Competition in International Markets Theories and Concepts

Competition in International Markets Theories and Concepts FIRMS, NOT INDIVIDUAL NATIONS COMPETE IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS Competition has always been central to the agenda of firms. It has become one of the enduring themes of our times and the rising intensity of competition has continued until this day thereby spreading to more and more countries. As a result of globalisation, most industries with the topics of international business and competitive advantage have received much attention from business executives, public policy makers and scholars in recent years. This; in conjunction with the rise of global competitors has helped to explain why a countrys competitive advantage can be determined by the strength of its business firms. This has resulted in numerous rankings, where industries and firms are compared on a global scale to see which are the most competitive. Most firms prefer to compete in the business environment so that it will help determine the competitive advantage of the country in which they operate. A firms ability to deliver the same benefits as competitors but at a lower cost or deli ver benefits that exceed those of competing products, then such a firm is said to possess a competitive advantage over its rivals. Todays development in communication, information technology and transportation technology have enabled firms to market their products and services beyond national borders. This level of involvement has contributed to the concept of firms marketing their products in international markets. Analysis Global competitiveness occur at the cross roads between international economics and strategic management. Wassily Leontief (1998) was one of the scholars to add an empirical element to the theoretical realm of international trade with his popular paradox of the Heckscher-Ohlin (1919) theory. Later, management scholars (Buckley Casson, 1998, Tsang 1999) adopted the concept of competing globally in their research. Hamel and Prahalad (1994) later reinforced the concepts of core competencies, industry level analysis and competing for the future. After much research by these scholars, most would agree that global competitiveness in the aggregate for a nation is not equivalent to global competitiveness at the individual firm level. Corden (1994) states that there are three major areas of national competitiveness: sectoral or industry competitiveness, cost competitiveness and productivity. Many of Porters (1990) ideas were shared by earlier scholars. Vernon (1966) attributed national compe titiveness to a nations technology and capabilities, which are similar to Porters advanced factors. With Hymers (1976) idea that firms have specific competitive advantages that allow them to overcome the liability of foreignness is similar to Porters concept of firm-specific advantages that lead to global competitiveness. Caves (1982) discussed the practice of firms transferring knowledge gained in one country to another because of global competition is by utilizing the right mix of factors of production would lead to probable success. According to Papanastassou Pearce (1999), Porters diamond is one of the few models in international business research that illustrates what comprises national competitiveness within a given industry. Thus Porter tried to analyse why some nations succeed and others fail in international competition. He tries to solve this problem using the four determinants of national competitive advantage. The Determinants of National Competitive Advantage Michael Porter, in his book ‘The Competitive Advantage of Nations has introduced a model that helped to determine a nations international competitive advantage. This model of determining factors of national competitive advantage is known as Porters Diamond. Porter distinguishes four determinants; Demand Conditions, Factor Endowments, Related and Supporting Industries and Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry. Demand conditions describe the size and affluence of the domestic market. These are important because they play a role home demand plays in upgrading competitive advantage and serves as the primary source of competition for firms in a given industry. A similar example can be found in the wireless telephone equipment industry, where sophiscated and demanding local customers in Scandinavia helped push Nokia of Finland and Ericsson of Sweden to invest in cellular phone technology long before demand for cellular phones took off in other developed nations. Factor endowments include any factors of production that a firm uses in its business to maintain economic competitiveness. Thus, the natural resources which include land, labor, capital and also naturally occurring raw materials. Other factors of production can include manmade structures that facilitate commerce, including communication infrastructure, sophiscated and skilled labor, research facilities and technological know-how. An obvious example of this phenomenon is Japan, a country that lacks arable land and mineral deposits and yet through investment has built a substantial endowment of advanced factors. Related and supporting industries are the third attribute of national competitive advantage. These are beneficial to MNEs because it provides them with low-cost inputs and supply them with information regarding industry environmental changes thereby helping them achieve a strong competitive position internationally. For example, Swedish strengths in fabricated steel products have drawn on strengths in Swedens specialty steel industry. Similarly, Switzerlands success in pharmaceuticals is closely related to its previous international success in the technologically related dye industry. Firm strategy, structure and rivalry are also important in ensuring national competitiveness. Strategy refers to several key strategic factors that characterize a firm thus, actions firms utilize to achieve both long-range and short-range goals. This is important because it helps the firm to utilize the best actions with which to compete and the market it wants to compete in. Structure refers to the industry composition, thus, the degree to which an industry is concentrated or dispersed, competitive or monopolistic, global or domestic. Rivalry indicates both the number of players and the level of competition among firms in an industry. Greater rivalry in an industry would lead a firm to higher levels of competitiveness visa vis its rivals. Rivalry is thought to be the most comprehensive of the three factors, as it often indicates the underlying strategy and structure of the competitors. This is more evident in Japan, where Japanese auto-makers have become competitive in the world mar ket and has taken over major US and European auto producers. Some of the Challenges Faced By MNEs A multinational enterprise (MNE) is an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. There are some challenges faced by MNEs that transact business in international markets which can hinder its competitiveness hence its controversies and these are as follows; Market imperfections It may seem strange that a corporation has decided to do business in a different country, where it doesnt know the laws, local customs or business practices of such a country is likely to face some challenges that can reduce the managers ability to forecast business conditions. The additional costs caused by the entrance in foreign markets are of less interest for the local enterprise. Firms can also in their own market be isolated from competition by transportation costs and other tariff and non-tariff barriers which can force them to competition and will reduce their profits. The firms can maximize their joint income by merger or acquisition which will lower the competition in the shared market. This could also be the case if there are few substitutes or limited licenses in a foreign market. Tax competition Countries and sometimes subnational regions compete against one another for the establishment of MNC facilities, subsequent tax revenue, employment, and economic activity. To compete, countries and regional political districts must offer incentives to MNCs such as tax breaks, pledges of governmental assistance or improved infrastructure. When these incentives fail they are liable to face challenges which limit their chance of becoming more attractive to foreign investment. However, some scholars have argued that multinationals are engaged in a race to the top. While multinationals certainly regard a low tax burden or low labor costs as an element of comparative advantage, there is no evidence to suggest that MNCs deliberately avail themselves of tax environmental regulation or poor labour standards. Political instability Many multinational Enterprises face the challenge of political instability when doing business in international markets. This kind of problem mostly occurs when there is an absence of a reliable government authority. When this happens, it adds to business costs, increase risks of doing business and sometimes reduces managers ability to forecast business trends. Political instability is also associated with corruption and weak legal frameworks that discourage foreign investments. Market withdrawal The size of multinationals can have a significant impact on government policy, primarily through the threat of market withdrawal. For example, in an effort to reduce health care costs, some countries have tried to force pharmaceutical companies to license their patented drugs to local competitors for a very low fee, thereby artificially lowering the price. When faced with that threat, multinational pharmaceutical firms have simply withdrawn from the market, which often leads to limited availability of advanced drugs. Countries that have been the most successful in this type of confrontation with multinational corporations are large countries such as United States and Brazil, which have viable indigenous market competitors. Lobbying Multinational corporate lobbying is directed at a range of business concerns, from tariff structures to environmental regulations. Companies that have invested heavily in pollution control mechanisms may lobby for very tough environmental standards in an effort to force non-compliant competitors into a weaker position. Corporations lobby tariffs to restrict competition of foreign industries. For every tariff category that one multinational wants to have reduced, there is another multinational that wants the tariff raised. Even within the U.S. auto industry, the fraction of a companys imported components will vary, so some firms favor tighter import restrictions, while others favor looser ones. This is very serious and is very hard and takes a lot of work for the owner. Conclusion The discussion so far, points out that, the degree to which a nation is likely to achieve international success in a certain industry is a function of the combined impact of factor endowments, demand conditions, related and supporting industries, and domestic rivalry. It is very obvious that these determinants are interrelated. Each is influenced by the others and in turn, influences the others. The presence of all these four components is usually required for this diamond to boost competitive performance although there are exceptions. Porter also points out that government can influence each of the four components of the diamond either positively or negatively. Factor endowments can be affected by subsidies, policies toward capital markets, policies toward education and others. Domestic demand can also be shaped through local product standards or regulations that mandate buyer needs. Government policy can also influence supporting and related industries through regulation and influe nce firm rivalry through such devices as capital market regulation, tax policy and antitrust laws. Countries should therefore be exporting products from those industries where all four components of the diamond are favourable, than importing in those areas where the components are not favourable in order to achieve competitive advantage. References Buckley, P. Casson, M. (1998). Models of the multinational enterprise. Journal of International Business Studies, 29(1), 21-44. Caves, R. (1982). Multinational enterprise and economic analysis. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press. Corden, W. (1994). Economic policy, exchange rates and the international system. Oxford University Press. Hamel, G. Prahalad, C. (1994). Competing for the future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Hymer, S. (1976). The international operations of national firms: A study of direct foreign investment. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Leontief, W. (1999). Domestic production and foreign trade: The American capital position re-examined. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 97, 331-349. Papanastassou, M. Pearce, R. (1999). Multinationals, technology and national competitiveness. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Porter, M. (1990). The competitive advantage of nations. New York: The Free Press. Tsang, D. (1999). National culture and national competitiveness: A study of the microcomputer component industry. Advances in Competitiveness Research, 7(1), 1-20. Vernon, R. (1966, May). International investments and international trade in the product life cycle. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 190-207. Bibliography Daniels, J., Radebaugh, L., Sullivan, D. (2007). International Business: environment and operations, 11th edition. Prentice Hall. Joshi, Rakesh Mohan, (2009) International Business, Oxford University Press. Roger Sugden (2000). The nature of the transnational firm. Routledge. Travis, T. (2007). Doing Business Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Going Global. Hoboken: John WileySons. Hill, W.L. (2001) International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace, McGraw-Hill. Veiyath, R. Zahra, S. (2000). Competitiveness in the 21st century: Reflections on the growing debate about globalization. Advances in Competitiveness Research, 8(1), 14-27. Bresman, H., Birkinshaw, J. Nobel, R. (1999). Knowledge transfer in international acquisitions. Journal of International Business Studies.

Presenting for Success Quotes

â€Å"Life’s like a movie, write your own ending Keep believing, keep pretending We’ve done just what we’ve set out to do Thanks to the lovers, the dreamers, and you. † – Kermit the frog â€Å"There are two types of people – those who come into a room and say, ‘Well, here I am! ’ and those who come in and say, ‘Ah, there you are. ’† – Frederick Collin â€Å"The greatest power ever bestowed upon mankind is the power of choice. Choose to persist without exception. Hold fast to your dreams and stay the course, even in the face of exhaustion, rejection, and uncertainty. † – Andy Andrews Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. † -Mark Twain â€Å"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, n either does bathing.That's why we recommend it daily! † – Zig Ziglar â€Å"A positive attitude won’t help you do anything, but it will help you do everything better than negative thinking. † – Zig Ziglar â€Å"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. – Aristotle â€Å"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. † – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe â€Å"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face†¦ You must do the thing you think you cannot do. † – Eleanor Roosevelt Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Calvin Coolidge May we never let the things we can’t have, or don’t have, or shouldn’t have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness, let us not forget it, for one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the things we cannot or should not have. – Richard L. Evans Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see bird that had the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses. – Dale CarnegieWhen one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. – Helen Keller There are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened. We all have a choice. You can decide which type of person you want to be. I have always chosen to be in the first group. – Mary Kay Ash I think there is something, more important than believing: Action! The world is full of dreamers, there aren't enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision. W. Clement Stone What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it. – Alexander Graham Bell A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done. – Vince Lombardi You've got o sing like you don't need the money, love like you'll never get hurt. You've got to dance like no one is watching. It's gotta come from the heart, if you want it to work. – Susannah Clark Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exac tly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein. – H. Jackson Brown If you want to get somewhere you have to know where you want to go and how to get there. Then never, never, never give up. – Norman Vincent PealeFor many people, an excuse is better than an achievement because an achievement, no matter how great, leaves you having to prove yourself again in the future but an excuse can last for life. – Eric Hoffer If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity, it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, â€Å"I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me. – Ann Landers Crystallize your goals. Make a plan for achieving them and set yourself a deadline.Then, with supreme confidence, determination and dis regard for obstacles and other people's criticisms, carry out your plan. – Paul Meyer Goals help focus you on areas in both your personal and professional life that are important and meaningful, rather than being guided by what other people want you to be, do, or accomplish. – Catherine Pulsifer Success is waking up in the morning, whoever you are, wherever you are, however old or young, and bounding out of bed because there's something out there you love to do, that you believe in, that you're good at — something that's bigger than you are, and you can hardly wait to get at it again today. Whit Hobbs Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by someone who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret – curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable. – Walt Disney I believe l ife is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life's greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve. This level of resolve can move mountains, but it must be constant and consistent. – Tony Robbins

Website Project Fantasy - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 12 Words: 3454 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Chapter 1. Introduction Project Overview Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Website Project Fantasy" essay for you Create order Last year a project was completed for Mr. Starkey (hereinafter referred to as Client) to design a family website. The website was centered on a fantasy football league created for family and friends from around the world. Many other features were involved in the creation of this website including games, events, family news and many more. With all these and an advanced fantasy football competition, more than just a website site was created. In fact a quote from the Client stated The website has brought everyone together into a kind of Family Intranet or in other words, a Virtual Community has been created (Starkey A.J. 2006). Chapter 2. Design Project Aims With the success of the project, the Client has asked for improvements to be made to the fantasy football feature of the website. For next seasons competition the Client would like the entrants to be able to register on-line. The Clients reasons for this are numerous:- To aid in the ease of entering the competition To save on postage for managers in different countries To have one official route for applications, instead of entries coming in from different ways and therefore getting lost and misled To allow alterations to be made by the entrant without contacting the Client To improve the quality of the website and to continuously bring the website forward with new and innovative ideas Project Objectives To fulfil this project and create the on-line fantasy football application I will have to meet several objectives. 1.To enable the entrant to:- Create a user name and password Log in with correct details View fantasy football rules Scroll through the players in different classes i.e. defence, midfield and forwards Pick and list their selected team Process their chosen team E-mail their application to the relevant address Error messages to be given in these circumstances:- Wrong log-in details are supplied Selected team breaks any fantasy football rules Follow the CSS guidelines set in the website structure, and to consider all HCI aspects throughout the design and implementation. To have the new system installed by 11Dec 2006. Project Considerations During all aspects of designing and building this feature the following considerations will be taken into account:- Superstructure Graphics Colour Content Readability Page Layout Links Project Methodology There were several possible methodologies to help with this project. The ones considered were:- 5 STEPS (Steps to Ensure Project Success) where it helps an individual deliver the project on time within budget. The focus is on developing a realistic schedule for a project and then managing it. AIS (Administrative Information System) which uses 7 structured components. PRINCE (Projects IN Controlled Environments) this was produced by the Central Computing and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) for the development and implementation of IS/IT projects. WebE Process WebApps are often delivered incrementally. That is, framework activities will occur repeatedly as each increment is engineered and delivered (Pressman RS 2005, p 507). Using the WebE Process represents an incremental design structure. The project is split up into increments to be tried and tested individually. This process model is adaptable to fit most tasks or implements. The one I have decided to go with is a methodology called PROMPT (Project Resource Organisation Management Planning Techniques) which although is the predecessor to PRINCE, it is the methodology more suited to my project than the others. PROMPT was designed in an attempt to set down guidelines for a computer project to avoid serious over-running of time limits, which I feel is vital in this project to keep me from falling behind. Even though the WebE process is specifically designed for web applications our project is not incremental. The stage flow guidelines are as follows:- Feasibility Study to determine whether the project should be done/can be done/will work if it is done. Initial stage where the project organisation is set up. Specification Stage in which the user specification was detailed. Design Stage where the logical and from this the physical design of the computer system was designed in detail. Development Stage the system is built and tested. Installation stage the user accepts a working system. Operation Stage when the system is tuned for the work in hand. Interface designs The overall design of the interface has to run along the same lines as the original website, while the log-in and selection pages can follow different routes. There are several different ways of approaching the interface. One option is a simple one click system where you click on a player and it appears in your team. Another option, and the one which will be applied to the feature, is a drag and drop system. Both options are simple for the users to work but the drag and drop system brings little extra to the process. It doesnt have to be just the name that is dragged it can be an icon. This will create a real manager feel to the program. Fig 2 shows an example of this drag and drop procedure. The icon being a players face. User Case The two use case diagrams show how the system will function. Diagram 1 shows how the Entrant will create his account, while Diagram 2 shows what option will be available to the registered manager. Storyboard Storyboarding not only improves your site navigation system but also helps design your website properly. Interface html/css design and layouts The majority of the pages in this section of the website will follow the same guidelines, with the slight exception of the team selection, seen below. Database Design There are several pieces of information required on each player for the database. Each subject data needs to be sorted properly to aid in the running of the database. Normalisation is part of successful database design. Without normalisation, database systems can be inaccurate, slow and inefficient and they might not produce the data you expect (databasedev.co.uk). To enable us to follow the normalisation rules to need to find a piece of information that uniquely identifies that player. As team name, player name player position etc can quite easily be duplicate a player ID has been created for each player. The creation of this ID will be automatically created by the database software (mysql) so does not need to be of a concern. The information held an each player are as follows: Field Example ID 1001 Team Name Arsenal Position Goalkeeper Player Name Lehmann Cost 7.5m Further developments The program has been designed so that any future enhancements that are required can be easily implemented. The program is reusable for the fantasy football competition every year. All that needs to be changed each year is the player information. As the database doesnt carry very much data there is plenty of room for extensions or other ideas and new innovations. The program can in future be used for any other fantasy games the client has in mind for future events. Reflection I found that the project, although not impossible to complete in the time limit, the ideas I had to solve the project objectives were over ambitious. The reasons for this soon became clear: My knowledge of PHP was not satisfactory at the start of the project to complete my ambitious objectives. The plan to keep to the main website theme, instead of aiding in the building of the fantasy football section made the project harder to complete. This was that I could not express myself for this project and therefore were limited in the way I could develop it. Considering this, the objectives and aims did not change as I feel that I still completed them moderately. The problem was that the php was very basic in the whole. Although this doesnt help with the time limit available, I can still improve this in the future as I improve my php knowledge. A good example of this is the team selection process. Diagram 6 shows one example of how I would have liked it to have been done. Chapter 3. Project Tracking Project Risks Due to the small size of this project, the risks are few, although I have included a few extra. These need to be considered even though the probability is very low, as they applied to the original project and so also concern the current one. Risk Identity Risk Probability Risk Impact Assessment of risk Risk mitigation management 1. Budget Unlikely Important Domain and monthly web server costs exceed expectations keep within budget where possible 2. Schedule Possible Important Mismanagement of workload Keep with schedule planed in the Gantt chart 3. Design Unlikely Marginal Unable to design to specification and considerations Research thoroughly and seek aid if required 4. Implementation Possible Marginal Software and hardware problems Prepare for this by having a second pc and alternative software available 5. Personnel Unlikely Serious Illness to myself that halts the procedure Seek extensions if required Reflection Project Risks As already reflected on earlier, concerning the objectives that were unfulfilled this also comes under the project risk category. The risk identity here was schedule. Risk Identity Risk Probability Risk Impact Assessment of risk Risk mitigation management 2. Schedule Possible Important Mismanagement of workload Keep with schedule planed in the Gantt chart Here although it says that the assessment of the risk is Mismanagement of workload I would be inclined to say that it was Misinterpretation of expectations Project Methodology The Project Proposal stated that the methodology WebE was going to be used. This was changed when it became clear that that Methodology wasnt completely suited for this project. The WebE is used for incremental applications, while the PROMPT although outdated was more suited this time. Chapter 4. Testing Software testing is fundamentally concerned with demonstrating that observed (actual) program behaviour corresponds with specified (expected) program behaviour (Jorgensen. P. 2002). What this means is that you build your test conditions to match what the expected outcomes of the software are. The best way of doing is to split your software into manageable sections. This is called Unit testing. This does not cover all the testing required, as our software needs to meet accessibility requirements and also pass a validation test. For all these and more we need to decide on a test strategy. Test Strategy The test strategy will include four different types of testing as described below. Sight testing This test will be used throughout the development and implementation of the website, and will be ongoing over short periods. This will spot simple errors before they become bigger. Usability testing This will be used to test every aspect of the website as defined in the website considerations. The tests and results can be seen in the Test plan. The website will then be put through the W3c Mark-up Validation Service test. Accessibility testing Accessibility testing involves measuring the ease with which users with special needs can complete common tasks on your website. The tests and results can be seen in the Test plan. Acceptance testing The Client will then be involved and asked to test all the features of the website to ensure that everything is designed to the clients expectations. This testing may result in further refinements. Usability Testing Using the list from the project consideration, we will test the web site thoroughly. These tests will be completed using different computers, browsers and internet speeds. Below is the test plan, which gives a table of the tests that were carried out, their expected results and their actual results. Test Plan Test No. Test Expected Results Actual Results Superstructure: 1 Is the site layout easy to understand? Yes Yes 2 Is the navigation around the site easy Yes Yes 3 Is the loading time quick and efficient Yes Yes 4 Is the site accessible to users with inferior hardware Yes Yes 5 Is the site accessible to users with inferior software Yes Yes 6 is the site accessible for short-sighted people Yes Yes Graphics: 7 Are they clear and attractive Yes Yes 8 Are they necessary Yes Yes 9 Do they contribute or just a distraction Contribute Contribute 10 Will they unjustifiable add to excessive loading time No Yes 11 Consider alternatives for people with lower spec browsers and software Yes Yes Colour: 12 Is there an attractive mix of colours Yes Yes 13 Do they add to the appearance of the site Yes Yes 14 Do the colours follow web standards Yes Yes 15 Have I considered colour blindness Yes Yes, See Accessibility test. Content: 16 Is the content interesting and of use to the user Yes Yes 17 Is the spelling correct Yes Yes 18 Is interaction possible Yes Yes Readability: 19 Are the pages readable Yes Yes 20 Does the site load correctly using different browsers Yes No! See note 102 Page Layout: 21 Is each page in the site consistent Yes No! See note 101 22 Use of Cascading style sheets Yes Yes Links: 23 Are the links easy to spot Yes Yes 24 Do they work correctly Yes Yes 25 If they follow the links can they return easily Yes Yes 26 Is there a site map, breadcrumbs or similar Yes, example Yes, Site map Program: Registration 27 Accept names and username Yes Yes 28 Accept Correct E-mail Yes Yes 29 Incorrect E-mail Error Error 30 Passwords Encrypt Yes Yes 31 Passwords dont match Error Error 32 Clear details button works Yes Yes 33 Database saves correct data Yes Yes Program: Log-in 34 Correct log-in details Opens managers page Opens managers page 35 Incorrect log-in details Error No! See note 103 36 Correct Admin details Opens Admin Page Opens Admin Page 37 Incorrect Admin details Warning Warning Program: Enter players 38 Show list of choices Yes Yes 39 Accept correct choice Yes Yes 40 Enter Team Return to Log-in Return to Log-in Program: Admin 41 Insert new details Accept and save to database Accepted and saved to database 42 Return button Opens Log-in page Opens Log-in page Program: show details 43 Press View Table Shows Latest Table Latest Table is shown 44 Press View Team Shows Users team Users team is shown 45 Press View Guestbook Opens guestbook See note 104 46 Press logout Returns to the home page Returns to the home page Note 101: The pages that show the team selection and the football tables etc. are not consistent with all pages as yet. The reason being is that they are just using trail data until the beginning of the season, once the correct player data been released then the pages will follow the required standard. Note 102: The site was originally tested on Internet Explorer 5/6. Fire fox 1.0.7 and Opera 8.5. While each of these browsers displayed the site accurately there was the exception of a few minor errors fixed during the sight test. The real problem started when I updated to the latest Internet Explorer version 7 (IE7). Here the home pages heading were moved. This problem was overcome without disrupting the view in the other browsers that were previously perfect. Without being sure if its IE7s fault or my own page design, the problem in the home page was that IE7 browser would not except a heading value I had entered, I arrived at this answer by pure trail and error, but once changed it solved the problem first time. Note 103: The error comes up but there was no link button to take the user back to the Log-in page. Instead of taking the user away a statement appears stating that wrong details were inputted and clears the details ready for a retry. Note 104: The guestbook is not fully operational at the moment, but the shell has been put in to show the users that the feature will be available once the new season starts. Accessibility Testing For this test, we used two website tests. Firstly was the Website Accessibility Initiative (WAI). This involves a full checklist of over 60 tests to check for your sites accessibility. The second is a colour-blindness test from a company called Vischeck. Vischeck take your webpage and show you how it would look to a person with colour-blindness Fig 3 shows this. While the outcome is not perfect, the picture in the top right is not seen, everything else including the text is seen correctly. As this picture is only temporary tests will be made on any future pictures uploaded onto the site. Acceptance Testing The Acceptance tests After all the other tests had been done the acceptance testing took place. Here the client went through the whole site to check for errors and suitability. Whilst this test was a success at the clients home address, there was a problem when he accessed the website at work. The problem here was that the headings in the home page did not show in Edwardian script. The browser here used was Internet Explorer Version 6.0.2800.1106co. While this was confusing the problem was not a major one, also, I had not come across this problem before other then in testing and certainly not with any of the other browsers I have tested the site with. Therefore, the decision was made to see if any of the users had similar problems until any alterations were made. Reflection After researching web application testing in different areas, it became clear that most testing is done in different ways, by using testing tools or even specialised test software. Having mostly in the past used test strategies from P M Heathcotes Tackling computer Projects I have adapted that with what I had learnt from others theories that I had researched. As with one tutorial I found, How to Unit Test the User Interface of Web Applications (Dudziak 2005) hes actually testing a significantly bigger project. There is, however several similarities which can be taken and used in other simpler web applications. The entire test plan is made up of several different ones to satisfy this projects needs. Finally with the software not to go on-line until the summer when the new season starts, the tests can only be done on what is available. Therefore further testing (Unit and Acceptance) will be carried out once the project has finally been completed. In the usability testing the W3c Mark-up Validation Service test came up withseveral errors one of which was the heading Family Ties. This was adding to excessive download time according to the test. The answer here was to make the heading into a image. Chapter 5. Clarity of Documentation References Accessibility checklist. https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/full-checklist.html Allen, G 2006, Project management methodologies 23 Nov 2006, https://www.tech.port.ac.uk/staffweb/allang/pm-mthds.htm Colour-blindness testing https://www.vischeck.com/vischeck/vischeckURL.php Database solutions and downloads for Microsoft access, https://www.databasedev.co.uk/design_basics.html Dudziak, T 2005, How to unit test the user interface of web applications 23 Dec 2006, https://www.openqa.org/floyd/HowToUnitTestTheUserInterfaceOfWebApplications.pdf Heathcote, PM 1997, Tackling Computer Projects 2nd Ed p3-19, Hillman, [GB] Jorgensen. P, Software Testing A Craftsmans Approach, CRC Press. 2 ed. 2002. Khor, S, Software Testing Methods, Strategies and issues, https://www.cs.concordia.ca/~comp691l/TestingFinal_Susan.pdf Pressman, RS 2005, Software engineering: A practitioners approach, Sixth edition, McGraw-Hill, [New York]. Starkey, AJ 2006, Family Ties a personal website for family and friends 20 May 2006, www.anthonystarkey.co.uk. Bibliography Acquired Knowledge systems Inc, Celestial Graphics, Website design. https://www.aksi.net/website-design-tutorial2.htm Allen, G 2006, Project management methodologies 23 Nov 2006, https://www.tech.port.ac.uk/staffweb/allang/pm-mthds.htm Bradley, A 2006, PHP Log-in Script 12 Oct 2006, https://php.about.com/od/finishedphp1/ss/php_login_code.htm Crooks, G. (2006). Team of the week. Available: https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/spl/hi/football/squad_selector/team_of_the_week/html/ss_team.stm. Last accessed 21 Oct 2006. 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Makabuhay Plant Extract - 4237 Words

A STUDY ON THE IN VITRO ANTIMITOTIC ACTIVITY OF TINOSPORA RUMPHII BOERL (MAKABUHAY) STEM EXTRACT ON A549 NON-SMALL LUNG CANCER CELL LINE WITH NORMAL SALINE SOLUTION AS NEGATIVE CONTROL AND VINCRISTINE AS POSITIVE CONTROL. Group 09 PBL 1 - Research Donaldo, Manuel Emerson S., MD MSc. Butad, Mark Dave Isidore Estranero, Maria Fatima Lauro, Kathrina Joy Manago, Marika Zaphia Sala, Mikee Beneve Sy, Florge Francis Urtal, Sundyne SY 2012 – 2013 CHAPTER I Introduction Background of the study According to statistics gathered by the World Health Organization, 7.6 million people worldwide died from cancer in the year 2008, accounting to 13% of all deaths. Cancer is the third leading cause of morbidity and†¦show more content†¦It does not only raise health related concerns but also financial problems especially on treatment related expenses. The effort to make new discoveries related cancer treatment caused the inception of this study. This study will hopefully provide new information on the effect of Makabuhay (Tinospora rumphii boerl) plant to cancer and if proven to have a significant effect, this can be a breakthrough for an affordable and accessible treatment for cancer. Conceptual Framework CHAPTER II Review of Related Literature Tinospora rumphii boerl is a specie of Tinospora collectively known locally as Makabuhay Plant.It is a member of the Menispermaceae family of angiosperms. It is a vine reaching a height of four to ten meters. The stems are up to one centimeter thick and fleshy, with scattered protuberances. The leaves are thin sheets that are heart-shaped, six to twelve centimeters in length and seven to twelve centimeters in width, with pointed and truncate base, smooth and shiny. Its flowers only have three petals. The plant is known for its bitter nature, and the fruits of this plant are held in clusters, which can be as long as two centimeters. This plant may be propagated by planting its stem, which contains a bitter sap. It can be found in most forests all over the Philippines and it grows in tropical areas. Only the leaves and the stems of the plant have been utilized as herbal remedies for various ailments. For the stems, both the dried