Sony Case 1991-2003

Exploring Corporate Strategy CLASSIC CASE STUDIES Restructuring Sony Vivek Gupta and Konakanchi Prashanth The electronics and media giant Sony was struggling through the late 1990s and early part of the 21st century. With each disappointment, it seemed that Sony’s management launched another restructuring of the company. By 2003, commentators were beginning to ask whether restructuring was part of the solution or part of the problem. How should Sony be managing its strategic renewal? G G GAs conditions change, Sony has to change accordingly, because their conventional strategy won’t transcend to the Internet-enabled model. 1 Mitchell Levy, author of The Value Framework INTRODUCTION For the first quarter ending 30 June 2003, Japan-based Sony Corporation (Sony)2 stunned the corporate world by reporting a decline in net profit of 98 per cent. Sony reported a net profit of ? 9. 3 million compared to ? 1. 1 billion for the same quarter in 2002. Sony’s revenues fell by 6. 9 per cent to ? 1. 6 trillion for the corresponding period.Analysts were of the opinion that Sony’s expenditure on its restructuring initiatives had caused a significant dent in its profitability. In the financial year 2002–03, Sony had spent a massive ? 100bn on restructuring (? ?500m; ? a750m). Moreover, the company had already announced in April 2003 about its plans to spend another ? 1 trillion on a major restructuring initiative in the next three years. Analysts criticised Sony’s management for spending a huge amount on frequent restructuring of its consumer electronics business, which accounted for nearly two-thirds of Sony’s revenues.In 2003, the sales of the consumer electronics division fell by 6. 5 per cent. Notably, Sony’s business operations were restructured five times in the past nine years. Analysts opined that Sony’s excessive focus on the maturing consumer electronics business (profit margin below 1 per cent in 2002†“03), coupled with increasing competition in the consumer electronics industry was severely affecting its profitability. 1 2 ‘Sony Analyzed via the Value Framework’, Mitchell Levy, posted on www. ecmgt. com, October 2002. Sony was established in 1946.The company invented the video recorder, walkman and mini-disc recorder. It is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, communications and information technology products. Sony has also forayed into diverse fields like music, television, computer entertainment and motion pictures. The company is engaged in five main lines of business – electronics, games, music, pictures and financial services. This case was prepared by Vivek Gupta and Konakanchi Prashanth of the ICFAI Center for Management Research, Hyderabad, India.It is intended as a basis for class discussion and not as an illustration of either good or bad management practice.  © V. Gupta and K. Prashanth, 2004. Not to be reproduced or quoted without permissi on. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 1 Restructuring Sony Table 1 Sony’s financials (1991–2003) Year ended March 31 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 * ? 100 = approx. A0. 75. Source: Annual Reports 1991–2003, www. sony. net. Sales & Operating Revenue (? bn)* 3695. 51 3928. 67 3992. 92 3744. 8 3990. 58 4592. 56 5663. 13 6755. 49 6804. 18 6686. 66 7314. 82 7578. 26 7473. 63 Operating Income/loss (? bn) 302. 18 179. 55 126. 46 106. 96 ? 166. 64 235. 32 370. 33 520. 21 338. 06 223. 20 225. 35 134. 63 185. 44 Net Income/loss (? bn) 116. 92 120. 12 36. 26 15. 30 ? 293. 36 54. 25 139. 46 222. 07 179. 00 121. 83 16. 75 15. 31 115. 52 However, Sony’s officials felt that the restructuring measures were delivering the desired results. According to them, the company had shown a significant jump in its profitability in the financial year 2002–03.Sony reported a net income of ? 115. 52bn in the fiscal 2002–03 compared to ? 15. 31bn in 2001–02. (See Table 1 for Sony’s key financials in the past 13 years. ) A statement issued by Sony said, ‘The improvement in the results was partly due to the restructuring of its electronics business, especially in the components units. ’3 At the beginning of the new millennium, Sony faced increased competition from domestic and foreign players (Korean companies like Samsung and LG) in its electronics and entertainment businesses.The domestic rivals Matsushita and NEC were able to capture a substantial market share in the internet-ready cell phones market. Analysts felt that the US-based software giants like Microsoft and Sun Microsystems and the networking major Cisco Systems posed a serious threat to Sony’s home entertainment business. BACKGROUND On 7 May 1946, Masaru Ibuka (Ibuka) and Akio Morita (Morita)4 co-founded a company called Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineer ing Corporation) with an initial capital of ? 190,000 in the city of Nagoya, Japan.They gave importance to product innovation and decided to offer innovative, high-quality products to their consumers. The founders introduced many new products like the magnetic tape recorder, the ‘pocketable radio’, and more. By the 1960s, the company had established itself in Japan and changed its name to Sony Corporation. During the 1960s, the company focused on globalisation and entered the US and European markets. In the 1970s, Sony also set up manufacturing units in the US and Europe. During this period, Sony developed and introduced the Walkman, which was a huge success.It significantly boosted Sony’s sales during the 1980s. By the mid-1980s, Sony’s consumer products were marketed in Europe through subsidiaries in the UK, Germany and France. 3 4 ‘Financial Results for the Second Quarter, FY 2002’, posted on www. sony. net, 28 October 2002. Akio Morita was a graduate in physics, while Masaru Ibuka had a degree in electronic engineering. When Morita joined the Japanese navy as a Lieutenant, he met Ibuka at the navy’s Wartime Research Committee. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 2 Restructuring SonyTable 2 Sony’s businesses (1994) Business Electronics Product Groups/Companies Video equipment Details Comprises 8mm, VHS, and Beta-format VTRs, laserdisc players, broadcast and industrial use video equipment, Hi-Vision-related equipment, and videotapes. Comprises CD players, Mini Disc system, headphone stereos, personal component stereos, hi-fi components, digital audio tape recorders/players, radio-cassette tape recorders, tape recorders, radios, car stereos, car navigation systems, professional-use audio equipment, audio tapes, and blank MDs.Comprises colour TVs, Hi-Vision TVs, computer displays, professional-use monitors, satellite broadcast reception systems, projector systems, and large colour video display systems. Comprises semiconductors, electronic components, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), telephone and telecommunications equipment, computers, computer peripherals (including floppy disk systems and CD-ROM systems), home video game systems, batteries, and FA systems. Includes Columbia Records Group; Epic Records Group; TriStar Music Group; Sony Music International; Sony Classical; Sony Classical Film & Video; Sony Wonder; Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.Includes the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Companies; Sony Television Entertainment; Columbia TriStar Home Video; and Sony Pictures Studios and The Culver Studios. Sony Retail Entertainment includes Sony Theatres. Comprises the insurance business of Sony Life Insurance Company Limited and the finance operations of Sony Finance International. Audio equipment Television Others Entertainment Music Group – Sony Music Entertainment Pictures Group – Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (SPEI) Insurance and Finan ce Sony Life Insurance and Sony Finance InternationalSource: Sony Annual Report 1995, www. sony. net. In 1989, Norio Ohga (Ohga) took over as the chairman and CEO of Sony from Morita. Under Ohga, Sony began to place greater emphasis on process innovations that improved efficiency and controlled product costs. By 1994, Sony’s businesses were organised into three broad divisions – Electronics, Entertainment and Insurance and Finance (see Table 2). Each business division was in turn split into product groups. The electronics business division was split into four product groups, which produced a wide variety of products.The entertainment division, which consisted of the music group and the pictures group, made music videos and motion pictures. The finance division consisted of Sony’s life insurance and finance business. The company’s growth was propelled by the launch of innovative products and by its foray into the music and films business. Restructuring of electronics business (1994) Under Ohga’s leadership, Sony witnessed negligible growth in sales during 1990 and 1994. Sales and operating revenues improved by only 2 per cent during that period.However, the net income and operating income registered a drastic fall of 87 per cent and 67 per cent respectively. Analysts felt that the stagnation in the electronics industry coupled with factors such as the recession in the Japanese economy and the appreciation of the yen against the dollar led to the deterioration in the company’s performance. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 3 Restructuring Sony Table 3 Sales performance of the electronics business (1991–95) (in ? bn)* Year/ Business 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 * ? 100 = approx. A0. 75. Source: Sony Annual Report 1995, www. ony. net. Video Equipment 928 896 828 669 691 Audio Equipment 882 948 928 841 899 Televisions 552 593 634 618 709 Others 619 793 772 817 909 It was noticed that in the e lectronics business (see Table 3), the revenues of the video and audio equipment businesses were coming down or were at best stagnant, while the television and ‘Others’ group were showing signs of improvement. The ‘Others’ group, which consisted of technology intensive products such as computer products, video games, semiconductors and telecom equipment, was performing very well and had a growth rate of nearly 40 per cent.In order to focus on the high growth businesses, Sony announced major changes in the structure of its electronics business in April 1994. Sony’s management felt that the ‘Group’ structure, which had fuelled the company’s growth in the 1980s, was proving to be redundant in the dynamic business environment of the 1990s. In the new structure, the product groups of the electronics businesses were regrouped into eight divisional companies. The eight companies were the Consumer Audio & Video Products Company, the Recor ding Media & Energy Company, the Broadcast Products Company, theBusiness & Industrial Systems Company, the InfoCom Products Company, the Mobile Electronics Company, the Components Company, and the Semiconductor Company. The restructuring exercise laid special focus on the products that formed the ‘Others’ group. Each divisional company had its own goals and was responsible for all its operations (production, sales and finance). The presidents of the divisional companies were authorised to decide upon the investments to be made up to a prescribed limit. They could also take decisions regarding the HR issues for all employees up to the level of divisional director.In addition, they were made responsible for the financial performance of the companies headed by them. Sony’s presidents were expected to perform a role similar to that of CEOs and were accountable to shareholders. The restructuring of Sony’s electronics business was aimed at improving the companyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s focus on high potential products and expediting the decision making process to make the company more responsive to changing market conditions. Following the restructuring, the number of layers in the decision-making process was reduced from six to a maximum of four layers.Commenting on his responsibilities within the new structure, Ohga said, ‘First of all, I would like for the divisional presidents to run their companies as if they were reporting to shareholders once a year at a shareholders’ meeting. My role will be to review their strategies, examine any points I feel should be questioned and provide advice when and where necessary. ’5 The main goals of Sony’s newly formed organisation system were explained in a memorandum entitled ‘The Introduction of the Company within a Company System’ (see Table 4).Explaining the rationale for the new system, Ohga said, ‘By revitalising its organization, Sony aims to introduce appealing p roducts in the market in a timelier fashion while further strengthening cost-competitiveness companywide. ’6 In 1995, after the implementation of the divisional company structure in the electronics business, changes were announced in Sony’s management structure. Under the new framework, Sony was to be led by a team of executives at the top management level.The team included the Chairman & CEO, Vice Chairman, President & Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Officers and the presidents of divisional companies. Analysts felt that Sony’s management took this measure to reduce the company’s reliance on 5 6 ‘From a Business Group System to a Divisional Company System’, posted on www. sony. net. As quoted in the 1995 annual report, posted on www. sony. net. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 4 Restructuring Sony Table 4 Five main goals of the new systemG To further enhance core businesses while developing new ones. G To i ntroduce an organisational structure in which sales and production work closely together and respond quickly to market changes. G To simplify the structure to clarify responsibilities and transfer authority, thus ensuring quick responses to external changes. G To reduce the levels of hierarchy in the organisation. G To encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in order to foster a dynamic management base for the 21st century. Source: ‘From a Business Group System to a Divisional Company System’, posted on www. ony. net. a single leader. In March 1995, Nobuyuki Idei (Idei) was appointed the President and Chief Operating Officer of Sony. Despite the organisational changes, the financial performance of Sony deteriorated in 1995. For the fiscal year ending March 1995, Sony reported a huge net loss of ? 293. 36bn. The write off of goodwill during 1994, the poor performance of the Pictures group and the strength of the yen were regarded as major reasons for this loss. During 1994, the yen was at an all-time high against the dollar, making Sony’s exports uncompetitive.Analysts also felt that Sony’s consumer electronics business lacked new, innovative products. Given this poor financial performance, the top management of Sony decided to integrate the company’s various domestic and global business functions such as marketing, R&D, finance, and HR. The functions of its numerous divisional companies were thus brought under the direct purview of headquarters. Idei also decided to strengthen the existing eight-company structure and to lay more emphasis on R&D in the IT field. He felt that Sony needed to focus on developing IT-related businesses.Accordingly, Sony’s management reorganised the existing structure to create a new ten-company structure. THE TEN-COMPANY STRUCTURE (1996) In January 1996, a new ten-company structure was announced, replacing the previous eight-company structure (see Table 5). Under the new structure, the previous Consumer Audio & Video (A&V) company was split into three new companies – the Display Company, the Home AV Company and the Personal AV Company. A new company, the Information Technology Company, was created to focus on Sony’s business interests in the PC and IT industry.The Infocom Products Company and the Mobile Electronics Company were merged to create the Personal & Mobile Communications Company. The other companies formed were the Components & Computer Peripherals Company (formerly called the Components Company), the Recording Media & Energy Company, the Broadcast Products Company, the Image & Sound Communications Company (formerly called the Business & Industrial Systems Company) and the Semiconductor Company. Table 5 Basic features of the ten-company structure G A new company structure to promote quicker, more effective operations that better reflect market changes.G The establishment of an Executive Board to reinforce headquarters and corporate strategy and mana gement functions. G The appointment of new companies and groups for entering into the IT and telecommunications businesses. G The consolidation of marketing functions. G The establishment of Corporate Laboratories for new business development. G The training of promising young talent to foster future managers. Source: ‘Sony Announces a New Corporate Structure’, posted on www. sony. net, dated 16 January 1996.Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 5 Restructuring Sony In order to devise and implement the corporate strategies of the Sony Group, an Executive Board was created. The board was chaired by Idei. The other members of the board included the Chief Human Resources Officer, the Chief Production Officer, the Chief Marketing Officer, the Chief Communications Officer, the Chief Technology Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Executive Deputy President & Representative Director and the Senior Managing Director.In an attempt to consolidate th e marketing operations of Sony, the marketing divisions that belonged to the previous organisational setup were spun off to create three new marketing groups – the Japan Marketing Group (JMG), the International Marketing & Operations Group (IM&O) and the Electronic Components & Devices Marketing Group (ECDMG). The JMG was responsible for all marketing activities in Japan for five companies – the Display Company, the Home AV Company, the Information Technology Company, the Personal AV Company and the Image & Sound Communications Company.The IM&O was responsible for supporting all overseas marketing efforts for these companies. The ECDMG oversaw the worldwide marketing operations for the Semiconductor Company and the Components & Computer Peripherals Company. Analysts felt that this consolidation was done to separate Sony’s Japanese marketing operations from its worldwide operations so that the company could operate in a focused manner. To centralise all the R&D e fforts of Sony, the previous R&D structure (in which each company had its own R&D division) was revamped and three new corporate laboratories were established.The laboratories were the Architecture Laboratory (responsible for carrying out R&D for software, network and IT-related technologies), the Product Development Laboratory (R&D for product development in AV businesses) and the System & LSI Laboratory (R&D for LSI and system design, the basic components of hardware products). In addition, a new D21 laboratory was established to conduct long-term R&D for future oriented technology intensive products. Sony also gave emphasis to grooming young, talented people to take up top management positions. The company also introduced the oncept of ‘virtual companies’ – temporary groups consisting of people from different divisions for launching hybrid products. Sony applied this idea when developing the latest generation Mini Disk players. For the financial year 1995†“96, Sony registered a 15 per cent increase in revenues and became profitable again. In April 1998, a new organisation, Corporate Information Systems Solutions (CISS), was established to realign and upgrade Sony’s information network systems and its global supply chain. The CISS comprised an advisory committee of individuals from management consultancy firms and Sony’s CISS representatives.The committee members advised the President on technological and strategic issues related to CISS. Representatives of the CISS were placed in all divisional companies to accelerate the implementation of corporate IT projects. During early 1998, Sony formed Sony Online Entertainment in the US to focus on internet-related projects. In May 1998, Sony changed the composition of its board of directors and established the new position of Co-Chief Executive Officer (Co-CEO). Idei was appointed Co-CEO. Idei reshuffled the management system to facilitate speedy decision making, improve effi ciency, and provide greater role clarity to managers.The new system separated individuals responsible for policy-making from those who were responsible for operations. Under the new system, Idei was responsible for planning and designing Sony’s strategies and supervising the growth of e-business. Along with Ohga, he had to supervise the performance of the entire Sony group. President Ando was made responsible for overseeing Sony’s core electronics business, while Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Tokunaka was made responsible for the company’s financial strategies and network businesses.In addition, the top management positions of Sony’s global subsidiaries, which were previously called Corporate Executive Officers, were redesignated Group Executive Officers. Explaining the rationale for these changes, a Sony spokesman said, ‘These changes are aimed at making Sony’s management more agile’. 7 7 ‘Sony Names Management Team’, by Yoshiko Hara, EE Times, 9 May 2000. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 6 Restructuring Sony Table 6 Sales performance of Sony’s businesses (1995–99) (in ? bn)* Year/Business 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 CAGR (4 years) ? 100 = approx. A0. 75. Source: Sony Annual Report, 1999, posted on www. sony. net. Electronics 3027 3283 3930 4377 4355 8. 55% Game 35 201 408 700 760 215% Music 481 506 570 660 719 10. 5% Pictures 282 317 439 643 540 17% Insurance 113 207 228 291 339 31% Others 52 78 88 84 81 11. 7% The implications From 1995 to 1999, Sony’s electronics business (on which the restructuring efforts were focused) grew at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8. 55 per cent (see Table 6). The music business had a CAGR of 10. 5 per cent while the pictures business had a CAGR of 17 per cent.Significant gains were, however, recorded by the games and insurance business. The games business registered a CAGR of 215 per cent, while the insurance business registered a CAGR of 31 per cent. In the late 1990s, Sony’s financial performance deteriorated. For the financial year 1998–99, its net income dropped by 19. 4 per cent. During that period, Sony was banking heavily on its PlayStation computer game machines. It was estimated that the PlayStation (Games business) accounted for nearly 42 per cent of Sony’s operating profits and 15 per cent of total sales for the quarter October–December 1998.In the late 1990s, many companies across the world were attempting to cash in on the internet boom. At that time, Sony’s management felt the need to establish a link between its electronics business (TVs, music systems, computers) and its content-related businesses (music, video games, movies and financial services) by making use of the internet. The management felt that in future, the revenues generated by internet-related businesses might even surpass those earned through the consumer electronics busin ess. It wanted to use the internet as a medium for selling its electronic products as well as its content (music, movies and so on).In order to achieve this, Sony announced another reorganisation of business operations. Analysts felt that Sony was in a good position to exploit the opportunities offered by the internet since the company already had an established position in the electronics and content-related businesses. THE UNIFIED-DISPERSED MANAGEMENT MODEL In April 1999, Sony announced changes in its organisational structure. Through the new framework, the company aimed at streamlining its business operations to better exploit the opportunities offered by the internet.Sony’s key business divisions – Consumer Electronics division, Components division, Music division and the Games division – were reorganised into network businesses. This involved the reduction of ten divisional companies into three network companies, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) Company an d the Broadcasting & Professional Systems (B&PS) Company (see Exhibit 1). SCE Company was responsible for the PlayStation business while the B&PS Company supplied video and audio equipment for business, broadcast, education, industrial, medical and production related markets.The restructuring aimed at achieving three objectives – strengthening the electronics business, privatising three Sony subsidiaries, and strengthening the management capabilities. The restructuring also aimed at enhancing shareholder value through ‘Value Creation Management’. 8 8 It aimed at creating value by dividing the group into networked autonomous business units such that the resources within the Sony Group complemented each other. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 7 Restructuring Sony Exhibit 1 The unified-dispersed management modelSource: ‘Sony Announces Organization Structure for New Network Companies’, posted on www. sony. net, 29 March 1999 . Strengthening the electronics business The three network companies created were the Home Network Company, the Personal IT Network Company and the Core Technology & Network Company. Each network company was governed by a network company management committee (NCMC) and a network committee board (NCB). The NCMC was responsible for developing management policies and strategies. Its members included the officers and presidents of the concerned network company.The NCB was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the network company while keeping in mind the overall corporate strategy of the entire organisation. Each NCB was chaired by the concerned company’s President & CEO, Deputy President, President and Representative Director, two Executive Deputy Presidents and Representative Directors, and Corporate Senior Vice President. The new structure aimed at decentralising the worldwide operations of the company. The corporate headquarters gave the network companies the authority to function as autonomous entities in their corresponding businesses.To facilitate more functional and operational autonomy, the corporate headquarters also transferred the required support functions and R&D labs to each network company. To give a further boost to Sony’s electronics business, the management created Digital Network Solutions (DNS) under the purview of headquarters. The role of DNS was to create a network business model by charting strategies and developing essential technologies for exploiting the opportunities offered by the internet. The basic aim of creating DNS was to develop a network base that would provide customers with digital content (such as music and movies) and financial services.Privatising Sony’s subsidiaries As part of its strategy to promote functional and operational autonomy and to devote more attention to units which contributed significantly to its revenues and profits, Sony decided to convert three of its companies â€⠀œ Sony Music Entertainment ( Japan), Sony Chemical Corporation (manufactured printed circuit boards (PCBs), recording media and automotive batteries), and Sony Precision Technology (manufactured semiconductor inspection equipment and precision measuring devices) – into wholly Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 8 Restructuring Sony owned subsidiaries of Sony.In addition, Sony converted SCE, which was jointly owned by Sony and Sony Music Entertainment ( Japan), into a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony. Strengthening the management capability To strengthen the management capability, Sony clearly demarcated the roles of headquarters and the newly created network companies. Accordingly, distinction was made between the strategic and support functions. Sony’s headquarters was split into two separate units – Group Headquarters and Business Unit Support. The role of Group Headquarters was to oversee group operations and expedite the allocation of resources within the group.The support functions, such as accounting, human resources and general affairs, were handled by the network companies so that they could enjoy more autonomy in their operations. Significant long-term R&D projects were directly supervised by the headquarters, while the immediate and short-term R&D projects were transferred to the concerned network companies. In order to evaluate the performance of the network companies, a value based performance measurement system9 was introduced. The implications While pursuing its restructuring efforts, Sony started developing products which were compatible with the internet.Its electronic products, such as digital cameras, personal computers, music systems, and Walkman, were made web compatible. Through its website, www. sony. net, consumers could participate in popular television game shows, listen to music, and download songs and movie trailers. Sony also ventured into e-business with the acquisition of Sky Perfect Communications. 10 While focusing on offering internet-enabled products, Sony also attempted to increase internet penetration by offering internet connection at lower cost and higher speed to consumers in urban areas. Sony’s restructuring efforts in 1999 were well received by investors.Following the announcement of the restructuring programme, Sony’s stock prices nearly tripled. This positive trend continued even in 2000. By March 2000, its stock prices were at a high of $152. Having already offered its PlayStation game console on the internet, Sony successfully launched its PlayStation 2 (PS2) video game console in Japan in March 2000. The PS2 sold 980,000 units within the first three days of its launch. However, Sony still faced problems since its other businesses, including electronics, movies, personal computers, and mobile telecommunications, were not performing well.Analysts felt that the low internet penetration rate in Japan (estimated to be 13 per cent in 199 9) was proving to be a major hurdle for Sony. Consequently, Sony’s financial performance deteriorated by the end of 1990s. For fiscal 1999 –2000, Sony’s net income fell to ? 121. 83bn compared to ? 179bn in the fiscal 1998–99. This resulted in a major fall in its stock prices. By May 2000, Sony’s stock prices fell by 40 per cent to $89. Analysts were quick to criticise Sony’s efforts towards transforming itself into a web-enabled company.They commented that the company had created more hype rather than taking a few significant steps in this regard. In response to these financial problems, Sony announced a reshuffle in its top management. Idei became the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony. Ando, who headed Sony’s PC division, was 9 A system that helps in effectively determining the cost of capital. The measurement is based on economic profit, which is calculated by subtracting the cost of debt and equity from the operating pr ofit after tax. Sony planned to use this system of measurement to set targets and evaluate business unit performance.The performance was to be linked, in future, with management compensation. 10 A popular satellite broadcasting company in Japan which owned Sky Perfect TV and had successfully ventured into the internet service provider (ISP) business by launching the website, www. so-net. This website enabled online shopping, interactive games, fortune telling as well as stockbroking. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 9 Restructuring Sony made the President, while Tokunaka, who previously headed the PlayStation unit, was made the Chief Financial Officer of Sony.Sony also undertook a massive cost-cutting exercise. Its global manufacturing facilities were reduced from 70 in 1999 to 65 in 2001. Sony planned to further bring down the number of manufacturing facilities to 55 by the end of 2003. This move would result in the elimination of 17,000 jobs. While im plementing these measures, the company had to deal with severe resistance from employee unions and local governments (in areas where jobs would be eliminated). Despite the above measures, Sony’s financial condition did not show any significant improvement in 2001.The company was severely affected by the slowdown in the IT industry during 2000–01, which led to a decline in the demand for its computer-related products. As a result, in spite of a 9. 4 per cent increase in revenue in the fiscal 2000–01 (mainly due to the improved sales of the PlayStation games console) Sony’s net income dropped significantly from ? 121. 83bn in the fiscal 1999–2000 to ? 16. 75bn in the fiscal 2000–01. Analysts commented that Sony required a new business model. The company had immediately to take concrete measures to increase its net income.Sony’s management also felt that with the emergence of net-compatible devices like cellular phones, audio and video g adgets and laptops, PCs were losing their charm. It felt that in the emerging age of ‘broadband’11 the demand for the above products was likely to increase in future. Sony’s management felt that in order to boost profitability and exploit the opportunities offered by the broadband era, there was a need for yet another organisational restructuring. RESTRUCTURING EFFORTS IN 2001 Sony announced another round of organisational restructuring in March 2001.The company aimed at transforming itself into a Personal Broadband Network Solutions company by launching a wide range of broadband products and services for its customers across the world. Explaining the objective of the restructuring, Idei said, ‘By capitalising on this business structure and by having businesses cooperate with each other, we aim to become the leading media and technology company in the broadband era. ’12 The restructuring involved designing a new headquarters to function as a hub for Sony’s strategy, strengthening the electronics business, and facilitating network-based content distribution.New headquarters to function as a hub for Sony’s strategy Under the new structural framework (see Exhibit 2), Sony’s headquarters was revamped into a Global Hub centred on five key businesses – electronics, entertainment, games, financial services and internet/ communication service. The primary role of the Global Hub (headed by the top management) was to devise the overall management strategy of the company. Sony’s management decided to integrate all the electronics business related activities under the newly created Electronic Headquarters (Electronics HQ).In order to achieve the convergence of Audio Video Products with IT (AV/IT convergence), Sony devised a unique strategy called ‘4 Network Gateway’. Under this strategy, the games and internet/communication service businesses were combined with the electronics hardware busine ss so that innovative products could be developed and offered for the broadband market. The three businesses were under the supervision of Ando. In order to provide support services for the entire group, a management platform was created, which consisted of key support functions in diverse fields such as accounting, finance, legal, intellectual 11An acronym for broad bandwidth, it is a high-speed, high-capacity data transmission channel that sends and receives information on coaxial cable or fibre-optic cable (which has a wider bandwidth than conventional telephone lines). This channel can carry video, voice and data simultaneously. 12 As quoted in the Annual Report 2002, www. sony. net. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 10 Restructuring Sony Exhibit 2 Sony organisational chart: electronics-related business (as of 1 April 2001)Source: ‘A New Group Structure for the Next Stage of Integrated, Decentralized Management’, www. sony. net, 29 March 2001. copyrights, human resources, information systems, public relations, external affairs and design. The management platform was later split into the Engineering, Management and Customer Service (EMCS) Company and the Sales Platform (which comprised the regional sales companies and region-based internet direct marketing functions). The management platform was headed by the Chief Administrative Officer, a newly created position.Sony’s management also converted the product-centric network companies into solution-oriented companies by regrouping them into seven companies. Group resources were allocated among the network companies on the basis of their growth potential. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 11 Restructuring Sony Strengthening electronics business To enhance the profitability of the electronics segment, Sony’s management decided to give emphasis to product development efforts. The management felt it was also essential to enhance the quality of the electronic devices manufactured.In order to achieve this, Sony’s management devised an innovative business model called the Ubiquitous Value Network,13 which connected the company’s existing hardware, content and services through an agency of networks. Sony planned to develop a wide range of products which could be connected through this network. Network-based content distribution Like the electronics, games and internet/communication service businesses, the entertainment and financial services businesses were also developed in a network compatible manner to facilitate electronic content distribution.In the entertainment business, music and movies were converted into a digital format and distributed over the internet (apart from being distributed through traditional channels such as music stores and theatres). In Japan, Sony Music Entertainment launched online music through its website. This website allowed customers to download popular songs for a f ee. In the financial services business, Sony Life Insurance Japan launched the ‘Life Planner’ consultancy system which offered personalised financial services online to its customers.Sony Life Assurance Japan also went online and started selling its insurance policies over the internet. The implications Soon after the reorganisation, Sony launched some innovative products to cater to the broadband market. For instance, in 2001, the company launched a series of internet-compatible mobile phones. However, the product was unsuccessful (owing to problems in the software used in the mobile devices) and in early 2002 Sony had to recall three batches of phones sold to Japanese companies. In consequence, Sony had to write off $110m in the quarter ending June 2002.In April 2003, Sony announced another major restructuring exercise (to be carried out in the next three years) in order to strengthen its corporate value (see Exhibit 3). Following this announcement, Sony was reorganis ed into seven business entities – four network companies and three business groups (see Exhibit 4). These business entities were given the authority to frame short-term and long-term strategies. According to analysts, the company’s financial performance did not improve in spite of the frequent restructuring by Sony’s management.For the financial year 2001–02, Sony’s operating income fell by a significant 40. 3 per cent while its revenues registered a marginal increase of 3. 6 per cent. According to a BusinessWeek report, sales of Sony’s most profitable products – the PlayStation and the PS2 game consoles – were likely to fall (see Exhibit 5). Due to Sony’s poor financial performance, the management planned to further reduce the number of manufacturing facilities and shift some production activities out of Japan.Analysts also criticised Sony for being a diversified business conglomerate engaged in several businesses from semiconductors to financial services. They felt that the company should focus on a few highly profitable businesses like games, insurance, and audio-video equipment and hive off the unprofitable businesses. Analysts felt that spending huge amounts of money on restructuring was not justified, particularly since the restructuring exercises had not yielded the expected results. In 2001, restructuring efforts had cost the company ? 100bn; and the proposed restructuring in April 2003 was expected to cost another ? 40bn. 13 The Ubiquitous Value Network is an environment in which PC and non-PC consumer electronics devices are seamlessly connected to each other and to the network, giving users access to all types of content or service, from anywhere across the globe. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 12 Restructuring Sony Exhibit 3 Sony organisational chart (as of 1 April 2003) Source: ‘Sony Announces Executive Appointments and Organizational Reforms Effec tive as of April 1, 2003’, www. sony. net, 31 March 2003. Exhibit 4 Responsibilities of network companies and business groups No. 2 3 Network company/ business group Home Network Company Broadband Network Company IT and Mobile Solutions Network Company 4 5 6 Micro Systems Network Company Game Business Group Entertainment Business Group Responsibility To create a new home environment with networked electronic devices centred on next-generation TV Development of next-generation electronics devices and linkages to Game devices To realise a connected world with PC and mobile devices and strengthen the B2B solutions business To enhance key devices and modules as core components of attractive set products To promote Game businesses for the broadband era To develop entertainment content businesses based on pictures and music and develop a new content business model for the network era To integrate various business units providing services based on direct contact with customers (fina nce, retail, etc). Strengthen synergies and develop attractive new business models for customers through the application of IT. 7 Personal Solutions Business Group Source: ‘Sony Announces Executive Appointments and Organizational Reforms Effective as of April 1, 2003’, www. sony. et, 31 March 2003. Analysts also felt that the convergence of consumer electronics, PCs and the internet was not only opening up new opportunities for Sony but also creating more competition for its core businesses. As Sony took steps to strengthen its networking capabilities, the company faced new forms of competition in both domestic as well as foreign markets. For instance, in the US, software giants like Microsoft and Sun Microsystems (as well as a few startups) were planning to enter the home entertainment market. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 13 Restructuring Sony Exhibit 5 Break-up of Sony’s businesses (31 March 2002)Business Electronics Games Insu rance Films Music Others Sales ($bn) 35. 6 7. 4 3. 7 4. 6 4. 5 0. 6 Operating profits ($m) 125 578 91 147 203 NA Source: ‘Can Sony Retain the Magic’, by Irene M. Kunii & Cliff Edward, BusinessWeek, 11 March 2002. Even Cisco Systems, which provided network solutions, had started manufacturing consumer electronics products. A BusinessWeek report said that Sony lacked any distinctive competencies in the internet-related businesses. It was neither an aggregator of content like Yahoo! , nor a limited-product vendor with an efficient distribution network such as Dell. Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 14

Narrative Essay About Grandmother Passing Away.

Forever Remembered I knew that after walking into room 113 my life was going to be changed. I saw nurses saying, â€Å"sorry†, familiar faces with tears falling fast from their eyes, and arms opening wide for hugs. I knew something was wrong as I saw her lying still in her bed, eyes closed, and arms crossed over her stomach. Grandma Dorothy’s second stroke had slowly taken her life. Later, I wake up to my dad flicking my bedroom light on and him standing tall in my doorway. I could tell by the way he looked at me he didn’t want today to come.He slowly walked to my bedside and crawled into bed with me. I had never seen my dad cry before so I did what any ten year old would do, I wrapped my small arms around his neck and cried with him. â€Å"I love you Daddy. † Now, August 9th was the day we all dreaded, the funeral. I had never been to a funeral before; this was all new to me. People were dressed in black handing out tissues and saying small prayers for my family. I watched some man I had never seen before speak such honest words about my grandmother.Now, this man had said something I knew I’d never forget, â€Å"her golden heart stopped beating, hardworking hands go to rest, god broke our hearts to prove to us he only takes the best. † He brought so much emotion to this wide crowd of people; there were happy tears, sad tears, happy smiles, sad smiles, happy memories, and sad memories. He said, â€Å"Now today we remember the life of Dorothy Edna Callahan,† as he slowly lowered the casket six feet below the ground.My dad slowly bent down and wrapped his muscular arms around me, almost crushing my red rose. I said, â€Å"I’m going to miss her so much daddy, why did she have to go? † He whispered back, â€Å"It’s going to be alright Casey I’ll miss her too but she’s in a better place now. † I walked away slowly, tears falling fast from my eyes, a red rose in one hand and my dad’s in the other. After today I knew I was going to remember my Grandmother forever.

Philosophy of Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Philosophy of Language - Essay Example the study of meaning conveyed with its help. And it was in this aspect of his scholarly activity that contributions of Frege are perhaps the most wide-ranging. Indeed, Frege defined the majority of the primary problems that the philosophy of language had to surmount, formulated most of the fundamental concepts and theories in this field, and set new methodological standards of academic scrutiny for the philosophy of language. On ground of all this, the modern philosophy of language has even been likened to footnotes to ideas of Frege. Of course, already before Frege language was viewed as an indispensable tool employed by our memory to record our thoughts and used as a means of expression of our thoughts to people via verbal communication. But in the end of the nineteenth century some philosophers started to perceive language in an even more fundamental way - as a tool without the understanding of which it is impossible to tackle existing conceptual and ontological problems. It was i n this respect that Frege offered a variety of new insights into the functioning of language and its true significance. He was advancing the view that the very human thought as such is influenced by language as a form of symbolic interaction, and as he was interested in the study of the structure of the human thought he was naturally bound to closely analyse language. This is why we may find in his works so many fine observations that aim to uncover the most elementary principles of language usage (Weiner 2004, pp.1-6, 159-165). One of such subtle themes in works of Frege is his account of indirect speech, which holds an important place within his scholarly system where every seemingly minor linguistic mechanism matters. Let us overview his analysis of indirect speech and try through its critical evaluation to find out whether Frege gives an adequate account of it. First of all, to understand the place of the analysis of indirect speech in the works of Frege we should provide a proper context for its complete understanding. For Frege one of the motivating sources of his linguistic investigations was the dilemma represented by the fact that while language is necessary for us to be able to generate meaningful thoughts, it is at the same time the barrier for the adequate expression of thoughts because, being a sensible entity, language is used to express insensible thoughts. To find a proper reference point for the judgement on the matter of the possible interrelation that may exist between thought and language, Frege formulated two important concepts that lie at the point of intersection between them. The first such concept is the so-called sense that is contained in each expression. Sense of an expression relates to the specific way of formulation of description of an object, conception, or function that a certain sentence aims to describe. We m ay liken the notion of sense to the question 'how' is something expressed in a sentence. Another crucial concept of Frege is the notion of significance, or reference, of an expression, which is the actual object, conception, or function that that expression aims to represent. Similarly, we may liken the notion of reference to the question 'what' does a sentence attempt to tell us. Now, with the help of those two approaches to the analysis of information contained in a particular sentence we can establish that for every meaningful expression there can be only one reference, while there can be different senses that may be used to

AN INVESTIGATION OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL DISCLOSURE IN ANNUAL REPORTS Research Proposal

AN INVESTIGATION OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL DISCLOSURE IN ANNUAL REPORTS OF Saudi ARABIA FIRMS - Research Proposal Example Facilitating transformation in the traditional structure of annual reports might prove costly, and therefore the more pragmatic approach is to encourage voluntary IC disclosure in a company’s annual reports. Based on the structural framework and objectives of a company, disclosure depends on corporate governance decision. New approach adopted in presenting the annual reports to the readers should help stakeholders make proper value assessment through the company’s intellectual capital (Li et al., 2008:137). In order to meet the goal of profit maximization through enhanced performance, intellectual resources of an organization play an indispensable role. The problem faced is the paucity of IC related information in the annual reports of the four Saudi Arabian banks that have been selected for this paper. Since IC is not legally mandatory for inclusion in annual reports, this component is also considered as â€Å"unaccounted capital† (Abeysekera & Guthrie, 2005: 151). This paper will focus on intellectual capital disclosure in annual reports of Saudi Arabia firms. The necessity of IC information is steadily gaining importance from profit seeking perspective. While details about financial data and physical factors of products are easily available in annual reports of companies, there is now growing demand for disclosure of IC information (Vandemaele et al., 2005: 417). The objective of this paper is to learn how several banks in Saudi Arabia disclose intellectual capital in their annual reports. Further, this paper will explore the contribution of IC theory in the success and development of an organization. For the purpose of address the research objectives, the research question of this paper is â€Å"To what extent is intellectual capital is represented under different categories in the annual reports of Saudi Arabian banks?† The purpose is to learn how human capital is displayed in four

Society, Ethics and Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Society, Ethics and Technology - Essay Example Reference will also be made from other sources to expound on the concept. Why does Cowan believe it is important to examine technologies in the context of technological systems? What advantage does this broader perspective give to planners? Give a specific current technological example (not it the reading) in support of your answer. Technological concepts cannot be understood clearly without a determined focus on technological systems. The knowledge includes an understanding of the input, output, transformation, control and interdependency to other systems (Winston and Edelbach, 2012). Technological systems have led to increased levels of productivity at all sectors of the economy leading to changes in lifestyles. The improvement in technological systems has led to globalization, with people becoming more reliant and interdependent on one another than ever before. Technological systems are the perfect indicators of advancement in technology for any nation. For instance, although the American industrialization began in the early 1780’s, the instability of its technological system was hampered by the civil war. This delayed the attainment of the status of an industrialized nation until the end of the civil war. ... The improvement in living and working conditions is caused by the presence of advanced technology. Some of the current technological systems include the electric, telephone and petroleum systems. Examining technology in the context of technological systems enables the planners to identify those areas of human life that require technological advancement, and thus design the most effective and efficient system for improvement. The aspects of human culture that conflict with technological advancement can also be aligned for a beneficial coexistence. An example of the impact of recent technological systems on technology is the improvement in the medical technology that has witnessed the use of advanced technologies such as kidney dialysis machines that have enhanced the efficiency of intravenous therapy. Landes argues that there were cultural differences between the East and Middle East and the West that affected the development and application of some technologies such as the clock. Did these differences also affect the way these cultures approached information technologies such as the printing press? Can you make a comparison with the different approaches taken by Eastern and Middle Eastern and Western cultures today and current information technologies? The cultural diversity that characterized the East, Middle East and the West led to the modification of the individual technologies to suit societal demand. The Chinese cultural language is written in ideographs and does not submit itself to the current changes in the language patterns. This explains the increased popularity of full page block printing among the Chinese, contrary to movable type that is more preferred by the West (Winston and Edelbach, 2012, pp.

Leadership Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership - Case Study Example Question 1 Dominant Leadership Styles That Ben and Phil Demonstrated Among the two leadership styles revealed by Ben Samuels and Phil Jones, the style adopted by the Phil reflects more dominant nature during his tenure as plant manager in Consolidated Products. Contrarily, the leadership style adopted by Ben can be identified to be soft. Indeed, it can be identified that both the leaders depicted radically different leadership approaches. It can be ascertained from the case that Ben had decided to pick a soft approach towards the employees. He believed that â€Å"if you treat people right, they will do a good job for you without supervision or pushing†. Ben used to treat the employees in the organization as partners. He can be identified to be very much cautious about his employees’ health and problems. Owing to his deep concern for the employees in the organization, he had set-up fitness centers. In addition, Ben also undertook social activities sponsored by the plants such as company picnics and holiday parties for his employees several times a year. Ben believed that treating employees properly and correctly would increase their loyalty towards organization. He used to spend a lot of time with his employees discussing about their health, families and problems faced by the employees along with trying to resolve their problems. Even in the slack times encountered by the organization, he avoided employee lay-offs. Ben believed that it is often very difficult to find and replace skilled and talented workers. However, it is worth mentioning that his benevolent behavior does not make him a good leader. His leadership style strongly revealed empathic, compassionate, respectful and humble characteristics. Thus, it can be identified that Ben has adopted supportive leadership style. Although he revealed his care and respect for the employees in the organization and has been greatly liked by the employees but the productivity of the organization during hi s tenure was badly suffering. Moreover, he did not set any objectives or standards for his supervisors which can be attributed to the dismal performance of organization. Consequently, the company’s turnover was found to be the lowest among it’s five other plants. It can be stated that in the present day organizational purview, benevolent leadership approach hardly enables to derive long-term sustainability of the organization as it is apparent that without proper set goals and objectives employees find it quite difficult to drive home the advantage (Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters, 2013). Subsequently, it is observed that Phil started trimming the number of activities starting from removal of fitness centre from the plant, stopping funding for picnic and parties and human relation training programs for the supervisors. Phil Believed that â€Å"if employees don’t want to do the work, get rid of them and find somebody else who does†. He also establis hed demanding goals and objectives and strict employee performance appraisal was also conducted in order to measure the productivity of each employees. He also went for employee layoff in order to ensure stable production within the plant. He demonstrated committed, passionate, accountable, and enthusiastic along with optimistic characteristics. Correspondingly, leadership style revealed by Phil can be firmly correlated with directive leadership st

An Analysis of Marketing Procedures Being Used By Leading Fast Food Literature review

An Analysis of Marketing Procedures Being Used By Leading Fast Food Franchises - Literature review Example sations are highly focused on executing exceptional marketing strategies concerning their diverse range of fast-food products to a large number of global consumers (Christian & Gereffi, 2010). Based in a similar context, Hooley Graham (2008) further observed that the emerging competition among the leading fast-food chain retailers has been a consequence of the extensive marketing activities performed by the global organisations. Moreover, the fast-food retail organisations have also exhibited a trend to incorporate different exceptional marketing strategies by promoting authentic as well as contemporary culinary innovation, cultural tastes, desires as well as demands of the local communities where they operate in the international context (Hooley Graham, 2008). In the similar context, Lichtenberg (2012) has also stated that the global fast-food industry has been playing a crucial role in channelising the effective of internationalisation in various economies, especially, the developi ng economies by accomplishing a rapid expansion in the various international markets. The organisations have also been implementing extensive expansion initiatives allowing franchises in different nations. The franchise units of the leading fast-food brands have been considerably focused on identifying the tastes and preferences of the local consumers executing effective strategies of delivering products to the customer as per their expectations (Lichtenberg, 2012). On the contrary, brands which are observed to be struggling in the global fast-food chain tend to focus extensively on the authentic culinary culture of the local community. These growing brands are also observed to be significantly influenced by the local or regional as well as state-level laws along with the socio-cultural... This essay approves that according to the present day context, the leading fast-food organisations tend to follow the emerging trend of global fast-food markets through executing various complex marketing strategies. The rapid expansion of the business units into different business locations is also a widely used marketing strategy for the global fast-food marketers. With this concern, the globally reputed fast-food chains have been focusing on increasing their business units through franchisees, in particular into different markets which has certainly enabled these brands to achieve larger market share as well as gain competitive advantages in the growing fast-food industry This report makes a conclusion that the demand for fast-food companies has substantially increased in the market segments worldwide where not only children but young people also are observed to decipher their incessantly increasing preferences for fast-food products. It is in this context that the increased demand for fast-food products has intensified the market competition among fast-food companies. In this perspective, fast-food companies are required to adopt enhanced marketing strategies with the objective of improving their performances substantially as well as to acquire a better competitive market position and thus obtain the benefits of sustainable growth. These marketing strategies shall also enable the struggling fast-food franchises in building better brand image within the targeted market segments and therefore obtain competitive benefits over its other existing rivals

NYSEGs Corporate Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NYSEGs Corporate Responsibility - Essay Example This altruistic program conforms to Milton Friedman and R. Edward Freeman’s concept of attempting to satisfy the profits needs of the company as well as the social responsibility needs of the employees and other stakeholders. This shows that the company is not only concerned with maximizing profits from its operations but it also has a duty to be socially responsible to the people in the environment in which it is operating from. Friedman states that the executives of the company ought to operate profitably while at the same time fulfilling the needs of the stakeholders impacted by its operations. In this case, it can be observed that Project Share is designed to appeal to the customs laws or public policies which require the companies to give back part of their profits to the members of the society in which they operate. This program does not interfere with the operations of the organization since there are responsible people who handle issues related to donations of funds to different people while the managers in the company are expected to focus on their core business of generating profits for the firm. But I believe that NYSEG uses this program as a marketing gimmick where it seeks to maximize profits in the guise of corporate social responsibility citizenry. The customers and stakeholders are very important for the survival of the company according to the stakeholder theory advanced by Edward Freeman. All stakeholders including employees, managers, customers among others must be treated as valuable asserts.

Traffic Accident Essay Example for Free

Traffic Accident Essay Traffic accidents are considered modern problems which are causing enormous human and material losses to many people and resulting of them many temporary and permanent injuries and they cause enormous damages to the public and private properties. It is not an exaggeration to say that victims of the road accidents are more than the victims of wars and terrorist operations in the world. Some statistics indicated that the number of deaths resulting from car accidents were over (300) thousand people annually, and the estimated number of the injured people between the (10-15) million. Moreover, statistics indicated that the numbers of injuries in the United States alone were more than three and a half million yearly (Butler et al. , 1999). It is sad that (10%) of those injured people are children and the percentage of children who are exposed to injuries caused by traffic accidents in some countries might be increasing to reach more than (20%) as indicated in the Bulletin of Jordanian Traffic Institute. Some reports indicated that more than (300,000) children are exposed to injuries caused by road accidents in the United States alone (Hauschildt, 2002). What should be mentioned in this regard is that the victims of traffic accidents in the developing world countries are much more comparing with those in the developed countries as referred to in bulletin of the World Health Organization (Gender Health, (2002). All governments make efforts to reduce accidents and thus reduce their negative effects. It is unfortunate that the negative effects of car accidents are linked to the minds of many as material loss, pain and suffering physical disabilities only, but the psychological effects perhaps because of its disappearance of the human eye wasnt paid attention to and was ignored by many other people even by those who linked to researchers in the third world. It is logical that physical injuries and some psychological symptoms resulting directly from the accident receive priority in care and attention, but scientific researches confirm that some of the road accidents or those who witnessed them could show that they subsequently cause psychological disorders which may develop into severe symptoms (Butler et al. , 1999). Although the injured in traffic accidents may receive some kind of social support of their natural resources like relatives and friends in attempting to ease the negative effects resulting from traffic accidents, there are things we must draw attention to, which are: I.  All the people who were exposed to such incidents do not receive the appropriate degree of support. II. Ordinary people had been unaware of the type of the appropriate or desired social support for the victim (of an accident). III. Professional specialists have the necessary knowledge to monitor the indicators or symptoms which may be hidden from ordinary people, or difficult for them to interpret, especially in the light of the available knowledge. Although many of the symptoms resulting from traffic accidents do not appear immediately after the accident. It should be noted here that psychological wounds which inflicted on those who are exposed to traffic accidents may stay with them for a long time even after physical injuries heal. Perhaps the reason behind some athletes not recovering to their previous levels of performance before their exposure to an injury is psychological wounds are not less damaging than physical injuries; they even might be more serious in their effects. It is striking that the insurance companies in the developed countries pay profitable compensations for the effects of psychological wounds resulting from car accidents (Butler et al. , 1999). In this context, traffic accidents partially result of violations committed by an individual who hurt another individual or group of members of the society. Perhaps the gravity of the dangers of traffic accidents increases the awareness and stimulates efforts to alleviate the psychological effects. Accidents cause numerous physical and moral losses reflected on the drive r and society alike, represented in human losses up to death of the driver himself or a member of his family or his\her entire family. The losses may fully exceed in one accident to several persons or a family, and the driver remains alive. There were losses that reached cutting one of the organs or an injury that caused the driver a permanent disability. All of this would deeply generate painful psychological disorders and wounds, such as psychological trauma, depression and excess irritable emotions and loss and lack of concentration at work, thus we can sum up the problem of the study that there are psychological disorders and problems resulting from traffic accidents of the 3rd category private license drivers who are responsible for traffic accidents. The importance of this study could be formulated in the following: First: The theoretical aspect: The issues of traffic accidents and what these accidents backward of damages considered from the humanitarian issues affecting society feelings and leaving deep wounds in the human soul. The results of traffic accidents are not only confined to the participants in the incident only, but to the whole society, whether the psychological, social, human and economic level.This research is considered a serious attempt to shed light on the psychological disorders suffered by the driver, who cause accidents.  Second: the practical aspect: Access to results that help to reduce traffic accidents results on the human psyche. This research paves the way for the subsequent researches in different and divers environments, cultures and variables. The following nihilism hypotheses have been formulated to answer in this study: I. There are no statistical differences between traffic accidents and psychological trauma for the drivers who are involved in the traffic accidents from the holders of 3rd category-private driving license. II.  There are no statistical differences between traffic accidents and a state of depression among the drivers who are involved in the traffic accidents from the holders of 3rd category-private driving license. III. There are no statistical differences between traffic accidents and cases of nervousness for the drivers who are involved in the traffic accidents from the holders of 3rd category-private driving license. IV. There are no statistical differences between traffic accidents and the lack of concentration at work for the drivers who are involved in the traffic accidents from the holders of 3rd category-private driving license.

Strength and Weakness Essay Example for Free

Strength and Weakness Essay Focus Focus is a scary word to most people. What can it do for us? How can it help us? Can we program ourselves to focus? Focus, confidence and selfdiscipline all work hand in hand with each other. Learning to focus can help us in many ways. It can help us realise what we really want in life, it can help us make good and informed decisions. It can also help us to accept ourselves just the way we are, without feeling the need to condemn ourselves or put  ourselves down in any way, shape or form. Focus can help us gain confidence, power and happiness. Focus can also help us remain grounded and stay on track. Focus can change confusion into absolute knowledge and self-criticism into love for oneself. Always be aware that you ARE able to focus on what you want, and to focus your thoughts on anything at all. Try it now by thinking about the dishes, now change your focus and think about your car. Switch focus again and think about a dog. It really is that easy to focus on whatever you want to focus on. We all need to learn to set aside time to be used on the one thing we want or need to focus on. It’s not a matter of â€Å"taking the time† to focus, but more a matter of â€Å"making the time†. If we are willing to make the time, we will focus a lot better on whatever it is you want or need to do. You ask me how I can possibly make time to focus with four demanding children, 3 dogs and a new house? Easy, I can stay up for an extra hour when all the kids are in bed and the house is quiet, and MAKE the time to focus on what I’m doing with absolutely no distractions at all. Oh, that’s right; you work too, so you’re too tired to stay up late. How about getting up half an hour early, before the madness at home begins? Before you go to bed, get everything ready for your early morning â€Å"focus time† so that you don’t have to run around looking for it when you’re half awake. Of course, this means you have to have a plan of action ready beforehand. Decide when you are going to make time, and stick to it like glue. Don’t let ANYTHING take you away from that time. Make sure you have everything you need all in one place, a room, or ev en a corner of a room where you can sit in peace. Unplug the phone, turn off the television, and don’t even listen to quiet background music. Whatever happens around you will distract you unless you learn how to focus. Sometimes it seems easier to just go along with these distractions than to focus on the end goal. Remember, if you let yourself go along with the distractions, you are losing sight of your goals. Sharpen your vision of what you want or you WILL be at the mercy of your environment. When you want something you have to decide EXACTLY what it is you want. If you don’t know what you want, there’s no way on earth you’re  going to be able to focus on it. So you want to pass that driving test that you’ve taken and failed umpteen times, or you want to pass that really important exam in school. You might want to write a book, or build a website, run your own business, be a teacher or any number of different things. The main thing is you have to KNOW that’s what you want, and you have to set your aims high and demand yourself to focus on getting it. Read more:  Examples of Personal Strengths and Weaknesses Once you decide what you want, you have to decide WHY you want it. Visualize yourself in that brand new Mercedes or BMW, or in front of that school desk teaching the kids geography. The vision makes you feel good, right? So that’s why you want it, it feels good to do what you want to do, be who you want to be and own what you want to own. Visualization is a major part in being able to focus. If you can actually see yourself in the position you want to be in, then it’s so much easier to focus on the task of getting there. The next thing you have to do is to decide how you’re going to actually get what you want. What are you willing to sacrifice in the quest to get those great exam grades? What can you do without in order to start up your own business? How can you make your family life happier and more peaceful? Sit back and close your eyes, imagining what it will be like to have what you want in life, and think long and hard about what you can give up so that you can get there. Say you want a new sofa, but the only way you can get one is if you quit smoking. Envision the sofa, with you and your partner cuddling up on it. What colour is it? Is it big and fluffed up, or is it a small ultra-modern sofa? Focus on the sofa and want it badly enough, you WILL stop smoking so you can get it. These are all small things and perfectly attainable with a little bit of focus, but what if you want bigger and better things than that  for yourself. First overcome the exams, once that goal is reached go get that driving licence. Next you get a brand spanking new BMW. Keep setting goals; as soon as you reach the first one, move on to the next, staying focused all the time on what it is you want. Reaching that first goal will give you an  incredible boost of confidence, which in turn will make it so much easier to get started on the next goal. The more goals you reach, the more confidence you will have in yourself and that will fuel the success of the next goal, and the next one after that, until there are endless possibilities for you. Start off by wri ting down each and every goal you WANT to reach in your lifetime. Then write a daily plan for the goal you want to reach first. Write the plan before you go to bed at night, it gives your brain time to take it all in and work with it. It’s amazing what the brain will do when we are sleeping. Also, writing the plan the night before helps free up that time during the next day so that you can purely sit and focus on the task at hand. Make the plan a numbered list and cross each item off as you finish it. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you get through it this way. Once you’ve reached the outcome you want, move on to your next goal following the same pattern as before. If you find your thoughts wandering in your â€Å"focus time† take a break, write down your thoughts and put them away somewhere for future reference. If you find there are multiple things you can do to attain your goals, figure out which of them is the one most likely to help you get there quickest. Put the others on hold, they may come in useful when you’re aiming for that next goal. If you lock your focus, and stick with it for as long as you have to, you WILL succeed. If you stick to one thing, one goal and focus on that, its virtually impossible to not reap the rewards of your actions. Confidence Before we start, please keep one thing in mind; Confidence and arrogance are two totally different things. If you confuse the two, you will most certainly become a very unhappy person with very few real friends. Arrogance is NOT a â€Å"quality† and it won’t help you reach your goals any faster. Confidence in oneself, or the lack thereof is what stops people from getting tightly focused on what they want to achieve. That little voice telling them they cant do something is their biggest UN-motivator. What can YOU do to  gain confidence? 25 Tips Toward Boosting Your Confidence and Self Esteem. 1. Love Yourself: This can take a bit of practice and looks really funny, but try it, it works. When you wake up, give yourself a great big hug. Do the same when it’s time for sleep. You’ve heard this said a million times before: â€Å"How can you expect others to love you if you dont love yourself?† It’s true. Practice the morning and evening hugs for 2 weeks, maybe 3 weeks if youre the stubborn type and you’ll see how well it works. 2. Look in the mirror: Every time you pass a mirror, look into it and flash your biggest and best smile at yourself. It might feel strange at first, but eventually it’ll make you feel brilliant about yourself. Tell yourself â€Å"Looking good!† or â€Å"Wow, I love me!† or similar phrases often enough to actually start believing it. 3. Do things that make you feel good: This can be anything from listening to music, trekking in the Andes, doing some volunteer work or even just taking a shower. Anything that gives you a positive feeling about yourself works for this one. 4. Listen to YOU: Face it. Nobody knows you better than you know yourself, no matter how many people try to tell you differently. So if your body, mind or gut is telling you something, then take notice of it, and dont worry about what other people may possibly have to say about it. 5. Talk to YOU: In times of stress, take a time-out break. Wander into your own mind and have a conversation with yourself about anything at all. Tell yourself how lucky  you are to be you, and praise yourself for every good and positive thing you can attribute to yourself. 6. Remove negatives: If anything feels like it’s dragging you down, get rid of it. If it’s clutter, tidy up, if it’s a friend full of negativity explain nicely that you don’t really feel up to talking right now. If it’s your kids acting up, leave the room for a while and so on. 7. Surround with positives: Surround yourself with things that bring out good feelings in you. Examples could be things such as happy, upbeat friends, a nice new picture, a new car, an old comfy blanket, candles, pictures of your family, your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse etc. 8. Rumours Die: Did you hear something about somebody who said something about somebody else? Drop it! Rumours are nasty, horrible things that will only bring you down. Best way to kill a rumour? Ignore it! 9. Total Honesty: Be totally honest with yourself at all times. If there’s something you dont like, admit it. If there’s something you don’t want to do â€Å"right now† and it isn’t necessary for health and safety reasons then just don’t do it until you feel like it. Same goes for the positive aspects. If there’s something you want to do, and it’s not hurting anybody, then go ahead and do it. If you start feeling great about yourself for no apparent reason admit it and enjoy the feeling. 10. Responsibility Take full responsibility for your own actions. Dont shove the blame for anything over onto someone or something else. We all make choices in our lives, and once we take responsibility for those choices we tend to choose better for ourselves. Once we start to choose better, we feel better and things start falling into place. On the other hand, dont take over someone else’s responsibilities just because you feel â€Å"you have to†. 11. Pretend: If you feel unsafe, unsure or nervous then go inside yourself and pretend you’re a hot-shot lawyer, actor, actress, singer or whatever you need to be. Make believe you’re presenting yourself as that person would until you feel better. Trust me, you WILL feel better, and eventually have no need to be anything but yourself. 12. Keep Trying: If you’re trying to do something but dont get it right first time round, then try again, and again, and again, constantly learning from your mistakes until you get it right. When you finally DO get it right, you’ll feel wonderful about it. 13. Credit where credit is due: If you’ve done something really good, and people compliment you on it, accept the compliments with thanks! Understand that they’re complimenting because they really ARE impressed with what you’ve done. Believe in you and give yourself a pat on the back. (Although physically it would probably be easier to just give yourself a round of applause). 14. Stand Tall: Standing up straight will ALWAYS make you feel better about yourself than slouching does. Stand with your feet slightly apart, suck in your tummy and   behind, broaden your shoulders and straighten your neck. It’s an amazingly  quick confidence boost. 15. Say Hello: Make it a rule to say hi to at least one person you dont know EVERY day. Give them the smile you flash at yourself in the mirror, the biggest and best one you can find. They’ll smile back automatically, and they’ll walk away with a little extra confidence boost thanks to you. People look their best when they smile, and they also feel better by smiling too! This ultimately means you get a confidence boost too, for making someone else feel good about themselves. 16. Never Say Never.Ever: If you think something can’t be done, then youll end up proving yourself right eventually. So never say never, just keep plugging along until it works for you. If other people are telling you it can’t be done, youre going to feel such immense satisfaction at actually doing it that your confidence will soar. 17. Get Active: Dont sit around the house just doing nothing. Get up, go out, cycling, walking, exercising, anything that might invigorate your brain. A lively brain full of thoughts will help you gain confidence. 18. â€Å"Happy Foods†: Happy foods, such as chocolate, strawberries, lemons, ice-cream etc will increase the serotonin levels in your brain, leading to an increased feeling of happiness. Feeling happy is a natural confidence boost. So go on, enjoy your food! (in moderation, of course). 19. Face Your Fear: Is there something you are afraid of? Face it full on. Doing something scary and overcoming the fear is a fantastic way to boost your confidence. So go on, jump out of that plane (with a parachute of course), drive that car, speak in  front of a large crowd, ask for a promotion, or whatever it is that scares you. Youll feel absolutely brilliant once it’s done. 20. Willpower: Create a goal that you really want to reach. Possibly something like weight loss before a certain time, giving up smoking or having a certain amount of money in the bank within so many months etc. Take baby steps, and use your willpower until you succeed at reaching your goal. It will be really hard, as will power can be very elusive at times, but keep going and dont give up. Once you have reached that first goal by using your willpower you will have the confidence to create new goals AND reach them. 21. Ask questions: Any time you find yourself worrying about something you haven’t done, or something you think you should have done, ask yourself positive questions. Instead of thinking â€Å"I’m terrible for missing my friend’s birthday† think â€Å"What can I do to make my friend feel special?† Or, instead of â€Å"Why can’t I ever seem to do things on time?† change it to â€Å"What can I change to better manage my time† Creating positive questions will release the negative energies which have a tendency to pull down your self confidence. 22. Learn: Accept that not everything works out the way we plan it. Decide to accept any mistakes and rejections as part of a learning curve that we all need to go through. Without mistakes, you can’t learn from your own experiences. Remember, experience builds confidence, so always learn as much as you can. 23. List: Write a list of every single thing youre good at, anything from clipping the dog’s toenails to putting up a shelf. Take the time to sit and actually think about what you ARE good at and add them all to the list. Youll besurprised at  how many things you end up jotting down, no   matter how minor or trivial they may seem at the time. Whenever you have a spare 5 minutes, or if youre feeling a little low, take the list out of your pocket and read it. This is a great little way to give yourself a nice confidence boost. 24: Help out: There are lots of ways to help others, and feeling useful and helpful are great ways of building your confidence. Just make sure you do things because you WANT to do them. You could call a good friend who may be down at the moment-even take them out for coffee, you will brighten both your days, or you could possibly help out at an old folks home or similar. Knowing that people appreciate your help will boost your confidence for sure. 25: Show the way: Think of the one thing you do best of all. Think long and hard about this one. Thought of something? Now, find a discussion group or similar related to that topic and spread your wisdom by answering questions, offering advice or help to anybody needing it. If you can’t find a group, you could even start one yourself. People will look up to you and that will give you all the more reason to feel confident about yourself. Self-Discipline To really be able to focus demands a lot of self-discipline. Remember that your outcome depends on YOU, not on the world around you. If you want something badly enough you WILL do everything in your power to get it. Self-discipline in this context is basically only letting yourself do what you WANT to do at that precise moment in time to be able to reach your goals more quickly. Remember that YOU are the boss of your actions. YOU are the one who is in control. So ultimately YOU decide what and when to do things  you need to do to achieve your ultimate success Your ability to manage your actions is directly related to the level of success and happiness you will experience throughout your life. Managing your actions is commonly known as exercising self-discipline. Its absolutely not about restricting your lifestyle, or punishing yourself. Its about being able to work with your thoughts, behaviour and actions in order to reach the goals that you wish to reach. Not having self-discipline is one of the main reasons why we fail at what we want to do, both professionally and personally. Excuse-making often creates lack of self-discipline, so drop all your excuses and start keeping habits that in themselves will create the self-discipline you need. Make routines that you know you are capable of sticking to, and keep them. How do you attain self-discipline? A few options could be regular exercise, better, healthier eating, even learning to spend less money. It could be something like deciding to learn something new every single day or just getting up an hour earlier than you normally would. Having self-discipline will help you to complete the most boring and mundane of the tasks you are focusing on. Should you find yourself sitting and thinking thoughts like â€Å"Oh, I’ll just do this instead† or â€Å"I can do that some other time† when you are working on your goals then STOP, take a deep breath and remember your self-discipline. In Ending The end of the story? You can do anything you want to do, be anything you want to be and go where you want to go. All you need is confidence in yourself and the ability to focus. I’ve now given you ideas on how to do that, so go on;

The Role Of Civil Society In Maintaining Democracy

The Role Of Civil Society In Maintaining Democracy The role of civil society and the media in modern day democratic governance is of utmost importance since they ensure the proper functioning of government while respecting the main pillars of democracy. This contribution is demonstrated best when one compares democratic governance in European countries with the situation in authoritarian regimes. It is very often the case that although there is a struggle towards the implementation and respect of democratic principles, they are still very far away from their proper application. Introduction First, I will define what civil society is since this will help us understand better its role in democratic governance. Then, I will outline how the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and political participation aid and strengthen democratic governance. In examining these areas, I will demonstrate how the media and civil society play a crucial role in doing so. All of this will be established through the comparison between democratic countries, and less democratic or authoritarian regimes. Before one delves into outlining the role of civil society and the media in democratic governance, one must define civil society. According to Els van Enckevort  [1]  , Civil society is made up by very different organisations, networks and associations. From football clubs to debate groups, from womens networks to labour unions, from book clubs to political parties) and from environmental lobby groups to religious groups. Although some organisations will have a much clearer influence on political processes and democratisation than others, all are included in the civil society and all do have some influence on democratisation. Furthermore, according to Jo Leinen, a German Member of the European Parliament, stated in Civil Society and Conflict Resolution  [2]  , a contribution by the speakers of the conference held on 20th September 2007, that If you want to secure democracy, rule of law, human rights and peace you cannot rely only on governmental institutions or political part ies. You need a citizens movement. You need a strong debate between state institutions and civil society. One must also point out that the Treaty of Lisbon, which came into force in December 2009, mentions that The institutions (of the EU) shall maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with representative associations and civil society. Thus, one can argue that democratic governance rests on several pillars. In this essay I will focus on the respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms; the embracing of a pluralistic system; the integration of minorities in all levels of government and society and the promotion of a wide scope of political participation. As will be demonstrated, the achievement of these pillars can be facilitated by the working of an active civil society and effective media. Respect and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms Human rights can be referred to as those basic rights and freedoms to which every human being is entitled to. Very often it is left in the hands of the organs of the state to ensure the protection of such rights. However, civil society and the media too play a role in demonstrating the importance of the protection of these rights. The latter are sometimes considered to be watch-dogs and struggle to ensure the adherence to these rights. The constant violation of human rights can be blamed on the facts that such actions remain undisclosed. This is where the media comes in. Its role is to expose such violations and make the public aware of such violations. It is only after the public is shown what is the outcome of such violations that awareness can be created. Furthermore, civil society must emphasise that education about human rights is increased as much as possible. In Malta, for instance, the People for Change Foundation, an NGO, works towards the achievement of a just, fair and inc lusive society all members of which may reach their full potential unhindered by factors such as age, race, sex, religion etc. Furthermore, it promotes social cohesion, and respect for Human Rights. One of the main reasons why civil society is of utmost importance is because it upholds certain values which strengthens the same civil society, and hence the democratic governance. It should thus work towards the upholding of human rights standards, and such value will permeate all levels of society. Since civil society organisation tend to focus on particular minor groups, voice their interests and work towards the clearing up of misconceptions and misunderstandings, and overcoming mistrust and fear. Such organisations are to aid governments to promote, as much as possible, dialogue between people hailing from various backgrounds and ethnicities. According to the CIVICUS Civil Society Index (CSI)  [3]  project, a comprehensive study on civil society in Turkey, it can be argued that civil society is a crucial agent towards positive social change. Turkish civil society groups are not only providing services to disadvantaged and minority groups, but they also take active positions on several matters. The most remarkable efforts are in the alia of human rights where civil society organisations are making a lot of effort on expanding civic liberties. It is believed that when a particular government closes a geographical region to journalists there is the violation of human rights in that region. Chechnya, North Korea and Eritrea, amongst others, have all been closed in the past. In 2007, Human Rights Watch, an INGO, issued a report stating that the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua were closed to outside human rights observers, and that there was the commission of violations of human rights. The Human Rights Watch stated that there was little understanding of what was taking places in these regions since there wasnt much independent reporting on the area. The INGO went on to call the Indonesian government to open this region to independent observers so as to increase the amount and quality of information about the conditions there, and to allow independent and transparent reporting. Furthermore, the Russian NGO, Memorial, winner of the 2009 Sakharov Prize  [4]  also strives to promote the truth about violations of human rights in Russia, and former USSR states in order to ensure their democratic future. Freedom of Speech and Expression One of the most important functions of democratic governance is that decision-making at all levels is preceded by discussion and consideration of a range of views. A decision made after adequate consultation is likely to be a better decision than that which is taken after little or no consultation since the former mirrors the opinions, interests and needs of those concerned. This expression of opinions can be represented in the form of freedom of speech, and it is important in all levels of society. Without free speech, no political action is possible and no resistance to injustice or oppression is possible, and elections would have no meaning at all. Policies of political contestants become known to the public and become responsive to public opinion only if transmitted by the media by virtue of free speech. Furthermore, by virtue of Article 119 of the Constitution of Malta, the Broadcasting Authority is to ensure that broadcasting and television services preserve due impartiality in respect of matters of political or industrial controversy or relating to public policy, and that persons belonging to the different political parties are allocated a fair proportion of broadcasting time. Thus freedom of speech can be deemed to be the sine qua non of a democratic society. I believe that freedom of expression is designed to develop personal self-fulfilment; it is an essential process for the advancement of knowledge and discovery of truth; and it can be deemed to be a method of achieving necessary social change without resorting to violence. The importance of freedom of expression is outlined in Article 41 of the Constitution of Malta which states that: Except with his own consent or by way of parental discipline, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive ideas and information without interference, freedom to communicate ideas and information without interference (whether the communication be to the public generally or to any person or class of persons) and freedom from interference with his correspondence. Similarly, the Constitution of Jordan guarantees freedom of opinion and speech, in addition to freedom of the press and media, but all within the limits of the law. However, in practice there are significant restrictions in place restricting the free operation of the media. Any criticism of the king or the royal family is prohibited, as well as anything which is deemed to harm the states reputation and dignity. The government has used tactics such as fines, prosecution, and detention to intimidate journalist. Furthermore, while press freedom has progressed quite a lot in Jordan in recent years, the very complex legislation of the state, and the lack of awareness of the law very often means that journalist fall foul of the system. Nidal Mansor, president of the Centre for Defending the Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ), stated that The media is the cornerstone of reform and democracy, and so in 2002, with the help of the EU, the CDFJ set up a media legal aid unit which not only offers fre e legal representation for journalists, but also carries out advocacy work in Jordan and neighbouring countries to try to improve the existing laws concerning the press. While increased media freedom has been praised in Egyptian political life over the past decade, in last Novembers elections several negative factors surfaced. Pre-election time was characterised by the restriction of the liberty to discuss politics and this, as a result, slowed down the spreading of political information. They did not allow the opposition from using the media and made sure that critics are silenced. Freedom of Association and Assembly Article 42 of the Constitution of Malta states that no person is to be hindered in his enjoyment of freedom of peaceful assembly and association, thus they are to be able to hold demonstrations and meetings. The right to form associations with others comprises the right to join band clubs, political parties and trade unions amongst others. Thus, this can be seen as the basis of the formation of civil society. One must point out that the Maltese Constitution lays down that it shall be unlawful, to establish, maintain or belong to any association of persons who are organised and trained or equipped for the purpose of enabling them to be used for the display of physical force for a political object. It is recognized as one of the foundations of a functioning democracy, and its protection is crucial for creating a tolerant society in which groups holding different beliefs, practices, or policies can coexist peacefully. The Human Rights House Foundation, an INGO, deplored the fact that in Belarus people are deprived of expressing their dissent peacefully, and further condemned the use of force and violence against the peaceful demonstrators carried out on February 14th and 16th in 2009 in Minsk. Although the organisers applied for permission to hold these demonstrations, their application was turned down. In the latter peaceful rally held in solidarity with political prisoners, was also brutally disbanded. Ten minutes after people had gathered, dozens of riot policemen attacked the participants of the rally. Freedom of Press In more than half the worlds countries, banning, confiscation and censorship of publications are everyday occurrences. Even today, millions of men and women live under governments which restrict their right to know and express their opinions. The number of journalists, who go to jail for criticizing governments, or for simply expressing concern of any kind, is still high. As democracy is founded on an informed and active citizenry, citizens have the right and responsibility to participate in public affairs. Effective participation requires knowledge and wisdom. Citizens get their knowledge through media, and through discussions with others. The media provide forums through which individuals and groups express their opinions. As governmental watchdogs, the press and civil society organisations keep citizens informed of governmental events and actions. It is also important that people are not subjected to just one perspective of thing, but they are to be enabled to make comparisons, re ach conclusions and form opinions. The job of a free press is to keep an eye on the government, to make sure it stays honest and responsive to the people of the country. A free press also has an important role in government since it has an increasingly influential impact on public policy, governmental decisions and popular attitudes. Section 2 of the Spanish constitution provides, amongst other, for freedom of speech and of the press. Together, the Spanish independent press, the judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system ensure freedom of speech and of the press. Individuals are allowed to criticize the government publicly or privately, without fear of punishment, and the government does not hinder such criticism. The independent media in this country is very active and generally expresses a myriad of views without restriction. On the other hand, there is no current independent media in Eritrea, and all forms of media are Government sources. Eritrea has among the highest number of jailed journalists in the world. In 2001, in an effort to suppress increasing opposition about the future of the Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice, the government closed down eight independent newspapers and arrested a number of journalists. Eritreas press freedom is deemed to be the lowest in the world. Similarly, Jordanian radio and television are considered to be more restricted in their freedoms than the press. In general, people are allowed to access the internet freely, and such access in unrestricted; however, there were reports that the government investigated some website which were highly critical. Political participation and Elections David Friedrick  [5]  states that the participation of an organised civil society in governance arrangements at European and international level is enhancing democratic qualities, and goes further into saying that having a regulated model of participation would strengthen the democratic quality of civil society participation. It can be said that anything which restricts the scope of public participation not only weakens a countrys democratic foundations but also has the immediate effect of limiting debate over its development priorities. Furthermore, political participation is essential for realizing the basic values and objectives that minorities have. Elections constitute an essential feature of democratic governance. Through elections, people choose their representatives. Furthermore, political parties occupy a central place in the political process in modern democracies since these parties are deemed to be intermediaries between society and state. In order to guarantee the involvement of minorities in political parties, it is important to ascertain that the basic human right of freedom of association is fully respected. Recently, a Bosnian Jew and an ethnic Roma have challenged discriminatory provisions within Bosnias Constitution and electoral laws. In a case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on 22 December 2009, the Court found certain provisions of the Bosnian Constitution and electoral laws to discriminate against minorities in failing to allow its citizens who are not Constituent Peoples to stand for election to the Presidency. The UN-INSTRAW/CAWTAR  [6]  project Womens Political Participation in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, demonstrates how the media can play a crucial role in the promotion of women ´s political participation in this region. In these countries, womens political participation has been increased during the last years, mainly due to increased access to education and the integration of women in the labour market. However, women are still highly underrepresented in the political field, as well as in the legal and institutional areas. Even during the elections in Algeria and Morocco in recent years, female candidates were only given limited coverage. This is to be distinguished from the situation in Spain, where in 2004, there were 125 women in the 350 seat Congress of Deputies, and 61 women in the 259 seat Senate; and the 64 women in the 169-seat parliament, and seven women among the nineteen in the Supreme Court in Norway. In these two countries, one can see how womens political partici pation is much higher when compared to Arab countries. Conclusion Thus one can conclude that the basic roles of civil society and the media in democratic systems of governance are of utmost importance, and one can say that their main scope is to limit and control the power of the state, to raise public concern, to promote political participation, to develop values of democratic life, and to express diverse interests. It is only when the media and civil society, work hand in hand with the government that democratic governance is strengthened.