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. 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(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

Reasons of the Present World's Explosive State Essay

Reasons of the Present World's Explosive State - Essay Example As the paper outlines, Huntington argues that after the cold war the world, which was divided along the ideological and economic status of states, has changed. The old dividing lines of ideological orientation and economic status are to be replaced by the fresh lines of â€Å"culture and civilization†. With these new demarcations, Huntington divided the world in â€Å"Western, Confucian, Japanese, Islamic, Hindu, Slavic-Orthodox, Latin American and possibly African civilization†. Therefore, he asserts that the conflicts in future got to be along these fault lines. He reinforces his argument by giving four reasons: Firstly, the differences in civilization are â€Å"basic and real† thus are rigid and will cause conflict, which necessarily does not mean â€Å"violence†. Secondly, because of technological advancements, the world has become more interactive and so does civilizations, resultantly the emergence of â€Å"civilization consciousness† and â₠¬Å"animosities†. Third the process of â€Å"economic modernization and social change† has brought new identities in focus. Fourth, the dual role of the West. Finally, the uncompromising nature of cultural characteristics as compared to political or economic interests. The â€Å"centuries-old military interaction† between Arabs (Islam in particular) and West is a testimony to the existence of civilization fault line between these two, which will widen in the absence of other ideology i.e. Communism. Amy Chua, on the other hand, indicates that the unrest in the world is because of three factors: free markets, democracy, and ethnic hatred.  

Wilsons & Clyde Coal Company v English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wilsons & Clyde Coal Company v English - Essay Example The tug captain, who was employed by the Dutch company, carelessly mishandled the tug movement resulting in the injuries sustained by the claimant. The Court sided with the claimant notwithstanding that the injuries was caused by the tug captain, who was not under its employ, on the ground that the responsibility to keep a safe system of work was its personal responsibility and therefore, non-delegable. An action for breach of statutory duties necessarily requires that the employer has breached a provision of a statute or law. An equally important consideration in this action is the determination that the statute itself contemplates granting the claimant a right to a civil action. Thus, in one of the earliest of cases involving breach of statute, Grove v Lord Wimbourne,   the Court held that if the criminal statute, in this case the Factory and Workshop Act 1878, is found to be intended to provide civil remedy, then that statute can be made applicable to action for injuries sustain ed in the employment. However, the fact that many of these statutes do not actually specifically state whether private law is applicable or not makes the breach of statutory duty particularly difficult to pursue. In X and others (minors) v Bedforshire County Council,   a controversial HL decision which was subsequently criticised by the ECHR, the Court held, inter alia, that private law cause of action can arise if it is shown that the statute protects a limited class of citizens and Parliament.... However, the fact that many of these statutes do not actually specifically state whether private law is applicable or not makes the breach of statutory duty particularly difficult to pursue. In X and others (minors) v Bedforshire County Council,6 a controversial HL decision which was subsequently criticised by the ECHR, the Court held, inter alia, that private law cause of action can arise if it is shown that the statute protects a limited class of citizens and Parliament intended to confer to them such a right of action. A breach of statute case may be employed in Jack’s case on the basis of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, regulations, which the Secretary of State issued under the power conferred on him by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Said regulations provide, inter alia, that equipment that carries specific risks shall be assigned for use only by specific persons who had prior training for its use. More significantly, the statute provides that it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that dangerous parts of any machine used in the workplace should not have any access to any of the parts of the body of the worker, which could be done either by installing fixed guards or other protective parts.7 Although there is no express conferment of the right to bring an action of civil liability, there is a presumption that such will lie as was held in Thornton v Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council.8 The Court held in that case that where the statute imposes a duty on an entity for the purpose of benefiting a specific class of persons, but does not expressly provide a form of relief, a civil action for damages is presumed to be

Ethics 2 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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

Accounting Career Problem Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Accounting Career Problem - Research Paper Example However, the thing is that having a career in accounting does not only come with advantages. The career also has some challenges. One of the most common challenges faced by accountants in their careers is the challenge of coping with pressure from organizations’ management to create balance sheets and financial statements that can cope with the current high rate of competition in various industries and anger for success. This paper aims at discussing pressure from management as a challenge commonly faced by accountants. Being an accountant, there are always many ethical issues that are always surrounding everything that you do. Many business managers are usually willing to do anything so that they might emerge as successful. As a result, there are always some stress and pressure that is placed on accountings when it comes to their responsibilities of creation of financial statements and balance sheets. Accountants are always expected to give a true and clear report on an organization’s profit, liabilities and assets. It is always a challenge in making sure that that record on a company’s profit, assets, and liabilities even in situations that the true records might not be very good in terms of the success of the business organization (Woolf & Hindson, 2013). The situation is always further amplified if the mangers involved insist that the records should be altered so that they can serve the interests of the business organization. In such a situation an accountant will find themselves having the dilemma to choose between following the ethical standards expected of them as accountants and altering the records in order to please their employers. If they choose to alter the records they might end up losing their credibility if in any case it is realized that they had involved in unethical conducts. On the other side if they decide to go against the will of the managers and deal with the right