The Economic Mirror of Racism - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 2955 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/02/05 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Racism Essay Did you like this example? â€Å"The day of the white man is over. By his own hand he created a doomsday device designed to kill you and me† (Mosley, Futureland 345). This quote is an example of how Walter Mosley expresses the bigger picture of how economics has been weaponized as a tool of racism. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Economic Mirror of Racism" essay for you Create order Racism, though decreased in severity, still remains prevalent and will continue to thrive into the future unless society makes dramatic changes to correct the trajectory. In Mosley’s mystery fiction work, Devil in a Blue Dress, and science fiction novel Futureland that includes the short story â€Å"The Nig in Me,† the author delves into the theme of systemic racism, facilitated by large organizations, fleshing out the logical conclusions from the past and the present, while making dire predictions about the inevitable effects the current direction that racism will likely have on society and finance. In Mosley’s world, the future is doomed to a dystopian outcome based upon the examples from the past. The economic racism from the early twentieth century is demonstrated in the novel, Devil in a Blue Dress. Mosley writes a compelling story of racism, centered on a young black veteran named Easy Rawlins who finds himself fighting against post-World War II society. The protagonist is loosely based upon Mosley’s own father’s experiences from that time (Lev 73). Easy is a reflective character determining how to resolve the moral complexities and ethical choices he experiences, both as a private detective and as a black man of the Post War era (73). Mosley’s noir-style story is set in the late 1940’s Los Angeles when Easy has been unfairly laid off from his job and finds work as a detective paid under the table (Mosley, Devil in the Blue Dress 5). At the same time, Easy experiences the systemic racism of the period during the entire course of the novel. In one interaction, he chats with a Jewish woman and finds himself confronted by racist men; Hey! the tallest one said. Whats wrong?N’s trying to pick up Barbara.Yeah, an shes just jailbait† (Mosley, Devil in the Blue Dress 22). Mosley’s work demonstrates a distant and different time period. The reader gets drawn into the specific injustices that reflect the kind of experiences that black men would have experienced during that time while trying to complete an honest day’s work. Mosley brings his own sense of the present day to this novel, creating a story that encapsulates the experience of his father’s generation that echo well into the present day. Mosley wants the reader to firmly grasp the experience of African American people, so that they can obtain a glimpse of what life must have been like for many people from the past. In doing so, he allows the message to resonate the reader’s experience in the present, and predict a potential future. Mosley desires to create, for the reader, a world where African Americans are shown to be hard working and striving against a hostile society in spite of their circumstances. Much of the inequality he describes, in Devil in a Blue Dress and other novels, is the everyday, mundane racism. This is the kind caused by systemic inequality and is experienced by those that are not born into the lottery of the right zip code, the right family, or getting the acceptable education (Dews 2016). In an interview, Mosley discussed that he was working diligently to show a new perspective of another society from a fresh pair of eyes, so that his readers could see the reality of a potential future compared to the distant past (Locus Online). In the science fiction novel Futureland, Mosley compiled a handful of loosely connected short stories that circulate around a predicted future African American experience. The novel is filled with strong, smart, self-reliant characters working toward a better future within the framework of a dystopian future. One story in particular, â€Å"The Nig in Me,† the author focuses on the experience of being an African American man in the future he describes. In the story, society has followed the logical conclusion of deeming the value and worthiness from the color of one’s skin. Mosley wants the reader to see the creeping effects of racism that has been seeping through the past and present situations and how they might affect a future society. Mosley’s goal of this story is to serve as a warning to potential future generations. The protagonist, Harold Bottoms, is a black man whose family perpetually struggled financially and finds himself also fighting for survival in this bleak future. Harold is subjected to the experience of systemic racism based upon his own low income, lack of opportunities, and even his parent’s income. An example of this comes when Harold’s parents struggled and wound up lost to the system, lost in the dust to what Harold’s society knows as â€Å"white noise† and forbidden from finding work â€Å"White Noise, Backgrounder, Muzak Jack — Words that define the poor souls that lost their labor rights permanently† (Mosley, Futureland 321). The white people of Mosley’s story do not struggle financially as much as Harold and the people from his culture seem to struggle. Racism can be perpetuated through corrupt systems. It is found everywhere within our experience and Mosley seems to be stating that racism will not be eliminated unless there is massive change within the hearts of the people delivering actions. This mindset is often motivated by power, and greed, or in some cases, fear in others (Corlett 71). Economic racism can be amplified by the way organizations are managed and empower some groups to take advantage of others. The best way to push against this concept is to empower those individuals that can push back against corporate power (Dews 2016). These white groups and corporations are the main antagonists of both of Mosleys works. A targeted and racist biochemically engineered disease is created in â€Å"The Nig in Me,† and capitalized upon by the racist Ku Klux Klan (KKK) organization. The disease was originally designed to target and kill the genes shared by African American people. The plague ends up backfiring on the same attackers, sending a less than subtle message to the reader that black people, regardless of the situation in which they find themselves, will always continue to prevail even in the darkest of times. It is a bleak message of hope. The racist plague unintentionally targets white people instead of its intended target, and the only survivors of the plague are those that have even the smallest amount of African DNA within their genes. Mosley describes racism as something that evolves, changes, and is eventually destroyed by the ones responsible for started it. Mosley writes of a world where black people can find themselves surviving the racism of white people. Surviving those that want to murder them simply because of the color of their skin. In Devil in a Blue Dress, Easy Rawlins struggles, but continues to survive. He knows how to protect himself, and warily enjoys the support that his white employer provides him. Mosley writes of the situational racism he has experienced and watched personally. It shapes his own writing and the characters he forms are on the defensive, they are strong, young men that fight for their rightful place in a society that seeks to undermine them. For example, in â€Å"The Nig in Me,† Harold, though losing his family to a corrupt and racist system years prior, and the threat of a new plague ends up surviving because of â€Å"a sizable portion of Negro blood in their veins† (Mosley, Futureland 346). The characters of each story still struggle for money and the life they want just like anyone. The protagonists from each story, Easy and Harold, have forged a home within the world where they do not feel like they are wanted. Mosley wants to create a world where his characters are black, yet feel at home, and they feel that they can survive, even when the world they live in works against them (Finding a Way Home: A Critical Assessment of Walter Mosleys Fiction, XI, 3-4). Money is an ever present and urgent need and Mosley uses examples to show the racial divide within a society where corporations use people for their own gain. In â€Å"The Nig in Me,† he focuses on the potential reality of what a systemically racist future may hold. Corporations hold Harold’s culture and society close, taking the money that he needs to survive. In the future scenario, Harold desperately requires money, and if he cannot procure the money he needs, then he will die, or worse, lose everything. â€Å"Roving mobs of black and white ruffians were battling in the streets of the major American cities. Astonished Caucasians who survived the plague realized that there was a sizeable portion of Negro blood in their veins† (Mosley, Futureland 351). The white antagonists in the story do not struggle like Harold does. He requires an identity card to live, which gets him access to places, and provides him with the basics of food and shelter. If that identity card were to be lost, Harold would not survive for long, finding himself forgotten or even ignored. â€Å"If I go off the force one more time, Sheila says she’ll pull the plug. Three times more and I’m White Noise† (351) Mosley uses this tension to demonstrate the financial desperation the characters feel. Money is a primary motivating element in each of Mosley’s works and the author demonstrates that fact by using monetary value as a focal point to create tension within each of the stories. Mosley believes that the need for money forces people to work harder than they normally might. In Harold’s scenario, corporations actively work against the better interests of society and steal money from them. The plague that Harold survives was literally created by wealthy racists to kill all people of African American ancestry (Mosley, Futureland 336). World’s comin’ to an end.† Jamey said to his friend. â€Å"And ElectroDog wants to get the last dollar (346). Even at the end of the short story, companies are still fighting to gather more money. They create new products and toys for people in a consumerist scenario under the misperception that they desperately need them. In Harold’s view, he cannot do anything without the identity card, and he cannot get a replacement. The Corporations in his life are mimicking the corporations that Mosley says exist today. In â€Å"The Nig in Me,† Mosley uses this fictional world to show how money has become scarcer, and how hard the people in the future will have to work in comparison to the people of the present day. In the fictional world of Mosley’s future corporations, society is divided into a fractured, parallel world of struggling black and white people: Each member of society either works to support â€Å"the System† or struggles to work in spite of it. Either way, those that struggle find themselves lost and forgotten. (Conversations with Walter Mosley, 103). This scenario of sacrificing lives for money can also be reflected in the past. Pressure from large corporate interests play a role in Mosley’s work. In Devil in a Blue Dress, the theme of money has the applied pressure from racism of the time. â€Å"The law, he (Easy) continued, is made by the rich people so that the poor people cant get ahead† This is a common thread in the author’s work and since the novel is set in the 1940’s, even a small amount of money plays an important role in comparison to the present or in the world of â€Å"The Nig in Me’s.† Easy Rawlins is fighting for every last dollar, using each to get further into his business of finding what he set out for. What today’s society would consider a small amount of money is a foreign concept to Easy Rawlins, because that is what can be found in a rich man’s wallet. However, Easy quickly obtains a generous amount of money during the course of the novel. The law, he continued, is made by the rich people so that the poor people cant get ahead (Mosley, Devil in the Blue Dress 75). Easy understands that the odds are stacked against him, but he makes the most of his situation and pushes through to be a successful young man regardless of his circumstances. Mosley writes of Easy’s careful spending and how everything he spends his money on was used for his benefit like bills, or paying for drinks to get future persons of interest to open up their knowledge. As a black man, Mosley shows that Easy was a fighter, and working hard for his cash because just a few years prior, he is still not respected for his race. The money that Easy earns in the story is all an investment for a secure future. Mosley writes this dissonance between the two stories to show how race impacting monetary value. In contrast to Easy’s character, Harold lives many years in the future. Racism is still prominent, but not as rampant as Easy’s world. The racism that thrives is easily hidden while the gap between rich and poor is wider, making the racist plague a shock to everyone around them (Mosley, Futureland 345). Harold, while struggling with his income, does not take time to care or protect himself from The System. He obsessively protects his identity card and his life. â€Å"He hadn’t let go of his ID-Chip in twelve years, since the day of his labor adulthood at fifteen† (Mosley, Futureland 329). However, when it comes to money, Harold is the opposite of Easy Rawlins. He is reckless and ambivalent about tomorrow. For example, he dismisses the objections of his friend after taking money from a dead lover, She was dead, man. She didn’t need it and her familyâ€⠄¢s rich. You know the parmeds woulda taken that shit in a minute (Mosley, Futureland 345). This is an example of how Harold spirals into a mindset of deviancy when the world begins to end, rationalizing his behaviors and thought processes. Mosley uses this example to show that young black men in America will always survive, even when the odds are stacked against them. Mosley uses this to urge that the world should change how they perceive racism in respect to why Harold behaves in this manner. For a reflection on a possible future, Mosley discussed his view on a cultural milestone of his futuristic novel Futureworld in comparison with the sci-fi fantasy Star Wars films during an interview. He remarked on the lack of African American representation in Star Wars as a reflection of the future being free of people of color, and even though the filmmakers attempted to remedy that picture, they were never truly successful (Locus Online). In each story, racism revolves around learned behaviors, stub bornness, and greed. White people in Moseley’s stories are either racist antagonists or passive bystanders. The Jewish woman that Easy spoke to did not take the opportunity to defend him against racist threats and Easy remained cautious. For example, Mosley writes, â€Å"Junior liked to make up any old wild story, I knew that, but there were too many white people turning up for me to feel at ease† (Mosley, Devil in the Blue Dress 75). Easy’s experience captured the experience of people of color of the Post-War period, competing for and failing to gain access to the coveted white suburbia of the time (Mullins 2013). While Harold and Easy do not have an active distaste for white people within their stories, they are justifiably cautious men when it comes to their interactions with other races. This is a learned behavior that the two men have experienced, though many years apart in history. The two men struggle with their finances but in altogether different ways and reasons. Both men live in societies that allow people of color to struggle, and the large institutions of their times take extra measures to allow those struggles to exists due to greed and capitalism. During Easy’s time, African Americans were actively discriminated from purchasing homes in white neighborhoods (Mullins 2013). Walter Mosley’s works sadly show that racism may not ever change. The philosopher George Santayana once wrote, â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it† (Santayana 284). The experience of racism goes much deeper for people that live behind the color of their skin. This theme of systemic racism goes hand in hand with the poverty that affects the income of African Americans. Mosley writes from the point of view that people of color are prisoners within their own skin, because of how society has placed that burden on them. In his works, these prisoners of their own skin, and their basic needs, become a constant focus, but they cannot make a good wage because the companies of their respective times are empowered to take advantage of others. The results of systemic racism and palpable at the end of each story. Racism becomes personal and not limited just to how one group may hate another. Racism, in all of its forms, will not only remain in America, but endure for many years to come, due to the overtly corrupt system that exists, unless substantial changes are made. In his works, Mosley concisely displays that racial prejudices of each respective time period remains unchanged. The future of racism, in the form of economic disparity, must be balanced with not only the knowledge of the past, but the implementation of its lessons to change the course of civilization. In this way, society will avoid the dystopia that Mosley keeps predicting.

Benefits Of Retirement And Volunteering Essay - 1549 Words

Retirement may pose many questions that need to be answered. Throughout research, a question that I sought out to answer was if retirement and volunteering had a significant connection with each other; and if so, what people are the most willing to become active volunteers? This question formulated in my mind based on an interview that I had with my grandma, Elaine Wagner. She retired in 2007 from being a dietetics supervisor at a nursing home in a rural community for twenty-five years. In this interview, she explained to me that retirement was a big adjustment for her and keeping active through volunteering was what helped her get through it. From that statement, I began to wonder if there had been any scientific studies that showed a clear correlation between retirement and volunteering. Investigation Throughout the search to the answer to this particular question, it was easy to see that there are many personal factors that relate to an individual’s willingness to retire. Conscientiousness and Volunteering I found that there is a connection between how volunteering can affect the retirement process. The Journal of Research in Personality found through their study that many people’s reason for going to work is to feel as if they have accomplished something (Jackson Oltmanns 2014). There is a loss of their sense of achievement-striving tendencies when they retire, however, it may be replaced through volunteer efforts. The Journal refers to retirees that areShow MoreRelatedThe Dangers Of An Ageing Society Essay1283 Words   |  6 Pageshave to rise significantly from its current rate of 13% to over 18% in the United Kingdom. Fortunately, experts might have found another solution to solve this funding problem. If every worker had his own â€Å"pension fund† where he saves money for retirement himself, the dependence on the working youth could be reduced. The main difficulty with this method would be the current retired population that did not have the chance to save up for themselves but still need money to live (Read). Furthermore,Read MoreRethinking Age And Aging, By Warren Sanderson And Sergei Scherbov860 Words   |  4 Pagessociety manages questions of age, with regards to social policy and age-specific benefits. â€Å"40 is the new 30† is a phrase that highlights changing perceptions of age and what certain ages mean. Forty is the â€Å"chronological age†, the number of years that a person has lived. In the past, this has been a reliable indicator of familial-status (for example: a person will normally have had several children by 35), retirement age (a person has exhausted their use in the workforce by 65), and death (peopleRead MoreHow Will An Ageing Population Have An Effect On Australia And The Economy?882 Words   |  4 Pageslife into retirement. (Corcoranb Hana, 2014 pp. 2) The ability to accommodate the ageing population has prompted questions regarding which areas will gain high levels of the ageing population growth and what services need to be provided to sustain this change. Corcoranb’s et al focuses on the spatial distribution in QLD and the impacting factors. The paper discusses reasons as to why ageing Australians may relocate to a new destination; som e of these include a change in climate, retirement, deterioratingRead MoreHow Does Volunteering Teach You Empathy?1416 Words   |  6 Pagescharacter. Who wouldn t desire those attributes? If you had any type of sense, you would realize how sedulous it is to gain those traits through doing one simple thing......volunteering. Volunteering will teach you traits that can lead to phenomenal contributions for the world such as empathy. How does volunteering teach you empathy? Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within another’s frame of reference; the capacity to place oneselfRead MoreThe Volunteer Stages And Transition Models : Organizational Socialization Of Volunteers1355 Words   |  6 Pagesan organization and proposes learning and interaction models within the context of volunteering. The abstract of the article provides a strong context of the research question and by reading the abstract, I was able to understand the crux of the paper and the need for this research at an abstract level. The introduction provides a detailed background on what the authors perceived as areas of concern in volunteering. The authors connect all fragments of the research area and describe the need for aRead MoreThe Psychology Of Retirement By Joe Barbier i Essay1532 Words   |  7 PagesThe Psychology of Retirement By Joe Barbieri | Submitted On October 28, 2013 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Expert Author Joe Barbieri Where Did the Idea of Retirement Come From? There was a time whenRead MoreImpacts of an Aging Population1406 Words   |  6 Pageselderly population affect the politics of a country, and finally, economic, the ways in which the elderly population affect the wealth of the country. Social impacts can be negative or advantageous, an advantage would be the fact that in a study on volunteering 35% of people aged 75 or over regularly give up their free time to help others. This is beneficial as it helps many people, this also links to the fact that they look after grandchildren and other elderly relatives such as husbands/wives or sistersRead MoreWhat Makes Member Entry Into Associations?877 Words   |  4 Pagesavailable for employees. For example, I was volunteering last semester at the All Stars Project. I was called for the interview, and I noticed that most of the people that work there are blacks, between ages 35 and up. During the interview, they asked if I can hand out flyers outside and they replied and said this cannot be done because I am a female. Throughout Newark, any organizations out there are affected by the external environment. I think solidary benefits have an impact on how individuals interactRead MoreThe Work For The Government Essay1449 Word s   |  6 Pageskeep their jobs in many occasions until is their time for retirement. Even though is not something that happens to everybody, in cases where the government has reductions in personnel or change in departments their employees may go find a job in another agency or department. As many government employees that I know would say. â€Å"there’s nothing like knowing that your paycheck will be there every 1st and 15th of the month. Pay and benefits. As mention in the book, the pay government employees get isRead MoreVolunteering Motivations And Their Well Being1982 Words   |  8 Pages An Integrative Research Paper On: VOLUNTEERING MOTIVATIONS AND THEIR WELL-BEING by Joseph A. Sagadraca Summer 2015 Practicum at the American Red Cross University of North Florida Dr. Jody Nicholson July 31, 2015â€Æ' ABSTRACT With considerable amounts of psychological research focused on volunteers, this paper will attempt to indicate and reiterate the motivations of volunteers in non-profit organizations through an integrative style of thinking. A lot of research is based on the well-being

Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface Free Essays

string(202) " that the U E process needs test users from the target population to evaluate the degree to which a product meets specific 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface /12 http://ojni\." Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 1/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface by Karen D. We will write a custom essay sample on Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface or any similar topic only for you Order Now King, RDH, MHeD and Dr. Rosalee Seymour, Associate Professor, EdD, RN Abstract This report presents the results of a usability evaluation of the Web design interfac e for an instructional unit prototype on Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers. Usability is defin ed as the measure of a product’s potential to accomplish the goals of its users (Dumas, 1999). The unit and the Web interface were designed to deliver instruction to undergraduate dental hygien e students. The three randomly selected users/subjects for this evaluation were from an undergrad uate class of dental hygiene students. This report describes the usability evaluation planning, im plementation, data analysis methods, and results. The results demonstrate that conducting usabilit y evaluations help to determine the organization and ease of navigation of an interactive, Web-base d, instructional unit. Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface Computers are used to educate, in many instances, with conventional interfaces that i nclude those used to create documents and manipulate data. A Web interface, which was tested in t his case, is very different from a conventional one. The Web is a domain that must be instantly u sable and support many communication modalities. Web designers must focus on the computer user whose goal is to gather information rather than to create documents or manipulate data (Raj ani Rosenberg, 1999). It is critical that the accomplishment of the users’ goals be the primary objective o f a usability evaluation (UE) of Web site interface design. Users will not be able to access correc t pages unless the constructed site reflects their needs and contains a navigation scheme that allow s easy access to the desired information (Nielsen, 2000a). In Web interface designs the properties of color, sound, navigation, and placement must be considered from a different perspective than with c onventional interfaces. Usability evaluation purposes. The faculty of the Department of Dental Hygiene, where this evaluation was conducted developed an oral pathology course for undergraduate student s in dental hygiene and wanted to deliver it via a Web design interface. The instructional unit o n Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers is the prototype for nine instructional units to follow. It was anticipated that conducting a UE, on the prototype instructional unit Web interface, would enable identification of any usability issues or problems relevant to this Web interface before the constru ction of subsequent instructional units. In keeping with Rajani and Rosenberg (1999), the primary purposes of this UE were agr eed upon as: 1) to determine if the Web-based Herpes Simplex and Apthous ulcer prototype is easy t o navigate 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 2/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm and meets the goals of undergraduate dental hygiene students, 2) to use any identifie d problems to revise this unit, 3) to make recommendations on the construction of additional units based on this prototype, 4) to save faculty time, and 5) to insure students’ goals will be met in t he Web interface format. The Literature Usability evaluations include a range of methods for identifying how users actually i nteract with a prototype or completed Web site. Planning of a UE egins with a statement of the ove rall purpose and objectives for the investigation and a clear identification of the problem (Hom, 1999; Instone, 1999). In a typical approach a UE is conducted while users perform tasks and a modera tor watches, listens, and records for later data analyzes and reporting of results (Fichter, 2000) . The next steps are the identification of the subject/users and the design of the study. Graha m (2000) describes many ways to get feedback about the usability of a Web site. Graham (2000) recommends that a moderator observe a user representing the site’s target audi ence as they navigate the site. Graham (2000) cautions moderators against the interruption of the subject/user while conducting any observations. Nielsen (2000a) also recommends that the user/subj ects be representative of the target audience and not colleagues or others who may know too m uch about the site. Nielsen (2000a) recommends that user/subjects perform specific tasks durin g a UE as opposed to asking them to just play on the test site. These test tasks need to be re presentative of the types of tasks that users will actually perform on the Web site within the Web in terface being tested. Nielsen (2000a) suggests that the moderator solicit comments from users as they progr ess through to task completion to help determine their thought process. Hom (2000) refers to thi s encouragement of user comments during the evaluation as the ‘think aloud protocol’. H om (2000) describes this technique as one in which the user verbalizes any thoughts, feelings, and/or opinions while interacting with the test site. The inclusion of the ‘think aloud protocol’ all ows the moderator to qualitatively measure how the user approaches the Web interface and what consideratio ns they keep in mind when using it. For example, a user verbalizing that the sequence of steps, d ictated by a task, is different from what was expected, could demonstrate an interface problem (Ho m, 2000). Hom (2000) recommends using the qualitative ‘think aloud method’ in conjunction with performance measures. The performance measures add to the data collected noting such things as: 1 ) the time it takes for a user to complete a task, 2) the number and type of errors per task, 3) the number of users completing a task successfully, and 4) the satisfaction of the user with the si te (Nielsen, 2000a). After determining the study design and identification of the users, Spool et al. (199 9) in agreement with Nielsen recommend development of specific tasks for users to perform during the UE. In addition to a task list, Hom (1999) advocates during the planning phase of UE that on e specify materials needed and the site evaluation environment. Rubin (1994) agrees that the U E process needs test users from the target population to evaluate the degree to which a product meets specific 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface /12 http://ojni. You read "Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface" in category "Papers" org/602/usability. htm criteria. Rubin (1994) describes six basic elements of a UE: 1) a clear statement of the problem and/or evaluation objectives, 2) a sample of users, which may/may not be randomly cho sen, 3) a setting representative of the actual work environment, 4) observation of users who either use or review a representation of the product, 5 ) a collection of quantitative performance and qualitative preferences measures, and 6) an analysis leading to recommendation for design of the product evaluated. When analyzing data from having conducted a UE, rather than supporting hypotheses one is looking for patterns to identify common problems, in the remarks or observations, between use rs (Dumas, 1999; Hom, 1999). Performance data is statistically analyzed while qualitative data, collected by observing the user’s actions and opinions, is analyzed for trends. The data analysis results should lead to identification of strengths and recommendations for improving the site or pro duct (Nielsen, 2000a; Spool, et al. 1999; Hom, 1999; Dumas, 1999). Usability Evaluation: The Case This UE was conducted because usability problems, within any prototype, are important to discover prior to the costly, time consuming, construction of a web interface for additional i nstructional units. The specific purpose of this UE was to determine if the Web interface presented the H erpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcer prototype interactive educational unit in a way that allowed underg raduate dental hygiene st udents to successfully achieve unit outcomes. Specific objectives for this usability evaluation were to determine: 1) navigational and/or organizational problems with the Web interface, 2) the presence of any confusing term inology in the site, 3) if the site meets the goals of the user, 4) if the users can complete the as signed tasks, and 5) user’s attitudes toward the Web site. Methods A description of the UE environment, user selection criteria and profiles, usability evaluation process, the task list, and evaluation measures for this study follow. Usability evaluation environment. The UE took place in the moderator’s private campus office. This is a quiet, well-lit room with a comfortable temperature, equipped with a Dell computer workstation, which was used for the evaluation. A sign reading â€Å"Usability Evaluation in Session. Please Do Not Disturb† was posted on the closed office door to prevent interruptions and distractio ns. The UEs were conducted on July 2, 2001, at 1:00 p. m. , 2:00 p. m. , and 3:00 p. m. Subject/users interacted with the Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers Web interface one at a time. Each subject /user had 20 minutes to complete the usability evaluation. Subjectuser selection and profile. Three randomly selected undergraduate dental hygi ene students, from a target population of 24 (class of 2002), became subjectusers. All 24 students will be required to take the oral pathology courses including the instructional units reflect ing the results of this UE. Alphabetical order by user’s last name determined the order of subjectuser participation. In order to be selected the subject/users must have met the following criteria: 1) be an undergraduate 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 4/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm ental hygiene student, 2) have successfully completed one academic year of the Denta l Hygiene Program, 3) have previous experience with the Internet, and 4) have previous experien ce with Web browsers The demographic characteristics of the users for this evaluation were that: 1) they all were female, 2) ages 25, 22, and 43, 3) all had successfully completed on e academic year in the Dental Hygiene Program, 4) all had pr evious experience with the Internet, and 5) all had between 1 and 3 years experience with Web browsers. Administration protocol. Prior to the UE a training packet and session of 30 minutes were provided to each subjectuser. The training session included a brief description of the UE proce ss, purpose and objectives, and the UE protocol instructions. Each subject/user was given an opportun ity to review the packet and ask any questions before agreeing, by signing a consent form, to be a voluntary participant. The UE packet included: 1) a user profile questionnaire, 2) a task list , 3) a statement of the purposes of the evaluation, 4) evaluation instructions, and 5) a consent form. Prior to each actual UE every subjectuser was again given a 10-minute review of the UE instructions and opportunity to ask questions. Subjects/users were told it would take one hour to complete the entire UE process; 20 minutes to complete the task list. According to Nielsen (2000a) , a UE time of 30 minutes or less is adequate to conduct a UE. An additional 15 minutes allowed time for the user to verbalize about the Web interface and to complete a follow up questionnaire to de termine their attitude towards the Web interface. The remaining 15 minutes of the hour the moderat or used to review notes of comments and observations and to make corrections so that no misunder standing would occur later in interpreting results. Shneiderman (1998) suggests the moderator rewrite UE notes as soon as possible, reducing moderator errors in note interpretation later. The subjectusers were required to use the’ think aloud method’ (Hom, 2000) to provid e subjective data in conjunction with the collection of various performance measures. The performa nce measures included: 1) the time it took the user to complete the task list; 2) the number of er rors per task, 3) the number of users completing the task list successfully in the allotted time, and 4 ) the attitude of the user toward the Web interface. In addition, the moderator collected qualitative data by observing each user during completion of each task and taking notes regarding their f acial expressions, opinions expressed, and verbalized thoughts while completing UE. The mo derator made notes on the opinions and thoughts of the user following UE. Finally, the subje ctusers completed a questionnaire to describe their attitudes about the Web interface. Implementation Piloting the UE administration protocol. A Department of Dental Hygiene professor, fa miliar with the Internet, Web browsers, and oral pathology pilot tested the UE administration protoco l one week prior to testing subjectusers. The moderator provided the pilot test user with the s ame pre UE instructions and task list that would be given to subject/users. The pilot test resul ted in no problems with the UE administration protocol. The moderator observed the pilot test subject/us er and collected the same quantitative and qualitative data that was to be collected from th e research 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 5/12 http://ojni. rg/602/usability. htm subjectusers. The results of the pilot test showed that the UE protocol could be use d with subject/users without revision. Pre-training for UE. At 12:30 p. m. July 2, 2001, the subjectusers arrived for the pr e UE training session. The moderator distributed the UE packet and described the purpose and proce dures of the UE. The users were given an opportunity to review the UE packet and to ask questions . Each of the three subjectusers signed consent forms before leaving the pre UE training. Administration of UE. Each of the three subject/users arrived at the moderator’s offi ce for the UE. The moderator reviewed the evaluation instructions and gave time for any additional q uestions to be answered. The following sequence of events occurred for the three users, each: a) beg an the UE , 2) completed the task list, 3) responded to questions about the evaluation experience, 4 ) added thoughts or opinions regarding interaction with the Web interface, and 5) left the mo derator’s office in 45 minutes each. The administrator used the remaining 15 minutes of each of the t hree hours to rewrite portions of notes taken during observation in preparation for the UE report o f results. Task list and description. The tasks were identified using the purposes and objective s of the UE. The task list includes 10 primary tasks for subjectusers to perform in navigation of the Website interface for the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers prototype. The task list beginning wi th accessing the Website via the interface and progressing through the instructional unit follows. Because many of the 10 primary tasks were repeated the actual count of performing tasks is 31. Task 1 – with the browser open go to www. etsu. edu/cpah/dental/dcte760. This task was chosen to determine if users, indicating they had between 1 and 3 years experience with a Web b rowser, would have a problem accessing a Web site when given only a Web address without a dir ect link. Task 2 – read the instructions on the first page of the Web site and click on the lin k that it directs you to go to first. This task was to determine the clarity of the Web interface in p roviding instructions for beginning the instructional unit. Task 3 – click on Assignment 1 Task 4 – access the discussion forum and enter your name and email address. This task helped determine the Web interface design, by allowing for observing if users had difficulty locating the discussion forum area and/or entering information into it. Task 5 – When done in discussion forum, return to Assignment 1. This task will ident ify if users have difficulty returning to the designated page using the Web interface. Task 6 – Click on Assignment 2 Task 7 – Read the content on Apthous Ulcers. This task requires users to read content on a Web page on the site. Task 8 – Click on the images on this page to enlarge them. This task determines the e ase of click navigation to enlarge thumbnail images. 3/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 6/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Task 9 – Return to Assignment 2. This task determined if users could navigate the We b interface via a link taking them back to a designated page in the Web site. Task 10 – Answer the study questions in Assignment 2. The stu dy questions direct the user through a series of multiple-choice items in a linear fashion. Correct responses allow the u ser to continue to the next question while incorrect responses require the user to go back to the questi on and make another attempt to answer. Users cannot go to the next question until the previous q uestion is answered correctly. This task requires navigating through a series of questions with the potential for going back and forth if an answer is wrong. This task determined if users could succe ssfully navigate the Web interface to the study questions Task 11 – When the study questions are all answered, return to Assignment 2. This tas k again measures their ability to use the Web interface to return to a designated page in the Web site. Task 12 – Click Assignment 3. Task 13 – Read the entire case 2 Herpes Simplex. Again, users are required to read c ontent on the Web site but they must use the Web interface design to do it successfully. Task 14 – When you have finished reading Case 2, return to Assignment 3. This task de termined if users could navigate the Web interface to a case study contained within the instructi onal unit and return to a designated page in the Web site. Task 15 – Click on Assignment 4. Task 16 – Go to Case 1. Task 17 – Fill in the diagnosis form. This task required students to locate a case, fill in case study information obtained from previous exercises. This task measures the Web interface’s ease of navigation using forms to complete information. Task 18 – Submit the Form. This task demonstrates if the Web interface allows for ea sy form submission upon completion. Task 19 – Return to Assignment 4. User must complete a form by diagnosing the case s tudy patient in this assignment. This task determined if users could easily navigate the case stud y, fill in the appropriate form fields, submit the form, and return to the designated page in the We b site. Task 20 – Click on Assignment 5. Task 21 – Go to the reflection form. This task demonstrates if the Web interface all ows users to navigate to the reflection form. Task 22 – Write your reflections on the unit on the form. A form to reflect on the in structional unit is required for assignment 5. This task demonstrates if users will be able, through thi s Web interface, to make text entries in the appropriate form fields in the reflection form. 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 7/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Task 23 – Submit the form. The task determined if users could navigate the Web inter face to send the completed reflection form electronically. Task 24 – Return to Assignment 5. Determines if users via the Web interface, can eas ily return to a designated page in the Web site. Task 25 – Go to the course evaluation survey. An evaluation form is included in this instructional unit to determine student attitudes and satisfaction levels with the instructional un it. This task measures if the Web interface allows the user to easily locate a survey on the site. Task 26 – Complete the course evaluation survey. This task determined if users using the Web interface, could easily navigate a form to reply to the questions. Task 27 – Submit the survey. This task measures whether the Web interface allows use rs to easily submit form information electronically. Task 28 – Return to Assignment 5. This task measures the Web interface as it allows u ses to return to designated pages in the Web site with ease. Task 29 – Go to the discussion forum. This task determined if the users could open t he forum and is a test of the Web interface design and its ease of promoting discussion. Task 30 – Make a forum entry indicating that you have finished the usability evaluati on. This task measures the Web interface design’s success with entering comments into a discussion forum. Task 31 – Return to Assignment 5. This task measures the Web interface designs succ ess with returning users to designated pages in the Web site. (N=31 navigational tasks) Non-task performance measures. Following Nielsen, (2000a) subjectusers were asked t o use the ‘think aloud method’ in conjunction with performance measures. The quantitative measu res to be evaluated included the: 1) amount of time to complete the task list, 2) number of err ors per task, 3) number of users completing the task list successfully in the allotted time, and 4) at titude of users toward the Web interface. In addition to the quantitative measures, the administrato r collected qualitative data during and after the usability evaluation by each user. This UE was designed to measure the ease of undergraduate dental hygiene student user s navigation through the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit prot otype Web interface. Although all task completion or non completion allowed for tests of the in terface, the following three questions focus more directly on navigation of the prototype Web inte rface: Do all the navigational links in this Web site work correctly? Is the organization of this Web site consistent? Is there any confusing terminology regarding navigation and organization on this Web site? Results The success or failure on each task performed as well as the qualitative data collect ed from the 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 8/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm post-test interview and the post-test questionnaire are reported. Because the tasks in the UE were short, the quantitative data collected was based on the entire task list and not on each task independently. Users had adequate time to complete the enti re task list. There were 31Website interface navigation tasks completed by three subject/users with a total of seven navigation errors. 1. User #1 took 20 minutes to successfully complete the task list with one Web i nterface navigation error. 2. User #2 took 18 minutes to successfully complete the task list with three Web interface navigation errors. 3. User #3 took 19 minutes to successfully complete the task list with three Web interface navigation errors Task 1 –Users #1 and #2 completed task #1 easily and were able to successfully open t he designated Web site without Web interface navigation error. User #3 entered the Web site address in the search line of the Web browser, an error message was returned by the browser, and then the user entered the Web site address in the address line of the browser and was able to successfully access the home page of the instructional unit via the Web site interface. In this c ase the navigational error relates to lack of knowledge about where to type in a Web address in a Web browser. Task 2 – Read the instructions on the first page of the Web site and click on the lin k that your are directed to go to first. User #1 asked, â€Å"Do I make the decision myself to go to assi gnment 1 or to the course syllabus? † The administrator did not answer this question as the instruct ions on the Web page indicated the first link. This error, while not significant since both links ta ke the student to the appropriate Web page to begin the instructional unit as well as the usability evaluat ion, could add user frustration to the mix. Users #2 and #3 use the Web site interface on the first page of the Web site to readily access the needed location. Task 3, 4, and 5 – Click on Assignment 1 and enter your name and email address in the discussion forum. When this task is complete, return to Assignment 1. User #1 was unable to re adily use the Web interface to access the discussion forum. This user consistently scrolled to the bottom of any page before making any choices about where to go next. This scrolling is not consider ed an error in the prototype but could indicate that the Web interface design needs revision to stop this behavior. Once the discussion forum was accessed, this user asked, â€Å"Is this where I go to post my name? The administrator did answer in the affirmative and the user continued with the task. Upon completion of the discussion forum entry user #1 could not navigate back to the desig nated page. The administrator finally intervened and instructed the user to use the â€Å"back† button on the browser. The user then looked for the â€Å"back key† on the keyboard. Further instructi on fr om the administrator got the user back on task. When user #2 realized that the task involved a discussion forum, the user indicated n o previous 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 9/12 ttp://ojni. org/602/usability. htm experience with discussion forums of any type. Her response was â€Å"Am I being timed, b ecause here is the first problem? † The administrator reassured the user that there is as much ti me as needed to perform the task. Upon submission of the discussion forum entry, user #2 chose the â€Å" back† button on the browser quickly. User #3 got to the discussion forum easily, but then asked, â€Å"Am I the subject? † The administrator informed the user that the responses in the form fields did not matter and that any i nformation could be entered in any field. Upon submission of the form entries, user #3 used the â€Å"back† button on the browser but indicated that she thought only one click of the â€Å"back† button was sufficient. All users successfully completed the task. The Web interface design was not the culprit in these task struggles. Tasks 6, 7, 8, and 9 – Click on Assignment 2. Read the content on Apthous Ulcers. Cl ick on the images to enlarge the view. Return to Assignment 2. Users #1 and #3 did not click o n the images to view a larger version of the image. Both disregarded this portion of the task com pletely. Perhaps the images were large enough for them. User #2 opened the larger view of the images a nd returned to the designated page in the Web site indicating no problem with the Web interface d esign in the area of enlarging images. All users returned to the designated page in the Web site, but only one user completed the entire task successfully. Tasks 10 and 11 – Answer the study questions in Assignment 2. When the study questio ns are all answered, return to Assignment 2. All users navigated through the study questions ea sily. User #1 expressed embarrassment, because the administrator of the UE is also a faculty member in the Department of Dental Hygiene, and the user did not want the administrator to know if the answers to the study questions were incorrect. The administrator reminded user #1 that the an swers to the questions were not the purpose of this evaluation. The Web site was being evaluated n ot the knowledge of the user. User #1 continued to navigate through the study questions, but indicated distress any time she chose an incorrect response to a study question. It is assumed this frustration related to having to go back and continue to answer until the answer was correct befo re going on. User #2 quickly realized that the links chosen by user #1 were a different color. Sin ce all users participated in the UE on the same computer, the visited hyperlinks were apparent. U ser #2 easily navigated the questions with much less distress about incorrect responses, because sh e realized that her peers had chosen incorrectly as well. User #3 also noticed the visited hyperlinks and navigated the questions without incident. However, user #3 had a problem choosing answers beca use the hyperlink was on only one letter, the user had trouble positioning the mouse pointer exactly over the single letter link. The user clicked several times before realizing that the link ar ea was very small. This indicates an area of the Web interface design that needs improvement. All users successfully completed these tasks. Tasks 12, 13, and 14 – Click on Assignment 3. Read Case 2. When you have finished re turn to Assignment 3. Users #1 and #3 quickly read the case and returned to the designated We b page. User #2 appeared to have accidentally clicked the wrong link and could not locate Cas e 2. The administrator provided instruction because the user seemed frustrated. After the user located the correct page, there was no problem completing the task. Here it is hard to distingui sh if this is a 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 10/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Web interface design error or not. Tasks 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 – Click on Assignment 4. Fill in the form. Submit the form. Return to Assignment 4. This was the first form in the Web site. User #1 began with â€Å"OK, what is this? † The user had never filled in a form and submitted it through a Web site. Users #2 and #3 both accessed and filled in the required information in the form fields and returned to the designa ted Web page easily. User #1 took more time, but successfully completed the task. Tasks 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 – Click on Assignment 5. Go to the reflection form. Fill in the form. Submit the form. Return to Assignment 5. This was the second experience with the Web interface using a form. All three users accessed, filled in the form, and submitted the form wi thout a problem. Task 25, 26, 27, and 28 – Go to the course evaluation survey. Complete the course eva luation survey. Submit the survey. Return to Assignment 5. Users #1 and #2 had difficulty loc ating the survey link on the page. Once the survey evaluation link was located, no user had any difficulty completing the task. User #3 completed the task easily, but after submission of the form, the user clicked on the â€Å"back† button to return to the designated Web page in the site. As use r #3 clicked on the â€Å"back† button she said, â€Å"Is it erasing the form information if I am going back wi th the back button? The moderator assured her the action of the â€Å"back† button would not erase fo rm input after submission. Task 29, 30, and 31 – Go to the Discussion Forum. Make a forum entry indicating that you have finished the UE. Return to Assignment 5. By task 31, all users were familiar with th e site and had no trouble navigating the discussion forum and ret urning to the designated page in the W eb site. Upon completion of the task list, each user had the opportunity to comment on the Web site and offer suggestions and opinions. The following were offered: User #1 indicated that she would be more comfortable if the administrator had not bee n watching her progress. She indicated being watched so closely made her very nervous and she th ought the site would have been much easier to navigate on her own. She indicated that she like d the set up of the Web interface and asked if there were going to be other sites like this for her u se in the dental hygiene curriculum. User #2 indicated that she liked the site and thought it was easy to use. User #3 lik ed the site and would like similar sites for other topics in the dental hygiene curriculum. She indi cated that she did not like using the ‘back button’ after all the forms. All three users expressed nervo usness about being watched by the administrator. Discussion A sample of three users completed this UE. Nielsen (2000b) indicates that three to f ive participants in a UE are adequate. Usability problems were identified in some part of nine of the ten primary tasks on the task list. In addition, some of the problems as told by the users, rela ted to: 1) the administrator present during the UE was also a professor in the Department of Dental Hygiene in 3/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 11/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm which the user is a student, 2) the evaluation was conducted during the summer school session, and 3) all users were also students in the administrator’s class. Users reported being mo re nervous about the site content in the presence of this administrator. In future UE studies th e usability administrato r should be a neutral observer The questionnaire completed by the users following the usability evaluation demonstra ted user satisfaction with the site. Shneiderman (1998) suggests users should give their subje ctive impressions of the Web interface. All but one of the responses indicated that the us ers were satisfied with the site’s navigation and organization. The users indicated that the t erminology used in the site was clear, they were able to complete the assigned tasks easily, the site me t their needs, and the users liked the appearance of the site. The only responses not scored as sati sfactory were related to using the â€Å"back button†. Overall, all three users indicated the ease of na vigating the Web site interface was satisfactory. Recommendations It is evident from the results of this UE that Web-based interfaces for instructional delivery should be evaluated for usability problems. Corrections, suggested by the results, to the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit prototype and Web interface should be made and the site re-tested before continuing development of the remaining nine courses in the oral pat hology Web-based instructional unit series. The usability evaluation of the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers Web-based inst ructional unit prototype resulted in the following recommendations for improvement to the Web site n avigation and organization. . This may be one time when the use of standard link colors should be violated. Students using the same computer to complete an instructional unit would be able to discern the answ ers chosen by the student previously using the computer. Changes in the Web interface design for te sts so that the link color does not change when a user chooses a particul ar response is recommended. 2. When assigning form submissions, provide a link to take the user back to the designated page in the Web site. The users in this UE did not like using the browser’s â€Å"back† button after completing the forms nor following entries to the discussion forum. The Web site interface desig n will be changed so the confirmation pages following discussion forum postings and submission of forms will take the user back to the page accessed immediately prior to the form or discussion f orum. 3. The hyperlinks for the answers to study questions were not large enough. Cli cking on a one letter link made users have a hard time identifying the link. This Web site interfac e design will be corrected so that the entire cell in which the letter choices are located will be the hyperlink. Conclusions The UE conducted on the Oral Herpes Simplex and Apthous Ulcers instructional unit pro totype Web design interface proved to be a successful method for the determination of usability problems in a 13/3/2013 0:50 Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface 12/12 http://ojni. org/602/usability. htm Web-based instructional delivery method. The users identified usability problems with the Web interface as well as with their own skill or lack of skill with using any browser. Re commendations for revision have been identified by the researcher and will be implemented. Authors Note Should anyone wish to examine the Website and review the Herpes Simplex and Apthous U lcer instructional unit prototype it can be accessed at http://www. etsu. edu/cpah/dental/dcte760/. References Dumas, J. , Redish, J. (1999). A Practical Guide to Usability Testing. Portland: In tellect Books. Fichter, D. (2000). Usability Testing Up Front. Online, 24 (1), 79-84. Graham, J. (2000). Usability Testing Basics. INT Media Group. Retrieved June 30, 2 001, from the World Wide Web: http://clickz. com/print. jsp? article=2053. Hom, J. (1999). The Usability Testing Toolbox. Retrieved June 10, 2001, from the Wo rld Wide Web: http://www. best. com/~jthom/usability. Instone, I. (1999). User Test Your Web Site: An Introduction to Usability Testing. Retrieved July 1, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://instone. org/keith/howtotest/introduction. html. Nielsen, J. (2000a). Designing Web Usability. Indianapolis: New Riders Publishing. Nielsen, J. (2000b). Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users. Jakob Nielsen’s Alertb ox. Retrieved June 12, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www. useit. com/alertbox/20000319. html. Rajani, R. , Rosenberg, D. (1999). Usable? Or Not? Factors Affecting the Usability of Web Sites. CMC Magazine. Retrieved June 23, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www. december . com /cmc/mag/1999/jan/rakros. html. Rubin, J. (1994). Handbook of Usability Testing. New York: Wiley. Shneiderman, B. (1998). Designing the User Interface. Strategies for Effective Huma n-Computer Interaction. Third Edition. Reading: Addison-Wesley. Spool, J. , Scanlon, T. , Schroeder, W. , Snyder, C. , DeAngelo, T. (1999). Web Site U sability: A Designer’s Guide. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc. 13/3/2013 0:50 How to cite Usability Evaluation of a Web Design Interface, Papers

Japanese Automobile Manufacturers-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: To what extent have Japanese automobile manufacturers been able to retain their competitive position as multinationals in international markets? Answer: Since 1960 Japan has been within the worlds top 3 largest car making counties, in the technology and the automobile manufacturing Japan has secured a status of being a world leader. Some of the most well-known brands that have a global fame are Lexus, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Honda and Toyota. These brands are the most famous and are the major car exporters. The important part is that Japanese automobile components are found to be manufactured in over 6 continents. 89 percent of the automotive related manufacturing contributes to Japans largest manufacturing sector. Vehicles and the automotive components amount to 18 percent of all the manufacturing related shipments in Japan (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association 2018a). This study is based on the extent to which the Japanese automobile manufacturers have been able to retain the competitive position as the multinationals in the international markets. History of Japanese automotive industry- In the year 1907, Komanusuke Uchiyama manufactured the first true Japanese car. Torao Yamaha, in the year 1904 built the first bus in Japan which had a seating capacity of 10 people. Large number of companies along with the support of the Imperial Army and Japanese government started the manufacture of military trucks just after the end of World War I (Koichi and Barker 2014). This venture eventually led to the foundation of automobile companies like Nissan, Toyota. This eventually led to the beginning of automobile industry in Japan. In the year 1933 a weaving company called Toyota Jido Shokki founded an automobile department and named it as Toyota. Nissan also developed a growing company and named it as Nihon Sangyo in the same year. During the period of World War II, Japanese automobile industry was mainly producing industrial truck, buses and as well as military trucks. Whereas, after the World War II the Japanese automobile companies wher e allowed to make limited number of trucks. At that time Toyota lost all its money and became bankrupt. The company Toyota however revived from the losses during the Korean War. It was given contracts for the manufacture of military vehicles and its repairs (Toyota 2018). In the year 1955 the manufacture of Japanese car increased. Restrictions imposed by the government on the import of vehicles. At that moment Japanese car market was not large and that it was not opposed internationally. In the year 1953 number of vehicles manufactured where 10000 and it's doubled in the year 1953. During the 70s Japanese automobile were not popular, however due to low price and superb quality the vehicles slowly grabbed attention (Koichi and Barker 2014). In the year 1973 due to the oil crisis the popularity of the Japanese automobiles reached the pinnacle due to fuel efficient and small engine. During the year 1970, in US and Britain the popularity of Japanese automobile increased. Nissan was a popular brand in Britain, while Honda and Mitsubishi where the popular brands in US. During this period, the export of the Japanese automobiles reached to great heights. By the year 2000, Japan became one of the largest manufacturers of automobiles due to affordable and cost- effective manufacturing. Even though the Japanese car industry was facing fierce competition from countries like India, China, South Korea still the car industry continued to thrive (Picken 2016). Japans Automobile industry (latest developments) - An automobile typically consists of 20 thousand to 30 thousand parts which is impossible for even the largest automobile manufacturer to produce themselves. Thus, the automakers either purchase the final products or outsource them. These components include audio systems, air conditioners, batteries and tires. The finished products which were purchased by the automobile manufacturers include the products which were manufactured in different countries and the volume of purchase of the final products increases every year. Thus, automobile manufacturing can be considered as an integrated industry and the investments in the research activities, components are marked as an indicator of the quality of economy. The automotive industry of Japan is one of the core industrial sectors of Japan's economy (Export.gov 2018). In the year 2014 the total export of Japanese vehicles accounted to 17.5%, and 40% is the total value of the components shipp ed. The automotive shipment included both the export and domestic shipments and the vehicles exported include auto parts and motorcycles. In the year 2014, the value of the total shipment totals around 53.3 trillion Yen. While in comparison to 2013, the total shipment of 2014 increased by 2.6%. The automobile production in Japan in the year 2016 was 9.2 million units, which was 0.8% less than 2015. Passenger car production increased to 0.6% in comparison to 2015 send the total units produced is 7.87 million. The small car and standard card production increased 3.5% and 5.4% respectively, and 1.61 million and 5 million units were manufactured respectively. While at the same time the production of mini cars reduced by 7.4% and about 1.26 million units were produced. Violin comparison to 2015 the production of bus and truck decreased by 5.9% and 8.3% respectively. The total units of bus and truck produced were 130 000 and 1.2 million respectively (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Associa tion 2018b). Motor vehicles export in the year 2016 increased by 1.2% in comparison to the year 2015 and 4.63 million units were sold. The export of passenger cars increased by 3.7% and a total of 4.12 million units were exported. Whereas, the export of bus and trucks reduced by 6.8% and 17.7% respectively. The units of buses and trucks manufactured were 132000 and 384 000 units respectively. An increase in the export of motor vehicles to countries like Oceania, North America, Asia, Europe. In comparison to 2015 the export of motor vehicles in the year 2016 and climbed up. Data reveal that there is an increase in export and the percentage of increase in different continents were: in Europe it is 11%, in Asia it is 10.9%, in North America it is 8.6%, and in Oceania it is 0.7% (Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2018). Whereas the export to the Middle East has declined by 26.9%, in Africa by 20.1%, in Latin America by 5.0%. Export of motorcycles in 2016 increased by 2.6% in comparison to the previous year and the total number of motorcycles manufactured were 429000 units. With respect to the engine capacity, the export of class 1 and small sized motorcycles increased by 36.3% and 2.3% respectively. The number of class 1 and small sized motorcycles exported were 16000 units and 323000 units respectively. Whereas, the export of class 2 and mini sized motorcycles reduced by 2.1% and 0.1% respectively, and the total number of units exported 30000 and 60000 units respectively. In comparison to 2015, the export of motorcycles to the Middle East and Europe has increased by 19.6% and 17.8% respectively. Whereas, the export to Latin America has reduced by 37.1%, in Oceania by 0.4%, in North America by 3.1%, in Africa by 8.4% (Eurostat 2018). Environmental concern and compliance- In the year 2015, the carbon dioxide emissions in Japan was 1.22 billion tons, among which the percentage contributed by the transport sector was 18%. Since the year 2001, the carbon dioxide emissions has reduced to a great extent due to the usage of fuel efficient passenger cars. Automobile industry of Japan promote carbon dioxide reduction by increasing the production of next generation and fuel efficient vehicles. Following 2009, the Japanese government introduced subsidy programs and tax incentive programs all the purchase of environment friendly vehicles. The environment friendly next generation vehicles included new energy, clean diesel, and fuel cell, electric, plug in hybrid, and hybrid vehicles (Ehsani, Gao and Emadi 2017). The introduction of next generation vehicles led to a surge in the purchase of passenger cars. The Japanese Automobile Manufacturer Association (JAMA) voluntarily negated the usage of hazardous substances like cadmium , hexavalent chromium, Mercury and lead in the new vehicles in order to reduce the environmental impact. The greatest danger arises when these vehicles previously dismantled after the end of service life. Thus, the voluntary action by JAMA proved to be effective. In the year 2012, in order to reduce the volatile organic compounds in passenger cars, ISO 12219-1 was established as a global standard. JAMA effectively implemented these standards in the buses, trucks and passenger vehicles in order to reduce the volatile organic compounds. However, the voluntary initiative taken up by JAMA was restricted to vehicles that were manufactured only in Japan (Yamada 2013). The vehicular exhaust emissions in in Japan is one of the world's most stringent and due to this the automobile manufacturers work hard in order to develop technologies that comply with the stringent laws. Due to these reasons the levels of atmospheric pollutant and NOx steadily declining in the urban areas of Japan. According to the ministry of environment recommendations and policies the future emission laws will be even stricter with respect to the diesel and gasoline vehicles. Japan's local government as well as the central government in the major Metropolitan areas have implemented laws that will address the problems related to air quality which is caused by two vehicle emissions. Thus, the automobile manufacturing companies need to comply with these laws at the time of inspection in order to receive the inspection compliance certification. Local governments also implemented laws and regulations in order to reduce particulate matter emissions from the trucks. This implies that t he regulations will put a check on the movement of these vehicles in the concerned areas (Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan 2018). Strategies implemented- Japanese automobile manufacturers have developed and extended its Global operation through joint ventures or fully owned subsidiaries. The Global operations Japanese automobile manufacturers are found in countries like Russia, China, Southeast Asia, Europe and United States and other emerging markets in different countries. The expansion of business outside Japan creates opportunities through employment creation, earning from export revenue for the host country, purchase of local parts, locally produced parts like engine and transmission of automobiles, and also strengthens the local economics. The finished vehicles can also be transported to other countries and also in Japan. The Global manufacturing operations of Japanese automobile sector continues to grow by emphasizing on the onsite manufacturing in order to meet the local needs (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association 2018b). Whether as a fully owned subsidiary or as a joint venture, the independent o perations were conducted by the local manufacturers that are located in different countries around the world. In the year 2016 Japanese automobile manufacturers International or the overseas production were calculated to be 19 million units. The highest production is seen in countries like Europe and Asia and they have significantly increased over the past few years. With the increase in economic globalization, the Japanese automobile manufacturers have adapted rapidly changing market conditions, Japanese automobile manufacturers not only shift to those markets, but also form joint ventures and alliances with the International manufacturers. Recently it has been seen that Japanese automobile manufacturers have formed partnerships with the car manufacturers of United States and Europe. These partnerships include cooperative sales ties, production operations, joint research and development, technical tie ups and capital. With the rapid increase in motorization in in Southeast Asia in China, the Japanese automobile manufacturers are building tie ups with the local manufacturers on the basis of supply of production, capital tie ups and supply of safety and environment related technologies (Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association 2018b). Therefore, from the above study it can be concluded that Japan has been a country that had experienced up and downs in the auto mobile manufacturing just after the end of the world war I. The country still arose after a set back and with the effective stringent environmental, and tax laws the premier automobile manufacturers of the country persistently tries to design and deliver automotive products which will be beneficial for the Japanese and the international automobile markets. The strict adherence to the environmental compliance not only increases the international favorability of the Japanese automobiles, it is also environment friendly. The Japanese automotive sector is now one of the highly acclaimed brands in the world with the competitive edge and the marketing agenda followed by the different Japanese companies References Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2018. [online] Dfat.gov.au. Available at: https://dfat.gov.au/trade/resources/Documents/japan.pdf [Accessed 22 Feb. 2018]. Ehsani, M., Gao, Y. and Emadi, A., 2017. Modern electric, hybrid electric, and fuel cell vehicles: fundamentals, theory, and design. CRC press. Eurostat, 2018. International trade in motor vehicles - Statistics Explained. [online] Ec.europa.eu. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/International_trade_in_motor_vehicles [Accessed 22 Feb. 2018]. Export.gov, 2018. Japan - Market Overview | export.gov. [online] Export.gov. Available at: https://www.export.gov/article?id=Japan-Market-Overview [Accessed 22 Feb. 2018]. Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, 2018a. JAMA - Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. [online] Jama-english.jp. Available at: https://www.jama-english.jp/ [Accessed 21 Feb. 2018]. Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, 2018b. [online] Jama-english.jp. Available at: https://www.jama-english.jp/publications/MIJ2017.pdf [Accessed 22 Feb. 2018]. koichi, S and Barker, T., 2014. Japanese automobile industry: a business history. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury Academic press Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan, 2018. [online] Env.go.jp. Available at: https://www.env.go.jp/en/air/aq/mv/table_290628.pdf [Accessed 22 Feb. 2018]. Picken, S.D., 2016. Historical dictionary of Japanese business. Rowman Littlefield. Toyota, 2018. Toyota History. [online] Toyota. Available at: https://www.toyota.co.jp/en/history/1867.html [Accessed 21 Feb. 2018]. Yamada, H., 2013. Contribution of evaporative emissions from gasoline vehicles toward total VOC emissions in Japan. Science of the total environment, 449, pp.143-149.