Place Before And After Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Place Before And After - Essay Example The kids in the neighborhood just loved to play sports in the park, families go on fishing, mothers do their groceries and the rest of the town dwellers just walk the streets for some fresh air even in the night as it was safe and well crowded. This was the best place for me, and I intended to pass it on to my future family the things, events and the values I loved which my father shared with me. However, these perceptions of mine in the said town did not seem to last as I saw a different place 15 years after. The change of the said town motivated me to discover the reasons as to why this paradise town and an ideal place to be in before, suddenly turned into a place where nobody would prefer to be in now. The town's safety, people, perceptions, and environment took its downturn from the time I enjoyed it 15 years ago. The ideal place for safety, celebrations, cleanliness, family values, hospitality, and peace now turned into a meeting place and fighting arena of gangsters and alike. The once clean and safe streets now turned into a drastic place of murderous acts, piles of garbage with beer and bottle cans scattered everywhere. The once happy and peaceful park is now known to be a graveyard of murdered gang members and even old folks of the said town, which were killed out stolen valuables. The celebrations such as holidays and Thanksgiving have once celebrated freely anywhere in the town, but now it is advised and preferred for residents to stay in their homes when celebrating these events.

The Reality Of Platonic Relationships Sociology Essay

The Reality Of Platonic Relationships Sociology Essay Romantic relationships are characterized by feelings of passion, emotional reactions and physical attraction; and platonic relationships are characterized by the absence of physical attraction, passion or sex (Sippola, 1999). These two characterizations are very important for the scope of this paper because both are crucial to answer the question, Can men and women really be just friends? In the magazine Psychology Today, Clifford Lazarus wrote an article with an explanation to this question. Lazarus contends, for the most part, purely platonic relationships for heterosexual men and women are a myth (Lazarus, 2010). To support his contention, he refers to the reflexive nature of men and the reflective nature of women. Lazarus refers to a sexual desirability reflex, which men demonstrate towards women in prime reproductive age. This reflex suggests the immediate thoughts of males when first encountering females are whether or not he would like to have sex with her (Lazarus, 2010). Although, it is argued that females may exhibit the same thoughts, although not as frequently as with males, they tend to quickly move past this reflex. On the other hand, women generally want to determine the suitability of a potential partner. This suitability is referred to as a desire to look for potential long term, socioeconomic stability with a partner (Canary Dindia, 1998). Women therefore, tend to be more sexually reflective and choosier than males, while males tend to be more sexually reflexive than women. These reflexive and reflective drives can be linked to evolutionary theories. Males have an indefinite amount of sperm while females only have a predetermined amount of eggs for her life span (Lazarus, 2010). This suggests an explanation of why males may exhibit the above mentioned reflex more than females, and why females exhibit a determinable reflective drive. This article therefore concludes that purely platonic relationships in cross-sex friendships do not exist. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the conclusion of the Psychology Today article with scholarly research to determine if purely platonic cross-sex friendships can exist between heterosexual men and women. It is important to indicate that the articles conclusion assumes that a purely platonic relationship exists when both people in the relationship have never considered having a romantic relationship with each other. Through sexually charged flirtatious behavior and evolutionary theories, the first part of this paper will provide support for the articles conclusion that purely platonic cross-sex friendships are not possible. However, the second part of this paper will present evidence denouncing the preceding hypothesis by means of costs, romantic intentions and reasons to stay platonic. Flirtatious Behavior Both romantic and platonic relationships report flirtatious activity although frequencies in flirtatious behavior may differ (Egland, Spitzberg, Zormeier, 1996). Some examples of flirtatious behaviors include looking your friend or partner up and down, gazing in their eyes and smiling suggestively. When comparing results of the platonic cross-sex relationships to the romantic cross-sex relationships, platonic relationships engaged in flirtatious activity nearly as much as romantic relationships (Egland, et al., 1996). This finding bolsters the view that even in platonic relationships, flirtatious behavior is expressed. Furthermore, flirtatious behavior may be sexually charged. According to Henningsen, Braz, and Davies (2008), people engage in flirtatious behavior for six main reasons. First is sexual motivation, referring to ones desires to engage in sexual acts. Second, an individual may be relationally motivated, with the intention of moving from a platonic relationship to a romantic relationship. Third is fun motivation, referring to flirting to gain sexual excitement or thrill. Fourth is exploring motivation, referring to flirtatious behavior of platonic relationships to explore and see if positive feedback comes from the other person. Fifth is esteem motivation, which remarks on how gaining positive feedback from flirting may boost self esteem or arousal. And finally people flirt for instrumental motivation, which is flirting for possible access to rewards. Flirting is the primary apparatus to signal sexual and romantic accessibility (Guererro Chavez, 2005). All of the reasons people may flirt are charged with motives other than being platonic. Flirtation can be described as a subcategory of social-sexual communication (Henningsen, et al., 2008, p. 2). These social-sexual communications carry the connotation of being sexually charged, suggesting one person may have had sexual or romantic thoughts at one point in time in the relationship. This suggests that flirting is associated with sexual desire, or reasons other than what constitutes a platonic friendship (Henningsen, Braz, Davies, 2008). Flirtatious behavior is often intended to be interpreted in a way that carries sexual motive (Henningsen, et al., 2008). This implies that those in platonic relationships have an intended purpose or conscious motive to engage in it. For instance, platonic relationships that do not want to turn romantic voluntarily do not engage in flirtatious behavior (Guerrero Mongeau, 2008). This suggests that platonic relationships may be conscious of flirting, thus indicating that people engage in flirting through a particular motivation; in these instances a sexually charged motivation. Since platonic relationships do engage in flirtatious behavior with one another, there is reason to believe that the flirtatious behavior is sexually charged Furthermore, men may interpret expressed behavior from women differently than from what women intend. If women are not voluntarily trying to give flirtatious signals or signs of flirtatious behavior, men are much more readily apparent to interpret non-flirtatious signals as flirtatious (Canary Dindia, 1998). Therefore, even in an apparently platonic friendship, men may be misinterpreting these non-flirtatious signals as flirtatious, and therefore sexual as well, even if there is no intension to communicate flirtatious behavior. This implies even in some apparently platonic relationships, certain behaviors may signal signs of sexual desire unintentionally. CHECK THESE PRECEDING 3 PARAGRAPHS Evolutionary Views According to evolutionary theories, flirtatious behavior is contingent upon a desire to procreate (Canary Dindia, 1998). As mentioned in the article, men have a type of reflexive drive and women have a type of reflective drive (Lazarus, 2010). From an evolutionary stance, a look into interactions between men and women will reinforce these reflexive and reflective drives. Reflective and Reflexive Behavior Women are more likely to choose a partner or mate who exhibits status and resources, therefore being more reflective than males (Lazarus, 2010). Women are generally more interested in men with high resource potential (Canary Dindia, 1998). This indicates why women focus on a long term stable relationship; one which is able to support their offspring. On the other hand, men are much more likely to approach women who display more signs of flirtatious behavior (Canary Dindia, 1998). This indicates mens reflexive drive, indicating sexual thoughts or interest upon initial encounters (Lazarus, 2010). Interests of men and women vary depending on age group. Males prefer younger women, while women prefer older males as age ascends. Women tend to be more fertile when they are younger, while men tend to be more economically sufficient and successful as they grow older (Alterovitz Mendelsohn, 2009). This suggests men being more concerned with the fertility of women by preferring younger mates, while women reported being more concerned with male socioeconomic status, indicated by selecting older men (Alterovitz Mendelsohn, 2009). Parental Investment Theory Additionally, the female perception of older males having the resources to provide for their offspring and males having the impression to mate with a fertile female is consistent with the evolutionary theory of parental investments. Under parental investment theory, the investments of men and women differ. For example, a women needs to carry the offspring. On the other hand, men could technically end their investment of the offspring immediately after conception. As referenced by Tafoya (2006), womens potential for reproduction after conception is inhibited, while on the other hand men as quoted by Lazarus (2010), have their sperm constantly replenished. Furthermore, because of the paternity uncertainty hypothesis, a man can never know with absolute certainty that a child is his. On the contrary, even though the mother may not know who the father of her child is, this hypothesis holds that she will know for certain that she will pass her genes on to her offspring (Tafoya, 2006). Considering this hypothesis and the theory of parental investments, the reflexive nature of men and reflective nature of women are explained. A males reflexive drive can be explained since males never know if the child is theirs with absolute certainty and their investment need not go beyond conception (Tafoya, 2006). Therefore, males seem to exhibit lesser commitment, reinforcing their reflexive tendencies. Additionally, men are more likely to accept a short term mate of any overall quality than women. For instance, it is more probable that men rather than women select a short term mate whose overall qualities such as wealth, status and attractiveness are lacking. Men are also more likely than women to have a one night stand or participate in an affair (Li Kenrick, 2006). On the other hand, women know their genes will be passed on and are making more of a sacrifice from an evolutionary standpoint by the cessation of their potential reproduction. This indicates that females may be more selective about their mates as indicated in the article by reflective drives. Furthermore, women prefer resources and status when looking for a short term mate more than males. In fact, women prefer the same qualities in their short term mates as they do in their long term mates (Li Kenrick, 2006). This implies women exemplify this reflective drive in support of a potential parental investor, that being the potential mate. It is shown that mating as well as parenting is essential to success of offspring, which helps to explain the characteristics of these reflexive and reflective drives (Tafoya, 2006). However, evolutionary views not limited to parental investment theory. Friends with Benefits and Biosocial Theory Evolutionary theories are evident in friends with benefits relationships. Friends with benefits refer to non-romantic or platonic relationships who engage in sexual activities (McGinty, Knox, Zusman, 2007). Friends with benefits is not just a trend, but also is commonly engaged in. Nearly 60% of undergraduates reported having had an experience with a friends with benefits relationship (McGinty et al., 2007). This reinforces the instinctive sexual activity and sexual behavior with the opposite sex. Biosocial theory of evolution may inquire more deeply as to why friends with benefits occurs. Biosocial Theory predicts human behavior by looking to a persons genetic predisposition and their environment. Women show to be more emotionally involved in a friend with benefits relationship than men. Because women emphasize emotional attachment, it is argued that women do so in order to have a stable relationship (McGinty et al., 2007). In having a stable relationship, women need to rear their offspring, thus suggesting why women are more emotionally concerned with friends with benefits relationships than men. On the other hand, men are more sexually focused with the relationship. At times, men are shown to be involved in multiple friends with benefits relationships, thus strengthening the point that men exhibit a reflexive drive (McGinty et al., 2007). Furthermore, Schneider Kenny (2000) surveyed how rewarding and costly people see an opposite-sex platonic friendship. Sexual access was reported as a potential benefit of being in a cross-sex friendship, as well as a reported cost. For example, men may be friends with women as a means to gain sexual access, however, men report having less sexual access than women. This suggests men are more concerned with sexual access than women (Bleske Buss, 2000). This reinforces the idea of the reflexive nature of men. However, women are reported to be benefited when protected by an opposite sex friend. Though this is not shown to what extent this suggests a positive cue for women as mate potential, it has been suggested in a comparative study that males who protect their friends actually gain more sexual access. This was evident in a study of baboons, where the males protect the feeding grounds, and in return the female gives them periodic sexual access; therefore suggesting mens evolutionary drive for protecting women (Bleske Buss, 2000). Flirtatious behavior and evolutionary views support the reflexive and reflective tendencies of males and females, respectively. This suggests that men and women in platonic cross-sex friendships engage in sexually charged behavior. The preceding information also supports, as the article contends, that platonic relationships may not be feasible simply because of evolutionary drives (Lazarus, 2010). Although these findings reinforce the idea that purely platonic relationships do not exist, there is information to believe otherwise. The following research in categories of similar costs, romantic intent, and reasons to stay platonic indicate evidence against the preceding research, contending there may be reasons platonic relationships can exist without having intent for or a transition to romantic relationships. Similar Costs and Status Males and Females do not differ in how costly it is to be denied sex from the person in the friendship; the potential for rejection is perceived as low in cost for both sexes (Bleske Buss, 2000). This suggests that men and women may be able to be friends without worrying about sexual access. However, this information does support males and/or females think about sex. Since the potential cost for rejection was low, this implies the male and females evaluated each other before making the decision to become romantic (Bleske Buss, 2000). Therefore, this seems to be more closely related to the conclusion in the article, and more supportive of reflexive and reflective behavior than not. Even so, the status of the relationship may have an effect on the friendship. Although, ex-romantic partners report wanting a platonic relationship to turn romantic once again, a friend who has always been platonic would not want the relationship to turn romantic (Schneider Kenny, 2000). This indicates that how a relationship is initiated may have an actual impact on the relationship. Platonic friendships therefore, may exist depending on past experiences with the individual. This undermines the contention that platonic cross-sex friendships can never be platonic, since past experience can have an impact. Romantic Intent Romantic intent was not classified in the above article Why Men and Women Cant be Just Friends. Romantic intent can vary and impact relationships differently. In the strictly platonic relationships, cross-sex friends reported less contact, flirtation and activity compared to romantic relationships. Arguably, strictly platonic friendships do not flirt, touch and spend as much time with one another relative to mutually romantic relationships, possibly because doing so may jeopardize the friendship (Guererro Chavez, 2005). Furthermore, long term strictly platonic friendships can move past initial romantic intent. Friendships in the long term are shown to use maintenance behaviors such as less contact and flirtation as a means to not potentially ruin the platonic friendship (Guererro Chavez, 2005). These finding suggests strictly platonic and mutually romantic relationships do vary with romantic intent, and thus may not perceive one another as anything more than platonic friends. Reasons to Remain Platonic There are six motives as to why relationships should remain platonic. To safeguard the relationship, lack of or no attraction, network disapproval, third party, risk aversion and timeout. This order with safeguarding the relationship being most important implies that there is an intrinsic reason for relationships to remain purely platonic. The rewarding nature of the relationship may be seen as more rewarding than a relationship moving towards one that is romantic or sexual. For instance, a reward in a platonic relationship is the ability to share emotion and/ or gain support about external situations; the ability to disclose in the relationship. On the other hand, less rewarding factors may direct people to remain platonic as well. For example, one may feel that the friend in the relationship is not attractive, or one may not want to expose oneself to possible emotional instability (Messman, Canary, Hause, 2000). Thus, research suggests cross-sex platonic relationships may have str ong reasons for existing. Furthermore, all platonic friendships may not be sexually charged. The sexual challenge in cross-sex friendships, which refers to men and women being hardwired to be sexually attracted to one another, is said to only occur in a minority of cross-sex friendships. Furthermore, the sexual challenge may be linked to attraction of the spirit, rather than of the body. Thus, reinforcing that sexual challenges may not be accurately represented when referring to the sexual desire of men and women (Messman et al., 2000). Conclusion Flirtatious behavior and evolutionary theories strongly support the idea that there cannot be purely platonic relationships as indicated in the article. However, alternative research suggests platonic friendships may be possible; similar costs, subjective romantic intent, and reasons to remain reasons to remain platonic are evidence that friendships have some incentive to remain purely platonic. Although there is support for both sides, the underlying question is whether men and women together can have purely platonic friendships. Flirtatious behaviors as well as the evolutionary theories of biosocial and parental investment demonstrate that cross-sex platonic friendships are challenging. The majority of the information in the Why Men and Women Cant be Just Friends article does give credence to the majority of these findings. Although in light of these findings, the article seems to be narrow in its evaluation. The main point of the article contends that platonic relationships do not exist because of evolutionary reasoning based on reflexive and reflective drives (Lazarus, 2010). On the other hand, the article does not account for romantic intent, a significant part of relationships. The article assumes based on the first meeting of men and women that there are uncontrollable biological reactions which occur. Although these reactions tend to happen, the article should still account for the past and present status of the relationship, as well as each persons intent to whether or not they want a platonic or romantic friendship. Since the article fails to account for this romantic intent of a males and females, it therefore neglects the possibility of differences in perception; that is, how people view each other based on their past experience with that person (Messman et al., 2000). Moreover, long term platonic friendships vary in their romantic intent depending if maintenance behaviors are used. For instance, in a relationship that has always been platonic, both persons will use more maintenance behaviors to preserve their platonic friendship, in order to safeguard the friendship from moving towards romanticism. However, maintenance behaviors are also shown not to be useful. For instance, one of the people in the relationship may be denied a desired sexual progression (Guererro Chavez, 2005). Although there can be changes made to the article, the underlying argument is supported by the majority of research. Assuming a purely platonic relationship to be a cross-sex friendship where neither party has the thought of addressing a romantic relationship, or having desire for sexual activities; the existence of purely platonic relationships is slim. Platonic relationships engaging in flirtatious behavior carry a sexual connotation (Egland, et al., 1996). This implies that males and females even in platonic relationships may exhibit these reflexive and reflective drives. Furthermore, the differing parental investments for males and females bolster the sentiment regarding reflexive and reflective drives; this concerns why males invest less in their relationships while females invest more in their relationships (Li Kenrick, 2006; Tafoya, 2006). Additionally, the biosocial theory suggests evolutionary underpinnings consistent with reflexive and reflective behavior; these include se xual behavior in friends with benefits relationships and behaviors of rewards and costs. Therefore, the article and the preceding findings suggest that the existences of purely platonic cross-sex heterosexual relationships are unlikely.

Huck Finn Essays -- essays papers

Huck Finn I recently read the book Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. This story deals Mainly with a lost boy escaping his harsh existence, and a slave trying to reach freedom. During the course of this book, the slave Jim, and the Boy Huck Bond with each other. I enjoyed this book immensely for a couple different reasons. While I liked the story, and the plot kept me interested, the real reason I found myself enjoying this book so much, was Mark Twain’s use of the underlying theme of racism. In this story, I found myself admiring Huck’s innocent approach to slavery, and the treatment of slaves. Is Huck Finn a racist? Now this is a tough question. I would be tempted to say no. He always treats his run away slave-partner Jim equally. Never in this book once did he treat a black any different then he would have treated any white in the same situation. Whether or not Huck was intending to be racist, the fact still remains that he did not think of blacks as equal. In the time period Huck Finn was written white children grew up with the mentality that they were a higher social class then the blacks. . I think Huck was subconsciously racist, but too innocent to understand it’s meaning, or even come to a conclusion about whether slavery was right or wrong. All his life Huck had lived in an environment in which slavery and racism were perfectly normal. To him questioning the morality of slavery would be like us questioning whether it’s morally right to keep house pets. Huck acquired his racism from his parental figures. When Huck was living with the widow, she had slaves around. Huck became used to slaves tending to his needs. For a short period in the book, Huck went to live with his dad. His dad frequentl... ...s the Phelps. Huck was a racist throughout the book, but as he would say, he don’t mean nothn by it. I think Huck’s racism in this book was a pretty evident underlying theme. Throughout the book, Mark Twain portrayed Huck as a racist, yet kind to blacks. Huck’s innocence in this book allowed him to be kind to blacks and yet still look at whites in a superior way. Even at the end of the book when Huck decided that he was going to do what he thought was the wrong thing and free Jim, he never came to the conclusion that slavery and racism might be wrong, and he might be on the right track. Twain’s use of racism in a child as an underlying theme intrigued me. I believe in order to get a full idea of what I am talking about, you should read this book. I would highly recommend Huckleberry Finn to any college student looking for a good story with a lot of depth.

Online Education Essay

Education is an important part of people’s lives; it will either make them or break them in the future depending on the careers they choose. Education is greatly diverse today in comparison to the 1950s because of advancements in teaching and other great inventions that provide easier techniques of teaching. One major issue that has been raised is distant learning courses and online education. Distant learning could be any format from VHS videos, DVDs, or internet courses online. Online education has been legal since 1993 and is a new way of teaching students of all ages. Online education has been gaining popularity through out the years because of the ease of the internet. The internet has made it easier for people to stay connected and has provided people with unlimited resources on the World Wide Web. Many educators have mixed feelings about online educating because there are so many pros and cons to the issue. Mary Kassop, author of â€Å"Ten Ways Online Education Matches, or Surpasses, Face-to-Face Learning,† writes, â€Å"Can students learn as much and as well online as they do in F2F courses? Not only is the answer to these questions a resounding ? yes, ‘ but there are many ways that online courses may actually surpass traditional F2F classes in quality and rigor†(357). Kassop is a pro advocate of online education and she is correct on the issue because it can provide a good education to many people. Online courses provide a good teaching environment where the individual is on his or her own all in the comfort of their room. The convenience of online courses provide busy individuals a chance to get the equal amount of education as a student going to class and all that is needed to get started is a computer with internet access. One computer can open the gates to a whole new world of learning and excitement. To stimulate the experience there are many classes offered online by city and university colleges. Long Beach City College has a few to offer such as Psychology and Sociology which are equal to or even better then face to face classes. One example of a class that is better online rather than face to face is Sociology because they let the students observe human communication at public spaces without the teacher being there. The work that is done in the classes is also expected from someone who signs up for an online class. The online class materials are the same as the normal classes themselves, but the books used can be ordered from book stores online. Discussion on issues is done in chat rooms and forums where everybody writes their views on the issue. This is an advantage for foreigners who can not speak proper English correctly. Live video and sound can also be done with special equipment for a real time conversation with instructors and peers. Other features on the online courses are the learning aides that can be used while taking the course. Certain programs can be made such as flash cards and games which can increase the learning experience of the student. These learning aides can be done on the student’s time and does not require the teacher to be there. Time for a face to face class is very difficult if a person works 40 hours a week but an online course can put an ease on the time restriction because the person does the work at their own pace and time. It is also easier to sign up for an online class than a class at a college. Message boards are in use if the students need to leave a question or a comment about the subject their on. They also save time by not traveling to the college and trying to find a parking space. Rural areas where students have to travel a great distance to get to class can save time and money by doing online classes. For example, a child of a farmer can help the family out in the morning with the farming chores then go to an online class later on. Rural kids may also take additional educational classes online that their school does not provide. Children in the movie industry may also take online courses to keep up with their studies while on the road filming movies. Hillary Duff takes online course while she films. As the price of education continues to rise, the rate of students applying for online educational classes will continue to get greater. The price for a unit at Long Beach City College is $26 and the price per unit will continue to rise as long as there is a deficit in California’s budget. Online courses provide a cheaper alternative for schools that have a problem with their budget and actual classroom space. Teachers can also record themselves and the student can download the film if they miss the session. This gives a student the chance to catch up on a class session if he missed out on that day. In 2002, 12 of the 55 National Geographic Bees were homeschoolers meaning that courses than at home can provide a great teaching environment. Students do not have to put up with bad influences from regular schooling and help build their own identity without social pressures that traditional schooling may have. Some students may also earn their high school degree faster then their peers. While the pros are stated some cons are also involved with online classes such as the there is no real person to person interaction with an instructor. No face to face communication means there is no personal attention from an instructor. Some may also feel the accreditation from an online school is not the same as a real university classroom. Students do not get to feel the real situations of a traditional classroom or university causing them to be isolated or anti-social. There is no support from an instructor like a real class and everything is usually done by the student. Everything depends on his or her ability to understand the material and be ready for term papers and test. Some knowledge of computers is necessary if the student wants to be able to stay in the class as being computer illiterate is a big issue determining if the person will pass or fail because most of the work is done online. Many low-income students might be affected by the computer issue because desktops and laptops are expensive and many may not be able to afford such luxuries. Another problem is if a person always needs an extra push or reminder that a up coming report or test is coming because there is no instructor there to provide the push and it is all up to the student remind themselves. However, the cons stated above can also work to help the student become more responsive. The person to person interaction is not really needed because when they graduate some individuals will become office workers and they usually work in a cubical providing the same atmosphere that the online class provides. Also by the students doing everything by themselves in an online class they become more independent, teaching them that there is not always a person there to guide them in a problem, just like in life. As for the issue of the computer cost that some students can not afford they can use public resources to access the internet such as the library and so on. There are also loans, grants, and other forms of financial help they can get to provide them with the tools they need to get started in an online  class and with the computer training they must learn in an online class it can provide a leg up in the competitive job market. Online education could be the tool of the future to provide the young and the old with schooling and instruction. It provides a cheaper way of teaching while still giving the student the material necessary for the class. Students learn responsibility through online education and will give them a reason to work hard during the class. All in all online classes will help provide many students with the education they require.

Course Notes on Principles of Management

The Global Environment In the past, managers have viewed the global sector as closed. Each country or market was assumed to be isolated from others. Firms did not consider global competition, exports. Today’s environment is very different. Managers need to view it as an open market. Organizations buy and sell around the world. Managers need to learn to compete globally. Tariff Barriers A tariff is a barriers to trade. Tariffs are taxes levied upon imports. These seek to protect jobs in the home country. Other countries usually retaliate.Free trade: in a free trade agreement, each country seeks to specialize in things they make most efficiently. If India is more efficient in making textiles, and the USA in making computer software, then each country should focus on these. Distance & Culture Barriers The second leading cause of trade barriers. Distance closed the markets as far as some managers were concerned. Communications could be difficult. Languages and cultures were differ ent. During the last 50 years, communications and transportation technology has dramatically improved.Jet aircraft, fiber optics, satellites have provided fast, secure communications and transportation. These have also reduced cultural differences. Effects on Managers Declining barriers have opened great opportunities for managers. Managers can not only sell goods and services but also buy resources and components globally. Managers now face a more dynamic and exciting job due to global competition. Free Trade NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement. Abolishes most tariffs on goods traded between Mexico, Canada and the U. S. Allows unrestricted cross-border flows of resources.Many U. S. firms have now invested in Mexico. This is a manufacturing opportunity. Wage costs are lower in Mexico. Can serve Mexico with a plant in Mexico and reduce freight. Managers face new opportunities and threats. Global Task Environment Suppliers & Distributors Managers buy products from global suppli ers or make items abroad and supply themselves. Key is to keep quality high and costs low. Global outsourcing: firms buy inputs from throughout the world. GM might build engines in Mexico, transmissions in Korea, and seats in the U. S. Finished goods become global products.Distributors: each country often has a unique system of distribution. Managers must identify all the issues. Customers & Competitors Formerly distinct national markets are merging into a huge global market. True for both consumer and business goods. Creates large opportunities. Still, managers often must customize products to fit the culture. McDonald's sells a local soft drink in Brazil. Global competitors present new threats. Increases competition abroad as well as at home. Forces in the Global General Environment Political-Legal ForcesResults from diverse and changing nature of each countries’ political system. Representative democracies: such as the U. S. , Britain, Canada. Citizens elect leaders who ma ke decisions for electorate. Usually has a number of safeguards such as freedom of expression, a fair court system, regular elections, and limited terms for officials. Well defined legal system and economic freedom. Totalitarian regimes: a single political party or person monopolize power in a country. Typically do not recognize or permit opposition. Most safeguards found in a democracy do not exist.Examples include Iran, Iraq, and China. These are difficult to do business with given the lack of economic freedom. Further, human rights issues also cause managers to avoid dealing with these countries. Economic Systems Free market economy: production of goods and services is in private ownership. Production is dictated by supply and demand. Command economy: decisions on what to produce, how much, done by the government. Most command economies are moving away from the command economy. Mixed economy: certain economic sectors controlled by private business, others are government controlle d.Many mixed countries are moving toward a free enterprise system. Recent Trends Current shift away from totalitarian dictators toward democratic regimes. Very dramatic example seen in the collapse of the former Soviet Republic. Also very pronounced in Latin America and Africa. With this shift, has come a strong movement toward free market systems. This provides great opportunities to business managers on a global level. Many businesses are investing millions in former totalitarian countries to seize these opportunities. Changing Political and Economic Forces Sociocultural ForcesNational culture: includes the values, norms, knowledge, beliefs, and other practices that unite a country. Values: abstract ideas about what a society believes to be good, desirable and beautiful. Provides attitudes for democracy, truth, appropriate roles for men, and women. Usually not static but very slow to change. Norms: social rules prescribing behavior in a given situation. Folkways: routine social co nventions including dress codes and manners. Mores: Norms that are central to functioning of society. much more significant that folkways. More examples include theft, adultery, and are often enacted into law.Norms vary from country to country. Hofstede’s Model of National Culture Individualism v. Collectivism Individualism: world view that values individual freedom and self-expression. Usually has a strong belief in personal rights and need to be judged by achievements. Collectivism: world view that values the group over the individual. Widespread in Communism. Prevalent in Japan as well. Managers must understand how their workers relate to this issue. Power Distance A society’s acceptance of differences in the well being of citizens due to differences in heritage, and physical and intellectual capabilities.In high power distance societies, the gap between rich and poor gets very wide. In low power distance societies, any gap between rich and poor is reduced by taxati on and welfare programs. Most western cultures (U. S. , Germany, United Kingdom) have relatively low power distance and high individualism. Many economically poor countries such as Panama, Malaysia have high power distance and low individualism. Achievement vs Nurture Achievement oriented societies value assertiveness, performance, success. The society is results-oriented. Nurturing-oriented value quality of life, personal relationships, service.The U. S. and Japan are achievement-oriented while Sweden, Denmark are more nurturing-oriented. Uncertainty Avoidance Societies and people differ on their willingness to take on risk. Low uncertainty avoidance (U. S. , Hong Kong), value diversity, and tolerate differences. Tolerate a wide range of opinions and beliefs. High uncertainty avoidance (Japan and France) are more rigid and do not tolerate people acting differently. High conformity to norms is expected. Long Term Outlook Long-term outlook is based on values of saving, and persistenc e.Taiwan and Hong Kong are cultures that are long -term in outlook. Short-term outlook seeks the maintenance of personal stability or happiness right now. France and the U. S. are examples of this approach. International Expansion Importing and Exporting: the least complex method of expansion. Exporting: firm makes products and sells abroad. Importing: firm sells products made abroad. Licensing: firm allows foreign organization to make and distribute goods for a fee. Helps the home firm since it does not have to set up a complete production and distribution network.Franchising: company sells a foreign organization the rights to use brand name and know-how in return for payment and profit percentage. International Options Strategic Alliances: managers pool resources with a foreign firm and both organizations share the rewards and risks. Allows firm to maintain control which is a problem with exporting, licensing, and franchising. Wholly-owned foreign subsidiary: firm invests in produ ction operations in a foreign country. Many Japanese auto firms have done this in the U. S. This is very expensive but can yield high returns. International Expansion

Free Essays on Singapore

Republic of Singapore History The Republic of Singapore was under British control from the early 1800’s until Britain made Singapore a separate crown colony in 1946. In 1959 Singapore had it’s own government, but Britain still responsible for it’s defense and foreign affairs. Singapore joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, which included Malaya, and the Borneo territories of Sabah, and Sarawak. This relationship between the members of he federation and Singapore soon dissolved due to political and economic differences with the rest of Malaysia. In turn Singapore withdrew from the federation and became a sovereign, democratic and independent nation. Independent Singapore was admitted into the United Nations on September 21, 1965. Singapore became a republic on December 22, 1965, with Yusof Bin Ishak as the republics first president. In 1967 the British government decided to withdraw its armed forces from Singapore by 1971. Singapore set out to build it’s own defense forces. The Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute was established in 1966 and compulsory national service was introduced in 1967. A Singapore Air Defense Command and a Singapore Maritime Command were set up in 1969. In August 1967, Singapore joined Indonesia, Malaysia, the Phili ppines and Thailand to form the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. With The Republics new independence there were new challenges. Singapore had to figure out how not only to survive, but also how to prosper on it’s own. What Singapore planned to do was take advantage of its strategic location and the favorable world economy. The new government set forth a plan for massive industrialization. In 1968 the Economic Development Board was developed. In 1970 the Monetary Authority of Singapore was established to formulate and implement Singapore’s monetary policies. These polices are very favorable to the financial industries such as Fleet’s. The Republic of Singapore is politi... Free Essays on Singapore Free Essays on Singapore Republic of Singapore History The Republic of Singapore was under British control from the early 1800’s until Britain made Singapore a separate crown colony in 1946. In 1959 Singapore had it’s own government, but Britain still responsible for it’s defense and foreign affairs. Singapore joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, which included Malaya, and the Borneo territories of Sabah, and Sarawak. This relationship between the members of he federation and Singapore soon dissolved due to political and economic differences with the rest of Malaysia. In turn Singapore withdrew from the federation and became a sovereign, democratic and independent nation. Independent Singapore was admitted into the United Nations on September 21, 1965. Singapore became a republic on December 22, 1965, with Yusof Bin Ishak as the republics first president. In 1967 the British government decided to withdraw its armed forces from Singapore by 1971. Singapore set out to build it’s own defense forces. The Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute was established in 1966 and compulsory national service was introduced in 1967. A Singapore Air Defense Command and a Singapore Maritime Command were set up in 1969. In August 1967, Singapore joined Indonesia, Malaysia, the Phili ppines and Thailand to form the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. With The Republics new independence there were new challenges. Singapore had to figure out how not only to survive, but also how to prosper on it’s own. What Singapore planned to do was take advantage of its strategic location and the favorable world economy. The new government set forth a plan for massive industrialization. In 1968 the Economic Development Board was developed. In 1970 the Monetary Authority of Singapore was established to formulate and implement Singapore’s monetary policies. These polices are very favorable to the financial industries such as Fleet’s. The Republic of Singapore is politi... Free Essays on Singapore As you may well know, Singapore is a social-democratic country. What this worked out to in terms of the economy would be a strong hand from the Government in terms of economic direction, infrastructural support and even participation in commerce and trade, but the spirit of free economy is still dominant. In practice, there had been instances of over-zealous managers exceeding the bounds of their responsibilities and giving rise to complains of government intervention or monopoly of certain sectors in the private sector. Such complaints are being reduced as both sides come to understand their symbiotic relationship and focus on their own activities. Let's look first at the role of the Government and then our role in the private sector THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT Economic and trade policies in Singapore are managed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). It may be unknown to many in Singapore that MTI do more than just set trade and economic policies. It is an active participant in ensuring the economic competitiveness and business continuity of Singapore. We hope the following statements, taken from the home pages of MTI, would provide a better picture of the role of MTI and, through her various agencies, a better understanding of how MTI is assisting local businessmen get a bite of the world economy. Vision : for Singapore to become an advanced and globally competitive knowledge economy within the next decade, with manufacturing and services as its twin engines of growth. Management : Economic management is undertaken at the macro level to identify problems or opportunities, and to set broad growth directions and strategies....

Health Promotion among Diverse Populations Essay Essays

Health Promotion among Diverse Populations Essay Essays Health Promotion among Diverse Populations Essay Essay Health Promotion among Diverse Populations Essay Essay In discoursing wellness publicity among diverse populations. this writer has selected the Latino population to demo wellness position in respects to the national norm. Harmonizing to the U. S. Census Bureau. as of July 2013. their estimation is that there are around 54 million Hispanics that live in the United States. This represents 17 % of the entire U. S. population which makes them the largest cultural minority. It is estimated that by 2060. they will turn to around 128. 8 million ( 31 % ) of the U. S. population. Harmonizing to the U. S. Census Bureau in 2012. the Latino population of which 23 % were in either simple or high school ; and merely 6. 8 % were in college. Besides. merely about 29. 1 % lacked wellness insurance. Spanish americans were 43 % more likely non to hold wellness coverage than that of 13 % of non-Hispanics who lacked wellness coverage. Harmonizing to the CDC ( Center of Disease Control ) . when measuring the wellness position that this group perceived themselves by 10. 3 % of being in carnival or hapless wellness. Mortality rates were hard to compare as the coverage on the cultural group was non ever set on the decease certification. However. the decease rate from Diabetes is 40. 5 per 100. 000 for Blacks. which is dual that for the white population which 19. 9 is. The rate for Hispanics is 27. 7. Health Disparities/ Barriers Harmonizing to the CDC. wellness disparities are spreads in wellness results or determiners between sections of the population. â€Å"Many wellness disparities are related to societal determiners of wellness. the conditions in which people are born. turn. unrecorded. work and age. Designation and consciousness of differences among populations sing wellness determiners and wellness results are indispensable stairss toward cut downing wellness disparities. † ( CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report-U. S. . 2013 ) . We need to be cognizant of the disparities of our patient population in order to be able to supply the instruction and resources needed to better wellness publicity and bar for them. Some of the disparities among the Latino population are instruction. cost. linguistic communication. and bar. In respects to instruction. a larger per centum that of non-Hispanics did non complete high school and hence many are unable to read and compose adequately to acquire the information that they need. Besides. a high per centum don’t speak English and they are unable to pass on with wellness givers. particularly if there is no 1 to interpret. Since a big per centum has non graduated from high school. they are in low income a occupation which puts them in less than the federal poorness degree. and are more likely to be in bad places. Besides. Spanish americans are more likely to be unemployed as compared to non-Hispanics. Due to their low-income. Hispanics are less likely to seek medical attending because of cost. They will supply medical attention for their kids foremost and themselves last. Many usage place redresss handed down through the coevalss. With respects to blood force per unit area control. which could be regulated in a clinic visit. merely a little per centum had blood force per unit area control as compared to non-Hispanics. Barriers to these disparities need to be assessed and intercessions need to be developed and implemented to better wellness for these populations. Some of the barriers noted were linguistic communication. income. educational degree and cultural beliefs. There are interlingual rendition tools ( phones. transcribers ) available ; we merely necessitate to use what is available. By using these tools. persons will be more likely to travel to the physician. since they will be able to understand the information given. However. we as wellness suppliers need to be non-judgmental and accepting of these persons. Financial concerns are a large portion. most province that they can non afford interventions. medicines. supplies. and dietetic alterations. This is due in portion that most are below poorness degree. By measuring their demands. so researching what plans are available for them. There are medicine aid plans available. some from the infirmaries and some from the pharmaceutical companies. Many pharmaceuticss now have $ 5 and 10 $ medicines for 30 to 90 yearss. This can be a major aid. Transportation system can besides be a barrier ; if they don’t have a manner to acquire to assignments so they don’t acquire the appropriate followup. Puting up clinics in the community is a manner to increase patients doing it to assignments. Besides. in some communities. public transit coachs will travel and pick up patients from their place and take them for assignments and convey them back place. Education is another barrier. with most non completing high school. they are non able to read and compose good or non at all. or non in English. When developing an educational plan for these persons. we need to take into history how they learn and what types of media do we necessitate to utilize. Approachs to Health Promotion There are three attacks to wellness promotion/ bar: primary. secondary and third. Primary is considered wellness publicity and specific ways to forestall unwellness such as immunisations. Secondary is describes as early diagnosing and intervention. And third is focused on reconstructing wellness and rehabilitation if needed. While primary would be good. this writer believes that the focal point should be on secondary bar. Supplying testing activities such as wellness carnivals. for these persons can and will take to early diagnosing. We need to guarantee that the Latino population are respected and supply them with the tools needed to advance health. Due to high cost of wellness attention and with many non holding insurance. most wait till they need to travel to the exigency room for attention. This pattern most likely leads to placing unwellness at a ulterior phase and therefore necessitating more intense therapy to obtain degree of health. In decision. there needs to be trust established partnership in the attention between patient. household and wellness attention suppliers. Besides. disparities need to be taken off or at least reduced to be able to supply the best preventable and early attention as possible to all. Mentions Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Office of Minority Health and Health Equity. November 26. 2014. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol ; //www. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. gov/minorityhealth/index. hypertext markup language Centers for Disease Control/National Center for Health Statistics: July 14. 2014. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. gov/nchs/fastats/hispanic-health. htm Centers for Disease Control 24/7: Salvaging Lifes. protecting people. October 28. 2014. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. gov/minorityhealth/populations/REMP/hhispanic. html Summary Health Statistics for the U. S. Population: National Health Interview Survey. 2012. Critical Health Statistics. Series 10. Number 259. December 2013 Center for Disease Control: Health Disparities and Inequalities Report- U. S. 2013. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Cen ter for Disease Control and Prevention. gov/minorityhealth/CHDIReport. html Edelman. Kudzman and Mandle ; Health Promotion throughout the Life Span. edition 8. 2014. Chapter 1.

How Fluoride Works to Prevent Tooth Decay

How Fluoride Works to Prevent Tooth Decay Fluoride is the fluorine ion added to toothpaste and dental rinses to help protect your teeth from cavities. While increasing the concentration of systemic fluoride (e.g., through fluoridating drinking water) has not been proven to reduce the incidence of tooth decay, direct contact between fluoride and teeth strengthens and helps remineralize damaged enamel. The Chemistry Behind Dental Health The calcium and phosphate compound which makes up tooth enamel is a modified form of hydroxyapatite, which is susceptible to attack by acids. Bacteria that thrive on the sugars found in the mouth multiply on dental surfaces and produce acids. Mechanical brushing of teeth dislodges these bacteria and rinses them away, but doesnt do anything to address the ongoing damage to enamel from acid exposure. Fortunately, saliva neutralizes these acids and teeth use compounds found in saliva to remineralize the enamel. So, as long as the rate of demineralization and the rate of remineralization remain in balance, teeth remain strong and healthy. When more minerals are lost from teeth than are replaced, dental caries or cavities form. Fluoride helps by interacting with hydroxyapatite to form a stronger compound that is less susceptible to acid attack. Also, fluoride remineralizes damaged enamel (though it cant fix a cavity once one has formed). There is some evidence fluoride may inhibit the growth of bacteria on teeth or limit their capacity for producing acid. Even though you spit out toothpaste and probably rinse your mouth, enough fluoride remains on your teeth and in your saliva to confer protection for a while after brushing your teeth or using a fluoridated rinse.

Should the United States open its doors to more (or fewer) immigrants Essay

Should the United States open its doors to more (or fewer) immigrants - Essay Example This is where all people aspire to live in and make a living. It is through such thoughts of making it big in the United States that lead to many people trying to relocate there. However, their means of getting into the country might not be through the right or legal channels. They, thus, end up being caught by immigration officials because of trying to sneak into the country. Deportation is followed immediately they are found out with nothing and sometimes, they might serve a jail sentence. The United States should not open its doors to immigrants and the reasons for this are clearly discussed by reviewing the effects of allowing a lot of immigrants into the country. The flooding of immigrants into American soil has had very many effects. There are positive, but there are also negative effects. Those in favour of America closing down its borders to immigrants argue that the negative things outweigh the positive. This school of thought could be true. The attitude that has brought this on cannot be blamed entirely on stereotyping among those against it. It is a known fact that the different cultures that cross the border into American soil bring a difference into the land (Bromwell, p. 32). This difference most of the times is not always positive. An example is the Muslim religion. This religion does not go down well with some of the American people. The religion is usually affiliated with violence. Protests and demonstrations have been carried out to ensure the religion does not spread more than it already has. Over the past decade, Americans have allowed immigrants to be citizens of their country. This means that more and more of the original inhabitants of the land are growing extinct with each passing year. This should not be the case. Native Americans, the original inhabitants of America, are being considered immigrants (Bromwell, p. 45). This is due to their small number and dying culture. Once again, the factor

English - Police Brutality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English - Police Brutality - Essay Example Sometimes this use of force is morally and ethically wrong and turns out to be followed along the lines of misuse of power. This paper is thus a discussion on the insight of how police force and brutality should be countered in certain situations; how the same has its pros as well as cons and how such physical as well as mental intimidation might or might not be suggested as the action to carry out in most cases. The very first occurrence of police force took place in the year 1893 and was reported in the New York Times as a police officer had badly beaten up a civilian man because of some issue. Since officers have the power to use force according to the legal structure of most countries and thus they feel obliged and completely within the line when they carry out actions like dealing too harshly or beating up people if they do not obey the law. However, the question lies in whether or not this should be carried out. In some cases, it seems important to carry out police force and br utality in order to correct a mob or groups of people because there are many those do not understand what doing the right thing means. Many a times, it may so happen that people anger other people and it turns out to be a complete brawl. â€Å"Of course, police officers and civilians are not similarly situated: Officers act with state authority, they are often not permitted to retreat, and they are trained and expected to use force. These differences affect how the concepts of imminence, necessity, and proportionality that comprise the justification standard should be applied to police uses of force and these differences are not incidental. Instead they reveal the deep structure policing. Police officers use force as an authorized form of state coercion, but they do so intense and often emotionally charged interpersonal encounters.† (Harmon, Rachel A.) Even though it is sometimes alright for the police to use force and try to assert their authority in some situations, it is n ot morally alright for them to do so. In some cases around the world there are groups of police that harass people in order to meet their sadistic wishes and achieve a sense of pleasure in doing so. There are many groups of police that try to keep people in check by using some amount of force. The force used is mostly always proportionate to the kind of mischief or nuisance that the civilian has created. In many cases, there are a number of people who disobey rules of traffic, and other public conduct and thus need to be put in their place. There are many people that do such things on purpose and hamper the lives of others in the process. In such cases, the police has a duty to intervene and take corrective measures even if it involves the use of force because here it is necessary to do so. However, there are many times when people do not deserve the kind of force that the police provide to them. This might even happen without people offending the police or having an intention to ca use nuisance. Some police have a habit of overusing or abusing their powers and authority which is not allowed. Most of the times, this even goes unheard because they are let off the hook easily and do not get punished for any miscreant work that they might create. For example, the Davis family faced such an issue when the boys of the family soon reported that the police were harassing them because of their skin color being black. In their neighbourhood,

Invitro Fertilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Invitro Fertilization - Essay Example There is no other life experience matching the birth of a baby in importance and significance. It is usually a devastating experience when couples wishing to start a family realize that they have to contend with fertility problems. For many such couples, in vitro fertilization has been a preferred solution as it gives them hopes of having their own child (Anderson, Haimovici, Ginsburg, Schust &Wayne, 2007). The first in vitro procedure that was successful was carried out in 1977 and thousands of happy and healthy children have been born each year since then. Infertility is a couples’ inability to have a kid or become pregnant with regardless of the cause after the duration of one year of having unprotected sex using no birth control methods. Infertility affects about six million people in the United States of America which accumulates to about ten percent of men and women of reproductive age. New and advanced technologies that help women become pregnant are in vitro fertilization (IVF), gamete intrafallopian transfer, zygote intrafallopian transfer, subzonal sperm injection, partial zona dissection, embryo cryopreservation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection among others. Assisted reproductive technology is generally accepted treatment for infertile women suffering from endometriosis. Presence of an ovarian endometrial cyst works towards the reduction of the quality of oocytes. The surgical resection of endometrioma reduces the ovarian reserve for ovarian stimulation by exogenous gonadotropins. In vitro fertilization is a process whereby the ova is removed from a woman’s body, fertilized in the laboratory with her partner’s sperm and returned to her uterus with hopes of fostering pregnancy. Some practitioners use in vitro fertility combined with pre implantation genetic diagnosis as a treatment for recurring

CASE STUDY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

CASE STUDY - Essay Example Also the travelling law states that the client should provide healthy and security details to the tour operator. In our case the client provided information about the vegan daughter which was not acknowledged by the tour operator. The client can use this information as another obligation not met by the tour operator hence making their case stronger. The tour operators have an indefinite liability regarding the health and safety of their travelers. The Goforit did not make arrangements of the required food sources, thus not meeting the health requirements for their guests. Also the tarnished picture of the tennis court and the resort put forward security issues for the guests too. The client can hence use these offenses as claims against their case for the Goforit. I have studied your case in detail and have assimilated all the information that you have provided to me. This strength of this case from your point of view is high because most of the points go in your favor. As a legal advisor I would like to mention the legal points that you can use regarding your claim against the tour operator Goforit. The laws and regulations regarding the travel and tour operators and packages have been regularly monitored and updated by the law makers. This law fully covers the travelers and tourists and has many clause to protect them from the fraudulent practices of the tour operators. Firstly, your need to ask for the license and registration of your tour operator, there have been cases where people were trapped in the ‘too good to be true’ travel packages of unlicensed tour operators. After that, Goforit can be sued for the promises they made but did not honor them. In this case our case is very strong because of the brochure provided by the operator. We have concrete evidence regarding the promises they made but failed to deliver them. The travel packages law clearly states that the tour operators are responsible for the safety and health of their

Philosophy Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Philosophy Research Paper - Essay Example It is also grand and gives one the feel of timelessness and awe. Could this feel of awe have something to do with the design of the building It inspires the passer by with a certain longing to enter and take a look inside. But the building has a larger purpose. It fulfils this purpose by accommodating people, furniture and machines. Moreover, it graces the environment with its aesthetic presence. It seeks to be pleasing to the eye. The BMW building is primarily a piece of art because it has been made with some aesthetics. The building has elegance and grace. Apart from fulfilling its accommodating role, it also fulfills another role as an object that satisfies. It has a shape and form that appears pleasing to the person who sees it. And when the person who sees it and enters it, he finds satisfaction in the building's interior as much as he has found satisfaction in the building's exterior when he observed it from the outside. The BMW structure is also a piece of art for the simple reason that it is stately and robust. It is built with the long term view of withstanding the vagaries of nature to the maximum scale. Perhaps it may not be able to withstand an intensive earthquake. Or it may be able to withstand an intensive earthquake, if it is so designed. Nonetheless, the building is made to last for a significant period of time. Perhaps it is made to last for over 40 or 50 years. ... Perhaps it is made to last for over 40 or 50 years. However, this is a difficult proposition in the present times where buildings are routinely demolished to erect bigger and better ones. The idea is to commercially exploit demand with additional space and attractiveness. The building must look beautiful in order to attract money and enterprises. The building's attraction The BMW monolith is primarily made with a certain objective. It may, perhaps, appear beautiful to one person. But it may not appear beautiful to another. To some people, no matter how elegant, this building is just a piece of block! Hence, we may rather say that the building is sublime. It exudes force. It is made to be primarily strong and robust. However, does this building appeal to the imagination Impressive as it is, maybe there is someone who does not take this building to heart! An object of beauty appeals immediately to the imagination. It does need a reason for an object to appear beautiful. An object of beauty is judged by the sensory faculties of the beholder. A building, by and large, does not make such a fast and conclusive appeal. It may win attention or respect owing to its outward attraction and form. However, beauty is another dimension! Beauty wins immediate attention of the beholder. An object of beauty strikes the beholder at once in depth without any reason. In the case of a building, it may or may not strike the beholder with the same inexplicable suddenness. That is why the BMW building could not be termed as beautiful (Immanuel Kant). The purpose of the building This building has been designed for a specific purpose. It was designed so as to herald its attractive and elegant position. It was designed to abide with the natural

China's Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

China's Market - Essay Example Foreign companies on the other hand feel insecure in Chinese government expectations because they will be forced to bargain away business secrets and intelligence in exchange for sales which may not be wise in the long term. The question this paper seeks to answer is whether foreign companies in china should risk loss of sales by refusing to transfer knowledge or just go along with the Chinese government terms and conditions? These global companies should flatly refuse to move production to China considering that it is a communist country and the risks involved. It is very unfair for the Chinese government to subject these global companies to rules such as for them to make sales in china; they have to relocate production in China considering the fact that they have not lacked the resources back in their countries. The Chinese companies want to learn modern management skills and acquire technology from these non-Chinese companies. This is taking advantage of these non-Chinese companies just because China offers an attractive market in terms of size and growth rate. The global companies should instead try to penetrate the Chinese market in another dimension. Through aggressive marketing can overcome this bottleneck that China presents to the global companies. (Krott & Williamsson , 2003). The shift in production to the China benefits China more because it creates employment to its people and at the same time they acquire the vital skills especially in technology. This is a great danger to the mother companies because there is the risk of rival companies acquiring this technology. At the same time you cannot ignore the lucrative market that China is offering. Moreover, the manpower in China is so cheap, thus saving the global companies a lot of money in production and operation costs. (Krott & Williamsson , 2003) The fact that there is a ready market for these companies in China is quite irresistible. Additionally, China can be a central distributing point

Philosophy Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Philosophy Research Paper - Essay Example It is also grand and gives one the feel of timelessness and awe. Could this feel of awe have something to do with the design of the building It inspires the passer by with a certain longing to enter and take a look inside. But the building has a larger purpose. It fulfils this purpose by accommodating people, furniture and machines. Moreover, it graces the environment with its aesthetic presence. It seeks to be pleasing to the eye. The BMW building is primarily a piece of art because it has been made with some aesthetics. The building has elegance and grace. Apart from fulfilling its accommodating role, it also fulfills another role as an object that satisfies. It has a shape and form that appears pleasing to the person who sees it. And when the person who sees it and enters it, he finds satisfaction in the building's interior as much as he has found satisfaction in the building's exterior when he observed it from the outside. The BMW structure is also a piece of art for the simple reason that it is stately and robust. It is built with the long term view of withstanding the vagaries of nature to the maximum scale. Perhaps it may not be able to withstand an intensive earthquake. Or it may be able to withstand an intensive earthquake, if it is so designed. Nonetheless, the building is made to last for a significant period of time. Perhaps it is made to last for over 40 or 50 years. ... Perhaps it is made to last for over 40 or 50 years. However, this is a difficult proposition in the present times where buildings are routinely demolished to erect bigger and better ones. The idea is to commercially exploit demand with additional space and attractiveness. The building must look beautiful in order to attract money and enterprises. The building's attraction The BMW monolith is primarily made with a certain objective. It may, perhaps, appear beautiful to one person. But it may not appear beautiful to another. To some people, no matter how elegant, this building is just a piece of block! Hence, we may rather say that the building is sublime. It exudes force. It is made to be primarily strong and robust. However, does this building appeal to the imagination Impressive as it is, maybe there is someone who does not take this building to heart! An object of beauty appeals immediately to the imagination. It does need a reason for an object to appear beautiful. An object of beauty is judged by the sensory faculties of the beholder. A building, by and large, does not make such a fast and conclusive appeal. It may win attention or respect owing to its outward attraction and form. However, beauty is another dimension! Beauty wins immediate attention of the beholder. An object of beauty strikes the beholder at once in depth without any reason. In the case of a building, it may or may not strike the beholder with the same inexplicable suddenness. That is why the BMW building could not be termed as beautiful (Immanuel Kant). The purpose of the building This building has been designed for a specific purpose. It was designed so as to herald its attractive and elegant position. It was designed to abide with the natural

Twentieth-century Marxism. Georg Lukcs and the problem of Essay

Twentieth-century Marxism. Georg Lukcs and the problem of consciousness - Essay Example Georg Lukacs stands as a dominant figure in twentieth-century Marxism. The publication of his  History and Class Consciousness  and Karl Korsch  Marxism and Philosophy  in 1923 marked the first serious efforts to rethink Marxism Both Lukacs and Korsch were responding to the inability of the orthodox viewpoint to account for either the unexpected survival of the Russian Revolution or the progressive dissolution of revolutionary working-class movements in Europe. Their efforts led them to examine the origins of Marx's thought and to revitalize and reemphasize aspects of his work which had previously been underplayed or ignored. Their work gave rise to what later would be labeled "Western Marxism." This variant of Marxist thought is characterized by its interest in the early Marx and in the philosophical (especially Hegelian) roots of Marxism; by its focus on Marx as opposed to Engels; and by its stress on consciousness, culture, and subjectivity science, economics, and nature. It is within Western Marxism, of course, that Critical Theory is situated. And Lukacs's work would particularly influence the critical theorists. Lukacs is also a controversial figure in twentieth-century Marxism. The contributions and contradictions of his work, as well as his reassessments and repudiations of it, have been the subject of a great deal of debate and discussion.19  My interest here, however, is not in his work as a whole, but rather in his treatment of the proletariat as the revolutionary subject. His effort to address the issue of the proletariat's self-conscious agency effectively created more problems than it solved. At the same time that he insisted upon the identification of the proletariat as the revolutionary subject, he detailed the socioeconomic conditions that precluded its ability to fulfill its world-historical mission. It is the development of this dilemma in Lukacs's work that interests us here. In  History and Class Consciousness, Lukacs speaks of the proletariat as the "identical subject-object," "the subject of action," "the 'we' of the genesis." Although he would later label his treatment of the proletariat as an "attempt to -17- Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning.  www.questia.com   Publication Information:  Book Title: Critical Theory and Political Possibilities: Conceptions of Emancipatory Politics in the Works of Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse, and Habermas. Contributors: Joan Alway - author. Publisher: Greenwood Press. Place of Publication: Westport, CT. Publication Year: 1995. Page Number: 17. out-Hegel Hegel,"  20  he held firm to his conviction that the proletariat was the historical subject whose actions would bring about the revolution. Lukacs followed Marx in believing that it was the position of the proletariat in the capitalist mode of production that conferred upon it its unique status. Within a system based on the production and exchange of commodities, workers were both commodities and the pro ducers of commodities. The fact that they, and they alone, were in a position to recognize themselves as both the subject and the object of the production process, and thus of the historical process, meant that the proletariat was capable of gaining unique insight into historical truth. For Lukacs the proletariat is the first truly universal class: for the first time in history, there existed a class whose self-understanding was the understanding of society as a whole, whose fate was the fate of society as a whole. In the proletariat subjective awareness and objective knowledge coincided. Lukacs insists that subjective awareness is not an automatic consequence of objective position. He argues that while objective position and conditions "give the proletariat the opportunity and the necessity to change society," social transformation will result only from their "free" action.  21  And this free action will be a function of the prolet

Porters Five Analysis: Advantages and Disadvantages

Porters Five Analysis: Advantages and Disadvantages Usefulness of the strategic models Why are models commonly used in strategic management what model are, provides, usefulness, strategy making, Strategy Johnson et al. (2005, p. 9): Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term which achieve advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectation. Uvod Strategic decisions are long term decision based on scope of companys activities made in order to obtain advantage over competition. Johnson et al (2005, p. 10) says that such decision have certain characteristics. They are complex in nature, are made in condition of uncertainty. These decisions have impact on operation decisions. They require integrated approach from managers to deal with strategic problems. Strategic decisions which are made without previous analysis but as some kind of individual notions or wishful thinking are consider to be vulnerable issue. Identifying the root of strategic analysis is difficult. It does not provide us with prescription of what strategy to implement. Companys strategic decisions are too complex for programming. Thus, author says that helping to understand issues is the aim of strategic analysis not to give answers. Model is the framework for recognizing, understanding and categorising factors applicable to strategic decisions (Grant, 2008, p. 27). Models were developed in order to solve usual problems and challenges in business. The general advantage of model is that they smooth differences between abstraction and real practise. They pose a new way of seeing a particular situation and resolving this situation. The common use of the model can be explained by their characteristic. They are projected to solve exact problems and increase efficiency. On the other hand no model can secure that by their implication solving the problem will be hundred percents successful. They are just framework which gives understanding and options for making right decision and diminish uncertainties (Assen et al, 2009). Theories, analytical tools were not made in order to replace inventiveness or experience. Their significance lies in managing discussion, processing information and opinions and supporting communication and agreements. Managers are more confident and effective in reacting on new circumstances and issues as they use models (Grant, 2008, p. 27). There are many models in strategic management which were developed on different bases in order to solve different needs. Every model focuses on various factors some are made to look at eternal surrounding of businesses as industry and market. Some models analyse inner capabilities or structure of organisation. Company chooses the models according its specific needs and what problem wants to solve. If the organisation wants to analyse its external environment it can use PESTE analysis. Industry analysis enables managers to understand how external issues influence companys performance and operations. When managers want to look better on companys product range in order to take right step to the future it can use the Boston Matrix for it. This model helps company in situation as decision making about investments to products portfolio. It guides the company what steps to take if the product is in particular stage e.g. if it star company should keep it and invest to its promotion (Keler-Si lver, 1997, p. 40). In the case of core competencies model it is advised that company should switch from portfolio planning and evaluation of individual businesses to exploring the collective capacity the whole company has. The model encourages company to stop doing activities which are not its core competencies. The confirmatory activities can be e.g. outsourced. By using this model an organisation can identify and improve the cross-company competencies. Thus it can bring new opportunities for success in the market (Keler-Silver, 1997, p. 50). Scenario planning is strategy model based on exposing various possibilities which might happen in the future. Thus it represents a context in which managers can make decisions. As they can see a scope of possibilities they are better informed and decision are more likely to be successful. The scenario planning is mostly used for understanding the dynamics of environment, identifying new openings, evaluating strategic alternatives and for taking long-term decisions. Managers can discover and consider the unsure aspects of future (Assen et al, 2009). One of the models which consider the root of competitive advantage in business is the Kays distinctive capabilities model. The model presents resource-based theory and sees a company as set of asses and capabilities. The model helps to identify distinctive capabilities which are the core of companys success. This model provides a useful tool when company make decision about redefining its strategy. It is used to widen awareness of the sources which made company competitive and to sustain these sources (Assen et al, 2009, p. 30). On the other hand Kare-Silver (1997) argues that the competitive environment has changed and the models are insufficient and shortcoming todays management. He says most of them are too theoretical, superficial and confusing and they are not enough helpful in todays environment. Further he gives the seventh criteria according to which models should be developed to meet current needs. The criteria are reflecting the business realities, starting with customers, rooted and immersed in market understanding, practical, specific, encouraging a long-term view and measurable. Author adds that it is crucial for organisation in current changing conditions to rediscover and redefine its strategy. Organisation needs to know direction in which to go and relying on strategy model is not a response. In conclusion we can say that decision making process is very challenging and requires complex view. Model provide useful tool for simplifying and mainly for making it more effective. However they do not ensure the real effect will be same. Description of Porters Five Forces Model of Competitive Strategy Formulating competitive strategy necessarily needs to analyse the company within its environment. The model is based on analysis of companys external environment. However the relevant environment is wide, the model is focus on organisations surrounding as industry in which it operates. Industry structure has powerful impact on competitive direction thus it is inevitable to analyse it. Five basic competitive forces determine the competition in an industry. The strength of the forces is to drive profit in industry in way of long term return on invested capital (Porter, 1980 p.3, 4). Next Porter says: The goal of competitive strategy for a business unit in an industry is to find a position where it can best defend itself against these competitive forces or can influence them in its flavour. Johnson et al. (2005, p. 78) refer to five forces as sources of competition which evaluate the attractiveness of industry. Authors give several points which company should take into account when using this model. When organisation has varied activities the framework needs to be used at the level of strategic business unit as for each of unit can be the impact of forces different. Next, it is inevitable to understand relations between five forces as well as macro-environment factors. As forces are not separate changes within one force influence other forces. It is a dynamic process of shifting source of competition. According to Luffman et al. (1996) the power of Industry competitor is consider to be the most important force of the model. Industry is in permanent change as every firm wants to success and it looks for opportunities to achieve it. Obviously, not all decisions lead to getting advantages some remain failure. There are many issues which influence the competition between companies as size of the company, industry structure and concentration, product differentiation and variety of rivals. Competitive rivalry is also determined by numbers and qualities of competitors. In situation of many companies in the industry which sell nearly equal product, the firm has a low level of power. Conversely if companys product is unique, it is an enormous strength (Kilde, 2005). Buyer power poses the rate of influences of costumer on pushing price down. The size or number and concentration of buyers are the most significant determinants of buyer power. Other factors include the level of information or differentiation of competitors (Karagianno et al, 2005). There are situation in which buyer power tent to grow as a low switching cost for buyer to move to another seller, when the product is not differentiated or product failure to perform its primary function. In case of trading with small number of strong buyers they tend to dictate conditions to sellers (Luffman et al, 1996). The extent to which supplier drive price up, is reflected in Supplier power. The numbers of input suppliers, product specificity or switching cost determine supplier strength. When company has few suppliers or choice of suppliers is narrow, the supplier power is high. Question here is how easy company can change its suppliers. Grant (2005, p. 83) says that suppliers of raw materials or components are mostly small companies so their bargaining power is low while suppliers of commodities enhance their power through cartelization. Same it is with labour union. If there is a high percentage of a unionised employee within an industry their supplier power is high and companys profitability is lowered. Substitutes are alternatives of product so they decrease demand for product. According to the value they give to consumer their power can be higher or lover. Johnson et al. (2005, p. 78) indicate these forms of substitution; product-for-product substitution, substitution of need when new product or service make previous unneeded and generic substitution means that product competes among others for consumer income to be spent on it. It reduces companys power when its product can be easily substituted. An attractive industry tempts other companies to enter. Threat of new entry represents the capability of new companies to enter and be able to compete in industry. The process of entering is easier for new companies and consequently it becomes a greater threat for existing companies when there are no economies of scale, industry is not capital intensive, access to distribution channels is open or there is a little protection of technology. On the other hand when there are strong barriers existing companies can keep their position. Difference between new entrants and substitutes is that new entrants when successfully enter industry will offer nearly same product. Thus, it is a bigger threat to company (Luffman et al, 1996). Thompson et al (2007, p.54) describe the way of using the model for identifying the essence and strength of competitive pressures within an industry. They divided it into three steps. The first step is to recognise particular competitive strengths related to every force from the model. Secondly, evaluation of the pressures takes place. It is essential to find out how strong they are i.e. strong, moderate, and weak. The last step is to decide the contribution of strengths on achieving profits. Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of the model Porter (2008, p.80) says this importance of the model: Understanding the competitive forces and their underlying causes reveals the roots of an industrys current profitability while providing a framework for anticipating and influencing competition over time. He adds that effective strategic positioning can not be made without knowing industry structures. To avoid a subjective position for evaluation of the model we look at other authors views. The most significant strength of Michael Porter Five Forces model is that it remains best known and commonly used model in strategic management even after twenty years of it introduction. The simplicity is also consider to be a strength of the Five Forces model as it is easy to use and provides understandable way of market forces analysis (Kare-Silver, 1997, p. 46). According to Brandenburger (2002), the Porters Five Forces model remains to affect the scope of business strategy both in the education field and also in practise of organisations. He emphasises that the model is certainly the most known and used from competitive strategies. The reason is that it provides an obvious picture of important activities of firms. The model describes all movements from suppliers of resources through company to consumer. The role of company is stressed as it is the unit where value is created. On the other hand, suppliers and customers are consider to be necessary in such chain. The model provides useful information for three issues of companys planning, according to Recklies (2001). Firstly, it enables to determine the attractiveness of an industry. Consequently the model helps to make decision about entering or leaving industry. Further, its usefulness lies in comparison the impact of the competitive forces on the organization with the impact on rivals. Secondly, when company knows about the power and intensity of models forces it is able to come up with possibilities for improving its competitive position e.g. differentiation, strategic partnership. Thirdly, the author says that the model with combination with PESTE analysis which influences changes in the industries, the Five Forces model can indicates the trends within the industry. Hill and Jones (2007, p. 66) also talk about importance of microenvironment. Forces in the model are not constant because they are determined by wider macro-environment as economic, politic, social and technological forces. These have evident impact on the model forces and consecutively on the whole industry. The role of macro environment is important but it is the subject of the PESTE analysis and we will not discuss it closer. According Lynch (2000, p.131) the model presents effective way of analysing the environment and it is recommended to use it as the firs step of company strategy development. He points out its real relevance as results are presented in logical and structured way. Hill and Jones (2001, p.97) see the model as very useful as it can be used to analyse character of competition within industry and for recognising opportunities and threats. Opportunities and treats represent the external part of SWOT analysis so we can see the clear connection of Five Forces model with another model. Another advantage of the model is that it looks on organization and industry through a wide range of aspects which are included in the models five forces. Thus, it is systematic approach for analysing the current situation of business and plan strategy (Oliva, 2002). For better picture of the model and to underline its strengths we look at an example of bank sector and examine the impact of launching the Internet banking in Five Forces model context (Siaw, Yu, 2004). In the terms of threat of entry force, the Internet banking enables small banks to enter the industry. Scale benefits are removed and network of branch is less important as there is direct access to customer in more suitable way. Bargaining power of buyers increases as they have more choices. Switching cost decrease because product has become more undifferentiated and standardised. As far as rivalry is concern, the differences between banks are smoothed as size of a bank is less important. Further providing services through the Internet is cheaper than using traditional distribution channels. Internet banking increased supplier power. Banks acted as supplier before. Now they pose intermediaries which enables access to range of products and delivery channels. Switching costs are high for bank if it is dealing with big customers. Such analysis helps manager to understand how the Internet influences five competitive forces. Existing banks using the analysis periodically can evaluate changes within the industry. Potential entrants can assess if the enter into industry will be profitable for them. Overall the analysis is useful in competitive strategy formulating (Siaw, Yu, 2004). Besides numbers of advantages the model is subject of many critiques. According Grant (2002, p. 89), the theoretical bases of the Porters Five Forces model are the most criticised by economists. Furthermore doubtful theoretical foundation, there are limitations because of static character of the model. Industry structures are considered to be stable and determinate by external forces. Grant (2002, p. 89) says that: Industry structure drives intensity of competition, which in returns determines the level of industry profitability. Therefore industry structures cannot remain unchanged in dynamic process of competition. Another issue which Grant points out is missing empirical evidence of importance of industry environment for company profitability. Faulkner and Campbell (2003, p. 249) also criticise static character of the Five Forces model saying that industry structures are continuously changing because of competition between firms and strategies adoped by companies within the indust ry. Static character of the model is also pointed out by Lynch (2000, p. 131), he says that forces are constantly changing and the moves could be more rapid than the model explain. Next critic which Lynch expresses is about the buyer power. The model assumes that this aspect is as equal as others factors while he argues that buyers should be got greater importance. According to the model, the environment is viewed as a threat to a company however some organisations see co-operation with others, especially with suppliers, very beneficial. Faulkner and Campbell (2003, p. 249) express their view to this question, too. They criticise Porters view on rivalry and competition between companies to be more essential than possible interaction as joint ventures or alliances. Lynch also questions the fact if it is sufficient for company to create its corporate strategy just after applying the Five Forces model. Further critics of model presented by Lynch consider its ignorance of human aspect o f strategy. The model overlooks features as country cultures or management skills. The presumption that companys own interests are primary might not be correct for some charitable and government institutions. Hill and Jones (2001, p. 97) reveal two weaknesses of the five forces model. The first is, as the other authors say, about its static character however they enhance their critique to disregarding the role of innovation. Innovations represent driven force of competition within the industry. As any company comes up with new product, technology or process it can gain great competitive advantage and earn profit. Another function of innovation lies in converting industry competition. As the production costs could be cut down due to e.g. new technologies, the barriers to entering the industry are removed and small companies can also access the competition. They provide example of the steel industry where after introducing technology as electric arc furnaces, the characteristic oligop oly industry became more price competitive and fragmented industry and smaller companies can also compete. Porter (2008, p.86) does not see innovation itself as a strong factor which can make industry profitable. He argues that often industries with low technology, high switching costs or price intensive buyers are more profitably than attractive software or information technologies ones. Because the model is static, all changes, which arise in the industry, cannot be recorded. Hill and Jones (2007, p. 66) conclude: The Five Forces model is of limited value because it represents no more than snapshots of a constantly changing situation. Thus, managers must constantly repeat industry analysis and pay attention to changes in the forces of competition. As far as the second critic is consider, same as Grant (2002, p. 89), Hill and Jones (2001, p. 97) talk about overrating the role of industry. Industry is given too much importance as the determinant of organisation profit while the differences between individual companies are neglected. Companies profit within industry varies and it has been detected that only 10% to 20% of differences is explained by industry structure. Consequently, we can say that companys own capacity and resources are more significant for profitability than industry in which it operates. None of company will be successful just because it is in the at tractive industry. Companys strategic resources as intangible assets, brand name are critical for analysis and strategy making (Crook at all, 2003). Other authors who agree that the Porters model is completely focus on external environment rather than internal resources of a company are Faulkner and Campbell (2003, p. 249). They criticise Porters view on outside environment as a root of firms success. Their another critique consider the application of industry analysis to individual company. This might not be as successful as first thought. In spite of critics authors admit that the Porters model of industry analysis stays as one of the most significant model of strategic management even though it has been introduced twenty years ago. Further shortcoming of the Porters model is that it was meant for industrial companies g.e. Coca-Cola, Ford Motors or Dell, not for knowledge based firms in field of advertising, consulting or legal. Manager of these companies bear some risk by using this tool and it is recommended to alter the model according to needs of such firms (Sheehan, 2005). Recklies in her article Porters 5 Forces (2001) indicates various criticisms. Besides acknowledgement that the model is static and it does not take into account co-operation between companies, the author gives also other critiques. As the model supposes perfect market, it has limited application in more regulated industries. The model fits the best to analyse simple market structures. In the case of complex industries with numbers of interrelations it is very complicated to analyse all five forces. On the other hand the author alerts that too narrow look on one segment in such industry can cause oversight of important factors. She concludes, as well as others authors, that the Five Forces model present a tool for managers to view the current situation of the industry in easy and understandable way and it is a good beginning for additional analysis. Recklies in her another article (2001) says that one of the reason for critics are todays changed economic circumstances. The model is found on the situation in the eighties. Cyclical developments, steady market structures and strong competition are typical for this time. Nowadays, technologies, the Internet and e-business application are seen in all industries and it transforms industry structures. This is the reason why the model cannot be used to explicate today dynamic changes and she adds: It is not advisable, if not to say impossible, to develop strategy solely on basis of Porters model. Downes realised the same trend and in the article Beyond Porter (1997) he introduces three new forces digitalization, globalization and deregulation as current issues which influence businesses. The new forces are seen in business activities as they are moving from physical world to computerised networks. According to Downes new strategic framework and analytical tools are essential to apply. Digitalization enables firms to gain access to greatly more information than before on the other hand it pose the treat of unfamiliar and unpredictable competition. Due to Globalization even local companies are able to become global as logistic and communication improved. Deregulation also opens up new possibility for company e.g. restructuring, more open international market. More others authors argue that the model should be extended about another force. They have various views on what it should be. Hill and Jones (2007, p. 57) see the sixth force as complementors. Complements are considered to be determinant of demand for products thus having a satisfactory supplier affects companys profit. Attractive complementary products create value and opportunity for company within an industry. On the other hand inefficient complementors pose threat and they are cause of slow industry development and low profitability. Also Grant (2005, p. 103) see complementors as significant impact on companies competitiveness and refer to them as to the sixth force. In the case of close complements of products, products have low value separately as consumer wants the whole. Question is how the value is divided between producers. The most common the supplier with stronger market position who is able to lower the value of other complements, gets much of profits. Karen-Silver (1997, p. 46) argues while current competitive environment calls for new forces to be consider, the original core i.e. five forces stays the most powerful. Porter (2008, p. 86) agrees that there are other important issue within an industry but he refers to them as to factors not forces. He presents factors like industry growth rate, technology and innovation, Government, complementary products and services. In addition he says: It is especially important to avoid the common pitfall of mistaking certain visible attributes of an industry for its underlying structure. In summary, Michael Porters models do not have the influence they used to have any more. New economic laws came up and other drivers stared to transform markets. Nevertheless, that does not mean that Porters theories became invalid. All we have to do is to apply them with the knowledge of their limitations in mind and to use them as a part of a larger framework of management tools, techniques and theories. This approach, however, is advisable for the application of every business model brand-new or old, from Porter or from somebody else, and in every economy Bibliography Assen, M., Berg, G., Pietersma, P., (2009) Key Management Models: The 60+ models every manager needs to know. Essex: Pearson Education, UK 2nd ed. Brandenburger, A., (2002) Crook, T.R., Ketchen, D.J., Snow, C.C., (2003) Competitive Edge: A Strategic Mnagement Model, .pp. 44-53 Downes, L., (1997) Beyond Porter, The Context Magazine. Available at: http://www.contextmag.com/setFrameRedirect.asp?src=/current/archive.asp Faulkner, D., Campbell, A., (2003) The Oxford Handbook of Strategy: Strategy overview and competitive strategy. Oxford (New York): Oxford University Press, USA, pp. 248-250 Grant M, R., (2002) Contemporary Strategy Analysis: concepts, techniques, application. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, UK, pp. 89 Grant (2005) p. 83 Hill, C.W.L, Jones, G.R., (2007) Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach. 7th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, USA pp. 46-67 Hill, C.W.L, Jones, G.R., (2001) Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach. 5th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, USA pp. 97-98 Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R., (2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and cases. 7th ed. Essex: Pearson Education, UK Kare-Silver, M., (1997) Strategy in Crisis: Why business urgently needs a completely new approach. London: Macmillan Press, UK pp.45-47 Karragiannopoulos, Luffman, G., Lea, E., Sanderson, S., Kenny, B., (1996) Strategic Management: An Analytical Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers UK, pp. 48-55 Lynch, R., (2000) Corporate Strategy. 2nd ed. Essex: Pearson Education, UK, pp. 124-132 Oliva, A.R., (2002) A Framework for Success, Marketing Management jan/feb. pp.39 42 Porter, M., (2008) the Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review. Recklies, D. (2001) Porter 5 forces, Recklies Management Project GmbH, Available at: http://www.techba.com/training/course2/LinkedDocuments/Porters%205f.pdf Recklies, D. (2001) Beyond Porter ACritique of the Critique of Porter, Recklies Management Project GmbH, Available at: http://www.themanager.org/Strategy/BeyondPorter.htm Sheehan, N.T., (2005) Why old tools wont work in the new knowledge economy, .. . 26 (4), pp. 53 60 Available at: Siaw, Yu Thompson The Introduction and History of Dabur Nepal Pvt Ltd: The Introduction and History of Dabur Nepal Pvt Ltd: Dr. S.K. Burman set up Dabur in 1884 to produce and dispense Ayurvedic medicines reaching out to a wide mass of people who had no access to proper treatment. Dr. S.K. Burmans commitment and ceaseless efforts resulted in the company growing from a fledgling medicine manufacturing in a small Calcutta house, to household name that at once evokes trust and reliability. There are many stores in different region and country. As a reflection of its constant efforts at achieving superior quality standards, Dabur became the first Ayurvedic products company to get ISO 9002 certification. Reinforcing its commitment to nature and its conservation, Dabur Nepal, a subsidiary of Dabur India, has set up fully automated greenhouses in Nepal. This scientific landmark helps to produce saplings of rare medicinal plants that are under threat of extinction due to ecological degradation. There are various product manufactured by this company in Nepal. Daburs Health care range brings for you a wide selection of Ayurvedic and natural products that offer complete care for varying individual needs. Our product are derived from the time-tested heritage of Ayurveda and backed by the most modern scientific test and trials that ensure no failing quality and safety in anything you pick. The guiding force behind Daburs growth and success has been the wealth of nature and its limitless capacity to support life. And we have constantly taken care to preserve and protect this natural bounty with this overall vision of and to eco-sustenance, expand Daburs resource and production base, Dabur Nepal Private Limited was set up as an independent Group company in 1992. This new company, set amidst the verdant greens and towering mountains of the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, has established a unique bond of technology and preservation. 2. Introduction to Financial Ratio: A financial ratio is a relative magnitude of two selected numerical values taken from an enterprises financial statements. Often used in accounting there are many standard ratios used to try to evaluate the overall financial condition of a corporation or other organization. Ratio may be expressed as a decimal value, such as 0.10 or given as an equivalent percent value such as 30%. Some ratio is usually quoted as percentages. Different ratio measures different thing Liquidity ratios measure the availability of cash to pay debt. Active ratios measures how quickly a firm converts non cash assets to cash assets. Debt ratios measure the firms ability to repay long-term debt. Profitability ratios measure the firms use of its assets and control of its expenses to generate an acceptable rate of return. Liquid Ratios: Liquidity reflects the ability of a company to meet its short-term obligations using assets that are most readily converted into cash. Assets that may be converted into cash in a short period of time are referred to as liquid assets; they are listed in financial statement as current assets. Current assets are used to satisfy short-term obligations, or current liabilities. The amount by which current assets exceed current liabilities is referred to as the net working capital. Current Ratio: It is used to calculate that how many short term assets a company has to meet its short term obligations. Current ratio= current assets / current liabilities a) 1.6:1 for year 2005 b) 1.8:1 for year 2004 As we know that higher the ratio better the company has more liquid assets to meet its short term liabilities. There were sufficient amounts of assets available to meet short term liabilities in the year 2005 which was 1.6:1 so there were 1.6 current assets available to meet its short term liabilities and in the year 2004 the ratio was increased to 1.8:1 which was much better than in the year 2005. So the company had good financial status in the year 2004 than in the year 2005. Acid Test Ratio: The acid test ratio is also known as the liquid or quick ratio. The idea behind this ratio is that stocks are sometimes a problem because they can be difficult to sell or use. Acid Test Ratio: Current assets- closing stock/ current liabilities 0.8:1 for year 2005 1.1:1 for year 2004 As we know that higher the acid ratio, is comparatively better. So the acid test ratio in 2005 was not sufficient to meet its current liabilities but the ratio was about 1.1:1 in the year 2004 which was sufficient to meet its liabilities and hence the liquid ratio in year 2004 was much better than 2005. 2.2. Profitability Ratios: profitability ratio compares components of income with sales. They gives us an idea of what makes up a companys income and are usually expressed as a portion of each unit of sales. Primary Ratio Return on Capital Employed: It is used in finance as a measure of the returns that a company is realising from its capital employed. It is commonly used as a reassure for comparing the performance between businesses and for assessing whether a business generates enough returns to pay for its cost of capital. ROCE compares earning with capital invested in the company. ROCE= [PBIT/ Capital Employed]*100% a)14.58% for year 2005 b) 18.79% for year 2004 This shows that ROCE in the year 2004 has more profit gained than in the year 2005. Return on Total Assets (ROTA): A ratio that measures a companys profit before interest and taxes (PBIT) against its total net assets. The ratio is considered an indicator of how effectively a company is using its assets to generate earning before contractual obligations must be paid. Return on Total Assets (ROTA) = PBIT/ Total Assets a)0.097 for year 2005 b) 0.14 for year 2004 The rate of return on total assets was better in the year 2004 in comparison with the ratio 0.097 in the year 2005 because there was more profit before interest and tax with total assets. Secondary Ratio: Gross Profit Margin: this ratio is the percentage of sales left after subtracting the cost of goods sold from net sales. It measures the percentage of sales remaining available to pay the overhead expenses of the company. Gross profit margin=Gross profit/ Net sales a) 22.1% for year 2005 b) 23.9% for year 2004 It was seen form the above data that the gross profit margin in the year 2004 was better than in the year 2005 so the company had better profit margin in the year 2004. Net Profit Margin: This ratio is the percentage of sales dollars left after subtracting the cost if goods sold and all expenses, except income taxes. It provides a good opportunity to compare your companys return on sales with the performance of other companies in your industry. It is calculated before income taxes because tax rates and tax liabilities vary from company to company for a wide variety of reasons. Net profit margin: Net profit Before Tax/ Net sales 4.7% for year 2005 6.5% for year 2004 The ratio measure average profit on sales. The percentage net profit to sales for Dabur Nepal Pvt. Ltd was 6.5% in 2004 and 4.7% in 2005 which mean that each Rs1 sales made an average profit of 6.5 Rs in 2004 and 4.7 Rs in 2005. This shows the Net Profit margin was better in the year 2004. Assets Turnover: It is used to calculate revenue generated per amount of long term capital invested in the business. It is used to see how effectively the long term assets are being utilized to generate the revenue. It is given by Assets Turnover= Turnover/ Capital Employed 3.87 times for 2005 3.68 times for 2004 We see the result of 3.68 times for 2004 this means that turnover is 3.68 times bigger than total assets. For the year 2005, it was even higher at 3.87 times. So the total asset turnover ratio was better in 2005 than in 2004. Activity Ratio Inventory Turnover: Inventory turnover is a measure of the number of times is sold or used in a time period such as a year. The equation for inventory turnover is equals the cost of goods sold divided by the average inventory, inventory turnover is also known as an inventory turns, stock turns, turns. A lower turnover ratio defines overstocking a company and a higher turnover ratio indicates inadequate inventory level or less in business. A lower turnover of inventory is somehow beneficial for a production company like Dabur Nepal Pvt. Ltd. Inventory Turnover=cost of goods sold/ average Inventory a)3.51 for year 2005 b) 7.65 for year 2004 Unit inventory turnover is better for the company, which excludes the over stocking and under stocking/ deficiency. It can be possible when cost of goods sold and turnover inventory are equal. As the year 2005 shows 3.51 times turnover inventories which were better because less amount of stock was there in this year but in the year 2004 the inventory turnover was more which was 7.65. As form definition we know less the turnover ratio better the profit gain by the company. So the companys financial status was better in 2005. Debtors Turnover: It indicates the velocity of debt collection of a firm. In simple words it indicates the number of times average debtors are turned over during a year. Debtors Turnover= [Debtors/ Sales]*365 The two basic components of accounts receivable turnover ratio are net credit annual sales and average trade debtors. The trade debtors for the purpose of this ratio include the amount of Trade debtors Bill Receivables. The average receivables are found by adding the opening receivables and closing balance of receivable and dividing the total by two. a)20.50 days for year 2005 b) 22.17 days for year 2004 Accounts receivable turnover ratio or debtors turnover ratio indicates the number of times the debtors are turned over a year. The higher the value of debtors turnover the more efficient is the management of debtors. In the year The debtors turnover was 22.17 days in the year 2004 in comparison with this there was 20.50 days in the year 2005 so, the company took less days to collect its debt in the year 2005 than in the year 2004. As a result the company had better financial state in 2005. Conclusion: The turnover of the company has increased by 4.69% over the previous year. The net profit after tax has reduced by 2.28% over the previous year due to lower contribution margin. During the year company has invested Rs 24.65 crore on account of fixed assets. Out of which, major amount is spent towards installing a new packing machine in juice plant in flex pack and increasing cold store capacity. It has deposited off its fixed assets amounting Rs 4.51 crore during the year. Hence as a whole Dabur Nepal Pvt. Ltd has well financial status in year 2004 but all the ratios were affected by the political instability of politic in Nepal as well as by other effect of the company. References: http://www.dabur.com/EN/Investors1/Annual_reports/2004-05/Dabur-Nepal-fina-05.pdf http://www.bized.co.uk/compfact/ratios/ Course Work Managing Financial Principles and Techniques Level 7 Advanced Professional Diploma in Management Studies Submitted to: Course Tutor/ Assessor Muhammad Atif Majeed Submitted by: Kabindra Simkhada Id: 201093 London College of Business Information Technology Contents Net present Value 1 Pay Back Period 1 Internal Rate of Return 1 Post completion Audit 1 Methods of finance available for company A 2 Scatter diagram 3 Advantage of Scatter Diagram 4 Disadvantage of Scatter Diagram 4 Appendix 5 Forecasting total cost Net present value: Both incoming and outgoing of a time series of cash flows is defined as the sum of the present values of the initial investment. The NPV is similar to PV of future cash flows minus the purchase price. This is a central tool for discounted cash flow analysis and is a standard method for using the time value of money to appraise long term project. It is used for capital budgeting, economics, finance and accounting. It measures the excess or shortfall of cash flows. The net present value of the company A is $76,990. this means in an initial investment of $260,000 in a project for 5 years of period the profit gain in the project is $76,990. Pay Back Period In capital budgeting refers to the period of time required for the return on an investment to repay the sum of the original investment is payback period. The time value of money is not taken in account. It measures how long something takes to pay for itself. This term is also widely used in other types of investment areas, often with respect to energy efficiency technologies, maintenance, upgrades, or other change. Payback period is a tool of analysis is often used because it is easy to apply and easy to understand for mist individuals. It is useful for comparing similar investment. According to the project A we earn or get back our initial investment in 3 years 6 month of period and after that period all the money gained is profit. Internal Rate of Return (IRR) It is also called discount cash flow rate of return or simply the rate of return. The internal rate of return on an investment or project is the annualized effective compounded return rate of discount rate that makes the net present value of all cash flow form a particular investment equal to zero. It is commonly used to evaluate the desirability of investment or projects. The higher a projects IRR the more desirable it is to undertake the project. Assuming all other factors are equal among the various projects, the project with the higher IRR would probably be considered the best and undertaken first. At the discount rate of 7.10% the NPV of project is equal to 0. Post Completion Audit Post completion audit is a key example of an internal audit. In this process technical details are discussed briefly. The purpose of post-auditing is to examine how well or badly a project has performed after it has been implemented. This process may be taken at any stage after a project has been started and need not wait until after the project has been completed. It is important for the project to perform post completion audit. Following are the benefit of post completion audit. Improved quality of decision making: after feedback and suggesting changes that need to be made to the process of decision making Improved realism of project appraisals: this is to attempt to prevent biasing upward of cash flow in proposals. Identification of key variables: This after the event knowledge can help to identify what the actual key variables were compared with the ones that were thought to be the case before implementation More frequent project termination: although firms are often unwilling to stop unsuccessfully projects, it may be the logical thing to do. Performing post audit actually gives the information to make that decision. Following things are checked in post completion audit. Check whether the required quality has been achieved. The efficiency of the solution during operation compared with the agreed performance and standards. The actual cost of the project compared with the budgeted expenditure and the reasons for over or under expenditure identified The time taken to develop the solution compared with the targeted date for completion and reasons for a variance identified The effectiveness of any problems encountered and the effectiveness of the solutions generated to deal with them. If the project objectives have been stated in terms of learning outcomes, the extent to which these have been achieved would also be investigated. The audit would lead to the production of a report to the management, structured around the above points. Post completion is one of the important part of the project with the help of which we can verify whether the project meet the requirements, whether the project is completed or not. This is the basic requirements of the project now a days. Methods of finance available for company A Public limited Company is the company which gives services to the public. This company is non profitable organisation whose goal is to provide better and efficient services to the customer or public. A plc is a company that is able to offer its shares to the public which means it share its profit and public also take part or public are also the owner of the company. For long term sustain of the company finance are those that are needed over a longer period of time generally over a year. This company should give services to the public for long time. The methods of finance available for this company are as follows Shares: Shares relate to companies set up as plc. If a company want to expand the business then they can sell shares to the general public. This means any one can buy the shares in the business. Venture capital: Venture capital is becoming an increasingly source of finance for growing companies. Venture capitals are on the lookout for companies with potential. They are prepared to offer capital to help the business grow. In return the venture capital gets some say in the running of the company as well as a share in the profit made. Bank loan: as with short term finance, banks are an important source of longer term finance. Banks may lend sums over long period of time possibly up to 25 years or even more in some cases. The loans have a rate of interest attached to them. Using bank loan might be relatively easy but the cost of servicing the loan can be high. If interest rates rise then it can add to a business costs and this has to be taken into account in the planning stage before the loan is taken out. Government grant: some of the company get funds from the government. This could be medical sector, security sector etc which get its most of the funds from the government. Retained profit Owners Capital: some people are in a fortunate position of having some money which they can use to help set up their business. The money may be the result of savings, money left to them by a relative in a will or money received as the result of a redundancy payment. This is not enough sums to finance the business fully but will be one of the contributions to the overall finance of the business. Selling assets: By selling the assets like property, machine, equipment, other companies or even logos. In some cases it may be appropriate for a business to sell off some of these assets to finance other projects. Lottery funding: in UK the National Lottery might be a possible source of funds for some types of business. These businesses will mostly be charities or charitable trusts. The company that are not for profit business so any surplus they make is put back into the business to help develop and improve it. Scatter diagram A scatter diagram or scatter graph is a type of mathematical diagram using Cartesian coordinates to display values for two variable for a set of data. The data is displayed as a collection of points, each having the value of on variable determining the position on the horizontal axis and the value of the other variable determining the vertical axis. This kind of graph is called scatter diagram. This diagram mostly used for the experimental purpose. Different data collected from the experiment is plotted in the graph. If data exist that is systematically incremented or decremented by other, it is called the control parameter or independent variable and is customarily plotted along the horizontal axis. The measured or dependent variable is customarily plotted along the vertical axis. If no dependent variable exists, either type of variable can be plotted on both axis and a scatter plot will illustrate only the degree of correlation between tow variables. A scatter plot can suggest various kinds of correlation between variables with a certain confidence interval. Correlations may be positive, negative, of null. If the pattern of dots slopes form lover left to upper right, it suggests a positive correlation between the variables being studied. If the pattern of dot slopes form lower left to upper right. It suggests a negative correlation. A line of best fit can be drawn in order to study the correlation between the variable. An equation for the correlation between the variable can be determined by established best fit procedures. For a linear correlation, the best fit procedure is known as linear regression and is guaranteed to generate a correct solution for arbitrary relationships. The scatter diagram is one of the basic tools of quality control. Benefits of scatter plot are as follows The diagram shows the relationship between two variables where one variable is drawn at horizontal axis and other is plotted at vertical axis. This scatter plot is best method to illustrate the non linear pattern. This is the best method used for finding results in experiment. Disadvantages of scatter plot It is difficult to find exact value of the variables. To get the exact value we need more experimental values because of which this method is time consuming. It is difficult to get accurate result from more scattered data.