The Definition and Criticism of an Insanity Defense Essay - 1

The Definition and Criticism of an Insanity Defense - Essay Example Very few people plead insanity though and among those who plead it, a very minor part wins the plea. An important point here is people acquitted under insanity defense are seldom allowed to walk free. In almost all cases, the acquitted people are allowed to go to treatment centers and kept there until mental health officials determine they do not pose a danger to anyone. Criticism to insanity defense is a common phenomenon. Critics argue that some defendants misuse insanity defense, effectively faking insanity to win acquittals or less severe convictions. And often the trials involving an insanity defense get the most attention because they involve crimes that are peculiar within themselves. Nevertheless, studies suggest the overwhelming majority of defendants acquitted by reason of insanity suffer from schizophrenia or some other mental illness (Fersch, 2005). There could be several reasons for criticizing the insanity defense, including political, legal as well as humanistic. In USA, for instance, the insanity defense received harsh public criticism when, after the 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr., Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Lot of people argues argued that his premeditation of the crime was undeniable proof of his sanity. Public criticism of the insanity defense has continued to grow with each high profile case. In conclusion, insanity plea is a poor excuse for serious lawbreaking, and should not ideally influence or ease the punishment. In a majority of criminal cases, especially murder trials, an insanity plea is used as a defense strategy aimed at saving guilty defendants from death penalty or serving time in prison. The accused usually pretend to be mentally ill and their lawyers use this as a way to confuse jury and influence their judgment. And then most of the accused, by reason of insanity,

Folk Songs of the Han Essay Example for Free

Folk Songs of the Han Essay Introduction Of the one billion people in China, over 93% belong to the Han nationality. Consequently,the Chinese cultureto which most scholarsrefer is usually the Han culture. However, within the Han Chinese culturethere are differences in custom, dialect, etc. , due to historical events and geographic conditions. Chinese ethnomusicologists in recent years have developed the study of Han Chinese folk songs based upon geographic factors and have labelled this study Music Geography. According to Miao Jing and Qiao Jianzhong, two prominent ethnomusicologists advocating this new approach,there are as many as eleven culture areas (which they call similarcolor areas)of Han Chinese folk songs (1987: 58-61): 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) P Northeastern lain P Northwestern lain JiangHuai Plateau(northern iangsuand northern nhui) J A Zhe Plain (southernJiangsu,southernAnhui, Zhejiang) Jiang Min Tai (FujianandTaiwan) Yue (Guangdong) JiangHan Plain (Hubei, southernHenan) Xiang (Hunan) Gan (Jiangxi) Southwestern lateau P Kejia (Hakkapeople of variousplaces). With the exception of the last-namedgroup (which is a widely-distributed a sub-culture) ll the above divisions arebased upon geographicfactors. In the broadergeographicview, the Han Chinese culture may also be divided into northernand southernstyles, each of which is associated with one of the two majorrivers of China,the HuangHe (Yellow River) of This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 108 Asian Music, Spring/Summer 989 1 the north and the Chang Jiang (Long River, also known as the Yangzi River) of the south. It is commonly assumedthatthe HuangHe basin is the cradleof Chinesecivilization. However,recentstudies (such as Miao 1988: 1) indicatethatotherriver basins have contributed qually to the shapingof e Chinese civilization. Among them is the ChangJiangbasin, which is early t certainlyof equal importance o the HuangHe. Anothersystem for classifying folk songs is by type, of which haozi (worksongs), shange (mountainsongs), and xiaodiao (lyric songs) dominate. I propose to examine both systems, in sequence, in order to obtain as wide a perspectiveas possible on Han folk songs. Differences between Northern and Southern Folk Songs To the thinking of Miao Jing and Qiao Jianzhong (1987: 59), the division of Han Chinese folk songs into northern and southern styles follows other aspects of Chinese culture closely. In this division, environmentis seen as playing a significantrole. The HuangHe basin is a cold, dry and windy areawhere the main agricultural roductis wheat. The p lower basin is frequently flooded. The rugged, intense and disjunct characteristicsof the folk songs can be explained by the realities of life on the basin. The Chang Jiangbasin, on the other hand, has mild weatherand much rain. Rice is the main agriculturalproduct. Life is easier for these people and, therefore,the folk songs of this region tend to be more lyrical, gentle and conjunct. There are many rain-evokingsongs in the Huang He area, but there are none in the Chang Jiang area because there is adequate rain for the crops. As a second geographicaspect, local customs are also importantin the formation of folk songs. For instance, in ancient times, people of the Chang Jiang were spirit worshippers. There are still many funeral songs preserved, such as beatingthe corpsesongs, piety songs, and gongs and drumsof Hell. However, in the HuangHe area,it is not the custom to sing when a man dies and funeral songs are absent (Miao 1988: 5-10). Thus, o both environmentand customs determinethe functionandcharacteristics f folk songs. The following is a summary of Han Chinese folk song d characteristicsbased upon their northern-southern ivisions. It should be This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Han Kuo-Huang: Han Folk Songs 109 noted that most of these features apply primarily to the xiaodiao (lyric songs),one of the threetypes mentionedabove. Scales and Modes. In general, the Huang He area uses either 7-tone or 6-tone scales. The most popularmodes are the zhi (sol-re), followed in order by shang (re-la), gong (do-sol) and yu (la-mi). (See Appendix for explanation of modes. ) However, in the middle and upper basins of the Huang He area, the shang mode is particularlyfavored. The ChangJiang area,on the otherhand, most commonly uses 5-tone or 4-tone scales. The most popularmode is also the zhi, followed in orderby gong, yu, shang, and jiao. The yu mode is especially popular in Yunnan province. Melodic Progression. The melody of the Huang He area tends to be more angularthan others in shape and moves in disjunct movement. One characteristic f the intervallicemphasis,especially in the o upper Huang He basin, is the 4th-2nd-4th progression, such as gl-c2-gl. This is relatedto the accentof the dialect (Du 1983: 68). The tessituraof all folk songs of this northernarea tends to be high. Melody in the Chang Jiang areatends to be smooth and curvedin shape, and moves in relatively conjunctmotion. The consecutive use of 3rds and 5ths is frequent. When there is a skip larger than a 5th, the melody returnsimmediately in the opposite direction. For example when el jumps to c2, it turns back downwardto al, or passes throughbl to al (Jiang 1983: 77). The tessitura of the folk songs of this areatends to be in the mediumrange. Musical Form, Strophic form is common to most Han Chinese folk songs belonging to the shange and xiaodiao categories, but the use of refrain is not as prominent as in the Western world. In the Huang He area, xiaodiao usually have four phrases while shange are of two phrases. Phrases are normally of equal length. In the e four-phrasestructure, ach phraseor each half phraseis usually set to seven words. In the Chang Jiang area, both lyric songs and mountainsongs use a four-phrasestructure, gain with phrasesof equal length. In the lyric a song type, each phrase,or half phrase,is usually set to five words. In the case of the four-phrasestructure, elodies follow the typical m old sequence qi (opening), cheng (inheriting), zhuan (turning), and he (closing), which is an organizational concept borrowed from Chinese This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 110 Asian Music, Spring/Summer 989 1 literature. The qi phrase presents the first statementand the chen phrase complements it. The zhuan phrase marks a departurefrom the general movement of the previous phrases, and the he phraseconcludes the piece. This kind of structure s especially clear in the xiaodiao of the lower Chang i Jiang basin. Of course, this form is very generaland thereare exceptions. a Example 1, Xiu Hebao (Embroidering Pouch), is a love song from northern Shanxi province (Zhongguo Minge Xuan 1980: 217). It represents the northernstyle of folk song. The words are about a young girl thinking of her lover while embroidering a pouch for him. (Embroidered pouches were a popular handicraft for women in rural China. ) The scale of this piece is pentatonicand the mode is shang, dI (re) being the final. The appearanceof d2-g2 (m. 1), d2-g2 (m. 2-3), g2-d2 (m. 3), al-d2_g2-d2 (m. 5-6), and gl-c2 (m. 6-7) are clear examples of the emphases on the interval of a 4th, a typical feature of northernfolk song. Consequently, the melodic contour tends to be angular. The form is strophic in two-phrases, each phrase having four measures. There are generally five words to each half phrase, except for occasional short additions,such as at the beginningof the second phrase(m.5-6). Vocables are enclosed in parentheses. The ending notes on half phrases, d2 (m. 2) and gl (m. 6) , the half cadence of gl (m. 4), and cadence of d1 (m. 8) give the piece a solid feeling in the shangmode. Example 2, Meng Jiang Nil (The Eldest Daughter of the Jiang Family), on the other hand, shows typical features of the southern style (ZhongguoMingeXuan 1980: 155). The melody of this extremelypopular folk song is found in many parts of China, though often with different texts. The text given here is from the best-known version of Jiangsu province (lower Chang Jiang basin). The subject is a lament of the eldest daughterof the Jiang family for her husbandwho was draftedby the Qin Emperor(reigned 221-210 B. C. ) to build the GreatWall. The scale of the piece is pentatonicand the mode is zhi, the final being b (sol). The melody moves generally in a smooth contour utilizing essentially step-wise movement. Consequently,with the exception of m. 5 and m. 6, the general tendency of the melody is gently curved ratherthan angular. The form is a typical four-phrasestrophic structure,each phrase having two measures. These four phrasesfollow the qi, cheng, zhuan, and he sequence mentioned above. This is especially clear at the phrase This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Han Kuo-Huang: Han Folk Songs Example1 Xiu Hebao 111 (Shanxiprovince) r36 rIs ML i -s. t If ,. . .E eu3 i ~M a? ~L~. i * _k A5 I ~ R~ r # w oA M. I Zf, T t. it ME a t ge- ?18 g: ; a~i i jjM. 9 7k ,4 4t ~I )a i -) †¢ . Al. A aAl Y. Y L . + ID I*. . . 1. When the moon is high and bright,fifteenthis the day; And when the springwind blows willows will swing and sway. 2. Blossoms bloom in March,a lettercomes to me. It was from my only love, asking for a pouch made by me. 3. FirstI embroidered little boat with a sail to see. a And if he sees the sail, hell come sailing to me. 4. Then I embroidered ome love birds;they swam all over the sea. s They stayedtogetherandwere as close as could be. 5. He is young and strong;Im like a blossoming flower. And when he finds the pouch, hell come back for me. a (Text translated nd adapted y RebeccaSchwan) b This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 112 1 Asian Music, Spring/Summer 989 Example2 Meng Jiang Nii (Jiangsuprovince) SIr tr =I I i ~ Li7T i4 *. †¢ .. iE ,- A =. F 6. t MY Ii , * -lI* f†¢ A, 0 1- A r. -t:x A ). L : 5? .- , p r, 1 bC? il ~ †¢* wAaa o . 0 I i. ti. ?T 1 1 fF tt ff t. †¢ t†¢ i ii Bi i t†¢ †¢ n n ! # ? N g 7t i E P m * 0 at t , 5 ~ †¢4 *. 1 w †¢. a h t,o~. †¢r. /4 i t; R . OE ( †¢ 1 . momI I mEI †¢ †¢. I; :W IKE u a3R a S T,~i~r9-k ARcF. t ~ Ar T ~) f UT 5 3L; ok p * ? B ~1 iC f t , _ I ~7(†¢ * ( * r; i J+ †¢. †¢ ; 1 E , I A 4 ff~IBR * rK tAf†¢ tI†¢. a . n ai . P -A rL f e p- C _. †¢. †¢ * a. ;, PQ kfr t. . Ik †¢ †¢ a Es a a , . a it n I †¢_ i ol i 11 4 21t,†¢. . I. †¢ 1. Plum flowers at New Year bringNew Spring, Red lamps are lit at every door. Everyfamily is complete. But my own husbandhas gone to build the wall. 12. it Plum flowers again appearat eve of New Year. g Every home has abundant ood cheer. All preparefor the feast fatedpork andmutton. Meng ChiangNii all alone weeps in bitterness. (Text translated y Bliss WiantandtakenfromWiant 1947: 37). b This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Han Kuo-Huang: Han Folk Songs 113 cadences of f# (m. 2), b (m. 4), c#1 (m. 6) and b (m. 8). B (sol) and f# (re) are the most importanttones of the mode. There are twelve stanzas. Each half phraseis set to seven words. The text of each stanzabegins with the name of a month. This is a typical featureof xiaodiao, as we shall see laterin the descriptionof this genre. Classification of Folk Song by Type Most Chinese ethnomusicologists (such as Jiang 1982: passim) follow a three-fold classification system for Han Chinese folk songs; namely haozi (work songs), shange (mountainsongs), and xiaodiao (lyric songs). Each type may furtherbe divided into sub-types. Haozi (Work Songs) The Chinese name for this category, haozi, means crying or a shouting, n indicationof its origins in labor. The functionof this type of is to accompanywork or to relieve hardshipduringwork. Most work song songs feature strong rhythms, and for each a basic rhythmic pattern underlies the entire piece. This is true of the work songs of any people in the world. Melodic materialis ratherlimited and ostinato used frequently. Work songs are exclusively vocal and the rangeis normallywide. Texts are not organized in any established poetic form and there are numerous vocables used. Solo, unison, duet and call-and-response are typical mannersof performanceaccording to specific working conditions. There are five sub-typesof work songs: 1. Transporting Songs. This sub-type refers to songs sung by laborers who carry, drag, or push a heavy load. Due to the extreme a physical requirements ssociatedwith these activities, most of the songs are short and sung in loud voices. Example3 is the beginningof a transporting song from Hangzhouin Zhejiangprovince. It is sung by portersin the style of call (m. 1, 3, 5, ) and response (m. 2, 4, 6, ). The scale is pentatonicand the rangewithin one octave. The mode appearsto be yu (lami). 1 This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions. 114 Asian Music, Spring/Summer 989 1 Example3 UntitledTransporting ong S call (Zhejiangprovince) etc. re! LpqAQ 4 ~4? _c etc. 0 2. ConstructionSongs. This sub-type is sung when workers are building a house or road, digging a canal, gatheringstones, cutting wood, hammering a pole, etc. It requires unified rhythms because of the group action involved in working, and is also often sung in call-and-response style. The vocal range is usually wide. Example 4 is a dike-buildingsong from Hubei province sung in call (m. 1-2, 5-6) and response (m. 3-4, 7-) (Jiang 1982: 73). 2 The melody is pentatonic in the zhi mode (sol-re). Note the wide range in the first measure. The vocables are shown in parentheses. Example4 Dae Ge, Dike-buildingSong (Hubeiprovince) res ;b ~ ,-_ -, s . , t l Ii. twit o #I C),v0 IL i4.? t ( Pomegranates ai) blossom (lie) (ya wei yi a ye a ye), Leaves are green (lie ya a ye), (a ye a ye ye a ye), Leaves are green (ye a a ye). (Translated y the author) b This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 1? Vj iC) Han Kuo-Huang: Han Folk Songs 115 3. FarmingSongs. Not all farmingactivitiesrequiresinging. The sub-typereferredto here includes group-activitysongs sung while pumping water, threshing grain, etc. Since the physical burdenis lighter than that associated with previous sub-types, the songs take on a character of entertainment. In fact, some farming songs are close to the shange category. Example 5 is a water-pumping song from Jiangsu province (Jiang 1982: 76). It is in pentatonic scale, shang mode (re-la). The vocables (shown in parentheses) are more prominent than the text. The mood is light, and the entertainingnatureof the song includes the use of a percussioninterlude(m.11-12). Example5 ShuicheHaozi, Water-pumping ong s -WWI k, I.. .. . _. -P- br. . (Jiangsuprovince) (Ai ya ha ai ya ai he he ai ai ya) Xue Rengui (ya) sails the seas conquering(yo de) the East (a ai ya li he). (Translated y the author) b 4. Sailing and Fishing Songs. Sailing and fishing songs are more complicated in form and content than the above sub-types. In the sailing sub-type, working conditions change according to water currents and weather conditions; the music changes accordingly. Many songs are constructed in suite style (i. e. , multi-sectional) which are long and elaborate. Call-and-responses a frequently-used echnique. i t 5. Miscellaneous Songs. Work songs which do not belong to the above sub-typesare includedhere. They can be sung by workersin the salt This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 116 1 Asian Music, Spring/Summer 989 field, by woodcutters, and by weavers, etc. The characteristicsof their songs vary accordingto each type of work. Shange (Mountain Songs) The term shange (mountainsongs) does not mean thatthe songs are necessarily sung in the mountains. The term should be understoodto mean songs sung in an open area, which may be near a mountainor in an open field. Some shange are sung while working, but the associated physical requirementis usually minimal. Thus, they are not included in the haozi category. Examples of these work songs are herding songs and field songs. These will be mentionedlater. In general,shange are freerin rhythmand higherin pitch thanhaozi or xiaodiao. Texts are improvisedto a great extent. Vocables and falsetto a are used frequentlywhich, along with the precedingtwo characteristics, re due mostly to the outdoor environment in which they are sung. Shange may begin and end with a high and long fermata,developed from shouting to get attentionin the outdoorenvironment. The alternating tyle of singing s is a favoritemethodsince many shangeinvolve love themes sung between a man and a woman. The musical form of shange can be in two, four, or even five phrases with insertions of extra sections in the set structurebeing frequent due to its improvisednature. There are three sub-typesof shange: general, herdingand field songs. 1. General Songs. Most songs which belong to this sub-type are lyrical songs with a love subject, and are expressive of the singers thoughts. They are not related to working conditions. There are more shange in this category than the other two sub-types. General moutain songs can be found in many parts of China and are identified by different names. Those found in the Northwest and North ( i. e. , Upper and Central Huang He basin) have special names such as xintianyou (sing as you like),pashan diao (climbmountaintune),huaer (flower song);those found in the south (i. e. , Chang Jiang basin and Taiwan) are simply called shange. This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions. Han Kuo-Huang: Han Folk Songs 117 Example 6, Lan Huahua, is a xintianyou shange from the northern of Shaanxiprovinceand is one of the most famous of northern hinese C part songs. The text mentions the unhappy marriage arrangements of the peasant girl, Lan Huahua,in ruralChina. The melody is pentatonic,in the yu mode and the structureis in two phrases, both ending on gl (la). The high cry in the beginning, notated as a high-pitched fermatain m. 2, is a typical feature of the shange. The tessitura is generally high and the direction of the melody at the end moves from high to low. This song is lyrical in nature,with a rhythmthat is freer, when sung, than the notation indicates (ZhongguoMinge Xuan 1980: 168). Example 7, Ge Youmai (Wheat Cutting), is a shange from Shaanxi province in northernChina. This is a good example of the use of insertions in shange. In its original form, it is a simple two-phrasepiece, with each phrasehaving four measures(7-a). Due to the insertions(7-b, m. 3-4, 8-11)and slight alterations(7-b, m. 2, 13), it is expandedinto a longer piece, but is still in two phrases (Jiang 1982: 128-129). The piece is pentatonic in zhi mode. Its generally high tessitura, conjunct melodic movement, and emphasison the intervalof a 4th (7-b, m. 1, 7) are typical of the northernstyle. The fermatain m. 1 is also a featureof the shange, and the entire piece has several others as well. There are suggestions of a love theme in the text. This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 118 Asian Music, Spring/Summer 989 1 Example6 Lan Huahua (Shaanxiprovince) _ F- 1 F. a l * . Ti !; i !. _ E~ 7E* 1 1 rF s f, IA in,* J o 1f1 A 7ft . 1, I .. N;. .. 5. f *E T op/ . iv . T t x m. †¢ 1 1-1 i 4v IT I X. AI a A I E T1 4. IT La t +Ix *. * *m , m †¢ ji 8 114 †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ , ! †¢ 1In 1f f , LI . r.. q I. 00 _i __ MR -MI , PSI $ 1. Threadsof black and threadsof blue, bluerthanthe sky. Sewed for baby Lan Huahua,apple of her motherseye. 2. Shooting up like the sorghumtall, beautybringsher fame. In every village in the land, everybodyknows her name. 3. New Year broughtthe matchmaker, ixed the bridegrooms f price. After the paymentsmade in March,in April shellbecome his wife. 4. Wedding music fills the air, drumsand whistles sound. She is tornfrom her own truelove andcarriedto the Zhou compound. (English text from Mai 1984: 19-20, first four verses) This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Han Kuo-Huang: Han Folk Songs Example7 Ge Youmai 119 (Shanxiprovince) 7-a IF I r AZK r I3 W I / ((I*I 41 IU~p r a I 1117RR I .16 v ~U~114 7. i r I a (-Ia. I ) *2I. II~ 7-a Brotheris cuttingwheatin the mountain. Sister is digging herbmedicine in the swamp. 7-b Brotheris up in the mountain(si lo) (si lo) cuttingwheat. Little sisteris in the swamp,in the ditch, at the divergingroad (ge beng) (ge beng) digging the herbmedicine (a mo) beloved. (Translated y the author) b 2. Herding Songs. Herding songs are sung mainly by boys in the field. Some include passages which call the herds, while working others are sung in question-answerstyle between two boys. Most herding songs are simple and free in structure. In fact, some are very simple childrens songs. 3. Field Songs. Songs which belong to this sub-type are sung in the rice fields while plantingseeds, tilling soil, etc. , to promote enthusiasm andrelease tension. It is said thatat one time specializedtroupeswere hired to sing in the fields (Jiang 1982: 162). However, since these songs are not. This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 120 Asian Music, Spring/Summer 989 1 restrictedby working conditions and are somewhat entertainingin nature, they are not considered to be haozi; and some fit more closely into the xiaodiao category. Field songs are sung in a high voice, often with falsetto. The melodies tend to be long and the rhythmsfree, which are typical featuresof shange. However, the natureof the field songs is more complex because they are sung in call-and-responsewith ostinato, which are features of the haozi. As Jiang Mingdun states, field songs are basedon the shange but mixed with elements of haozi and xiaodiao( 1982: 164). Xiaodiao (Lyric Songs) Xiaodiao (or xiaoqu ) means little tune. There is no acccurate translationfor this term, though it can be translatedas popular song, folk tune, folk song, lyric song, folk melody, etc. (Witzleben 1988: 11. ). Comparedto the above-mentionedgenres, the melody of xiaodiao is more r lyrical, the rhythmmore static,and the formalstructure elativelyclear. The text is not improvised as it is in the haozi or shange, and vocables, if used, i areintegrated nto the text. One source (Sung 1979: 201-245) divides xiaodiao into the following sub-types: lyric songs, humorous songs, childrens songs and customs songs, (i. e. , songs sung at weddings, funerals, etc. ). However, since this paper follows the outline of Jiang Mingduns book, his subdivision system is used. 1. Narrative Songs. The Chinese name for this sub-type, means narrative inging tune. This group includes songs yinchang diao, s that are somewhatfunctionalin nature. The generalorientationis narrative as opposed to lyrical ( i. e. , closer to the spoken language), and their structures are also comparatively less complex. Examples include childrens songs, lullabies, funeral songs, recitation of poems, vendors songs and customs songs, etc. 3 The Chinese term of this sub-type, yaoqu is 2. Little Songs. difficult to translate. Yaoalone means song;however, the translation here simply denotes its short length and simple structure. These are songs sung in daily life, but they are not as directly associated with specific This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Han Kuo-Huang: Han Folk Songs 121 functions as are the narrative ongs. Phrasesare more balancedin structure s but are nevertheless short. The vocal range is narrow and the rhythm simple. Examples include laborers songs, womens laments, gameplaying songs, and even some love songs. Love songs, however, are usually assigned to the popularsong sub-typediscussed below. 3. PopularSongs. The Chinese term shidiao can be translatedas seasontune. Althoughthe translationpopular ongmay mislead people s to associate these songs with currentpop songs, it nevertheless denotes a sense of popularityamongpeople, and is useful. Songs of this sub-typeare a sung mainly for entertainment t home, in teahouses, in cities, and in rural areas. The singers may be either amateursor professionals. All of the songs discussed until this point are sung by their creators. The popular song sub-type, on the other hand, is generally sung by entertainers. Instrumentalaccompanimentis added to these songs in most cases. Folk songs of this type are clearly the most numerous. Most of the folk songs known to the people of China (and throughoutthe world) belong to this sub-type. They are, in fact, considered to be at the heart of Han Chinese folk songs. The musical form of most popular songs follows the two or four equal phrase structure. In the case of the four-phrase structure,the qi, cheng, zhuan, and he sequenceis followed. Generally,each phraseis set to seven words, excluding vocables. Many popularsong texts are organized in sets of four, five or twelve stanzasin orderto representthe four seasons, five evening hour markings and the twelve months, respectively. Each stanza of text begins with a season, an hour marking,or a month. Due to the wide popularity of these songs, the same melody sometimes has different texts, and the same title may have differentmelodies. Two good examples of this sub-type have been presented above as examples of the northernand southernstyles Xiu Hebao (Example 1), and Meng Jiang Nii (Example 2). This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 1 Asian Music, Spring/Summer 989 122 LiuyueMoli Example8 (Taiwan) k, A s i wIo 5 65 i 2†¢3 5. 6, . O T ii E TET ttft ktf k li A 1 i 5 61 I I I 2 I 3 / 2161 6I I , 6 †¢i I 5 .23253-. 76i5-. iPM I 4 -4 T A AA AC 4 r t/JP) ~ -A aK, Ifr. O A t f P-ai 04 9) v QA A 04 0 oqw 04) HF If) f b a) ? 1F A A -9x ~ 4-: A A Ai -. g~qjg*~ P e~ f 1. Whitejasmine flowers of the sixth moon arefair, And theresa young lad whos noble and fine. Lovely flowers rarelyever grow all alone; Fair lonely lass can be sad, so sad. 2. Whitejasmine flowers of the sixth Moon are fair, Lovely lass has never been found. Flowers andlasses shouldnever be alone; Sad is the lovely lass whos never, never found. 3. Whitejasmine flowers of the sixth Moon are fair, Lasses alone are sorryand sad. Lovely flowers should be blooming side by side, When will the lass be found andnever be alone? a (Firstthreeverses translated nd adaptedby Rebecca Schwan. ) This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Han Kuo-Huang: Han Folk Songs 123 Example 8, LiuyueMoli (JasmineFlowers in the Sixth Moon)is anothergood example of a popularsong. This piece is from Taiwan and is in the southern style (Jian 1984: 50). The text speaks of a girl who compares herself to pretty jasmine flowers, and longs for a lover. The sixth moon refers to the sixth month of the lunar calendar. With the exception of a leap of a 6th (m. 2-3), the melody moves smoothly in conjunct movement with many intervalsof a 3rd. It is in pentatonicscale, zhi mode, the final being gl (sol). The form is in four equal phrases,each having four measures,and it fits the qi, cheng, zhuan,he sequence. The el (mi) pitch at the end of the thirdphraseis tonally far away from gl (sol) at the very end hence, its functionis zhuan(turning). he ending pitch of T the first phrase, d2 (re), on the other hand, is closely related to gl (sol). There are seven words in each half phrase, with some vocables at the end (shown in parentheses). Conclusion We have observed the possibility of seeing Han Chinese folk songs in terms of north-south divisions. From this perspective, it seems that geographicalfactors have influenced the characteristicsof folk songs. We have also seen the classification of folk songs by type, involving three majorcategories and their sub-types. It is importantto note thatwhile folk songs such as the xiaodiao (lyric songs) are encountered frequently in China, there are also haozi (work songs) and shange (mountain songs) which are relatively unknown outside of China. It is hoped that this introductionwill lead to more thoroughinvestigationsof this subjectin the Westernworld. This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 124 Asian Music, Spring/Summer 989 1 Notes 1 This song was transcribed y the authorfrom the recording, Behind b the GreatWall (MonitorRecordsMP 525), Side A, Band 2. The cut fades out graduallywithout a final pitch. It is only assumed to be in the yu mode from the general melodic movement. The same recordingfeatures several good work song examples and an excellent example of the sailing song subtype. 2 m Due to difficultiesin reproduction, usicalexamples takenfrom Jiang Mingdunsbook are recopied by the author. It seems contradictoryto include non-lyrical and functional songs here, but the author follows Jiangs theory. The same contradictory situationexists in the next sub-type. 3 This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Han Kuo-Huang: Han Folk Songs 125 Appendix: Scales and Modes of Han Chinese Music The Chinese names for pitches, scales and modes are summarized here accordingto the system establishedby Li Yinghai (1981: 11). Since he discusses only pentatonic scales, other scales will be omitted. Pitches denote relative ratherthan absolute values. The first note of each series is the name of the mode. Gong Gong Shang JiaoZhi Yu Gong Shang JiaoZhi n Shang n Jiao A -n vu1 U Q This content downloaded from 222. 126. 240. 162 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:21:02 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Yu 1 AsianMusic,Spring/Summer 989 126 Glossary of Selected Terms ChangJiang l pashandiao fR Lbi †¢ , qi cheng u GeYoumai shang gong shange Han shidiao haozi , he huaer xiaodiao T- j xiaoqu iU ~ xintianyou HuangHe XiuHebao jiao yaoqu LanHuahua yinchangdiao t7 , †¢ M Liuyue oli MengJiangNii # j t I~0 yu zhi zhuan Authors Names Du Yaxiong MiaoJing Jia.

Value of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM)

Value of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) Organizations worldwide are continuously trying to develop new and innovative ways to enhance their competitiveness. Bacallan (2000) suggests that some of these organizations are enhancing their competitiveness through improvements in their environmental performance to comply with mounting environmental regulations, to address the environmental concerns of their customers, and to mitigate the environmental impact of their production and service activities. Green supply chain management as a form of environmental improvement is an operational initiative that many organizations are adopting to address such environmental issues. Currently, the green concept is a critical issue for companies, but when the majority of businesses are cost focused, the idea of implementing and moving toward green practices is often seen as a costly strategy. Bowen et al. (2001) state that organizations will adopt green supply chain management practices if they identify that this will result in specific financial and operational benefits. According to Routroy (2009), Greening the manufacturing supply chain may result in one or more benefits, in terms of cost reduction, operational efficiency improvement, flexibility improvement, sales enhancement, customer value enhancement, and societal image improvement. Green supply chain management is also to enhance firms environmental performance through inter-organizational collaboration with business partners and increase efficiency by cost saving programs and proactive risk management practices (Hervani et al., 2005; Rao and Holt, 2005; Zhu and Sarkis, 2007). We will review the literature about Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) concept and then we will see how it is translated within the supply chains. Then, the common purpose of this research will be to identify the link between GSCM and overall firm performance. We decided, based on the literature and on a specific framework (Rao Holt, 2005) applied in Asia, to tackle the concept of green supply chain management in Western Europe by including environmental initiatives in: (1) Inbound logistics; (2) Production or the internal supply chain; (3) Outbound logistics, including reverse logistics. Nowadays, how organisations are implementing GSCM and what are the impacts on their business? At the end of this research we will identify the best practices, and the way they are they measured. Moreover, we will see in what extent an effective Green Supply Chain Management could be a driver for innovation and business performance in manufacturing firms? Finally, we will see if Green Supply Chain Management lead to profitability and competitiveness. Our study will consider manufacturing companies in Western Europe. II Literature review Definition Green supply chain management Several studies have considered the concept of ecological sustainability as a framework for studying management practices in both operational and strategic contexts (Sarkis and Rasheed, 1995; Klassen and McLaughlin, 1996; King and Lenox, 2001). As part of this effort, other studies have examined the greening of supply chains within various contexts including in product design (Allenby, 1993; Gupta, 1995), process design (Porter and Van der Linde, 1995a; Klassen and McLaughlin, 1996), manufacturing practices (Winsemius and Guntram, 1992), purchasing (Handfield et al., 2002) and a broad mixture of these elements (Bowen et al., 2001a). It is not surprising that GSCM finds its definition in supply chain management. Adding the green component to supply chain management involves addressing the influence and relationships of supply chain management to the natural environment. Motivated by an environmentally-conscious mindset, it can also stem from a competitiveness motive within organizations. In this paper GSCM is defined as: Green Supply Chain Management GSCM = Green Purchasing + Green Manufacturing/Materials Management + Green Distribution=Marketing + Reverse Logistics Figure 1 shows this GSCM equation graphically, where reverse logistics closes the loop of a typical forward supply chain and includes reuse, remanufacturing, and/or recycling of materials into new materials or other products with value in the marketplace. The idea is to eliminate or minimize waste (energy, emissions, chemical/hazardous, solid wastes). This figure is representative of a single organizations internal supply chain, its major operational elements and the linkage to external organizations. A number of environmentally conscious practices are evident throughout the supply chain ranging from green design (marketing and engineering), green procurement practices (e.g. certifying suppliers, purchasing environmentally sound materials/products), total quality environmental management (internal performance measurement, pollution prevention), environmentally friendly packaging and transportation, to the various product end-of-life practices defined by the Res of reduction, reuse, remanufacturing, recycling. Expanding this figure, a number of organizational relationships could be found at various stages of thismodel, including customers and their chains, as well as suppliers and their chains, forming webs of relationships. Figure 1. GSCM graph The development of industrial ecosystems would be greatly supported by GSCM practices. Korhonen and Niutanen (2003) in their study of material and energy flows in the local forest industry in Finland suggested these flows were comparable to other economic and industrial systems. In the last two decades, the product-based systems perspective and the geographically defined local-regional industrial ecosystem have Porter (1991) argues the pressure to innovate from an environmental perspective comes from regulatory pressure, as firms respond in creative and dynamic ways to environmental regulation by introducing innovations improving environmental outcomes. Other studies concluded environmental innovation is the result of market pressures causing firms to become more efficient. Porter and Van der Linde (1995a, b) concluded firms respond to competitive conditions and regulatory pressure by developing strategies to maximize resource productivity, enabling them to simultaneously improve their industrial and environmental performance. Furthering this issue, Greffen and Rothenberg (2000) suggest suppliers can be an important source of enhanced competency for radical environmental innovation, which, in relation to an integrated technological system, demands capabilities beyond those likely to exist within a single company. The added competency brought by the supply chain partners is important. Other external pressures do exist and include environmental compliance, liability, issues of business continuity, the call for benchmarking to national, international, or industry standards, customer attitudes toward product take-back, and even pressures from inter-organizational information technology/data management systems. The innovation of GSCM/Performance Measurement is necessary for a number of reasons in response to external pressures. For example, business performance measurement, for purposes of external reporting, is fundamentally driven by the creation, maximization and defence of economic rents or surplus. These surpluses or rents in business come from distinctive capabilities such as brands and reputation, strategic assets, innovations, and the distinctive structure of relationships firms enjoy both internally with their employees and/or externally with their customers and suppliers. External reporting is also necessary to maintain organizational legitimacy with respect to environmental issues (Harvey and Schaefer, 2001). Sustainability. One of the major definitions of sustainability and certainly most well known is that of the Brundtland Commission (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p.8): development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This short definition includes the interest of understanding the environmental impact of economic activity in both developing and industrialized economies (Erlich and Erlich, 1991); ensuring worldwide food safety (Lal et al., 2002); ensuring that vital human needs are met (Savitz and Weber, 2006); and assuring the protection of non-renewable resources (Whiteman and Cooper, 2000). Unfortunately, the societal aspect of sustainability is complicated for firms to apply and provides little explanation regarding how organizations might recognize future versus present needs, determine the technologies and resources necessary to meet those needs, and understand how to balance organizational responsibilities to numerous stakeholders such as shareholders, employees, society and the natural environment (Hart, 1995; Starik and Rands, 1995). Sustainability has been also investigated in the fields of management, operations, and engineering. Within the management literature, most of the current conceptualizations of organizational sustainability have focused on ecological sustainability (the natural environment), with little recognition of social and economic responsibilities (Jennings and Zandbergen, 1995; Shrivastava, 1995a; Starik and Rands, 1995). Sustainable refers to the triple bottom line, for economic, social and environmental. An approach to competitive advantage. A particular organization has competitive advantage when it achieves a higher return on investment than its competitors, or it is able to do so (Grant, 1996). Therefore, in order to have competitive advantage organizations must have the ability to obtain higher profit margins than other companies in the industry. Organizations with competitive advantage, however, might show not the highest profit rate. For example, competitive organizations might prefer, for one or another reason, to sell their products and services at a lower price than the maximum price it could mark. Two major types of competitive advantage can be enjoyed by organizations (Porter, 1985): cost advantage, which is the result of supplying similar products and/or services to low prices; and differentiation advantage, which comes from offering differentiated products and/or services to customers, who, in turn, are ready to pay an additional price which overcomes the additional differentiation costs. While the cost advantage position implies to have the lowest costs in the industry, differentiation advantage refers to offering something unique which is valued by customers. Competitive advantage can derive from one or more factors or sources. Firstly, literature on strategic management suggests the following major sources of cost advantage (e.g., Porter, 1985; Grant, 1996): scale economies, learning economies, production capacity management, product design, cost of inputs, process technology, and management efficiency. Secondly, sources of differentiation advantage include tangible and intangible aspects which are significantly valued by potential customers as to be ready to pay an additional price for them (e.g., Porter, 1985; Grant, 1996); tangible aspects refer to observable characteristics of the products and services, their performance, and complementary products and services; intangible aspects, in turn, include social, emotional, psychological and aesthetic considerations which are present in any choice of products and services. Recently, a major theoretical framework has been developed in strategic management literature which seems to be particularly appropriate for identifying the characteristics that a particular resource or capability must show in order to be a major source of competitive advantage. This theoretical framework is the resource based view of the firm theory. Performance Corporate performance measurement and its field application continues to grow. The diversity and level of performance measures are linked to the goal of the company or the individual strategic business units features. For instance, when measuring performance, organizations have to think about existing financial measures such as return on investment, profitability, market share and revenue growth at a competitive and strategic level. Other measures are more operationally focused, but may inevitably be linked to strategic level measures and issues. This is the case of customer service and inventory performance (supply, turnover). GSCM implementation Where to begin? Viable environmental sustainability programs require meaningful action across a broad range of processes. Some of the most impactful areas include: Production planning: The most valuable members of a supply chain are able to provide accurate forecasts and deliver reliably so as to help reduce over purchasing, over-production and waste Manufacturing: The adoption of techniques such as lean process improvement should result in less over processing as well as reduced energy intensive storage and waste Distribution: Network redesign. Smart routing, backhauling, fill optimization and mode switching à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  all are likely to result in fewer freight miles Green design: The electronics and related high-tech industries practice collaboration as a means of optimizing the green aspects of their components and end-products; proactive and/or influential members of a supply chain can promote/pursue similar collaboration/ innovation Packaging: The greenest firms seek to minimize the environmental impact of packaging, not only by using less, but also by evaluating the energy, waste, recovery and other life cycle impacts of their packaging choices Recycled content: Companies score green points by maximizing their use. of these materials as well as by using materials in products that are in turn easily recyclable Warehousing: Challenge existing assumptions in light of higher energy costs and the need to reduce carbon footprints Green energy: More green points are available by using green or renewable energy sources à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  although this can be difficult in regulated energy markets (and a factor in future location decisions) IT: Videoconferencing and remote servicing can reduce business travel; Energy Star rated PCs along with optimized power consumption settings can significantly pare energy costs Server farms: Energy efficient servers arrayed according to state-of-the-art cooling practices can generate enormous energy savings Ridesharing/telecommuting: A growing number of companies are working with municipalities to better optimize public transportation to their facilities. More companies are also enabling more workdays at home as well as providing incentives for carpooling Estates: Investments in building air tightness, insulation and energy efficient heating, cooling, lighting, plant and equipment can significantly reduce carbon footprints Green procurement: It is possible to reduce your carbon footprint by paying more attention to your own procurement. Supplier carbon footprint, ISO certifications, procurement distance have to be part of the selection criterias. Conceptual framework Greening the inbound function It is argued that greening the supply chain has numerous benefits to an organization, ranging from cost reduction, to integrating suppliers in a participative decision-making process that promotes environmental innovation (Bowen et al., 2001; Hall, 1993; Rao, 2002). Critical parts of the inbound function are the purchasing and supply field. Green purchasing strategies are adopted by organizations in response to the increasing global concerns of environmental sustainability. The Green purchasing should be able address reduction of waste produced, material substitution through environmental sourcing of raw materials, and waste minimization of hazardous materials. (Rao Holt, 2005) The involvement and support of suppliers is crucial to achieving such goals. (Vachon and Klassen, 2006). Furthermore, organizations are managing more and more their suppliers environmental performance to ensure that the materials and equipments supplied by them are environmentally-friendly in nature and are produced using environmentally-friendly processes. Min and Galle (1997) explore green purchasing to determine the key factors affecting a buying firms choice of suppliers, the key barriers and the obstacles to green purchasing initiatives. They also investigated the impact of green purchasing on a corporations environmental goals. Below listed subjects to get information on the green inbound phase of a supply chain: (1) Guiding suppliers to set up their own environmental programs; (2) bringing together suppliers in the same industry to share their know-how and problems; (3) informing suppliers about the benefits of cleaner production and technologies; (4) urging/pressuring suppliers to take environmental actions; and (5) choice of suppliers by environmental criteria. Greening the production phase or the internal supply chain In this phase, there are a number of concepts that can be explored, such as cleaner production, design for environment, remanufacturing and lean production. Hong, He-Boong, Jungbae Roh, (2009) highlight through their research that strategic green management needs the combination of integrated product development (IPD) and supply chain coordination (SCC) for desired business outcomes. Thanks to a survey on 580 manufacturing plants in the US, adopting cleaner production techniques, Florida and Davison (2001) showed that green corporations are innovative in their environmental practices, and these strategies emerge from a real commitment towards reducing waste and pollution. Lean production/manufacturing is also an important consideration in reducing the environmental impact of the production phase. In their research King and Lenox (2001), concludes that lean production is complementary to improvements in environmental performance and it often lowers the marginal cost of pollution reduction thus enhancing competitiveness. In addition, Rothenberg et al. (2001) identify that lean plants aim to minimize waste and buffers, leading not only to reduce buffers in environmental technology and management, but also in an overall approach to manufacturing that minimizes waste products. (1) Environment-friendly raw materials; (2) substitution of environmentally questionable materials; (3) taking environmental criteria into consideration; (4) environmental design considerations; (5) optimization of process to reduce solid waste and emissions; (6) use of cleaner technology processes to make savings in energy, water, and waste; (7) internal recycling of materials within the production phase; and (8) incorporating environmental total quality management principles such as worker empowerment. Greening the outbound function On the outbound side of the green supply chain, green logistics comprises all links from the manufacturer to the end users and includes products, processes, packaging, transport, and disposal (Skjoett-Larsen, 2000). Rao, (2003) and Sarkis, (1999) argue on the fact that green marketing, environment-friendly packaging, and environment-friendly distribution, are all initiatives that might improve the environmental performance of an organization and its supply chain. Reverse logistics and waste exchange and ore generally management of wastes in the outbound function can lead to cost savings and enhanced competitiveness (Rao, 2003). In order to address these environmental impacts of packaging, many countries now have programs and legislation that aims to minimize the amount of packaging that enters the waste stream, such as the Packaging Directive in the EU. The distribution, for the whole supply chain is a huge stake for green management. In fact the distribution results of a trade-off between efficiency and effectiveness firm strategy. For this reason is difficult to handle As part of outbound logistics, green marketing has an important part to play in the link between environmental innovation and competitive advantage (Menon and Menon, 1997). Encouraging suppliers to take back packaging is a form of reverse logistics that can be an important consideration in greening the outbound function, with a study by Dorn (1996) identifying an increase in market share amongst companies that implemented an environmentally-friendly packaging scheme. The product design step is more and more integrated within green supply chain issues because 80% of the environmental burden and cost of a product is fixed during this phase (Carbone, Moatti, 2008). Strategic variables to take in account for an empirical study; (1) Environment-friendly waste management; (2) environmental improvement of packaging; (3) taking back packaging; (4) eco-labeling; (5) recovery of companys end-of-life products; (6) providing consumers with information on environmental friendly products and/or production methods; and (7) use of environmentally-friendly transportation. Competitiveness Economic performance Bacallan (2000) suggests that organizations are enhancing their competitiveness through improvements in their environmental performance to comply with mounting environmental regulations, to address the environmental concerns of their customers (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). However, an interesting point to notice is that, as long as the market does not seek environmental value-drivers in the products and services it purchases, environmental issues are not necessarily considered by organizations and consumers. (Rao Holt, 2005) Fortunately, over the last few years there has been a growth in environmental awareness of consumers in general. Clearly a growing number of corporations are developing company-wide environmental programs and green products sourced from markets around the world. Therefore, environmental issues are becoming a source of competitiveness. All these efforts aim to improve environmental performance, enhance corporate image, reduce costs, reduce risks of non-compliance and improve marketing advantage. Nevertheless, some organizations are still looking upon green initiatives as involving trade-offs between environmental performance and economic performance. The financial performance of firms is affected by environmental performance in a variety of ways. When waste, both hazardous and non-hazardous, is minimized as part of environmental management, it results in better utilization of natural resources, improved efficiency, higher productivity and reduces operating costs (Rao Holt, 2005). Nowadays and in the future, a good green player could expect to increase its brand image and its market share and then improve its profitability against company without enough green concern while saving costs by innovative processes. To investigate the link between green supply chain management and economic performance we could refers to those key aspects: (1) New market opportunities; (2) product price increase; (3) profit margin;(4) sales; and (5) market share. And competitiveness: (1) Improved efficiency; (2) quality improvement; (3) productivity improvement; and (4) cost savings. Methodology To validate our research, an empirical, survey-based research approach will be taken. Based on the empirical studies through the literature, and a meaningful framework used in the relevant research of Rao Holt in 2005 applied on Asian companies. We choose to follow a common technique to validate the framework presented in the preceding section, a linear SEM (Stochastic Expectation Maximization) approach is used (JÃÆ' ¶reskog and SÃÆ' ¶rbom, 1993) to validate the causal relationships between the different latent constructs of: greening the inbound function; greening production; greening the outbound function; competitiveness and; economic performance. The questionnaire will be distributed to the supply chain managers and/or environmental management representative (EMR) or the chief executive of manufacturing organizations in Western Europe. In order to have both MNCs and SMEs ( Responses will be collected on a four-point and five-point Likert scale, and open-ended questions. The four-point scale served to force the respondents to check either on the negative side or on the positive side. The choice not to focus only on the leading edge ISO14001 accredited organizations (running environmental management) allow us to broader our research and then make a comparison between those without formal environmental management accreditation, and best players accredited. In terms of financial performance, this strategy will be interesting for identifying benefits and again do comparisons. Expected results. As this type of research was already done in South-Est Asia, our results will allow us to compare our findings and trend with those in South-Est Asia. We expect a response of 10%, therefore we will send to a consequent sample to get sufficient and tangible return. We will probably be able to confirm that greening the supply chain also has potential to lead to competitiveness and economic performance. As the current environmental concern in Europe is high, including governmental and customers pressures these research findings would probably show that firms that are greening their supply chains not only achieve substantial cost savings, but also enhance either sales, market share or exploit new market opportunities. The cost aspect will be important to assess as it is directly connected to the overall performance. The main limitation of this research will be probably the small sample of organizations, but the lack of empirical research in Europe will be also one of the main strengths of this paper. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to all organizations in this region or around the world. Finally, future research should empirically test the relationships suggested in this paper in different countries, to enable comparative studies. For further research, a larger sample will allow detailed cross-sectoral comparisons and establish international patterns regarding benefits from GSCM. Performance Measurement for Green Supply chain management: Context In supply chains with multiple actors, (vendors manufacturers, distributors and retailers) whether regionally or globally dispersed, it is difficult to attribute performance results to one particular entity within the chain, by the way performance measurement is really challenging. There are difficulties in measuring performance within organizations and even more difficulties arise in inter-organizational environmental performance measurement. The reasons for lack of systems to measure performance across organizations are multidimensional, including non-standardized data, poor technological integration, geographical and cultural differences, differences in organizational policy, lack of agreed upon metrics, or poor understanding of the need for inter-organizational performance measurement. (Hervani, A. Helms, M. Sarkis, J., 2005) Performance measurement in supply chains is difficult for additional reasons, especially when looking at numerous tiers within a supply chain, and green supply chain management performance measurement, or GSCM/PM, is virtually non-existent. With these barriers and difficulties in mind, GSCM/PM is needed for a number of reasons (including regulatory, marketing and competitiveness reasons). Overcoming these barriers is not a trivial issue, but the long-term sustainability (environmental and otherwise) and competitiveness of organizations may rely on successful adoption of GSCM/PM. The basic purposes of GSCM/PM are: external reporting (economic rent), internal control (managing the business better) and internal analysis (understanding the business better and continuous improvement). These are the fundamental issues that drive the development of frameworks for business performance measurement. It is important to consider both purpose, as well as the interrelationships of these various measurements. Supply chain management Supply chain management is the coordination and management of a complex network of activities involved in delivering a finished product to the end-user or customer. It is a vital business function and the process includes sourcing raw materials and parts, manufacturing and assembling products, storage, order entry and tracking, distribution through the various channels and finally delivery to the customer. A companys supply chain structure consists of external suppliers, internal functions of the company, and external distributors, as well as customers (commercial or end-user). Firms may be members of multiple supply chains simultaneously. The management and coordination is further complicated by global players spread across geographic boundaries and multiple time zones. The successful management of a supply chain is also influenced by customer expectations, globalization, information technology, government regulation, competition and the environment. Performance management and measurement Corporate performance measurement and its application continue to grow and encompass both quantitative and qualitative measurements and approaches. The variety and level of performance measures depends greatly on the goal of the organization or the individual strategic business units characteristics. For example, when measuring performance, companies must consider existing financial measures such as return on investment, profitability, market share and revenue growth at a more competitive and strategic level. Other measures such as customer service and inventory performance (supply, turnover) are more operationally focused, but may necessarily be linked to strategic level measures and issues. Overall, these difficulties in developing standards for performance measurement are traced to the various measurement taxonomies. Example taxonomic considerations include: management level to measure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" strategic, tactical, or operational; tangible versus intangible measures; variations in collection and reporting; an organizations location along the supply chain or functional differentiation within organizations (e.g. accounting, versus marketing or operations). Similar to the performance measurement used, the performance measurement system may be unique to each individual organization, or unit within an organization, reflecting its fundamental purpose and its environment. Several studies have investigated the universal principles of performance measurement (Adams et al., 1995; Gunasekaran et al., 2001; Sink and Tuttle, 1990). These studies arrived at a number of conclus Value of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) Value of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) Organizations worldwide are continuously trying to develop new and innovative ways to enhance their competitiveness. Bacallan (2000) suggests that some of these organizations are enhancing their competitiveness through improvements in their environmental performance to comply with mounting environmental regulations, to address the environmental concerns of their customers, and to mitigate the environmental impact of their production and service activities. Green supply chain management as a form of environmental improvement is an operational initiative that many organizations are adopting to address such environmental issues. Currently, the green concept is a critical issue for companies, but when the majority of businesses are cost focused, the idea of implementing and moving toward green practices is often seen as a costly strategy. Bowen et al. (2001) state that organizations will adopt green supply chain management practices if they identify that this will result in specific financial and operational benefits. According to Routroy (2009), Greening the manufacturing supply chain may result in one or more benefits, in terms of cost reduction, operational efficiency improvement, flexibility improvement, sales enhancement, customer value enhancement, and societal image improvement. Green supply chain management is also to enhance firms environmental performance through inter-organizational collaboration with business partners and increase efficiency by cost saving programs and proactive risk management practices (Hervani et al., 2005; Rao and Holt, 2005; Zhu and Sarkis, 2007). We will review the literature about Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) concept and then we will see how it is translated within the supply chains. Then, the common purpose of this research will be to identify the link between GSCM and overall firm performance. We decided, based on the literature and on a specific framework (Rao Holt, 2005) applied in Asia, to tackle the concept of green supply chain management in Western Europe by including environmental initiatives in: (1) Inbound logistics; (2) Production or the internal supply chain; (3) Outbound logistics, including reverse logistics. Nowadays, how organisations are implementing GSCM and what are the impacts on their business? At the end of this research we will identify the best practices, and the way they are they measured. Moreover, we will see in what extent an effective Green Supply Chain Management could be a driver for innovation and business performance in manufacturing firms? Finally, we will see if Green Supply Chain Management lead to profitability and competitiveness. Our study will consider manufacturing companies in Western Europe. II Literature review Definition Green supply chain management Several studies have considered the concept of ecological sustainability as a framework for studying management practices in both operational and strategic contexts (Sarkis and Rasheed, 1995; Klassen and McLaughlin, 1996; King and Lenox, 2001). As part of this effort, other studies have examined the greening of supply chains within various contexts including in product design (Allenby, 1993; Gupta, 1995), process design (Porter and Van der Linde, 1995a; Klassen and McLaughlin, 1996), manufacturing practices (Winsemius and Guntram, 1992), purchasing (Handfield et al., 2002) and a broad mixture of these elements (Bowen et al., 2001a). It is not surprising that GSCM finds its definition in supply chain management. Adding the green component to supply chain management involves addressing the influence and relationships of supply chain management to the natural environment. Motivated by an environmentally-conscious mindset, it can also stem from a competitiveness motive within organizations. In this paper GSCM is defined as: Green Supply Chain Management GSCM = Green Purchasing + Green Manufacturing/Materials Management + Green Distribution=Marketing + Reverse Logistics Figure 1 shows this GSCM equation graphically, where reverse logistics closes the loop of a typical forward supply chain and includes reuse, remanufacturing, and/or recycling of materials into new materials or other products with value in the marketplace. The idea is to eliminate or minimize waste (energy, emissions, chemical/hazardous, solid wastes). This figure is representative of a single organizations internal supply chain, its major operational elements and the linkage to external organizations. A number of environmentally conscious practices are evident throughout the supply chain ranging from green design (marketing and engineering), green procurement practices (e.g. certifying suppliers, purchasing environmentally sound materials/products), total quality environmental management (internal performance measurement, pollution prevention), environmentally friendly packaging and transportation, to the various product end-of-life practices defined by the Res of reduction, reuse, remanufacturing, recycling. Expanding this figure, a number of organizational relationships could be found at various stages of thismodel, including customers and their chains, as well as suppliers and their chains, forming webs of relationships. Figure 1. GSCM graph The development of industrial ecosystems would be greatly supported by GSCM practices. Korhonen and Niutanen (2003) in their study of material and energy flows in the local forest industry in Finland suggested these flows were comparable to other economic and industrial systems. In the last two decades, the product-based systems perspective and the geographically defined local-regional industrial ecosystem have Porter (1991) argues the pressure to innovate from an environmental perspective comes from regulatory pressure, as firms respond in creative and dynamic ways to environmental regulation by introducing innovations improving environmental outcomes. Other studies concluded environmental innovation is the result of market pressures causing firms to become more efficient. Porter and Van der Linde (1995a, b) concluded firms respond to competitive conditions and regulatory pressure by developing strategies to maximize resource productivity, enabling them to simultaneously improve their industrial and environmental performance. Furthering this issue, Greffen and Rothenberg (2000) suggest suppliers can be an important source of enhanced competency for radical environmental innovation, which, in relation to an integrated technological system, demands capabilities beyond those likely to exist within a single company. The added competency brought by the supply chain partners is important. Other external pressures do exist and include environmental compliance, liability, issues of business continuity, the call for benchmarking to national, international, or industry standards, customer attitudes toward product take-back, and even pressures from inter-organizational information technology/data management systems. The innovation of GSCM/Performance Measurement is necessary for a number of reasons in response to external pressures. For example, business performance measurement, for purposes of external reporting, is fundamentally driven by the creation, maximization and defence of economic rents or surplus. These surpluses or rents in business come from distinctive capabilities such as brands and reputation, strategic assets, innovations, and the distinctive structure of relationships firms enjoy both internally with their employees and/or externally with their customers and suppliers. External reporting is also necessary to maintain organizational legitimacy with respect to environmental issues (Harvey and Schaefer, 2001). Sustainability. One of the major definitions of sustainability and certainly most well known is that of the Brundtland Commission (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p.8): development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This short definition includes the interest of understanding the environmental impact of economic activity in both developing and industrialized economies (Erlich and Erlich, 1991); ensuring worldwide food safety (Lal et al., 2002); ensuring that vital human needs are met (Savitz and Weber, 2006); and assuring the protection of non-renewable resources (Whiteman and Cooper, 2000). Unfortunately, the societal aspect of sustainability is complicated for firms to apply and provides little explanation regarding how organizations might recognize future versus present needs, determine the technologies and resources necessary to meet those needs, and understand how to balance organizational responsibilities to numerous stakeholders such as shareholders, employees, society and the natural environment (Hart, 1995; Starik and Rands, 1995). Sustainability has been also investigated in the fields of management, operations, and engineering. Within the management literature, most of the current conceptualizations of organizational sustainability have focused on ecological sustainability (the natural environment), with little recognition of social and economic responsibilities (Jennings and Zandbergen, 1995; Shrivastava, 1995a; Starik and Rands, 1995). Sustainable refers to the triple bottom line, for economic, social and environmental. An approach to competitive advantage. A particular organization has competitive advantage when it achieves a higher return on investment than its competitors, or it is able to do so (Grant, 1996). Therefore, in order to have competitive advantage organizations must have the ability to obtain higher profit margins than other companies in the industry. Organizations with competitive advantage, however, might show not the highest profit rate. For example, competitive organizations might prefer, for one or another reason, to sell their products and services at a lower price than the maximum price it could mark. Two major types of competitive advantage can be enjoyed by organizations (Porter, 1985): cost advantage, which is the result of supplying similar products and/or services to low prices; and differentiation advantage, which comes from offering differentiated products and/or services to customers, who, in turn, are ready to pay an additional price which overcomes the additional differentiation costs. While the cost advantage position implies to have the lowest costs in the industry, differentiation advantage refers to offering something unique which is valued by customers. Competitive advantage can derive from one or more factors or sources. Firstly, literature on strategic management suggests the following major sources of cost advantage (e.g., Porter, 1985; Grant, 1996): scale economies, learning economies, production capacity management, product design, cost of inputs, process technology, and management efficiency. Secondly, sources of differentiation advantage include tangible and intangible aspects which are significantly valued by potential customers as to be ready to pay an additional price for them (e.g., Porter, 1985; Grant, 1996); tangible aspects refer to observable characteristics of the products and services, their performance, and complementary products and services; intangible aspects, in turn, include social, emotional, psychological and aesthetic considerations which are present in any choice of products and services. Recently, a major theoretical framework has been developed in strategic management literature which seems to be particularly appropriate for identifying the characteristics that a particular resource or capability must show in order to be a major source of competitive advantage. This theoretical framework is the resource based view of the firm theory. Performance Corporate performance measurement and its field application continues to grow. The diversity and level of performance measures are linked to the goal of the company or the individual strategic business units features. For instance, when measuring performance, organizations have to think about existing financial measures such as return on investment, profitability, market share and revenue growth at a competitive and strategic level. Other measures are more operationally focused, but may inevitably be linked to strategic level measures and issues. This is the case of customer service and inventory performance (supply, turnover). GSCM implementation Where to begin? Viable environmental sustainability programs require meaningful action across a broad range of processes. Some of the most impactful areas include: Production planning: The most valuable members of a supply chain are able to provide accurate forecasts and deliver reliably so as to help reduce over purchasing, over-production and waste Manufacturing: The adoption of techniques such as lean process improvement should result in less over processing as well as reduced energy intensive storage and waste Distribution: Network redesign. Smart routing, backhauling, fill optimization and mode switching à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  all are likely to result in fewer freight miles Green design: The electronics and related high-tech industries practice collaboration as a means of optimizing the green aspects of their components and end-products; proactive and/or influential members of a supply chain can promote/pursue similar collaboration/ innovation Packaging: The greenest firms seek to minimize the environmental impact of packaging, not only by using less, but also by evaluating the energy, waste, recovery and other life cycle impacts of their packaging choices Recycled content: Companies score green points by maximizing their use. of these materials as well as by using materials in products that are in turn easily recyclable Warehousing: Challenge existing assumptions in light of higher energy costs and the need to reduce carbon footprints Green energy: More green points are available by using green or renewable energy sources à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  although this can be difficult in regulated energy markets (and a factor in future location decisions) IT: Videoconferencing and remote servicing can reduce business travel; Energy Star rated PCs along with optimized power consumption settings can significantly pare energy costs Server farms: Energy efficient servers arrayed according to state-of-the-art cooling practices can generate enormous energy savings Ridesharing/telecommuting: A growing number of companies are working with municipalities to better optimize public transportation to their facilities. More companies are also enabling more workdays at home as well as providing incentives for carpooling Estates: Investments in building air tightness, insulation and energy efficient heating, cooling, lighting, plant and equipment can significantly reduce carbon footprints Green procurement: It is possible to reduce your carbon footprint by paying more attention to your own procurement. Supplier carbon footprint, ISO certifications, procurement distance have to be part of the selection criterias. Conceptual framework Greening the inbound function It is argued that greening the supply chain has numerous benefits to an organization, ranging from cost reduction, to integrating suppliers in a participative decision-making process that promotes environmental innovation (Bowen et al., 2001; Hall, 1993; Rao, 2002). Critical parts of the inbound function are the purchasing and supply field. Green purchasing strategies are adopted by organizations in response to the increasing global concerns of environmental sustainability. The Green purchasing should be able address reduction of waste produced, material substitution through environmental sourcing of raw materials, and waste minimization of hazardous materials. (Rao Holt, 2005) The involvement and support of suppliers is crucial to achieving such goals. (Vachon and Klassen, 2006). Furthermore, organizations are managing more and more their suppliers environmental performance to ensure that the materials and equipments supplied by them are environmentally-friendly in nature and are produced using environmentally-friendly processes. Min and Galle (1997) explore green purchasing to determine the key factors affecting a buying firms choice of suppliers, the key barriers and the obstacles to green purchasing initiatives. They also investigated the impact of green purchasing on a corporations environmental goals. Below listed subjects to get information on the green inbound phase of a supply chain: (1) Guiding suppliers to set up their own environmental programs; (2) bringing together suppliers in the same industry to share their know-how and problems; (3) informing suppliers about the benefits of cleaner production and technologies; (4) urging/pressuring suppliers to take environmental actions; and (5) choice of suppliers by environmental criteria. Greening the production phase or the internal supply chain In this phase, there are a number of concepts that can be explored, such as cleaner production, design for environment, remanufacturing and lean production. Hong, He-Boong, Jungbae Roh, (2009) highlight through their research that strategic green management needs the combination of integrated product development (IPD) and supply chain coordination (SCC) for desired business outcomes. Thanks to a survey on 580 manufacturing plants in the US, adopting cleaner production techniques, Florida and Davison (2001) showed that green corporations are innovative in their environmental practices, and these strategies emerge from a real commitment towards reducing waste and pollution. Lean production/manufacturing is also an important consideration in reducing the environmental impact of the production phase. In their research King and Lenox (2001), concludes that lean production is complementary to improvements in environmental performance and it often lowers the marginal cost of pollution reduction thus enhancing competitiveness. In addition, Rothenberg et al. (2001) identify that lean plants aim to minimize waste and buffers, leading not only to reduce buffers in environmental technology and management, but also in an overall approach to manufacturing that minimizes waste products. (1) Environment-friendly raw materials; (2) substitution of environmentally questionable materials; (3) taking environmental criteria into consideration; (4) environmental design considerations; (5) optimization of process to reduce solid waste and emissions; (6) use of cleaner technology processes to make savings in energy, water, and waste; (7) internal recycling of materials within the production phase; and (8) incorporating environmental total quality management principles such as worker empowerment. Greening the outbound function On the outbound side of the green supply chain, green logistics comprises all links from the manufacturer to the end users and includes products, processes, packaging, transport, and disposal (Skjoett-Larsen, 2000). Rao, (2003) and Sarkis, (1999) argue on the fact that green marketing, environment-friendly packaging, and environment-friendly distribution, are all initiatives that might improve the environmental performance of an organization and its supply chain. Reverse logistics and waste exchange and ore generally management of wastes in the outbound function can lead to cost savings and enhanced competitiveness (Rao, 2003). In order to address these environmental impacts of packaging, many countries now have programs and legislation that aims to minimize the amount of packaging that enters the waste stream, such as the Packaging Directive in the EU. The distribution, for the whole supply chain is a huge stake for green management. In fact the distribution results of a trade-off between efficiency and effectiveness firm strategy. For this reason is difficult to handle As part of outbound logistics, green marketing has an important part to play in the link between environmental innovation and competitive advantage (Menon and Menon, 1997). Encouraging suppliers to take back packaging is a form of reverse logistics that can be an important consideration in greening the outbound function, with a study by Dorn (1996) identifying an increase in market share amongst companies that implemented an environmentally-friendly packaging scheme. The product design step is more and more integrated within green supply chain issues because 80% of the environmental burden and cost of a product is fixed during this phase (Carbone, Moatti, 2008). Strategic variables to take in account for an empirical study; (1) Environment-friendly waste management; (2) environmental improvement of packaging; (3) taking back packaging; (4) eco-labeling; (5) recovery of companys end-of-life products; (6) providing consumers with information on environmental friendly products and/or production methods; and (7) use of environmentally-friendly transportation. Competitiveness Economic performance Bacallan (2000) suggests that organizations are enhancing their competitiveness through improvements in their environmental performance to comply with mounting environmental regulations, to address the environmental concerns of their customers (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). However, an interesting point to notice is that, as long as the market does not seek environmental value-drivers in the products and services it purchases, environmental issues are not necessarily considered by organizations and consumers. (Rao Holt, 2005) Fortunately, over the last few years there has been a growth in environmental awareness of consumers in general. Clearly a growing number of corporations are developing company-wide environmental programs and green products sourced from markets around the world. Therefore, environmental issues are becoming a source of competitiveness. All these efforts aim to improve environmental performance, enhance corporate image, reduce costs, reduce risks of non-compliance and improve marketing advantage. Nevertheless, some organizations are still looking upon green initiatives as involving trade-offs between environmental performance and economic performance. The financial performance of firms is affected by environmental performance in a variety of ways. When waste, both hazardous and non-hazardous, is minimized as part of environmental management, it results in better utilization of natural resources, improved efficiency, higher productivity and reduces operating costs (Rao Holt, 2005). Nowadays and in the future, a good green player could expect to increase its brand image and its market share and then improve its profitability against company without enough green concern while saving costs by innovative processes. To investigate the link between green supply chain management and economic performance we could refers to those key aspects: (1) New market opportunities; (2) product price increase; (3) profit margin;(4) sales; and (5) market share. And competitiveness: (1) Improved efficiency; (2) quality improvement; (3) productivity improvement; and (4) cost savings. Methodology To validate our research, an empirical, survey-based research approach will be taken. Based on the empirical studies through the literature, and a meaningful framework used in the relevant research of Rao Holt in 2005 applied on Asian companies. We choose to follow a common technique to validate the framework presented in the preceding section, a linear SEM (Stochastic Expectation Maximization) approach is used (JÃÆ' ¶reskog and SÃÆ' ¶rbom, 1993) to validate the causal relationships between the different latent constructs of: greening the inbound function; greening production; greening the outbound function; competitiveness and; economic performance. The questionnaire will be distributed to the supply chain managers and/or environmental management representative (EMR) or the chief executive of manufacturing organizations in Western Europe. In order to have both MNCs and SMEs ( Responses will be collected on a four-point and five-point Likert scale, and open-ended questions. The four-point scale served to force the respondents to check either on the negative side or on the positive side. The choice not to focus only on the leading edge ISO14001 accredited organizations (running environmental management) allow us to broader our research and then make a comparison between those without formal environmental management accreditation, and best players accredited. In terms of financial performance, this strategy will be interesting for identifying benefits and again do comparisons. Expected results. As this type of research was already done in South-Est Asia, our results will allow us to compare our findings and trend with those in South-Est Asia. We expect a response of 10%, therefore we will send to a consequent sample to get sufficient and tangible return. We will probably be able to confirm that greening the supply chain also has potential to lead to competitiveness and economic performance. As the current environmental concern in Europe is high, including governmental and customers pressures these research findings would probably show that firms that are greening their supply chains not only achieve substantial cost savings, but also enhance either sales, market share or exploit new market opportunities. The cost aspect will be important to assess as it is directly connected to the overall performance. The main limitation of this research will be probably the small sample of organizations, but the lack of empirical research in Europe will be also one of the main strengths of this paper. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to all organizations in this region or around the world. Finally, future research should empirically test the relationships suggested in this paper in different countries, to enable comparative studies. For further research, a larger sample will allow detailed cross-sectoral comparisons and establish international patterns regarding benefits from GSCM. Performance Measurement for Green Supply chain management: Context In supply chains with multiple actors, (vendors manufacturers, distributors and retailers) whether regionally or globally dispersed, it is difficult to attribute performance results to one particular entity within the chain, by the way performance measurement is really challenging. There are difficulties in measuring performance within organizations and even more difficulties arise in inter-organizational environmental performance measurement. The reasons for lack of systems to measure performance across organizations are multidimensional, including non-standardized data, poor technological integration, geographical and cultural differences, differences in organizational policy, lack of agreed upon metrics, or poor understanding of the need for inter-organizational performance measurement. (Hervani, A. Helms, M. Sarkis, J., 2005) Performance measurement in supply chains is difficult for additional reasons, especially when looking at numerous tiers within a supply chain, and green supply chain management performance measurement, or GSCM/PM, is virtually non-existent. With these barriers and difficulties in mind, GSCM/PM is needed for a number of reasons (including regulatory, marketing and competitiveness reasons). Overcoming these barriers is not a trivial issue, but the long-term sustainability (environmental and otherwise) and competitiveness of organizations may rely on successful adoption of GSCM/PM. The basic purposes of GSCM/PM are: external reporting (economic rent), internal control (managing the business better) and internal analysis (understanding the business better and continuous improvement). These are the fundamental issues that drive the development of frameworks for business performance measurement. It is important to consider both purpose, as well as the interrelationships of these various measurements. Supply chain management Supply chain management is the coordination and management of a complex network of activities involved in delivering a finished product to the end-user or customer. It is a vital business function and the process includes sourcing raw materials and parts, manufacturing and assembling products, storage, order entry and tracking, distribution through the various channels and finally delivery to the customer. A companys supply chain structure consists of external suppliers, internal functions of the company, and external distributors, as well as customers (commercial or end-user). Firms may be members of multiple supply chains simultaneously. The management and coordination is further complicated by global players spread across geographic boundaries and multiple time zones. The successful management of a supply chain is also influenced by customer expectations, globalization, information technology, government regulation, competition and the environment. Performance management and measurement Corporate performance measurement and its application continue to grow and encompass both quantitative and qualitative measurements and approaches. The variety and level of performance measures depends greatly on the goal of the organization or the individual strategic business units characteristics. For example, when measuring performance, companies must consider existing financial measures such as return on investment, profitability, market share and revenue growth at a more competitive and strategic level. Other measures such as customer service and inventory performance (supply, turnover) are more operationally focused, but may necessarily be linked to strategic level measures and issues. Overall, these difficulties in developing standards for performance measurement are traced to the various measurement taxonomies. Example taxonomic considerations include: management level to measure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" strategic, tactical, or operational; tangible versus intangible measures; variations in collection and reporting; an organizations location along the supply chain or functional differentiation within organizations (e.g. accounting, versus marketing or operations). Similar to the performance measurement used, the performance measurement system may be unique to each individual organization, or unit within an organization, reflecting its fundamental purpose and its environment. Several studies have investigated the universal principles of performance measurement (Adams et al., 1995; Gunasekaran et al., 2001; Sink and Tuttle, 1990). These studies arrived at a number of conclus

Chronology of the Holocaust Essay -- Essays Papers

The holocaust was a bleak and unrecoverable part of the history of the twentieth century that will always be remembered. Millions died for no reason except for one man’s madness. Although many people know why this war happened many don’t know when and what events lead up to this: the way Hitler came into power, or when the first concentration camp was established, and what city it was in, why Jews were hated so much by Hitler, and why the rest of the country also hated them as well as, and what the chronology of the Holocaust. These are some of the things I will explain in my paper. In 1933 Hindenburg was the president of Germany. Having recovered form the First World War, Germany is on the rise once again. Hindenburg appointed Hitler chancellor of the Reich and he begins his propaganda techniques. One of the Nazi persecution techniques was the banning of all Jewish owned business, as well as, The opening of the first concentration camp, Dachau. No Jews were allowed to have jobs of state or country title, and one of the first book burning incidences occur on May 10th (Holocaust background info center). Also in 1933 Jews were deprived of there German citizenship and were considered refugees. By the end of 1933 the Nazi party had been established as the legal unity of the German State. With this established the Nazis were able to get away with basically what ever they wanted. All forms of persecution was thrown upon, not just the Jews, but many many other groups of people unlike those of the Nazi party. 1934 was a pretty uneventful year as far as numbers of important things. Only one really big thing happened in the history of the war that year, but it was an event to change all after it. On August 2 1934... ...ath. By 1944 Germany has occupied most of Europe and is killing the Jews in those Countries to. Many ghettos in Hungary and Vilna are destroyed with the people destroyed in them. On May 14 1944, almost 400,000 Jews are deported toAuschwitz to be killed. Luckily, many of these Jews were saved. Luckily for everybody, The war was finally over. Hopefully in these years to come there will not be another tragedy like this one. The genocide that occurred in World War II will hopefully never happen again. Hopefully, the war was explained well and thoroughly in this paper WORK CITED 1) Dawidowicz,Lucy S. The War Against the Jews,1993-1945 New York Bantam 1978 2) Unknown Author,The Holocaust in a Historical Perspective. Seattle University of Washington Press, 1978 3) Bauer Yehuda, A History of the Holocaust New York Franklin Watts, 1982

Portrayals of Minorities in pop culture

1. ) One example of how minorities are portrayed in popular culture is on the TV show, The Simpsons. Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is portrayed as your typical Indian convenience store owner. He speaks in Indian English, owns a convenience store, his marriage was arranged, he has a strong work ethic, and he has a large number of children. He is portrayed this way in every episode that he appears in. The portrayal is negative and is stereotyping people who are Indian. The portrayal reinforces the stereotypes that Indian immigrants own convenience stores and work all of the time. Personally, I would not want other members of societies receiving this image of me as a member of this group because it paints a negative picture of the culture. It stereotypes all Indian immigrants as the same. This reinforces the idea that race plays a major role in status in our society and people are looked at differently based on their race. On the show, this stereotype is perceived as humorous and people who watch this show are receiving little knowledge about the actual group of people. 2. ) An example of how minorities are portrayed in popular culture is shown on the TV show, Cops. This show portrays people who are minorities to be violent, drug dealers, unintelligent, poor family members. Almost all of the drug deals that go on and the violence that goes on is between blacks and other minorities. This is a negative portrayal and it reinforces these certain stereotypes. It showcases blacks and other minorities as being violent and involved with drugs. If I were a member of this group, I would not want other segments of societies receiving this image of me as a member of this group because I would not want to be known as an unintelligent, violent drug dealer who can't get along with his family. It is a very negative stereotype. 3. ) On the TV show, South Park, minorities are negatively portrayed in almost every single episode. One episode in particular is called, â€Å"The Passion of the Jew. † This episode was a satire of the movie, The Passion of the Christ, but also made fun of people who are Jewish. This show negatively portrays people who are Jewish as being cheap, overprotective, nagging, and pokes fun at their religion. It reinforces these stereotypes and also goes further by negatively talking about the Jewish religion and their practices. If I were a member of this group, I would not want other segments of societies receiving this image of me as a member of this group because it portrays me as being stingy and makes jokes about my religion. Based on this portrayal, it seems as though some television shows are able to make fun of any race that they please. 4. ) Another example of how minorities are portrayed in popular culture is in the movie, The Perfect Score. One of the students in the movie who is Asian is portrayed as being a drug user but extremely smart. He uses drugs all of the time but is still able to get good grades in school. This is a negative portrayal of people who are Asian and it stereotypes them as drug users and of having above average intelligence. If I were a member of this group, I would not want other segments of societies receiving this image of me as a member of this group because I would not want to be perceived as a person who smokes marijuana and is a stoner. I would want to be portrayed as intelligent but not a drug user. Based on this portrayal, I feel that race plays an important part in statuses because different races are thought to be of higher statuses. 5. ) An example of how minorities are portrayed in popular culture is on the TV show, Beverley Hills 90210. People in this show, who are mainly white, are viewed as being extremely rich, affluent, greedy, and having a ton of drama in their lives. It stereotypes the typical â€Å"California teenager. † It is a negative portrayal of young people who live in California. It reinforces the stereotypes of the typical California surfer and teenager. All teenagers who live in California don't act this way, but they are portrayed as being like this. This portrayal can also be seen in newer shows such as Laguna Beach and The Hills. If I were a member of this group, I would not want other segments of societies receiving this image of me as a member of this group because I would not want to be seen as a rich snob who relies on their parent's money. I would want to just blend in with society. I feel that people who are white are sometimes given a higher status then people of other races. . ) In the movie Soul Man, minorities are portrayed as having an easier time of getting into college. In this movie, a student who wants to get into a particularly difficult school dyes his skin a darker color so he can hopefully get in. This is a negative portrayal of minorities because it is saying that they have an easier chance of getting into college because they are a minority. It reinforces the stereotype that colleges have a certain quota to fill and that minorities sometimes do have an easier time getting into a certain college. If I were a member of this group, I would not want other members of societies receiving this image of me as a member of this group because I would not want them to think that I got accepted into a college because of my race. I would want my acceptance into college to be viewed as an achievement because I worked hard in high school. This portrayal sends out the message that minorities are sometimes given extra benefits because of what colleges have to do. 7. ) An example of how minorities are portrayed in popular culture is on the TV show, Family Matters. This show is about a middle-class African American family that lives in Chicago. I believe this show is a positive portrayal because it shows a functional black family with goals and aspirations. Other shows that I have watched unfortunately present blacks as violent people who are often linked to crime. They are portrayed as â€Å"gangsters† in many shows, and it seems as though their only aspirations are to become a rapper or a basketball player. However, in Family Matters, there is a middle class black family that is portrayed in a very positive light. There are no violent acts being committed, and as a matter of fact, the father is a policeman who helps prevent violent acts. If I were a member of this group I would approve of this portrayal because this family is not being portrayed as a dysfunctional black family. This show was able to incorporate comedy in the episodes without being demeaning. 8) In the movie Mean Girls, there is a group of Asians called the â€Å"Asian Nerds† and they are constantly studying. Asians are often linked with the stereotype that they are superior students. I feel as though this could be both a negative and positive stereotype. It is good to be seen as successful and smart but not all Asians should be perceived to be academically exceptional. I would not want to be perceived in this way because then it seems like you have an expectations to live up to and what if you cannot live up to them? What if you are Asian and you are not a â€Å"genius†? I would constantly feel pressure and if I was unable to live up to that expectation I can only imagine the anxiety that I would feel and I would most likely be embarrassed to get help. It is true that it is positive thing to be seen as a successful race but it comes along with too many expectation and negative stereotypes such as being uninterested in having fun. ) This cover of Vogue magazine can be interpreted negatively because some people believe that Lebron James is standing in a gorilla-like pose. This cover can be traced back to days when scientists were claiming that blacks are linked to apes. This is a negative stereotype because it dehumanizes black. Researchers say that even though depictions of blacks as apes have disappeared; it is still in the subconsciouses of others. Society may be more likely to link blacks with crime and violence because they still don't accept blacks as fully human. The fact that blacks are still being associated with apes is very distressing. Clearly, if I were in this group I would not want other members of society viewing me as â€Å"ape-like. † It dehumanizes blacks and links them to negative actions such as crime. 10. Another example of how minorities are portrayed in the media is through a show called The Office. In one of the episodes, the main character Michael is forming a basketball team and he immediately recruits one of his employees named Stanley, because he is black. He automatically assumes that Stanley is good at basketball because he is black even though Stanley tries to tell him otherwise. However, Michael clings onto the stereotype that all blacks are good at basketball and in the end he is proved wrong. I do not think this is a good stereotype because you cannot group everybody that belongs to a certain race into one category. Not all blacks are going to be good at basketball, just like not all Asians are going to be smart. We develop pre-conceived notions about people based on their race, and it is not good. I would not want other members of society perceiving me in this way because the stereotype does not hold true for all blacks.