Lisanti, 2001. Exp. Cell Research 271: 36-44). Might not in endocytosis [Thompsen et al, 2002] see lipid rafts 4 references Functions of membranes: Membranes act as boundaries between the cell and its environment and are essential for maintaining the integrity of the cell and the various membrane-bound organelles within the cell, regulating the transport of materials into and out of the cell, responding to external and internal stimuli, and cell-to-cell recognition. The proteins present on the inner surface of the plasma membrane provides shape and maintains the integrity of the cell by anchoring the cytoskeleton found underlying the cell membrane in the cytoplasm. The major component of the cytoskeleton of the most well studied erythrocyte membrane is the fibrous protein spectrin. This protein interacts with other peripheral proteins like ankyrin, actin and tropomyosin. Dystophin, a member of the spectrin family is found in the membrane skeleton of muscle cells. The importance of these proteins is suggested by the fact that mutations in dystrophin leads to muscular dystrophy. Regulated transport of materials across the membrane is due to the amphipathic nature of the lipid bilayer. Therefore, the membranes are selectively permeable and the ability of a molecule or ion to traverse the bilayer depends majorly on its polarity and also on the size. Non-polar molecules like O2, N2 and benzene and small polar molecules like H2O, glycerol, urea and CO2 can pass the membrane but large uncharged (e.g. glucose), polar molecules (e.g. sucrose) and ions (e.g. H+, Na+, HCO3, Clà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ) are not able to diffuse easily across membranes. Hence, various mechanisms are required for transport of materials across the membrane, including simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and active transport for micromolecules and exocytosis and endocytosis for macromolecules. In simple diffusion, substances diffuse down their concentration gradient. In facilitated diffusion, movement of molecules down the concentration gradient is facilitated by channel and carrier proteins (e.g. glucose transporter). On the other hand, active transport requires energy to move solutes against their gradients and can be classified into primary or secondary active transport depending on the source of energy. The primary active transport depends on the hydrolysis of ATP and is of different types: P (e.g. Na+ K+ ATPase, Figure), F and V types and the ATP-binding cassette or ABC transporters. In secondary active transport, specific solute indirectly drives the active transport of another solute and does not involve the hydrolysis of ATP. Secondary active transport may include either symport (e.g. Na+/Glucose transporter) or antiport (Cl ­-/HCO3 exchanger). The macromolecules such as proteins and polysaccharides are transported by endocytosis (from inside the cell to th e outside) and exocytosis (from outside into the cell) (Figure). Cell membrane is also involved in cell-cell communication. Specialized membrane structures like gap junctions in animals and plasmodesmata in plants provide the cytoplasmic continuity between cells. Tight junctions and desmosomes help in attachment of a cell to other cells or the extracellular matrix forming tissues. Membrane also maintains cell potential by creating chemical and electrical gradient. Cell signaling: Signals through chemical messengers (chemical or electrical stimuli) acting on the membrane receptors most of them being proteins. These signals are then transduced in the cell leading to a cascade of events in the cell. Specific for different cells like Gprotein, Tyrosine-kinase receptors Peripheral proteins act as enzymes e.g. and receptors In summary, biological membranes are the complex and dynamic structures composed of variety of proteins embedded in the fluid of the lipid bilayer. The amphipathic nature of the lipid bilayer and the diversity of membrane proteins are responsible for the involvement of biological membranes in large number of cellular processes.