Apparitions and the Supernatural in Shakespeares The Tempest

What immediately strikes the audience about The Tempest is the use of the supernatural in the form of apparitions like Ariel and the Harpy. These apparitions are under Prosperos authority and the result of his Art, which is the disciplined use of virtuous knowledge. By invoking a masque to celebrate the betrothal of Ferdinand and Miranda, Prospero effectively brings to full circle the theme of re-generation by obliterating the evil done and suffered by one generation through the love of the next. However, this is juxtaposed against the anti-masque elements of the attempted usurpations of Antonio and Caliban, which hold the play in a delicate balance between a tragic or comic resolution, holding the audience in great suspense.†¦show more content†¦This brave spirit, Ariel, is a minister of Order and Providence. By being omniscient, he not only allays the initial tempest through his music, but he also undermines the plots against human life -- Antonio and Sebastians attempt at Alonsos life and Calibans murder plot. On a lighter note, Ariel also acts as a source of great entertainment for the audience as he goes about his work for Prospero, especially when he proceeds to undermine Calibans murder plot with great relish and excitement as he leads the intoxicated conspirators through a filthy mantled pool, symbolic of their bestiality. The juxtaposition of a spirit of the elements with a creature of the earth in the form of Caliban brings out the bestiality of this deformed brute. The subjugation of both creatures is reminiscent of forced colonialism as they would very much rather be free. Caliban would rather be his own king while Ariel repeatedly asks for my (his) liberty. While the bestial Caliban responds to Prospero on a sensory and sensual level and operates on his baser instincts, Ariel rationally obeys the instructions of his master in the pursuit ofShow MoreRelatedShakespeare’s the Tempest, Hamlet, and Macbeth Essay1607 Words   |  7 PagesThe Role of Magic in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Hamlet, and Macbeth   Ã‚  Ã‚   Like many other themes, magic and supernatural elements play a large role in many of Shakespeare’s works.   The use of magic interests the audience, plays to the imagination, and adds dramatic intrigue to the story, even when the rest of the plot is comprised of believable events.   These themes are most prominent in The Tempest, Hamlet, and Macbeth.   In each of these plays, magic and supernatural occurrences not only play aRead More The Supernatural in Macbeth Essay3374 Words   |  14 PagesThe Supernatural in Macbeth       More than a few elements of the supernatural can be discovered within the action and dialogue of Shakespeares plays.   However, the extent and nature of those elements differs to a large degree.   There are traces of it to be found in Henry V, Pardon, gentles all,/The flat unraised spirit that hath dard...to bring forth/So great and object (Lucy   1).  Ã‚   There are also elements of it apparent in Winters Tale, What I did not well I meant well (Lucy  Read MoreSupernatural Soliciting Within Shakespeare s Macbeth1728 Words   |  7 PagesJulia Sawicka Ms. Paolone ENG3U1d Monday, November 6th, 2017 Supernatural Soliciting within Shakespeare s Macbeth Shakespeare’s Macbeth is broadly known as a cursed play by a myriad of individuals globally. Given its appalling history of death and disorder, as well as the supernatural elements present within the play, many have come to the latter conclusion. To add, Macbeth is also a tragedy, adding more malediction to the already allegedly accursed play. To create such a tragic, ill-fatedRead MoreThe Supernatural Element Of William Shakespeare s Macbeth1265 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is interesting is what each supernatural element represents in Shakespeare’s society and in our current society. The supernatural elements in Macbeth include fate, the witches, mythological beings, ghosts, and apparitions. I believe that the witches in Shakespeare’s time, in the play and in real life, represent the power of choice. The power to be able to decide to commit murder or any other heinous act or decide to let things naturally happen shows the classic choice between good and ev il,Read MoreThe Weird Sisters as Triggers for Macbeth’s Ambition Essay2016 Words   |  9 PagesThe Impact of the Weà ¯rd Sisters on Macbeth Shakespeare’s Macbeth is not only one of the most tragic, but also one of the most violent and uncanny plays. It is a story about war and treachery, blind ambition and murder. From the beginning, the story is governed by a brutal war between Scotland and Norway, which soon claimes its first live of Thane of Cawdor. However, it is not only this violence that creates a dark and heavy mood over the play, but also the use of black magic. The introduction ofRead MoreAn Analysis of the Use of Threes in William Shakespeares Macbeth2294 Words   |  10 PagesBad Luck Happens in Threes: An Analysis of the use of Threes in William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth† Since the Mesopotamian era of 3000 B.C. numbers have been an essential part of life and are easily found throughout society, imbedded in religion, intertwined in mythology and commonly related with superstitions. Even in the twenty-first century people still believe in ancient numerical superstitions, such as the lucky number seven, or the unlucky number thirteen. During the seventeenth century WilliamRead More Macbeth Senior Research Paper1797 Words   |  8 Pages In Shakespeare’s lifetime he wrote many plays. Many of them were critically acclaimed and others cast aside. The crowd always wanted to be more thoroughly entertained and Shakespeare always tried to keep up with the people’s needs. In 1605, Shakespeare was being hounded for another work of genius. Hamlet and King Lear had just been completed and the people begged for more. He knew not of what to write and like many playwrights, he did research. He found two stories from Hollinshed’s Chronicles ofRead MoreThree Witches and Macbeth2956 Words   |  12 Pagesevil spirits with these potions, which they later do with their apparitions.   At the points in the play mentioned, the witches’ role is to provide Macbeth with authenticity and to gain respect from the Elizabethan audience.    Shakespeare also uses the witches in Macbeth as the main vehicles for his verse and imagery and throughout the play these linguistic devices echo the continuous, underlying themes. In Act 1 Scene 1, Shakespeare’s skilful poetry is immediately illustrated in the oxy-morons,Read MoreWilliam Shakespeare and Macbeth8813 Words   |  36 Pagesuniverse, or  macrocosm.  Thus, when Lennox and the Old Man talk of the terrifying alteration in the natural order of the universe — tempests, earthquakes, darkness at noon, and so on — these are all reflections of the breakage of the natural order that Macbeth has brought about in his own microcosmic world. Disruption of Nature Violent disruptions in nature — tempests, earthquakes, darkness at noon, and so on — parallel the unnatural and disruptive death of the monarch Duncan. The medieval and renaissance

The American Civil Liberties Union - 1233 Words

without consequences. This practice is corrupt and police officers who act in these ways should be reprimanded and potentially fired for these actions. Some officers go beyond the law in ways they should be incarcerated as well. America’s governmental practice of excluding these police officers is only promoting these behaviors, and a stop should be put to them. By implementing stricter consequences, officers would be more conscious in their actions but now, it affects them as well. Another strong bias displayed in the judicial system is the obvious bias in criminal sentencing in the court. Many studies support the conclusion that people of color are sentenced longer in prison for the same crime as a white person (McElrath, Tran, and†¦show more content†¦The problem usually with wrongful convictions is impulsivity. The fact that the person on trial is a person of color drastically improves the chances of being convicted without going through all motives of an investigation, which obviously are given to white people because of their lower chance of getting convicted wrongly. This is a prominent bias, that a person of color is always guilty of their crime. These findings show that people of color and white people are not being treated the same in the eyes of the law. How is it possible to feel safe with all of these findings stacked up against you? It just isn t feasible. Kenneth Rouse still remains on death row to this day. Some possible solutions to this is simply more diversity in the judicial bench. America needs to have a criminal justice system that represents the diversity of America. When people think of America, they think of the many faces that occupy our country. Unfortunately, this is only embraced by some. It is impossible for someone to completely understand all circumstances of someone s situation without first experiencing similar or the same realities. A white person simply does not know what it is like to be a black person in society. This goes along with the concept of privilege, something everyone has in different amounts, and something in which few people will acknowledge. This goes along with gender, and sexuality. A center for AmericanShow MoreRelatedThe American Civil Liberties Union1714 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Civil Liberties Union is a large and influential non-profit organization that was founded in 1920. The American Civil Liberties Union is a nonpartisan group that serves to protect the individual rights and liberties of American citizens and is considered a powerful interest group, especially within movements that advocate civil rights and civil liberty. Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, and Tolbert define interests group as â€Å"individuals who organize to influence the government’s program and policies†Read MoreThe American Civil Liberties Union1418 Words   |  6 Pages When Americans first set their eyes on the 20th century, they hoped for a better life without war and a prospering economy. This vision of freedom and liberty in America was quite bold, knowing there were challenges ahead. There’s always a price to pay and obstacles to go through when the circumstances are not ideal. During the early 1900s, our country was evolving and starting a new era. An era where blacks were no longer slaves, civil rights movements were occurring, and citizens were having issuesRead MoreThe American Civil Liberties Union1639 Words   |   7 Pagesgoverned on what white men could do. It had no rights for men of different races. This went on to show that we needed a section that could relate to the people of the states, so that their freedom was protected in this new Constitution. (American Civil Liberties Union) This debate of do we need to include a Bill of Rights for the everyday citizens of the states went on for four years. The Federalists did not think we needed a Bill of Rights because they did not believe in giving the people of the statesRead MoreThe American Civil Liberties Union1155 Words   |  5 Pages According to Carl Takei, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, ICE has somewhat complied with President Obama’s mandates. They have released documents on cases of medical negligence leading to deaths but only to people who ask under the Freedom of Information Act. The purpose of President Obama’s mandated reviews was to improve the medical care of the next person. Through investigation by the American Civil Liberties Union, ICE was found to not use these reviews for betteringRead MoreThe American Civil Liberties Union1630 Words   |  7 Pagesin incarnations by placing many people in jail more than the last four decades. Mostly because of the war on drugs. So far whites and blacks have been involved in many drug offenses, possession and sales, at a very comparable rate. â€Å"While African Americans comprise 13% of the US population and 14% of monthly drug users they are 37% of the people arrested for drug offenses† (Marc Mauer). The police u sually stop blacks and Latinos at rates higher than whites. Within New York City, the people of colorRead MoreAmerican Civil Liberties Union Of Michigan ( Aclu )1378 Words   |  6 Pagesinterest groups is the Flint water crisis. Although many local and global organizations seek to provide support and resources for the city of Flint, the three non-economic interest groups that will be discussed in this paper include the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU), the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF). The approaches, stances, and effectiveness of these organizations will be interpreted, while recommendations aboutRead MoreAmerican Civil Liberties Union: Study Notes1252 Words   |  5 Pagesin American history. The African American community in particular has worked very diligently over the years to end segregation as a means to achieve equal rights for its entire constituent base. Body paragraph #1 - Topic Sentence #1- To begin, the African American community has obtained equal rights through collectivism. The African American community has always been close knit in response to oppression. Instead of disbanded as a result of turmoil and mass confusion, the African American communityRead MoreBlack Men And The American Civil Liberties Union1088 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to to the American Civil Liberties Union, California’s research shows that black men are three times more likely to be stopped and frisked than whites. (Quigley) Some may say that this topic is based on nothing but opinions. That is not true. There are facts behind the accusations made by so many people accusing law enforcement agents of being racist. The job of law enforcement is to serve and protect the people, showing no bias towards any specific race, but this is not always the caseRead MoreRacial Profiling And The American Civil Liberties Union1081 Words   |  5 Pages but the community may never know the whole tru th. The pain and misery caused by racial profiling greatly outweighs the positive aspects. Racial profiling is vastly different from criminal profiling. Racial profiling, as stated by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), â€Å"refers to the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin† (â€Å"The Reality of Racial Profiling†). RacialRead MoreRacial Profiling And The American Civil Liberties Union998 Words   |  4 Pageshold a variety of meanings. As defined by the American Civil Liberties Union, however, racial profiling is the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin (â€Å"Racial Profiling†). Every day, blacks are stopped much more frequently for aimless searches and minor infractions than their white counterparts. Several African Americans share experiences like these, such as Roscoe

My Life as a College Student Free Essays

GORDON KUSSI TABIRI English Writing: From Start to Finish My life as a college student Seven years ago I gained admission to pursue a B. A program in one of the prestigious universities in Ghana. The name of the university is Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). We will write a custom essay sample on My Life as a College Student or any similar topic only for you Order Now I was offered a four year bachelor degree program leading to a degree in Sociology and Social Work. Thus, I read BA Sociology and Social Work. I was so happy at the time because of two reasons. One was that, I had tried twice to be admitted into the countries universities but refused until finally the third time of which I succeeded. The second reason why I was happy was related to the fact that I had the opportunity to continue my education to a level that I had always dream about. My first year as a fresher on campus was very interesting for me. I was to read sociology and social work as a major and Geography as my minor. I therefore registered for my courses for the first year which included subjects such as introduction to sociology, traditional social structure of Ghana, introduction to human geography, development of geographic thought, introduction to physical environmental systems, communication skills, introduction to computers, and ethics and etiquette in traditional systems. I read these subjects for the first and second semesters as my first year program. I attended all lectures, wrote my assignments and the years exams. The results of the exams came and I had a Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA) of 59. 17. I was so disappointed about my results and decided to make better grades no matter what it takes to do so. I wrote the second semester exams and improved upon my performance by obtaining a CWA of 60. 32. I realized the fact that increasing the hours of my studies yielded good results. My second year on campus was very exciting. This was because I made very good friends and also had acquainted myself with campus life in general. I had a good friend by name Christian Boateng who happens to be an old classmate at Akrokerri College of Education where we both obtained our diploma in basic education in the year 2001. Christian was very instrumental in my life on campus because he taught me how to study for long hours. We actually took similar courses together in the first two years of our education in KNUST College. We were also roommates for three years and shared a lot of things together. My second year courses also included literature in English, introduction to geomorphology, theory and practice of geography, principles of cartography, concepts and theories in sociology, social structure of modern Ghana as well as the nature of social work. The courses were very challenging especially those related to geography. I had a successful year and also improved on my performance. This second year was very significant to my life because it was during this period that I decided to read a master’s program after graduation. That year helped me realized a lot of my potentials and also changed my perception of life in general. My third year in KNUST also saw me reading courses such as perspectives in sociological theory, research methods, theoretical framework for social work methodology, industrial sociology, medical sociology, and also bamboo and rattan processing. I enjoyed reading these courses especially industrial sociology, medical sociology as well as sociological theory. During my third year, we were made to drop our minor course, so I concentrated only on the major which was sociology and social work and also other borrowed courses. I also managed to secure the same room on campus with my friend, Christian. We both studied hard and had very good grades in our third year exams. We also had lots of fun on campus until school vacated. Christian was actually based in Kumasi which is the city in Ghana were KNUST was located whereas I was also based at Accra, the capital city of Ghana. In view of this, I spent most of my school holidays in Accra with my family. During the long vacation after the end of the third year, I had an attachment with Tetteh Quashie Memorial Hospital situated at Akuapem Mampong. I was attached to the social welfare department of the hospital where I performed generic social work. It was a great experience since I had practical training in dealing with social welfare cases of clients at the hospital, district court and the district family social welfare cases. My mentors taught me so well that by the time I finished my attachment, I had developed a passion of working as a social worker someday. After my attachment, I prepared for my final year academic work. On arriving on campus for my final year, I registered for courses such as social psychology, social development, human resource management, approaches to counselling in social work, environmental sociology and a long essay dissertation. I had actually started writing my BA thesis in the third year of my studies. My topic was, â€Å"the role of non-formal education to the contribution of the social and economic development of Ghana: a case study of the Ejisu- Juaben Municipality†. It was a great and challenging topic to write, in that there wasn’t much literature on the subject of non-formal education. Owing to that, I researched the web widely in writing this project. My supervisor by name Mr. Barnie gave me all the directions and support so well that I obtained an excellent grade in this long essay. I was very excited because I was constrained by time in combining my academic work with writing of this thesis. In spite of all the challenges, my hard work paid off with me obtaining very good grades in all my final courses I took. Thus, I completed all my forth year course exams and was ready for graduation. We were to graduate exactly one month after completion of all the necessary course requirements. I was among one of the students who were to graduate with second class upper (honors) degree in sociology and social work. During graduation, my uncle and a cousin of mine accompanied me, and it is a day that I will never forget in my life. I dressed neatly in my graduation gown and went through the ceremony very happy of my accomplishments. After the ceremony I took several pictures with friends and my family and we had a great party after the occasion. I would never forget my experience on campus because it transformed my life. My general outlook of life has changed tremendously. I now understand that I have great capabilities as well as weaknesses. My college experience has contributed in shaping my personality today. I have learnt to work hard to overcome my weaknesses as well as develop my potentials and capabilities. This is the reason that I had saved money to pursue a master’s program in Switzerland to be able to actualize my dreams and aspirations in life. How to cite My Life as a College Student, Essays

Kudler Fine Food - Marketing free essay sample

With the marketing focus review, this paper will discuss the potential technology solutions for customer contests, loyalty points programs, purchase tracking, benchmarking of internal versus external service processes, and the management of inventory and related costs. Also concepts such as consumer databases and customer relationship management systems (CRM) will be elaborated upon. A potential technology solution to support customer contests can be achieved through a simple manner of employing an online survey that can be held daily. A winner would be selected each day. The winner would enjoy the prize of being in the presence of Kathy Kudler in being taught how to prepare specialty foods in a cooking class. Another suggestion for a prize would be to provide tickets to special and private events that are held by Kudler Fine Foods. On the technology end of this solution, the customer would fill out the online survey and the information would be stored in a database. At the end of the month, a winner would be randomly selected from the database for the contest. The cost of the implementing and maintaining a program and the database would be affordable for Kudler Fine Foods. Essentially, the time and cost would be made up by the targeted customer’s desire to enter said contests to fully enjoy the Kudler Fine Foods executive experience. Also another option for a prize is to have cooking classes that are presented by cooking professionals, celebrities, or food experts rather than just the owner, Kathy Kudler. The Loyalty Points Program, also known as â€Å"frequent shopper program†, is a program that would allow the customer to accumulate points that can be used within the Kudler Fine Foods stores. With this program, customers shopping and purchasing habits can also be tracked. With the points that have been accumulated by the customer, the points can be exchanged for high-end items within the stores. By employing this program, Kudler Fine Foods will be more familiar with their customers as well as their spending habits. In addition to, this program will allow Kudler Fine Foods to keep track of each and every customer on the frequency of their visits to the stores and keep having them come back to accumulate more points. On the technology side of this programs, a data management system would be need to be constructed and maintained in order to keep track of the multitude of customers and their accumulation of â€Å"loyalty† points. This data management system would service all of the Kudler Fine Foods stores in ensuring that the all of the data is integrated for new customers, customer information is updated, and that duplicates are prevented. To allow customers to redeem their accumulated â€Å"loyalty† points, web servers would need to be set up to assist with the vast amount of data. Also, redundancy of the said servers would need to be implemented in case there is a hardware or software failure. The most important piece of the â€Å"loyalty† program is the card itself. It is a card that the customer would carry and has a unique identifier dedicated to that customer. With these cards, the customer can view online their accumulated points and purchases at Kudler Fine Foods. Kudler Fine Foods utilizes purchase tracking to follow profit, profit margin, and transactions that have taken place over a period of time. With the large amounts of data, Kudler Fine Foods will need an effective, efficient, and accurate means of capturing and storing this information. In stating that, the main server will need to be located at the main store so as to be a focal point for all communications that happen between all stores. Benchmarking can be described as the most effective method in relation to both products and processes. Other successful business entities that are similar to Kudler Fine Foods can be viewed as a model such as Wal-mart. Being able to view Wal-mart as a model for the processes, Kudler Fine Foods is able to meet benchmarking, if not higher, and continuously improve on it products and processes. On the technology side of benchmarking, online web based training courses can be created to teach and inform employees on the new products and services. An important part of Kudler Fine Foods is inventory management since Kudler Fine Foods is a store that sells a large amount of fine foods. Not knowing what is in stock can lead to an overstock or a shortage of merchandise. Having an overstock simply spells wasted money that could have been spent elsewhere. Having a shortage of product would lead to dissatisfied customers. On the technology side of inventory management, IT is a huge factor in tracking, recording, and warning about inventory. A main server would be connected to the point-of-sales machines and continuously keep track of all of the inventory from each and every store. The inventory management system would always be updated from when a new inventory is placed into stock and when an item is taken out of inventory. In conclusion, Kudler Fine Foods currently has a strong foothold in its marketing abilities. Employing the suggested potential technology solutions would not only promote efficient and effective processes but would also allow for room potential growth and increased revenue. With this vision in mind, this mission statement of Kudler Fine Foods will be met successfully as well as all of the standards that Kathy Kudler is counting on. References https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Kudler2/internet/index. asp

Mama Pava free essay sample

Most nine-year-olds in Round Lake, Illinois spend their summers outdoors jumping rope or swimming in the lake. I spent my fourth grade summer in my kitchen, teaching my then 68-year-old grandmother the alphabet. My grandma, Mama Pava, grew up in a small Mexican village. She came from a very poor family. Her mother died when she was very young and her father remarried, so she spent her childhood cooking and cleaning for her stepmother. Shortly after turning 15, she married my grandfather, and she was soon pregnant with the first of her ten children. Her adult life was spent raising her children, tending goats, and cooking. Mama Pava had no time for a formal education. Illiteracy in her town wasn’t a big deal. Most of the townspeople couldn’t read or write. Thumbprints satisfied the signature requirements on any formal documents, including visas to come to the United States. That’s how my grandmother â€Å"signed† her visa in the early 1990s, when she first came to visit her sons and daughters who had immigrated to the US. We will write a custom essay sample on Mama Pava or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Sometime in the early 2000s the Department of Homeland Security stopped letting people use thumbprints as their signatures on visas and my grandmother was forced to learn how to write her name. I remember the day my mother assigned me the task of teaching my grandmother how to write her name very clearly. I was resentful, of course. I was nine and I didn’t understand how a grown woman couldn’t write her own name. But I didn’t want to make my mom angry, so I obeyed. The first couple of days we went over the alphabet. The first thing she learned to write out was her first name, Paula. Her last name, Rivas, was trickier because she had trouble making the R’s face the correct way. By the end of the summer, she could write out the entire alphabet, her full name, my grandfather’s name, and the numbers from 1 to 10. I learned a lot about patience that summer. I experienced the feeling of having your hard work pay off for the first time. I also discovered how rewarding helping others communicate can be. My grandmother is not the only person I’ve met who has been silenced by lack of communication skills. I’ve discovered that while Round Lake is a largely Spanish-speaking community, few teachers in area schools are fluent in Spanish. For the past four years, I’ve volunteered at parent-teacher conferences at my high school and my old middle school, translating for parents who don’t speak English. I find it unfair that these parents miss out on the chance to help their children succeed in school simply because they don’t speak English. I want to give them a voice. It’s been seven summers. Mama Pava has Alzheimer’s now. She still visits every summer and we always spend a lot of time together. Every year I re-teach her the alphabet and experience the same feelings of happiness and accomplishment that come from helping others.

Bmw Drives Germany Essay Example

Bmw Drives Germany Essay Example Bmw Drives Germany Essay Bmw Drives Germany Essay International Business BMW Drives Germany By Peter Gumbel Assignment by Matthew Jackson Table of Contents: Page 1. Assignment Cover Sheet3 2. Question Summary4 3. Question 15 8 4. Question 2 9 10 5. Question 3 3. 111 13 3. 214 16 6. Question 417 19 7. Bibliography20 – 23 8. Appendix A24 9. Appendix B25 Surname:Jackson First Names:Matthew William Student Number:102531 Subject:International Business Assignment Number:One Date Submitted:2008. 06. 12 Submission:Second Postal Address:PO Box 704 Shelly Beach 4265 E-mail:matthew. [emailprotected] co. za Contact Numbers:W039 315 0151 H039 312 0055 Cell0832834460 Course/Intake:MBA Year Two – January 2008 I hereby declare that the assignment submitted is an original piece of work produced by myself. Matthew Jackson 75122350090882008. 06. 12 Question Summary Sheet 1. Evaluate the shift in BMW Germany’s attitude and policies toward FDI. Discuss using relevant theory what you have identified as being the driving force behind this change in attitude and policy. 2. Explain the benefits to the German economy in BMW’s decision to maintain and improve its manufacturing operations in Germany. 3. If BMW wanted to extend its manufacturing operation into a developing Southern African country, explain what your recommendations would be to their CEO with regard to: 3. 1: Factors to consider prior to the formulation of a global strategy? E. g. Culture, Negotiation, etc. 3. 2: The strategy that BMW should utilize. Justify 4. Analyze the Global Competitive environment in which BMW operates and rank their position in the industry. Question 1: Evaluate the shift in BMW Germany’s attitude and policies toward FDI. Discuss using relevant theory what you have identified as being the driving force behind this change in attitude and policy. Introduction The Policy towards FDI mentioned at the start of the article by Gumbel (2007) was heavily influenced by the local economic conditions in Germany at the time. Exorbitant labour costs, unbending union rules and Administrative Policies all influenced BMW to investigate solutions for their local economic stagnation from mostly Oligopoly conditions of most companies in the saturated European Market. BMW had to find solutions elsewhere. Theory and analysis Duthmann et al. (2006) reports that Labour costs are traditionally expensive in Germany. This view is supported by data from Appendix A. It was compounded by the re-unification of East Germany and the Government needed to find a solution for Unemployment. BMW used the strategic advantage that these unemployed East German Automotive workers at Leipzig were providing, while helping government lower unemployment through FDI. Lowering that aspect of the inputs to the value chain had injected profit to BMW’s earnings. The Leontief Paradox states that countries that are abundant in capital should be exporters of capital intensive goods, and import labour intensive goods. These imports did not relieve the strain on domestic labour intensive industries. The Leontief Paradox disputes the Heckscher-Olin theory on the point that Factor endowments can be impacted by Government Policy. BMW is a good example proving that this paradox exists. Government intervention into labour rights, the shortened work week and East German re-unification problems caused excessive pressures on high labour costs. This directly caused BMW to shift their focus on investment elsewhere, to achieve cost reduction. The Benefits that Germany enjoyed from allowing BMW to pursue their FDI efforts are related to their resource transfer effect, their employment effect, their balance of payments effect and their effect on competition and economic growth. Specific parts for the leather seats and cockpits of BMW’s are manufactured by Fauracia. The natural resource leather is of better quality. The parts do not have to be trucked in as finished parts, thus incurring transportation costs, customs and import duties, and can be assembled on-site, providing immediate service support if needed. All these resources are transferred from elsewhere and do not need to be consumed and provided by Germany. Allowing FDI from Daimler-Chrysler and Fauracia allows technical resources to lower the intellectual capital drain needed in Germany, and this resource can be better utilized in other sectors. Costs involved in Research and Development of individual parts needed in assembly then stays with the host nation and not Germany, and lowers costs for BMW. FDI effect on competition and economic growth in Germany relates to the Competition created by the rivalry between Daimler-Chrysler and BMW. This especially affects service industries such as Management and these services have to be delivered in Germany where the cars are produced. Radosevic and Rozeik (2005) reports on the Cluster in the Central European Economy, and the clustering of supplier networks. BMW made the same decision regarding the supply of some of their parts to reduce costs. Hill (2007) discusses Porters â€Å"Diamond Model† for the determinants of National Competitive Advantage. He is of the opinion that Governments influence the four determinants. To evaluate whether Germany’s attitudes and policies towards FDI where effective, we need to investigate the effects the FDI decision had on factors of production, such as skilled labour and infrastructure, on demand conditions (sophisticated customers in home market), related and supporting industries, and firm strategy, structure and rivalry (conditions for organization of companies, and the nature of domestic rivalry) Factor conditions were influenced in Germany at that time through their policies towards capital markets. The Business Times(2008) reports that Germany has the most transparent banking System in Europe and is of the opinion that their high personal income tax rate will cause money to ultimately flow to Southeast Asia or Central America if they do not change it soon. Gumbel (2007) also states that the skepticism of Anglo-Saxon capital finance hampers the capital market even though Germany is supposed to draw advantage from the unified European economy. Although hedge funds exist to help subsidize growth within the European Union (EU), Germany wants to curb their power so that individual local economies within the EU may be stimulated. Germany has themselves provided money through the private sector, even though the unification with East Germany took a lot of investment to develop again. This decision can thus be evaluated as a good stimulant for domestic macro-economic growth. Porter (1980) note that local government usually shape local demand conditions in more subtle ways. Local Product Standards have always been high in Germany, and regulations for buyers needs are strictly controlled. The shift towards FDI will fit in with this advantage. Gumbel (2007) alludes to the fact that Germany has always invested heavily in their Automotive Industry through subsidizing related and supporting industries via their traditional engineering prowess. BMW moved Faurecia, the company that builds their seats and cockpits, on site to create a backwards Vertical FDI. This accelerates the shared value chain activities, and co-ordinates supportive industries. The cutting of Transportation costs by moving Faurecia on site allowed the special conditions created by mass customization to be solved even though the cockpits assembled generally have a high value to weight ratio. BMW organized their firm structure as Porter’s Diamond Model suggested they should through using management structures that are technically trained and allows for hierarchical methodical product and process improvements. This can be seen in their Mass Customization program that has bee the life line of their current success. The Domestic Rivalry between BMW and Daimler-Chrysler Mercedes-Benz has also traditionally been responsible for the continual product innovation at BMW. This resulted in the drive to reduce input costs to the Value Chain and improve quality of their product through automation and use of robotics. FDI was one of the sources BMW identified that provides innovation, lower costs and better quality. It is also the collusion with Daimler-Chrysler to develop new hybrid engines that gives them new technology. This can only be beneficial to both companies through the use of FDI. Discussion FDI was a good solution to take advantage of factor conditions such as great technical resources, already existing Research and Development infrastructure, Germany’s good banking system, and strong local capital investment policies, the unified Euro. Demand conditions such as High local quality in product standards, the technically trained management firm structures inherent in most German organizations, and the longstanding domestic rivalry with Daimler-Chrysler Mercedes, have all created and environment where FDI became the logical solution to the challenges they faced. The Macro-economic consequence of the Foreign Direct Investment allowed Germany to lower unemployment without allocating part of the Gross Domestic Product to improve it. FDI created jobs specifically for the unemployed East German automotive industry workers in Leipzig. The Balance of payments effect allowed Germany to have a growth rate of 2. 8% last year. This allowed net exports of $200 Billion, of which BMW showed on their own balance statement healthy revenue of $65 Billion. This was achieved by establishing FDI to be a substitute for imports of goods or services and thus on a continual basis will improve the current account of Germany. Conclusion The close relationship of Porter’s Model of determinants of comparative advantage to the FDI decision was discussed. This showed the accuracy of FDI in providing a head-start in the Market. When the positive effects of BMW’s FDI decision is measured against the macro-economic benefits it provided, it must be evaluated that it was a correct decision. Question 2: Explain the benefits to the German economy in BMW’s decision to maintain and improve its manufacturing operations in Germany. Introduction Amdam, Lunnan and Ramanauskas (2007) has the opinion that strong domestic customer relations demanding change, or strong innovative domestic competitors are more forceful change agents than those that are located in other countries. Maintaining and improving the manufacturing operations in Germany may also have to do with the competitive presence of competitors like Daimler-Chrysler. The benefits to BMW to concentrate manufacturing operations or decentralize will be discussed. Hill (2007) discusses that concentration of production makes sense when trade barriers are low, differences between countries in factor costs, political economy, and culture have a substantial impact on the costs of manufacturing in various countries, externalities arising from the concentration of like enterprises favour certain locations, important exchange rates are expected to stay relatively stable, the production technology has high fixed costs and high minimum efficient scale relative to global demand, or flexible manufacturing technology exists, production value-to-weight ratio is high and the product serves universal needs. Alternatively, decentralization of production takes place when differences between countries in factor costs, political economy, and culture do not have a substantial impact on the costs of manufacturing in various countries, trade barriers are high, location externalities are not important, volatility in importantant exchange rates is expected, the production technology has low fixed costs and low minimum efficient scale, and flexible manufacturing technology is not available, the products value-to-weight ratio is low and the product does not serve universal needs. BMW would concentrate production, since the factor cost of Oil, Electricity and Minerals for automotive production is easily influenced by political decisions. The concentration of automotive manufacturing in Germany, and the high fixed costs, the high value-to-weight ratio and the product serves universal needs. There are certain factors which make the case for decentralization. Trade barriers are generally high with automotive manufacturing, since entry to the market is restricted by technological barriers, high start-up and input costs and the volatility of important exchange rates, specifically the Brent Crude Oil Price is expected. There are therefore more benefits to concentrating, rather than decentralizing. Hill (2007) states that reducing economic exposure requires strategic choices that goes beyond the realm of financial management. The key to reducing economic exposure is to distribute the firm’s productive assets to various locations so the Firms long term financial well-being is not severely affected by changes in exchange rates. This point towards decentralization, but since the Euro is a strong currency, it is hedged against volatility more than the benefit of lowering foreign exchange risk. This may be because most Factors of Production, and the other determinants of Porter’s Diamond Model, already exist in the robust German Domestic Economy. This also explains why there is no drive to move productive assets elsewhere. Dunning’s Eclectic Approach demands that Ownership advantage needs to be backed up by Locational Advantages from factor endowments. BMW may feel that those markets can still be served with exports. This is consistent with the economic theory of positive income elasticity for luxury products. Porter’s Diamond Model also confirms the benefits of local demand conditions, the importance of related and supporting industries, and the domestic rivalry with Daimler-Chrysler. Conclusion It benefits BMW’s research and Development from the stimulation of technological advancement from domestic rivalry. The streamlining of value chain activities through keeping Just-in-time production as fast as possible, it offsets the delays possibly caused by mass customization. Keegan (1999) as quoted in Hill (2007) state that by reinforcing positive determinants of competitive advantage in an industry, government can improve the Competitive position of a nations firms. This does not have a negative effect on the balance of payments for Germany and actually helps the GDP grow by lowering unemployment and increasing exports. If BMW wanted to extend its manufacturing operation into a developing Southern African country, explain what your recommendations would be to their CEO with regard to: Question 3. 1: Factors to consider prior to the ormulation of a global strategy? E. g. Culture, Negotiation, etc. Introduction Ling and Miller (2003) states that when individuals conduct business across national borders, they often bring to the negotiation table diverse cultural predispositions in which they interact with another. For BMW to successfully negotiate extending its manufacturing operations, it needs to understand the South African culture of Ubuntu. Hill (2007 ) suggested that there is a checklist of various cultural dimensions that can provide a cultural review prior to entering into Foreign Direct Investments. These are Nature(control, harmony and subjugation), Time(monochronic or polychronic), time(past, present or future), Action(doing or being), Communication(low or high context), Space(private or Public), Power(equality or Heirarchy), individualism or collectivism, competitiveness or co-operation, structure(high or low) and Formality(formal and informal). We will discuss the application of each of these to South Africa. Discussion The traditional African culture puts high value on Nature, and that we need to care for our environment. Africans believe that we are subjugate to the fate of nature and we are only part of it. BMW instituted stringent emission limitations on their products since the Kyoto protocol, at the World Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002. They also built the Earth Lounge in Sandton, South Africa to display the contribution they make to sustainable development. Africans believe that activity supercedes time, which is polychromic, propicious, circular and that human beings are more important than time itself. Tradition from the past, is very important to an African, and it is more important than the immediate conditions of the present or the progress of the Future. Being a good person in the community is much more important to African people than doing things. This extends to treat even strangers as extended family, thus one’s child is the community’s child. Africans are direct in their communication, since they live in community they do not place higher value on the individuals words and manner than the collective. The only cultural body language that is significant in this context is the custom for a visitor to sit down before ant communication even takes place. Hurn (2007) advises that the pace of negotiations needs to be slow when done in low context though, and directness is essential, since Ubuntu sees not coming to the point as dishonesty. Public space is allocated before private space, and Ubuntu demands that there is minimal private space, and all resources should be shared. Equality is very important to Ubuntu, since all are equal. The only hierarchy exists amongst those who allocate resources to the collective, like traditional chieftains, or political representitives. Not co-operating with the needs of the whole community, sharing its resources in the Zulu culture traditionally led to death for the individual. Informal relationships and social structures prevail in Ubuntu, since being formal is a sign of rejection of the community and its values. Building social relationships, sharing in the customs of the local tribes or giving of gifts to the community shows this support. Evidence of using this cultural experience can already be seen in the BMW SEED Programme that was initiated in 1996. It is aimed at awakening in our youngsters an interest in the environment by sponsoring planting seeds, and supports outcome based education, augments feeding schemes, develop entrepreneurial skills amongst learners and create environmental awareness through behavioural change. Rodrigues (2001) is of the opinion that decision making in the African Culture is by consensus, and this process is circular providing feedback to ensure better decisions made for all in the future. This view is supported by Tay (2007) who believes that this has been the key factor amongst the Japanese automotive industry’s success Conclusion Pursuing a global strategy for BMW to extend their manufacturing operation to South Africa, must include sensitivity to reaping cost reductions from experience curve effects and location economies. This exploitation can only occur in the Ubuntu context, if the company has done all it could to be seen as part of the community, or providing resources to the community’s needs. Negotiation for BMW would thus need to include a proper needs analysis of the local community, an accurate transaction cost analysis including the non material benefits proposed to be provided, like education, providing housing and food. Question 3. 2: The strategy that BMW should utilize. Justify Introduction Hill (2003) discusses the four basic strategies to enter and compete in the international environment. They are an international Strategy, a multi-domestic strategy, a global strategy and a transnational strategy. The mode of entry into this market must include alleviating pressures for cost reduction, and transferring of Management and Technical know-how. We will discuss how the transnational model and wholly owned subsidiary as entry mode is the best strategy. Discussion BMW cannot pursue a multi-domestic strategy, since it cannot without high costs replicate their entire value chain. Strong local autonomy would make them lose control over the benchmark of quality that has become their brand identity. The weakness from a pure global strategy is that BMW will lose the ability to customize their products. This mass customization as reported by Gumbel (2007) was the very reason for their profits in recent years. Cost reductions from the underlying experience curve also causes economies of scale in the international strategy. Previously the attempt to transfer innovation is a good strategy for any multinational company investing in a developing country. BMW traditionally has followed this strategy, where the Head Office in Munich controls Research and Development, technology, processes and marketing. Marketing Functions and manufacturing plants can under this strategy be set up in major business countries. Gumbel (2007) reports that the shift away from Germany as a head Office towards a true Transnational strategy. Research and Development are now partnered with Daimler-Chrysler and Peugeot in developing new engines outside of Germany. A transnational strategy would allow for the following advantages: It exploits the experience curve effects BMW has built up over years of technological innovation. Location economies now allow BMW to cut high labour costs, and the cost of steel. BMW should use their FDI to utilize the abundance of cheap labour conditions. They could negotiate with the South African Government to help lower unemployment, improve education skills through apprenticeships. Jenkins and Thomas (2002) reports that in manufacturing, rising capital intensity and improved productivity may limit the benefits of FDI in terms of ongoing job creation in South Africa. It is therefore essential that BMW provides ongoing job creation as a guarantee when negotiating with South Africa for FDI. The Budget of 2008 has made several tax concessions around the skills levies imposed on the South African Tax Payer. BMW should take strategic advantage of these conditions. The benefits of FDI for a country like South Africa are seen as flowing mainly from externalities generated by technology transfer They should use the supply side support measures mentioned by Streak and Dinkelman (2000) to lower their supply chain input costs. BMW should invest in local infrastructure fro Manufacturing processes, because it combines both the lower labour costs and lower input resources required. It will also be lucrative for South Africa, since the FDI now allows exports from South Africa, adding to the health of the domestic economies balance of payments. The strategy BMW should follow must include a proper analysis of both their internal strengths and weaknesses. Weirich (1999) proposed the use of the TOWS (Threats, Opportunities, Weaknesses, Strengths) Matrix to analyze the Competitive Advantages and Disadvantages of Germany. The TOWS analysis for BMW allows four strategies to emerge. When we use Weirich’s opinion that The Strengths-Opportunities Strategy would play to the Culture of quality, we can justify why BMW used its skilled intellectual capital, its superior technological innovation, engineering machinery, chemicals and managerial practices. BMW must then analyze whether there exists an Opportunity in South Africa for these strengths. The Strengths -Threats Strategy would assume that they need to consider FDI as a means to capture more of an Emerging Expanding Market share in South Africa. BMW needs to look at the health of the automotive retail sector as well as the industrial manufacturing sectors. The Automotive Sector in South Africa is very healthy, as seen in the Local Manufacturing plants for Volkswagen and Toyota already in South Africa. The Weaknesses-Opportunities Strategy would use cheaper labour costs to overcome rising domestic competition from Labour Unions in mature contracting Economies. Kamoche (2002) reports the success of multinationals in the past to leverage low labour in South Africa. Machaka and Roberts (2003) also confirm that spiralling supply input costs like steel and other natural resources are also cheaper in South Africa. Weakness-Threats Strategy would only apply to countries that are a threat from their strong economic market share. Experiencing difficulties in exporting arising from an expensive product and strong currencies in their home country would scare off BMW. They would look for a stable political environment, a growing economy and a stable currency. Conclusion From this analysis the best fitting strategy that would fit BMW to adopt regarding Developing Economies, is the Weakness-Opportunities. BMW is a large multi-national company looking to find new markets in which to sell not only their product, but sell their expertise. BMW should us the abundance of natural cheap resources like steel, available in South Africa. This view is supported by Matjekana (2002). Matjekana (2002) also suggests that it is unusual that South Africa did not attract more FDI in their labour market. Using this opportunity as a value chain activity will increase profits. Matjekana(2002) is of the opinion though, that the reason for this paradox (that can be seen as a reversed Leontif paradox? is related to the South African Governments inability to get crime under control. BMW should use the Transnational strategy for moving their manufacturing plant to South Africa. BMW can exploit their experience curve effects in South Africa, importing technical resources; they can exploit location cost economies like cheap steel and labour. BMW can customize local product offerings better, since the costs incur red to do this is less in South Africa. In the South African Context it may make more sense to leverage their valuable skills this way as a commodity than pursuing a Global Strategy. A Global strategy has a lack of local responsiveness, and the market for Luxury Vehicles in African economies is small compared to developed nations. This lack of providing product customization is not a huge consideration therefore in South Africa. BMW should use South Africa as a doorway into the Market for both the rest of Africa, and a cost cutting distribution Centre to Australasia. They should use the wholly owned subsidiary model in which they can transfer their transient technology advantage, while it is structured to reduce risk of loss of technology. Question 4: Analyze the Global Competitive environment in which BMW operates and rank their position in the industry. The five competitive forces model was developed in 1980 by Michael E. Porter. The five competitive forces Porter (1980) proposed in his model have an effect on the car manufacturer BMW. Based on this analysis, the force with the most impact on the company will be identified. Based We will examine how BMW uses information systems to offset the most competitive of these forces. Porter (1980) suggests that competition in an industry is rooted in its underlying economic structure. The stage of competition depends upon five basic competitive forces, which determine the degree of competition and the profit potential in an industry. The five forces are (a) intensity of competitors, (b) power of suppliers, (c) power of customers, (d) threat of new entrants and (e) threat of substitute products (Porter, 1980). (a) Intensity of competitors BMW, which stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke, has made a well-known name as a luxury car manufacturer (Bernhardt Kinnear, 1994). The headquarters of the BMW group is in Munich, Germany, but the company has global reach. The company built high brand equity over the years through continuous branding efforts and high quality products. Kiley (2004) states† BMW is arguably the most admired carmaker in the world and BMW products inspire near- fanatical loyalty†. Within the luxury car manufacturing direct industry competition is fierce. U. S. manufacturers produce cars like Cadillac, Lincoln, Buick and Chrysler that look comfortable and visually stylish. European manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes Benz, Audi and Jaguar focus on customers that want the communication with the road via steering nd suspension systems (Bernhardt Kinnear, 1994) by producing functionally superior cars. The luxury car segment of the automobile market is at the maturity stage of the life cycle, locally and globally, due to an increased number of competitors from domestic and foreign markets. The automobile market is characterized by a low potential for market growth, but high sales and profit potential (Murtagh, 2004). T here are traditionally high entry barriers in this market and products are usually differentiated. Competitive forces are high in each segment of the overall market. BMW belong to the strategic group of luxury functional cars. This segment is categorized by low product diversification but a relatively high geographical scope (Murtagh, 2003). It is also a differentiated oligopoly. An oligopoly consists of a few companies with an unspecified number of buyers. The action of each company in this oligopoly affects the other manufacturers in the market and thus invokes reaction of manufacturers to one another. The objective of companies in an oligopoly is to maximize the present value of profit (Bernhardt Kinnear, 1994). BMW differs in the features, styles, quality, innovation, technology, design, appearance and services they aim to provide. BMW can also gain a competitive advantage to its U. S. competitors through exchange rates when the dollar is strong (Bernhardt Kinnear, 1994). (b)Power of Suppliers The roles and responsibilities of suppliers in the automobile industry have changed because the industry structure has merged. High switching costs and dependency give automotive suppliers high amounts of economic monopoly. High quality and high service levels towards BMW customers, from the consistent high quality, co-operating, high competency, just-in-time and reliability of suppliers. (c) Power of customers Customers, who buy, have major influence on the decisions of companies in an oligopolistic market structure. Porter (1980) explains that buyers force down prices, bargaining for higher quality or more services, and playing competitors against each other at the expense of industry to make profit. BMW’s positive brand image distinguished itself through its point-of-difference. The outcome is that BMW customers are loyal towards the brand. As a result, many competitors of BMW have to face falling sales and market share, while demand for BMW products continues to grow (Kiley, 2004). (d) Threat of New Entrants New entrants are essential for an industry to stay competitive (Porter, 1980). Their absence removes the drive to gain market share and profit. The Global Automotive Industry is an Oligopoly, and any new entrants make commanding profit and controlling price more challenging. BMW takes advantage of economies of scale, one of the major aspects of barriers to entry (Porter, 1980) because its unit costs decrease significantly with quantity increases. Capital requirements are probably the most significant barrier to entry because the production of cars requires immense financial resources. Research and Development, further facilities abroad for global operating scale, brand switching costs, Government Regulations in technology and environmental pollution influence entry barriers as well. (e) Threat of Substitutes Low End Cars, Motorcycles, bicycles and usage public transportation are limited, which results in low pressure on manufacturers (Porter, 1980). Substitutes limit the potential returns of an industry by placing a ceiling on the prices firms in the industry can profitably charge. The Power of Customers impacts mostly on BMW, because they increase competitors and product variety. Customers are the most important part for the success of BMW. As Gumbel (2007) reports the mass customization system BMW developed for catering for the specific tastes of individual customers, fills this need. A comprehensive passive safety system information system innovation by BMW called the Intelligent Safety and Information System (ISIS) was developed. BMW also use a dealer communication system that enhances the manufacturer-dealer relationship and effectiveness Conclusion: The BBC from their website and Data in Appendix B we can see that various sources rank BMW in second place in the Luxury Automotive Manufacturing industry, as a company. This is not reflected from the number if units sold, but rather in the Consumer Faults per 100 cars index, as well as the global index for most efficient organizational indexes. Daimler-Chrysler does not allow the empowerment of customers to express their individuality to the extent of making their vehicles more customizable, but they rank as a better managed enterprise. Bibliography: Admam, R. P. , Lunnan, R. and Ramanauskas, G. 2007) FDI and the Transformation from Industry to Service Society in Emerging Economies: A Lithuanian – Nordic Perspective. Engineering Economics 51(1), pp. 22 – 28. Agiomirgianakis, G. , Asteriou, D. and Papathoma, K. (2006) The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment: A Panel Data Study for the OECD Countries. London: City University Department of Economics, School of Socia l Sciences. [Author unknown] (2008) Tax haven says Germany is being a bully. Business Times, Durban, 2 March, p. 24. [Author unknown] (2007) NAAMSA Annual Report[online]. National Association of Automotive Manufacturers of South Africa. vailable from naamsa. co. za/papers/ [Accessed 17 June 2008] BBC News. (2000, May 12). Analysis: Europe’s car industry[online]. available from http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/business/746306. stm. [Accessed February 26, 2004]. Bernhardt, K. Kinnear T. (1994). Case studies in marketing management[online]. New York: Irwin. BMW Corporation (2004), Available from bmwusa. com/Joy/Drive/Technology/ISIS. htm. [Accessed February 26, 2004] Chesami, B. E. (2005) The Role of Government in the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment: a Case Study of South Africa and Cameroon[online]. Research Paper for Master of Law: University of Western Cape available at http://etd. uwc. ac. za/usrfiles/modules/etd/docs/etd_init_6925_1174555571. pdf [Retrieved February 26, 2004] Duthmann, A. , Hohlfeld, P. , Horn, G. , Logeay, C. , Rietzler, K. , Stephan, S. and Zwiener, R. (2006) Arbeitskosten in Deutschland bisher uberschatzt – Auswertung der neuen Eurostat-Statistik. pdf, IMK Report(11). Hoover’s Online. (2004) Bayerische Motoren Werke AG Factsheet[online]. Available from hoovers. com/bmw/ID__41758/free-co-factsheet. xhtml. [accessed February 26, 2004] Hurn, B. J. 2007) The Influence of Culture on International Business Negotiations. Industrial and Commercial Training 39(7), pp. 354 – 360. Javorcik, B. S. (2004) Does Foreign Direct Investment Increase the Productivity of Domestic Firms? In Search of Spillovers through Backward Linkages. The American Economic Review 94(3), pp. 605- 627. Joubert, B. Summary of Tax issues in the 2008 National Budget Speech [online]. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Group Director. Johannesburg. Available as a pdf at Deliotte. co. za/za_tax_Billyspresentation_220208. ppt [retrieved 13 March 2008] Kamoche, K. 2002) Introduction: human resource management in Africa. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 13(7) pp. 993 – 997. Kiley, D. (2004). Driven Inside BMW, the Most Admired Car Company in the World[online]. Retrieved February 18, 2004. Available from wileyeurope. com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471269204. html [Accessed 24 February 2008] Lin, X. and Miller, S. J. (2003) Negotiation approaches: direct and indirect effect of national culture. International Marketing Review 20(3), pp. 286 – 303. Matjekana, K. S. M. (2002) Foreign direct investment flows to the SADC region n a globalizing economic environment. MA Dissertation. Stellenbosch: Faculty of Arts, University of Stellenbosch. Machaka, J. and Roberts, S. (2003) The DTI’s New Integrated Manufacturing Strategy? The South African Journal of Economics 71(4), pp. 679-704. Murtagh, P. Dr. (2004). Industrial Structures and Competition[online]. Available from shef. ac. uk/~mcn/6050/lectures/6050_lec04_industrial_structures. pdf [Retrieved February 23, 2004] Nunnenkamp, P. (2002) Determinants of FDI in Developing Countries: Has Globalization Changed the Rules of the Game? Working Paper. Kiel: Kiel Institute for World Economics. Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. New York: Free Press. Radosevic, S. and Rozeik, A. (2005) Foreign Direct Investment and Reconstructuring in the Automotive Industry in Central and East Europe. Working Paper. London: School of Slavonic and East European Studies. Robinson, C. G. (1986) Strategic Management Techniques. 1st Edition. Durban: Butterworths. pp. 156 – 158, 178, 179. Rodrigues, C. (2001) International Management: A Cultural Approach. nd Edition, Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western College Publishing, Thomson Learning Sharma, B. and Abekah, J (2008) Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth of Africa. Atlantic Economic Journal 36(12), pp. 117 – 118. Straub, D. (2004). Industry Analysis of NE firms[online]. Available from cis. gsu. edu/~dstraub/Present/GEM8800/2002/4indus6. pdf [Retrieved February 24, 2004] Streak, J. and Dinkelman, T. (2000) T he Empirical Evidence on the Location Determinants of FDI and South Africa’s Industrial Development Strategy. Transformation 41, pp. 1 – 31. Thompson, A. A and Strickland A. J (1987) 4th Edition. Texas: Business Publications Inc. pp. 129 – 133, 168. Tay, H. K. (2007) Rethink competition in the world auto market: cultural determinants, strategic implications and game rules. Strategy and Leadership 35(4), pp. 31 – 37. Appendix A: Hourly labour costs in 14 EU Member States, 2004 (in â‚ ¬) The table ranks 14 EU Member States according to hourly labour costs in the manufacturing and services sectors separately and for the combined total, 2004 (in â‚ ¬). Total (â‚ ¬) Manufacturing (â‚ ¬) Services (â‚ ¬) Denmark30. 70Belgium33. 10Denmark31. 30 Sweden30. 40Germany29. 90Luxembourg31. 30 Belgium30. 00Denmark29. 90Sweden30. 90 Luxembourg28. 30Sweden29. 60France30. 90 France28. 20Netherlands28. 90Belgium30. 60 Netherlands22. 40Finland28. 80Finland27. 20 Finland26. 80France27. 60Netherlands26. 50 Germany26. 20Austria26. 60UK24. 50 Austria25. 30Luxembourg25. 80Germany24. 10 UK24. 70UK24. 70Austria23. 80 Italy21. 40Italy20. 60Spain14. 30 Spain14. 80Spain16. 30Greece13. 70 Greece13. 40Greece12. 70Portugal10. 80 Portugal9. 60Portugal8. 30ItalyNo data EU1524. 00EU1525. 00EU1524. 20 Note: Data on Sweden and Greece refer to 2003; no data available for Ireland. Source: IMK Report, 2006 Appendix B

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Ethics 2 - Article Example There are however, certain limitations, which restrains from the research being a complete empirical study. Firstly, the sample chosen is from one geographical community in Canada. Secondly, the industries chosen does not cover certain important sectors like fashion and hotel industry, which needs to maintain their CSR activities too. Yet, it might be noted that the main sectors, which are highly accountable to the social values, are taken into consideration. Thirdly, the sample size chosen is 16 people from positions of leadership only. A general view of the employees and executives should have been collected in order to judge the awareness towards CSR even at the base level in the industries. Rules and policies are easily formulated but the implementation is brought about through proper level of awareness and responsibility. The empirical study conducted here simply points out a region specific case study involving some managers from certain chosen sectors. Fourthly it may be noted that the interviews were perhaps not conducted in a systematic manner with the same set of questions asked to each respondent. Rather different respondents seem to give opinions from various angles and the reader has little idea about what questions were asked. Fifthly, a chance of bias arises owing to the purposive sampling method. The researchers seem to have obtained a sample in order to prove their predetermined notion. My experience in Saudi Arabia shows that the country’s domestic businesses are not concerned or affected by the global standards of CSR management. Rather they give most stress on the local society and look into their interests first. The company where I worked did provide goods at low cost/ discounts to the local buyers and absorbed local people as their employees especially for the low skilled positions. Saudi Arabia has thus escaped the influence of international standards of CSR, which might not be feasible

Bernard Berelson A Content Analysis Media Essay

Bernard Berelson A Content Analysis Media Essay According to Bernard Berelson, Content Analysis refers to a research technique for the objective, systematic and quantitative description of clear content of communication (Berelson, 1952). It is a research instrument that is focused on the actual content and internal features of media. Content Analysis is used to establish the presence of certain words, themes, concepts, characters, phrases or sentences within a given text. It enumerates this presence in an objective manner. This text include books, essays, interviews, discussions, newspapers headlines and articles, conversations, speeches, or even historical documents. In order for you to conduct a content analysis on a text, you need to code or break down the text into manageable classes on different levels and then examine them. The outcomes of the analysis are then used to make conclusions on the messages within the texts, the audience and writers. For example when analyzing a text, you will be able to point out significant feat ures such as the purpose of the coverage, discrimination, biases and mistakes made by the authors or publishers (Carney, 1972). Owing to the fact that it can be used to examine any given piece of writing or happening of recorded communication, content analysis is widely used in marketing, literature analysis, media studies, cultural studies and many more areas. Content analysis has different uses. It is used to detect the presence of propaganda in any given communication (Weber 1990). For example when a presidential candidate is giving his campaign speech, he may say some words that are not true about his rivals so as to win the hearts of the people while on the other hand, misleading the people and hiding the truth from them. This study also helps analyze how media treat different issues like political and social. Sometimes the media is bias in presenting social issues. It focuses more on the political issues while only highlighting on social issues (Carney, 1972). This tells you where the media interest lays It may also be used to reveal the differences in the content of international communication (Weber 1990). For example the current issue that is of international interest is the global warming issue. Different countries communicate this issue in a different way. Some countries like the African countries blame the developed countries for the pandemic while the developed countries are of different view. If you carry out the content analysis of such headline you may be able to establish the point of conflict in the presentation. You will also be able to note the frequently used words and symbols that may generate a meaning with time. This factor is also used by the media in the agenda setting process (Carney, 1972). The media decide what issue is important and should be given emphasis, after they have done a content analysis. You can also use content analysis to show the attitude and behavior that people display in response to a given communication (Carney, 1972). By studying peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s reaction or comments on a given issue, you will be able to tell whether they are pleased with what they are hearing, seeing or reading. Most medium ask people to give their comments on a given contemporary issue. With newspaper we have the opinion columns. After the public has given its comment, the medium takes time to analyze the issue and from there they take the next step and address the issue. If it is in regard to a given issue that concerns a given company, institution or individual, the information is given to them for an action to be taken. It also helps in making out the intention, focus or the trends in communication of a group, institution or individual. When carrying out content analysis, you will be able to tell the aim of a given communication (Weber 1990). For example having a conversation or an interview with someone, you can make out the hidden information. If you ask someone something as he is taking water for example and he choke on the drink, you are likely to think that he did not expect such a question, maybe because he is shocked that you know about it or he did not know about it. This is not enough to make a conclusion since there are several assumptions. You will be in a position to make a good judgment as the speech continues. The media adopts this use and carry out investigation reports in relation to issues that are of hidden agenda. Before presenting these issues they analyze the result, and then come up with a conclusion. Content analysis can also be used to establish the emotional or psychological state of an individual or group (Carney, 1972). Most of the time, we are driven by our emotions or thoughts to talk in a give way. For example if you read a letter from someone who is angry, the anger will be manifested in the content of the letter and the language used. How the media treat and handle news stories from a given individual or group, will indicate what their attitude towards this individual or group. For example on the gay issue which is still unacceptable in some given countries, you will find the media depicting them as outcasts in the society. When we carry out this study we do it to determine the attitude of the media towards given individuals and groups in the society. The media helps in a great way to shape peoples views, and how people interpret issues is mostly dependent on how the media presents it. We have two general categories of content analysis: conceptual and rational analysis. This helps establish how to carry out a content analysis (Budd, 1967). Conceptual analysis is where you establish the existence and how often concepts are used in a text. In conceptual analysis a term in selected and examined and the number of times it appears in the text recorded. Since terms may be used implicitly as well as explicitly, it is important to establish the meaning of these terms before beginning the counting process. Conceptual analysis begins by recognizing research questions and choosing samples. Once you have chosen the samples, you proceed to break down the content into manageable categories. This process of breaking down the content is done by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"removing some words while keeping the meaning of the content. Breaking down the content into meaningful and potential unit of information, you will be able to interpret and analyze certain characters of the message (Weber 199 0). For example you may choose a text and decide to examine the number of positive words used in the argument as opposed to the number of negative words. Here you will only be interested in how many times the words occur and not what is their relation. You mainly focus on the words in relation to your research question to see whether there is a strong presence of the positive or negative words used to present a specific argument. The second category is the rational analysis. It builds on conceptual analysis by examining the relationships among concepts in a given text. It is important to first decide which concept types will be looked at in the analysis (Budd, 1967). Using too many categories interfere with your results and using too few categories may lead to invalid conclusions. It is therefore important of allow the context and necessities of your research to guide your coding procedure. Relational analysis is popular because of the many techniques it has. You can device your own procedure based on the nature of your project. The relational analysis is time consuming but it maintains a high degree of statistical thoroughness without losing the meaning of the detail. It is important to use content analysis as it looks directly at communication through text or record, hence helps get a central aspect of social relations (Carney, 1972). It can also provide important historical and cultural insights over time through analyzing the texts. Content analysis allow for quantitative and qualitative procedures. It provides insight into human complex thought and language use. When done well, it can be a precise research method. It also allows statistical closeness to text that can alternate between specific categories and relationship. Content analysis also has some disadvantages. It can be extremely time consuming. It is a subject to errors, particularly when you use rational analysis is used (Budd, 1967). It can be difficult to computerize information you have achieved at the end of the research. It has the tendency of ignoring the context that produces the text as well as the state of things after the text is produced. It is often reductive when dealing with complex text. This means that some information may not be analyzed (Carney, 1972). In conclusion content analysis is applicable in the media when determining the news worthiness of a story. It is also important when undertaking the process of agenda setting in the media house. Most media adapt content analysis for the purpose of weekly review of different issues it has covered over the week. It can therefore be said to be an important aspect in media management.

Grandpa’s Illness Essays -- Personal Narrative Writing

Grandpa’s Illness As usual I woke up to the sound of my father pounding on my bedroom door, hollering, â€Å"Get up! Get on your feet! You’re burning daylight!† I met my brother in the hallway, and we took our time making it down the stairs, still waking up from last night’s sleep. As we made our way to the kitchen, I thought about what to have for breakfast: fried eggs, pancakes, an omelet, or maybe just some cereal. I started to get hungry. As usual, mom and dad were waiting in the kitchen. Mom was ready to cook whatever we could all agree on, and dad was sitting at the table watching the news. The conversation went as usual, â€Å"Good morning.† â€Å"How are you today?† Then the phone rang and Dad answered it. It was hard to tell what the conversation was about, it did not last long and Dad didn’t say much. When he hung up he was quiet. Then Mom asked, â€Å"Who was that, honey?† Blunt and to the point he said, â€Å"Grandma,† (his mom) â€Å"Grandpa got sick last night.† Suddenly I was not hungry any more. â€Å"What’s that mean?† Mom asked, taking the words right out of my mouth. Dad did not really know. All Grandma said was that Grandpa got up in the night, went to the bathroom, and then yelled for help before collapsing. She called 911 and an ambulance came and got him. From the hospital in Spirit Lake he was life-flighted to Sioux Falls. During the drive to Sioux Falls all I could think about were all the happy times spent at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s lake house on West Okoboji. I thought about how Grandpa would entertain all of his grandkids in the speed boat and then take us back to the house for a beer. All that was changing, there would probably be no more speed boating and no more beer. When my family and I arrived at the hospital we ru... ... a smile came across his face, a smile that for three weeks, I thought I was never going to see again. Unfortunately, his struggle with alcohol was just beginning. To this day he attends AA meetings and is doing great. The days of speed boating have continued, but there is no more beer drinking. For his grandkids, not much has really changed, except Grandpa’s health has improved. He has more energy and a better outlook on life. I think the experience helped him realize that his motto â€Å"Quality over Quantity† is not concrete and that there needs to be a balance between the two. We cannot get by on just the pleasures in life because it isn’t fair to our loved ones we have to compromise and make sacrifices in order to keep our health. Works Cited Quoteland.com. All the Right Words. 1997-2001. 30 Sept. 2003.

How Mass Media Affects Adolescents

We’ve all heard the expression, â€Å"Well if your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump, too? † from our parents, or other adult figure-type person. In today’s society, adolescents seem to be taking this phrase to a new level. As the media continues to abuse the popularity of the too-thin actors and actresses, exploit famous persons’ suicides, and portray ‘problems’ in general as being ‘cool’ with TV shows focused on rehab circles featuring those popular people our culture knows and loves, more and more young people are finding reasons to copycat these problematic ‘role models’, resulting in a crisis within the youth. The depression, low self esteem, eating disorder, and suicide rate disaster within the youth can all be traced back to the media, which tends to glamorize such problems, so that they appeal to adolescents as being the next ‘in’ thing. Suicide is a tremendous issue that is heavily influenced by the media. Yourannual List of Ins and Outs, an article which periodically lists tends and fads, listed one year suicide as an â€Å"in†. â€Å"The ‘In’ Way to Look for Help†, 1) Most emotionally secure people would understand that the listing of suicide as an â€Å"in† was a joke and not take it seriously – but mental health practitioners like David Shaffer of Columbia University of Physicians and Surgeons, have done research to prove that the â€Å"adolescent suicide rate may rise when the media glamorize suicide†. (â€Å"The ‘In’ Way to Look for Help†, 1) Suicide is a serious issue, and although this was meant as a joke, there are some children who actually take things like the previously mentioned article literally. Although such people/youth may be emotionally unstable already, this bit of â€Å"pressure† from society adds to the imbalance. The media has also taken advantage of the celebrities who have killed themselves, making them seem â€Å"chic†, or â€Å"cool†. Exploitation of such events gives some less stable individuals the impression that these sort of actions are socially acceptable, and that if they feel the need to â€Å"escape†, they may commence with taking their lives while seeming â€Å"hip† at the same time. In a study done at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, a study was done to find what the youth believed the leading cause of suicide to be was. The â€Å"most frequently cited cause was pressure to conform and/or perform†¦as a consequence of peer pressure†. (Edna Heled, 1) Later, when the subjects were asked to specify the degree of their agreement with 29 possible reasons, two of the most agreed upon items were hearing a lot about suicide in the media, and believing that suicide is acceptable or cool. Edna Heled, 3) When asked for possible solutions to reduce the rate of suicide, there were no suggestions to lessening the coverage of suicide in the media. The adolescent view on body image has become a tricky subject. Television, magazines, and the general media have set a standard for both male and females that is difficult for most to achieve. It is now popular for girls to be scary-skinny, and â€Å"straight as a board†. In a study by Hargreaves and Tiggermann, it was found that watching appearance-related commercials â€Å"heightened appearance schema activation in early adolescent girls†. In another unnamed experiment covered by Meghan Sinton and Leann Birch, it was found that some girls – although not a large percentage of them – were found to be very affected by the commercials. In the same experiment, it was discovered that mass media was especially influential with girls who were already body self-conscious.

Microsoft Antitrust Essays - Microsoft Litigation, Free Essays

Microsoft Antitrust Essays - Microsoft Litigation, Free Essays Microsoft Antitrust Is Microsoft a fetching business model to be emulated or the most destructive force in the software industry? Should the government apply the antitrust laws to the software industry or sit back and wait for dynamic market forces to solve anti-competitive problems? Discussions about Microsoft represent a larger-than-life dispute that speaks not only to the computer giant's impressive efforts to monopolize key elements of the software and electronic commerce markets, but to the larger issues of a high-tech society. Many partisans in debates over Microsoft are speaking to the broader issues and defending ideological views that will be tested as the debate over Microsoft's anti-competitive practices plays out. From my view point, there are some aspects of the dispute that seem clear and others that are anything but clear. First, it is clear that Microsoft has achieved its current market dominance through a combination of factors that include hard work, good luck, popular products, and an impressive array of anti-competitive or simply ruthless business tactics. It is equally apparent that some sectors of the computer industry undoubtedly benefit from this dominance not everyone sells products or services that directly compete against Microsoft in strategic markets, and the existence of a private monopoly for the desktop operating system (OS) simplifies life for some developers. And in the increasingly broad areas where Microsoft has targeted a sector for dominance, the results have been a demoralized software industry, a paucity of venture capital and stifled innovation. What is less than clear is what the government or the public should or can do about Microsoft's often brutal efforts to monopolize software markets. The Justice Department is now focusing on important but relatively narrow issues concerning Microsoft's 1995 antitrust consent agreement, whereby Microsoft agreed not to license Windows 95 on a per-machine basis (forcing computer manufactures to pay twice if they installed competitors' OS) and not to tie the purchase of the OS to the purchase of other Microsoft products. Justice is focusing on contractual agreements between Microsoft and computer manufacturers that require firms that distribute Windows 95 also to distribute Internet Explorer, a product Microsoft wants to replace Netscape as the most-used Internet browser. Microsoft's principle defense against the suit is to argue that Internet Explorer 4.0, a program that takes as much as 66 megabytes on a hard disk, is not an application at all but simply a part of the OS. Because more than 90% of PCs worldwide ship with Microsoft's OS, the issue of what constitutes the OS is an important dispute, given the Microsoft agreement regarding product tie-ins.

buy custom Structural Reform of Social Security essay

buy custom Structural Reform of Social Security essay This is a summary of the Structural Reform of Social Security by Martin Feldstein. The article explains how the mixed system of social security pension -which involves both pay-as-you-go benefits and personal investment-based retirement accounts- has more economic gains than the pay-as-you-go system that is purely tax-financed. Some of the countries using the system are Chile, China, Sweden and Britain. Social security program is a program in which current benefits are paid using the current tax revenue. The revenue eceived from this program goes to Social security trust fund, while the government lents all the receipts that remain after paying the current benefits to finance its other activities. If a mixed system was fully employed, each employee would participate in pay-as-you-go system and contribute to investment-based retirement account separately. However, differences in the plans design affects the costs and benefits distribution across different generations.The assets and personal retirement of an individual who dies before hitting the retirement age would be handed down to his heirs. Those who reach the retirement age may allowed to annul the accumulated fund or take out some or all cash The prevailing value cost incurred for the maintenance of the presently projected retirement benefits can be reduced by adding the investmment-based component to the Social Security. Many policy analysts and economists recognize the long-run benefits associated with a shift from pure pa-as-you-go to a mixed system; but they believe the transition requires unacceptable costs. This is, however, not the case; it is more manageable than they suggest. The article concludes that the shift from pay-as-you-go to a mixed system is likely to reduce the labor markets distortions and increase present value of future consumption. It recommends that the transition should be done gradually such that it will not require a tax increase, a decrease in predictable retirement incomes or large deficits. The mixed system will provide greater benefits to the retiree groups; which, are poor under the current Social Security rules. Buy custom Structural Reform of Social Security essay

Using the concept of narrative and discourse, deconstruct one aspect Essay

Using the concept of narrative and discourse, deconstruct one aspect of international development - Essay Example Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe are also credited for advancement of this theory and most importantly hegemonic discourse. Antonio Gramsci on the other hand, is credited for coining the term hegemony referring to the predominance of one social class over others. The dominant class projects its own way of viewing the world and the dominated classes take this view as ‘common sense’ or ‘natural’. Hegemonic discuss most often involves discussions about the developed and developing countries with the developed countries especially U.S assuming the role of a hegemony that controls or regulates the rest of the world in what Brand refers to as â€Å"global governance† (155-176). Theorists agree that discourse involves power relations in society and that hegemonic practice is a form of political activity or struggle (Howarth & Stavrakakis 2). This essay will use the hegemonic discourse to deconstruct one aspect of international development: global governance and in particular developing countries. According to Laclau and Mouffe, every material object is articulated within discourse thus it is not determined by nature. The main assumption of discourse theory is that all objects and actions are meaningful, and their meaning is conferred by historically specific systems of rules. For them The fact that every object is constituted as an object of discourse has nothing to do with whether there is a world external to thought, or with that realism/idealism opposition. An earthquake occurs here and now independent of my will. But whether their specifity as object is constructed in terms of ‘natural phenomenon’ or ‘expressions of the wrath of God’ depends upon restructuring of discursive field. What is derived is not that such objects exist externally to thought, but the rather different assertion that they constitute themselves as objects