Information Communication Technology (ICT) Application in Airbnb

Question: Use organization AirBnB, Research and report on their deployment of ICT in a managerial capacity and identify the business case for that deployment. Describe how the use of information communication technology can impact business models and the direction of the organization? Answer: Introduction: Airbnb came was founded in year 2008 for the purpose of rent out lodging facility. At present the company has its presence over 192 countries around the world. It has its headquarters in San Francisco, California. Applying ICT in Airbnb: A. ICT application in managerial capacity: ICT or Information and Communication Technology is the key to the operation and functioning of the Airbnb. It has proved to bring huge success for the company in just five years of its inception. Through the application of Information and Communication the company has place a platform which is more like a social website that allows guests and hosts to interact on lodging facility. That is the web portal and recently added mobile application allows the guests to enquire about the lodging facility. In return the host would offer details along with images, videos and price for stay using the online service portal. The web portal therefore offers a secure lodging facility for the guest with the already registered host along with the customer reviews. On the other hand the interest of the host is also taken care of by offering them 24 hour customer support system so that the miscreants guests can be dealt with immediate effect. B. The use of information communication technology impact on business models: The use of information communication technology can impact business models by bringing in action the new idea of dealing with the clients and making profits thereafter from the business deals. The business models that have come into existence with the information communication technology in action for Airbnb include the followings. Bricks and clicks business: The application of bricks and click business model has been developed through the information communication technology as the services of selecting and booking a lodging facility is done online and the guests have to take the advantage of the facility by physically moving to that place. Franchisee business: The company has opened its franchisee business in various countries through which the business portal in different countries help them manage for the lodging facility through the local entrepreneurs. Fee in, Free out business model: Airbnb charges the hosts of around 6%-12% of the commission from their earnings. This way they offer fee in service from the hosts and free out service for the guests. C. Applying information technology to leverage information: The application of information technology to leverage information has resulted in enhancing business competitiveness. The companys policy of sharing the host information with the guest and vice versa has resulted in bringing out more acceptance between the two parties but it has resulted in increasing issues and problems for the company itself. The company has to face various charges of guests making burglary in hosts place. On the other hand the hosts are not giving the appropriate response or promised service or logistics facility to the guest. The result is that this platform of lodging has been facing serious competition from various other websites such as craigslist, local mind and others which suggest their different logistics places. Although the advancement in the technology has resulted in the rise of this business the same has created close competitors for it. This has led the company to move on active growth plan through which it is making its new office in different place s around the world including Australia, Europe, North America and now planning to enter Asian markets. Thus the global level operations have become the key for the sustenance of this business which is completely dependent on information communication technology. At present the company is getting 75% of its earning from outside United States which is a good example of the ICT strategy and application in practice. D. Synthesizing an Enterprise Information System has to offer: An Enterprise Information System applied in Airbnb has to offer a more thorough platform in the operation in following ways. Increasing centralized functioning: Through online medium and 24 hour support system, Airbnb is able to increase its centralized functioning through which the global guests can interact with global hosts for lodging facility. The mobile application which supports chart and image sharing has helped in bringing the two parties closer. Also the back support system available round the clock also helps in assisting the customer in entering in business deals. Achieving high quality performance: The improved website functions and mobile applications through Android and IOS the company has been able to reach closer to its customers. Thus the 24 hour customer support system helps the company to achieve customer satisfaction. Also the sharing image facility and the customer reviews on various lodging places helps in offering high quality performance to the guest search for lodging facility. Fulfilling large organizational needs: The organizational needs of growing is been achieved through the Enterprise Information System in application. It has helped the large organizations to enter into partnership and join ventures with global hosts so that the global guests can be provided with a proper lodging facility. E. Diagnosis of organizational issues and application of strategies by Airbnb: The various organizational issues that the Airbnb is facing in the present day context include the followings. Guests making burglary and loss of property. Hosts not dealing well with the guests. The guests are not leaving the place of hosts for many days. Indecent acts taking place under cover of offering lodging facility. However the appropriate strategies are being applied to get the required outcomes which include the followings. Government issued identity cards are made a must during deal finalization and even travelling. Airbnb suggests the hosts to buy traveller insurance to safeguard their interest from losses during to guests. Airbnb provides 24 hour support to both guests and hosts. The company offers loss assistance to the hosts. Conclusion: In the end, Airbnb has been making a consistent growth and development in business from past five years. The company has been able to achieve the unexpected growth targets which have helped it develop in 192 countries around the world. Information Communication Technology has played a vital role in the whole business process by providing a social platform for the guest and hosts for interacting on lodging facilities. Bibliography AIRBNB, 2015. About us. [Online] Available at: www.Airbnb.com [Accessed 11 February 2015]. CommunityLegalInformationCentre, 2014. What are the basic requirements for making a valid contract? [Online] Available at: https://www.hkclic.org/en/topics/businessAndCommerce/setting_up_business_in_Hong_Kong/making_a_business_contract/q1.shtml [Accessed 1 December 2014]. Flores Mynra, 2006. Towards a Taxanomy for Networking Models for Innovation. IFIP International Federation for Information Processing, A Network-Centric Collaboration and Supporting Frameworks, 224, pp.55-66. Gregory, R., Prifling, M. Beck, R., 2009. The role of cultural intelligence for the emergence of negotiated culture in IT offshore outsourcing projects. Information Technology and People, 22(3), pp.223-41. Laudon, K.C. Laudon, J.P., 2009. Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm. 11th ed. Prentice Hall/CourseSmart. McAfee, A., 2002. The impact of enterprise information technology adoption on operational performance: an empirical investigation. Production and Operations Management., 11(1), pp.33-53.

The Bean Trees Essay Example For Students

The Bean Trees Essay Of all the ideas portrayed in Barbara Kingsolvers, The Bean Trees, one of the most important is the relationship between Turtle and Taylor. After being abandoned, Taylor shows Turtle that someone still cares for her, creating the idea of motherhood, which was what Taylor was initially trying to avoid.  As Taylors journey begins, shes originally running from everything in Kentucky- pregnancy being one of those many things. As Taylor is taking a break from driving, she arrives at a bar and receives a child. She explains this to the Indian woman who was giving her the child, but the woman insists on Taylor taking it. If I wanted a baby I would have stayed in Kentucky, I informed her. I could have had babies coming out my ears by now(24). When Taylor is presented with the task of caring for the child, she is disconcerted, although she will soon realize that she made the right choice, even though she was faced with this drawback. We will write a custom essay on The Bean Trees specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Leaving the child in a strangers possession was one of the best decisions the woman had made- Taylor learned to love the child more then that woman ever wouldve. Deciding to keep Turtle, rather then abandoning her with someone else, was the first step toward motherhood- a feeling that Taylor had never experienced. Seeing that the child was abused and vulnerable made Taylor feel the obligation to keep her. I found my head rights, Mama. Theyre coming with me' (32). Naturally, as a woman, seeing that an infant was abused, Taylor felt accountable for caring for Turtle as if she were her own child. As the story progresses, so does the relationship between Taylor and Turtle. Taylor begins to feel emotionally attached to Turtle, and even feeling what Turtle herself cannot express. When Turtle is attending Kid Central Station, Taylors intuition tells her that it was not the best option for Turtle to be in the program. Kid Central Station was not doing Turtle any good. I knew that (90). The only way that Taylor could know this is if they had a strong connection, which is exactly what they had by this point. A maternal connection was being established with Taylor and Turtle. By now, the two were inseparable, and even Taylor herself recognized this. When she was looking for a place to live, and they visit the first potential home, Fay asks Taylor if Turtle would be accompanying her, which in turn leads to Taylor responding by saying, Right. Were a set'(93), which made it clear that Taylor was going to keep Turtle- even if someone didnt accept that decision. The more time that Taylor spends with Turtle, the more she comes to care for her. The maternal bond is as strong as ever, and there is no way for Taylor to hide it. When Taylor, Mattie, Lou Ann, Dwayne Ray, Esperanza and Estevan are returning from their picnic, and their vehicle suddenly stops, Taylor believes that Turtle was hurt. Jesus, that was Turtle, I said. Lou Ann, that was her, wasnt it? She made that sound. Is her neck broken?'(128). Taylor was tentative of whether or not Turtle was okay, and the possibility that Turtle could have been hurt alarmed her. Why? Because now her and Turtle had became so engaged with each other that Taylor could not bear to know that something terrible might have happened to Turtle. As Taylor, Esperanza, Turtle and Estevan continued their journey through the Cherokee Nation, Turtle said something that Taylor was not expecting to hear- something that distressed her. Once, all of a sudden, Turtle shouted, Mama! She was pointing out the window. My heart lost its beat for a second. To my knowledge she had never referred to anyone as Mama(275). Taylor felt that the name Mama pertained to her- after all, she had cared for Turtle for over six months, helping her overcome the awful situations she had been faced with in her short life. .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 , .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 .postImageUrl , .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 , .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534:hover , .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534:visited , .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534:active { border:0!important; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534:active , .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534 .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u05aa1099c44f6ee089e282d917842534:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn and Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles EssaySo, after hearing her call someone (or something) else Mama, Taylor could not help but feel jealous. She felt that Turtle was her own child. After all, she was about to adopt her legally, and she had sacrificed so many things to keep Turtle in her possession. She could have left Turtle with a stranger and continued her journey. She couldve given her up to the government after talking to the social worker. But she was determined to keep her, no matter what could have happened. She was so obstinate about keeping Turtle in her possession that she went to great lengths to fulfill her goal. In Barbara Kingsolvers The Bean Trees, Kingsolver displays many ideas, although the most significant one would have to be the relationship between Taylor and Turtle. Taylor begins as a woman trying to avoid everything from her home, including pregnancy, but eventually ends up raising a child herself even though the child was not originally hers. Kingsolver shows that, even though people can be faced with something that might not be what they initially wanted, it can result in something wonderful. Works Cited Kingsolver, Barbara. The Bean Trees. New York: Harper Collins. 1998.

Solutions for Homelessness essays

Solutions for Homelessness essays This great nation of awesome power and abundant resources is losing the battle against homelessness. The casualties can be seen on the street corners of every city in American holding an I will work for food sign. Homeless shelters and rescue missions are at full capacity. There is no room at the inn for the nations indigent. Anyone who has studied this issue understands that homelessness is a complex problem. Communities continue to struggle with this socio-economic problem while attempting to understand its causes and implement solutions. The public and private sectors of this country are making a difference in the lives of the homeless by addressing the issues of housing, poverty and education. Many believe that a common thread among the homeless is a lack of permanent and stable housing. But beyond that, the factors leading to homelessness and the services that are needed are unique according to the individual. To put them into one general category the homeless- suggests that people are homeless for similar reasons and therefore a single solution is the answer. Every homeless person shares the basic needs of affordable housing, adequate incomes and attainable healthcare. But a wide range of other unmet needs cause some people to become or remain homeless which include drug treatment, employment training, transportation, childcare and mental health services (Center 8.) Presently, one of the main causes of homelessness in American is the lack of affordable housing. New York researchers claim that affordable housing is the answer to homelessness. Researcher, Mary Beth Shinn, states, homelessness is first and foremost a housing problem not a psychological one (qtd. in Franklin 15.) Nearly all the families in their study became stably housed regardless of substance abuse, mental illness, physical illness or incarceration. This study indicates that homelessness ...

Fairness and Objectivity in Journalism

Fairness and Objectivity in Journalism You hear it all the time- reporters should be objective and fair. Some news organizations even use these terms in their slogans, claiming that they are more â€Å"fair and balanced† than their competitors. But what is objectivity? Objectivity Objectivity means that when covering hard news, reporters don’t convey their own feelings, biases or prejudices in their stories. They accomplish this by writing stories using language that is neutral and avoids characterizing people or institutions in ways good or bad. But for the beginning reporter accustomed to writing personal essays or journal entries, it can be hard to do this. One trap beginning reporters fall into is the frequent use of adjectives. Adjectives can easily convey one’s feelings about a subject. Example The intrepid protesters demonstrated against the unjust government policies. Just by using the words â€Å"intrepid† and â€Å"unjust† the writer has quickly conveyed his feelings on the story- the protesters are brave and just in their cause, the government policies are wrong. For this reason, hard-news reporters usually avoid using adjectives in their stories. Fairness Fairness means that reporters covering a story must remember there are usually two sides- and often more- to most issues and that those differing viewpoints should be given roughly equal space in any news story. Let’s say the local school board is debating whether to ban certain books from the school libraries. Many residents representing both sides of the issue are there. The reporter may have strong feelings about the subject. Nevertheless, he should interview citizens who support the ban, and those who oppose it. And when he writes his story, he should convey both arguments in a neutral language, giving both sides roughly equal space. A Reporter’s Conduct Objectivity and fairness apply not only to how a reporter writes about an issue but to how he conducts himself in public. A reporter must not only be objective and fair but also convey an image of being objective and fair. At the school board forum, the reporter may do his best to interview people from both sides of the argument. But if in the middle of the meeting, he stands up and starts spouting his own opinions on the book ban then his credibility is shattered. No one will believe he can be fair and objective once they know where he stands. The moral of the story? Keep your opinions to yourself.   A Few Caveats There are a few caveats to remember when considering objectivity and fairness. First, such rules apply to reporters covering hard news, not to the columnist writing for the op-ed page, or the movie critic working for the arts section. Second, remember that ultimately, reporters are in search of the truth. While objectivity and fairness are important, a reporter shouldn’t let them get in the way of finding the truth. Let’s say you’re a reporter covering the final days of World War II and are following the Allied forces as they liberate the concentration camps. You enter one such camp and witness hundreds of gaunt, emaciated people and piles of dead bodies. Do you, in an effort to be objective, interview an American soldier to talk about how horrific this is, then interview a Nazi official to get the other side of the story? Of course not. Clearly, this is a place where evil acts have been committed, and it’s your job as a reporter to convey that truth. In other words, use objectivity and fairness as tools to find the truth.

The challenge of managing diverse teams Assignment - 1

The challenge of managing diverse teams - Assignment Example In an argument by Robbins et.al (2011) a diverse team creates an advantage in an organization since numerous task can be completed by different team members without the requirement of incurring training costs. For instance, my industry has a massive customer care department which requires interaction with different cultured consumers. Having team members communicating in different languages naturally increases the efficiency of the customer care approaches. Another advantage is that a leader can effectively carry out division of labour and specialization based on the strengths of the employees (Robbins et.al, 2011). In addition, this is done without creating requirements from employees that may be beyond their expertise and skills. A major disadvantage of diverse teams is that the leader would be massively tasked in understanding the specific needs of each team member. Additionally, barriers to effective team management would be not be able to be addressed in a general manner making the leadership position more challenging. Diverse teams also create the requirement to alter an organization culture to suit a wide range of personalities as a human resource appraisal technique (Harvard Business Press, 2013). For instance, people from different cultures in my industry may require different workplace specifications for them to perform tasks as required. Satisfying individual needs is a difficult requirement. The ability to bring together people from different backgrounds, disciplines, cultures, and generations and leverage all they have to offer, therefore, is a must-have for leaders (Ibarra & Hansen 2011). From the argument, it is evident that the ability to manage diverse teams is an important leadership requirement. The same argument is supported by Mullins (2010) who points out that the failure to effectively manage diverse teams is a failure on the part of the leader considering that the impact of the failure directly affects the input of the

What do you see as Maryland s biggest transportation issue and how Essay

What do you see as Maryland s biggest transportation issue and how would you solve it - Essay Example Majority of these citizens have to use their personal cars due to the limited public transportation systems incurring very high gas expenses. Research by the Bureau of Labor estimates that households use 20% of their income on transportation expenses (Cardin). The commute from rural, Southern Maryland to the urban, Northern area takes a toll on many forcing them to opt for cheaper, unlimited housing opportunities in neighboring states such as Virginia. Congestion on Marylands highways costs the state a lot of money. Many spend productive working hours stuck in traffic. In a survey done by the U.S Census Bureau, traffic volume increased exponentially in a span of 10 years (1998-2008) to 17.2%; however, transport infrastructure expanded only by 7% (Cox, 2009). This meant that the infrastructure is unable to meet the high demand leading to congestion. In conclusion, unless state officials find lasting solutions to the transportation crisis, the states economy will plummet. The high expenses incurred from gas expenditure for personal cars, and the loss of productive time on congested highways is among the challenges state officials must

The Manipulation of History Essay Example for Free

The Manipulation of History Essay By looking at the past we are presented with conditions of possibility which makes the past constitutive of the present. Such an act involves the individual’s consideration of culture’s role in the authentication of specific memories. Memories emerge spontaneously from people’s stories about their nations. Culture, on the other hand, chooses specific stories which it legitimizes with objectivity by attaching to it the term history. Story lines emerge continually from man’s consciousness however culture with its demands for social order and progress denounces the memories of common people and relegates the task of remembering to the institutions within the public sphere. Such an act leads to the repression and later on the elimination of the peoples desires to tell their own stories. Due to culture’s capability to make memories dissipate from people’s minds while reimbursing it with its own notions of truth, people tend to forget that the accounts of the events given to them may not necessarily be the truth rather they are just one of the several accounts of an event. This shows culture’s power to control the circulation and exchange of ideas society. Furthermore, this shows us that â€Å"truth is a thing of this world†¦produced by multiple forms of constraint and regular effects of power† (Schmidt and Warenberg 288). Historiography, in this sense, only presents us with events which are in accordance with the ideology of the group who is in power. Within this perspective it is interesting to consider how this is apparent in the works discussing a particular event in history. In line with this, this paper’s task is two-fold. First, it aims to present the different accounts regarding a particular historical event. Second, it aims to present an analysis of how these accounts provide an interpretation of an event which manifests the perspective of the individual who discusses the event.   For the sake of brevity, the focus of the paper will be on the Nanjing Massacre as it is presented and interpreted by Iris Chang in The Rape of Nanking and Honda Katsuichi in The Nanjing Massacre. The event known as the 1937-1938 Nanjing Massacre became one of the most reported events by both the Western and Chinese press during the war as it became a major case at the military tribunals in Tokyo and Nanjing after Japan’s surrender. At the end of both trials, the verdict for both the Tokyo trial and the Nanjing trial was the same. The tribunal led to the execution of five Japanese officers who were found guilty for either participating in the said massacre or failing to apprehend the said massacre. The difference between both trials merely lies in the death toll recorded in the former trial. The Tokyo trial of the Nanjing Massacre claims that the aforementioned verdict stands as a result of the occurrence of organized murder, random killings and rape, looting and destruction of the Japanese troops in Nanjing during a six week period on the Winter of 1937-1938 which led to the death of over 200,000 Chinese civilians and prisoners of war as well as the occurrence of 20,000 cases of rape (Pritchard and Zaide 49604-08). The Nanjing trial claims the same things however it states that as opposed to the 200,000 death toll specified in the Japan trial, the death toll reached 300,000 (Second 603-12). In the years that followed the Nanjing Massacre, the information specified on both trials became the springboard for the construction of accounts that presented claims and counter-claims regarding the Nanjing Massacre. Different accounts have circulated regarding the event wherein some accounts affirm the occurrence of the said event whereas others deny its occurrence. One of the most recognized accounts that affirm the occurrence of the Nanjing Massacre is Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanjing. Iris Chang (1997), an American journalist of Chinese ancestry, wrote the first non-fiction account in a Western language of the Nanjing Massacre in her book The Rape of Nanjing. Within the text, Chang claims that the Nanjing Massacre stands as the East’s equivalent of the West’s Holocaust of the Jews in Europe as both events represent the most heinous cases of violence in recorded history. Chang’s subtitle The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II emphasizes this claim in the aforementioned text. In the introduction of the text, she states, Just as Hitler’s Germany would do half a decade later, Japan used a highly developed military machine and a master-race mentality to set about establishing its right to rule its neighbors†¦marked by countless incidents of almost indescribable ruthlessness†¦ One event can be held up as an example of the unmitigated evil lying just below the surface of unbridled military adventurism, that moment is the Rape of Nanking. (Chang 3-4) As can be seen above, the beginning of Chang’s text may be seen to present the reader with a fixed moral judgment regarding the events that occurred in Nanjing. This moral judgment considers the event in Nanjing as an act of evil. It is important to note however that although, a moral judgment has already been specified in the initial part of the text, Chang clarifies in the later part of the book’s introduction that this judgment does not necessarily aim to establish â€Å"a quantitative record to qualify the event as one of the great evil deeds of history, but (it aims) to understand the event so that lessons can be learned and warnings sounded† (5). The lesson which Chang hopes to be learned from her work refers to the necessity to prevent a â€Å"deliberate attempt†¦to distort history† which she perceives to be evident in Japan’s refusal to recognize the Nanjing Massacre (13). In addition to this, Chang perceives her book as her â€Å"attempt to rescue (the) victims from the degradation by Japanese revisionists and to provide†¦ (her) own epitaph for the hundreds upon thousands of unmarked graves in Nanking† (220). As a text classified within the non-fiction genre, the significance of Chang’s work lies in its presentation of the events in Nanking through the accounts of those who experienced and survived the Nanjing Massacre. It is important to note that Chang was a granddaughter of one of those individuals who escaped Nanjing as Japanese soldiers arrived in the land. Chan’s family thereby stands as one of those who were directly affected by the war since it has forced them not only to leave their homeland but to create new roots in the United States. Within this context, one may argue that Chang’s interpretation of the event may be seen as a result of her attempt not only to remind individuals of the effects of instances wherein they are freed from moral restraints but also as her attempt to recapture her roots and her history. It within this context, that one may understand Chang’s comparison of the Nanjing Massacre to the Holocaust of the Jews. Chang’s comparison of the Nanjing Massacre to the Holocaust of the Jews may seem farfetched since the death toll as well as the duration of the Nanjing Massacre is miniscule in comparison to that of the Holocaust however the comparison may be significant in terms of the politicization or the symbolic use of both the Nanjing Massacre and the Holocaust by its perpetrators since both events served as a symbol of the brutal character of their perpetrators in such a way that the Nanjing Massacre served to symbolize the military aggression of the Japanese army during that time. Chang’s aforementioned text has been continuously questioned. The Japanese publishing company, Kashiwashobo Publishing Company, for example, considers the text to be â€Å"based on prejudice and misconceptions (as a result of) its author’s basic attitude† (1). In the 20 May 1999 press release given by the Kashiwobo Press after its cancellation of the Japanese version of Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking, Kashiwashobo Press states, We must provide good history books on the War in order to learn from the past and to avoid the same kind of tragedies in the future. But this publisher also believes that we are responsible for publishing qualified books for the good of the public†¦The fundamental cause of the termination of the contract is the original work, which†¦due to its errors and inaccuracies, The Rape of Nanking has contributed to reviving deniers of the Nanking atrocities in Japan by giving them bullets to challenge the historical event. (1-2) One of the errors of Chang’s text lies in stating that there are no Japanese texts which have recognized the occurrence of the Nanjing Massacre. Such texts however exist. One of these texts which was published prior to the publication of Chang’s text is Honda Katsuichi’s The Nanjing Massacre. In the introduction of the Honda Katsuichi’s The Nanjing Massacre, Katsuichi’s states, I wrote this book not as a means of apologizing to China but as a means of revealing the truth to the Japanese people. Having been a child at the time, I bear no responsibility for the actual massacre, but as a Japanese journalist, I bear some responsibility for leaving the story unreported for such a long time†¦I hope that that the mere fact of my reportage being widely read overseas will serve as gaiatsu and will bring about a change in the disgraceful anti-internationalist behavior of the Japanese government and the conservative forces. (xxvi-vii) From the very beginning of the text, one sees a difference between Katsuichi’s approach to the Nanjing massacre as opposed to Chang’s approach to the said event. Although both individuals are journalists and both of their works do not use sophisticated methodology in order to support their accounts within their texts, one notes that Katsuichi’s goal is for the redemption of the Japanese people. As the subtitle of the work states, Katsuichi’s text aims to ‘confront Japan’s national shame’. This shame may be seen to be a result of the following factors: (1) The Japanese government’s refusal to recognize the Nanjing Massacre and (2) The Japanese people’s inability to recognize the veracity of this event as a result of the Japanese government’s refusal to recognize the aforementioned event. For Katsuichi, retelling the event may enable the enlightenment of the Japanese people which may further enable the Japanese peoples’ recognition of the necessity to change the framework of their government. Katsuichi’s aim in retelling the events of the Nanjing Massacre is for the occurrence of an ideological revolution within the country. Such an aim was supported by his factual reportage of the events within his work. Within Katsuichi’s The Nanjing Massacre, for example, one notes that the Japanese atrocities would not have been prevented even if the Chinese surrendered peacefully since the Japanese troops were already committing atrocious acts along their way to Nanjing. In addition to this, one notes that the Japanese did not find the act of murdering Chinese as an immoral act since they have long considered the Chinese to be inferior entities. Furthermore, as the book progresses, one also notes that the Japanese did not recognize the regulations set within the International Safety Zone as the Safety Zone was continuously entered by the Japanese troops. Katsuichi’s text, in this sense, affirmed the occurrence of the Nanjing Massacre. What makes his text and his account distinct from Chang’s is the perspective from which he perceives the event. One may state that Chang’s highly graphic portrayal of the events in Nanjing as well as her misguided notion that the Japanese failed to present an account of the event may be seen as a result of her position as a victim of the Nanjing Massacre. As was stated in the aforementioned discussion, Chang’s family stands as a survivor of the Nanjing Massacre. As opposed to this, Katsuichi’s more objective portrayal of the evident may be seen as a result of his position an heir to the Japanese people who have committed the aforementioned evident. Within this context, one may state that an author or speakers interpretation of a historical event is affected by his position in relation to the occurrence of the event. If the author or speaker stands in line with the perpetrators of the event, he may either present an account which aims to defend the people who committed the atrocities or he may present an account which aims to sanctify the people who committed those atrocities or to sanctify the succeeding generations affected by the stain of those who committed atrocious actions. If however the author or speaker stands in line with the victims of the event, he may either present an account which aims to commemorate the victims or he may present an account which aims to further vilify the perpetrators of the crime. Given these two accounts of an event from two different perspectives, the goal of the reader does not merely lie in considering whether an account presents the truth or not but to consider that as history is necessarily a nihilation and hence one cannot accurately determine one account as to comprise the totality of what transpired, hence the purpose of a supposed event is to be open to interpretations. Works Cited Chang, Iris. The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II.   New York: Penguin Books, 1998. Gibney, Frank, ed. â€Å"Editor’s Introduction.† The Nanjing Massacre: A Japanese Journalist Confronts Japan’s National Shame.   By Honda Katsuichi. Trans. Karen Sandness. New York: East Gate Book, 1999. Kashiwashobo Press. Kashiwashobo Press Release about the Cancellation of the Japanese Version of Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking. 20 May 1999. Katsuichi, Honda. The Nanjing Massacre: A Japanese Journalist Confronts Japan’s National Shame.   Ed. Frank Gibney. Trans. Karen Sandness. New York: East Gate Book, 1999. Pritchard, John and Sonia Zaide, eds. International Military Tribunal for the Far East: Tokyo War Crimes Trial. 22 vols. New York: Edwin Mellen P., 1998. Schmidt, James and Thomas Warenberg. â€Å"Foucault’s Enlightenment: Critique, Revolution, and the Fashion of the Self.† Critique and Power: Recasting the Foucault/Habermas Debate. Cambridge: MIT P., 1994. Second Archives of China et, al. Archival Materials on the Nanjing Massacre by the Invading Japanese Troops. Nanjing: Np, 1987.