Rapid development and popularization of the Internet

Rapid development and popularization of the Internet In recent two decades, with the rapid development and popularization of world internet and computer technology, internet has been an integral part of both human daily life and financial market. Based on the World Internet Stats (2010), the number of internet users around the world totaled 1.97 billion by June 2010, increased 444.8 percent over the last decade (Figure 1). Gilmore et al (2007) stated that adopting internet and e-marketing strategy within business provide small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) an opportunity to reduce cost, improve competiveness and expand businesses. With a growing number of SMEs are combining internet and web site with business, it has become the mainstream for SMEs in the world to adapt internet technologies to expand business and grow themselves. In simple terms, e-marketing refers to achieving business goals by using world wide web (WWW), instant messaging, emails, online payment and other forms of internet related technologies (Gilmore et al., 2007). An e-marketing strategy includes the actions taken in order to promote a brand via the internet and a good e-marketing strategy plays a most significant role in the success of a business (Rampur, 2010). Figure1 Internet Users in the World by Geographic Region Source: World Internet Stats (2010) It is widely believed that large enterprises contribute a lot to the economy. However, SMEs also play an important role in both world and local economy. SMEs are not only an important revenue contributor, but also a great job opportunities provider. To be precise, SMEs account for 98.9 percent of total number of businesses, 77.3 percent of employed people, 65.6 percent of gross industrial output value, 63.3 percent of sales revenues and 54 percent of total profits in China (Singh and Garg, 2010).   With Chinas entry into World Trade Organization (WTO), China government has shown the ambitious to encourage both state-owned enterprises and SMEs to walk with worlds pace. In 2002, SME Promotion Law of the Peoples Republic of China was carried out to support and encourage the development of SMEs in China. According to Hong (2010), Jiangsu province has strong competitiveness not only in per-capital GDP, but also in internet penetration. As a representative of Chinas SMEs, Jiangsu province also carried out policies to promote the development of SMEs and improve international competitiveness such as Promotion Rules of SMES in Jiangsu Province. Though the development of SMEs is booming and some of the SMEs in Jiangsu are considering marketing strategies via Internet, a number of SMEs are still implementing marketing strategies in traditional ways. They prefer to focus on the products and services from the supplier perspective instead of customer perspective (Sheth and Sharma, 2005). The fact is that SMEs who are adopting new advanced technologies have enjoyed benefits of e-marketing and achieved advantageous position (Chong et al., 2009). For example, some SMEs are using email as an important medium to communicate with customers, to share products and services information with customers and enhance customer loyalty (Merisavo and Raulas, 2004). In the meanwhile, some SMEs are thinking highly of online platform such as the third-party website Alibaba.com. Suppliers and buyers prefer to transact through Alibaba.com for low requirement, reliable online payment and large market share (Zhao et al., 2008).It is the time for all SM Es to reconsider the traditional way of doing business and think more of e-related marketing strategies. Under this situation, it is a great opportunity for SMEs in Jiangsu to follow the world trend and do business with new e-marketing strategies. Literature Review With the popularization of the Internet and website, there appear a trend that more SMEs prefer to marketing their brands via Internet. A large quantity of researchers and authors has done researches on e-marketing strategy. Drivers and barriers to e-marketing adoption amongst SMEs were stated by Gilmore et al. in 2007. Chong et al. in 2009 carried out a questionnaire about the seasons, problems and benefits of e-marketing. The most frequency answer tends to be competition in the marketplace, security and better relationship with customers, respectively. Singh et al. in 2010 concluded promotional policies for SMEs by the Chinese Government, which gave us a comprehensive understanding of the contribution that the government made for the sustained, steady and fast development of SMEs in China. Stephen Rampur in 2010 pointed out several components of e-marketing strategy, which are search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing strategy, online advertising, online newsletters and media news rooms. To conclude, a large quantity of previous researches and studies have been made to explore e-marketing and SMEs and e-marketplace, of which some studies may based on the Chinese economy. Nevertheless, merely a few studies focused on B2B e-marketing strategy for SMEs. As a consequence, this paper will provide a deeper study on the topic relating to B2B e-marketing strategy for SMEs especially in Jiangsu province. Research questions What is the current situation of the development of the e-marketing technology in Jiangsu province? What is the B2B e-marketing adoption amongst SMEs in Jiangsu province? What are the components of B2B e-marketing strategy for SMEs in Jiangsu? Research Objectives This paper has following objectives: Provide an overall understanding of the development of e-marketing technology in China and Jiangsu province. Understand the current situation of the B2B e-marketing adoption amongst SMEs in Jiangsu province. Highlight the role that internet plays in B2B e-marketing strategy. Find out the components of B2B e-marketing strategy for SMEs in Jiangsu province. Research Methodology Both quantitative analysis techniques and qualitative analysis techniques will be applied in this research, which consist of several steps: questionnaire design, data collection and data analysis. Online questionnaire will be carried out to collect original data from 200 managers of SMEs in Jiangsu province. The current situation of e-marketing adoption amongst SMEs will be analyzed through these data. For example, for a question Have you ever used Internet technology to develop your business?, if 60 managers answered yes, one basic conclusion can be made that three tenth of the SMEs in Jiangsu have adopt e-marketing strategy. The reasons why online questionnaire method was used are that the cost is low, the result is more precise and the respondents have little hesitation (Saunders, et al., 2009). Moreover, interview with 20 information management and information system (IMS) students will collect data for open-ended questions. Research Plan Research Resources Resources needed for this research include a book called > and other book resources borrowed from the Library of Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). Eight months will be taken in the research from September 2010 to May 2011. Furthermore, a computer linked to the internet with Microsoft Project installed will be used. It should be emphasized that in order to obtain academic research papers and articles online, the computer should be used within the boundaries of the XJTLU campus.

Hiroshima & Nagasaki :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Truman made his decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I think it was a bad idea, but in a good way of protecting ourselves from Japan. The reason why I think it was a bad decision was that he didn’t really give them enough time to respond, and send a surrender letter. When we didn’t receive a letter, we figured they didn’t take us seriously. I think the Japanese didn’t get the letter yet, or we didn’t give them enough time to respond to it. The reason why I think it was a good thing we responded when we did, is because in the time of waiting for that surrender letter, we could have given them enough time to come and attack us when we weren’t ready for it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  July 25, 1945, Truman made his final plans to drop the first and only two atomic bombs in existence, at this time, on Japan. A day after his decision, the United States of America warned Japan of their attack, and that they would stop only if Japan surrendered. Japan refused to surrender.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On August 6, 1945, President Truman dropped the first atomic bomb, named â€Å"Little Boy†, on the Japanese center, Hiroshima. Seconds later almost every building collapsed to the ground. Even after the Hiroshima bombing, Japan still refused to surrender. In regards to their â€Å"response†, three days later we dropped the second bomb, named â€Å"Fat Man†, right on top of Nagasaki, Japan. Destroying half of the city, and taking 200,000 people’s lives, due to radiation poisoning and injuries caused by this deadly atomic bomb.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the second blast, Emperor Hirohito finally realized that his innocent people were getting hurt. He decided very quickly to end this war and surrender to the Americans. He told his leaders to â€Å"draw up the papers, to end the war†.

Eric Whitacre Biography

Eric Whitacre is one of the most well known, performed, and awarded choral composers in the modern day choral scene. Eric was born on January 2, 1970 in Reno, Nevada, dabbling in piano lessons as a child and later, in junior high, joining marching band, and playing synthesizer in a techno-pop band. Believe it or not, Eric dreamt of becoming a rock star. (Bowen) Although he is not among the likes of Metallica or The Beatles, Eric has won a Grammy for Best Choral Performance for his album â€Å"Light and Gold† in the past year, as well as a nomination in 2007 for â€Å"Cloudburst and Other Choral Works†.He is the youngest recipient ever of the Raymond C Brock Commission given by the American Choral Directors Association, awarded in 2001, as well as numerous other awards from the ACDA, the Barlow international composition competition, and American Composers' Forum. (Official Website Biography) Although Whitacre is known for his choral works, he also writes and composes for wind ensembles, full orchestras, a full musical titled â€Å"Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings†, as well as pieces for solo voice and supporting instrumentals. The most known piece that Eric has composed is the acapella choral piece titled â€Å"Sleep†. Sleep† is a SATB choral piece. The story behind this haunting song is that Julia Armstrong, a lawyer and professional mezzo-soprano from Texas, wanted commision Whitacre to compose a choral that would be performed by the Austin ProChorus, where she was an avid member of the choir. She wanted the piece to be a memorial of her beloved parents, who died within weeks of each other after fifty years of marriage. She wanted the piece to use the poem by Robert Frost, called Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. Whitacre agreed to take on her request and was deeply moved by her story.Unfortunately, after a careful composition by Whitacre and a breathtaking performance of the piece by the Austin ProChorus, Robert Frost's e state forbid Whitacre from using the poem in any way for the piece. The poem will become public domain in 2038, but he did not have that long to wait as other directors were practically begging to use the piece for their choirs. Instead of letting the piece â€Å"lie under his bed, dead†, as Whitacre said, he talked it over with his wife and decided to ask his friend and poet Charles Anthony Silvestri to compose a poem to set words to the iece. Silvestri was a trusted lyricist for Whitacre, writing lyrics for Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, Lux Aurumque, Nox Aurumque, and Her Sacred Spirit Soars, all celebrated Whitacre pieces. Tony incorporated a lot of the same ideals of Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, the biggest being ‘sleep'. Whitacre says that he loves Tony's poem more than he ever did Stopping and will never set the words to Frost's poem to his song, even when it becomes available in 26 years. (Whitacre) The piece itself is musically exquisite.It gra bs your attention almost immanently. Whitacre uses this method of stacking voices at crucial points in the plot by splitting every voice part into two parts, so what was a four part becomes an eight part. The texture and the dynamics are maticulously planned and formulated, as if Whitacre were sitting there telling a story about a personal experience, but the choir was doing the speaking for him. There are moments when you can feel the pain and anguish he wanted to express just through the dynamic of the voices. The emotion of this piece is palpable.The lyrics read: â€Å"The evening hangs beneath the moon A silver thread on darkened dune With closing eyes and resting head I know that sleep is coming soon Upon my pillow, safe in bed, A thousand pictures fill my head, I cannot sleep, my minds aflight, And yet my limbs seem made of lead If there are noises in the night, A frightening shadow, flickering light†¦ Then I surrender unto sleep, Where clouds of dream give second sight. What dreams may come, both dark and deep Of flying wings and soaring leap As I surrender unto sleep As I surrender unto sleep. † (Official Website)The last few bars of the piece are of the sopranos holding the word â€Å"sleep† and the other voice parts singing â€Å"sleep† in a two note pattern, growing quieter and quieter into absolute silence. I believe that the song, in its core, is about death. Perhaps, Silvestri wrote the piece with someone in mind who was very sick and their death came as a relief, almost as sleep does at the end of a very long and tiring day. Whitacre does something in his music that is so unique and complex, it is almost hard to believe that he did not know how to read music when he attended the University of Nevada as a Music Education major. Bowen) The way that he builds chords to provide moments of tension is seventh or ninth chords, with or without suspended seconds and fourths and root-position major triads with an added major seco nd and/or perfect fourth. (Shrock) Whitacre also uses unconventional chord progressions, meter changes, and harmonies. He is also known to use hand actions or props, as he does in the piece â€Å"Cloudburst† when the singers use snapping, clapping, and stomping to imitate the sound of a rainstorm.With all of that being said, Eric has almost nothing in common with other composers of our time, and honestly that is what gives him so much of an edge. He is willing to step out of the box and be daring and different and that risk has paid off. Works Cited: Bowen, Meurig. â€Å"Whitacre: Offical Biography. † Web article. (2006): n. page. Web. . â€Å"Official Biography. † Official Website. n. page. Web. . Whitacre, Eric. â€Å"The Story Behind Sleep†. Official Website. Web Article. (The song can be heard on this link) Shrock, Dennis (Mar 2009). Choral Repertoire. Oxford University Press (USA). p. 761. ISBN 978-0-19-532778-6.

Objects in English Grammar

In English grammar, an object is a  noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun that is affected by the action of a verb. Objects give our language detail and texture by allowing the creation of complex sentences.  Prepositions also have objects. Types of Objects Objects can function three ways within a sentence. The first two are  easy to spot because they follow the verb: Direct objects  are the results of action. A subject does something, and the product is the object itself. For example, consider this sentence: Marie wrote a poem. In this case, the  noun poem follows the transitive verb wrote and completes the meaning of the sentence.Indirect objects  receive or respond to the outcome of an action. Consider this example: Marie sent me an email. The pronoun me  comes after the verb sent and before the noun email, which is the direct object in this sentence. The indirect object always goes before the direct object.Objects of a preposition  are nouns and pronouns in a phrase that modifies the meaning of a verb. For instance:  Marie lives in a dorm. In this sentence, the noun dorm follows the preposition in. Together, they form a prepositional phrase. Objects can function in active and passive voice. A noun that serves as a direct object in the active voice becomes the subject when the sentence is rewritten in the passive  voice. For example: Active: Bob purchased a new grill.Passive: A new grill was purchased by Bob. This characteristic, called passivization, is what makes objects unique. Not sure if a word is an object? Try converting it from active to passive voice; if you can, the word is an object. Direct Objects Direct objects identify what or who receives the action of a transitive verb in a clause or sentence.  When pronouns function as direct objects, they customarily take the form of the objective case (me, us, him, her, them, whom, and whomever). Consider the following sentences, taken from Charlottes Web, by E.B. White: She closed the  carton  carefully. First she kissed her  father, then she kissed her  mother. Then she opened the  lid  again, lifted the  pig  out, and held  it  against her  cheek. Theres only one subject in this passage, yet there are six direct objects (carton, father, mother, lid, pig, it), five nouns and a pronoun. Gerunds (verbs ending in ing that act as nouns) sometimes also serve as direct objects. For example: Jim enjoys gardening on the weekends.   My mother included reading and baking in her list of hobbies. Indirect Objects Nouns and pronouns also function as indirect objects. These objects are the beneficiaries or recipients of the action in a sentence. Indirect objects answer the questions to/for whom and to/for what.  For example: My aunt opened her purse and gave the man a quarter. It was his birthday so Mom had  baked Bob  a  chocolate cake. In the first example, the man is given a coin. The quarter is a direct object and it benefits the man, an indirect object. In the second example, the cake is the direct object and it benefits Bob, the indirect object. Prepositions and Verbs Objects that pair with prepositions function differently from direct and indirect objects, which follow verbs. These nouns and verbs reference a preposition and modify the action of the larger sentence. For example: Girls are playing basketball around a utility  pole  with a metal hoop bolted to  it. He sat in the basement of the building, among the boxes, reading a book on his break.   In the first example, the prepositional objects are pole and hoop. in the second example, the prepositional objects are basement, building, boxes, and break. Like direct objects, prepositional  objects receive the action of the subject in the sentences yet need a preposition for the sentence to make sense. Spotting prepositions is important because if you use the wrong one, it can confuse readers. Consider how odd the second sentence would sound if it began, He sat on the basement...   Transitive verbs also require an object for them to make sense. There are three kinds of transitive verbs. Monotransitive verbs have a direct object, whereas ditransitive verbs have a direct object and an indirect object. Complex-transitive verbs have a direct object and an object attribute. For example: Monotransitive: Bob bought a car. (The direct object is car.)Ditransitive: Bob gave me the keys to his new car. (The indirect object is me; the direct object is keys.)Complex-transitive: I heard  him shouting. (The direct object is him; the object attribute is shouting.) Intransitive verbs, on the other hand, do not need an object in order to complete their meaning. Sources Woods, Geraldine. Using Pronouns as Direct and Indirect Objects. Dummies.com. Staff editors. Pronoun Case. Cliffsnotes.com. Staff editors. Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns. University of Wisconsin-Madison.