Facing Fear free essay sample

Driving Test As I walked out of the Licensing Office and down the steep ramp, I looked at my mother In disappointment and embarrassment. Never wanting to return to that dreadful place, I slowly dragged my feet back to the car. I wanted to curl up in a little ball and I didnt want anyone else to know what I had done. As I gained my composure, I finally got into the car. I didnt even want to hear what my mother had to say. My face was red and I was trying to hide my face in the palms of my hands because I knew what was about to come, she was going to start asking me questions, al of the questions I had been asking myself.Sure enough, after a short period of time, the questions began. Honey, how could we have miscalculated SIX months? How did you manage to fail? My frustrated reply to every question was, l dont know Maybe this was a sign I was going to fail. We will write a custom essay sample on Facing Fear or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I could only imagine how my brother and sister were going to make me feel. They had teased me about studying so hard for the driving test. That evening as I walked into the kitchen I got this rich smell of chocolate. Placed neatly on the small table was a large chocolate cake with congratulations written In pink Icing. My mother came up behind me .Exactly one month later, all of the fears that happened in the past were returning. Was I going to fail? Was I going to get the same, strict instructor? As I slide out of the car and slowly shut the door, I could only hope that the same person wouldnt be there when I attempted to take my driving test last time. With that thought running through my head, my brain was in overdrive. All the wheels were turning as fast as they possibly could. I tried to zone out the negative stories I heard by telling myself, l can do this. I Just drove through town on a practice run and I did perfectly fine. Of course, the fear of failure kept popping in my head and I couldnt get rid of it. Sluggishly, I made my way to the entrance of the Licensing Office. As I reached for the door, I let out a sigh of worry. I moseyed down the stairs trying to stall as long as possible. All that I could picture was the instructor with dark, slanted eyebrows that made a wrinkle between his two critical eyes. I could Just Imagine his evil laugh when he failed me. Walking through the completely white hallway with only signs to gulled me to the eight place, I read every sign hoping that the one that read DRIVERS LICENSE would be closed.The hallway seemed like it was a mile long and I knew that we were approaching the last few doors, one of which would say the two most horrifying words. I looked down at the ground; when I looked up, I was faced with the fear of the huge, bold lettered welcome sign. Peeking around the corner, I preyed that the evil instructor would be out for the day. Lucky me, I was standing face to face with the same Instructor that I had heard so many terrifying stones about. With thoughts hose in my mind, along with the thought of failing, I didnt know what to do.I tried making myself comfortable in the seats that were lined up against the wall. It was as though I was sitting in an electric chair doomed for failure. I was swaying back and forth so it was obvious I was nervous. My mother had told me on the way down not to let him know I was nervous because then he would think that I was not ready to get people ahead of me to slowly shorten. When we finally arrived at the front of the line, the room seemed to be spinning, and I felt like I was going to pass out. Hoping this lining would pass soon, I leaned on the desk.Finally, I realized that I was making the situation ten times worse than it really was, and I was ready to get the test over. With all the paper work out of the way, the instructor and I started out to the car. Ironically, a few good words of wisdom from my mother made my knees weaker than they already were. After climbing the flight of fifteen steps, I looked one last time at the place where I would hopefully be returning to with my license. Gasping for air, I grabbed the railing at the top of the stairs that seemed to have turned into the never ending flight of stairs.With all the nerves trembling inside of me, I knew that each obstacle I came across would be ten times worse than what it really was. As we approached the car, I kept on thinking of all the things that could go wrong and worst was failing the test. After testing the blinkers, the instructor was ready to begin the test. I pulled out of the Licensing Office, and was told to make a right turn. My mind went blank, and I couldnt even remember which way was left and which way was right. I formed both my index fingers and my thumbs into the shape of an L hoping his would point me in the right direction.I came to the first stop sign. Was this the sign that would make me fail? I approached the sign and spelled out the word S. T. O. P. My sister said this was the best way to know that you have made a complete stop, something that a number of people had failed the test for in the past. Making a left turn, we were making our way into town where the stoplights were. The instructor instructed me to make another left turn. There was a car in front of me, so I figured that I was safe to do what the car ahead of me was doing. I followed the car onto the right lane.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the instructor writing on his blank piece of paper. Right then, I knew that I had done something wrong. After driving for what seemed like and eternity, we headed back to the Licensing Office. I parked the car and removed the keys from the ignition. While stepping out of the car, I looked at the paper that he had been taking notes on, and noticed that the blank piece of paper was no longer blank. With barely an inch to spare at the bottom of the paper, the instructor began explaining to me all the things I had done wrong. I felt like a two year old because of all the drawings he had made explaining every little mistake. Walking behind the instructor like a zombie, not knowing if that thought of failing the test was really going to come true, I could feel the color draining from my face. I knew what my mother was going to say when I saw her, and sure enough, the first words out of her mouth were Did you pass? I shrugged my shoulders hoping the instructor would answer her question. His reply was the same as mine, a shoulder shrug. Right then I wanted to break down and cry.I sat in the chair Just as embarrassed as the time when I came in on the wrong day. I knew that I couldnt return to that dreadful place a third time. Then, when I thought things couldnt go any worse, the instructor asked me to stand in front of the blue screen and get my picture. I thought that this picture was for the wall of shame. He printed out the picture and said, Drive careful. I was speechless. Now as I walked down the ramp I looked at my mother in excitement and relief.

Free Essays on Jeremy Rifkin Essay

Jeremy Rifkin from the passage from â€Å"The Age of Simulation† contends that the Television is the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems in modern society. He claims that we as a nation sit in front of the TV endlessly in order to fulfill some aspect of out life that we are not getting in a regular environment. Which is in part due to the fact that Television is in and plays such a substantial role in our lives. He shows how all of the essential social needs can be and are to often met through this lifeless medium. How we reach stimulation that would otherwise be given through genuine human contact is now impersonal. We are making what was once personal now impersonal. Some would argue that this is not the case while the facts still remain, that we as a culture are spending more and more time in front of the television, we are spending it with friends and family and this shared experience be it in the same room or different houses give us the opportunity to communicate and share the same common feelings. As well discuss the issues that arose on the night before’s shows. The water-cooler chat has been in this country filled with the same topics across the country. This trend also seems to have bridged the economic gap; the rich are still watching the same Joe Millionaire as the poor. We now have a common theme in this country a starting ground that which communication between two people that previously would not have anything to talk about now have a common interest or at least no matter what your education level is you can hold the same conversation about what happened on Big Brother 4 last night. Some would also argue that we as a society have deteriorated so far due to other circumstances that the backwoods country culture of old has been lost due to fear. Therefore we have been forced to look for our stimulation elsewhere. Television then has filled a gap in our being that needed to be filled. Televis... Free Essays on Jeremy Rifkin Essay Free Essays on Jeremy Rifkin Essay Jeremy Rifkin from the passage from â€Å"The Age of Simulation† contends that the Television is the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems in modern society. He claims that we as a nation sit in front of the TV endlessly in order to fulfill some aspect of out life that we are not getting in a regular environment. Which is in part due to the fact that Television is in and plays such a substantial role in our lives. He shows how all of the essential social needs can be and are to often met through this lifeless medium. How we reach stimulation that would otherwise be given through genuine human contact is now impersonal. We are making what was once personal now impersonal. Some would argue that this is not the case while the facts still remain, that we as a culture are spending more and more time in front of the television, we are spending it with friends and family and this shared experience be it in the same room or different houses give us the opportunity to communicate and share the same common feelings. As well discuss the issues that arose on the night before’s shows. The water-cooler chat has been in this country filled with the same topics across the country. This trend also seems to have bridged the economic gap; the rich are still watching the same Joe Millionaire as the poor. We now have a common theme in this country a starting ground that which communication between two people that previously would not have anything to talk about now have a common interest or at least no matter what your education level is you can hold the same conversation about what happened on Big Brother 4 last night. Some would also argue that we as a society have deteriorated so far due to other circumstances that the backwoods country culture of old has been lost due to fear. Therefore we have been forced to look for our stimulation elsewhere. Television then has filled a gap in our being that needed to be filled. Televis...

Dubai and world Disney Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dubai and world Disney - Thesis Proposal Example In the event, that an organization finds that order to be stringent then it has to resort to free economic zones where that ownership regulation does not apply (Noack, 2014). However, operating from the free economic zones limits a firm a lot of opportunities since most of the operation will be meant for export and not for sale in the Dubai market. A company like Disney will find it challenging to adhere to such regulation since by deciding to set business in Dubai its main intention will be to lure the Dubai consumers into buying its services. Waltz Disney is an international organization with structured owners thus being limited to 49% ownership means the firm has to source a local partner to engage in the business an exercise that is even more difficult. That notwithstanding, the work etiquette that is in place in Dubai is based on Islamic traditions; thus, foreigners who are non-Muslims have to learn these set of protocols for them to be able to conduct business transactions efficiently (Noack, 2014). Conversely, Dubai is currently being ranked as the most preferred business destination globally. Thus, firms from all over the world have set up business in this country making competition be very stiff; for instance, currently there are numerous theme parks that are in place in Dubai i.e. Dubai land and others while a lot more projects for similar businesses are on-going. It does present a tricky situation for Waltz Disney that is aiming to showcase its services to the Arab customers but the stringent rules and stiff competition are discouraging efforts to venture into this market (Noack, 2014). The process of establishing a foreign company is Dubai involves a number of steps whereby various government agencies have to be consulted before confirmation is obtained. To begin with the Waltz Disney will be required to research its business name and apply for registration in the department

BT CORN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BT CORN - Essay Example However, genetically modified foods are also produced from GMO crops. Genetically modified foods comprise of tortilla chips and corn syrup among others (Bessin, 2013). This paper intends to discuss on the transformation of corn plants with the assistance of Bacillus Thuringiensis gene along with the potential impacts of Bt corn particularly on the specific agricultural ecosystem and global ecosystem. Transformation of Corn Plants with Bacillus Thuringiensis Gene Bt- corn plants, as a donor organism emerges through soil bacterium known as Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt). It is fundamentally regarded as a gene that helps in the production of a protein named Delta Endotoxin. In relation to the transformation of corn plants with Bt gene, it has been apparently observed that the gene that is produced through certain genetic characteristics are to be recognized initially and then segregated from the remaining materials that are produced from donor organism (Bessin, 2013). The protein named BT Delta Endotoxin can be taken into concern while transforming corn plants as it very effective in managing as well as controlling Lepidoptera larvae or caterpillars. This protein can be evidently used in order to control the corn plants from the damages of insects and other flies existing in the environment. It has been viewed that with the advent of technology in the genetic engineering process, the transformation process of corn plants with the support of Bacillus Thuringiensis gene has been enhanced considerably (Plant and Soil Sciences eLibrary, 2013). In order to determine the transformation of corn plants with Bt gene, it has been noted that Bt genes manufacture various proteins that help in safeguarding the corn plants from insects along with other animals present in the environment. The transformation of corn plants can also be possible with the use of biotechnological process by implementing Cry1Ab gene that would eventually facilitate in providing a significant solution for protecting the corn plants from the attack of corn borer. It has been identified that conventional treatment are not effective in protecting the corn plants from any sort of damage or environmental hazard. Notably, Bt-corn plants can be protected with the application of pesticides along with the proteins that are helpful in mitigating the damages that are perceived from the insects. It has been evidently viewed that Bt acts as a controller for the prevention of corn plants from the damages of insects as well as generating greater productivity along with quality grains for the environment (Syngenta, 2013). Potential Impact of Bt Corn On Individual Agricultural Ecosystem After acquiring a brief idea about the transformation of corn plants with Bt gene, it has been apparently observed that Bt-corn impose considerable impact upon individual agricultural ecosystem. In this modern context, the impact of Bt-corn on the agricultural ecosystem can be identified on the basis of the study tha t was propounded by the scientists of various nations regarding assessment of risks on the population of monarch butterfly. According to the researches, it has been viewed that assessment of risks might be exposed leading towards the toxic impact of Bt -corn on milkweed along with the population of monarch butterflies. This toxic impact ultimately benefits the farmers as well as the agricultural ecosystem by a considerable level. The other significant impact of Bt-corn on individual agri

The Stop Online Piracy Act Essay Example for Free

The Stop Online Piracy Act Essay The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP-Act (PIPA) is a bill that Congress are trying to pass in order to illegalize downloading and streaming movies and/or T. V shows; however the two legislation has Internet users in fear about censorship. Congress claims that companies and organizations are losing revenue from users who illegally download copyrighted programs and entertainment. Internet users state, this permits the government to disable freedom of speech and innovation, while enabling the government to censor and watch in the entire Internet for infringing content. The reason why SOPA and PIPA came about was due to companies annoyed with stolen content- which has proponents and opponents in a heated debate. Prior to SOPA and PIPA, there were two other bills that had the same foundation but did not pass. PIPA was first called, Combating Online Infringement (COICA) that failed in 2010. The re-written legislation had come back as PIPA to the Senate on May 12, 2011 by Senators Patrick Leahy, Orrin Hatch and Chuck Grassley. The second bill SOPA, was legislation that had been first been introduced as the Pro-IP Act in 2008 however failed. Then on October 26, 2011 SOPA was presented to the U. S. House of Representatives by Representative Lamar Smith. Creative America which is considered, the entertainment community, who basically own all the entertainment companies is the largest supporters of PIPA and SOPA. Creative America is comprised of many companies like The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA. ) On top of the MPAA: The Screen Actors Guild, The American Federation of TV and Radio Artists are pro-SOPA and PIPA. Even the music label companies are out to support, as well as the music publishers associations, and a long list of publishing houses who also support the acts. These companies have been estimated of paying100 million dollars on lobbyist in 2011 to pass these bills in order to protect their copyrights. SOPA and PIPA are two bills that work in conjunction of each other. Proponents claim, copyright holders are permitted to sue all domains that have their patent infringed whether or not their origin is from the U. S.  First corporations will create a hit list of websites who they feel are violating their copyright polices, then the corporation will be able to contact the websites payment processors to force them to cut their ties to whomever is infringing their copyrights. This will give the website five days to act before being shut down. The government will allow immunity to payment networks that comply with the bill, plus take recognition to sites that severely cut ties. Copyright holders who knowingly misrepresent a website for infringing copyrights will have to pay for all damages occurred. Opponents believe that SOPA and PIPA must not pass due to the domino effect it will create. Internet users are in fear that it will block freedom of speech. Many argue that the Internet cannot have any censorship because it violates Americans first amendment. These two bills will enable the U. S. Attorney General access to watch all Internet domains. The Internet Service Provider (ISP) will have to give up all information to the government when asked. Whats unfair is the government would not fund ISP even though they would be there minion. Moreover, other countries will follow suit, thus creating no access to foreign websites. Another issue is when a person posts someones intellectual content without permission, the website will have be shut down. All Internet users are in fear that this stifles innovation. A way that this stifles innovation is if someone posts on a blog of an article that features a logo or trademark of a corporation to use as a teaching method, the corporation can dislike the display and the blog can be shut down. Because SOPA and PIPA are so vague, it can be manipulated to the corporations advantage and be found true. If this bill was around when the Internet was first made, then there would have never been any websites like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox etc. because those sites will be liable for any person that violates the two bills. Due to the Acts liability, those companies wont last one minute without being sued. For example, Youtube created a new trend of letting their users upload their version of an artists song known as a, cover song. If the two bills were to pass, this will disable users to gain any attention to the music industry which can stop any discovery of the next biggest artist. January 18, 2012 was the day these two bills went to Congress for voting. Companies like Reddit, GoDaddy. com, Wiki, etc. went black in protest of the two bills. Many sites directed Internet users to sign a petition and to call or email the House of Representative- for the state the user resides in. Voices were heard and many supporters understood the vague thought of the two bills and backed out, thereby SOPA and PIPA didnt pass. Even if the bill did pass, it would have done little to stop pirating because the criminals who want to download illegal content will only need the IP address in order to reach the supposedly blocked sites. Criminals will find a way to get pass the Acts, thus making challenges for companies who want to follow the law waste time worrying about the implications of SOPA and PIPA. Although the opponents made sure that SOPA and PIPA didnt pass, Internet users know there is a problem with stolen intellectual property; however SOPA and PIPA was not the answer.

Swot Analysis In Terms Of Strength Marketing Essay

Swot Analysis In Terms Of Strength Marketing Essay PapaRich is a moderm kopitiam that serves quality coffee and asian delicacies at affordable Malaysian prices. PappaRich kopitiam has multiplied from one kopitiam to 41 shops around Malaysia, one in Hong Kong and one in Singapore. Thailand would be a good market for PappaRich to enter because Thailands GDP by sectors show as high as 45% for service industry. This clearly shows us that PappaRich can invest in Thailand to serve the community with Malaysian authentic, classic, and timeless kopitiam meals. Using the SWOT analysis, in terms of strength, the PappaRich serves the community with Malaysians kopitiam meals with affordable prices with a classic coffee shop ambience. In terms of opportunities, economically the GDP and inflation rate has been steadily increasing in recent years. Interest rate fell sharply due to the US financial crisis. The Thai Baht appreciated against MYR and a result of that, the revenue generated in Thailand comparatively to the Malaysian Ringgit would be higher. The weakness for PappaRich to go into Thailand which is the food that PappaRich is serving might not be accepted by the locals. Besides that, the threats to the company are the political instability due to street protests. PappaRichs success as of today is due to its successful differentiation business level strategy to set them apart from other companies from the same FB industry. PappaRich focuses on the quality of their product and keeping it consistent throughout all their outlets. Furthermore, the ambience is what captivated the consumers and made them regular customers in PappaRich. The best way for PappaRich to enter the Thailand market is the franchising market entry strategy. To become a successful FB franchisors that can go nation, PappaRich (the franchisee) can sell the franchisors trade mark, product or services, or trade name and benefits from the franchisors help and support in Thailand market. In return, the franchisee from Thailand need to pays an initial fee to PappaRich and then a percentage of the sales revenue. In cultural analysis, there are five areas to be concerned, the cultural analysis of Thailand and Malaysia is shown respectively; PDI 64;104, IDV 20;26. MAS 34;50, UAI 64;36, LTO 56. This is further elaborated in the pages to come. 2.0 Introduction Many years ago, to enjoy a classic kopitiam meal in Malaysia, such as half-boiled eggs, toasted bread with kaya and butter, and a cup of coffee, one will have to travel many miles back to their hometown. Kopitiam is a traditional breakfast and coffee shop found in South East Asia. Since the establishment of PappaRich in 2006, one need not go the distance. PappaRich is a modern kopitiam that serves quality coffee and asian delicacies at affordable Malaysian prices. In four years, the string of PappaRich kopitiams have multiplied from one kopitiam in Selayang Mall to 41 shops around Malaysia, one in Hong Kong and one in Singapore. It has emerged as a formidable player in the local and food beverage chain. PappaRichs philosophy is to serve authentic, classic and timeless kopitiam meals, the traditional Malaysian style where the locals can mix and mingle in the ambience of a relaxing atmosphere with a sense of belonging. In Thailand, PappaRich intends to serve the Thai community the same philosophy it currently serves the Malaysian community. As there are not many kopitiams in Thailand that serves authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine, PappaRich intends to venture into Thailand by becoming one of the pioneers in serving the authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine. As seen in the diagram on the left, the services industry holds a 45% stake of the total market share for GDP composition in Thailand. Examples of the services industry include the tourism sector and the FB sector. Due to the high stake of the services industry in Thailands GDP percentage, investing in PappaRich in Thailand may be a wise investment choice. Furthermore, potential customers from the tourism sector would be an added advantage to the company into raking in more potential revenue. 3.0 Situation Analysis 3.1 SWOT Analysis 3.2 Strengths As mentioned in the introduction, PappaRichs philosophy is to to serve authentic, classic and timeless kopitiam meals, the traditional Malaysian style where the locals can mix and mingle in the ambience of a relaxing atmosphere with a sense of belonging. This concept is a major strength in branding the kopitiam brand in Thailand as there arent many affordable restaurants in Thailand that serve traditional kopitiam meals. This places PappaRich as one of the pioneers into introducing the cuisine to the Thai locals. Furthermore, it will further strengthen its reputation as being one of the most original and authentic kopitiam in Thailand. Another major strength of the company is its emphasis on clientele service. In the FB industry, it is important to note that service is one of the main priorities in differentiating a good restaurant and a bad one. Thus, PappaRich places much emphasis on its clientele service to not only lure first-time or one-time customers but reoccurring customers, over and over again. 3.3 Weaknesses A major setback that hinders the kopitiam business into the Thai market is the different taste buds between the Thai and Malaysians. Only the adventurous ones may venture out of their comfort zone into eating Malaysian kopitiam cuisine. Furthermore, street food is popular and cheap in Thailand, thus the locals may not be very willing to pay extra for Malaysian food. Besides that, PappaRich and the kopitiam concept is a rather new brand in the region, and thus may acquire more time to be familiarised by the locals. Also, the management style used in Malaysia may not be applicable to the culture of the locals and thus, new management style may have to be devised to suit the employees in Thailand. 3.4 Opportunities and Threats In recent years, Thailand has been politically unstable due to street protests and riots. It is important to note that such political instability is a major disadvantage to the business. This is because, the employees of the company may engage themselves into the protests that halts production and services of the restaurant. Furthermore, a demonstration will hinder potential customers from leaving their homes to eat out as they may fear for their safety. An improvement of technology has both pros and cons to the setting up of the new company. It can improve the cooking standards of the restaurant as better kitchen equipments are purchased to monitor the quality of the food. Furthermore, improvement of the equipments may reduce cooking time that increases efficiency. In time, more customers can be served and profit can be increased. However so, an improvement in technology can bring about an increase in capital cost due to expensive kitchen equipments. As seen in the graph above, the GDP rate of Thailand has been steadily increasing in the last couple of years. However, during the US financial crisis in 2009, there has been a slight fall in GDP. It may be wise to hold back the venturing of the business into Thailand for a couple of months to ensure the stability of the market. During the 2009 US financial crisis, the inflation rate went negative, to as low as -4 showing a shrink of the economy. However so, in 2010, Thailand has begun to pick up the pace and shows that there has been a boost in the economy. As the consumers expectation and confidence is strengthened, Papparich can start investing into Thailand. Unemployment rate has been steadily decreasing over the years. As unemployment falls, more people in the community will have income to spend on goods. As such, it is a good idea to invest into Thailand. Hopefully, when the company decides to invest in the country, there will be people to be employed as staffs. A fall in interest rates in recent years is an advantage as we can apply for loans at low interest rates to set up restaurants in the country. This will encourage more franchising options. Comparitively, the Baht rose 0.115% against the MYR. There are both pros and cons to this situation. Pro, the revenue generated in Thailand comparitively to the MYR would be higher and the con, more money will have to be pumped into Thailand to set up the restaurant, comparitively to the MYR 4.0 Business Level Strategy In order to measure the feasibility of Thailand as a strategic location for expansion, we have to look into the business level strategy of PappaRich. Every organization has a competitive strategy to plan how it will compete in its business and this applies to PappaRich as well. PappaRich is a food beverages (FB) industry that focuses on serving quality authentic traditional Malaysian delicacies at affordable prices and that is their competitive advantage and what sets them apart other regular kopitiam. Aside from that, the ambience of PappaRich has also been one of their greatest assets as the decorated surroundings are chilling and hence many people would choose to go to PappaRich to enjoy one of their specialty; coffee made from locally roasted coffee bean while catching up with friends and family. Theyre also located everywhere as they have over 41 outlets in Malaysia as of today and this brings great convenience to their customers as the nearest outlet is just around the neighbourhood. This is PappaRichs aim in their investment into the Thai market as well that people would have a pleasant experience every time they set foot in PappaRich. With Michael Porters five forces model, managers can determine and control the rules of completion and create a sustainable competitive advantage. Firstly, PappaRich is an FB industry with barrier to entry; PappaRich must comply with the standard set by the Thai government in its policy, the high level of capital needed for investment may be hard to acquire as the result of the recent US financial crisis and also the brand identity may be unknown to most consumers as it is new in the market. Furthermore, economies of scale may also be another barrier to entry for PappaRich as existing companies in Thailand enjoys low cost of production due to this factor and there is no way PappaRich could compete with them in short term period. If PappaRich were to venture into the Thai market, it might face substitute companies such Hailam Kopitiam, Station 1 caf and Old Town Kopitiam and Madam Kwan which are also strong growing FB companies with similar business concept that may also be trying to expand internationally to Thailand as well. Not to mention, the substitute companies that are already in Thailand such as Coffee Bean and Starbucks. However, in terms of bargaining power, many consumers would choose PappaRich over Starbucks for coffee as the price is more affordable in PappaRich. The supplier also plays an important role in determining the feasibility of PappaRich as a good investment opportunity in Thailand as supplier determines the cost of operating and this will affect the total profit of the business. PappaRich can get their supply of raw material from suppliers such as President Rice Products Public Co. Ltd, Siam Future Farm and Exotic Food Co. Ltd. Lastly, the current rivalries that are already in Thailand would also affect the profitability of PappaRich if it were to venture into Thailand as it is a very competitive industry and the competitions are intense. In terms of the target market of PappaRich, it would target the middle income group of consumers as the prices are moderate. It would not fully use the cost leadership strategy which refers to the basis of having the lowest cost in the industry as there are many other companies that have comparable price ranges with PappaRich. Also, PappaRich is a contemporary classy type of coffee shop with required standard of decoration which further increase their cost and this doesnt comply with the low cost leader strategy. In fact, PappaRichs success as of today is due of its successful differentiation strategy to set them apart from other companies from the same FB industry. PappaRich focus on the quality of their product and keeping it consistent throughout all their outlets. Furthermore, the ambience is what captivated the consumers and made them regular customers in PappaRich. 5.0 Market Entry Strategy Expanding a company to new market can increase the sale, brand awareness and achieve business stability. To entering new market, we need to study the size of the country, number of opportunities and sheer geographical size. Besides that a proper market entry strategy requires market research so to give us a vision about the existence opportunity, understand the competitive landscape and see who are our potential customers. Foreign market entry can be done via four mechanisms which are exporting, licensing, joint venture, and franchising. Exporting is the most traditional way to go into foreign market by direct sale of the domestic-products to the country. This can be done through an export intermediary such as commissioned agents and trading companies. Exporting do not require the goods or product must be produce in the target country therefore there is no necessary to invest in foreign facilities. PappaRich is a FB business through serving Malaysian Traditional Delight at their outlets cafe. This mechanism is not suitable for PappaRich extend to Thailand because they are providing service but not produce goods. Licensing is an essential permit to enter a new market. A license is a legal contract to run a business. The licensee is about to pay a fee of exchange for the right to use the property of licensor such as trademarks , patents , and production techniques . For PappaRich, the licensing support comes in the form of outlet setup, outlets designs, menu and recipe of PappaRich, chef and waiters training by experienced Pappa licensing trainers. Joint venture is a legal entity formed when two parties equally invest in terms of money,time and effort on the same project. Basically joint venture happen when one individual want to extend his business to nation while he has no enough of capital to do so and need to find a partner from the target country to run the project together. The joint venture may be an easier first-step for PappaRich to extend to Thailand before go to franchising. PappaRich can reduce the entry risk by using Thailand partners assets through joint venture. Besides, the inadequate knowledge of legal environment can be solve. Through joint venture, PappaRich can start the business at little or no costs. Franchising is another form of licensing. Franchise occurs when the franchisor grants a licence to the franchisee to use their business idea. To become a successful FB franchisors that can go nation, Papparich (the franchisee) can sell the franchisors trade mark, product or services, or trade name and benefits from the franchisors help and support in Thailand market. In return, the franchisee from Thailand need to pays an initial fee to PappaRich and then a percentage of the sales revenue. In a conclusion, we found that franchising is the best way for PappaRich to go into Thailand market as Papparich is FB industry which gives servicing to community. 6.0 Cultural analysis Diagram 1 Country PDI IDV MAS UAI LTO Malaysia 104 26 50 36 Thailand 64 20 34 64 56 Table 1 6.1 Power Distance Index (PDI) Hofstedes PDI measures the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations accept and expect that power is distributed unequally (Geert HofstedeCultural dimensions). On the scale, Malaysia has a score of 104 and Thailand 64. Thailand does not have a large gap between the wealthy and the poor, but have a strong belief in equality for each citizen. Thailand has the opportunity to rise in society compared to Malaysia. Malaysian employees see their managers as being far more superior to them and perceive them as unapproachable. This attitude gives the managers a sense of superiority and empowerment. In Thailand however, people view themselves more as equals hence there is a lot more communication between the employees and managers. 6.2 Individualism Individualism is the one side versus its opposite, collectivism, that is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups (Geert HofstedeCultural dimensions). Thailands and Malaysias IDV is at 20 and 26 respectively. A low score, as Thailand and Malaysia has, indicates the society is more of a collectivist than an individualist. This manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member group, is that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. Therefore in Individualism, it can be said that Thailand and Malaysia stands almost the same. Employees in both countries are very team orientated; therefore the managers do not need to make any changes. 6.3 Masculinity Masculinity versus its opposite, femininity refers to the distribution of roles between the genders which is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found. Thailand has the lowest masculinity ranking among the Asian countries listed at 34, while Malaysia is listed at 50, compared to the Asian average of 53 and the World average of 50. This lower level is indicative of a society with less assertiveness and competitiveness, as compared to one where these values are considered more important and significant. This situation also reinforces more traditional male and female roles within the population. Therefore it can be said that Malaysia is doing better than Thailand in terms of assertiveness and competitiveness. Thailand should improve in this area in order to continue to compete. Malaysians tend to be a bit more to being assertive and aggressive while Thai employees are more laid back and more accepting of feminine traits. Therefore managers from Thailand have to be stricter in order for their employees to be more efficient. 6.4 Uncertainty avoidance index UAI deals with a societys tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity; it ultimately refers to mans search for truth. It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations (Peruvian Attitude On UAI) The UAI indicates the societys low level of tolerance for uncertainty. In an effort to minimize or reduce this level of uncertainty, regulations are adopted and implemented. The ultimate goal of this population is to control everything in order to eliminate or avoid the unexpected. As a result of this high UAI characteristic, the society does not readily accept change and is very risk adverse. The Thailand rank of 64 is slightly higher than the Asian average of 58 while Malaysia is slightly below average of 36. It can be said that Malaysia is doing quite well while Thailand should start to accept change and implement policies to control everything. The Malaysian managers in Thailand will have to change the way they manage their employees and actually put into place more guidelines and rules to get the best out of their Thai employees. 6.5 Long-Term Orientation Long-Term Orientation is the fifth dimension of Hofstede which was added after the original four to try to distinguish the difference in thinking between the East and West, defined as the degree to which one plans for and considers the future, as well as values traditions of the past.( Making Sense of Cross Cultural Communication) Below are some characteristics of the two opposing sides of this dimension: Long term orientation: -persistence -ordering relationships by status and observing this order -thrift -having a sense of shame Short term orientation: -personal steadiness and stability -protecting your face -respect or tradition -reciprocation of greetings, favors, and gifts Thailand measure a middle ranking being listed at 56 while Malaysia has no measures of LTO therefore no comparison can be made between both countries. 7.0 Recommendation Based on both SWOT analysis and Porters competitive force framework, it is the right decision to further the investment of PappaRich Group Sdn. Bhd to Thailand as it has the qualities and potential to penetrate into Thailands market. PappaRich is a modern kopitiam that serves quality coffee and asian delicacies that is currently doing very well in Malaysia. However in Thailand, PappaRich intends to serve the Thai community the same philosophy it currently serves the Malaysian community. As there are not many kopitiams in Thailand that serves authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine, PappaRich intends to venture into Thailand by becoming one of the pioneers in serving the authentic Malaysian coffeeshop-styled cuisine as well as Thailands own authentic delicacies. Setting up a food industry in Thailand is certainly a wise investment as services industry holds a 45% stake of the total market share for GDP composition in Thailand. Besides that Thailand has a lot advance in the improvement of technology, this can improve the cooking standards of the restaurant, and better equipment in the kitchen which will enhance efficiency and improve in the quality of the food and drinks. In addition, after the 2009 US financial crisis, Thailand has begun to pick up the pace and shows that there has been a boost in the economy. As the consumers expectation and confidence is strengthened, Papparich can start investing into Thailand. Based on the cultural analysis by Hofstedes framework, by comparing PDI, IDV, MAS, UAI, and LTO, the employees and managers in Thailand are more team orientated, more laid back and more accepting of feminine traits, and dominant. The type of managers in Thailand will be suitable to handle PappaRich, although they are not perfect, they are trainings available to improve their standards to achieve better efficiency and to increase productivity. PappaRich is slowly being recognised globally as it has build up a good reputation internationally in countries like Singapore and Hong Kong. Referring to the market entry strategy, requires market research so to give us a vision about the existence opportunity, understand the competitive landscape and see who our potential customers are. Foreign market entry can be done via four mechanisms which are exporting, licensing, joint venture, and franchising. The strategies of exporting, licensing, joint venture, and franchising have to be done efficiently in order to enter a new market. Lastly, based on Michael Porters five forces model in the business level strategy, managers can determine and control the rules of completion and create a sustainable competitive advantage. PappaRich is an FB industry with barrier to entry and it requires high level of capital to start up the business. Besides that the brand identity of PappaRich might not be well known in Thailand, it faces substitute companies that are already in Thailand such as Coffee Bean and Starbucks. However, in terms of bargaining power, many consumers would choose PappaRich over Starbucks for coffee as the price is more affordable in PappaRich. The supplier also plays an important role in determining the feasibility of PappaRich as a good investment opportunity in Thailand as supplier determines the cost of operating and this will affect the total profit of the business so maintaining a good relationship with the supplier will definitely give and advantage to the company. The investment to Thailand is a goo d choice as PappaRich focus on the quality of their product and keeping it consistent throughout all their outlets. Furthermore, the ambience has also captivated the consumers and made them regular customers in PappaRich. 8.0 Conclusion After much evaluation from the swot analysis, business level, market entry strategy and the cultural analysis, it is concluded that Thailand is a good choice of investment location for PappaRich to venture into internationally. It can also be one of the pioneers of Malaysian food cuisine in Thailand as there are very few coffee shops that serve authentic Malaysian delights in Thailand as of today. Thailands increasing GDP is also another attraction to investment in Thailand as it shows the stability of the economy and the higher expected return on profit because of the appreciation in Thai Baht against Malaysian Ringgit if PappaRich were to venture into Thailand. Other advantages in investing into Thailand include attracting the locals in Thailand to experience new and different culture and delicacies. Furthermore, this provides Malaysian in Thailand a taste of their hometown within reach. Although there are many advantages in investing in Thailand, there ought to be some setback on the investment too and they are such as the political instability of the country which may hinder the operation of the business if the employees were to go on riot. Moreover, the political situation in Thailand may also cause the consumers to be fearful of leaving the house to dine out as it is unsafe. Lastly, from the uncertainty avoidance index, it has shown that Thailand is rank 64 while average in all other countries are at 58, this means that Thailand is very risk adverse and do not like any changes in their countries so they would have very strict policies and laws regarding foreign investment being parked in their country.

A Conceptual Study on HR in Special Reference Essay

ABSTRACT In the present globalized era the environmental changes took place very frequently. So if an organization wants to compete in the cut throat competition they have to cope up with these changes. In the past several decades, technology has had a dramatic impact on human resource management (HRM) processes and practices. For example, technology, especially the World Wide Web, has helped modify many HR processes including human resource planning, recruitment, selection, performance management, work flow, and compensation. These new systems have enabled HR professionals to provide better service to all of their stakeholders (e.g. Customers, Shareholders, Suppliers, Government, Employees etc) and reduced the administrative burden in the field. Despite the widespread use of these systems, there has been a surprising dearth of theory and research on the topic. As a result, the purpose of this special issue is to (a) Human Resource Information System, (b) advance theory and research on human resource management systems (HRMS) and electronic human resource management (eHRM), and (c) Enhance the effectiveness of these systems in organizations. As a result, this article reviews the evolution of HRIS and provides a brief overview of the existing literature, and introduces the article in the special issue. â€Å"HRIS is a management system designed specifically to provide managers with information to make HR decisions.† In the present vast knowledge economy information is power. For efficient management of human assets, HR professional requires accurate and timely data on Recruitment & Selection, Training and Development, Human Resource Planning etc so the aim of paper is to present a conceptual knowledge of HRIS and to explore the impact of information system on HR performance. Key words:- HRM, HRIS, eHRM, HRMS, Stakeholders 1. INTRODUCTION Since the emergence of the internet throughout the world around 1995, many business functions have been transformed. After dealing with accounting, finance and marketing, many companies are shifted their attentions to find a better way of monitoring their Human Resource Management (HRM). Many companies are transforming their HRM functions from manual workflow to computerized workflow. Computers have made the tasks of analyzing the tremendous amount of human resource data into a simple task. Computer hardware, software and data base help organizations maintain and retrieve human resource better and simpler. According to Gara (2001) and Walker (1982), a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) will help organizations â€Å"keep an accurate, complete, updated data base that can be retrieve when needed from reports and manuals.† Then Tannenbaum (1990) defines an HRIS as a system that will acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve and distribute information about an organization’s human resources. Kavanagh et al. (1990) defined HRIS as â€Å"a system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve and distribute information about an organization’s human resources. An HRIS is not simply computer hardware and associated HR-related software. Although an HRIS includes hardware and software, it also includes people, forms, policies and procedures and data†. HRIS is a key management tool which collects, maintain, analyses and reports information on people and jobs. It is a system because it integrates all the relevant data, which otherwise might have been lying in a fragmented and scattered way at various points ion the larger system; converts this data in to meaningful conclusions or information and makes it accessible to the persons, who need it for their decisions. It is a concept which utilizes the development of Information Technology for effective management of the HR functions and applications. HRIS helps organizations in managing all HR information. It helps in recoding and analyzing employees and organizational information and documents, such as employee handbook, emergency evacuation and safety procedures. The nature of HRIS varies among organizations in relation to their size. In small organizations, it tends to be informal whereas in large organizations, it is more formal and coordinated. Lengnick-Hall and Moritz prompt HRIS to be implemented at three different levels: †¢ The publishing of information †¢ The automation of transactions †¢ Transformation of HR into a strategic partner with the line business 2. HRIS – Why it is needed? †¢ Storing information and data for each individual employee. †¢ Providing a basis for planning, decision making, controlling and other human resource functions. †¢ Meeting daily transactional requirements such as marking absent and present and granting leave. †¢ Supplying data and submitting returns to government and other statutory agencies. †¢ Building organizational capabilities. †¢ Job design and organizational structure. †¢ Increasing size of workforce. †¢ Technological advances †¢ Computerized information system †¢ Changes in legal environment 3. COMPONENTS OF HRIS There are three major functional components of HRIS : †¢ Input function – It enters personnel information into the HRIS. Data entry in the past had been one way, but today, scanning technology permits scanning and storage of actual image of an original document, including signatures and handwritten notes. †¢ Maintenance function – It updates and adds new data to the database after data have been entered into the HRIS. †¢ Output function – It is the most visible function of HRIS. In order to generate valuable output for computer users, HRIS processes output, makes necessary calculations and formats the presentation. It should be noted that most important elements of HRIS are not the computers, rather, the information. So, the components of HRIS should support validity, reliability and utility of information. 4. HRIS APPLICATIONS AND UTILITIES Personnel administration – It will encompass information about each employee, such as name address, personal details etc. Salary administration – Salary review procedure are important function of HRM, a good HRIS system must be able to perform what if analysis and present the reports Of changes. Leave and absence recording — Essentially be able to provide comprehensive method of controlling leave/absences. Skill inventory – It is also used to store record of acquired skills and monitor the skill database both employee and organizational level. Performance appraisal — The system should record individual employee performance, appraisal data, such as due date of appraisal, scores etc. Human resource planning — HRIS should record details of the organizational requirements in terms of positions Recruitment — Record details of recruitment activities such as cost and method of recruitment and time to fill the position etc. Career planning – System must be able to provide with succession plans reports to identify which employee have been earmarked for which position. Collective bargaining — A computer terminal can be positioned in the conference room linked to database. This will expedite negotiations by readily providing up to date data based on facts and figures and not feelings and fictions. THE HRIS MODEL [pic] 5. CONTRIBUTE VALUES TO HR THROUGH HRIS: HRIS serves two major purposes in organizations: HR ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL ROLE: The first purpose of an HRIS is to improve the efficiency with which data on employees and HR activities is compiled. Many HR activities can be performed more efficiently and with less paperwork if automated. HR STRATEGIC ROLE: The second purpose of an HRIS is more strategic and related to HR planning. Having accessible data enables HR planning and managerial decision making to be based to a greater degree on information rather than relying on managerial perception and intuition. 6. HRIS IMPLEMENTATION: Implementing anything is part of project Management. Implementing HRIS in organization is a big activity which require support of many stakeholders such functional, HRIT S, IT Vendor and project manager. Implementation can be divided into given below parts. †¢ Need Analysis. †¢ Vendor Selection. †¢ Process Mapping and complete data gathering. †¢ Creation/Deployment of HRIS application in Test server. †¢ Testing by sample users. †¢ Pre-deployment training to users. †¢ Deployment of HRIS in production. †¢ Post Training and Support. †¢ Feedback. 7. BENEFITS OF HRIS When the administrative tasks and processes of any human resources department become overwhelmed, the most appropriate solution would be to implement the human resources information system. Common administrative functions that involve filling reports and completing paperwork take up a lot of time of the human resource department and this is where the HRIS comes in. Many businesses nowadays are now realizing the importance of HRIS and using the software to increase the efficiency of the whole company. The following are some of the major benefits of HRIS. a. Improves productivity The HRIS systems assist in enhancing both the productivity and workflow of the human resource department. This is because, all the data is usually collected and placed in a central database. This is very beneficial since data is going to be very easily retrieved from the database. b. Saves time Through reducing the total amount of time spent on the administrative functions, human resource employees are able to focus on other essential duties. For example, they can carry out other productive functions like creating presentations, training staff members, succession planning and recruiting since they have enough time due to the HRIS system. c. Improves communication with the employees HRIS creates a database that each employee has access to and thus you will be able to communicate better with your employees through the network. It also has email scheduling capabilities that make it very efficient in terms of assigning jobs to various employees in a very short period of time. d. Creates self-service options Due to the fact that all the relevant information concerning the company or business is placed in large database, the employees can be able to access useful information without having to spend a lot of time going from one office to the next. At the same time, it is very easy to update the information in the database for proper administration. The only disadvantage is that important data concerning your company might be stolen particularly nowadays where there is a great increase in cyber crime. 8. THE CHALLENGES OF INDUCING HRIS SOFTWARE INCLUDES: Selecting right HRIS vendor: The selection of software vendor is the most critical of all the decisions. A successful ERP vendor is not always the best provider of an HR solution. A vendor with experience of developing most of the solutions related to human resource, whether in the personnel or talent management domains or other processes associated with HR offers a better choice, and if such a vendor has the strength of utilizing latest technology & a vision to perceive the future needs of HR fraternity, he may rate the highest on the scale. Mere branding of the products does not necessarily mean quality, though it does carry a higher price tag. Moreover, a vendor providing complex solutions, for which special skills may be needed for initial data entry, maintenance & creation of management reports, need not be rated high. If HRIS software can not configure the existing workflows in an organization and wants the user to adapt to the Vendor HR processes, it is likely to be heavy both on training time & costs and may also gather resistance to its usage at the grass root level. A dedicated and customer oriented vendor will move a mile extra to map all client processes on his solution and indicate well in advance the extent of customization required. He may even introduce a set of best practices provided by his solution but leave their adoption to the client. A good HRIS vendor is conscious of the cost but always sells quality. Onus of responsibility – There is a misconception that introduction of HRIS can relieve HR Manager of all responsibilities. To large extent, HRIS can free up HR Manager from transactional tasks. However, it also brings with it a new set of responsibilities to ensure that the software is being used and implemented correctly. The onus of co-operating with the software vendor and ensuring successful deployment lies with the client HR manager. Over expectations – Due to overstress on the benefits of HRIS software, partially by the media and partially by the marketing departments of software vendors, organizations have developed larger-than-life expectations from the software solutions. When the solutions are unable to deliver these over-expectations, the clients tend to lose confidence in the vendors. The only way out is either pre-sales discussions or a clear statement of user expectations in the form of a Request for Proposal (RFP) document, to which the vendor responds as per the strengths of his solution, including the additional effort required for customization, if the same is technically feasible. Resistance to change – Employees at the client location are attitudinally inclined to use only the existing system. They enjoy the loopholes in the processes, moreso the inability of a manual system to track progress. Therefore, they offer great resistance to change, especially if the change calls for the acquisition of new skills by the employee. Their resistance to change leads to lack of enthusiasm and co-operation in successfully implementing software systems. The onus of responsibility for change management lies entirely with the client, but some vendors do offer HR consultancy as a supplement to their solutions. Training Requirements – HRIS software may have a completely new interface, large number of functions and specially configured workflows. It may demand users to exhibit some level of expertise in understanding the technology solution. When faced with the new software, user experiences anxiety and may display discomfort in using the system. Such discomfort can result in remaining ignorant of various features, thereby denying to yourself the benefit of full exploitation of the software. A good software vendor can resolve this issue by providing on the system training to key personnel and prepare them as torch bearers. He would also provide sufficient on-line help features to all the users. Configuration and Data transformation – Configuring software to an organization’s need and transferring data from existing database to new HRIS is another issue that needs to be handled carefully. The existing data may be either on paper or excel files or in some other form of database. Due to ignorance by employees at client location, the data may not enter the new system in the desired manner, thus obstructing the smooth and efficient functioning of the system, besides creating an inventory of bugs. Best solution to this malady is for the Vendor to obtain data from the client as per a standard template, validate it with a program and consider initial data entry as a service provided to the customer. Software Errors and Bugs – Bugs, error and opportunities for improvement are integral part of software. Expecting HR Software to be picture-perfect and without any errors/ omissions is unfair. These bugs need not scare people since these can be resolved through mutual co-operation between the vendor and client. Once settled, they do not reappear.However, if new bugs surface with higher levels of exploitation of the software, these should be taken as encouraging signals both by the client and the vendor. Work Flow Changes – When you install HRIS software, you also install some innovative globally accepted HR practices and workflows. If you have these practices for the first time, some of the members in your organization may not feel comfortable with the changes, especially the change of work flow. Such changes should be handled very carefully as they can have significant emotional impact on the team members. HR should be ready to award benefit of doubt to the members who suffer a negative impact due to these changes and allow ample time for the new workflows to set in. You need preference and commitment to introduce systems. Remember this if you are keen to implement HR software solutions. 9. CONCLUSION: HRIS has a very wide scope in developing countries. It is applied in personnel administration, salary administration, leave/absence recording, skill inventory, medical history, performance appraisal, training and development, HR Planning, recruitment, career planning, negotiation etc. It is very important for an organization to clearly identify its system requirements before implementing HRIS. This would enable to decide the appropriate level of sophistication of HRIS and would lead to optimal utilization of scarce resource. HRIS database should be used as a single source of all information. This would lead to the development of an integrated HRIS platform for the whole organization. In today’s corporate world human resources has come to play a very critical role. Whether it concerns the hiring and firing of employees or whether it concerns employee motivation, the Human Resources department of any organization now enjoys a very central role in not only formulating company policies. A complete HRIS links all human resources data from the time professionals enter pre- service training to when they leave the workforce. Continuous monitoring and evaluation is vital in determining what an HRIS is accomplishing, what needs to be improved and whether results are being achieved. In future, Human Resource Professionals will be more dependent on higher level and integrated HRIS approaches in order to support more complex as well as free forms of organizations. 10. REFERENCES: 1. Prof. Bhavsar C. Anil, â€Å" A conceptual paper on HRIS † vol.1,Issue.v/Nov.2011pp.1-4. 2. Gara,S.J.(2001). â€Å"How an HRIS can impact HR: a complete paradigm shift for the 21st century. Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) White Paper, Retrieved November 11, 2002, from http://www.shrm.org/whitepeper/documents/default.asp?page=63001.asp 3. Kovach, K.A., & Cathcart, C.E. (1999). â€Å"Human resource information systems: providing business with rapid data access, information exchange and strategic advantage.† Public Personnel Management, 28 (2), 275-282. 4. Tannenbaum, S. I. (1990). HRIS: user group implications. Journal of Systems Management, 41 (1), 27-32. 5. Walker, A. J. (1982). HRIS Development: A Project Team Guide to Building and Effective Personal Information System. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. 6. Lengnick-Hall, Mark L. and Moritz Steve (2003), â€Å"The Impact of e-HR on the Human Resource Management Function†, Journal of Labor Research. 24(3), pp. 365-379. BOOKS 1. Hilkka Poutanen, DEVELOPING THE ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR THE ACTIVITIES OF GOOD LEADERSHIP, Acta Univ. Oul. A 553, 2010, ISBN 978-951-42-6171-8 (Paperback). 2. Mohan Thite & Michael J. Kavanagh, Evolution of Human Resource Management and Human Resource Information Systems† The Role of Information Technology†, TMH. 3. Michael D. Bedell, Michael Canniff & Cheryl Wyrick, Systems Considerations in the Design of an HRIS â€Å"Planning for Implementation†, TMH

India a Global Economic Super Power Essay

New parts of the world that were not long ago considered undeveloped, backwater countries, are now taking center stage in the global economy. Much has been publicized about the ascendance of China’s economy, as it has become a major venue for the manufacturing of products sought after by worldwide consumers eager for cheaper goods. However, China’s Asian neighbor, India, also has a vigorously growing economy. India’s economy is partly being fueled by companies around the world seeking to reduce their costs by outsourcing some of their operations there. A March 9, 2005 article in the International Herald Tribune reported that within 30 years, India is projected to have the world’s third largest economy and more people than China. Russell D’Souza, International Credit & Risk Manager for Hallmark International, pointed out that India implemented modern, capitalistic economic reforms in the early 1990s that are producing positive results. The Tribune article reported that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who as Finance Minister championed these reforms, proposed major investments in his first budget for education, modernizing India’s colonial-era infrastructure, and lowering tariffs. D’Souza also noted India has modernized its banking regulations. â€Å"India has liberalized its laws to allow foreign banks to take over branches. Local Indian private banks are allowed to set up foreign bank branches. The banking rules have been liberalized considerably. † The CIA World Factbook’s website estimates that by July 2005, India’s population will be slightly fewer than 1. 1 billion, of nearly 16 percent of the world’s population, not far behind China’s, which is projected to be 1. 3 billion. Market Place PRI, a business radio program, reported on March 14, 2005 that a recent economic survey predicted India would grow at 7 percent this year. However, the report went on to assert that many economic analysts say that India needs to improve its infrastructure. D’Souza, who grew up in India but now lives in the U. S, experienced the problems India has with the Lagging state of much of its infrastructure. † You’ve got an infrastructure that is woeful. It’s one of India’s biggest Achilles heels. It’s worse than China’s. † Just the sheer size of its growing middle class provides a huge potential market for India-based companies. D’Souza said the size of India’s middle class is over 200 million people. â€Å"Consumer goods are exploding in India. There are people with cash like I’ve never seen before. † India’s geopolitical importance and stature are growing too. U. S. foreign policy officials view India, with its strategic location, as an important counter-balance to the growing political and military power of China. U. S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began a six-nation tour of Asia in India on March 16. An article that same day in the Tribune noted that analysts in Delhi viewed her stop there as a positive sign â€Å"the United States was eager to underline India’s increasing importance on the U. S. foreign policy agenda. † Talks between Rice and Singh focused on defense and military cooperation, economy and trade and â€Å"synergies in energy and environmental protection. India possesses some advantages that make it especially suited to provide less expensive business services for companies. China, on the other hand, has excelled in the manufacture of cheaper products. The two main advantages for India is that it has an estimated 200 million people who speak English and also a world-class education system. â€Å"India is a bilingual country,† D’Souza said. He noted this is a byproduct of its former status as a British colony. â€Å"It has an advantage over C hina,† he said, in that respect. The educational system in India has produced a significant number of chartered accountants, doctors, MBAs, lawyers, research analysts and other professionals, many of whom will work in India for much less than their professional counterparts in the U. S. and Europe. Alok Aggarwal, Co-founder of Evalueserve, which offers business intelligence, market research and intellectual property services to clients in North America, Europe and Asia, noted there are two types of services offered on an outsourced basis. Business Process Outsourcing, or BPO, involves more routine processing of data. Ravi Aron, Professor of operations and information management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, said examples of BPO involve more routine functions where there is a predefined way of doing tasks or even reaching conclusions, as in data entry, accounts maintenance and customer service activities such as those performed at call centers. BPOs typically provide such services as setting up bank accounts, selling an insurance policy and voice and e-mail-based computer support. Aggarwal said that a higher Level of service than BPO is called Knowledge Process Outsourcing or KPO. KPO involves high-end processes such as investment research and Legal and insurance claims processing. In a March 21, 2005 article in the Indiatimes News Network, Pavan Bagai, Vice President, strategic businesses, EXL said, â€Å"Imagine unsorted data going through a black box and coming out as useful information. In KPOs the black box is your mind. There is no predefined process to reach a conclusion. † In either BPO or KPO, India often offers a huge cost savings potential over those functions being performed by American workers in the U. S.  Aron said that in credit card-related functions, the cost of an American worker, including benefits and overhead, ranges from $48-55 per hour–while in India, those costs are only $18-24. A report by Hay Associates estimated that the fully burdened costs of an accounting clerk in Stamford, CT, is $69 per hour, while in Bangalore, India it is $4 per hour. (Though Alok disputes that number saying that â€Å"currently the loaded costs in Bangalore would be $7-$8 per hour† the cost differential is still staggering. ) French & Associates reported that a $50,000 U.  S. clerical worker would cost only $10,000 in India and would be a top graduate. This huge gap in employee direct and indirect costs is even more dramatic with KPO services. â€Å"When you go with high-end work that’s when the game gets interesting,† Aron said. He said employee costs per hour for an equity research analyst in the U. S. would range from $230-$250 while in India it would only be about $30. † Should you find it suitable to relocate, (to one of the countries that offers much cheaper employee costs) you will experience huge savings,† Aron said. If you look al the labor cost difference there is a 5-1 to 8-1 cost factor,† added Aggarwal, whose firm actually provides equity research and investment banking research services. â€Å"American doctors are very hard working–but they don’t work five times harder than Indian doctors. † The March 21 Indiatimes Network article reported that India, with its knowledge base and lower costs, will be â€Å"leading the pack in the race for KPO business. † The article referred to a report by Evalueserve that India will capture more than â€Å"70 percent of the KPO territory by 2010. India’s software trade body reported that export revenues from software outsourcing will reach $17. 3 billion in the fiscal year ending March 2005. In a presentation by Marc Vollenweider, President and CEO of Evalueserve, it was projected that by 2010 India will have about 1. 1 million people employed in BPO. According to Vollenweider, U. S. companies may be compelled to outsource due to his projection of a labor shortage. According to his figures, by fiscal year 2010, the U. S. is projected to experience a shortfall of 5. 4 million workers. In that same timespan, the U. K’s shortfall is projected to be . million workers. Vollenweider’s presentation concluded that, â€Å"Global Sourcing has become an economic imperative for the developed nations to maintain and sustain their historical and current growth. Offshoring IT and BPO services to low-wage destinations provides a viable solution to developed nations who are struggling against the significant shortage of skilled labor. â€Å"Evalueserve projects that by 2010 India will have 820,000 employed in low-end BPO services generating total revenues of USD 18 billion and 250,000 workers employed in high-end KPO services generating USD 12 billion. A number of major U.  S. -based corporations have set up operations in India or have outsourced certain business services to Indian firms. A report by French & Associates indicated India has become a venue for major development centers for IBM and Microsoft. Major corporations like Ford, JP Morgan Chase and HP are currently setting up operations there. General Electric, however, probably has utilized the manpower resources of India more extensively than any other major American Corporation. GE’s involvement in India began in September 1989, according to a front-page, March 23, 2005, The Wall Street Journal article. Al that time, then-CEO Jack Welch flew to India for a sales meeting to sell products to India. During that stop in India, Welch met with Indian government officials who pitched him the idea of having some of his company’s needs provided by its emerging high-tech sector. Today, The WSJ article pointed out, India â€Å"earns more than $17 billion from corporations worldwide seeking low-cost overseas talent †¦ † Although GE is hesitant about taking credit for a trend that has taken many American jobs overseas, most corporate observers agree GE played a major role in the outsourcing boom. The WSJ article further noted that in 1995, GE created GE Capital International Services, now known as Gecis, to handle backroom work and market analysis. In 1999 Gecis established the first international call center in India and in 2000 GE opened a research center in Bangalore to tap the skills of Indian engineers. The WSJ article reported that in November 2004, GE sold a controlling interest in Gecis and now the company will seek business from other companies. French & Associates estimated that GE had 5,000 FTEs (full-time equivalents) in India in 2000. That number grew to 12,000 FTEs by the end of 2003. The WSJ article also reported that in 2000, GE opened the Jack F. Welch Technology Center in Bangalore â€Å"that employs thousands of researchers working on everything from new refrigerators to jet engines. † A recent GE report indicated the company plans to spend about $600 million this year on computer-software development from Indian companies. Val Venable, CCE, Credit Manager for GE Advanced Materials, in reference to GE’s outsourcing efforts in India, said, â€Å"We certainly have been a major player. For our company and a lot of companies, you’re always looking for quality suppliers at low cost. It makes business sense to do it. † Venable, who spoke in India in late March during a five-week business trip there, said that her operations are split between the U. S. and India. â€Å"Part of my collections team sits in the U. S. and some of it is in India. † She said that employee allocation between that in the U. S. and India is proportional to the workload. â€Å"If I have 70 percent of my people in India, I look to have 70 percent of my work there. My people in the U. S. have a lot more credit experience, so they do a lot of the credit decisions. † In Venable’s case, even though GE does not wholly own Gecis anymore, it has not changed her operations. â€Å"My relationship with my team has not changed. We work together and we have sub-teams. For our credit and collections teams we didn’t see a difference. My people from the India and the U. S. have been trained the same. † The cost savings of operations in India aren’t just confined to personnel expenses Venable said. â€Å"It’s not just the cost of the people. Over here I have different IT costs and I have different training costs. † She acknowledged that many Indian employees are well educated and enthusiastic about their work. â€Å"There’s a huge emphasis on education here. It’s their first experience in business. † On the issue that some Americans have complained about not being able to understand customer services representatives in India, Venable said, â€Å"Some of my team have fairly strong accents, but have you ever called Texas of Mississippi? They have accents too. We usually work on that. That’s part of the service to the customers. An unavoidable drawback Venable mentioned of outsourced services emanating from India to American consumers is, â€Å"If you’re going to have a team in India, there’s a time zone difference. † She said the time zone difference between India and the U. S. is 9. 5 hours and 4. 5 hours between India and the U. K. She san the time zone difference actually has not been a major problem for her operations. â€Å"The areas around the call centers are becoming a 24-hour culture. Probably in the next 20 years we’re going to have virtual offices and it won’t matter where people sit. Does everybody need to sit in the same room? Probably not. †

Indonesian Cuisine Conclusion Essay Example

Indonesian Cuisine Conclusion Essay Example Indonesian Cuisine Conclusion Essay Indonesian Cuisine Conclusion Essay Essay Topic: Chinatown House on Mango Street Indonesian cuisine is diverse, in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 populated islands of the total 18,000 in the worlds largest archipelago. [1] Many regional cuisines exist, often based upon cultural and foreign influences. [1] Indonesian cuisine varies greatly by region and has many different influences. [1][2][3] Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in trade due to its location and natural resources. Additionally, Indonesia’s indigenous techniques and ingredients were influenced by India, the Middle East, China, and finally Europe. Spanish and Portuguese traders brought New World produce even before the Dutch came to colonize most of the archipelago. The Indonesian islands The Moluccas (Maluku), which are famed as the Spice Islands, also contributed to the introduction of native spices, such as cloves and nutmeg, to Indonesian and global cuisine. Some popular Indonesian dishes such as nasi goreng,[4] gado-gado,[5][6] sate,[7] and soto[8] are ubiquitous in the country and considered as Indonesian national dishes. Sumatran cuisine, for example, often has Middle Eastern and Indian influences, featuring curried meat and vegetables such as gulai and kari, while Javanese cuisine is more indigenous. [1] The cuisines of Eastern Indonesia are similar to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine. Elements of Chinese cuisine can be seen in Indonesian cuisine: foods such as bakmi (noodles), bakso (meat or fish balls), and lumpia (spring rolls) have been completely assimilated. Some popular dishes that originated in Indonesia are now common across much of Southeast Asia. Indonesian dishes such as satay, beef rendang, and sambal are also favoured in Malaysia and Singapore. Soy-based dishes, such as variations of tofu (tahu) and tempe, are also very popular. Tempe is regarded as a Javanese invention, a local adaptation of soy-based food fermentation and production. Another fermented food is oncom, similar in some ways to tempe but using a variety of bases (not only soy), created by different fungi, and particularly popular in West Java. Indonesian meals are commonly eaten with the combination of a spoon in the right hand and fork in the left hand (to push the food onto the spoon), although in many parts of the country, such as West Java and West Sumatra, it is also common to eat with ones hands. In restaurants or households that commonly use bare hands to eat, like in seafood foodstalls, traditional Sundanese and Minangkabau restaurants, or East Javanese pecel lele (fried catfish with sambal) and ayam goreng (fried chicken) food stalls, they usually serve kobokan, a bowl of tap water with a slice of lime in it to give a fresh scent. This bowl of water should not to be consumed, however; it is used to wash ones hand before and after eating. Eating with chopsticks is generally only found in food stalls or restaurants serving Indonesian adaptations of Chinese cuisine, such as bakmie or mie ayam (chicken noodle) with pangsit (wonton), mie goreng (fried noodles), and kwetiau goreng (fried flat rice noodles). Contents [hide] 1 Rice 2 Other staples 3 Vegetables 4 Meat and fish 5 Spices and other flavorings 6 Peanut sauce 7 Coconut milk 8 Regional dishes Foreign influences 10 Influence Abroad 11 Meal Times 12 Feasts: Tumpeng and Rijsttafel 13 Non-alcoholic Beverages 14 Alcoholic beverages 15 Snacks and street food 16 Fruits 17 Health and hygiene 18 See also 19 References 20 External links [edit]Rice Main article: Rice production in Indonesia Using water buffalo to plough rice fields in Java; Rice is a staple for all classes in contemporary; Indonesia is the worlds third largest paddy rice producer and its cultivation ha s transformed much of Indonesia’s landscape. Rice is a staple for all classes in contemporary Indonesia,[2][9] and it holds the central place in Indonesian culture: it shapes the landscape; is sold at markets; and is served in most meals both as a savoury and a sweet food. The importance of rice in Indonesian culture is demonstrated through the reverence of Dewi Sri, the rice goddess of ancient Java and Bali. Traditionally the agricultural cycles linked to rice cultivations were celebrated through rituals, such as Seren Taun rice harvest festival. Rice is most often eaten as plain rice with just a few protein and vegetable dishes as side dishes. It is also served, however, as nasi uduk (rice cooked in coconut milk), nasi kuning (rice cooked with coconut milk and turmeric), ketupat (rice steamed in woven packets of coconut fronds), lontong (rice steamed in banana leaves), intip or rengginang (rice crackers), desserts, vermicelli, noodles, arak beras (rice wine), and nasi goreng (fried rice). [10] Nasi goreng is omnipresent in Indonesia and considered as national dish. 4] Rice was only incorporated into diets, however, as either the technology to grow it or the ability to buy it from elsewhere was gained. Evidence of wild rice on the island of Sulawesi dates from 3000 BCE. Evidence for the earliest cultivation, however, comes from eighth century stone inscriptions from the central island of Java, which show kings levied taxes in rice. The images of rice cultivation, rice barn, and mouse pest investing a ricefield is evident in K armawibhanga bas-reliefs of Borobudur. Divisions of labour between men, women, and animals that are still in place in Indonesian rice cultivation, were carved into relief friezes on the ninth century Prambanan temples in Central Java: a water buffalo attached to a plough; women planting seedlings and pounding grain; and a man carrying sheaves of rice on each end of a pole across his shoulders (pikulan). In the sixteenth century, Europeans visiting the Indonesian islands saw rice as a new prestige food served to the aristocracy during ceremonies and feasts. 9] Rice production in Indonesian history is linked to the development of iron tools and the domestication of Wild Asian Water Buffalo as water buffalo for cultivation of fields and manure for fertilizer. Rice production requires exposure to the sun. Once covered in dense forest, much of the Indonesian landscape has been gradually cleared for permanent fields and settlements as rice cultivation developed over the last fifteen hundred years. [9] [edit]Other staples Papeda , staple food of eastern Indonesia, served with yellow soup and grilled mackerel. Other staple foods in Indonesia include a number of starchy tubers such as; yam, sweet potato, potato, taro and cassava; also starchy fruit such as breadfruit and jackfruit and grains such as maize and wheat. A sago congee called Papeda is a staple food especially in Maluku and Papua. Sago is also often mixed with water and cooked as a simple pancake. Next to sago, people of eastern Indonesia also consume various kind of wild tubers as staple food. Many types of tubers such as talas (a type of taro but larger and more bland) and breadfruit are native to Indonesia, while others are introduced from elsewhere. Wheat, the base ingredient for bread and noodles were probably introduced from India or China; yam was introduced from Africa; while maize, potato, sweet potato, cassava and maize were introduced from Americas through Spanish influence and finally reached Java in 17th century. Cassava is usually boiled, steamed, fried or processed as popular snack kripik singkong (cassava crackers). Dried cassava, locally known as tiwul, is an alternate staple food in arid areas of Java such as Gunung Kidul and Wonogiri, while other roots and tubers are eaten especially in hard times. Maize is eaten in drier regions such as Madura and islands east of the Wallace Line, such as the Lesser Sunda Islands. [edit]Vegetables Indonesian food includes many vegetables as ingredients like this Sayur oyong made with Luffa acutangula A number of leaf vegetables are widely used in Indonesian cuisine, such as kangkung, spinach, genjer, melinjo, papaya and cassava leaves. These are often sauteed with garlic. Spinach and corn are used in simple clear watery vegetable soup sayur bayam bening flavoured with temu kunci, garlic and shallot. Other vegetables like labu air (calabash), labu siam (chayote), kelor, kacang panjang (yardlong bean), terung (eggplant), gambas and belustru, are cut and used in stir fries, curries and soups like sayur asem, sayur lodeh or laksa. Sayur sop is cabbage, cauliflower, potato, carrot, with macaroni spiced with black pepper, garlic and shallot in chicken or beef broth. The similar mixed vegetables are also stir fried as cap cai, a popular dish of the Chinese Indonesian cuisine. Vegetables like kecipir (winged bean), tomato, mentimun (cucumber) and the small variety of peria (bitter melon) are commonly eaten raw, like in lalab. The large bitter melon variety is usually boiled. kecombrang and papaya flower buds are a common Indonesian vegetable. Urap is seasoned and spiced shredded coconut meat mixed together with vegetables, asinan betawi are preserved vegetables. Gado-gado and pecel are a salad of boiled vegetables dressed in a peanut-based spicy sauce, while karedok is its raw version. [edit]Meat and fish Rendang daging, a beef, mutton or goat meat dish cooked with coconut milk The main meat source diet mostly are poultry and fish, however meats such as beef, water buffalo, goat and mutton are commonly found in Indonesian marketplaces. The most common poultry consumed is chicken and duck, however to a lesser amount, pigeon and wild migrating sea bird are also consumed. As a country with an Islamic majority, Indonesian Muslims follows the Islamic halal dietary law which forbids the consumption of pork. However in other parts of Indonesia where there are significant numbers of non-Muslims, boar and pork are commonly consumed. Dishes made of non-halal meats can be found in provinces such as Bali, North Sumatra, North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, West Papua, Papua, and also in Chinatowns in major Indonesian cities. Today to cater for the larger Muslim market, most of the restaurants and eating establishments in Indonesia put halal signs that signify they neither serve pork nor use lard in their cooking. The meat can be cooked in rich spices and coconut milk such as beef, goat or lamb rendang, skewered, seasoned and grilled chicken or mutton as satay, barbecued meats, or sliced and cooked in rich broth soup as soto. Muttons and various offals can be use as ingredients for soto soup or gulai curry. In Bali, with its Hindu majority, the babi guling (pig roast) is popular among locals as well as non-Muslim visitors, while the Batak people of North Sumatra have babi panggang that is a similar dish. The meat also can be processed to be thinly-sliced and dried as dendeng (jerky), or made into abon (meat floss). Dendeng celeng is Indonesian dried, jerked boar meat. [11] As an archipelagic nation, seafood is abundant and commonly consumed especially by Indonesian resides in coastal areas. Popular seafood in Indonesian cuisine among others; mackerel, tuna, wahoo, milkfish, red snapper, anchovy, cuttlefish, shrimp, crab and mussel. Seafood is commonly consumed across Indonesia, but it is especially popular in Maluku islands and Minahasa (North Sulawesi) cuisine. Seafood are usually being bakar (grilled), rebus (boiled) or goreng (fried). However another method of cooking like stir fried in spices or in soup is also possible. Ikan asin (salted fish) is preserved seafood through cured in salt, it is also can be found in Indonesian market. Fresh water fisheries can be found in inland region or area with large rivers or lakes. Popular fresh water fish among others; carp, gourami, snakehead, tilapia, catfish and pangasius. edit]Spices and other flavorings Sambal ulek, a common Indonesian spicy condiment. Rempah is Indonesian word for spice, while bumbu is the Indonesian word for spices mixture or seasoning, and it commonly appears in the names of certain spice mixtures, sauces and seasoning pastes. [12] Known throughout the world as the Spice Islands, the Indonesian islands of Maluku contributed to the introduction of its native spices to world cuisine. Spices such as pala (nutmeg/mace), cengkeh (clove), and laos (galangal) are native to Indonesia. It is likely that lada hitam (black pepper), kunyit (turmeric), sereh (lemongrass), bawang merah (shallot), kayu manis (cinnamon), kemiri (candlenut), ketumbar (coriander), and asam jawa (tamarind) were introduced from India, while jahe (ginger), daun bawang (scallions) and bawang putih (garlic) were introduced from China. Those spices from mainland Asia were introduced early, in ancient times, thus they became integral ingredients in Indonesian cuisine. In ancient times, the kingdom of Sunda and the later sultanate of Banten were well known as the worlds major producers of black pepper. The maritime empires of Srivijaya and Majapahit also benefited from the lucrative spice trade between the spice islands with China and India. Later the Dutch East India Company controlled the spice trade between Indonesia and the world. The Indonesian fondness for hot and spicy food was enriched when the Spanish introduced cabai chili pepper from the New World to the region in 16th century. After that hot and spicy sambals have become an important part of Indonesian cuisine. [13] Sambal evolved into many variants across Indonesia, ones of the most popular is sambal terasi (sambal belacan) and sambal mangga muda (young mango sambal). Dabu-dabu is North Sulawesi style of sambal with chopped fresh tomato, chili, and lime juice. Traditionally prepared laboriously ground upon stone mortar, today sambals is also available as industrial processed products in bottles or jars. Soy sauce is also an important flavorings in Indonesian cuisine. Kecap asin (salty or common soy sauce) was adopted from Chinese cuisine, however Indonesian developed their own kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) with generous addition of palm sugar into soy sauce. Sweet soy sauce is an important marinade for barbecued meat and fish, such as satay and grilled fishes. Sweet soy sauce is also an important ingredient for semur, Indonesian stew. [edit]Peanut sauce Peanut sauce is important part of gado-gado. One of the main characteristics of Indonesian cuisine is the wide application of peanuts in many Indonesian signature dishes, such as satay, gado-gado, karedok, ketoprak, and pecel. Gado-gado and Sate for example have been considered as Indonesian national dishes. [6][7] Introduced from Mexico by Portuguese and Spanish merchants in 16th century, peanuts assumed a place within Indonesian cuisine as a key ingredient. Peanuts thrived in the tropical environment of Southeast Asia, and today they can be found, roasted and chopped finely, in many recipes. Whole, halved, or crushed peanuts are used to garnish a variety of dishes, and used in marinades and dipping sauces such as sambal kacang (a mixture of ground chilies and fried peanuts) for otak-otak or ketan. Peanut oil, extracted from peanuts, is one of the most commonly used cooking oils in Indonesia. Bumbu kacang or peanut sauce represents a sophisticated, earthy seasoning rather than a sweet, gloppy sauce. 14] It should have a delicate balance of savoury, sweet, sour, and spicy flavours, acquired from various ingredients, such as fried peanuts, gula jawa (coconut sugar), garlic, shallots, ginger, tamarind, lemon juice, lemongrass, salt, chilli, peppercorns, sweet soy sauce, ground together and mixed with water to form the right consistency. The secret to good peanut sauce is â€Å"not too thick and not too watery. † Indonesian peanut sau ce tends to be less sweet than the Thai version, which is a hybrid adaptation. Gado-gado is a popular dish particularly associated with bumbu kacang, and is eaten across Indonesia. edit]Coconut milk Shredding coconut flesh to make coconut milk. Coconuts are abundant in tropical Indonesia, and since ancient times Indonesians developed many and various uses for this plant. The broad use of coconut milk in dishes throughout the archipelago is another common characteristic of Indonesian cuisine. It is used in recipes ranging from savoury dishes such as rendang, soto, sayur lodeh, gudeg, and opor ayam to desserts such as es cendol and es doger. Soto is ubiquitous in Indonesia and considered as one of Indonesias national dishes. 8] The use of coconut milk is not exclusive to Indonesian cuisine. It can also be found in Indian, Samoan, Thai, Malaysian, Filipino, and Brazilian cuisines. Nonetheless, the use of coconut milk is quite extensive in Indonesia, especially in Minangkabau cuisine , although in Minahasan (North Sulawesi) cuisine, coconut milk is generally absent, except in Minahasan cakes and desserts such as klappertart. In Indonesian cuisine, two types of coconut milk are found, thin coconut milk and thick coconut milk. The difference depends on the water and oil content. Thin coconut milk is usually used for soups such as sayur lodeh and soto, while the thicker variety is used for rendang and desserts. It can be made from freshly shredded coconut meat in traditional markets, or can be found processed in cartons at the supermarket. After the milk has been extracted from the shredded coconut flesh to make coconut milk, the ampas kelapa (leftover coconut flesh) can still be used in urap, seasoned and spiced shredded coconut meat mixed together with vegetables. Leftover shredded coconut can also be cooked, sauteed and seasoned to make serundeng, almost powdery sweet and spicy finely shredded coconut. Kerisik paste, added to thicken rendang, is another use of coconut flesh. To acquire a rich taste, some households insist on using freshly shredded coconut, instead of leftover, for urap and serundeng. Serundeng can be mixed with meat in dishes such as serundeng daging (beef serundeng) or sprinkled on top of other dishes such as soto or ketan (sticky rice). An example of the heavy use of coconut is Buras from Makassar, rice wrapped in banana leaf cooked with coconut milk and sprinkled with powdered coconut similar to serundeng.

Your Quick Guide to Lay vs. Lie

Your Quick Guide to Lay vs. Lie As some of the most commonly confused words in the English language, lay vs. lie (and determining which to use) present problems for English writers and speakers- even native ones. However, knowing whether to use lay or lie in a particular context requires knowing specific rules related to conjugating the verbs in present, past and past participle tenses. Well review these rules here.Lay vs. lie in present tenseThe present tense rule related to lay vs. lie is the easiest to remember. Keep in mind that in this article, we are referring to lie in its meaning to recline rather than untruth.Lay requires an object while lie does not. For example, you can lay a blanket over someone, because the object (blanket) is receiving the action of the verb. However, when you lie down, there is no object, so lie is the correct choice.Remember that Bob Dylan song, Lay Lady Lay? Well, Dylan- although a great songwriter- used the verb incorrectly in his song. And then people wonder why English language rules are so difficult to remember!The correct way, then, to sing that song would be lie Lady lie, lie across my big brass bed. However, well trust that Dylan had his reasons for conjugating the verb incorrectly in his hit track.Lay vs. lie in past tenseHere is where the grammar rules get really tricky with this particular pair of words- in the past tense. Why? Because the past tense of lie is lay. What this means is that if you are supposed to use lie in the present tense- for example, I need to go lie down- youll have to change that to lay if speaking past tense.Consider this example: Yesterday, the cat lay in the window sill all day long.Sounds incorrect, doesnt it?Thats because most people get it wrong. If youre like most, your first inclination would be to use laid as the past tense verb form here, but that would be incorrect. Laid is the past tense of lay, so you would only use that if lay is the correct verb form to use in present tense.Heres an example: I laid the paper down on the table, but someone lost it.Lay vs. lie in past participle tenseNow, lets look at the past participle of both verb forms, starting with lie. The past participle of lie†¯is lain.Consider this example: I have lain in bed all day and havent accomplished anything.So, if lay is the correct form of the verb in present tense (meaning there is an object that is placed down), the past participle tense is laid (which is the same as the past tense, so at least something about this is easy!)Heres an example: She has laid her purse somewhere and forgotten where.