Midsouth Chamber of Commerce

Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (MSCC), a non-profit member supported organization that lobbies state government for local businesses, needed to update its IBM AS/400 based UNITRAK system to a more advanced structure to meet the growing demands of employees and members. Dick Gramen, a former computer trainer for an insurance broker, who had no experience with the AS/400 computer or the UNITRAK software, was hired for the job. After struggling to learn the previous hardware, software, data structure and organization operations, he urged MSCC's executive committee to purchase the IBM RS/6000 computer system (a system he was familiar with) to enhance MSCC's computing capabilities. Despite Leon Lassiter’s (vice president of marketing) admonition, the executive committee unhesitatingly granted Gramen's request. Shortly thereafter, Gramen accepted a contract with the inapt and inexperienced vendor, Data Management Associates (DMA) to develop the software and convert the UNITRAK database into the new system. Gramen did not review the contract in great detail and sent it to MSCC president, Jack Wallingford for approval. Even worse, Wallingford, without having any outside specialist or corporate counsel to review the document, blindly signed the contract. The contract later revealed no explicit or quantifiable performance standards for the services to be provided, and that DMA only offered a certain number of free development hours for the creation of the software. Moreover, DMA had the right to increase the price of services and products provided at its discretion, while limiting its financial and performance liabilities. Not surprisingly, DMA encountered a myriad of problems from the moment of implementation. And as difficulties with the software conversion mounted, DMA quickly used up the development hours, and started billing the MSCC for the work beyond the free hours guaranteed. Consequently, the relationship between DMA and the MSCC declined. The software installation was subsequently stopped within a few months due to erroneous billing issues and the lack of progress. Additionally, the MSCC could not receive reimbursement from DMA to buy another system or hire another vendor to formulate the required software since it had already made full payment (which implied acceptance of the software system). Before long, it became apparent that Gramen did not possess the necessary expertise to maintain and support the hardware platform or solve problems regarding software implementation. In my opinion, MSCC could have avoided this predicament if upper management had initially chosen a qualified individual to manage its Information Systems. Gramen failed to carefully assess the existing data resource and rushed to install a new system. He also overlooked the organization's operations, and disregarded meaningful feedback from Lassiter, one of MSCC’s senior business leaders. Needless to say, the agreement with DMA ought to have been reviewed by someone who specializes in computer software contracts prior to signing. When Lassiter officially took over as President, he hired Sage Niele as financial officer and vice president of operations. This was a prudent maneuver by Lassiter given that he could no longer afford to leave Gramen in-charge of MSCC's information systems. Niele earned her MBA from Wharton School of Business, and had formerly performed systems management tasks for a large pharmaceutical company in the Midsouth area. She also managed her own information systems and financial consulting business. Niele began gathering information from the MSCC staff on the deficiencies of the computer system as well as the needs of the organization. At the same time, she sought support from the executive committee and key board members to determine the vision of the MSCC for the operational future. This bottom-up and top-down approach was effective, and it flattened her learning curve about the MSCC and its current information systems. She also identified several RS/6000 compatible software packages that were worthy of further investigation, and sent only ‘billable' payments to DMA. I believe Niele is off to a pretty good start. By analyzing the present information system and understanding the organization's needs, she will eventually be able to develop a well-organized strategic plan that will put an end to MSCC's long history of poor operational decisions. In conclusion, Niele must consult other vendors for the development of the needed software seeing as the DMA software module will most likely never become operational. On the other hand, if this option is not viable and proves to be more costly in the long run, she must recommend the acquisition of a suitable up-to-date computer system, and ‘reengineer' MSCC's entire information system in order to improve efficiency. References: 1. Brown, C. V. , DeHayes, D. W. , Hoffer, J. A. , Martin E. W. , & Perkins, W. C. (2009). Managing Information Technology (6th ed. ). (pp. 192-200). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. 2. Brown, J. (2002). Midsouth Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved from http://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v&q=cache:JUu8KurO1bcJ:www. obscure. org/~perky/uofr/fall2002/ISYS203U/MidSouth. pdf+midsouth+chamber+of+commerce&hl=en&gl=bh&sig=AHIEtbQeM3WcQZul-rFxO4h0x5-OQb7qtQ

My Home Exercise Program

Keaisha Vernon August 22, 2012 English 095: Writing Skills My Home Exercise Program â€Å"My Home Exercise Program† is an essay written by Michele Wood, about a health conscious young lady who prefers working out at home than at the gym. She truly believes that this is the one and only way to keep oneself fit, nutritious, and healthy. â€Å"Exercise is the best way to combat the battle of the bulge† (Michele Wood). People spend a lot of money on expensive exercise clubs. She also believes it is nothing but just a waste of money. Her personal opinion behind this topic is, start working out at home to get a healthy and fit body with a happy life.For working out at home we have to keep three things in our mind, which are most essential. They are workout clothing (including t-shirts, baggy pants, and shoes), background music, and last but not least duration and frequency of work out. If we maintain these three things consistently, it will be very easy to build up a strong a nd healthy fitness. The first significant part of authors program is clothing. Loose fitting and comfortable dress are precise for work out. (Michele Wood) T-shirt and Baggy pants are considered as comfortable fittings.Shoes are also an important part of clothing because they have to hold us up all day long. Many people choose different brands for shoes. While we are working out, water is very important for our body. It really helps crucially to maintain hydration during workouts. The next part of the authors program is background music, video, and DVD. She owns several terrific video collections that she uses regularly. I want that body; Cardio Blast, Burn plus Abs are some of her favorite videos. She truly believes that background music should be motivational and enjoyable.The last part of her program is duration and frequency of work out. Many experts recommended that people should exercise thirty minutes at least three days a week. Once we get used to thirty minutes aerobic exer cise routine, than we can increase our duration and frequency of working out. We can visualize the result within four weeks or as many as twelve weeks depending on our individual metabolism. At last we can say that to keep a good, fit, nutritious and healthy body we have to maintain our regular exercise, and for that working out at home is the best option.

Model of Filipino Values Essay

Philosophical basis Filipino values are for the most part centered at maintaining social harmony motivated primarily by the desire to be accepted w/in the group the main sanctions against the diverging from these values are the concept of ‘hiya’ roughly translated as a sense of shame and ‘amor propio’ or self esteem. Social approval acceptance by a group and belonging to a group are major concerns. Caring about what others will think say or do are strong influences on social behavior among Filipinos. According to the anthropologists LEONARDO MERCADO the Filipino worldview is basically nondualistic.based on his linguistic analysis of Filipino value terms like loob (Cebuano buot ),he includes that Filipinos desire harmony not only in interpersonal relationships but also with nature and religion while still remaining nondichotomous. Joenalyn & mayeth Models of the Filipino values F.landa jocano identified two models of the Filipino value system.the first is the exogenous model or the foreign model,while the second is the indigenous model of the traditional model .the foreign model is described to be a â€Å"legal and formal†model while the indigenous model is described as a â€Å"traditional and non formal’model or guide but is deeply embedded in the subconscious of the Filipinos.the foreign model was inherited by Filipinos from western cultures,particularly from the Spaniards and the Americans. Lovely, Amancia, & HANNAH ELEMENTS AND COMPOSITION Based on studies ,surveys opinions,anecdotes and other literature made by experts and researchers in relation to Filipino social values or Filipino core values along with the Filipino character or Filipino identity of a person or an individual known as the Filipino,the Filipino value system are found to possess inherent key elements,among them are optimism about the future pessimism with regards to present situation and events the concern and care for other people the existence of friendship and friendliness the habit of being hospitable religious nature respectfulness to self and others respect for the female members of society the fear of god and abhorrence of acts of cheating and thievery.the core values of Filipinos specially upholds the following items;solidarity of the family units security of the Philippine economy orientation to small groups personalism the concepts of†loob†or†kalooban†(meaning â€Å"whats inside the self†the inner self†or the â€Å"actual personal feelings of the self),the existence and maintenance of smooth interpersonal relationships and the feelings or needs of others (known as pakiramdam).in a larger picture,these values are grouped into general clusters or†macroclusters†namely,the relationship cluster the social cluster the livelihood cluster the inwardness cluster and the optimism cluster.

On a national level why describe why the Real Estate market crashed, Research Paper

On a national level why describe why the Real Estate market crashed, what contributed to the crash of the market, is the market recovering, and what is contributing to the recovery - Research Paper Example This aggressive marketing led to two negative factors. The first factor is that the demand/supply forces were affected in such a way that there was a false equilibrium, and thus the costs of the houses were so much overrated. The cost of a home in almost any state in the United States of America was overpriced by at least two hundred percent. As a result, the middle income earners could not afford to buy the houses with their income and the only way to buy a house was to secure a mortgage from a bank. As more and more people used mortgages to buy houses, the demand of the houses increased, only resulting to the further increment in home prices. The other thing was that the mortgage providers failed to include due diligence while providing these mortgages. While these mortgage providers advertised strict terms and conditions, these terms and conditions were never applied when giving out mortgages and as a result, many people who were not eligible for such mortgages ended up in the client lists of such banks. When the demand /supply forces forced the interest rates of the mortgages to start fluctuating, most of these mortgage owners started finding it harder to finance their mortgages and some of them had to start refinancing their mortgages. This meant that they had to take a loan to pay their mortgage. In such an arrangement, the problem was that the mortgage owners ended up paying interests twice. This is because the mortgage owners would have to pay for the mortgage as well as the interests on loans. The very fact that a majority of the mortgage owners were seeking refinancing for their mortgages meant that the real estate industry was already facing major problems. Most of these frustrated home owners started selling off their homes but at much lower prices than they had secured the homes, and the real estate market was flooded with supply. Those who could not afford to sell the

Why Euthanasia Should be Permitted Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why Euthanasia Should be Permitted - Essay Example The language used by the writer is simple and is easily understood. The position that she wants to convey is clearly articulated. The direct mode of persuasion is used by the writer. The claim of the essay is that if a doctor is not allowed to practice euthanasia at the request of his patient, it is tantamount to violating a person’s right to die. According to the writer it is also an â€Å"economic burden and it interferes with a doctor’s job†. Furthermore, it â€Å"increases the patient’s sufferings†. The writer is trying to persuade his readers to fight for the legalization of euthanasia.The writer uses the appeal to the emotions as shown in this sentence, â€Å"If the person wishes to die, we should please him with their last wish†. This is obviously an appeal to the emotions because who in his right mind would not like to grant a dying person’s wish. Another example of an appeal to the emotions is the question raised by the writer in the concluding paragraph, â€Å"Would you like to be helped by doctors and your friends to die the way you want it or be kept in a room where you can hardly move with machines keeping you alive?†. The writer wants the readers to imagine themselves being in a situation where euthanasia is an option. On the other hand, the writer made use of logic in stating that, â€Å"The kind of quality of life is defined by the patient, not the doctor or government†. Aside from this statement, the writer hardly made use of logos because there were no facts, figures or expert testimonies.

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 83

Discussion - Essay Example While my preference to be a quiet person during teamwork has hindered my role as a team member, it has also helped strengthen the team in many ways. For instance, I have not been able to communicate effectively during teamwork and this has adversely affected the perception of my team members towards me. Additionally, I have not been able to work to my full potential during teamwork because some of my team members see me as hands off person when it comes to critical matters that are supposed to be handled by all the team members. When it comes to the benefit of my preference as a suite person to my behavior, I have to note that I have developed a listening attitude over the years and this has helped progress my team in various ways. This means that I have helped my team by analyzing each of the perception of my team members before coming up with a conclusive blend of ideas. This has greatly benefited my role as a team member by working behind the scenes. Owing to the fact that my preferences may portray me as a resigned person, I have developed various strategies for managing my preferences so that I behave in a way that is most effective for a team member. Some of them include being proactive when performing various tasks as a team and communicating to team members where necessary as a way of opening

Emerging market-The challenges and opportunities investing in China Essay

Emerging market-The challenges and opportunities investing in China - Essay Example In the thought of Beridze, emerging markets refer to the nations that have actively been involved in business activities that have seen their fast growth as well as a huge development in the industrialization process. Among these countries that are termed to be emerging range from Brazil to China. As seen in the research conducted by Palepu & Khanna, China has retained her position as the third in the list of the emerging markets. China has also been termed as one of the growing economies with largest imports and exports in the globe. Agtmael indicates that the economy has had a growth rate of about 10% over the years. With the country being termed as the world’s second-largest economy after the U.S.In the thought of Lorenzoni & Broner, emerging economies have been integral in the world economy. This may arguably be because the supposed emerging economies have already emerged and are taking the center stage of the global economy. A good example is China that is export-driven w ith strong capital inflows and investments from well-capitalized banking institutions. Additionally, the growth of the world’s economy is expected to emanate from the emerging markets, and 70% of the growth is anticipated according to the economists.  Despite the varying interpretations of the term, the fact about the entire aspect is that emerging markets have been instrumental in recording an increase in the capital share in the world economy and that their GDP is on the increase.

Causes for the 2007-08 Financial Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Causes for the 2007-08 Financial Crisis - Essay Example The property market was a major contribution to the financial crisis. The collapse in prices of mortgaged houses put homebuyers in debts as they had speculatively spent so much money on overvalued property. The financial crisis arose from weak financial policies, which permitted banks among other financial institution make precarious investments as the outline portrays. b. Response: The financial crunch affected investment in the real estate’s industry first in the United States before the effects spiraled to other major global economies thus reducing the volume of activities at major stock markets thus culminating in the crisis. a. Response: With intense speculation on the size and lucrativeness of the industry, numerous investors including financial institutions increased to invest and compete for the market (Starkman, 2014). b. Both commercial and investment banks thus competed for the market. They introduced precarious policies that permitted the banks to invest extensively in the industry without cushioning themselves from the unpredictable nature of the

Market Feasibility Report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Market Feasibility Report - Term Paper Example The new business idea which is to be introduced is business of food industry. The name of the company is Crazy Food plc. It is a food processing company which is based in London United Kingdom. The company will be initially focus on processed food and ready to eat food and if it becomes successful in these products line up then it will develop a brand of cooking ingredients. The first brand of this company will be a confectionary brand which is called Crazy Bite. The packaging quality needs to be very good and for this reason the company will not be outsourcing for the packaging as that will be more costly for a new venture. The company has focused on the packaging of its processed food product so that it becomes another USP of this brand. Crazy Bite is a brand that have different favoured sweets bar which will be available in different shapes and designed. It is one of the confectionary products of crispy in nature and coated with chocolate. The ingredients of this product are cashe ws and butter which make it tasty and more demanding. Different fruit flavoured product will be coated in different coloured cover matched with the flavour. It is a vegetable category of confection which people can have any time they desire. To target the entire demographic segment the company will focus on the low calories and low sugar products for the health conscious people. Geographic location analysis The geographic location of the target market is the main factor needs to be analysed before starting a new business. The analysis will provide the viability of the business especially the product acceptability by the product 1. Economic environment The emergence of global recession had lent a large impact on the snack and confectionary market in United Kingdom letting the sales volume dip along the period ranging from 2004 to 2009. Thus change in economic climate tends to largely affect the snack and confectionary industry of the region (Agriculture and Agri-Food, 4). 2. Technolo gical environment Confectionary and snacks industry in United Kingdom is gaining a large space owing to the development of technological base through the use of effective machinery. Such machinery use would help in the production of large volumes of confectionary and snack items and in rendering quick wrapping. 3. Market demographics trends The demographic profile in United Kingdom is found to largely impact the business performance of Fresh Food. Consumers in United Kingdom are increasingly becoming highly health conscious thus abandoning the consumption of snack items for the fear of becoming obese. 4. Political environment For food production business food licence is required from the food and nutrition department of government authority. The company need to concern about the quality and hygiene factor of the food products they produce so that no issues come from the customers as well as from respective authority. Developing the production house the local regulatory bodiesâ€℠¢ permission is also required. 5. Social environment There always a high demand of the confectionary food like Crazy Bite among the people of the society in United Kingdom. These products are well accepted by the people and as they desire new products especially for a new confectionary products. These food products are common foods

Statistical Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Statistical Analysis - Assignment Example Nonetheless, they noted that despite the disadvantages, the internet services have a series of advantages including the internet’s unprecedented benefits in education, entertainment, commerce, and social interaction. Notably, the negative effects of the internet have created immense opportunities for crime commissions. This form of information technology has made offenders to commit crimes some of which have no monetary costs while others are less never recognized or detected. Comparing different forms of crimes, Wang and Huang used the traditional economic motivated crimes that include larcenies, burglaries, and bank robberies among others, by the online fraudsters (Wang, and Huang, 2011). They noted that the online fraudsters are unlikely to be encountered directly with the law enforcers and witness since the crime does not create any animosity or do not involve direct encounters with the affected persons or entities. Therefore, the authors aimed at examining the identity of the theft from the analytical angle with their focus on the elaborate versatilities of this contemporary criminal (Wang, and Huang, 2011). Notably, Wang and Huang first discussed the mode of identifying their sample set. The sample in case was the human beings. After the identification of the samples, they defined and provided the typology of the crime based on the United States legislation of theft identity. Applying different definitions, Wang and Huang determined series of online crime that included phishing, hacking, pretexting, skimming (this is there is legitimate transactions using credit or debit cards especially in retail shops), and changing the address (Wang, and Huang, 2011). The change of address was found to involve changing the identity that may involve the criminal’s personal information or obtains the victim’s personal information thereby tampering with the same towards committing crime with the same. The Wang and Huang’s research on cyber crim e was mainly qualitative; therefore, they only concentrated on the quality of the sample towards the identified crime (Kritzer, 1996). Therefore, they did not provide any statistics to explain the trend of their findings. It is worth noting that Wang and Huang were only concerned with the effect of this crime to the contemporary world markets especially about progressing, managing and transferring money through the internet (Indulska, Dirk, and Recker, 2012). According to them, despite the internet means of managing and transferring money and information is convenient, the involved parties must be concerned with internet or online frauds that they described as inescapable. For instance, they concluded that, â€Å"Collectively, cyberspace has become such an attractive place where suitable targets like personal information increase in value while effective guardians typically fall behind. Anti-fraud efforts must be accelerated and orchestrated proficiently to make online scams diffic ult for offenders (Wang, and Huang, 2011).† Article Two â€Å"The (in) significance of the genocidal behavior to the discipline of criminology† is a criminology research work that was conducted by George S. Yacouban, Jr. of the department of criminology and criminal justice (Yacouban, 2000). Despite their devotion to the discipline of criminology, Yacouban reports that the International Criminal law’

Cooking - Vegetable Essay Example for Free

Cooking Vegetable Essay Mirepoix is a combination of chopped carrots, celery and onions used to add flavor and aroma to stocks, sauces, soups and other foods. Macedonia or macedoine is a salad composed of small pieces of fruit or vegetables. Fruit macedonia is a fresh fruit salad and is a common dessert in Romania, Spain,[1] France, Italy and Latin America. Vegetable macedonia or Macedoine de legumes nowadays is usually a cold salad or hors doeuvre of diced vegetables, in France often including red beans. It is sometimes mixed with mayonnaise combined with aspic stock, making it essentially the same as Russian salad. Macedoine de legumes is also a hot vegetable dish consisting of the same vegetables served with butter. [2] Brunoise is a culinary knife cut in which the food item is first julienned and then turned a quarter turn and diced again, producing cubes of about 3 mm or less on each side, or 1/8-inch dice. In France, a brunoise cut is smaller, 1 to 2 mm on each side, or 1/16-inch dice. Some typical vegetables for a brunoise are carrots, celery, leeks, and turnips. The diced vegetables are blanched briefly in salty boiling water and then submerged in salted ice water for a few seconds to set the color. The brunoise is used as a garnishin many dishes; it is often used to garnish consomme. A brunoise should be consistent in size and shape, as this helps to create a pleasing and professional presentation.

Acceptance Speech - Martin Luther King Essay Example for Free

Acceptance Speech Martin Luther King Essay Acceptance Speech Martin Luther King was an African American activist and leader who dedicated his life to fighting for equal rights for coloured people in America. Grown up in a Baptist family, Christianity held a huge fascination for Martin Luther King, which is often reflected in his speeches. In 1964, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his achievements in the struggle for equality and independence for coloured people. When receiving the award, Martin Luther King expresses his appreciation by a speech in Oslo. This speech is slightly different to his other speeches such as â€Å"I have a dream† or â€Å"Eulogy† as he uses less metaphors and alliterations and not only focuses on racial discrimination in the United States of America. He uses high vocabulary, as he speaks to a highly educated non-American audience in a humble tone. Martin Luther King begins his speech with the words: â€Å"The tortuous road which has led from Montgomery to Alabama to Oslo This can be classified as a metaphor, as â€Å"tortuous road† emphasizes that Negros had to suffer humiliation, exploitation and oppression for many years. But this â€Å"road† gave new hope to the people in the United States, as it is said in the speech: â€Å"This road has opened for all Americans a new era of progress and hope. † This is an extended metaphor that appears throughout the whole paragraph, as he goes on with:† a superhighway of injustice†. These words show that the civil rights movement can’t be stopped anymore and will finally bring justice for Negros. Throughout the speech many alliteration occur such as:†faith in the future† or â€Å"bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood†. These examples show that alliterations point attention to the sentence and help to fix the reader’s mind. It then goes on with the simile: â€Å"Man is more flotsam and jetsam in the river of life†. By these words Martin Luther King wants to emphasize that it is possible for everybody to change something in the world, despite the fact that people do not have the same opinion. Later he says:† I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to Starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality†. By metaphor â€Å"starless midnight of racism† Martin Luther King wants to indicate was considerate to something unsolvable or unchangeable. By the words â€Å"bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood†, he which is also a metaphor, he emphasizes thatpeace and brotherhood will finally be achieved. However, hese metaphor are very effective as they make the abstract or unknown concrete but it also enlivens the reader’s imagination. This sentence can also closely be classified as a balanced sentence, as Martin Luther King tells us what to do and what not to do. However, this helps to persuade the audience so stand up for their rights. Throughout the speech many anaphoras occur such as â€Å"I refuse to accept† or â€Å"I believe that†. This rhetor ical device emphasizes Martin Luther King’s aim for equal rights all over the world. Later on it says: â€Å"I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘is-ness’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘ought-ness’ that forever confronts him. † Martin Luther King had a vision for how things ought to be. He shows us to refuse to accept things for how they are, and instead strive to find the solution for how they ought to be. Martin Luther King will always remain one of the most influential and greatest freedom fighters in the world. Though his commitment and persuasion, he achieved a lot for Afro American people in the USA.

International Business Management Marketing Essay

International Business Management Marketing Essay 1.0 Executive summary This report details subject of exporting which includes the reasons why companies internationalize and the measures the should undertake before pursuing export strategies. The systematic approach have been discussed in detail. We have talked about the two export strategies available in any organization pursuing the export strategy. We have also talked about the different types of direct and indirect exporting(which are the two main strategies of exporting, indirect and direct exporting). The benefits that the organization gain from pursuing them and how best to go about them. They have been discussed in detail , every advantage comes a disadvantage they have talked about the pitfalls that come with pursuing the strategies. Exporting strategy in general has been discussed . I have used a small company based in the United States to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of exporting. 2.0 METHODOLOGY Mainly the information in this report was from text books. Also through the discussion with fellow colleagues, debates also contributed to the information gathered in the report. The internet through the world-wide web also made contribution to the information contained in the report. 3.0 INTRODUCTION Exporting refers to strategy of producing products or services in one country (often the producers home country) selling and distributing them to customers located in other countries. Many organizations use exporting as an entry strategy . It is flexible and in the case where the product is not doing well due to the changes in the environment the firm can easily put out without incurring sufficient costs. Exporting is one of the cheapest and less risky ways of internationalizing. Internationalizing business refers to the performance of trade and investment activities by the firms across the borders. There are many ways that can lead a firm to internalize. The main reasons are: To seek opportunities growth through market doors diversification, substantial market potential exists outside the home country. To earn high profits, for many types of products and services market growth in mature economies is sluggish or flat These are some of the main reasons why most companies internationalize or export their product. At a broadest level firms internationalize or export to enhance competitive advantage.Cavusgil et al (2008 p5,p17) 4.0 THE SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO EXPORTING According to Cavusgil et al (2008, p.391-394) There is need for an organization to have a systematic approach before exporting the goods and services. The more experienced managers use a systematic approach to improve the firms prospects for successful exporting by assessing potential markets, by organizing the firm to undertake exporting, acquiring appropriate skills and competences and implement export strategies. The following steps are taken and examined in detail: 4.1 First step: Asses global market opportunity Managers will assess the firms readiness to internationalize, then choose the most appropriate country market and partners. The look at the readiness of the firm and its products. Tools like CORE (Companies readiness to export available online at global edge) are undertaken. Managers will assess the most attractive markets , potential distributors and identifies the industry market potential. Visiting promising countries is a significant approach because managers are able to understand the Customers needs, competitive environment and other external factors. 4.2 Second step: Organize for exporting Managers make decisions about what degree of the firms involvement, resources to be committed and the type of domestic and foreign intermediaries to hire, what sort of time-table the firm should pursue to achieve export goals and objectives. 4.3 Third step: Acquire skills and competences The firm acquires skills and competences to handle export operations. It trains staff and engages appropriate facilitating firms (such as freight forwarders, bankers and international trade lawyers) The reason as to why companies do this is because of the complexity of export transactions. The company can either launch a new product or use the adaption strategy when opportunity countries vary in terms of infrastructure; finance in the customer purchases hence the need for managers to gain internationally oriented capabilities. 4.4 Fourth step: Implementing exporting strategy Here managers will make decisions about product adaptation, marketing communities; pricing and supporting foreign subsidiaries and intermediaries. Product adaptation is the modifying a product to suit the needs and tastes of buyers in the target market. A good example is when Microsoft company in Germany, it must ensure that the software is written in Germany. Market adaptation refers to modifying advertising , selling style, public relations and promotional activities to suit individual markets, this of course will depend on the target market, the nature of the product and the firms position in the markets relative to competitors. Identifying and analyzing the four steps available to the organizations (which is known as the systematic approach) will help it decide which export strategy to pursue. They are to main strategies available namely direct and indirect exporting. The both have their advantages and disadvantages . it is important to understand and asses them. Firms selection on which strategy to pursue should be relative to the products or services. Certain products may be favorable with direct exporting while others will not. 5.0 EXPORTING INDIRECTLY With this approach a company engages intermediaries located in the firms home market. The intermediaries or intermediaries or firms are capable of finding foreign markets and buyers for its products. Export trading companies (EMs), export trading companies (ETs), international trading consultants and other intermediaries can give the exporter access to well contracts. Yet the export can still retain considerable control of the benefits of exporting, such as learning more about foreign competitors new techniques and market opportunity. The following are the independent organizations within the exporters domestic market, these are; Domestic-based merchants (export) who take time hire to the products and sell abroad Piggy-banking, this is where the exporter uses the overseas distributing facility of another facility Co-operations organizations, these act on behalf of a number of products and are partly controlled by the producers of primary products such as fruit nuts export through co-operative organizations Domestic-based export agents who sell on behalf of the exporter, these are usually paid on commission. Jobber(2007,p.956) 5.1 Advantages of exporting indirectly Indirect exports dont require a lot of organizational effort , staff workers . even if a company operates on export department, it emphasis only on a small number of employees, as the main work is carried out by foreign trade partners who have obtained an order. Indirect exporting can relatively move out of the market if it turns out that it does not match its goals and objectives. 5.2 Drawbacks of exporting indirectly During exporting, not all goods and services can be sold on the international market. Technically complex goods for example plasma screens, computers and some gadgets will not be suitable for indirect exporting. Although in the of indirect export exit to foreign market demands small financial and human resources it is not always effective in the long run. It leads t de-minimizing returns. Trading partners try to get maximum profits from their services as mediators. This leads to the rise of transfer of goods and services to a retailer with small profits for the enterprise. Besides the latter cannot acquire its own experience in foreign market has no information on the wishes of clients the behavior of competitors and general economic conditions in individual countries. Not all the brokers are usually the optimum market potential and opportunities for marketing. This allows in miscalculations and mistakes in various actions they undertake. This affects the income of producers or exports of goods. A good example is where certain foreign markets are not optimal goods that may be offered to exporters. The price can be set without taking into account specific parts of the market. The company exporting indirectly is deprived of direct communication with the end uses. This includes transition to other forms of work in the markets. Advantages and disadvantages of direct and indirect exports CBS (Anon n.d.) 6.0 EXPORTING DIRECTLY This approach is the most ambitious and difficult. The exporter handle every aspect of the exporting process from market research and planning to foreign distribution collections, substantial commitment of management time and attention is required to achieve good results. However this approach maybe best way to achieve high profits and growth with reasonable assistance and guidance from the department of commerce, state trade offices freight forwarders, international banks and other service groups. 6.1 TYPES OF DIRECT EXPORTING Companies usually use agents and distributors in some or all of their exports abroad. It has been estimated that over 60percent of US companies go for some or their export activity. In the European firms figures it rises to 70percent. Agents may be exclusive, where the agreement is between the exporter and the agent alone; semi-exclusive, where the agent handles the goods along with other non-competing goods from companies ; or exclusive, where the agent handles a variety of goods, including some that they may compete with exporter products. Distributors are different from agents , the take hire to the goods and payment ( to the distributors) is according to the differences between the buying and selling prices rather than commission. Distribution are only appointed when after-sales service is required to they are more likely to posses the necessary resources than agent. The advantages of both agents and distributors are that they are acquainted with local market, customs and conventions, existing business contracts and foreign nationals. They have a direct incentives to sell through either commission or profit margin, but since their remuneration is tied to sales they way be reluctant to devote much time and effort to developing a market for a new product. Also the amount of market feedback may be limited as the agent or distributor may see themselves as a purchasing agent for customers rather than selling agent export. 6.2 Domestic-based sales representatives Since he is a company employer he has direct control of activities. When the company is not comfortable with the way agents and distributors are handling their product they can engage a sales representative to performance most of the activities. Company employs will apply more commitment to the customer; which may seem absent in the distributors and agent consequently they are often uses in industrial markets where there are a fewer large customers that require close contract with suppliers and where the size of orders justifies the expense of foreign travel. 6.3 Overseas sales/marketing office or subsidiary This is a bigger customer commitment in this choice than using domestic-base sales representatives. The major concern with option is the huge amount of investment required . however, the exporter may be seen to be an indigenous supplier, this improves the chances of achieving market success. In some markets, where access to distribution channels is limited selling direct through an overseas sells office maybe the only feasible way of breaking into the market. The sales office or subsidiary acts as a center for foreign based sales representatives, handles sales distribution and promotion and is a customer service center. 6.4 The internet Companies can now export directly to customers through the global reach of the internet. By creating a website overseas consumers are aware of the firms products and can order directly. The internet is not only on demand to market but also used as a useful research tool. Sites like the international growth offer skills and resources for specific industries for example system and computing services companies. Jobber(2007,p.957-959) 6.5 Advantages of direct exporting Through direct export target management and the control of sales become possible which is unrealistic on the case of direct export The exporting company establishes the direct contact with a foreign partner and not only operates through its own foreign trade companies abroad but also has the best opportunities for direct participation foreign transaction. Direct export is applicable to a wide range of goods and services. By exporting a larger number of financial and human resources is covered than in the case of indirect export The advantage of direct exports are especially apparent in the export and supply of company products and services, the sales of which would not have been possible through foreign trade companies and export firms. This applies, above all to those goods and services that have a small degree of standardization and high-line scheme. 6.6 The main drawbacks of direct exporting While direct exporting is applicable to a wider range of goods and services, for certain goods and services direct export is considered inappropriate in the same way as indirect. This applies to goods that are due to short work life and cannot or unlike be exported; goods which may be associated with high transport costs, goods which require complex after sale service which cannot by resellers Direct export is fraught with difficulties for enterprises of economic kind, such are those associated with deterioration of exchange rates. If the rate of domestic or currencies of third countries increases in markets However compared the indirect exporting, the exporter must dedicate more time, Personnel and Corporate Resources in developing and managing operations. Advantages and disadvantages of direct and indirect exports CBS (Anon n.d.) 7.0 THE EXPORT STRATEGY International transactions that involve the exchange of product are home based international trade activities, such as global, sourcing, exporting and countertrade. Here we are concerned about exporting and its advantages and disadvantages available for the firm. For us to understand the advantages and disadvantages we will discuss a company in brief and talk about what benefits and drawbacks exporting provides. Vellus product. Inc, a small company in the USA that makes gloaming products such as customized shampoos, conditioners, brushing sprays and detangles. According to the Doherty(the president of the firm) shampoo for the people dont work well on pets because animals skin is more sensitive than humans and easily irritated. Vellus first export sales was to a Taiwanese importer who purchased $25,000 worth of products to sell at Taiwan toy shows. The word was I started calls from people around world says president. Vellus has become quite familiar with the cultural aspects of various regions. Cavusgil et al (2008, p.381-382) 7.1 The exporting advantages available for Vellus Since Vellus is a small organization which has the potential to grow, exporting will increase its overall sales, improving market share and general profit margins that are often favorable than the domestic market. A good example in relation to Vellus, a Taiwanese importer who purchased $25,00 worth of products and many knew the product and the demand for the product increased. Increase in demand results into growth in market share which would later increase sales volume. Building up on the above advantage would add on to say increase in market share and demand would mean Vellus producing on a a large scale hence increasing economies of scale and reducing cost per unit of manufacturing. Exporting will diversify customer base, reducing dependency on home markets. To date, Vellus has exported its products to Australia, Canada, China, England, Norway and South Africa roughly half of its revenues come from exporting. From this we can say Vellus has diversified customer base in different countries and has also reduced its dependency on domestic market as half of its revenue has come from foreign markets. Exporting also stabilizes fluctuations in sales associated with economic circles or seasonality demand. For example Vellus can offset declining demands at home due to economic recessions or unforeseen environmental factors by refocusing efforts to other countries doing good in their economy. If Vellus faces high risk in foreign markets such as foreign currency fluctuations, unstable political environment into what is happening in the Ireland now where the economy has taken its turn to the worst, or decrease in demand for its product it can withdraw from the market. Exporting minimize flexibility and maximize risk. Since Vellus does not require a physical presence when pursuing an export strategy in foreign markets there is a lower cost of entry. Vellus can use exporting to test new markets before committing great resources through foreign direct investment. 7.2 The drawbacks of exporting Since exporting does not require a firm to have physical presence in a foreign market (in contrast FDI) , Vellus has fewer opportunities to learn about customers, competitors and other unique aspects of the market. Although Vellus has acquired information about some cultural aspects in some markets it may lack the full details which can be important in decision making. Having general knowledge of the target would prove dangerous as significant aspects such as what drives customers specific demand, however do our customers look at our competition and what policies government is pursuing. Exporting requires the firm to inquire capabilities and dedicate organizational resources to properly conduct export transaction. For small firms like Vellus limited resources can limit the way would conduct the export strategy. Exporting requires management to put more time and effort to learn about freight for forwarders, documentation, foreign currencies and new financing methods. The acquisition of such capabilities can put a strain on small businesses like Vellus who might not have the required resources and competencies to meet them. Compared to other entry strategies exporting is much more sensitive to tariff and other trade barriers as well as fluctuations in exchange rates. Into trade barriers Vellus might find it difficult to export to European markets due to unfavorable conditions( barriers) that apply if you are not in Europe or a member of the European union(EU). In relation to the exchange rate we will give an example: the US dollar gained 12% against the Euro and 15% against the Yen. This led to a slow growth of US exports harming those firms that rely heavily on exporting for generating international sales. Exporters run the risk of being priced out of foreign markets. Cavusgil et al (2008, p.389-391) 8.0 CONCLUSION The role of small medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in exporting is growing. In the United States SMEs have less than 500 employees although in Europe and elsewhere where firms may have fewer than 500 employees to qualify SMEs. Many governments have undertaken aggressive campaigns to help SMEs to become exporters. The world bank assists SMEs to develop their business skills. SMEs do not require large export markets they mainly carter for niches. Exporting in general has risen in recent years because its seen as a less risky and most flexible entry strategy.

Nahua Philosophy :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been the goal of any society to try and begin to understand the nature of existence and the connection with an ultimate that humans feel. This searching is often human nature and leads different cultures around the world to describe the human problematic in many different ways. For the Nauha, a native Mexican tribe, the surface of the earth (tlalticpac) is slippery and narrow like a jagged path following mountain peeks. With a world view as such people having to walk along this dangerous path the look for ways to keep their balance and maintain their lives. The balance for the Nauha is discovered and maintained using their knowledge of Teotl: a single, dynamic, vivifying, self-generating and regenerating, self-transforming and reforming sacred energy force. Teotl is the trees and the wind and the river. It exists in both an independent state and an interconnected state simultaneously, thus making it complete reality for the Nauha. The nature of Teotl served as a model for Nauha sages to conceive their metaphysics, axiology, epistemology, praxis, and aesthetics. The sacred force gave them the wisdom to make choices that help them maintain the proper path. The world is filled with pain, sorrow, and suffering, but wisdom can teach you how to maintain equilibrium and reduce misfortune. This was not wisdom in the modern sense, but rather it was wisdom in making choices that kept you along the right path while walking the slippery slope of the world. The Nauha conception of balance carries also into their understanding of knowledge or epistemology. Neltiliztli is quickly translated into truth, but its definition would not be complete without well-grounded stability, and well rootedness. The Nauha believed that a person cognizes truly is and only if she/he cognizes well rooted. Teotl gives us insight into the truth, but it also is able to deceive us as well. The deception is not as a result of Teotl trying to hide fr om us, but rather it is our inability to see the true nature of Teotl that causes our misperception. With the Nauha concept of wisdom comes the ability to see Teotl in its true form and as a result knowledge is formed. This is very different from most conceptions of knowledge that center the true or false based on external contingencies rather than internal perception. However, with the nature of all things being Teotl then truth is all that exists.

The Statue Of Liberty Essay -- essays research papers

There are few objects that can be compared to the significance of the figure known as the Statue of Liberty. It is one of the greatest works of its time and still stands today as a meaningful entity of independence to the world. The statue is a great tribute to the concept of global freedom that had its roots in America. It was created to display the worldwide objective of peace and tranquility. The fact that another model of this icon stands today in a world capital shows the effect that this figure has inscribed upon the world. In addition, it represents the ideas that the United States was built upon and those that the people have lived by to this very day. Its most paramount features in its role through American history are its creation and history, the characteristics the statue possesses, and its symbolic relevance on the world. The creation of the statue was one of the most complex processes that she went through throughout her long life. The honor of the inception of the statue was given to Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor who specialized in the arts. Bartholdi acquired his success early in his life at the tender age of nineteen. He was often the subject of scorn and contempt by fellow artists, but never allowed himself to be put down by their petty insults. His true potential was indeed revealed through the creation of the statue. The statue was not a project without problems. It had a late start, considering that it was supposed to be completed in time for the one-hundredth birthday of the United States. A substantial number of delays also threatened the effectuation by the deadline. One of the more considerable problems was money. The Statue almost never lived to see New York harbor due to lack of fun... ...ction to this day was considered insignificant, as the entire country seemed to have lost their minds in anticipation for such an exciting event. Liberty was greeted with enthusiasm and exhilaration. The President himself had shown up for the joyous occasion. Congress had accepted the proposal to keep Liberty as a lighthouse and opened the treasury to New York. Many important people and dignitaries had turned up for the milestone moment. Furthermore, it was a distinguished historical occurrence, marking the 110th birthday since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. France was regarded as the United States? sister republic in the East. As President Grover Cleveland said to the people of America, ?Reflected thence and joined with answering rays, a steam of light shall pierce the darkness of ignorance and man?s oppression until Liberty enlightens the world.?

The Tell-Tale Heart How does the author make his story-telling effectiv

The Tell-Tale Heart How does the author make his story-telling effective? Edgar Allan Poe made this story special for the reader. It is a study of paranoia How does the author make his story-telling effective? Edgar Allan Poe made this story special for the reader. It is a study of paranoia and mental deterioration. First of all, he combines the narrator and the protagonist. Poe writes this story from the perspective of the murderer of the old man. When an author creates a situation where the protagonist tells a personal account, the general shock of the story is sharp. The narrator, in this particular story, adds to the effect of horror by continually stressing to the reader that he is not mad, and tries to convince us of that fact by how carefully this brutal crime was planned and executed.. It is surprising, because the criminals frequently deny their crimes. The reader doesn’t know much about the protagonist, not even his name or his sex, using only "I" and "me" in reference to his character. It could as well be a young man or an old lady. While he tells his tale, the narrator uses a cold and factual tone. He uses a lot of vocabulary in reference with death and suffering, as to create an atmosphere where the reader could feel uneasy, such as â€Å"Whenever it fell upon me my blood ran cold.† The narrator stresses the reader that he is not mad, and tries to convince him of that fact by showing how carefully his crime was planned and executed. â€Å" You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded† Moreover during the whole tale, he builds attempts to convince the reader he’s not a madman but in fact, he seems more to be trying to persua... ...ology of the story to show a scene from the past. By using these flashbacks, the author manages, to express the confusion of the protagonist’s mind. Moreover, Poe uses a gothic literary style, where story of darkness may happen in a more everyday setting, such as the quaint house where the protagonist goes mad from the "beating" of his guilt. Poe strips the story of a river of detail as a way to intensify the murderer’s obsession with the old man’s eye, the heartbeat, and his own claim to sanity. Allan Edgar Poe, wrote a strong story, with an unusual point of view. Following, the criminal in his long way down to madness, and his resistance towards the truth. He’s the one with a problem, not the eye. But the reader is supposed to be convince at the end of his speech that he’s not mad, but they finally, think he isn’t â€Å"just nervous† as he says, but mad.

Stakeholders in Tesco and College

a) For each of your chosen organizations describe 5 different stakeholders they have.List StakeholderTesco DescribeList StakeholderGrwp Llandrillo Menai StakeholderCustomersTheir main interests in the business are reliable quality, value for money, product availability, and customer service. They want to experience the best possible service and products which are good value for money.GovernmentTheir main interests in the business are that it operates legally, tax receipts and jobs. They want to make sure the business is offering jobs.SuppliersTheir main interests in the business long term contracts and prompt payments. They want prompt payments from the business.CommunityTheir main interests in the business are the environment, local jobs and local impact. They want to make sure that the business does not impact the environment negatively and that they are producing local jobs.EmployeesTheir main interests in the business are their salary and wages, job security, job satisfaction and motivation from the business. They want to make sure they are secure within their job, enjoying it and also getting paid the right amount.SuppliersTheir main interests in the business long term contracts and prompt payments. They want prompt payments from the business.ManagersTheir main interest in the business is their salary, share options, personal job satisfaction and their status. They want to work their way up in the business.EmployeesTheir main interests in the business are their salary and wages, job security, job satisfaction and motivation from the business. They want to make sure they are secure within their job, enjoying it and also getting paid the right amount.ShareholdersTheir main interests in the business are profit growth, share price growth and dividends. They want a good return on their investments from the business.ManagersTheir main interest in the business is their salary, share options, personal job satisfaction and their status. They want to work their way up in the business.b) You need to explain the points of view of different stakeholders seeking to influence the aims and objectives of two contrasting organisations.Tesco StakeholderThe company’s aim and or objective this stakeholder has influence on or may attempt to influence What is the point of view of the stakeholder, what would they want and why would they want it? How can they influence the company?CustomersThe customer’s aims are to get the best quality products for minimum prices. The customers want a good quality service and products that are good for money. They want this because they want a satisfying shopping experience and not feel that they have to complain. The customers can influence the company Revenue / repeat business Word of mouth recommendationSuppliersThe suppliers aim is to sell their produce to a large organisation and a long term contract. The suppliers want a long term contract with Tesco and prompt payments. They want this so Tesco cannot sw itch suppliers in short notice. The suppliers can influence the businesses pricing, product quality and the availability of the product.EmployeesAn employee’s aim to provide good customer service.The employees want to make sure they are secure within their job, enjoying it and also getting paid the right amount. They want this so they have job satisfaction. The employees can influences the businesses staff turnover and the quality of the service.ManagersThe manager’s aim within the business is to ensure all the customers are fully satisfied and that the employees are working efficiently and providing good customer service. The managers want a good salary, personal job satisfaction and to work their way up in the business. They want this so they have personal job satisfaction. The managers can influence the business by making important decisions and by having detailed information about the business.ShareholdersThe shareholders aim within a business to own as many shares and have good returns. The shareholders want a good return on their investments from the business. They want this so they aren’t left short of money. The shareholders can influence the company as they can elect directors.Grwp Llandrillo Menai StakeholderThe company’s aim and or objective this stakeholder has influence on or may attempt to influence What is the point of view of the stakeholder, what would they want and why would they want it? How can they influence the company?CommunityThe communities aim is to ensure the company is successful and this could also bring jobs to the local community. The community’s influence within the business.could be that they could make some suggestions to change the structure of the business. The community want to make sure that the business does not impact the environment negatively and that they are producing local jobs. They want this so that the business does not impact the community negatively. The community can influenc e the business indirectly by local planning and opinion leaders.GovernmentThe government’s aim is to improve the welfare of the country's population. The government wants the business to be offering jobs to the local community and to be operating legally. They want this so that the college is boosting the economy now and in the future. The government can influence the company by introducing rules and regulations, subsidies, taxation and planning permission.SuppliersThe suppliers aim is to sell their produce to a large organisation and a long term contract. The suppliers want a long term contract and prompt payments. They want this because they don’t want the business to switch suppliers with no notice. The suppliers can influence the businesses pricing, product quality and the availability of the product.EmployeesAn employee’s aim to provide good customer service.The employees want to make sure they are secure within their job, enjoying it and also getting paid the right amount. They want this so they have job satisfaction and are happy at work. The employees can influences the businesses staff turnover and the quality of the service.ManagersThe manager’s aim within the business is to ensure all the customers are fully satisfied and that the employees are working efficiently and providing good customer service. The managers want a good salary, personal job satisfaction and to work their way up in the business. They want this so they have personal job satisfaction. The managers can influence the business by making important decisions and by having detailed information about the business.

Discipline: School Types Essay

It doesn’t take a lot of research to tell us that discipline in school is different today than it was in the 1950s. But it does take some investigation to find out why. Various studies have shown that students who act up in school express a variety of reasons for doing so: * Some think that teachers don’t care about them. * Others don’t want to be in school at all. * They don’t consider goal setting and success in school important anymore. * Students are unaware that their adolescent behaviors will result in punishment they won’t like. * Discipline enforcers have to go through long procedures of due process: hearings, specific charges, witnesses, and appeals. Despite these hurdles, students agree that discipline is needed in schools. One high school student stated: â€Å"If there were no discipline, the school would not be distinguished from the street.† So if everyone agrees that discipline is key to safety in school, why do we still have a problem? Student-Teacher Relationships In many schools, teachers are intimidated by their students. Out of fear of retaliation, they fail to report problems or ignore them hoping that the students responsible will quit the bad behavior by themselves. Troubled Students State and Federal laws require that some special needs students receive special attention. Many adults and school systems believe that â€Å"troubled students† are not responsible for their actions, thus they’re not punished as severely as other students. Legal Procedures Because of the raised awareness of the civil rights of children, the law requires adults to go through expensive, time-consuming and confusing procedures in regards to school discipline. These legal procedures do protect the rights of children, but make it very difficult to stop school discipline problems. Modeling Very simply, too many adults fail to model the behaviors they want from students. Modeling the rules that students are to follow should be required of all adults. All adults in a community, especially parents and teachers, need to model integrity, honesty, respect and self-control. Enforcement Because of internal administrative problems or lack of procedures, many school officials fail to enforce the rules or punish students for infractions. Some fear lawsuits from parents; others just don’t care, or they’re â€Å"burned out.† Time-out and Detention In-school suspensions, time-out and detention have been age-old solutions for troubled students. Yet today, many students don’t mind detention, preferring it to going home to an empty or abusive household. Many consider time-out a quiet place to work. Detention lets them socialize after school. And both time-out and detention get them attention from caring adults. â€Å"Fuzzy† Rules Studies have shown that many rules are not strictly enforced. Lots of school and classroom rules don’t make sense to students. Some discipline codes are â€Å"fuzzy† and not clear on expectations and punishments. Some disruptive students are labeled with codes like ADHD (Attention Defecit/Hyperactivity Disorder) or Emotional Impairment. This leads some school staff to mistakenly assume that they cannot enforce positive behavior and instead must resort to asking parents to â€Å"medicate† them. Self Esteem Many schools have emphasized self-esteem over and above everything else. Some teachers are afraid to discipline or demand good behavior because it will hurt the child’s self esteem. The result? Now we have ill-behaved, rude kids-but they feel good about themselves. Discipline Trends that Show Promise Some schools are taking control of and finding ways to confront the problems of discipline and school violence. Here are a few programs that seem to be working: * Reaching Success through Involvement: This process has been used in 17 schools across the nation. It involves students in improving their schools, requires adult school members and student leaders to form a community of learners and leaders for improvement. This process alters school contracts, roles and responsibilities of students, teachers and administrators. The students work with the adults to help other students develop a sense of ownership and control. This new feeling of control makes students more motivated to learn. It has been a success in the 17 schools and is being introduced in more schools around the nation. * Parental involvement: In Paterson, New Jersey, parents of truant students are not fined or jailed, they are required to come to school by the court. This punishment leads to a decrease in truancy. Also, in both Maryland and South Carolina, the punishment for some school discipline problems is to require the parents to attend school with their children. Once the parents see that education is important for their children, their children have not been repeat offenders. * Alternative schools: Many school systems have found that by permanently removing chronically disruptive students from the classroom to an alternative school situation, the school discipline problems from the first school decrease drastically. * School scheduling: Many schools have found that a simple solution of rescheduling school lunches has dramatically decreased discipline problems. By spreading lunches out for a longer period, there are fewer frustrations, temper flare ups, and other problems resulting from the stress of having to put up with a crowded lunch period. * School I.D.s: Many schools are also requiring their students to display a picture I.D to cut down on unauthorized persons coming into a school to promote disruptions. This also eases the impersonal atmosphere of larger schools by letting students and teachers learn one another’s names. * Recognition that school is a learning place: Repeatedly, school systems are stressing that schools are a place for learning, not a recreation/social center for students. Once this â€Å"learning atmosphere† is established and enforced, schools have a lower percentage of discipline problems. Basically, school discipline has become lax over the years as our relationships have weakened. Consolidated school systems and mega schools have made the separation between family and school wider than ever. These mega schools have largely ignored the local community. Also, some parents have lost touch with their children for many different reasons. For school discipline to be successful, we need to restore those relationships. Parents and schools need to work together to instill the importance of education into children of all ages. Finding discipline procedures that work is a job for students, parents, and teachers to explore together. In today’s society, working together within the school and community will help teach children that working as a team can effectively solve the problem.

An Experience That Changed My Life

Seven years ago I gave birth to a healthy boy who changed everything about me and my life. Before his birth I was an optimistic person who only thought of the fun things that would make my day. I was an immature girl without a care in the world. After his birth I grew up, stopped partying, and took on the responsibility that was gifted to me. It has not been a breezy walk along the shores of the beach, but more like a steep climb up a precipitous and rocky mountain. Yet having my son is not something that I would give up no matter how hard it is. Before the birth of my son I was an optimistic person who only thought of the fun things that would make my day. I was an immature girl without a care in the world. I remember spending my days with friends and traveling between our beautiful islands of the Northern Marianas, not worrying about anything or about spending too much of my parents’ money. I enjoyed spending my summer days at the beach walking along the shores, collecting sea shells, and going for a swim. I enjoyed going to parties just to enjoy time and eat all the delicious food I could put on my plate. I enjoyed going to festivals to play games, watch dance competitions, and spend my money on food that were delicious at each vendor. I remember drinking and dancing the nights away with my friends. I remember always going out to the Aquarius Club on Friday nights with friends just to drink and dance. I’d get so intoxicated with alcoholic beverages that I’d end up drunk. I’d dance with my friends and just enjoy the great time I’m having in the club until I was ready to go back home. I always had the time to sleep as long as I wanted to after a crazy night out. I remember just going to school and completing my assignments on time without any hassle. I had so much time to myself. I remember playing video games, surfing the internet, or just watching television all day if I had no homework. I remember just going to school, partying, and having a great time. But seven years ago, November 01, 2003 it all changed, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy my son Divine Joe. The day I went in to the hospital to give birth to him was a very exciting day, I checked in at Commonwealth Health Center at 10:00 in the morning; the Doctor was oing to induce me at 12:00pm. I remember just lying there on the bed being so excited wanting him to be out already. The midwife and nurses came in and hooked me up to the IV and baby monitors. At 6:30 pm I was fully dilated and my water bag hadn’t broken so the midwife broke it for me. And that is when I started wishing it would really all just end. The pain was so excruciating I thought I was going to die, but it did not last long. At 8:05 pm my baby boy was born and he was just perfect to me. The unbearable and exhausting pain I had gone through was worth it. I had never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I had never been puked on, pooped on, chewed on, or peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I could sleep all day or all night, basically anytime I wanted too. I had never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests or give shots. I had never looked into teary eyes and cried. I had never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I had never sat up late hours at night watching a baby go to sleep or having to wake up every ten minutes in the middle of the night just to make sure everything was okay with him. I had never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put him down. I had never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the pain he was going through. I had never known that something so small, like a baby, could affect my life so much. I had never known that I could love being a parent. I hadn’t known the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I hadn’t known that something so small, like a baby, could make me feel so important and happy. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being a parent. I hadn’t known that I was capable of feeling so much more. When the midwife put my son in my arms he was so soft and warm. His eyes were open and so bright. I remember crying and thinking to myself wow this is my son, a precious part of me and he is just adorable. His birth changed everything about me and my life, it was an unexpected gift. Having my son was the greatest thing to happen to me; it changed my life for the good qualities. After his birth I grew up, stopped partying, and took on the responsibility that was gifted to me because he gave me purpose in this world.

Infrastructure

Is infrastructure a key factor to the growth and stability of the economy? or is it a non-factor and needs not to be maintained and improved to better serve and help improve the economy. Infrastructure in general is the system of transport and communication in a state, region or country. A famous Canadian geographer was once quoted saying, â€Å"†¦ any region which has a well-developed transportation and communication network also enjoys a high degree of economic prosperity†¦ This statement has sparked much controversy between geographers, Politicians, as well as conomists. Question is, is there a link between a well-developed infrastructure and economy prosperity (economy growth)? Without a doubt, there is a direct link. Infrastructure facilitates the basic functions of a society that are necessary to transport resources and people, produce and trade goods, provide essential services and ultimately reduce poverty.The direct link can be understood better by looking at the effects of infrastructure. The drawbacks of poor infrastructure lead to high transport cost especially in landlocked areas, thus the economy gets affected. Employment is low where there is poor infrastructure. Lack of adequate infrastructure perpetuates poverty, because it denies possibilities. Affordability, it is relatively expensive to maintain and build.Due to this factors and the analyses from the department of treasury know is an ideal time to increase our investment because, infrastructure investments have long-term economic benefits and create Jobs in the short run, there is currently a high level of underutilized resources that can be used to improve and expand our infrastructure. The cost of transportation is lowered for American households, there is a strong demand by the public and businesses for dditional transport infrastructure capacity.Long-term economic benefits from infrastructure create Jobs in the short run and this is a crucial and important aspect of growth and economic stability in a country. As much as the infrastructure is important and maintaining it being so expensive, if the economy is not good it is hard to have a developed and well maintained infrastructure system. Research has shown that well-designed infrastructure investments can raise economic growth, productivity, and land values, while also providing significant spillovers to areas such as energy efficiency, public health and manufacturing.Thus to say both infrastructure and economy go hand in hand. They affect each other both negatively and positively. On June 29, 1956 President Dwight Eisenhower signed the federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 â€Å"The national system of interstate and defense highways† according to Eisenhower the purpose of this was to eliminate unsafe roads, inefficient routes, traffic Jams and all of the other things that got in the way of â€Å"speedy, safe transcontinental travel. † for all these reasons the 1956 law declared that the constru ction of an elaborate expressway system was essential to the national interest and growth of the economy.Todays Interstate System is what our suburban lifestyle and caused the vast proliferation of businesses from HoJos to Holiday Inns. And if you order something online, most likely it's a truck barreling along an interstate that gets the product to your door. there are a lot of undiscovered materials that we could use not only that we have all the man power and technology we need to build whatever we need to improve our infrastructure Among those who gain employment as a result of additional infrastructure investment, the average unemployment rate has averaged approximately 13 percent over the past 12 months.This is more than one and one- half times the current national unemployment rate. Within the construction sector, which accounts for the majority of direct employment resulting from infrastructure investment, the unemployment rate has averaged 15. 6 percent over the past 12 mon ths. Construction costs and other costs associated with building projects are especially low in the current environment. As a result, the President has taken decisive action to accelerate project permitting and environmental review.In the President's August 31, 2011, memorandum, he directed the heads of all executive epartments and agencies to: (1) identify and work to expedite permitting and environmental reviews for high-priority infrastructure projects with significant potential for Job creation; and (2) implement new measures designed to improve accountability, transparency, and efficiency through the use of modern information technology.Relevant agencies should monitor the progress of priority projects; coordinate and resolve issues arising during permitting and environmental review; and develop best practices for expediting these decisions that may be instituted on a ider scale, consistent with applicable law. In addition, in this year's State of the Union address, the Preside nt announced his intention to â€Å"sign an executive order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects. † Investing in transportation infrastructure creates middleclass Jobs.Analysis suggests that 61 percent of the Jobs directly created by investing in infrastructure would be in the construction sector, 12 percent would be in the manufacturing sector, and 7 percent would be in the retail and wholesale trade sectors, for a total of 80 percent in hese three sectors. Nearly 90 percent of the Jobs in these three sectors most affected by infrastructure spending are middleclass Jobs, defined as those paying between the 25th and 75th percentile of the national distribution of wages.The President's proposal emphasizes transportation choices, including mass transit and high-speed rail, to deliver the greatest long-term benefits to those who need it most: middle-class families. The average American family spends more than $7,600 a year on transportation, which is more than they spend on food and twice what they spend n out-of-pocket health care costs. For 90 percent of Americans, transportation costs absorb one out of every seven dollars of income. This burden is due in large and this calls for better infrastructure and investing more in it to make progress.Multi-modal transportation investments are critical to making sure that American families can travel without wasting time and money stuck in traffic. A more efficient transportation money. Traffic congestion on our roads results in 1. 9 billion gallons of gas wasted per year, and costs drivers over $100 billion in wasted fuel and lost time. More efficient ir traffic control systems would save 3 billion gallons of Jet fuel a year, translating into lower costs for consumers.Finally, new research indicates that Americans who were able to live in housing were able to save $200 per month in lower costs over the past decade. Americans want more transportation investment. After years of underinvestment in our transportation system, Americans' satisfaction with our public transit system s middling when compared to public satisfaction with highways and public transit systems around the world. the Global competitiveness report for 2012-13, published arlier this month by the world economic forum showed that U.S infrastructure was ranked 7th in 2008, but has dropped to 14 in the world this year. The U. S. score dropped from 6. 10 in 2008 to 5. 7 this year (7 is the top score, and 1 is the worst score). One of the main reasons for the deterioration of U. S. infrastructure in the last five years, a deterioration which is reflected in the drop in ranking, is the economic downturn which began in 2008. Funding for roads, bridges, highways, and other critical infrastructure is largely dependent on state revenues, and as states ook less money in, they were forced to spend less on infrastructure maintenance and improvements.Passing the MAP-21 bill was an accomplishment for a d o-little Congress, but serious issues about how to pay for transportation in the future have yet to be resolved. The recent highway bill, MAP-21 replaces SAFETEA-LU, the last long-term federal transportation bill, which expired in 2009 for example, it did not increase spending on transportation, even though lawmakers were aware of the need to do so. The 2009 stimulus package did help shore up some infrastructure, but was not nearly sufficient to meet the countrys needs.

Allen Stanford

Adding to the case are charges against a former Antiguan official who has allegedly taken bribes from Stanford and his companies, a lawsuit against insurance group Lloyds of London by Allen Stanford, and a lawsuit by investors against Stanford’s auditing firm BDO. Despite the fact that his Chief Financial Officer testified against him in a plea bargain agreement, Stanford pleads not guilty to all charges. Adding drama to this high profile case, Stanford required medical treatment after getting beaten in prison and claims to have developed amnesia. The Stanford International Bank offered returns that were consistently double digits on its CDs. In their pitch to investors, SIB employees claimed it was due to smart portfolio management and investment in safe, liquid securities. SIB also claimed that a team of 20 talented analysts manage the portfolios carefully. However, the SEC claims that this is all false. In its complaint filed in February 2009, the SEC described Stanford’s operation as a â€Å"massive ponzi scheme. † The CDs were not reinvested in liquid securities – SIB’s portfolio mainly consisted of illiquid assets like real estate. The value of these assets was grossly overstated to pad the company’s financial reports. SIB offered returns based on fabricated performance data and claiming as historical data and portfolio management was done solely by Stanford and the CFO, James Davis. In addition, Stanford misappropriated more than $1 billion of investors’ funds. The money went to a fleet of yachts and jets, hosting an international cricket match, Caribbean real estate and bribing Antiguan regulators. Another layer of Stanford’s deception was the assurance of BDO, an independent auditing firm that issued unqualified audits of Stanford’s companies. Investors have filed a $10. 7 billion suit against BDO for â€Å"ignoring signs of potential fraud. (Bloomberg) Investors also claim that BDO should have been aware that Stanford’s company â€Å"was operating as an unregistered hedge fund illegally disguising itself as a bank. †(Bloomberg) The complaint also calls into question BDO’s close relationship with Stanford Financial Group and raises issues about conflict of interest. The SEC claims that Stanford International Bank sold unregistered CDs. Had they been registered, the SEC would have been able to verify the value of the CDs. The SEC suggests that the scheme goes back to at least 1995 where the bank reported identical returns in consecutive years. The SEC also charges Stanford and his companies of not cooperating with the SEC’s investigation and claims that about 90% of their investment portfolios â€Å"reside in a black box shielded from any independent oversight†( SEC v. Stanford International Bank, Ltd. , et al. ) Ironically, Stanford has sued SEC, the FBI, and members of the Justice Department for preventing redemption of CDs by investors by freezing his companies’ accounts. The SEC also took action to help compensate investors by filing suit against Securities Investor Protection Corp (SIPC) in order to force the company to pay investors. The SEC is getting heavily involved and taking a very aggressive stance in this case likely due to heightened alert from the recent Madoff Ponzi scheme. Stanford’s assets have been seized by the authorities and are in the process of liquidation. Auditors that are reviewing financial statements of investors that were involved in the Stanford case will have difficulty assessing how much their clients can recover. It is difficult to track investors’ funds in Stanford’s portfolio since it was managed by two people who worked in secret and because the CDs were unregistered with the SEC. The case is still undecided as Stanford is pleading not guilty. On another front, the SIPC is being coerced by SEC’s lawsuit to compensate investors but the SIPC plans to defend itself. On yet another front, some of the investors are involved in the lawsuit against BDO. In an audit of an investor involved in this case, it would be difficult to value the client’s portfolio. Some investors may face business risk contingent on the outcome of these trials. Investors seeking securities in off-shore banks should always consider the saying â€Å"if it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t. Investors should also look into the regulatory environment of the institution. While off-shore banks claim that savings from less regulation is translated into better returns, it should raise flags when it consistently performs above market for 15 years. BDO’s reports should have also raised flags as it did not examine Stanford’s portfolio.

Business and enterprise coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business and enterprise coursework - Essay Example 45-50). In fact, cross-cultural management seeks to inform business mangers about cultural diversity and its effects on the business (Bhattacharyya 2010, pp. 92-95). Cultural differences influence interpersonal interactions, business management, and intergroup interactions (Tagreed 2012, pp. 105-109). Notably, in the global market environment, managers encounter different cultures and hence the need to understand the differences in these cultures and their effects on management. More so, when two or more companies merge, there must be different cultures in application and hence the need to adopt the best characteristics of the existing cultures (Ghosn 2013, pp. 1). In merging the different cultures, managers must make sure that they do not destroy the best cultural values. In addition, to implement a business strategy in a foreign country, one must consider all the cultural characteristics of the targeted society (Kozenkow 2013, pp. 1). Worth noting is that to increase the cultural k nowledge of an individual or an organization is very challenging. In this context, cross- cultural management addresses various cultural challenges in the global market thus making cross-cultural operations work much more successfully. Indeed, an understanding of the cultural factors that affect a business is very fundamental for any manager. As such, the issue of cross-cultural management is very fundamental in the modern business environment. This paper addresses the main cultural challenges facing the managers of British Multinational; Enterprises in the early 21st century and discusses the main management skills that are required for Cross-cultural Management to be effective. In doing this, the paper will refer to relevant academic literature and draw appropriate examples to support my analysis. Growth in information technologies, advanced communication, globalization (Dong & Liu 2010, pp. 223-228), deregulation, and privatization have led to increased growth in cross-border bus iness in the modern times. As the modern businesses become more global, people with different cultures have learnt to the need of working together by respecting cultural diversity. However, the growth in cross-border business attract cultural challenges which hider the success of such business (Tagreed 2012, pp. 105-109). As a result, managers adopt cross-cultural management strategies to enhance effectiveness in cross-cultural interactions. Nevertheless, managers of British Multinational; Enterprises in the early 21st century face numerous cultural challenges in the business world. One of the challenges that managers face is the difference in response to organizational practices, such as attitude and behaviors between different cultures. For example, people from individualistic and collectivistic national cultures respond differently to organizational practices where collectivistic cultures worked better in a group as individualistic cultures performed better in a specific manager (Johann 2008, pp. 10). The differences in response to organizational practices pose a great challenge to managers of British Multinational; Enterprises in the early 21st century since they may fail to offer harmonized performance in case of a merger. Another challenge relates to the cultural differences that a foreign manager or a company may face in a foreign nation that has a different culture. This inhibits the management since the employees and the managers adopt distinct

Animation Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Animation Question - Essay Example The squash will make a bouncing ball appear deformed although the nature and shape will remain the same after the squashing action. The principles of stretch and squash would make the scene appear more appealing to the audience. The principles make transitions between different parts of the play appear attractive and smoother (Loose 1). When a human character is thrown he/she would strive hard to stop falling. Perhaps he or she would spread hands, widen his mouth and probably make some bitter sounds but eventually land on the ground. On the other hand, a briefcase is a concrete object and possibly would neither stretch nor squash very much. It may open while falling or break upon reaching the ground. An umbrella is lighter and probably when thrown it may pop open while descending and stretch thus reducing the pace at which they fall. The umbrella may then flip inside out and I acceleration would increase hence triggering squashing and stretching as it lands. A flowerpot may separate from the organic flower as it stretches and probably squashes upon making an impact with the ground. Bowling balls are weighty and made of compact solid material hence will have both low stretch and squash. Therefore, the effects of falling would not be clearly evident on the bowling balls since they are had. The most squash and stretch is seen when a football is thrown from the window. The air in an inflated football makes the stretch even greater as the ball comes down and severe squash during impact with the

An Introduction to the Supply Chain and the Firm's Position within It Essay

An Introduction to the Supply Chain and the Firm's Position within It - Essay Example Discussion: A Supply Chain may be seen as a series or network of facilities and distribution channels which facilitate the procurement, processing and conversion of raw materials into finished products and their distribution from the place of production to the final customer through a series of distribution stages. The stages are characterized by the distributer at the given stage and the activities that are performed by the distributor to ensure the delivery of the product to the end customer (Wiley 2012). The supply chain usually takes diverse forms. The structure of the firm varies in length, size, shape and the kind of activity involved. Also, a firm may be part of more than one interconnected supply chains, whose final outcome might be differentially diverse (Enporion 2009). Thus the Supply chains may sometimes more appropriately be referred to as Supply networks. For example Kellogg’s the world leading breakfast cereal and snack producer, sources raw materials from diffe rent sources which are functionally as well as geographically diverse. Further, Kellogg’s collaborates with a huge network of distributors like wholesalers, retailers and other outlets like hotels etc to make its product reach to the end customers (The Times 2012). Once the concept of a Supply chain as part of the value chain is established, the concept of Supply Chain Management (SCM) comes to the fore. However it is important to understand the concept of logistics first. Logistics is concerned with Flow of materials and information to and from a firm’s boundaries aiding in the production and distribution of its products to the customers. At the same time, supply chain is a network of companies performing these logistical activities together to bring a product or products to the market. Also, a supply chain, apart from the logistical activities, also includes activities like marketing, finance and customer service. Supply Chain management thus is concerned with the co ordinated activities of production, location and inventory among the various participants of a supply chain. The activities are directed such that a mix of responsiveness and efficiency that is best suited to the market is achieved (Wiley 2012). Supply chain management is therefore concerned with the efficiency and effectiveness of a supply chain. One of the major objectives of a supply chain is to reduce the logistical costs. Also, it strives to achieve an incentive within the system to remove waste from the processes or activities involved. It is through effective Supply Chain management that a firm can achieve the objective of a giving a better and differentiated value to the end customer. Kellogg’s for instance achieves this value through activities like partnering with supermarkets like Tesco. It follows close relationships with such partners. It has come up with a shelf ready unit at Tesco, which helps gives better choice and visibility to customers. Also, it augurs wel l for the sales both for Tesco as well as for Kellogg’s. In the recent years, Supply Chain Management has assumed an increasingly important role. This is so due the increasing globalization and industrial competition. From the perspective of stakeholders of a supply chain

Assisting Palestine Refugees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Assisting Palestine Refugees - Essay Example Thus the Palestinian refugees were scattered through the different locations where their presence is still seen today. In June 2002, US President George W. Bush formally committed US support to the creation of an independent Palestinian state that would be established on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This was further bolstered by the pronouncement by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in the 2004 Likud convention, that â€Å"If a new Palestinian Authority is established, free of terror, if the incitement stops, the Israeli government led by the Likud will be prepared to carry out its part to make possible the establishment of an independent Palestinian state† 2 In January 2009, Israel ended a three-week military operation in the Gaza Strip that killed 1,200 Gaza residents and 5,000 wounded. During the military assault, civilian housing, public infrastructure, and most importantly medical facilities suffered serious damage, with thousands left homeless. A subsequent UN fact-finding mission recommended that international legal action be taken against Israel and Hamas for alleged war crimes and what may be crimes against humanity; however, as of the end of 2009, the UN Security Council has not yet acted on the recommendation.3 Meanwhile, Israeli pursued a policy of restricting movement of people and goods through the borders of the Gaza Strip, which has stifled economic activity and impeded territorial reconstruction. Restrictions were slightly relaxed in the West Bank; however, economic progress, settlement building, and reconstruction were all the same impeded, while incidences of settler violence against Palestinians still broke out. 4 It is against this backdrop that the case of Palestinian refugees is to be analyzed. The refugee situation shall be described by assessing the rights and obligations of the host state vis-à  -vis the refugee, the capability and nature of short-term and long-term responses, the role of international civic organizations in refugee response, and the prospects for successful repatriation and reconstruction.