Hong Kong Style

HONG KONG STYLE An Interview with Victor Fung BY JOAN MAGRETTA UPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT is Working its Way onto the strategic agendas of CEOs in an expanding list of industries, from autos to personal computers to fashion retailing. Propelling that change is the restructuring of global competition. As companies focus on their core activities and outsource the rest, their success increasingly depends on their ability to control what happens in the value chain outside their own boundaries. In the 1980s, the focus was on supplier partnerships to improve cost and quality.In today's faster-paced markets, the focus has shifted to innovation, flexibility, and speed. Enter Li et) Fung, Hong Kong's largest export trading company and an innovator in the development of supply chain management. On behalf of its customers, primarily American and European retailers, Li et) Fung works with an ever expanding network PORTRAIT BY LANCE HIDY 103 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG STYLE of thousands of su ppliers around the globe, sourcing clothing and other consumer goods ranging from toys to fashion accessories to luggage.Chairman Victor Fung sees the company as part of a new breed of professionally managed, focused enterprises that draw on Hong Kong's expertise in distribution-process technology-a host of informationintensive service functions including product development, sourcing, financing, shipping, handling, and logistics. Founded in 1906 in southern China by Victor Fung's grandfather, Li &) Fung was the first Chinese-owned export company at a time when tbe China trade was controlled by foreign commercial houses. In the early 1970s, Victor was teaching at the Harvard Business School, and his younger brother, William, was a newly minted HarvardM. B. A. The two young men were called home from the United States by their father to breathe new life into the company. Since then, the brothers have led Li et? Fung through a series of transformations. In this interview with HBR edito r-at-large foan Magretta, Victor Fung describes how Li &) Fung has made the transition from buying agent to supply chain manager, from the old economy to the new, from traditional Chinese family conglomerate to innovative public company. Victor and William Fung are creating a new kind of multinational, one that remains entrepreneurial despite its growing size and scope.Victor Fung is also chairman of a privately held retailing arm of the company, which focuses on joint ventures with Toys R Us and the Circle K convenience-store chain in Hong Kong. He is also chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and of Prudential Asia. How do you define the diHerence between what Li & Fung does today-supply chain managementand the trading business founded by your grandfather in 1906? ing which quotas have been used up in Hong Kong, for example, tells you when you have to start buying from Taiwan. Understanding products was also more complex. We knew that in Taiwan the synthetics were be tter, ut that Hong Kong was the place to go for cottons. We could provide a package from the whole region rather than a single product from Hong Kong. By working with a larger number of countries, we were able to assemble components; we call this â€Å"assortment packing. † Say I sell a tool kit to a major discount chain. I could buy the spanners from one country and the screwdrivers from another and put together a product package. That has som. e value in it-not great value, but some. In the second stage, we took the company's sourcing-agent strategy one step further and became a manager and deliverer of manufacturing programs.In the old model, the customer would say, â€Å"This is the item I want. Please go out and find the best place to buy it for me. † The new model works this way. The Limited, one of our big customers, comes to us and says, â€Å"For next season, this is what we're thinking about-this type of look, these colors, these quantities. Can you come up with a production program? † Starting with their designers' sketches, we research the market to find the right type of yarn and dye swatches to match the colors. We take product concepts and realize them in prototypes. Buyers can then look at the samples and say, â€Å"No, I don't eally like that, I like this. Can you do more of this? † We then create an entire program for the season, specifying the product mix and the schedule. We contract for all the resources. We work with facto- When my grandfather started the company in Canton, 90 years ago during the Ching dynasty, his â€Å"value added† was that he spoke EngUsh. In those days, it took three months to get to China hy hoat from the West; a letter would take a month. No one at the Chinese factories spoke English, and the American merchants spoke no Chinese. As an interpreter, my grandfather's commission was 15%. Continuing through my father's generation, Li &Fung was basically a broker, charging a fee to put buyers and sellers together. But as an intermediary, the company was squeezed between the growing power of the buyers and the factories. Our margins slipped to 10%, then 5%, then 3%. When I returned to Hong Kong in 1976 after teaching at Harvard Business School, my friends warned me that in ten years buying agents like Li & Fung would he extinct. â€Å"Trading is a sunset industry,† they all said. My brother and I felt we could turn the business into something different, and so we took it through several stages of development. In the first stage, we cted as w^hat I would call a regional sourcing agent and extended our geographic reach by establishing offices in Taiwan, Korea, and Singapore. Our knowledge of the region had value for customers. Most hig buyers could manage their own sourcing if they needed to deal only with Hong Kong-they'd know which ten factories to deal with and wouldn't need any help. But dealing with the whole region was more complex. In textiles, quotas g overn world trade. Know104 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1998 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG STYLE ries to plan and monitor production so we can ensure quality and on-time delivery.This strategy of delivering manufacturing programs carried us through the 1980s, but that decade brought us a new challenge – and led to our third stage. As the Asian tigers emerged. Hong Kong became an increasingly expensive and uncompetitive place to manufacture. For example, we completely lost the low-end transistor-radio business to Taiwan and Korea. What saved us was that China began to open up to trade, allowing Hong Kong to fix its cost problem by moving the labor « intensive portion of production across the border into southern China. So for transistor radios we created little its-plastic bags filled with all the components needed to build a radio. Then we shipped the kits to China for assembly. After the labor-intensive work was completed, the finished goods came back to Hong Kong for final testing and inspection. If you missed a screw you were in trouble: the whole line stopped cold. Breaking up the value chain as we did was a novel concept at the time. We call it â€Å"dispersed manufacturing. † This method of manufacturing soon spread to other industries, giving Hong Kong a new lease on life and also transforming our economy. Between 1979 and 1997, Hong Kong's position as a trading ntity moved from number 21 in the world to number 8. All our manufacturing moved into China, and Hong Kong became a huge service economy with 84% of its gross domestic product coming from services. So dispersed manufacturing means breaking up the value chain and rationalizing where you do things? That's right. Managing dispersed production was a real breakthrough. It forced us to get smart not only about logistics and transportation but also about dissecting the value chain. Consider a popular children's doll-one similar to the Barbie doll. In the early 1980s, w e designed the dolls in Hong Kong, and we also produced the olds because sophisticated machinery was needed to make them. We then shipped the molds to China, where they would shoot the plastic, assemble the doll, paint the figures, make the doll's clothing-all the labor-intensive work. But the doll had to come back to Hong Kong, not just for final testing and inspection but also for packaging. China at that time couldn't deliver the quality we needed for the printing on the boxes. Then we used Hong Kong's welldeveloped banking and transportation infrastructure to distribute the products around the world. You can sec the model clearly: the labor-intensiveHARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1998 middle portion of the value chain is still done in southern China, and Hong Kong does the front and back ends. Managing dispersed manufacturing, where not everything is done under one roof, t akes a real change of mind-set. But once we figured out how to do it, it became clear that our r each should extend heyond southern China. Our thinking was, for example, if wages arc lower farther inland, let's go there. And so we began what has turned into a con- forced us to get smart about dissecting the value chain. † stant search for new and better sources of supply.Li& Fung made a quantum leap in 1995, nearly doubling our size and extending our geographic scope hy acquiring Inchcape Buying Services. IBS was a large British hong w ith an estahlished network of offices in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The acquisition also brought with it a European customer base that complemented Li &. Fung's predominantly American base. This Hong Kong model of borderless manufacturing has become a new paradigm for the region. Today Asia consists of multiple networks of dispersed manufacturing-high-cost hubs that do the sophisticated planning for regional manufacturing.Bangkok works with the Indochinese peninsula, Taiwan with the Philippines, Seoul with northern China. D ispersed manufacturing is what's behind the boom in Asia's trade and investment statistics in the i99os-companies moving raw materials and semifinished parts around Asia. But the region is still very dependent on the ultimate sources of demand, which are in North America and Western Europe. They start the whole cycle going. What happens when you get a typical order? Say we get an order from a European retailer to produce 10,000 garments. It's not a simple matter of our Korean office sourcing Korean products or ur Indonesian office sourcing Indonesian products. For this customer we might decide to buy yarn from a Korean producer but have it woven and dyed in Taiwan. So we pick the yarn and ship it to Taiwan. The Japanese have the best zippers and buttons, but they manufacture them mostly in China. Okay, so we go to YKK, a big Japanese zipper manufacturer, and we order the right zippers from their Chinese SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG STYLE LI & FUNG'S GLOBAL REACH Li & Fung prod uces a truly global product by pulling apart the manufacturing value chain and optimizing each step.Today it has 3 5 offices in 20 countries, but its global reach is expanding rapidly. In 1997, it had revenue of approximately $1. 7 billion. San Francisco Paris Oporto, Portugal San Pedro Sula, Honduras †¢ Brussels †¢ Istanbul †¢ Cairo Mauritius plants. Then we determine that, because of quotas and labor conditions, the best place to make the garments is Thailand. So we ship everything there. And because the customer needs quick delivery, we may divide the order across five factories in Thailand. Effectively, we are customizing the value chain to hest meet the customer's needs. Five weeks after we have received the order, 0,000 garments arrive on the shelves in Europe, all looking like they came from one factory, with colors, for example, perfectly matched. Just think about the logistics and the coordination. This is a nev*? type of value added, a truly global product that has never heen seen hefore. The label may say â€Å"made in Thailand,† but it's not a Thai product. We dissect the manufacturing process and look for the best solution at each step. We're not asking which country can do the best joh overall. Instead, we're pulling apart the value chain and optimizing each step – and we're doing it globally. 106Not only do the benefits outweigh the costs of logistics and transportation, but the higher value added also lets us charge more for our services. We deliver a sophisticated product and we deliver it fast. If you talk to the big global consumer-products companies, they are all moving in this directiontoward heing best on a glohal scale. So the multinational is essentially its own supplychain manager? Yes, exactly. Large manufacturing companies are increasingly doing global supply-chain management, just as Li & Fung does for its retailing customers. That's certainly the case in the auto industry.Today assemhly is the easy par t. The hard part is managing your suppliers and the flow of parts. In retailing, these changes are producing a revolution. For the first time, retailers are really creating produets, not just sitting in their offices with salesman after salesman showing them samples: â€Å"Do you HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1998 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG STYLE Beijing Dalian Qingdau Shanghai Liuyang New Delhi Karachi Guangzhou . Shantou Dhaka Hanoi f† Bombay Bangalore †¢ Taipei Zhanjiang Bangkok Manila Saipan Colombo JohorBaharu . . Singapore Jakarta want to buy this?Do you want to buy that? † Instead, retailers are participating in the design process. They're now managing suppliers through us and are even reaching down to their suppliers' suppliers. Eventually that translates into much better management of inventories and lower markdowns in the stores. Explain why that translates into lower markdowns for retailers? Companies in consumer-driven, fast-moving m arkets face the prohlem of obsolete inventory with a vengeance. That means there is enormous value in heing able to huy â€Å"closer to the market. † If you can shorten your buying cycle from three onths to five weeks, for example, what you are gaining is eight weeks to develop a better sense of where the market is heading. And so you will end up with substantial savings in inventory markdowns at the end of the selling season. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1998 Good supply-chain management strips away time and cost from product delivery cycles. Our customers have hecome more fashion driven, working with six or seven seasons a year instead of just two or three. Once you move to shorter product cycles, the prohiem of obsolete inventory increases dramatically.Other businesses are facing the same kind of pressure. With customer tastes changing rapidly and markets segmenting into narrower niches, it's not just fashion products that are becoming increasingly time sensit ive. Several years ago, I had a conversation about ladies fashion garments with Stan Shih, CEO of Acer, the large Taiwan-hased PC manufacturer. I jokingly said, â€Å"Stan, are you going to encroach on our territory? † He said, â€Å"No, no, hut the PC business has the same basic problems you face. Things are changing so fast you don't want to wind up with inventory. You want to plan close to the market. He runs his husiness to cut down the delivery cycle SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG STYLE and minimize inventory exposure by assembling PCs in local markets. So what I have to say about supply chain management for fashion products really applies to any product that's time sensitive. Supply chain management is about buying the right things and shortening the delivery cycles. It requires â€Å"reaching into the suppliers† to ensure that certain things happen on time and at the right quality level. Fundamentally, you're not taking the suppliers as a given. The classic supply-chain manager in retailing isMarks ik Spencer. They don't own any factories, but they have a huge team that goes into the factories and works with the management. The Gap also is known for stretching into its suppliers. Can you give me an example of how you reach into the supply chain to shorten the buying cycle? Think about what happens when you outsource manufacturing. The easy approach is to place an order for finished goods and let the supplier worry ahout contracting for the raw materials like fabric and yarn. But a single factory is relatively small and doesn't have much buying power; that is, it is too mall to demand faster deliveries from its suppliers. We come in and look at the whole supply chain. We know the Limited is going to order 100,000 garments, but we don't know the style or the colors yet. The buyer will tell us that five weeks before delivery. The trust between us and our supply network means that we can reserve undycd yarn from the yarn supplier. I can l ock up capacity at the mills for the weaving and dying with the promise that they'll get an order of a specified sizc; five weeks before delivery, we will let them know what colors we want. Then I say the same thing to the factories, â€Å"I on't know the product specs yet, but I have orga- the retailer hold off before having to commit to a fashion trend. It's all about flexibility, response time, small production runs, small minimum-order quantities, and the ability to shift direction as the trends move. Is it also about cost? Yes. At Li & Fung we think about supply chain management as â€Å"tackling the soft $3† in the cost structure. What do we mean hy that? If a typical consumer product leaves the factory at a price of $1, it will invariably end up on retail shelves at $4. Now you can try to squeeze the cost of production own 10 cents or 20 cents per product, hut today you have to be a genius to do that because everybody has been working on that for years and there's not a lot of fat left. It's better to look at the cost that is spread throughout the distribution channels-the soft $3. It offers a bigger target, and if you take 50 cents out, nobody will even know you are doing it. So it's a much easier place to effect savings for our customers. Can you give me an example? Sure. Shippers always want to fill a container to capacity. If you tell a manufacturer, â€Å"Don't fill up the container,† he'll think you're crazy.And if all you care about is the cost of shipping, there's no question you should fill the containers. But if you think instead of the whole value chain as a system, and you're trying to lower the total cost and not just one piece of it, then it may he sm^arter not to fill the containers. Let's say you want to distribute an assortment of ten products, each manufactured hy a different factory, to ten distribution centers. The standard practice would be for each factory to ship full containers of its product. And so those ten cont ainers would then have to go to a consolidator, who would unpack and epack all ten containers before shipping the assortment to the distribution centers. Now suppose instead that you move one container from factory to factory and get each factory to fill just onetenth of the container. Then you ship it with the assortment the customer needs directly to the distribution center. The shipping cost will be greater, and you will have to be careful about stacking the goods properly. But the total systems cost could be lower because you've eliminated the consolidator altogether. When someone is actively managing and organizing the whole supply chain, you can save costs like that. We think about supply chain management as ‘tackling the soft ‘ in the cost structure. † nized the colors and the fabric and the trim for you, and they'll be delivered to you on this date and you'll have three weeks to produce so many garments. † I've certainly made life harder for myself no w. It would be easier to let the factories worry about securing their own fabric and trim. But then the order would take three months, not five weeks. So to shrink the delivery cycle, I go upstream to organize production. And the shorter production time lets 108 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1998SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG STYLE So when you talk about organizing the value chain, what you do goes well beyond simply contracting for other people's services ot inspecting their work. It sounds like the value you add extends almost to the point where you're providing management expertise to your supply network. In a sense, we are a smokeless factory. We do design. We huy and inspect the raw materials. We have factory managers, people who set up and plan production and balance the lines. We inspect production. But we don't manage the workers, and we don't own the factories. Think ahout the scope of what we do.We work with about 7,500 suppliers in more than 26 countries. If the average factory has 200 workers – that's probahly a low estimate – then in effect there are more than a million workers engaged on behalf of our customers. That's why our policy is not to own any portion of the value chain that deals with running factories. Managing a million workers would he a colossal undertaking. We'd lose all flexihility; we'd lose our ability to fine-tune and coordinate. So we deliherately leave that management challenge to the individual entrepreneurs we contract with. Our target in working with factories is to take nywhere from 30% to 70% of their production. We want to he important to them, and at 30% we're most likely their largest customer. On the other hand, we need flexibility-so we don't want the responsibility of having them completely dependent on us. And we also benefit from their exposure to their other customers. If we don't own factories, can we say we are in manufacturing? Absolutely. Because, of the 15 steps in the manufactu ring value chain, we prohably do 10. Our basic operating unit is the division. Whenever possible, we will focus an entire division on serving one customer. We may serve smaller customers hrough a division structured around a group of customers with similar needs. We have, for example, a theme-store division serving a handful of customers such as the Warner Brothers stores and Rainforest Cafe. This structuring of the organization around customers is very important – remember that what we do is close to creating a customized value chain for every customer order. So customer-focused divisions are the building hlocks of our organization, and we keep them small and entrepreneurial. They do anywhere from $20 million to $50 million of business. Each is run hy a â€Å"What we do is close to creating customized value chain for every customer order. † / The way Li & Fung is organized is unusual in the industry. Can you describe the link between your organization and your strateg y? Just about every company I know says that they are customer focused. What, in fact, does that mean? Usually it means they design key systems that fit most of their customers, they hope, most of the time. Here we say-and do-something different: We organize for the customer. Almost all the large trading companies with extensive networks of suppliers are organized geographically, with the country units as their profit centers.As a result, it is hard for them to optimize the value chain. Their country units are competing against one another for husiness. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1998 lead entrepreneur-we sometimes call them â€Å"little John Waynes† because the image of a guy standing in the middle of the wagon train, shooting at all the had guys, seems to fit. Consider our Gymhoree division, one of our largest. The division manager, Ada Liu, and her headquarters team have their own separate office space within the Li & Fung building in Hong Kong. When you wal k through their door, every one of the 0 or so people you see is focused solely on meeting Gymhoree's needs. On every desk is a computer with direct software links to Gymhoree. The staff is organized into specialized teams in such areas as technical support, merchandising, raw material purchasing, quality assurance, and shipping. And Ada has dedicated sourcing teams in our branch offices in China, the Philippines, and Indonesia because Gymboree buys in volume from all those countries. In maybe 5 of our 26 countries, she has her own team, people she hired herself. When she wants to source from, say, India, the branch office helps her get the joh done.In most multinational companies, fights hetween the geographic side of the organization and the product or customer side are legendary – and predictable. From the product side, it's â€Å"How can I get hetter service for my customer? It may be small for you in Bangladesh, hut it's important for my product line globally. † A nd from the country side, it's â€Å"Look, I can't let this product group take unfair advantage of this particular factory, hecause it pro109 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG STYLE duces for three other product groups and I'm responsible for our relationships in this country overall. Here's our solution to this classic prohlem: Our primary alignment is around customers and their needs. But to balance the matrix, every productgroup executive also has responsibility for one country. It makes them more sensitive to the prohlems facing a country director and less likely to make unreasonahle demands. Can you tell us more about the role of the little John Waynes? The idea is to create small units dedicated to taking care of one customer, and to have one person running a unit like she would her own company. In fact, we hire people whose main alternative would be to run their own business.We provide them with the financial resources and the administrative support of a hig organization, h ut we give them a great deal of autonomy. All the merchandising decisions that go into coordinating a production program for the customer-which factories to use, whether to stop a shipment or let it go forward-are made at the division-head level. For the creative parts of the business, we want entrepreneurial behavior, so we give people considerable operating freedom. To motivate the division leaders, we rely on substantial financial incentives by tying their compensation directly to the unit's bottom line.There's no cap on bonuses: we want entrepreneurs who are motivated to move heaven and earth for the customer. Trading companies can be run effectively only when they are small. By making small units the â€Å"We think of our divisions as a portfolio we can create and collapse, almost at will. † heart of our company, we have been able to grow rapidly without becoming bureaucratic. Today we have about 60 divisions. We think of them as a portfolio we can create and collapse, a lmost at will. As the market changes, our organization can adjust immediately. What role, then, does the corporate center play?When it comes to financial controls and operating procedures, we don't want creativity or entrepreneurial behavior. In these areas, we centralize and manage tightly. Li &. Fung has a standardized, fully computerized operating system for executing 110 and tracking orders, and everyone in the company uses the system. We also keep very tight control of working capital. As far as I'm concerned, inventory is the root of all evil. At a minimum, it increases the complexity of managing any business. So it's a word we don't tolerate around here. All cash flow is managed centrally through Hong Kong.All letters of credit, for example, come to Hong Kong for approval and are then reissued by the central office. That means we are guaranteed payment before we execute an order. I could expand the company by another 10% to 20% hy giving customers credit. But while we are ver y aggressive in merchandising – in finding new sources, for example-when it comes to financial management, we are very conservative. I understand^ though, that Li & Fung is involved in venture capital. Can you explain how t hat fits in? We've set up a small venture-capital arm, with offices in San Francisco, London, and Brussels, hose primary purpose is corporate development. If you look at a product market grid, Li &. Fung has expertise in sourcing many types of products for many types of retailers, but there are also holes in our coverage. A big piece of our corporate development is plugging those holes-the phrase we use is â€Å"filling in the mosaic† – and we use venture capital to do it. Let's say Li &. Fung is not strong in ladies fashion shoes. We'll have our venture group look for opportunities to buy into relatively young entrepreneurial companies with people who can create designs and sell them but who do not have the ability to source or to finance.Th at's what we bring to the deal. More important, doing the sourcing for the company lets us build presence and know-how in the segment. At the same time, we think it's a good way to enhance our returns. All venture capitalists will tell you that they bring more than money to their investments. In our case, we are ahle to back the companies with our sourcing network. One of our biggest successes is a company called Cyrk. We wanted to fill a hole in our mosaic in the promotional premiums business-clothing or gift items with company logos, for example. We bought a 30% stake in Cyrk for $200,000 in 1990. We ended p doing all the M&M gum hall dispensers with them, but the real coup was a full line of promotional clothing for Philip Morris. After five years, we sold our investment for about $65 million. We're more than happy with our investment results, but our real interest is in corporate developHARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1998 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG STYLE SUPPL Y CHAIN MANAGEMENT: HOW LI & FUNG ADDS VALUE LI & Fung does the high-value-added front- and back-end tasks in Hong Kong front end design engineering production planning back end quality control testing logistics It organizes the ower-value-added middle stages through its network of 7,500 suppliers, 2,500 of which are active at any one time. raw material and component sourcing ment, in filling in the mosaic. We're not looking to grow by taking over whole companies. We know we can't manage a U. S. domestic company very well because we're so far away, and the culture is different. By hacking people on a minority basis, however, we improve our sourcing strength and enhance our ability to grow existing client relationships or to win new ones. That's real synergy. You've grown substantially both in size and in geographic scope in the last five years.Does becoming more multinational bring any fundamental changes to the company? Since 1993, we've changed from a Hong Kongbased Chinese compan y that was 99. 5% Chinese and probably 80% Hong Kong Chinese into a truly regional multinational with a workforce from at least 30 countries. We used to call ourselves a Chinese trading company. (The Japanese trading companies are very hig, and we wanted to he a big fish in a small pond, so we defined the pond as consisting of Chinese trading companies. ) As we grow, and as our workforce hecomes more nationally diverse, we wonder how Koreans or Indians or Turks will feel bout working for a Chinese multinational. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Septtmber-October 1998 managing production We're torn. We know that if we call ourselves a multinational, we're very small compared to a Nestle or a Unilever. And we don't want to he faceless. We are proud of our cultural heritage. But we don't want it to be an impediment to growth, and we want to make people comfortable that culturally we have a very open architecture. We position ourselves today as a Hong Kong-based multinational trading company. Ho ng Kong itself is hoth Chinese and very cosmopolitan. In five years, we've come a ong way in rethinking our identity. As we grow and become more multinational, the last thing we want to do is to run the company like the big multinationals. You know – where you have a corporate policy on medical leave or housing allowances or you name it. How do you avoid setting policies, a path that would seem inevitable lor most companies? We stick to a simple entrepreneurial principle. For the senior ranks of the company, the mobile executives, we â€Å"encash†-that is, we translate the value of benefits into dollar figures-as much as we can. Cash gives individuals the most fiexihiiity. I annot design a policy to fit 1,000 people, so when UI SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG STYLE in doubt we give people money instead. You want a car? You think you deserve a car? We'd rather give you the cash and let you manage the car. You buy it, you service it. The usual multinational solution i s to hire experts to do a study. Then they write a manual on car ownership and hire ten people to administer the manual. If you ask yourself whether you would rather have a package of benefits or its equivalent in cash, m. ayhe you'll say, I don't want such a nice car, hut I'd prefer to spend more money on my home leave.Cash gives individuals a lot more freedom. That's our simplifying principle. month is still doing so this month. The committee of 30 not only shapes our policies hut also translates them into operating procedures we think will he effective in thefield. And then they hecome a vehicle for implementing what we've agreed on when they return to their divisions. There are few businesses as old as trading. Yet the essence of what you do at Li & Fung-managing information and relationships-sounds like a good description of tbe information economy. How do you reconcile the new economy with the old?At one level, Li &. Fung is an information node, fiipping information hetween ou r 350 customers Since you operate in so many countries, do you and our 7,500 suppliers. We manage all that today have to index cash equivalents to local economies? with a lot of phone calls and faxes and on-site visits. That's the guts of the company. Soon we will need Wherever we operate, we follow local rules and hest practices. We do not want uniformity for lower- a sophisticated information system with very open architecture to accommodate different protocols level managers. If they say in Korea, â€Å"We don't rom suppliers and from customers, one rohust want bonuses hut everyhody gets i 6 m onths enough to work in Hong Kong and New York-as salary,† that's the market. What we do would probwell as in places like Bangladesh, where you can't ahly drive the HR department in a multinational crazy. But it works for us: for the top people, we fig- always count on a good phone line. ure out a cash equivalent for henefits, and for the loI have a picture in my mind of the ideal tr ader for cal staff, we follow local hest practices. It's fine if today's world. The trader is an executive wearing e do things differently from country to country. a pith helmet and a safari jacket. But in one hand is a And rememher, we are an incentive-driven commachete and in the other a very high-tech personalpany. We try to make the variable component of computer and communication device. From one compensation as hig as possible and to extend that side, you're getting reports from suppliers in newly principle as far down into the organization as possi- emerging countries, where the quality of the inforhle. That's the entrepreneurial approach. mation may he poor. From the other side, you ight have highly accurate point-of-sale information from the United States that allows you to reAs you spread out geographically, how do you hold plenish automatically. In other words, you're mathe organization together? The company is managed on a day-to-day hasis by neuvering between areas that have a lot of catching the product group managers. Along with the top up to do-you're fighting through the underbrush, so to speak-and areas that are already clearly fomanagement, they form what we call the policy committee, which consists of about 30 people. We cused on the twenty-first century. meet once every five to six weeks.People fly in As the sources of supply explode, managing inforfrom around the region to discuss and agree on polimation becomes increasingly complex. Of course, cies. Consider, for example, the topic of compliwe have a lot of hard data about performance and ance, or ethical sourcing. How do we make sure our ahout the work we do with each factory. But what suppliers are doing the right thing-by our cuswe really want is difficult to pin down; a lot of the tomers' standards and our own-when it comes to most valuable information resides in people's issues such as child lahor, environmental protecheads.What kind of attitude does the owner have? tion, and countr y-of-origin regulations? Do we work well together? How good is their interCompliance is a very hot topic today-as well it nal management? That kind of organizational memory is a lot harder to retain and to share. We should be. Because our inspectors are in and out of see the capturing of such information as the next the factories all the time, we probably have a hetter frontier. You could look at us as a very sophisticated window on the prohlem than most companies. If IT system. So that's the modern side of who we are. we find factories that don't comply, we won't work ith them. However, because there is so much subcontracting, you can't assume that everyone is doWbat about the more traditional side? ing the right thing. That is, you have to make sure In the information age, there is an impersonality that a supplier that was operating properly last that seems to say that all the old-world thoughts 112 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1998 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG STYLE about relationships don't matter anymore. We're all taken with the notion that a bright young guy ean bring his great idea to the Internet, and it's okay if no one knows him from Adam. Right?Maybe. But at the same time, the old relationships, the old values, still matter. I think they matter in our dealings with suppliers, with eustomers, and with our own staff. Right now we're so big, three of our divisions could be seheduling work with the same factory. We could be fighting ourselves for factory capacity. So I'm in the process of creating a database to track systematically all our supplier relationships. We need something that everyone in the company ean use to review the performance history of all our suppliers. One of my colleagues said, â€Å"We'd better guard that with our lives, because if somebody ever ot into our system, they could steal one of the company's greatest assets. † I'm not so worried. Someone might steal our database, but when they call up a supplie r, they don't have the long relationship with the supplier that Li & Fung has. It makes a difference to suppliers when they know that you are dedicated to the business, that you've been honoring your commitments for 90 years. I think there is a similar traditional dimension to our customer relationships. In the old days, my father used to read every telex from eustomers. That made a huge difference in a business where a detail s small as the wrong zipper color could lead to disastrous delays for customers. Today William and I continue to read faxes from customers-certainly not every one, but enough to keep us in personal toucb with our customers and our operations on a daily basis. Through close attention to detail, we try to maintain our heritage of customer service. As we have transformed a family business into a modern one, we have tried to preserve the best of what my father and grandfather created. There is a family feeling in the company that's difficult to describe. We don't care much for titles and hierarchy.Family life and the company's business spill over into each other. When staff members are in Hong Kong to do business, my mother might have tea with their families. Of eourse, as we have grown we have had to change. My mother can't know everyone as she once did. But we hold on to our wish to preserve the intimacies that have been at the heart of our most successful relationships. If I had to capture it in one phrase, it would be this: Think like a big company, act like a small one. A TRADITION OF INNOVATION In the company's early years, Li & Fung dealt in porcelain and other trnditidnal Chinese products, inclLidinK bamboo nd rattan ware, jade and ivory handicrafts-and fireworks. Li ik Funj;'s invention of paper-sealed fireerackers in 1907 to replaee the traditional mudsealed firecracker was a major breakthrough. At that time, the U. S. import duty on firecrackers was hased on weight. The paper-sealed fireeraekers not only ineurred lower unport duti es by being lighter but also eliminated the problem of excessive dust produced by the discharge of the mud-sealed variety. Li &. Fung's paper-sealed manufaeturing process has become the industry's standard. i Is the growing importance of information technology good or bad for your bnsiness?Frankly, I am not unhappy that the business will HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September-October 1998 113 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, HONG KONG STYLE be more dependent on information technology. The growing value of dispersed manufaeturing makes us reach even further around the globe, and IT helps us accomplish that stretching of the company. As Western companies work to remain competitive, supply chain management will become more important. Their need to serve smaller niche markets with more frequent changes in products is pushing us to establish new sources in less developed countries.We're forging into newly emerging centers of production, from Bangladesh to Sri Lanka to Madagascar. We're now landing in northern Africa – in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco. We're starting down in South Africa and moving up to some of the equatorial countries. As the global supply network becomes larger and more far-flung, managing it will require scale. As a pure intermediary, our margins were squeezed. But as the number of supply chain options expands, we add value for our customers by using information and relationships to manage the network. We help companies navigate through a orld of expanded choice. And the expanding power of IT helps us do that. So the middle where we operate is broadening, making what we do more valuable and allowing us to deliver a better product, which translates into better prices and better margins for our customers. In fact, we think export trading is not a sunset industry but a growth business. Was the professional management training you and William brought with you from the United States helpful in running an Asian family business? It's an interesting question. For m y first 20 years with the company, I had to put aside-unlearn, in act-a lot of what I had learned in the West about management. It just wasn't relevant. The Li & Fung my grandfather founded was a typical patriarchal Chinese family conglomerate. Even today, most companies in Asia are built on that model. But a lot has changed in the last five years, and the current Asian financial crisis is going to transform the region even more. Now, instead of managing a few relationshipsthe essence of the old model-we're managing large, complex systems. It used to be that one or two big decisions a year would determine your success.In the 1980s, for example, many of the Asian tycoons were in asset-intensive businesses like real estate and shipping. You would make a very small number of very big decisions-you would acquire a piece of land or decide to build a supertanker-and you were done. And access to the deals depended on your connections. 114 The Li & Fung of today is quite different from the company my grandfather founded in 1906. As it was in a lot of family companies, people had a sense over the years that the company's purpose was to serve as the family's livelihood. One of the first things William and I did was to persuade my father o separate ownership and management by taking the company puhlic in 197 3. When our margins were squeezed during the 1980s, we felt we needed to make dramatic changes that could best be done if we went back to being a private company. So in 1988, we undertook Hong Kong's first management buyout, sold off assets, and refocused the company on its core trading business. Later we took our export trading business public again. I'm sure some of our thinking ahout governance structure and focus was influenced by our Western training. But I'm more struck by the changes In the company's decision making.Right now in this building, we probably have 50 buyers making hundreds of individual transactions. We're making a large number of small decisions instead of a small number of big ones. I can't be involved in all of tbem. So today I depend on structure, on guiding principles, on managing a system. Of course, I think relationships are still important, but I'm not managing a single key relationship and using it to leverage my entire enterprise. Instead, I'm running a very focused business using a systems approach. That's why I say that in the last five years, everything I learned in business school has come to matter. Li &

Freedom Of Press

Freedom of Press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through mediums including various electronic media and published materials. While such freedom mostly implies the absence of interference from an overreaching state, its preservation may be sought through constitutional or other legal protections.With respect to governmental information, any government may distinguish which materials are public or protected from disclosure to the public based on classification of information as sensitive, classified or secret and being therwise protected from disclosure due to relevance of the information to protecting the national interest. Many governments are also subject to sunshine laws or freedom of information legislation which are both used to define the extent of national interest.The Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares: â€Å"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers† This philosophy is usually accompanied by legislation ensuring various degrees of freedom of scientific research (known s scientific freedom), publishing, press and printing the depth to which these laws are entrenched in a country's legal system can go as far down as its constitution.The concept of freedom of speech is often covered by the same laws as freedom of the press, thereby giving equal treatment to spoken and published expression. Beyond legal definitions, several non-governmental organizations use other criteria to Judge the level of press freedom around the world. Some of those organizations include the following: Reporters Without Borders The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Freedom House Many of the traditional means of delivering information are being slowly superseded by the increasing pace of modern technological advance.Almost every conventional mo de of media and information dissemination has a modern counterpart that offers significant potential advantages to Journalists seeking to maintain and enhance their freedom of speech. A few simple examples of such Satellite television Web-based publishing (e. g. , blogging) Voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) Every year, Reporters Without Borders establishes a ranking of countries in terms of their freedom of the press.The Freedom of the Press index, an annual survey of edia independence in 197 countries and territories, is based on responses to surveys sent to Journalists that are members of partner organizations of the RWB, as well as related specialists such as researchers, Jurists and human rights activists. The survey asks questions about direct attacks on Journalists and the media as well as other indirect sources of pressure against the free press, such as non-governmental groups.The annual index contains the most comprehensive data set available on global media treedom and i s a key resource tor scholars, policymakers, international institutions, media, and activists. The index assesses the degree of print, broadcast, and internet freedom in every country in the world, analyzing the events of each calendar year. It provides numerical rankings and rates each country's media as â€Å"Free,† â€Å"Partly Free,† or â€Å"Not Free. Country narratives examine the legal environment for the media, political pressures that influence reporting, and economic factors that affect access to information As of 2013, the United States is ranked 32nd in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index. There was a fall from 20th in 2010 to 42nd in 2012, which was attributed to arrests of Journalists covering the Occupy movement. In 2011-2012, the countries where press was the most free were Finland, Norway and Germany, followed by Estonia, Netherlands, Austria, Iceland, and Luxembourg.The country with the least degree of press freedom was Eritrea, followe d by North Korea, Turkmenistan, Syria, Iran, and China. Freedom of the press in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, says that â€Å"Congress shall make no law†¦. abridging (limiting) the freedom of speech, or of the press † Freedom of speech is the liberty to speak openly without fear of government restraint.It is closely linked to freedom of the press because this freedom includes both the right to speak and the right to be heard. In the United States, both the freedom of speech and freedom of press are commonly called freedom of expression. This clause is generally understood as prohibiting the government from interfering with the printing and distribution of information or opinions, although freedom of the press, like freedom of speech, is subject to some restrictions, such as defamation law and copyright law. The Constitution's framers provided the press with broad fre edom.This freedom was considered necessary to the establishment of a strong, independent press sometimes called â€Å"the fourth branch† of the government. An independent press can provide citizens with a variety of information and opinions on matters of public importance. However, freedom of press sometimes collides with other rights, such as a defendant's right to a fair trial or a citizen's right to privacy. In recent years, there has been increasing concern about extremely aggressive journalism, including stories about people's sexual lives and photographs of people when they were in a private setting.The framers' conception of freedom of the press has been the subject of intense historical debate, both among scholars and in the pages of Judicial opinions. At the very least, those who drafted and ratified the Bill of Rights purported to embrace the notion, derived from William Blackstone, that a free press may not be licensed by the sovereign, or otherwise restrained in a dvance of publication. And, although the subject remains a lively topic of academic debate, the Supreme Court itself reviewed the historical record in 1964 in New York Times Co. . Sullivan and concluded that the central meaning of the First Amendment embraces s well a rejection of the law of seditious libel i. e. , the power of the sovereign to impose subsequent punishments, from imprisonment to criminal fines to civil damages, on those who criticize the state and its officials. To a great extent, however, what we mean by freedom of the press today was shaped in an extraordinary era of Supreme Court decision-making that began with Sullivan and concluded in 1991 witn Conen v. Cowles Media Co.During that remarkable period, the Court ruled least 40 cases involving the press and fleshed out the skeleton of freedoms addressed only rarely in prior cases. In contrast, although the Court in the early part of the last century had considered the First Amendment claims of political dissidents with some frequency, it took nearly 150 years after the adoption of the Bill of Rights, and the First Amendment along with it, for the Court to issue its first decision based squarely on the freedom of the press.Over the course of the quarter-century following Sullivan, the Court made it its business to explore the ramifications of the case on a virtually annual basis. During that period, the Supreme Courts elaboration of what we mean by a free press focused on the nature of the official restraint lleged to compromise that freedom as well as the extent to which the First Amendment protects the press from a given species of governmental action or inaction. Thus, in cases such as Near and the Pentagon Papers case (1971 ‘s New York Times Co. . United States), the Court established that freedom of the press from previous restraints on publication is nearly absolute, encompassing the right to publish information that a president concluded would harm the national security, if not th e movements of troopships at sea in time of war. In 1974's Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo, the Court embraced the analogous proposition that the overnment has virtually no power to compel the press to publish that which it would prefer to leave on the proverbial cutting room floor.In that regard, however, it must be noted that not all media are created equal when it comes to entitlement to the full protections of the First Amendments press clause. Most significantly, because of a perceived scarcity of the electromagnetic spectrum, the Court has held that Congress and the Federal Communications Commission may regulate the activities of broadcasters operating over public airwaves in a manner that would surely violate the First Amendment if applied to newspapers.Compare Red Lion Broadcasting v. FCC (1969) with Tornillo. ) The Courts reasoning in Red Lion, in which it upheld the Commissions Fairness Doctrine and personal attack rule i. e. , the right of a person criticized on a broadcast station to respond to such criticism over the same airwaves licensed to that station has never been disavowed, although the Justices have expressly declined to extend it to other, later-developed communications media, including cable television (1994's Turner Broadcasting v.FCC) and the Internet (1997's Reno v. ACLU), to which the scarcity rationale for regulation is plainly napplicable. Sullivan and cases that followed also hold that the First Amendment protects the publication of false information about matters of public concern in a variety of contexts, although with considerably less vigor than it does dissemination of the truth.Even so, public officials and public fgures may not recover civil damages for injury to their reputations unless they were the victims of a reckless disregard for truth in the dissemination of a calculated falsehood. Indeed, private persons may not collect civil damages for reputational harm caused by falsehoods relating to a matter f public c oncern unless the publishers conduct violates a fault-based standard of care. And although expressions of opinion are not always immune from legal sanction, in its 1990 decision in Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co. the Court held that statements not capable of being proven false, or which reasonable people would not construe as statements of fact at all, but rather as mere rhetorical hyperbole, are absolutely protected by the First Amendment. Indeed e ou nas rejected arguments advanced by the institutional press that, because of its structural role in nsuring the free flow of information in a democratic society, it ought to enjoy unique protections from otherwise generally applicable laws that inhibit its ability to gather and report the news.Thus, in 1991 in Cohen v. Cowles Media Co. , the Court effectively concluded the treatise on the freedom of the press it began in Sullivan; it did so when it emphasized that the press is properly subject to liability under the generally applicabl e law of contracts when it breaks a promise to keep a sources identity confidential, even when it does so in order to report truthful information about the ources involvement in a matter of public concern.In the decade following Cohen, the Court again fell largely silent when it came to the First Amendments application to the institutional press. As the 21st century dawned, however, the Court interrupted that silence, at least briefly, to revisit the extent to which a generally applicable law such as the federal wiretap statute can constitutionally impose criminal penalties and civil liability on the dissemination by the press of the contents of unlawfully recorded telephone conversations, at least when the information so disseminated is the truth about a matter of public concern.While it is undeniable fact that freedom of press is essential ingredient of democracy, it does not mean it will advance the goals of democracy. A free press plays a key role in sustaining and monitoring a healthy democracy, as well as in contributing to greater accountability, good government, and economic development. Most importantly, restrictions on media are often an early indicator that governments intend to assault other democratic institutions. According to the Freedom of the Press index, only 14. 5 percent of the world's citizens live in countries that enjoy a free press.In the rest of the world, governments as well as non-state actors control the viewpoints that reach citizens and brutally repress independent voices who aim to promote accountability, good governance, and economic development.

The Effect of News Teasers in Processing News on Television

Past researches on cognitive effects of news teasers[1] (or news previews) were mainly focused on the viewer attention and memory performance (e. g. Scheuder & White, 1989; Cameron, Shleuder, & Thorson, 1991; Schleduder, White & Camerson, 1993), but little research has been conducted to examine the effects of the by-product of newscasts-news teasers. Chang’s paper aimed at filling the gap between previous researches by exploring the role of news teasers in processing television news and examining the effectiveness of different news teasers in improving information retention and comprehension. Chang found that the presence of a news teaser in the preceding TV program enhanced viewer’s recall and comprehension of the news story teased. Additionally, the presence of a program reference in the news teaser demonstrated a significant impact on viewer’s comprehension of the news whilst presentation format of the news teaser did not have any effect. According to the priming effect and schema theory, priming is a natural process of the spreading activating particular connections in memory (Berkowitz & Rogers, 1986) and it is used to explain the effects of news previews on viewer’s attention and memory status (Schleuder, White, & Cameron, 1993). In addition, Schemata are mental structures that people use to organize their knowledge, make sense of an event and provide a framework for future understanding. With the use of a program reference in a news teaser will not only enhance spreading activation process, but serve a cue emphasizing the connection between program and upcoming news story. Therefore, Chang’s study contended and showed that program-referred teasers have stronger priming effects on viewer’s recall and comprehension. Chang’s findings are particular useful in amplifying the agenda setting effect by leveraging on the relationship between preceding program, news teasers and the following news feature. Common examples of such application include but not limited to socio-educational messages such as safe sex, safe driving, and campaigns against drugs, smoking and driving after alcohol consumption. A situational drama can first mention how drug taking ruined the life of a fictional character, following by a news teaser in the commercial break extracting remarkable scenes from the upcoming news program, then the news feature itself. The interaction between the three elements within such a short period of time not only could reinforce the message to be conveyed, but also deepened viewer’s impression on the issue. The most severe weakness of Chang’s study is that it employed a simulated newscast and news teasers instead of naturally occurring ones. Besides, the external validity of Chang’s research is weak given the TV viewing session was conducted in a laboratory setting with all participants being students. Despite the above limitations, Chang’s study does provide new insights for practitioners to adopt in improving audience flow in broadcasting.

Conservation of Energy Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conservation of Energy - Lab Report Example From the graph presented; angle versus time, it is evident that when the angle of displacement is increased, the periodic interval is reduced for a constant length if the string. This proportionality is directly varying. In general, the swinging pendulum portrays a consistency in the changes involving kinetic, potential and gravitational potential energies. This can be summed serially as potential energy to kinetic energy then back to kinetic energy. This is when the pendulum is released from a height above the reference point level. At the instance the bob (mass) is released, it has an initial energy potential in nature. This is followed by gradual changes in the kinetic energies when at the minimum of the reference point; a maximum kinetic energy is attained. At this point, the swinging mass has its maximum velocity v, which is the converse for the point of zero (0) potential energy for the system in question. There are two maxima heights in respect of the reference position for the system. At these points, the system depicts its maxima potential energies which can as well be stated as minimum kinetic energy for the system. A graph of kinetic energy versus time is a sinusoidal curve. This is the same for the case of potential energy. However the two curves are completely out of phase. This is due to the corresponding changes between kinetic to potential energy. This is evident in the total energy curve as a function of time; whose curve is straight. This is a true confirmation of the law of conservation of energy which can also be stated as â€Å"energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but rather conserved.† For the pendulum, the reference level point to measure the y-coordinate location is at the mid-point between the two maxima levels of displacement of the pendulum. At equilibrium, the pendulum is at rest when it is at this point. If the reference level is changed to where the rotary motion is, it would mean the length L is

Critically evaluate the concept of empowerment. What is the link Essay

Critically evaluate the concept of empowerment. What is the link between empowerment and motivation in the context of large U - Essay Example This is essential in the retail sector which thrives on customer satisfaction. Empowerment however requires training and guidance which appears to be lacking in the retail sector. The employees tend to prefer direction to action which implies they lack intrinsic motivation. The management too may be unwilling to share critical information and relinquish power. Hence, the efficacy of empowerment is dependent on various factors and cannot lead to competitive advantage by merely empowering the employees. Empowerment Empowerment has varied definitions and approaches and may involve elements like individual employee perceptions, job structure and work environment, organizational structure and culture, managerial commitment and leadership, and training and reward systems (Anderson & Huang, 2006). Empowerment involves the behavior of the supervisor (cause of empowerment) and the psychological state of the subordinate (the effect). Empowerment is not merely a fad but a unique concept represe nting a new managerial approach and cannot be substituted for word like authority, delegation, motivation or self-efficacy (Lee & Koh, 2001). Empowerment is a continuing process occurring in a dynamic environment. It requires removing the conditions that give rise to feelings of powerlessness. It should create a work environment that strengthens the feelings of self efficacy (Anderson & Huang, 2006). They should be given autonomy and allowed to participate in decision-making. The employees should be freed from rigorous control imposed by company rules and regulations. Empowerment can lead to job satisfaction and loyalty, which positively impacts performance. However, empowerment requires the right leadership style and the managerial practices which can provide the right motivation. Motivation Motivation has been defined as an internal process that controls and regulates behavior, according to Hardre (2003). Barnett (1999) defines motivation as a psychological force that directs, ini tiates, and sustains human behavior over time. To ensure highest productivity and better performance, the importance of motivation has been recognized. However, motivation should spring from the inner self – it should be intrinsic and not induced by external factors such as pay and monetary incentives. Intrinsic motivation is positive, internalized and self-owned whereas extrinsic motivation is low quality and does not produce the valued outcomes. Empowerment and motivation Thus it can be said that empowerment is the authority to use discretion and take decisions while motivation is an inner urge to grow or perform. This is the initiative that Kokemuller (2001) refers to as the skills essential for jobs in the retail but something that is commonly missing. In favorable conditions the workers produce better and according to Ryan and Deci (2000) these include autonomy and competence. This implies that empowerment provides intrinsic joy and this induces the worker to perform bet ter. Empowerment should be an individual motivation which should create an environment for augmenting motivation through the development of strong feeling of personal effectiveness (Anderson & Huang, 2006). Empowerment should foster a belief in the worker on his own effectiveness thereby enhancing intrinsic motivation. Empowerment enhances self-efficacy and even according to Maslow it is the highest in the hierarchy of needs. However, even if the workers are empowered, they

Detail explanation on the F grade on the math 1A and the D grade on Essay

Detail explanation on the F grade on the math 1A and the D grade on HUMA 10 - Essay Example fever, I was unable to take the final exam in Math 1A and this caused my overall grade to suffer an F-mark for the course when I failed to notify my instructor properly of the unfortunate health situation. The same fate went with Human Development 10 on which I obtained a D, having had unlikely chances of catching up and improving performance made by my sickness and frequent absenteeism thereof. My family preferred to look after me at the time so I mostly underwent medications at home rather than in the hospital. In that span, I managed to reflect deeply on my physical well-being and the measures I ought to account for seriously to guard my health and thereby prevent any sort of illness to interfere in my future studies. Now, I am once again ready to confront the challenges of education and I believe that my admission to UC is something that would further enrich my personal growth in several aspects other than scholastic endeavour through the school’s up-to-date curricular design and fully equipped facilities of

Impact of management of control system and leadership Essay

Impact of management of control system and leadership - Essay Example Hutzschenreuter (2009) points out that such tools can be formal procedures used to maintain or change the activities of the organization. The notion of management control has been discussed intensively in the fields of management research (Horch, 2009). The existing literature on leadership points out that the leadership styles adopted by the top management of an organization affect not only the performance of the business, but also the level of commitment among the middle and low level managers. Scholars in the accounting and control field also argue that the style of leadership adopted by the managers is directly influenced by the level of management control structures that exist in a particular company. Different organizations invest differently in their management control systems with the aim of improving decision making (Simons, 2000). Some scholars argue that such systems enhance the performance of the managers thus increasing the overall productivity of the business. Cogliser & Shriesheim (2000) indicate that when managers are able to rely on the information collected through these systems, they can model their leadership styles to enhance the achievement of the objectives of the organization. Boedker et al. (2011) further states that such systems boost productivity as they ensure that the mission and vision are at the core of the decisions made at the management level. According to Horngren et al. (2009), without strict control, workers will never bring good results as they will have the freedom to be involved in practices that end up limiting their value and productivity. Bass et al. (2008) adds that tight management control systems ensure that a company performs efficiently by reducing the number of violation cases .This is heavily contested by another group of scholars who argue that such systems result in fear among junior employees. According to Sinha (2008), fear and stress are among

Online Travel Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Online Travel Industry - Essay Example In the US and Europe, the leading online travel intermediaries have taken market share from their offline counterparts. At the same time, an increase in direct sales through travel supplier's own websites has also affected the traditional agency business. The need to balance direct and indirect channels, demand for lower cost distribution and the growth in popularity of comparison shopping are all factors driving the business model for travel specific search engines globally. It is interesting to note that the online travel market is divided into two segments: leisure/unmanaged business travel and managed business travel (also known as corporate travel). The online booking behavior of unmanaged business travelers is indistinguishable from leisure travelers. Employees of the millions of small- and medium-sized corporations use the same websites as leisure travelers to book their business travel. Thus these two groups of buyers are treated as one customer segment. Study Method: It is a quantitative research based on online consumer surveys, executive surveys and market forecast models to provide essential analysis of consumer trends and marketing best practices, including customer segmentation and cross-selling strategies. Study Findings: The needs of travelers vary widely from one generation segment to another although many travel marketers are unable to plan for the specific promotional strategies to meet the distinct needs of the different generations. Among the biggest generational differences in online behavior are: Young Travelers are an online agency's best friend: Consumers of age group 18-24 spend more time on agency sites than any other generations and they have attraction for the flashy marketing campaigns of online agencies. 77% of 18-24 year old travelers use more than one agency sites. The average traveler in this age group will visit 1.7 agency sites, the highest of any generational segment. From the above graph we can clearly observe that there is an increasing trend of the younger travelers for visiting online travel agencies than the older ones. Seniors prefer booking directly: Seniors (65+) overwhelmingly favor bookings flights and hotels directly on supplier sites that offer low-rate guarantees and other perks Nearly 80% of the flights booked online by this generation are made at carrier sites, and 68% of hotel bookings are placed directly at chain sites, compared to lows of 72% and 58% for 25-34 years old Baby Boomers have an appetite for content: Baby Boomers (45-64) view the travel contents online for comparison when in-market for a trip. 40% of the content viewed is at online travel agencies, giving aggregators an advantage in influencing this segment as they research online. Study Implication: The travel companies must do the effective market research to improve online strategies to profit from this growing channel and increase the substantial share of the travel revenue. Personal Reflection: Online Travel marketers should develop contents, services, and promotions targeting specific age groups that will be ideally positioned to manage their online distribution strategies

Self-Evaluation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Self-Evaluation Paper - Essay Example However, this way of solving dispute has been criticized for being expensive, time-consuming, and in some cases leading to unfair and unjust outcomes regarding particular cases (Frenkel and James 22). As a result, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms have been devised in order to provide an economical, quicker and a more just and fair outcomes to parties in dispute. Mediation is one of the main alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Mediation is a confidential and voluntary type of alternative dispute resolution. This method involves an impartial and independent person(s) who helps two or more parties to reach a solution over a dispute which is acceptable to all the parties. It may involve talking to the parties separately or together. Often, mediators do not make judgments, instead they ask questions in an attempt to unravel underlying problems relating to the dispute, help the parties in understanding issues and clarifying the alternatives for resolution of their dispute ( Goodman 51). Principles of Mediation Being a critical alternative dispute resolution mechanism, mediation is guided by a number of principles that ensures that it achieves its objectives effectively. There are five principles of mediation which are generally- recognized that guides the mediation process. However, it should be noted that there are more other elements or principles that have been incorporated, but in a broader sense they still fall under the five which are generally- recognizable (Frenkel and James 46). The first principle is the principle of informed consent that requires that prior to consenting participation in mediation, the parties in dispute should be informed about their legal options and rights, as well about the mediation process (Wall and Dunne 217-8). The second principle is that of voluntariness which requires that mediation process should be voluntary and that parties should enter into it freely and in any outcome resulting from the process. The parties a re also free to end their participation in the process at any time. The third principle is that of confidentiality which seeks to make parties aware that the process is confidential. This enables them to freely explore options and speak without fear that their communications in the process might be used against them. Also, confidentiality enables a party in dispute to request that particular information disclosed to the mediator not to be shared with the other parties (Frenkel and James 49). In addition, impartiality is a mediation principle which dictates that the parties are entitled to impartial and fair process involving an impartial and neutral mediator. The final principle is that of self-determination that requires that the parties and not the mediator to define the scope of issues to be addressed at mediation, and that the parties will determine the mediation’s outcome or results (Goodman 105-6). In order to understand the concept of mediation clearly and better, this self- evaluation paper will; consider the evaluation of my performance as a mediator. The paper will include the agreement reached by the parties and discuss the lessons learnt from the process that are deemed to be helpful for the future. I acted as a mediator between these two parties: Sammy Atwater (Plaintiff) and James

Midterm Exam Employment Law 2009 Research Paper

Midterm Exam Employment Law 2009 - Research Paper Example The company was a large international firm in San Francisco with almost 5000 employees. Jami had given the interview with the employment group of 6 people. One of them was John Clark, a V.P and the others were Human Resources V.P, V.P in charge of sales and two other supervisors. During the interview, she noticed many of the unwanted things i.e. all of them in the selection panel kept a special eye on her physical features and was asked all kinds of personal and absurd questions just before the interview was going to complete. Despite this unfamiliar circumstance, she joined the job with an insurance benefit of 401K plan and annual salary of US$80,000.00. She was also said that after three months of probation period she could be terminated with a valid cause. After her efficient work of six months, she was offered a lunch by Mr. John Clark, V.P. In the dinner, Clark said that the company needs another V.P just like Jami. In addition, he also offered Jami to spend the weekend with him in Yosemite so that the details of the plan can be discussed. When they visited the place together, Jami came to know that Clark was having an eye on her from the very first day and she would be provided with name and fame if she agrees to all the unwanted offers of Clark. When she refused to the offer she had to go through a lot of harassment in the office. Her performance was considered to be poor and she was not allowed a leave for her mother’s surgery. Irrespective of all these adversities, she went to visit her mother without a leave notice. On returning, she was demoted to a supervisor and had a decline in salary of US$40,000.00 per year. After all these occurrences, she lodged a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and therefore sued the company to the Federal Court. It can be viewed that all workplace related issues in the form of cases are handled by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of the US (State Human Resources Manu al, â€Å"Title VII of the Civil Rights Act†). According to the case provided, Jami Jensen has been the victim of sexual harassment by the Vice President of the company, wherein she was working. When an offer was provided to Jami and not accepted by her, the V.P. threatened to sue her from the company and also lessened her salary to a huge proportion. The V.P. also kept a condition that in order to avail the facilities of the company, she must take back the case and in return, she would be rewarded with a higher position in the company and a greater hike in her salary. However, she did not accept the condition and decided to file a complaint against the company in the federal court of the US. Jami can also file complains for violating the privacy rights by the employer during the interview process in accordance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Hence, the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 of the American law can be applied in the case of Jami Jensen. A PPLICABLE TORT CLAIMS In the United States, the federal tort claim provides compensation for the damages made to a property or any sort of injury arising from the activities perform by the federal officer or the employer (United States Court, â€Å"

Frankenstein V Bladerunner Essay Example for Free

Frankenstein V Bladerunner Essay In what ways does a comparative study accentuate the distinctive contexts of Frankenstein and Blade Runner? The comparative study of texts, allows audiences to investigate the changing nature and interpretation of issues relating to humanity as they are interpreted in different contexts. Context allows audiences to relate to and understand the thoughts, decisions and actions of individuals within a text. Context provides the opportunity to develop and shape a new genre or interpret an existing genre in a new way. The comparative study of context allows for audiences to compare the changing values of societies over time. Literary techniques such as allusions, imagery and dialogue is used to shape context and can be used by composers to entertain, inform or persuade an audience or highlight and provide insight into interesting or noteworthy points. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1831) and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (Directors Cut-1992) individually utilise literary techniques to establish the context of their text within its time. The comparative study of these two texts highlights how texts are inevitably a product of their time however both texts present issues that explore the intricacies and complexities of all human experience. Shelley and Scott utilise distinctive contexts to explore the nature of humanity and ultimately question what makes us human. Frankenstein and Blade Runner exist to highlight how context affects the perceptions of the audience in regards to how a text is received over time thus highlighting how a comparative study of texts can accentuate distinctive contexts. The comparative study of texts depends on the context used to establish a relationship with the audience. Mary Shelley’s fiction novel Frankenstein (1831) is a hybrid product of 18th century Gothic-Romanticism. The text reflects recent challenges to the social order as a result of the English industrial revolution and the French revolution during the second half of the 18th century which highlighted the empowerment of the working class. Frankenstein is a work of epistolary prose fiction that is explored through multiple narrators such as the ‘monster’, Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton. Frankenstein exists as a didactic tale that explores the morality of trying to subvert god thus providing a lesson in patriarchal hubris highlighting the arrogance of scientific discovery without any consideration of the moral or ethical implications. Frankenstein consequently explores the nature of obsession in undermining parental and moral responsibility and evoking fear in the creation-fear of the world, fear of man. Subsequently the leading antagonist of Blade Runner, Roy Batty, further elucidates the arrogance of obsession as he explains his plight, stating, ‘Quite an experience to live in fear, isnt it? Thats what it is to be a slave†. Batty provides insight into the failure of creators to understand the emotional development of the creation which leads to its isolation and fear, causing the ensuing destruction of the ‘natural order’. Frankenstein utilises the characterisation of Victor, ‘I have described myself as always having been imbued with a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature’ to explore the obsession for knowledge that formed part of Shelley’s context. The text therefore reflects the influences of recent scientific development such as Galvanism and evolutionary thought. The comparative study of contrasting textual forms allows context to influence different interpretations of a text. Ridley Scott’s speculative science fiction film Blade Runner (1992) employs extensive mis-en-scene to subvert the audience’s sense of setting and history-a suspension of belief- enabling contextually dependant perceptions of the film. The films’ setting reflects its context as it echoes the concept of imperfect vision that conceptualises the short-sightedness inherent in the pursuit of perfection. The film juxtaposes the seemingly inherent ethical pretexts of discovery with the scientific community that seeks to create a perfect race, thus Blade Runner’s scientific context becomes reminiscent of fascist Nazi Aryan ideology, IVF programs and the Human Genome project. Conversely Frankenstein utilises its sublime Swiss setting to increase the plausibility of the themes which allow them to resonate with audiences as they relate to the texts context. Contrasting textual form is used to highlight how the context of each text enables their concurrent themes to resonate and remain relevant to 21st century audiences. Distinctive contexts are accentuated through similar theme content. Frankenstein and Blade Runner similarly indicate that efforts to ‘defy’ the natural order are responsible for the enduring sense of misery and alienation that sustains the overall melancholic tone of both texts. Animal Imagery is used extensively within Blade Runner to reveal the primal nature of raw, native emotion of the ‘replicants’, a reflection of parental neglect which renders them incapable of understanding their emotions. Similarly Frankenstein juxtaposes the idyllic nature of childhood with the abandonment of parental responsibility to highlight the confusion behind the monsters ‘ugly’ exterior, therefore provide insight into creations’ place as the ultimate innocent of both texts. Frankenstein and Blade Runner establish the creations’ as the victims of both physical and emotional negligence who ultimately confront their creator to correct the flaw which isolates them from the world. Frankenstein and Blade Runner similarly utilise content to highlight the creations as the source of destruction to reveal the true nature of monstrosity, the senseless creators. The pursuit of knowledge at the expense of a moral framework is identified as the creators’ ultimate fatal flaw. As the creations of both texts reflect upon and highlight their unnatural qualities, they reveal how their creators can no longer attain the sublime. Victor highlights his exile from the sublime as he recounts how his actions and subsequent inaction ‘deprives the soul both of hope and fear’ contributing to his demise. Frankenstein and Blade Runner similarly evoke a development of critical literacy and knowledge of genre at a macro level that enables distinctive contexts to gain prominence and influence the understanding or interpretation of their respective genres as a whole. The contextualisation of Frankenstein and Blade Runner is used to provide insight into the reception of texts as it challenges the contemporary values of the audience. Frankenstein draws parallels with Greek mythology as it establishes Victor as a modern Prometheus while also addressing elements of Jewish mysticism as the ‘monster’ exhibits qualities similar to the golem of Prague. The text is also reminiscent of Godwin and Wollstonecraft, however, is inherently less optimistic about society’s realistically attainable level of perfection, both physically and economically. In stark contrast, Blade Runner addresses perfection as achievable in a commercial sense ‘commerce is our goal here at Tyrell’ however as Deckard states ‘nobody is perfect’ he highlights the shortcomings of forgoing the moral obligations inherent in the pursuit of commerce which ultimately enable an evaluation of humanities moral boundaries. Blade Runner pays homage to the representation (particularly through film and television) of the 1950’s detective film-noir to reveal a rendition of post-modern expressionism. The reflection of commerce as a postmodern cultural imperative establishes the relationship between socio-economic status and pastiche consumption. Consequently, humanity is ‘created’ and traded with this ‘transformation of everything into commodity’ (Byers, 1990) becoming a reflection of the context of Blade Runner following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the economic strength of the United States during the films production. In essence the distinctive context of Frankenstein and Blade Runner reflects the interpretation and perception of the genre, textual form and content over time. The comparative study of these distinctive contrasting contexts allows audiences to reflect on the enduring power of parental and moral responsibility, deliberate action or inaction and the features that define humanity. The key reflections in which the audience understands how they are positioned by composers as a result of their context is especially important in allowing moral assessments throughout the text. Frankenstein and Blade Runner are two texts who successfully explore the nature in which humans interpret their humanity as a response to a contextualised stimulus. Blade Runner ultimately reveals the establishment of emotional understanding as a definitive characteristic of being human, while incidentally Frankenstein explores the features of humanities collective consciousness which enable an individual to belong through emotional dependence. The comparative study of Frankenstein and Blade Runner allows audiences gain a further understanding into the way contexts are accentuated through assessments of conceptualised fiction which explore the themes and issues which forms the unique identity of humanity.

Liberty University Bibl 323 John Module 4 Notes Essay Example for Free

Liberty University Bibl 323 John Module 4 Notes Essay People would live in booths, temporary shelters made of palm branches outside the city to remind them of God’s care for 40 years in the wilderness. Every Jewish male was expected to attend the feast. (Lev. 16:16). â€Å"Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feasts of Tabernacles. No man should appear before the Lord empty-handed. † The 3 most important days in the Old Testament were not held on Saturday but on Sunday Seven plus one is John’s key phrase and here the three main feast feature seven days, Sabbath. Lev. 23:2–15). â€Å"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feast of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. For seven days present, an offering made to the Lord by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. ’ Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. ’† Then 7 weeks plus one day, i. e. , Pentecost, held on ____________________. Tabernacles (Lev. 23:34). â€Å"Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. Live in booths for seven days: All native born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches, and poplars, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days present offerings made to the Lord by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the Lord by fire. It is the closing assembly do no regular work. † Passover Pentecost Booths April June October Planting Crops in ground Harvest Most attended Least attended Middle Lev. 23:5 Lev. 23:15ff Lev. 23:34ff 7 days plus 1 7 days times 7 plus 1 7 days plus 1 Feast of the First 7 weeks then 1 Fruits Cross Atonement Holy Spirit Future Kingdom Eight is the number of regeneration new things Holy Spirit Brethren, v. – adeiphoi Catholic and Jerome – his cousins Sons of Joseph by another marriage A group of Jesus’ followers Children of Joseph and Mary after Jesus. They had a least seven children. Matt. 13:55 â€Å"Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? A ren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things? † What were the bothers trying to do? They were being sarcastic Wanting fame from a famous brother Another of Satan’s attempts to kill Jesus prematurely En parresiai – openly – literally in boldness Timing (7:6–9). Therefore Jesus told them, ‘The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to the Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come. ’ Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. † Time – karios – not the normal word hora – season Possibilities in resolving the problem Some accuse Jesus of falsehood Anabarino – I go up – in context ascending to Jerusalem in celebration of a completed task. He could not go up that way for His task was not completed I am not ready to do the tabernacle work yet The time for Jesus to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles will be At His return Hostilities (7:10–13). â€Å"However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, ‘Where is that man? ’ Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, ‘He is a good man. ’ Others replied, ‘No, he deceives the people. ’ But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews. Secretly – kruptoi – is placed in contrast to public celebration. nvisible wear disguise on non-traveled paths Openly – phaneros 7:10, and parnessaoi 7:4, both come the root word to Tell it all Whispering – goggusmos – mummer – as they did In the wilderness Of believers – a good man Of non-believers – not a good man Half – He deceives people Jesu s is a divider of men Christ and His Heavenly Claims (7:14–39) His ____________________ (7:14–24). â€Å"Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, ‘How did this man get such learning without having studied? Jesus answered, ‘My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me? ’ ‘You are demon-possessed,’ the crowd answered. ‘Who is trying to kill you? ’ Jesus said to them, ‘I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment. ’† Four claims of Jesus in the midst of the feast (7:14–24) Concerning His doctrine (7:14–24) My doctrine is from God (7:16) Doctrine is teaching Doctrine is the product teaching is the process I have preformed a miracle (7:21). Lame man to Bethesda Concerning His heavenly mission (7:25–36) I am from God (7:28). I will return to God (7:33). Will do His will – theisi poiein If a person’s moral purpose is in harmony with God’s will, then that person will come to know the truth of Jesus’ doctrine. Because of the attitude of â€Å"the Jews† they cannot meet this condition so they cannot understand His doctrine. Apparently the crowd did not know their leaders as they thought. It was unthinkable that the spiritual leaders of the day would plot to murder. They thought Jesus must be either paraniod or demon possessed The Sabbath law was not an absolute law a person could work under the right circumstance. If it were permissible to circumcise then why not to heal? This was not totally a new idea, Rabbi Eliezer, â€Å"If circumcision, which concerns one of a man’s 248 limbs, displaces the Sabbath, how much more must a man’s whole body (i. e. , if his life be in danger) displace the Sabbath† (Yoma 85b). Be angry – cholate – literally it is derivative from the word â€Å"gall† and literally means to be â€Å"full of bile†. The monstrous act that Jesus described was that 19 months earlier, He had healed a man on Saturday, who had been sick 38 years. Jesus had not only taken care of the physical but also the spiritual â€Å"problem. † His ____________________ (7:25–36). â€Å"At that point, some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, ‘Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from. ’ Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, ‘Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me. ’ At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, ‘When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man? ’ The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. Jesus said, ‘I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and here I am, you cannot come. ’ The Jews said to one another, ‘Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come? ’† Verse 25 the plot t o kill Jesus was common knowledge Lerosolumeiton v. 25 – used only here and in Mark 1:15 refers specifically to the residents of Jerusalem as distinguished from both the crowds who invaded the city during the feast and the religious bureaucracy. Jewish tradition said that the coming of the Messiah would be veiled in mystery. Some though that the Messiah would not know who he was until he was anointed by Elijah. Therefore, because Jesus knew who He was He could not be the Messiah. Cried – with a loud voice. True v. 28 – alethinos – in the sense of genuineness rather than veracity. Still others in the crowd began to believe. v. 31. Response of the Pharisees Sent temple police to arrest him. Not Romans but Levitical police. v. 32. Sent spies out to gather evidence that could be used against Him in His trial. They did not report to the Sanhedrin until four days later. The Prophecy 7:35 – They unknowingly prophesied that Jesus should go to the diaspora, i. e. , Jews outside Palestine and to the Gentiles. Dispersed scattered. Gentiles means nations. a Latin phrase. This is exactly what the Early Church did, v. 35. His ____________________ (7:37–39). â€Å"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, â€Å"Streams of living water will flow from within him. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. † Last day – sunday Holy Spirit Not spoken of until the Holy Ghost/Spirit For seven days, the nation had lived in booths to remind them of God’s provision for the nation of Israel For seven days they rejoiced in the ____________________. The eighth day was a special Sabbath sunday priest would draw water from the pool of Siloam and take it to the temple to the altar. The people began to sing (Isa. 12:3), â€Å"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. † At this point Jesus began to preach: â€Å"Is anyone thirsty? . As they are singing and pouring water, Jesus disrupts the ceremony with a loud voice. Jesus is either lunatic or lord The invitation is come and drink Koilias – inward parts Organ of nourishment, ____________________. Organ of reproduction, ____________________. Organ of direction, ____________________. The hidden innermost recesses of the kardia (heart), the seat of the intellect, emotions, and will, i. e. , the real person. Whose koilias? ____________________. Out of the givers belly will flow living water. He spoke of the Holy Spirit as God pouring out. ___________________ – He that believes, will be in dwelt with the Holy Spirit and gives the fruits, gifts, and fullness. This refers to rivers not belly. Verse 39 is a footnote that explains and adds to the text. As the rock produced water that nourished Israel in the wilderness so shall the Holy Spirit fills us What the Holy Spirit brings indwells the believer – Romans 5:5 fills for service – Eph. 5:18 gives quality life – Gal. 5:22–33 illuminates – John 14:26 secures heaven – Eph. 1:13–14 The Response of the Multitude (7:40–53) Divided ____________________ (7:40–43). On hearing his words, some of the people said, ‘Surely this man is the Prophet. ’ Others said, ‘He is the Christ. ’ Still others asked, ‘How can the Christ come from Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David’s family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived? ’ Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. † Jesus always divides the people into two groups – ____________________. People began to look at Jesus ____________________ after He disrupted the great procession. They did not really search His birthplace. They thought He was born In galilee Schisma – division – comes from the verb to rend. There is now a clear split in the crowd. He is either accepted or rejected No middle ground Divided officers (7:44–46). â€Å"Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why didn’t you bring him in? ’ ‘No one ever spoke the way this man does,’ the guards declared. † What was true of the crowds was true of the officers they were divided Divided Sanhedrin (7:47–53). â€Å"‘You mean he has deceived you also? ’ the Pharisees retorted. ‘Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them. ’ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, ‘Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing? ’ They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee. ’† Nicodemus was one of the leaders of the Jews who Believed on Jesus The response of the Pharisees may be interpreted in two ways. They may be urging Nicodemus to read the scriptures and see that no prophet had ever appeared in Galilee. This of course is not true. Jonah, Hosea, Nahum, Elijah, Elisha, and Amos came from Galilee. Jonah came from around Nazareth. â€Å"Search† did not refer to the Scriptures but the place. â€Å"From your knowledge of Galilee, is it the kind of place to produce a prophet? † The same attitude as Nathanael first had. Went to their own home – they had been living in booths and the feast was over so home. They went back to live in their houses. Jesus had confounded them. WhT ELSE COULD THEY DO. Review Why is Jesus called â€Å"the Heavenly One† in this chapter? Describe the Feast of Tabernacles. Why did Jesus’ half brothers want him to go to Jerusalem? Who were these brethren (v. 3–5)? Why did Jesus go up to this feast? What time of year was the Feast of Tabernacles? What did Jesus mean by the use of â€Å"belly†? What was the response of the multitude to Jesus’ action at the Feast of Tabernacles? Christ – The Light of the World Outline Chapter 8 Christ, the Lord of an Immoral Woman (8:1–11) A snare produced (8:1–6). â€Å"But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts; where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say? ’ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. † Introduction There is a major textual problem in Chapter 8. 7:53–8:11 is missing in some ancient manuscripts. Some translations either put in a disclaimer or a footnote. Arguments for authenticity Internal argument It is consistent with the ____________________. It is consistent with the ____________________. Documents the story of the woman caught in adultery was cited in the third century Apostolic Constitutions. Church Fathers. It was considered authentic by Jerome, Ambrose, and Augustine. Augustine tells why it is missing – some he calls â€Å"weak in the faith† feared their wives would use it to ____________________. This was an obvious trap to put Jesus on the horns of a dilemma. Stone her – lose his title as ____________________. Let her go – be in opposition ____________________. Remember the situation. Vacation atmosphere may be easier for ____________________. Living in booths, easier to catch someone in the act of adultery or ____________________. Early morning – orthrou – ____________________. It was common for a Rabbi to teach ____________________. If they had been interested in justice they would have taken her ____________________. They brought only the woman. Normally she would have been taken to her husband, or even before a court. The word for adultery is micheumoen which always refers to sexual infidelity involving married people neither ____________________. She was put in the ____________________. Where is the man? The reference to the law of Moses was ____________________. Deut. 22:22–24, â€Å"If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. † Stoning We often think of ____________________. The Greek word is for a stone about the ____________________. The person would be held down on the ground and the one who cast the first stone was ____________________. The Dilemma If Jesus had said release her, he would have – ____________________. If He said stone her, ____________________. ____________________. She had Broken the ____________________. Her word Her very character Broken ____________________. Broken ____________________. A sentence produced (8:6–11). â€Å"They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. ’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? ’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin. † Why write? To prove Jesus ____________________. Christ was ____________________ – Jesus did not need time to think. He was giving them time to think. â€Å"Lawgiver. † He wrote the first law on tablets of stone He is now telling the audience He has the right to ____________________. It was common for a teacher ____________________ as a visual aid. Two words for writing. Kategaphen – to write against. What did Jesus write? List of the ____________________. Armenian New Testament, â€Å"He himself, bowing His head, was writing with His finger on the earth to declare their sins; and they were seeing their several sins on the stones. † Jesus wrote the ____________________. Wrote the ____________________ who committed adultery with the woman. Wrote something about the ____________________. Egraphen – Jesus ____________________. Without sin – anamartetos One who has not sinned, or one who cannot sin although the latter meaning was never expressed in the New Testament. A. T. Roberston, â€Å"He who has not committed this same sin. † The one who is not in on this plot. Jewish leaders were all conspirators in this conflict. Being convicted by their own conscience – elegchomenoi – literally means to ____________________. The light was reminding these hardened scribes and Pharisees of their own history of sin. Katekrinen – to give judgment ____________________. Stoning was symbolic. Stoning by the Jews involved taking large rocks, raising them over one’s head with both hands and thrusting them down upon the victim. Sin no more – He condemned her sin but condoned her person. We condone ____________________. But condemn ____________________. Christ, the Light in Moral Darkness (8:12–30) Why light? ____________________ – four golden candelabras each with four golden bowls. The bowls had been filed with oil and lit. Contemporary observers claimed the light was so brilliant, it illuminated the entire city of Jerusalem. The memory would still be in the minds of his listeners. ____________________ that led Israel. â€Å"Light† is applied ____________________. ____________________ – He may have been teaching just before sunrise. Jesus, ____________________ which drove away the conspiring Pharisees and illuminated the heart of the woman taken in adultery. By revealing the Christ (8:12–20). When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. ’ The Pharisees challenged him, ‘Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid. ’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimo ny is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me. ’ Then they asked him, ‘Where is your father? ’ ‘You do not know me or my Father,’ Jesus replied. ‘If you knew me, you would know my Father also. ’ He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come. † According to the accepted rules of evidence one could not give witness for himself it must be verified in the presence of ____________________. There is life in light there is death in ____________________. The Pharisees said ouk alethes meaning his witness was not pertinent or irrelevant. It was like saying the sun is not shining if only one person sees it. The two witness of verse 16. Jesus Father Are There Not Twelve Hours In The Day? (11:9) The hour of the Son of Man’s shining (2:4; 12:23). The hour of the Savior’s suffering (7:30; 8:20; 17:1). The hour of the Seeker’s summons (1:39). The hour of the sinner’s salvation (4:6, 29). The hour of the supplicant’s certainty (4:52). The hour of the Saint’s service (19:27). The hour of the Shepherd’s sabbatical (13:1). The hour of the Soul’s sorrow (12:27; 16:21). The hour of the student’s scattering (16:32). The hour of the Sovereign’s showing (19:14). The hour of the son of God’s supremacy (5:25–29). (11:9) â€Å"Jesus answered, ‘are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. ’† Gegraptai – v. 17 perfect tense meaning it has been written in the past and stands written. By revealing the Father (8:21–27). â€Å"Once more Jesus said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come. ’ This made the Jews ask, ‘Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, `Where I go, you cannot come’? ’ But he continued, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be] you will indeed die in your sins. ’ ‘Who are you? ’ they asked. ‘Just what I have been claiming all along,’ Jesus replied. ‘I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world. ’† The first use of sin is singular (8:21) hamartiai ____________________. Where as the second time He used the plural hamartiais (8:24) ____________________. Kill himself, v. 22 – it was widely held among Pharisees that anyone that killed himself would ____________________. By revealing the Cross (8:28–30). â€Å"So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him. ’ Even as He spoke, many put heir faith in Him. † Jesus constantly reminds them of the ____________________. He also constantly uses the term â€Å"____________________. † Here again Jesus refers to Himself, ____________________. People believed eis into Him ____________________. Christ – the Liberator of Moral Slavery (8:31–59) Bondage declared (8: 31–36). â€Å"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. ’ They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free? Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ’† Jesus then talks to the believers. Some may have believed to salvation, v. 30. Others not, v. 31 – it is possible to be a professor and not ____________________ of salvation. True disciples are those who hold on to His teaching. Jews never in bondage. ____________________. ____________________. Jesus was not speaking of political bondage but ____________________. Doulos – slave to sin. cf. Romans chapters 6:6–8. Bondage explained (8:36–47). â€Å"‘So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father. ’ ‘Abraham is our father,’ they answered. ‘If you were Abraham’s children,’ said Jesus, ‘then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the things your own father does. ‘We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested. ‘The only Father we have is God himself. ’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. ’† Free indeed, ____________________. Abraham was a friend of God so if we are his children, we are ____________________. Note the dialectic – they are Abraham’s ____________________, but Jesus is God’s ____________________. Not born of fornication – may be a jab about the birth of Jesus. There are only two possibilities. Jesus was either born through ____________________ or ____________________. The prophet Hosea disagreed with the Jews v. 41 he said the nation had become the ____________________. Hosea 1:9–2:4. Jesus says that they are children of Satan, v. 44. Outwardly religious inwardly ____________________. Bondage demonstrated (8:48–59). â€Å"The Jews answered him, ‘Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed? ’ ‘I am not possessed by a demon,’ said Jesus, ‘but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. ’ At this the Jews exclaimed, ‘Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are? ’ Jesus replied, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad. ’ ‘You are not yet fifty years old,’ the Jews said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham! ’ ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am! ’ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. ’† The Jews responded by name calling (good when no facts support your conclusions). ____________________ v. 48. One of the strongest insults one could make to a Jew. There was also a play on words in Aramaic, Shomeroni meaning Samaritan and Shomeroni could also mean â€Å"a child of the devil. † ____________________ v. 48. Abraham rejoiced to see my day. In Paradise before ____________________. From the gospel of Nicodemus and The Acts of Pilate Abraham rejoicing to see the light of the approaching Christ when Jesus descended into hell between the cross and the resurrection. Abraham rejoiced by faith knowing that Messiah would be ____________________. Abraham’s ____________________ in Genesis 15:8–21. His laugh at Isaac’s birth was not a laugh of unbelief but belief that the Messiah would come through Isaac. Gen. 24:1 – Abraham had a ____________________ into the future of the nation. Gen. 17:1, vision when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, â€Å"I am God almighty; walk before me and be blameless. † ____________________ Genesis 18 Jesus ate with Abraham then later Abraham interceded before the destruction on the cities of the plains. Not 50 years old Could be his actual age – ____________________. 50 years was the age of Levitical retirement. The point you are not old enough to retire, much less ____________________. General term meaning old. I Am – they took up stones again – not little stones but big stones. They are in the middle of construction at the temple and there must have been many large stones around. They came first to stone a ____________________ and ended up trying to stone a ____________________. Review What two persons did the Jews want to stone? Why did Jesus write on the ground? Where was the man who was in adultery with the woman? What was the source of the statement, â€Å"I am the Light†? What did Jesus mean â€Å"without sin† (verse 7)? Who did Jesus suggest was the Father of the Jews? Why did the Jews call Jesus a Samaritan? How does this chapter prove the Deity of Jesus? How did Jesus pass through those attempting to stone Him? Christ – The Light of the World Chapter 9 The Healing of the Blind Man (9:1–7) â€Å"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? ’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ‘Go,’ he told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. † Introduction Two major themes, light and opposition. It begins wh en Jesus becomes the ____________________ to the man born blind and ends with the healed man receiving ____________________. The Jewish bureaucracy rejected the light and persecuted those who responded to the light. Compare chapters 8 and 9. Jesus the light – ____________________. Jesus the Liberator – ____________________. Jesus the sinless one – ____________________. Jesus the â€Å"I am – I AM† ____________________. Ballo, (8:59) aorist active subjunctive, suggesting that some had already begun to throw stones. They are willing to break the Sabbath to kill Jesus even while He was in the temple proper. How did Jesus hide Himself? He became ____________________. Blind ____________________. Jesus ____________________, or the ____________________ Jesus and the man with stones. You would think that Jesus would be running from the stones but instead as He walks out the gate He takes time to heal a blind beggar. He had put His trust in the Father. The beautiful gate faces north bronze doors with a vine on it. The gate kept the blind and lame ____________________. In this miracle the person healed has been blind from birth. The early Christian writers used this miracle as an ____________________. Question: Who sinned? If blind from birth then it was hard for the blindness ____________________. Several Old Testament passages say that the children will suffer the consequences of ____________________. Exodus 34:7 â€Å"Maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation. † Num. 14:18 â€Å"The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation. † Deut 5:9 â€Å"You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. † Jer. 1:29 â€Å"In those days people will no longer say, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge. ’† Eze. 18:2 â€Å"What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘Th e farther eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge? ’† A popular Jewish thought was that sin did not begin at birth but ____________________. The man had sinned prior to his birth. Pre-existence of souls. In their ____________________ they could sin. There are other reasons than sin for deformities. This man was born blind so ____________________. Why did Jesus use clay and spittle? Spittle was believed to have special ____________________. It was used in two miracles. Today when you hurt your finger, you put it in your mouth. Kneading clay with spittle is specifically forbidden by the Sabbath laws of the Jews. Jesus was again challenging the authority over ____________________. He is reminding that man was originally made from the ____________________. Why send the man so far to wash? The pool of Bethesda was much closer than the pool of Siloam. Wash – go ____________________ in the water of Siloam. The answer is seen in the typical significance of this pool from which water was drawn on the eighth day following the feast of Tabernacles. In that ceremony the waters of Siloam were likened unto ____________________. Isa. 12:3. Siloam means sent. One of Jesus’ names is Shiloah, i. e. , sent one, Genesis 49:10. To ____________________. Imagine a blind man with clay in his eyes trying to get to the pool ? of a mile away. After he washed he returned seeing. The Witness of the Blind Man (9:8–34) Introduction to this section. Verses of progression of faith. 11 – a man who is ____________________. 17 – ____________________. 31 – a ____________________ who does His will. 36, 38 – a ____________________. Progression of faith ____________________ Jesus (v. 11) Told ____________________ (v. 15) Testimony ____________________ (v. 25) ____________________ His faith (v. 30–33) Becomes a ____________________ (v. 36) Finally is a ____________________ (v. 38) Five descending steps away from faith. Weak faith (Romans 4:19–20) Little faith (Matthew 14) Faithless – natural Doubt Unbelief – the opposite of belief. Witness to his friends (9:8–12). His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, ‘Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg? ’ Some claimed that he was. Others said, ‘No, he only looks like him. ’ But he himself insisted, ‘I am the man. ’ ‘How then were your eyes opened? â⠂¬â„¢ they demanded. He replied, ‘The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see. ’ ‘Where is this man? ’ they asked him. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. † Who used to observe him – theoreo theoroutes – present active participle. Some ____________________ â€Å"He is like him† – ouchi denoting a vigorous enial concerning the identity of the man. If people that knew him did not believe it was he, it is not surprising that the Pharisees later questioned if the man had ever been blind. The man knew ____________________ – aneblepsa – aorist active indicative of anablepo meaning to see and continue seeing. He did not know where Jesus was because after Jesus anointed his eyes with clay, the man walked ? of a mile and Jesus went His way. Witness to the Pharisees (9:13–18). â€Å"They brought to the Phari sees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. ‘He put mud on my eyes,’ the man replied, ‘and I washed, and now I see. ’ Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. ’ But others asked, ‘How can a sinner do such miraculous signs? ’ So they were divided. Finally they turned again to the blind man, ‘What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened. ’ The man replied, ‘He is a prophet. ’ The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. † If this was a miracle then the Jewish leaders needed to listen to Jesus. If they listen to Jesus they must ____________________. They must disprove the miracle so the Jewish leaders must stop talking to the man and go ____________________. Verse 16 Jesus brings ____________________. Witness to His family (9:18–23). â€Å"The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. ‘Is this your son? ’ they asked. ‘Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see? ’ ‘We know he is our son,’ the parents answered, ‘and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself. ’ His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him. ’† The three question asked the parents Is this ____________________? Was he ____________________? How does he ____________________? These three questions come out as one in the Greek, perhaps in an attempt to confuse the parents into making a misstatement. They are looking for some loophole. The parents are scared to death – ephobounto – they feared (9:22) is imperfect middle and refers to ____________________. They are probably thrilled that this son is healed but not the prospect of excommunication from the synagogue. They will not even stand up for their child. Put out of the synagogue. Ostracized in the Jewish community living in Jerusalem, that meant ____________________. Three kinds or stages of excommunication. ____________________ – lasted from seven to thirty days, and to some degree shunned. ____________________ – at least thirty days up to sixty days. Often accompanied by curses and sometimes proclaimed with the blasting of a horn. Everyone would stay six to seven feet away from them and if they dies stones were thrown at the coffin. ____________________ – indefinite time – treated as if they were dead. No communication at all. It seems the man healed will be cast out before the day is over. Witness to His foes (9:24–34). â€Å"A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. ‘Give glory to God,’ they said. ‘We know this man is a sinner. ’ He replied, ‘Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see! Then they asked him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes? ’ He answered, ‘I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too? ’ Then they hurled insults at him and said, ‘You are this fellow’s disciple ! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from. ’ The man answered, ‘Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. ’ To this they replied, ‘You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us! ’ And they threw him out. † The progression of opposition. Stage one – people ____________________ (vs. 8–9) Stage two – people are ____________________. Stage three – they attack ____________________ (v. 16). Stage four – they create ____________________. Stage five – ____________________ – you are dumb. Stage six – they accuse you of ____________________. Stage seven – ____________________. Revile – more than verbal abuse, ____________________. Give God the praise – an insinuation that ____________________ in context was an idiom meaning, â€Å"Speak the truth in the presence and the name of God. † First used by Joshua speaking to Achan calling on him to confess his sin to the nation. Joshua 7:19, â€Å"Then Joshua said to Achan, ‘My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide if from me. ’† The amazing thing is that this man refuses to deny the miracle and he ____________________. The man’s argument is based upon three commonly held views. God does not answer ____________________. God does and will hear the prayers of those ____________________. No one ever had before healed someone born ____________________. If Jesus was not from God ____________________. The man is cast out Threw him out ____________________. Excommunicated – cast out – it did not take a formal meeting of the whole Sanhedrin, as few as ten men could meet to sentence a man this way. The Worship of the Blind Man (9:35–41) â€Å"Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man? ’ ‘Who is he, sir? ’ the man asked. Tell me so that I may believe in him. ’ Jesus said, ‘You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you. ’ Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him. Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind. â⠂¬â„¢ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too? ’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. ’† Word got around and Jesus found him. Note Jesus does not use Son of God but ____________________. Do you believe? suggests an ____________________ in the Greek. â€Å"You do believe, don’t you? † The man did not know what to believe or who to believe in. Worshiped – here prosekunesen – ____________________. The blind shall see and the sighted ____________________. Review At what location did healing of the blind man take place? Give three ways Jesus might have hid himself? Give three reasons Jesus may have used clay to heal? How did the faith of the blind man grow? What three questions were asked of the parents? How was the healed man excommunicated? What are the seven stages of opposition to Jesus? What does the blind man do when he meets Jesus?