Biomedical ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biomedical ethics - Essay Example In the U.S. 36 states ban late term abortions, however Alaska has no such ban. Where do we draw the line, or do we? In the early 1960's there was a sleeping tranquilizer/morning sickness agent given to women containing thalidomide; a drug with harmful teratogenic effects producing serious birth defects during the early gestational development period. Thousands of babies were born without limbs, as well as other birth defects. Once research revealed the disaster, the U.S. immediately removed it from the market; however the damage was already done. One such mother, Mrs. Sherri Finkbine, had been abroad with her husband been given the drug. When she discovered the potential for birth defects, she decided to abort her five month fetus. In Arizona, it required three doctors to state that an abortion was necessary. She had the medical opinion; however because of the explosion of thalidomide cases, she was required to go to court to get legal permission to abort; permission denied, requirin g her to go to Europe to have the procedure done. Upon her return, she faced social castigation, losing her job. There were also serious implications for her husband, a professor. Many magazines gave graphic coverage of the story, including Life, The New York Times, The Saturday Evening Post, and numerous others. Thus began the abortion on demand dilemma that has been discussed and theorized for the last fifty years. According to the Free Dictionary Online, abortion is defined as the "expulsion from the uterus of the products of conception before the fetus is viable." Spontaneous abortion is when the pregnancy terminates itself naturally. Therapeutic abortion is when the abortion is medically induced out of concern for the health of the mother or fetus, a form of artificial abortion, not occurring naturally. Partial birth abortion is when labor is induced and the infant is delivered except for the head, which is then opened at the base of the skull and a suction catheter removes the brain, killing the infant. The legal definition of abortion was determined in the famous Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision on January 22, 1973(410 U.S. 113), as the termination of pregnancy, by any means, before the fetus is able to sustain life independently from the womb. This famous court case set a precedence for abortion in the U.S. by prohibiting any state from preventing a woman to choose whether or not to terminate her pregnancy in the first trimester, making it a question of medical necessity to prevent abortion in the second trimester, and, requiring the health of the mother to be preserved above the life of the fetus in the third trimester. The main stipulation was that it should be done by a licensed physician, in order to protect the life of the woman. On the same day, the Supreme Court ruled on another case, Doe vs. Bolton (410 U.S. 179), that supported a woman's right to have an abortion by limiting the ways in which she is counseled so as to influence her decision . Some states have required teenage girls to have parental permission to submit to the procedure; such a signature is required for any medical procedure on a minor. According to Warren, a human being isn't a person until it is a part of the moral

Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Globalisation - Essay Example been broadly understood as a concept, policy and process casually used to describe a variety of phenomena that reflect increased economic interdependence of countries. It includes flows of goods and services across borders, reductions in policy and transport barriers to trade, international capital flows, multinational activity, foreign direct investment, outsourcing, increased exposure to exchange rate volatility, and immigration. These movements of goods, services, capital, firms, and people are believed to contribute to the spread of technology, knowledge, culture and information across borders (Fischer, 2003; Soros, 2002; Balakrishnan, 2003;Geriffi & Sturgeon, 2004). Thus, globalisation permeates the contemporary world. The paper aims to understand the positive impact of globalisation in India. As such, the focus question is how do changes brought about by globalisation have a positive impact in India? The paper will have the following structure: first part is the introduction where globalisation is defined, and the problem is presented. The second part is the presentation of the economic scenario of India. And the third part is about the positive impact of globalisation in India. India with a population of 1,139.96 million as of 2008 and a population growth of 1.3% annually is one of the emerging powers of the Third world (Harris, 2005). India’s 2008 GDP is $1,217.49 billion still higher by $40.60 billion than 2007despite the world economic crisis. Both the agricultural and industries sectors share 36% of GDP with 18% each respectively in 2008. The services sector comprises 53% of the GDP while India’s exports of goods and services for 2008 cover 24% of the GDP. There is a remarkable increase in workers’ remittances from $38666 million in 2007 to $51974 million in 2008. Foreign direct investments have tremendously increased from $6,677 million in 2005 to $22,950 million in 2007. Also, an increase in number of mobile phone subscribers from 21 per 100

Economic Environment In Russia Economics Essay

Economic Environment In Russia Economics Essay In the year 1990 the Russian system underwent tremendous stress as it transformed from a centrally planned economy to a free market system (US Commercial Service, 2010). Following the breakup of USSR, Russias GDP observed a continuous period of decline from the beginning of 1991 until 1998 (PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2010). The reasons for the serious financial crisis in 1998 were difficulties in executing fiscal reforms aimed at raising government revenues and a reliance on short term borrowing to finance budget arrears. The financial problems aggravated due to lower prices for Russias major export earners (oil and minerals) and the loss of investor confidence due to the Asian financial crisis. This resulted in the rapid and steep decline (60%) in the value of the rouble, runaway of foreign investment, delayed payments on sovereign and private debts and a breakdown of commercial transactions through the banking system (US Commercial Service, 2010). The Russian economy began to bounce back after the 1998 economic crisis with an annual GDP growth of 7% from 1999 to 2007. This led to a sharp increase in prices for Russias main exports (oil, petroleum products) and import substitution effect led to the roubles devaluation in 1998, a tax reform, tightening of fiscal policy and greater political and social stability. The economy witnessed growth as a result of extraordinary rise in the consumer oriented sectors, particularly in the construction and services industries. In the year 2007, Russias GDP increased by 8.1%, and by 2008 the GDP further increased by 5.6% (PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2010). Russia was hit by the global economic crisis in the second half of 2008, which impacted the Russian economy immensely. The economy began to shrink, which led to falling sales, production and layoffs. In the year 2009 the economy diminished by 7.9%, through a positive revival trend that occurred in the second half of 2009, when the economy recommenced reasonable growth. The manufacturing, industrial production and construction industry witnessed a sharp decline in growth. The wages decreased and the labour force was only 66% of the total population. The number of unemployed measured 8.4% of the workforce (PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2010). The downturn faced by the global capital market reached Russia, which led to the closure of the global sources of funding. Foreign direct investment dropped by 41%, that   is 3.6% of GDP. The major attractions for foreign direct investment were manufacturing, retail, mineral resource extraction and transport. The figure estimated for net outflow of capital is US $52bn. In 2009, the Russian equity market was affected adversely. Russian companies attracted US $1.7bn via IPOs and SPOs, whereas in 2009 only one IPO (Initial Public Offering) was registered. Nevertheless, the IPO is expected to witness a boom in 2010 (PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2010). The end of 2009 brought positive news for Russia: the international credit rating agencies Standard Poor, Fitch and Moodys reviewed their sovereign rating outlooks for Russia from negative to stable, which was a result of higher oil prices and dropping of inflation (PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2010). 3.1.2 FUTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (2010-2012) The economic development scenarios for the next three years has been drafted by the Ministry of Economic Development. They have been categorised into moderately conservative, pessimistic and optimistic. In accordance with the moderately conservative scenario, the GDP for the next three years has been depicted in Figure 2 below. The figures in the graph were derived from the prediction that the oil prices will remain at relatively high levels: US $65 per barrel in 2010, US $70 in 2011, and US $71 in 2012 (see Appendix C) (PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2010).https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/A-V1_X47l-ha1boxdlCsEzJET-SIMACWsuvCyyBVt5VNYS-XF2godrATGtxo-rg_k30qOiQ9y0KiK6TogxhIEd75L3Sj7346nBTJQVX8b74auUOsupE Figure 2: Forecasted economic growth Source: own compilation based on data from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2010 Despite 2009 being a challenging year for Russia, the country managed to achieve three important goals, states President Medvedev. First, the government has survived to maintain social stability and put together all planned social payments. Second, the government and the Central Bank respectively have managed to keep the currency steady and brought about financial stability. Third, the government extended support to its core businesses. Since the government has taken this action, none of the large enterprises have gone bankrupt (PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2010). Concurrently, the countrys economic development has been constricted due to problems which Russia has failed to deal with this year. The problems faced by the country are the dependence on raw material exports, increasing unemployment levels and low competitiveness of domestic businesses. The Russian Government has been quite positive in dealing with the crisis by considering economic policy measures (PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2010).   Overall, the economic conditions in Russia seem to be favourable for Pufferfish to do business there in the nearest future. 3.4.1 LEVELS OF CULTURE An international businessperson needs to be aware of three levels of culture that may affect a multinationals operations. These levels include national culture, business culture, occupational and organizational culture. The diagram below shows the levels of culture that affect multinational management (Cullen and Parboteeah, 2008).https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/MDXcQRqh-4Qj_Khq7TfFEGYm7BUCkc_wJWhD29zy75RBl7GmBfjFA0gPP-NUQ67ZG7cAxgW_p47D07tc3TMr7Wx4kZ6zqHqWq5UiJ2VMUNmugd2oAOg Figure 3: Levels of culture Source: Cullen and Parboteeah, 2008 3.4.2 THE DOS AND DONTS OF DOING BUSINESS IN RUSSIA    The Russian market is a highly competitive market, where salesmanship is a key factor. Firms willing to enter the market should be prepared to express the competitive advantages and factors that differentiate them from others in the marketplace (US Commercial Service, 2010). Developing personal relationships with business partners is a crucial factor in the effective cooperation of major projects, government procurement or, for that matter, even in cultivating long-term business relations. One of the most difficult tasks   can be arranging a business meeting with potential partners.In addition,it may take a long time to receive a reply to an email,fax or a even telephone request for a meeting (US Commercial Service, 2010). To conduct business in Russia it is essential to know the Russian language if not an interpreter should be employed if needed. A substantial number of businessmen can communicate a courtesy level of English; however, they prefer conducting business discussions in Russian (US Commercial Service, 2010). Business cards are vital and are exchanged spontaneously. Your cards should have nothing more than your regular contact details, email address and website if available. It is advantageous to carry a bilingual business card (one side in English, one side in Russian). Promotional materials in Russian can be an crucial tool for developing interest in a companys product. The translation however has to be perfect and of high value (US Commercial Service, 2010). Sometimes during meetings Russian businesspeople tend to have very little verbal feedback. They listen quietly and with little obvious body language being exhibited   This does not mean that the listener is unable to comprehend it is just a cultural characteristic. They should be given the time and space needed to participate fully in a conversation (WorldBusinessCulture.com, 2011). 3.4.3 CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN CORPORATE CULTURE Peter Zashev (2004) says in his article that the contemporary Russian corporate culture could be presented as a cross-section of four sets of different factors and their subsequent impact on collective and individual culture and mentality. The aforementioned can be described in the figure below. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/LTKsFRqlpglWJeud7Jz7NVHb3CgRPb7TX0lw-ZZhddf90GO8M2EY7dZJhu1h3ygm6e5awAiNJ2ccd8gkbKozam9lYaEO9RxOAgfJvTRmJPv528-DRek Figure 4: Four sets of factors forming the contemporary Russian business culture Source: adapted from Zashev, 2004 Common Russian Values and Morals: One of the most influential element of Russian values and morals is the total lack of competition in the Russian social and economic life. Due to this nature the state of Moscow had the following characteristics. A militaristic nature   as it had to battle enemies and expand further geographically. A society based on compulsion and force rather than law with clear division of social groups that differed in their duties and not in their rights. Supreme power of the state/tsar. All the above characteristics slowly killed the concept of free competition. As a consequence of this, a highly centralized system was built, where the competitiveness was directed mainly at attracting the attention of the supreme power through gifts, bribes and networks of prominent personalities. This also explains why most international Russian projects are financed by the state (Zashev, 2004). Soviet Values and Morals: During the soviet times the system did not go through much change.The soviet rule enforced many concepts such as the following. Uravnilovka   that removed the link between work and pay. Increasing the level of bureaucracy, making cheating an inbuilt part of the economic system. Repression that later became a state concept and removed initiative, decision making and freedom of choice. The soviet system did not succeed in eliminating corruption, and it continued to afflict the whole Russian system. It, in fact, became the way for a normal life.   The foreign operations of the Soviet companies were state owned. It was only the Foreign Trade Organisations that were allowed to link Soviet factories with their overseas markets, suppliers or others (Zashev, 2004). Transition Values and Morals A dramatic change has appeared in the last fourteen years in the form of a massive retreat from the government. The privatisation in Russia created a new social group of owners, investors, capitialists and industralists (Zashev, 2004). Corruption and Bribery Corruption of officials in Russia is endemic, a system-wide state of affairs with deep historical roots (Zashev, 2004, p.27). It is now a common procedure for Russian businessmen to regularly pay bribes to government officials.   The government officials take economic decisions soundly on the basis of underlying motives. Many argue that the practice is a harmless means to facilitate government approvals and avoid penalties. High levels of bribery are the reason for low levels of competition, a factor that is needed for economic growth (Zashev, 2004). Businessmen from the UK not only have to worry about the corruption levels, but also have to watch out for the Bribery Act. The bill was published in draft on the 25th of March 2009 and received Royal Assent on the 8th of April 2010 (UK Government, 2010).    3.4.4. SO WHAT WILL THE BRIBERY ACT COVER? The Bribery Act looks at reforms in the criminal law with the intention of delivering a new modern and comprehensive scheme for bribery offences that will permit the judiciary and prosecutors to counter more successfully to bribery, both at home and abroad (UK Government, 2010). The Act will: provide a more efficient framework for combating bribery in the public and private sectors; create two general offences covering the offering, promising or giving of an advantage, and requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting of an advantage; create a discrete offence of bribery of a foreign public official; help tackle the threat that bribery poses to economic progress and development around the world (UK Government, 2010). During our inteview, Mr.Kell expressed his unfavourable attitude towards unfair trading practices, but he mentioned that if payments are necessary to facilitate market entry, it can be done. However, The Bribery Act will make things more complicated and put UK companies, including Pufferfish, at a disadvantage, especially in emerging markets such as Russia, where bribery is a custom. It is important that the company considers that in its market entry decisions. 6.1 MOSCOW Moscow, being the capital of Russia, is one of most promising markets for Pufferfish Limited. Moscow is the largest city in Russia, accounting for 7.34% of the total population of Russia (The World Bank, 2009). The advantages and disadvantages of   targeting Moscow are as follows. Advantages Moscow is the major business centre, with a well-structured distribution channel which will provide Pufferfish with an opportunity to reach out to its clients without much difficulty; The presence of large shopping malls and big box stores in Moscow will allow Pufferfish to reach out to a larger audience. The large hypermarkets present in Moscow contribute to the sale of 50 percent of consumer electronics that are advertised in Russia (US Commercial Service, 2010). As seen in the figure below, 51.60% of the total foreign investments is mainly from Moscow during the period January-September 2009.Due to the high intensity of consumers purchasing power and the large   presence of company headquarters,the region continues to attract a large amount of investments(US Commercial Service, 2010). https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ftVUl9i1YmCG06SfBi2FoWQmrto4M6j-5LbOIxDuhYP8A5Zc5_U4pKkhk6pPehlHmeoTW8mTT9S8GWYufTBb4swnxdN01Od2GoJ0Qd_LfECTH8PJ5vc Table 4: Foreign investment top regions Source: US Commercial Service, 2010 Disadvantages Registering a company in Moscow is very expensive. Though Moscow represents the most populated city in 2009,   the major problem faced by companies wanting to set up their business in Moscow is that it requires 9 procedures and costs 2.7% of the total GNP per capita to complete all business procedures (The World Bank, 2009). The major problem of conducting business in Moscow is that it is has become increasingly challenging to find qualified local partners and Russian employees. In addition to this, the salaries of local employees have risen significantly in Moscow (UK Trade and Investment, 2009). Nevertheless, the positive side to this is that the digital signage market is Moscow is booming. According to the Association of Communication Agencies in Russia, in the first half of the year 2008, Russia witnessed a significant growth of 13% in outdoor advertising, largely due to the increase in the digital signage market (Rushworth, 2008). Statistics from Integrated Systems Russia, an exhibition held in Moscow in 2009, shows that Moscow witnessed 66% of the total visitors, followed by 12% in the Moscow region and 4% in St. Petersburg (Integrated Systems Russia, 2009a).The figure below represents the ranking of visitor activity from different regions in Russia.https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7vfeTRpsRebFYxlzz95uB26cpCYa1G2PXHmi-sa_vof1n61Uy6hz71_gm3APoivUDKRs32MMjpefgnM2aDbM08yvKoPYEK5d3XvoApCOE21xVot1Opg Figure 6: Ranking of visitor activity from different regions in Russia Source: Integrated Systems Russia, 2009a Digital Education that took place in Moscow in 2009 was targeted at Moscow and Federal government officials responsible for education, which signifies the potential for the latest audio-video equipment (Integrated Systems Russia, 2009b).This clearly indicates the market potential for the Puffersphere products in the Moscow digital signage market. 6.1 ADVERTISING In the Russian advertising market television, radio, print and billboard media are widespread. The domestic and international advertising agencies are effective in Russia. The boom in the advertising industry in the country is a result of strong economic growth and increasing incomes. Companies that were affected by the economic crisis have recovered and started investing in mass media for advertising. Although the traditional methods of advertising still do exist in Russia, advertising agencies have refined their communication methods to meet the needs of the modern firm and are progressing quite well (US Commercial Service, 2010).The shopping malls, airports and advertising agencies present in Russia appear quite promising for the Puffersphere XXL and M models. Pufferspheres definitely have a great potential in the Russian market. Moscow and St. Petersburg have plenty of shopping malls and big box stores where Pufferspheres M and XXL can be used for advertising products (US Commercial Service, 2010). Afimall shopping centre is located in the core of Moscow city and is by far the largest shopping mall in Russia. Puffersphere XXL can be used for displays and indoor advertising in this mall   (AFI Development, 2008). Airports are another segment that Pufferfish can consider. Moscow has three major airportsà Ã‚ ± namely Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo. St. Petersburgs airport comprises of two terminals: Pulkovo-1 (domestic flights) and Pulkovo-2 (international flights).Puffersphere XXL can be used in these airports to display flight information, advertising and to display television channels (US Commercial Service, 2010). Other advertising agencies that can be interested in buying Pufferspheres are Starcom, Mindshare and Mediacom. The aforementioned media agencies can use the spheres for advertising (Mind Advertising Limited, 2011). The major concern for the company can be the cost of the product. Nevertheless the advertising agencies, airports and malls operate on a large scale, making the Puffersphere prices affordable for them. 8.3 CORPORATE In the past, Pufferfish Displays limited has taken part in exhibition centres and trade shows all over the world which has enabled the company to generate awareness about their product and build new contacts (Geoff, 2011). A significant part of marketing in Russia takes place through trade shows. Russians prefer to shop at trade shows as it provides them with an opportunity to learn from the array of technical experts and company displays. The success of European companies is mainly due to their high participation rates which is around 90 % of all foreign companies in the Russian shows and this is evident through their market share of industrial equipment which is approximately 70 percent. The exhibitions held in major cities are usually visited by representatives of regional governments and state enterprises from distant areas to purchase goods (UK Trade and Investment, 2009). Promotional seminars are another efficient way to increase awareness of equipment and brand awareness in the Russian business community. The seminars usually gather appropriate press coverage in the industry publications   (UK Trade and Investment, 2009). Trade fairs for the digital signage market have been taking place in Russia for quite some time now. The Integrated Systems Russia is the leading show with people visiting from all over Russia and abroad. Since Puffer fish uses an opportunistic approach for its sales, the Expocenter, which will be held in Moscow this year will act as a platform for Puffer fish to enter Russia (Integrated Systems Russia, 2010). Statistics from the previous year proves that the exhibition is a major success and attracted more than 8000 visitors. The figure below represents the visitors business activity (Integrated systems Russia, 2009a) https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/FiaHLl88-9l8jODnGWssuT0XI_EXs__oTKeURgcz-aQpFavDV8s2uC1XUaQlkTecmUplA3F1VqGxYFGLJfRLoWyuFlJrToyokKoCxC09hM2B9UQ0cl8 Figure 3: Integrated systems Russia 2009 Source: (Integrated systems Russia, 2009) The 2011 Expocenter certainly seems promising for Pufferfish Limited and will open a wide spectrum of opportunities for the company. The show presents the latest AV and electronic system technologies to the commercial, professional and residential electronic systems integration industries (Integrated Systems Russia, 2010). This provides Pufferfish an opportunity to display their Puffer sphere XXL and M models and in turn help Pufferfish attract various target segments on a single podium. 9.1 Uppsala model: Johanson J. Vahlne J-E. (1977), The Internationalization process of the firm a model of knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitments, Journal of International Business Studies, 8(1): 23-31 https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2I_BZ45ctC9ENlGidRD_VREX0JKyHUMxuolE-ZaA7djj3UqzFFmpAMDfxyKdvcsTYYJsTqSnASCsWNF37pL8UNRG5JwEVW5QWGBCZNT1RDevQgsLw8Q (Johanson Vahle, 1977). https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/YKQWjMvYoipq2TfLg1Z2W_a2wuqnB8Wuc-dRdyZ2TSfxaIdqguTTMdoszm6s1NRjpJ80IUtPJCh6Ii8_l3_0Mz8cL1L17pMEeiS97JRFUDEk-f8RH1A http://www.provenmodels.com/586/internationalisation-process/jan-johansonjan-erik-vahlne/ The Uppsala model is a dynamic model which explains the internationalisation of a firm as a process. The model explains two patterns in the internationalisation process of the firms (Johanson Vahlne, 1990, in Johanson Associates, 1994). The first pattern explains the establishment chain wherein the company engages in operations in a particular foreign market. The establishment chain consists of a sequence of stages that are created in small incremental steps with extended commitment which increases with every new step. The four stages were identified by Johanson and Wiedersheim-Paul in the year 1975 which are as follows: 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No regular export activities 2. Export via independent representatives (agent)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Sales subsidiary and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. Production/manufacturing (Johanson Wiedersheim-Paul, 1975, in Johanson Associates,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1994, p. 34.) The second pattern describes the fact that firms have a tendency to enter new markets with sequentially greater psychic distance and also greater geographical distance in some cases (Johanson Vahlne, 1990, in Johanson Associates, 1994; Hollensen, 2001). Firms therefore have a tendency to enter markets they understand, where they perceive opportunities and the uncertainty levels are relatively low. As proposed in the model, the firm can perceive opportunities without uncertainty only through experiential knowledge. Therefore, the firms choose incremental steps and engage in a sequential manner in foreign markets (Hansson, Sundell , ÃÆ'-hman , 2004) . Joint ventures or Greenfield: Joint ventures: The most recognised mode of entry into a new market is through establishing a joint venture with a foreign firm. A joint venture requires setting up a firm that is jointly owned by two or more otherwise independent firms. A joint venture involves two or more companies creating a legally independent company to share some of the parent companys resources with the purpose of developing competitive advantage.   Joint ventures can take various forms, with the most common being a 50/50 shareholding in a company.A few advantages of a joint venture are the reduction of risk through sharing of the project, facilitate entry into a market and quick profits. However problems such as inability to work with the local partner due to the varying organisational cultures and the national culture, can affect the joint venture and limit its performance (Lynch, 2006). In recent years,the rate of International Joint venture(IJV) formation has continued to rise steadily among the emerging markets in Latin America, Asia   and Eastern Europe.   The aforementioned emerging markets account for close to 70% of all IJV entries by multinational corporations. According to a survey conducted by Deloitte, 35 % of companies used joint ventures to enter into emerging markets but only 21% continue to use them. The chart from Deloittes research shows that Joint Venture is the most popular entry mode into developing markets (Mahidhar et.al, 2009). https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RF5UMKWJ67-S0PRLoVETrzdfVxDx1q_ncwGmM9izsH0QQRGPEwxY_R64xXjX7RviiN77Wae-Q-Qc0ePjGCKwanPiXTvf8TrDrMnDpUW-AsbMlhi_M6A SOURCE:(Mahidhar et.al, 2009) This section typically aims at answering some of the common question that arises when foreign investors use joint venture in Russia   (Schwarz Viktorov, 2005):  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Are there restrictions on foreign participation? In general there are no restrictions on foreign participation except for certain industries such as banking and insurance field   (Schwarz Viktorov, 2005).  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are the legal problems which a foreign investor in a joint venture faces? The formation and operation of joint ventures are relatively easier for foreign investors due to the liberalisation of the process of state registration of joint ventures and foreign currency legislation. Nevertheless, a few problems do exist (Schwarz Viktorov, 2005): o   Ã‚  Recurring change of legislation. o   Ã‚  The state authorities fail to conform with established terms and procedures for provision of consents, approvals, registration and issuance of licenses and so on.  ·   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What are the types of joint venture vehicles commonly used by foreign investors? The figures below represent the principal types of joint ventures:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/RnQg8HPYJ6ZvBOpuQcfbwff_LORWvqfVpA9Q5vj3miT1TbyK7lvJfueE9BTOGeysFfIqaPx1-JuNQbwdTx6N_kIkhq0IKYUFojl0HMqaLyRDRQXiqAE Source:   (Schwarz Viktorov, 2005) FORMING A RUSSIAN LEGAL ENTITY: The above figure describes the types of commercial legal entities that are recognised by the Civil Code of Russian Federation such as general partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, additional liability companies, additional liability companies, joint stock companies (UK Trade and Investment, 2009). There are two types of joint ventures namely limited liability companies (LLC) where in involvement is based on participation interests and joint stock companies ( JSC) where in involvement is based on shares (Schwarz Viktorov, 2005). The crucial part of entering a market is to decide whether to enter as a limited liability company or joint stock company. LLCs are preferred over JSCs in setting up a wholly owned subsidiary since the process of establishment and operation of an LLC is less taxing and time consuming as there are no legal requirements that an LLC must issue shares or perform any procedures related to issuance, establishment and issuance of securities. This form of entity is more flexible and mobile as there is no requirement of issuing shares when the participants need to change the contract capital of the company. Nevertheless, a JSC is preferred for a joint venture in Russia between parties that are not related due to the following reasons. First, in an LLC each participant is eligible to leave the company at any time and for no specific reason, without the consent of other participants. In comparison to a JSC, the LLC law considers a lot of issues which requires undisputed voting decisions of LLC participants that might not be fair for a joint venture partner who is a majority participant in the LLC (UK Trade and Investment, 2009). Given the current situation Pufferfish Displays limited must invest into Russia only after they gain sufficient knowledge about the market. This may take a good three to four years. Depending on the situation then the company may choose from the aforementioned entities. They may additionally take help or guidance from the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce or the UK Trade and Investment for setting up the preferred entity. Pufferfish Displays, 2010. Services:Content Creation and Consultancy. Retrieved March 17, 2011, from Pufferfish Ltd: http://www.pufferfishdisplays.co.uk/services/ Pufferfish Displays, 2009. Case studies:Eurovision. Retrieved March 17, 2011, from Pufferfishlimited Website: http://www.pufferfishdisplays.co.uk/case-studies/eurovision/ AFI Development, 2008. Projects: Afimall city, [online]. Available at: http://www.afi-development.ru/en/projects/map/moscow/mallofrussia [Accessed 9 March 2011]. Deloitte, 2010. Doing Business in Russia 2010, [online]. Available at: http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_RU/ru/insights/doingbusinessinrussia/index.htm [Accessed 26 February 2011]. Hansson, G., Sundell , H., and ÃÆ'-hman , M., 2004. The new modified Uppsala model Based on an anomalistic case study at Malmberg Water AB. Hickson, D.J., and Pugh, D.S., 1995. Management Worldwide:The Impact Of Societal Culture On Organizations Around The Globe. London: Penguin. Integrated Systems Russia, 2009a. Statistics of the third international exhibition and conference, [online]. Available at: http://www.isrussia.ru/en/isrussia/statistics [Accessed 4 March 2011]. Integrated Systems Russia, 2009b. Digital Education, [online]. Available at: http://www.isrussia.ru/en/isrussia/digital_education [Accessed 2 March 2011]. Integrated Systems Russia, 2010. About the show, [online]. Available at: http://www.isrussia.ru/en/isrussia/Digital_Signage [Accessed 4 March 2011]. Johanson, J., and Associates, 1994. Internationalization, Relationships and Networks. Stockholm: Almqvist Wiksell International. Johanson, J., and Vahlne, J-E., 1990. The Mechanism of Internationalization.   Stockholm: Almquist Wiksell International. Johanson, J. and Vahlne, J-E. 1977. The Internationalization Process of the Firm A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitment. Journal of International Business Studies, 8, pp.23-32. Johanson, J., and Wiedersheim-Paul, F., 1975. The Internationalization of the Firm Four Swedish Cases. Stockholm: Almquist Wiksell International. Lynch, R., 2006. Corporate Strategy.Pearson Education Limited. Mahidhar, V., Giffi, C., Kambli, A., Alvanos, R., and Grunewald, J., 2009. Rethinking Emerging Market Strategies: From offshoring to strategic expansion. Deloitte, [online]. Available at: http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_US/us/article/43cc586731101210VgnVCM100000ba42f00aRCRD.htm [Accessed 9 March 2011]. PricewaterhouseCoopers Russia, 2009, Doing business and investing in the Russian Federation, [online]. Available at: http://russia.polpred.com/upload/pdf/doing-business-in-russia-2009.pdf?PHPSESSID=u85buagf7pdte5b77is3n96mt4 [Accessed 12 February 2011]. PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2010. Doing Business and investing in the Russian Federation, [online]. Available at: http://www.pwc.ru/en/doing-business-in-russia/assets/Doing-Business-Russian-Federation-2010.pdf [Accessed 12 February 2011]. Pufferfish Displays, 2011a. Pufferfish Home, Products and Services, [online]. Available at: http://www.pufferfishdisplays.co.uk [Accessed 11 March 2011]. Pufferfish Displays, 2011b. Pufferfish Resources: Investors, [online]. 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Essay --

During the Vietnam war the press and the media had complete atonement. For the first time the media had no censorship. The historical films that were made to be based off the Vietnam war were not accurate and were very distorted for entertainment value. I also think that the press media was very distorted as well. Many movies like The Green Berets and Medium Cool substituted violence for historical content. But not only were they filled with pointless violence they also had a lot of racist clichà ©s in them. Although the films were not giving the war a good name, It is possible that it was the media press that started the non support of the war. At first the media was very supportive of the war, but when the news did coverage of the Tet offensive it also sparked the anti war movement. Many major groups felt that the war was foreclosing the hope of making America a decent and truly democratic society. Martin Lutther King was also opposed to the war. He did not like that America would put funds into a war that we should not be in, in the first place, and that was also on foreign soil ...

Interest Groups and Democracy Essay

There is no doubt that interest groups play an important role in a democratic society. However, while some are essential in enhancing democracy in the society, some undermine democracy. Democracy can be described as a form of political leadership in which all policies and decisions are arrived at based on the principle of majority rule. In a democratic country, the citizens elect their political representatives after a specified period of time. Democratic election of representatives is governed by the principles of fairness, political equality and freedom where all the individuals who are eligible voters exercise their rights to make a choice between political partners. Interests groups, otherwise known as pressure groups play an important role in the establishment of pluralism in a democratic society. There is no doubt that the political representative in any society does not provide sufficient representation of all the interests in the society. In any society, there are diverse opinions and interests that the modern democratic structures in the political parties cannot adequately deal with. This is because of the structures of political parties which aggregate the interests of the society to establish an entity that has the ability to govern the entire country. This makes them disabled to dealing with some basic democracy issues affecting some individuals in the country. The interest groups in such democratic societies enable such individuals’ interests and opinions to be heard and have an influence of the decision making process (Hrebenar, 1999). Proponents of pressure groups in a democratic society have argued that these groups triumph over the deficits that are inherent in any democracy. It is important to note that there are many factors in the political structures in the society that results into inadequacy in democratic processes and consequently the deficit. One of these factors is the infrequent in which the elections of political representatives are carried out. In many democracies around the world, election of representatives is carried out after five or so years. For this reason, the majority have an opportunity to participate in a democratic process and influence the decision making process once in a few years. Moreover, the minorities in the society may not be fairly represented in the political parties and therefore have no influence on the democratic processes. In such cases, interests groups play an important role in proving a solution to these inadequacies in the democratic process. Although there are other remedies to the deficits in a democracy, there is no doubt that interest groups enhance democracy (Golden, 1998). The most important facet of democracy is the participation of the masses in all democratic processes. Interest groups in a society play an important role in promoting political participation in the society. Although voting is the most basic process in a democratic society, it does not provide the people with the ability to influence the politics of the country. People may participate in the voting process but may not have the strength to express their views individually to their representatives. Moreover, the political parties may not have all the powers to influence the people to participate in essential political practices such as voting. By people coming together which are facilitated by interest groups, they can push forwards their ideas and feelings about a policy issue. Other than influencing each other in making the right decision in the voting process, individuals within an interest group have the ability to take collective actions which will have a greater influence in the decision making process (Jordan & Maloney, 2007). For example, interest groups who are opposed to gay marriages and abortion can campaign for representatives in the legislature who are pro-life. In so doing, they will be able to influence the outcome of the elections and consequently the decision made by the legislature. This may be the only way through which individuals opposed to such activities in the society can be heard in a democratic society. The same is true for individuals supporting gay marriages and legalization of abortion. Interest groups also mobilize individuals with certain opinions about governance and decisions made in a democratic country to protest against political decisions that they are not satisfied. Through these street protests, the masses are able to express their dissatisfaction thus enhancing democracy (Bosso, 2003). Interests groups play a complementary role of political parties. It is common for a large number of citizens to rally behind a particular political party but are not satisfied by the running of the party. The majority may be unhappy with the position held by their political party on key issues on governance and legislation. Through pressure groups within the political party, they can influence the position of the party on the issues which may not be possible if an individual member of the party seeks to influence the party’s position. For example, individuals within a party may use pressure groups to influence the party’s position and include environmental protection or health care as one of the party’s political agenda. These issues may not be part of the party manifesto but if it is in the best interest of the party and the general public, interest groups can be used to incorporate the issues into the political agenda (Chaskin, 2003). Proponents of interest groups on a democratic society argue that they disperse the powers of the government. Pressure groups in a country have diverse opinions on key issues affecting the society many of which conflict. Due to the presence of these divergent and conflicting pressures on the government, the authorities and policy makers are compelled to listen to the suggestion brought forward by the interest groups. This way, the government acts as a mediator between interest groups with conflicting issues. This introduces the aspect of bargaining and compromise which is important in any democracy. It has also been observed that in some democratic countries such as Britain, the people representatives, who are the members of parliament are impaired in their ability to scrutinize the activities of the central government. In such countries, the interest groups play a major role in enhancing democracy by ensuring that the people representatives are informed of public satisfaction with the government activities. The interest groups in this case act as informal researchers who give briefing to the people’s representatives. The existences of interest groups that promote the welfare of marginalized individuals promote democracy by combating the elite’s interests in the society and ensuring that the disadvantaged are heard. In other words, the interest groups empower the citizens to fight for their democratic rights (Greenwood, 2007). In a democratic society, the interest groups provide an important linkage between the people and the government. Due to this link, the government is more responsible and remains focused on the interests of the general public while promoting democratic citizenship. They provide a vital channel through which information flows from the public to the government and the reverse. They inform and advise the government as well as the public on appropriate actions to take concerning emerging issues in the society (Ehrman, 1972). Despite these important roles played by the interest groups in promoting democracy in the society, some people have argued that they undermine and distort democracy and political systems in a country. For example, the interest group may represent a minority group in the society but be powerful enough to influence the decision in the country. This undermines the basic principle of democracy, majority always rules. This happens when the minorities through the powerful interest groups are able to influence decisions and policies that are against the will of the majority. These undemocratic practices that are promoted by interest groups are very common in trade unions and pressure groups with commercial and business affiliations. In many cases, the level of influence by a certain interest group in the country is determined by the financial and economic position of the pressure group or its members. In many cases, the influence and the position of the general society are not comparable and may be out of proportion (Keohane at al, 2009). Some interest groups are either too powerful or may promote corruption in a country. This limits its ability to promote the democracy and the interests of the general public. For example, interest groups pushing for the interests of the manufactures may be too powerful to influence decisions that favor the manufacturers at the expense of the public. Moreover, such interest groups may finance political campaigns in anticipation that they will obtain favors in the long run. Secret financial affairs and corruption have also been cited to demonstrate how interest groups undermine democracy (Sudbery, 2003). Opponents of the participation of interest groups in democracy maintain that they promote the inequalities in the society because of the high likelihood of them being influenced by the socially and economically advantaged members of the society. Marxists argue that the principle role of interest groups in a democratic society is to maintain the status quo or make the social divide worse. They also argue that the view of the government as a mediator between the conflicting interests as a cover-up of the real nature of power. Interests groups can also cause stagnation of democratic evolution in a society where one interest group blocks introduction of new issues in the society. This may limit social and economic development in the society. It is also important to note that the interest groups are subject to individualistic interests. This is mainly because the election of officials and running the affairs of the group in not always done democratically. It makes no sense how interest groups promote democracy whereas their structures are not democratic (Jordan & Maloney, 2007). In conclusion, interest groups play a major role in promoting or undermining democracy in a country. They are therefore good and at the same time bad in any democratic society. However, the large number of interest groups around the world indicates that they are successful in their mandate. They enable the general members of the public to have an influence on the decision making processes thus enhancing democracy, but can have negative effects if not well regulated.

Advantages for sociologists in using structured interviews Essay

The structured interview, also known as the formal or questionnaire interview, involves a face-to-face or alternatively an over-the-phone delivery of a questionnaire. Structured interviews use a pre-set list of questions designed by the researcher and asked to all interviewees in the same way, this is know as an interview schedule. Interviewees then choose from a list of set answers, allowing structured interviews to be relatively quick. Structured interviews have various advantages, therefore, some sociologists, mainly Positivist sociologists, choose to use structured interviews when conducting research. Positivists go by the assumption that there is a measurable objective social reality. They take a scientific approach using methods such as structured interviews to obtain quantitative data. Positivists are mainly interested in research methods that achieve their main goals of reliability, generalisability and representativeness, for this reason, they favour structured interviews as they achieve these goals. This is because structured interviews have close-ended questions and answers that are standardised, counted and quantified; they are reliable because they can be therefore replicated. Positivist sociologists also prefer to use structured interviews when conducting research because the pre-coded responses mean that produce quantitative data, can allow cause-and-effect relationships can be established. Thus, structured interviews are preferred by positivists. Also, structured interviews are representative and can therefore be generalised, because of the fact that they are often large-scale. There are also practical advantages to using structured interviews. For an example, training interviewers is relatively easy and inexpensive as no specialist skills have to be taught as the questions tend to be very straightforward as they often close-ended, and do not require too much thought. Due to the fact that skills taught are minimal, the process of training interviewers will not cost too much. This brings a huge practical advantage for sociologists of structured interviews being low cost. Another practical advantage is that structured interviews are relatively cheap, quick and easy to administer. This enables sociologists to use a  larger sample in the interview process, allowing more representative results to be produced. Therefore, the researcher can make generalisations. No only this, but structured interviews have a higher response rate, than mailed questionnaires for example, further improving and reinforcing the representative advantage of structured interviews. Furthermore, face to face interviews ensure a much higher response rate than mailed questionnaires for example, due to the fact that the researcher’s presence means that the research purpose and importance can be explained to potential interviewees, allowing them to understand how valuable it is that their response is correct and true, thus increasing validity- an important advantage for sociologists. Finally interviewer effect occurs when the interviewer’s presence affects the interviewee’s responses, in turn reducing validity. However, the advantage with structured interviews is that the interviewer effect with be much less than with unstructured, open-ended unstructured interviews. This is due to the fact that in structured interviews contact is restricted to asking and responding fixed list of questions and close-ended answers. All points considered there are a number of advantages for sociologists in using structured interviews in their research. However, in saying this, it can also be argued that there are a also number of disadvantages. For example, it can be said that there is a lack of validity as the researcher decides the questions in advance, a lack of reliability as interviewer effect may influence answers, a cost issue due to training and ignorance towards sensitive issues as deadpan manner may be quite off-putting and there is a lack of rapport. In my opinion, it all depends on whether you are a positivist or an interpretivist. Yes, there are some disadvantages, but I believe that these disadvantages are extremely outweighed by number of advantages that exist for sociologists in using structured interviews in their research.

How to handle your money if you know youre getting fired

How to handle your money if you know youre getting fired Sometimes firings or layoffs come out of the blue- you go into work one morning, thinking everything is fine, and then†¦blammo. Other times, you kinda know it’s coming. Maybe things aren’t going so well with your company or your industry, making layoffs a painful inevitability. Or maybe things just haven’t been going well for you personally, and you know it’s just a matter of time. Whatever the case may be, if you can see the writing on the wall and you want to make sure you’re preparing yourself, how do you tackle your immediate financial future? Don’t make huge purchases if you can avoid it.If you’re thinking of buying a house, investing in a friend’s startup, getting a new car, or whatever, reconsider your timeline. If you lose your job tomorrow and have to spend months on a job hunt, will you be able to afford this big extra expense? If this is something you can put off for at least a few months while you regroup profes sionally and financially, defer the investment.Know your state’s unemployment policies.Knowing what you’re going to get, unemployment-wise, will help you stay on top of your bills in the aftermath of getting fired.Come up with several different budgets.You probably already have some kind of a general budget in your life, but this is a crisis budget. Identify absolute necessities (like food, utilities, rent/mortgage), and make sure you have enough money to cover those first. The most important thing in your crisis budget is being realistic.It’s also helpful to come up with a few different scenarios for your budgets. For example, Budget A is the on you use if you’re unemployed for two months, with severance and unemployment. Budget B is the one where you’re unemployed for six months or longer, with severance and unemployment. Budget C can be the wildcard, if you’re unemployed longer, or don’t have severance or unemployment. If the axe h asn’t fallen yet, it’s important to consider all the different scenarios you might be facing, and plan accordingly to make sure your bills are covered.Get rid of unnecessary expenses and bills.Think about what you actually need in your life, and what are the â€Å"nice to have†s. Do you need cable, or could you get by for a few months with some kind of Netflix + Hulu combo? Do you go out to dinner or do takeout several times a week, when you could just as easily cook? It’s time to put serious thought into the costs that can be reduced or canceled.See if you can modify your bill payments.Some of your bills are likely non-negotiable, like electricity or food. Others may allow you to modify your payments based on financial hardship, like student loans. For any bills you’re currently paying, it’s worth the research to see if you can modify your payments on a short-term basis, if possible.Don’t panic and stop paying bills.The instinct can be to stop and hoard all the money, because the future is uncertain. And while you may be able to ride out the short-term pain of being late on bills, you’re seriously endangering the financial health of Future You. If you can make payments on schedule, do. You want to avoid future repercussions for your credit and finances if at all possible.Getting fired is traumatic and scary, but even if you know it’s coming, it’s essential to keep calm and prioritize your personal finances so that you can help yourself get back on track (or stay on track) as quickly as possible.

The eNotes Blog 2002 Has No Idea What Youre Talking About,2012!

2002 Has No Idea What Youre Talking About,2012! A couple of years ago, my then 10-year-old son declared that everything is the best it could ever be. He was quite sure that, new iPhone in hand,  nothing  could surpass the (then) current marvels of the Modern World.   I was just as sure that everything could and would be surpassed. Twenty-five years ago, if you told any adult that typewriters would be as extinct as the buffalo, no one would have believed it.   Today, 95% my 19 and 20-year-old students have never even  touched  a typewriter. I have seen card catalog cabinets busted up for firewood (not really, but you get it). I remember when floppy disks really  were floppy.  Now there arent even disks! I remember when. excuse me, Hey, kid! Get off my lawn!!   Anyway, a group of friends and I got into a discussion about what has changed in the last  ten  years. I asked them to come up with sentences that would have made  no sense  to someone in 2002.   Here is what we came up with: 1.   Ã‚  Theres an app for that! 2.   You can download movies to your tv and control it with your Android tablet. 3.   Did you check in? Im the mayor of this coffee shop. 4.   Ill Facebook you. 5.   Ill Text YouIll IM You. 6.   I just got this 4D camera. 7.   I can de-friend anybody I want to. 8.   Ã‚  I am going to put all these thumbnails on my flashdrive. 9.   I asked a silly question and got over 60 responses from all over the country in a matter of a few minutes. 10.   Ã‚  I 3D printed a new handle for my suitcase. 11.   Call Homeland Security. 12.   Dang it! I got busted by a red-light camera. 13.   Did you see the Tupac hologram? 14.   Theres a fee for checked in baggage. 15.   Let me check Snookis Twitter feed. 16.   I drove over a cliff because I trusted my GPS. 17.   Hey, wanna Skype? 18.   Gay marriage was approved by voters in several states. 19.   We elected a black president. Twice! 20.   I store my books and music in the cloud. 21.   I dont know what time that show comes on. Everythings on the DVR. 22.   Send that PDF to my FTP. 23.   Stream it. 24.   Ill download the podcast from iTunes. 25.   Ã‚  Park in the Blink so we can recharge the car. 26.   thx ttyl kbye o_0 27.   Can I haz cheeseburger? 28.   Do you have a Tumblr? 29.   Would you take a picture of my paycheck and send it to BofA? 30.   Occupy Wall Street 31.   Fracking destroys water supplies. What about you? Can you think of any more words in common use that would not have made sense in 2002? Wed love to hear them.   Who knows what is coming, and what will be obsolete by 2022.

African Poetry

It is a historical irony that the same language serves the African writer in voicing his thoughts and feelings to the world at large. While discussing the future of English, Simeon Porter observes, It will adopt to meet new needs and in that incessant reshaping and adaptation, every speaker and writer consciously or unconsciously will play some part. (181) Today, the prediction of Porter came true of African writing in English. It brought strength and appeal to the English language by adding a large range of new vocabulary and usage. Writing on the problems faced by the African English writers,  Chinua Achebe  the famous Nigerian writer says, The African writer should aim to use English that brings out his message without altering the language to the extent that its value as a medium of international exchange will be lost. He should aim at fashioning out an English, which is at once unusual and able to carry his peculiar experience. (61) It is applaudable that the writers of Africa succeeded in accomplishing the above task set by Achebe, which is by any means not an easy one. Their successful integration of native experience and expression in an alien tongue received worldwide acclaim. Their success proved, as critics like Srinivasa Iyengar pointed out, A shot in the arm of modern English Literature has had to come from West Africans like Amos Tutuola,  Wole Soyinka  and Gabriel Okara. (16) The role of poetry, in African literature, has been highly effective in providing the people with the needful inspiration and the necessary insight. The language of poetry, for the African people, is a source of learning and becoming aware of their destiny that necessitates the knowledge of their past, present and the possible future. These and several other ideas fuelled African poetry in English. For the African poets, poetry became a powerful medium through which they conveyed to the world audience, not only their despairs and hopes, the enthusiasm and empathy, the thrill of joy and the stab of pain but lso a nations history as it moved from freedom to slavery, from slavery to revolution, from revolution to independence and from independence to tasks of reconstruction which further involve situations of failure and disillusion. (Iyengar, 15) When we read African Literature, we should, by obligation remember that, colonization was at its harshest in Africa. As history stands proof, it was highly exploited and savaged by the ambitious white man. This experience is on the minds of all thinking poets. Despite getting uhuru or in dependence, the bitterness returns again and again. The unforgettable colonial past comes angrily alive in a poem by Kenyas poet Joseph Kareyaku thus, It is not as you suppose, your lands, your cars, your money, or your cities I covet It is what gores me most, that in my own house and in my very own home you should eye me and all thats mine with that practiced, long-drawn, insulting sneer. (quoted in Iyengar, 30) In a poem entitled If you want to know me Noemia De Sousa writes ruefully of Africa, by effectively using the literary device of personification thus: This is what I am mpty sockets despairing of possessing of life a mouth torn open in an anguished wound a body tattooed with wounds seen and unseen from the harsh whipstrokes of slavery tortured and magnificent proud and mysterious Africa from head to foot This is what I am. (Narasimhaiah, 137) The much-brutalized Dark Continent is tellingly depicted in the following lines of a poem named The Shapes of Fear by Richard Ntiru. Like an arrested breath when breathing makes silence imperfect and the ear cannot differentiate between the conspiratorial whispers and the winds singing. .. a twig in the courtyard snaps and report of a gun is understood. (Narasimhaiah, 137) Nigerian poet , the Nobel laureate Wole Soyinkas masterful irony skillfully conceals anger at the racist attitude in his famous poem, Telephone Converstion. After negotiating for a house on rent on telephone, he tells the landlady of his being a black African. He was rudely shocked when he was caught foully by the ladys query regarding his darkness thus: HOW DARK? I had not misheard Are you light OR VERY DARK (Narasimhaiah, 149) The ill- mannered silence between the two is filled with images such as stench of rancid breath of public- hide-and-speak, Red booth, Red- Pillar-box, Red double-tiered Omnibus squelching tar that subsume the age-old and still hopeless and violent colour- conflict. The theme of English superiority glares through David Rubadiris poem A Negro Labourer in Liverpool: Here his hope is the shovel And his fulfillment resignation. (Narasimhaiah, 134) One of the most important phases in African poetry is  Negritude, a powerful literary movement founded by Aime Cesaire of Senegal. Among other things, the Negritude poets favoured the theme of glorification of Africa. They worshipped anything African in scintillating rhymes. Anger at injustice meted out to the colonized Africa is also one of the oft-repeated themes of their poetry. Heres an example from David Diops poem Africa. Africa, my Africa Africa of proud warriors in ancestral savannahs. Is this you, this back that is bent This back that breaks under the weight of humiliation This back trembling with red scars And saying yes to the whip under the midday sun.. That is Africa your Africa That grows again patiently obstinately And its fruit gradually acquires The bitter taste of liberty. (Narasimhaiah, 153) Dennis Brutus, a South African poet, was subjected to torture by a cruel regime. His writing is full of images of love contrasted with images of death thus, Desolate Your face gleams up Beneath me in the dusk Abandoned A wounded dove Helpless Beneath the knife of love. (Quoted in Theroux, 2) Great feeling for Africa is felt in Abioseh Nicols poem The Meaning of Africa thus: Africa, you were once just a name to me So I came back ailing down the Guinea coast . You are not a country Africa, You are a concept I know now that is what you are Africa Happiness, contentment and fulfillment. (Quoted in Povey, 39) A poets affirmation of his love for Africa shines radiantly through the following verses. Dark Africa! My dawn is here; Behold! I see A rich warm glow in the East, And my day will soon be here. (Iyengar, 30) Deification of Africa is a fit topic for many African p oets. Perhaps this is their reaction to the self glorification and the civilizing zeal of the imperial powers of Europe. Bernard Dadies poem attains special significance viewed in that light. He says in a poem entitled I Thank God, I thank you God for creating me black. White is the colour for special occasions Black the colour for every day And I have carried the World since the dawn of time And my laugh over the World, through the night creates The Day. (Narasimhaiah, 122) In Africa, the advent of the white mans civilizing mission displaced scores of native societies from their own cultural roots. The impact of the spread of Christianity combined with material benefits such as classroom education and well-paid jobs forced many Africans abandon their own faith and adapt the religion of the pale-faced aliens. This situation is responsible for the natives to suffer from culture shock. Nevertheless, the native is expected to owe allegiance to his own tribal culture and embrace Christianity for material benefits. This cultural confusion is well articulated by Mabel Segun in a poem thus: Here we stand Infants overblown Poised between two civilizations Finding the balance irksome. (Quoted in Povey, 39) Gabriel Okara expresses the same sentiments in a lyric thus: When at break of day at a riverside I hear jungle drums Then I hear a wailing piano Solo speaking of complex ways. (Quoted in Gleason, 143) However, there are poets like Kofi Awoonor Williams of Ghana whose passion for past is expressed in his rediscovery themes with the help of extended rhythms as in the following lines. Sew the old days for us our fathers that we wear them under our old garments after we have washed ourselves.. ( The Anvil and the Hammer) gain, Sew the old days for me my father Sew them so that I may wear them For the feast that is coming. (Quoted in Theroux, 4) He accomplishes the same excellence of evolving extended rhythms in poems like The Long Journey and My Song. Poetic excellence and rare innovative creative ability are seen in  Christopher Okigbo  poems such as The Stars Have Departed. He says, The stars have departed The sky in a monocle Surveys the world under The stars have departed And I- Where am I? ? Stretch, stretch O antennae, To clutch at this hour, Fulfilling each movement in a Broken monody. (quoted in Walsh, 48) Images that can evoke a situation beyond hope which are reminiscent of Eliots war poetry are visible in the following verses from K. Brews poem The Search. The past is but the cinders Of the present The future The smoke That escaped Into the cloud- bound sky. (quoted in Walsh, 50) Some of the poets have realized the futility of fighting over issues such as race, respect and national identity. What more can be more illuminating than the enlightened poets words such as, You must leave the sifting sands of self- seeking and deceit nd erect far mightier mansions on the rock of healthy soil. (Iyengar, 36) Lenrie Peters poems are short on the print but deep on ones mind like the one cited below Open the gates To East and West Bring in all Thats good and best. The memorable lines of Peters poem On a wet September Morning with their sheer beauty of imagery and the underlying thought of universal brotherhood celebrate the oneness of the human family. To c ite a few verses, The echo burst in me Like a great harmonic chord- Violins of love and happy voices The pagan trumpet blast Swamping the lamentation of the horn Then the heraldic drums In slow crescendo rising Crashed though my senses Into a new present Which is the future. After this brief glance at African poetry, we realize that it is not simply an offshoot of British literary tradition. Despite the many disadvantages such as a scarred past, colonial trauma, expression in a foreign medium, inability to travel abroad, unstable economic and political state of affairs in their respective nations, lack of educational opportunities, the African poet has effortless creative capacity. It is an enriching combination of rich oral literature, native experience and imported tradition of writing in English that made African poetry a tremendous success both at home and abroad. The Black Orpheus (African Poets) is no longer an unknown or an unwanted quantity but a fascinating and often enviable and beneficent literary marvel from what was ignorantly termed as the dark continent.

United States 9-1-1 emergency service Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

United States 9-1-1 emergency service - Thesis Example The location where an E9-1-1 operator works is called the â€Å"Public Safety Answering Point† (PSAP) which are distributed across the length and breadth of the country and take action for every emergency call. Not all PSAps are equipped with wireless and wire- line systems. In fact, many of the PSAPs have to make use of more advanced technology in order to meet all emergencies. All the PSAPs work in tandem with the local telephone company who has a database of all the numbers and addresses in that jurisdiction. This is a two- way system that works through special 9- 1- 1 Selective Routers. The use of mobile phones while dialing 911 in the United States posed a problem because the call was first directed to the state police on highway patrol who would then pass on the details to the right PSAPs, but now with the cellular boom it is difficult to gauge the right location from where the call had been made. According to the FCC rules in the U.S. every telephone in the vicinity of the 9-1-1 network should be able to have access to it, even in the event of it being disconnected for any reason. In the case of VoIP service, if such phones dial the 9 – 1 – 1, it would go to their billing address only and not the desired location because such phones are only used indoors. Therefore, the FCC issued orders that all VoIP providers should provide the 9 – 1 -1 services to their clients in May 2005. However, in this age of advanced Internet communications, the issue of getting the right response and emergency services to the right location still poses some problems and the 9 -1 -1 personnel seem to be more busy than ever attending to emergencies. The government however is trying its best to still improve pockets in the emergency services. The FBI have contributed to this by making a listing of all the law – enforcement agencies of the United States in an on- line directory

Economics (Micro And Macro) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics (Micro And Macro) - Essay Example The BA’s main reason for participating in this alliance is the possibility to reduce the ticket prices on air transportation due to the bigger amount of profit. Despite the fact that anti-monopolistic committee allowed the partnership, the airline company Virgin Atlantic sets protests against it. The merge of two big companies will make them monopolists in their service sphere. As mentioned above the bigger profit allows the owners to provide better services, to have upgraded planes, to set lower prices on the tickets and what is even more important – to provide the better level of security. The company with average profits will be driven off the market. To fight this injustice they even applied the anti-advertising technique by putting the following message on their airplanes â€Å"No way to BA/AA. The headquarter of a new alliance will be located in London since the controlling interest belongs to BA. Analyzing this article it is necessary to point out several issues that are to be considered in details. The first notion is monopoly since the new alliance represents the monopolistic leader in Europe. Though at the same time considering the whole world where BA+AA will have the third place in volume of passengers transportation, it is necessary to point out that in the scale of the world competition we can observe the monopolistic competition. The second notion that is to be analyzed is merge and strategic alliance in order to identify the type that BA and AA has. In books on economics one can find the following definition of monopoly as: â€Å"If a certain firm is the only one that can produce a certain good, it has a monopoly in the market for that good (Samuelson & Marks, 2003). When studying monopoly in theory it is usually accepted that only one company operates in its industry - it produces and sells the whole volume of products. Though, in life monopoly is represented by a big company that controls the biggest part of

IP4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IP4 - Essay Example Pioch (2002) described the era as associated with religious art. Baroque period is characterized by vigorous movement and emotional intensity associated with Baroque art in its primary meaning. Much Hellenistic sculpture could therefore be described as `baroque'. The older meaning of the word means `capricious', `overwrought' or `florid' (Pioch, 2002). Caravaggio and Annibale Carracci are the two great figures who stand at the head of the Baroque tradition, bringing a new solidity and weightiness to Italian painting, which in the late 16th century has generally been artificial and often convoluted in style (Pioch, 2002). The two artists are considered to have their own style in which Annibale's work has an exuberance that is completely his own, and Caravaggio created figures with an unprecedented sense of sheer physical presence (Pioch, 2002). These two major artists have great influences of their own and fusing these influences, the Baroque area arose (Pioch, 2002). Baroque artists inherited from the mannerist style the movement and fervent emotion and solidity and grandeur from Rennaisance style (Pioch, 2002). The Deposition from the Cross is an artwork made by oil in canvas. This is considered one of the greatest works of Caravaggio. In this artwork, the artist did not really portray the Burial or Deposition in the conventional way.

Night Work and the Risk of Cancer Among Men Essay - 1

Night Work and the Risk of Cancer Among Men - Essay Example geted men aged between 35-70 years residing in the greater Montreal who had been diagnosed with incident, pathologically confirmed cancer at any major 18 hospitals of Montreal. The study results confirmed earlier studies which had linked night shift workers to increased levels of cancer. However, the study also provided new evidence that had not been well investigated previously, which was the relationship between night work and risks of several types of cancer among men. The results suggested increased risks of cancer sites among men working at night. The results were not tested, since the researchers point out that, â€Å"the absence of duration-response relations, and the very fact of ostensible excess risks across such a wide array of tumour types, might raise questions about the credibility of these ï ¬ ndings and possible methodological artefacts† (Parent, 2012, p. 753). The primary risk of exposure of interest was the relationship between night work and the risk of cancer among men. The study found that there was the existence of a relationship between cancer and night work, although it was not accurately measured. A case study was used to conduct this study of night work and the risk of cancer among men. It involved interviewing men who resided in greater Montreal and who had been diagnosed with various types of cancer in the 18 hospitals in Montreal. The study only focused on male patients who had visited the largest hospitals in Montreal between 1979 and 1985. Out of 4,576 eligible cancer patients 82% of the patients, which total to 3, 730 were successfully interviewed. 81% responded for themselves while the remaining per cent, their spouses acted as the respondents. The study only focused on men who had visited hospitals and successfully been diagnosed with various types of cancer. The selection bias was based on the exposure of interest. The fact that only those men who had been diagnosed with cancer were selected for the study made it qualify for

The Role of Soft Law in Contemporary International Law-Making Essay

The Role of Soft Law in Contemporary International Law-Making - Essay Example Treaty represents an agreement concluded by different countries and enforced by action. Soft Law is formed according to the state’s experience and pays much attention to the sense of obligation. Soft law in its turn represents the third source that appeared not very long ago. The top priority of this law is the protection of human rights, environmental protection, and preservation of ethical principles. It is essential to note, that contemporary international legislation is both treaty and soft and both sources efficiently function, resolve international controversies and regulate the relations between countries. Studying the literature in order to prepare the investigation it is possible to make a conclusion that the 20th century is characterized by essential development of the international legislation, and notwithstanding those treaties now is the main source, it is possible to say that both ethical principles and treaty are really efficient, can work together, and in addition, treaties can help create new principles in international legislation. It is still not known, what source is more efficient, but it is quite clear that treaty can’t and should not be more reliable that ethical principles which were generated by the society and accepted by it Studying the literature on the topic, one can I believe, that treaty, customary and soft law should function together and the choice depends on the case. Both soft and treaty law are very efficient in regulating international. Thus, taking into account that different sources of international law usually work together and are not taken separately, sometimes it is not possible to decide what source is more efficient. Therefore, the thorough investigation of the sources will be implemented in the given study.

Describe the components of a case brief Assignment

Describe the components of a case brief - Assignment Example The legal defense or claim section ensures that all relevant facts are included; the facts relating to an event are normally organized in chronological order and organized separately as they are deemed to be relevant to every issue (Okrent, 2009). After the facts have been presented, the procedural history of the case is included. This is the history of the case from the time a lawsuit was filed until it came before the court (Jmls, nd). For example, lower courts’ decisions and the reasons for those decisions are presented in this section. Yet again, the decisions of any intermediate courts as well as the basis of those decisions and the parties that appealed are included. In many cases, the procedural history is then followed by the issue. The issue is a legal question the court seeks to resolve; the question should be answered in ‘yes’ or ‘no’ format. The rule that governs the dispute and the material facts are also included in the issue (Jmls, nd). It is recommended that the parties be identified generally by their relation to the legal claim. The holding or the answer to the issue is then presented in a nest section. It is however noted that the holding does not present the rule of the law. After the holding, the reasoning is always presented according to (Jmls, nd). This is where the court’s explanations and support a decision are included. It also includes the rule of law that the court applied and the rules the court rejected to reach its decision. The reasoning is sometimes referred to as the ‘heart’ of the case brief. In reasoning, the court’s decision policy is included. Notions of judicial economic efficiency, fairness, and justice are given priority over implicit policies that may also underlie the court’s decision. Finally the court’s disposition of the case is presented clearly somewhere at the end of the case

The Role of Soft Law in Contemporary International Law-Making Essay

The Role of Soft Law in Contemporary International Law-Making - Essay Example Treaty represents an agreement concluded by different countries and enforced by action. Soft Law is formed according to the state’s experience and pays much attention to the sense of obligation. Soft law in its turn represents the third source that appeared not very long ago. The top priority of this law is the protection of human rights, environmental protection, and preservation of ethical principles. It is essential to note, that contemporary international legislation is both treaty and soft and both sources efficiently function, resolve international controversies and regulate the relations between countries. Studying the literature in order to prepare the investigation it is possible to make a conclusion that the 20th century is characterized by essential development of the international legislation, and notwithstanding those treaties now is the main source, it is possible to say that both ethical principles and treaty are really efficient, can work together, and in addition, treaties can help create new principles in international legislation. It is still not known, what source is more efficient, but it is quite clear that treaty can’t and should not be more reliable that ethical principles which were generated by the society and accepted by it Studying the literature on the topic, one can I believe, that treaty, customary and soft law should function together and the choice depends on the case. Both soft and treaty law are very efficient in regulating international. Thus, taking into account that different sources of international law usually work together and are not taken separately, sometimes it is not possible to decide what source is more efficient. Therefore, the thorough investigation of the sources will be implemented in the given study.

The Complexity of Relationships Essay Example for Free

The Complexity of Relationships Essay What happens when a servant and a master form a secret relationship? Not in the way one would think of but a person who forms a close relationship with their master than necessary are usually looked down upon. Girl with a Pearl Earring talks about the experiences and the relationship Griet forms working for Johannes Vermeer a Dutch painter. From the outside, their relationship looks just like any other servant and master relationship. Looking closer one can see the friendship formed between them. Though it is good that a master and servant have mutual respect for each other, but the problems arise when feelings for the person comes into play. Griet crosses some boundaries when she starts to feel a romantic attraction for Johannes her master. The result can only be heartbreak for a servant who is foolish enough to seek equality with her master. The novel takes place in 1664 Holland where society like any other is based on ones status. Johannes Vermeer is a painter whose income is based on the number of paintings he is commissioned to paint and others that he is able to sell. He does not usually paint more than 3 paintings a year, so Johannes is not wealthy. He also has to support a mother, wife, five children and pay for a maid. Even with his economic situation, he goes out to find and additional servant to clean his studio. This is where Griet comes into the picture. Griet is hired to clean Johannes’s studio but his wife Catharina is not fond of Griet. Griet is aware of her precarious position and states, â€Å"It had been clear from the moment she’d seen me chopping vegetables in my mother’s kitchen that she disliked me. † (Chevalier, p. 49) Catharina cannot express her opinion or dislike of Griet because she is not making money for the family and is not in charge of making decisions for the family. She can only obey Johannes’s command. Catharina can not afford to make her husband angry as he is the only thing she has. The funny thing is, even Catharina is not allowed into Johannes’s paint studio which tells the reader that Griet is someone Johannes really trusts. Catharina is very jealous of Griet because Griet is the first and only one to help Johannes. As time goes by, Johannes starts to open up more to Griet through his paintings. Griet also shows a great interest in his paintings. Their similar interests draw them closer and they are able to feel more comfortable around each other. Problems arise when they have to keep their friendship away from their families and Catharina. If anyone were to ever find out about their friendship, all the blame would go to Griet for breaking up a family. Due to their society back then, having a relationship between a master and a servant was looked down upon because they would always assume it involved them having an affair. They would only prefer and appreciate a more formal attitude towards each other so they would not cross any boundaries in status and moral values. Through the complexity and intricacies of human social groups, people of society just would not accept having a close relationship with others whom they believe to be lower than they are. Even more problems arise when a wealthy man named van Ruijven asks Johannes to commission a painting of Griet. Van Ruijven is known for molesting servant girls, and so when Johannes is asked to paint Griet, he becomes very worried of this man’s interest in Griet. This shows Johannes’s care for Griet which she will later on misinterpret for something more. Johannes actually just sees her as a maid and a person who is a part of his family. He feels obligation to protect her because of this. Van Ruijven’s smile made me shiver. There was a long silence. I glanced at my master. He was struggling to maintain a calm expression, but I knew he was angry. (Chevalier, p. 168) Difficulties arise when Griet and Johannes have to lie and hide the fact from others that Johannes has been commissioned to paint Griet. If Catharina were to find out, as much as the painting was asked to be commissioned to van Ruijven, she would not accept it because since Johannes has never painted her, Griet should not have the right to be painted by Johannes. To protect Griet from the consequences, Johannes makes her live in the attic above his painting studio to lessen the suspicion when he has to paint her so she would not have to sneak into the room to be painted. This allows them to be able to spent time alone together when Johannes is painting Griet. Her emotions for him become more evident. Others are able to see Johannes’s protectiveness of Griet as well. You see, competition makes men possessive. He is interested in you part because van Ruijven is. (Chevalier, p. 86) He is trying to protect her from being raped by van Ruijven. When one of Johannes’s friend says this, it makes Griet misinterpret Johannes’s protectiveness for something more than was intended increases her romantic attraction to Johannes. Griet also starts to believe that he starting to like her more than Catharina. When Johannes finishes the painting, he was hoping to quietly show it van Ruijven without anyone knowing or seeing. Things do not go as well as planned when Catharina becomes curious of his paintings and takes a peek at the painting. Catharina realizes the probable relationship between Griet and Johannes. She tries to accuse Griet of stealing her earrings so the others would not know the real problem. Catharina is clearly jealous because he has never painted Catharina or even the children. Griet knew that since their relationship was found out she had to leave. Griet leaves with heartbreak as she wishes that Johannes would come to her defense. I looked up and met his eyes=, holding his grey gaze for a long moment. I knew it was for the last time. I did not look at anyone else. (Chevalier, p. 15) He instead remained silent throughout the entire confrontation and he did not even watch her leave to say goodbye. One can see that Griet should have seen the result of her actions. Heartbreak is the only outcome for a servant who is foolish enough to seek equality with her master. She started off trying to avoid everyone and just do her job to earn money for her family. She ended up having feelings for her master who just thought of her as a member of the family and a maid. Griet misinterpreted Johannes’s intentions which lead to her heartbreak and shame to society.

WalMart SWOT Analysis

WalMart SWOT Analysis Wal-Marts policies and practices are designed to ensure an environment that is equitable and inclusive. To that end, Wal-Mart solicits feedback from all of their employees, annually, regarding their opinions of their work experience and the companys implementation of Wal-Marts basic beliefs and values. In addition, they provide training on working with people, leadership skills, equal employment opportunities, diversity and sexual harassment prevention. Wal-Mart is committed to providing all employees state-of-the-art training resources and development time to help achieve career objectives. They have a number of training tools in place that keeps then out in front of the competition, including classroom courses, computer-based learning, distance learning, corporate intranet sites, mentor programs, satellite broadcasts, skills assessments, and job announcements. These tools are successfully increasing advancement opportunities for women and minorities. Wal-Mart has been ranked among Training Magazines Top Training 100 companies for two consecutive years. Respect for the individual, one of Wal-Marts companys three core values, is reinforced throughout their training process. Wal-Mart is committed to the customers and communities they serve. Wal-Mart hires locally, representing the diversity and uniqueness of everyones hometown. As the demographics of the nation have changed, so has the family of Wal-Marts employees. More than 15 percent of their employees are over the age of 55, and they are the nations largest employer of Hispanics and African-Americans. Wal-Mart also uses its respectable financial position to attract and retain employees by offering stock ownership and profit-sharing programs. These programs are available to all full-time employees of Wal-Mart and make a significant impact on the earnings of employees. They are allowed to purchase shares of stock at reduced prices, which allows them an immediate appreciation of their portfolio. With the profit-sharing program, the employees receive bonuses at the end of the year based on the success of the overall company. These also provide a significant amount of compensation to their employees. Wal-Mart also has very strong community-based initiatives. They have continually gave college scholarships for high school seniors, raised funds for nearby childrens hospitals through the Childrens Miracle Network Telethon, provided money and manpower for fund raisers, school benefits and churches, Boy and Girl Scouts, park projects, police and fire charities, food banks, senior citizen centers, and more. They also educate the public about recycling and other environmental topics with the help of a Green Coordinator, a specially trained employee who coordinates efforts to make an environmentally responsible store. Along this same line, Wal-Mart has created Environmental Demonstration Stores in Lawrence, Kansas; Moore, Oklahoma; and City of Industry, California. These stores serve as a test tube for environmentally friendly building materials and experimental methods for conserving energy and water. Finally, the corporate structure of Wal-Mart is very well rounded and managed with three core values: respect for the individual, service to their customers, and striving for excellence. The management of Wal-Mart is the backbone to the entire company and these core-values have propelled Wal-Mart to the top of their industry and have allowed Wal-Mart to be the worlds largest company. (S)trengths Marketing The nature of Wal-Marts marketing is in its Every Day Low Price (EDLP) campaign. This is what makes Wal-Mart successful. Sam Walton devised a system for which price setting was to be followed. Sam wouldnt allow management to hedge a price at all. If the list price was $1.98, but Wal-Mart had paid only 50 cents, they would mark it up 30 percent, and thats it. Sams philosophy was No matter what you pay for it, if we get a great deal, pass it on to the customer. The other major campaign Wal-Mart employs is the Rollback. This occurs when Wal-Mart lowers the already lowered Every Day Low Prices. This has really been a successful way for Wal-Mart to increase its patrons. When consumers shop, they are always looking for the best deal, since Wal-Mart already offers low prices, when they rollback prices, they are able to out-price all of their competition. Stemming from the managements core values, Wal-Mart has been known for their customer oriented approach. Wal-Mart maintains one of the best satisfaction guaranteed programs, which promotes customer goodwill. One can return virtually any product to Wal-Mart without any problems. They simply take the product back and promptly refund the price of the product, nearly no questions asked. They also promote goodwill among consumers by employing a tactic, which Sam created known as the Ten Foot Rule. This is simply the idea that if a customer comes within ten feet of an employee, they are required to greet them and ask if they can help them in any way. This is also evident through employees getting to know customers on a first name basis. Finally, perhaps the single most important marketing aspect of Wal-Mart is that they create the ideal one-stop shopping experience. Wal-Mart is organized into ten distinct divisions. These include: Wal-Mart stores, SAMS CLUBS, Neighborhood Markets, International, walmart.com, Tire Lube Express, Wal-Mart Optical, Wal-Mart Pharmacy, Wal-Mart Vacations, and Wal-Marts Used Fixture Auctions. Through these divisions, Wal-Mart offers thousands of products. The Wal-Mart stores contain groceries, clothes, healthcare products, toys, electronics, bedding, sports and recreation, automotive, among other items. Because of this conglomeration of products, the typical consumer can go into any Wal-Mart and walk out without having to stop at another store for anything that they could need. Finance/Accounting Since 2000, Wal-Marts revenue has consistently increased. In 2000, they had revenues of $165,013 billion and in 2002 their revenue had increased 24% to $217,799 billion. This is astronomical growth in revenues considering the overall size and scope of Wal-Mart. Top be able to consistently grow revenues in such a large organization is simply amazing. The increase in revenues has also been very kind to their cash flow. In 1997, Wal-Mart had a positive cash flow of $4,044 billion and in 2002 this number had increased to a positive $9,961 billion. This growth also had an impact on Wal-Marts net income, which is to say that they were able to control their expenses while continuing to grow and expand their operations. In 1997, their net income was a not-so-paltry $3,056 billion, and in 2002, only five years later, Wal-Mart more than doubled their net income to $6,671 billion. The strength of Wal-Mart is also shown through its ratios. Nearly all of Wal-Marts ratios are strengths when measured against the industry averages. Through our ratio analysis, we have shown that Wal-Mart is the best-equipped company to succeed in the marketplace. (The ratio analysis can be found as Figure 3 in the appendix) Another area of strength is Wal-Marts stock price. Figure 4 shows the price of Wal-Marts common stock from October 2000 until the end of 2002. The price has fluctuated, but it has only fluctuated between $45 and $65. Including dividends, an investment in Wal-Mart would perform well. Production/Operations Perhaps the strongest aspect of Wal-Mart is in its access to distribution networks. Wal-Mart uses a system known as cross-docking. This is simply the process of continuously delivering goods to warehouses where they are sorted and distributed to their stores within one day. This enables Wal-Mart to take advantage of economies of scale with shipping trucks with full loads. This also gives Wal-Mart the ability to increase the speed of deliveries, a faster response to market demands, and a low inventory. This system has allowed Wal-Mart to decrease its sales cost by 2 to 3 percent over the industry. This savings is then priced into the products with the earlier discussed EDLP programs. This system is maintained through the most important aspect of Wal-Mart, its employees. With over one million employees worldwide, Wal-Mart definitely has the manpower to move goods. This is also facilitated with a proprietary satellite-based communication system that enables managers and point-of-sale systems real-time information on the needs of each store. Research and Development Wal-Mart does not engage in any research and development. Computer Information Systems As discussed in the production/operation section, Wal-Mart uses a sophisticated system of satellite-based communications. They also offer a safe, secure and complete website where consumers can purchase all of the same products found in the store. The website is strength because it is not only a means for purchasing products, but is also a very thorough informational site. Consumers can log onto www.walmartstores.com and do company financial searches, find employment, learn about the grassroots of Wal-Mart, email the company about problems, and learn about any recalls of products sold through Wal-Mart. (W)eaknesses Management The biggest weakness that Wal-Mart has in the management area is that it does not have a formal mission statement. While they do have core values, they do not explicitly tell their employees or consumers what their business is. This is a fundamental aspect of a company and it provides not definition and direction, but it gives a company a statement on which to rely on to stay strong and focused. Another weakness is that there are few females in top management and there are few minorities employed. With such a societal demand for equality, Wal-Mart is lacking in this category. This is not a very good ethical decision for Wal-Mart to be making. They are really hurting their corporate image by maintaining this position. The other area that Wal-Mart lacks in is with unions. Currently, Wal-Mart does not have any union involvement. This is a problem because of the perception of treating employees poorly. Unions are created to provide bargaining power to employees on issues that involve their compensation, benefits, and working conditions. This is also a weakness because of job security. With unions, job security is not as much of a concern. Marketing The biggest source of marketing weakness stems from Wal-Mart lobbying to expand into new markets. There are thousands of towns across the United States that have tried to block the introduction of Wal-Mart because of the economic impact that it has on small-town stores and shops. Wal-Mart has a damaged reputation because when they move into a location they end up forcing these types of businesses out of business. Finance/Accounting Weaknesses in Wal-Marts finances are seen in three of its ratios. The fixed asset turnover, earnings per share, and average collection period ratios are not very good. The fixed asset turnover ratio is telling us that they have made a lot of investments, but that they are not being fully used at this point in time. The earnings per share ratio is not good because when compared to the industry, they are not earning as much money for each shareholder. However, this is most likely due to the sheer number of outstanding shares. The average collection period is a cause for concern because it means that they are allowing their debtors to carry accounts with Wal-Mart for an above average period of time. This is not good because it increases the likelihood of non-payment. (These ratios can be found in Figure 3 of the appendix) Production/Operations The largest source of concern for this functional area is the slowing speed of checkout lines. This is simply a product of Wal-Marts success. Because more and more people are going to Wal-Mart, and the number of checkout lines is staying constant, the only way to compensate is for the time to checkout increase. This is a problem because it can and will cause people to choose other stores that are less congested. They are basically losing sales due to this fact. Research and Development This is a weakness because they do not actively engage in any research and development. Specifically, they do not do any prior site research before opening a store. They simply approach a local government and build. Internal Factor Evaluation The internal factor evaluation is used to evaluate the major strengths and weaknesses of a company. There are weights assigned to strengths and weaknesses based on how the company responds to them. The ratings are: 1 = poor response, 2 = average response, 3 = above average response, and 4 = superior response. (Figure 5 in the appendix) The key strengths we identified were financial position, employees, customer oriented, one-stop shopping, satisfaction guaranteed programs, employee stock ownership and profit-sharing, well-rounded business, ease of website, good reputation, and favorable access to distribution networks. Along with key strengths of Wal-Mart, we also identified key weaknesses. The key weaknesses are some ratios are not sufficient, non-unionization, no formal mission statement, few women and minorities in top management, undifferentiated products and services, site research, slow speed of checkout service, and finally a damaged reputation. The strengths were weighted: .04 for financial position, .07 for employees, .07 for customer orientation, .14 for one-stop shopping, .05 for satisfaction guaranteed programs, .05 for stock ownership and profit-sharing, .03 for well-rounded business, .04 for ease of website, .04 for good reputation, and .04 for favorable access to distribution networks. The weaknesses have also been weighted. The weaknesses weighted scores were .03 for insufficient ratios, .15 for non-unionization, .05 for no formal mission statement, .05 for few women and minorities in top management, .03 for undifferentiated products and services, .05 for site research, .04 for slowing speed of checkout service, and .03 for a damaged reputation. These weights show the importance of each strength and weakness of Wal-Mart. They are determined by how important that quality is to Wal-Mart and how hard of an impact each has against other businesses. We felt that the most important factors were one-stop shopping and non-unionization. These two factors are very important to Wal-Marts structure and well being as a whole. If these factors are not evaluated regularly, they could put a start to its potential downfall. We rated each strength and weakness based on how Wal-Mart seems to be positioning itself against its competitors. Wal-Marts employees, customer orientation, one-stop shopping, satisfaction guaranteed programs, stock ownership and profit sharing, ease of website, good reputation and favorable access to distribution networks all have been very successful strengths for the company. These are so successful we rated each with a 4. The financial position of Wal-Mart and the well-rounded business that it is has made Wal-Mart what it is today. Because of this success we rated these factors with a 3. In their weaknesses, we thought that minor weaknesses included: non-unionization, no formal mission statement, few women and minorities in top management, undifferentiated products and services, site research, and the slowing speed of checkout service. Since these were only minor we gave them a score of 2. We also rated some major weaknesses. These included insufficient ratios and their damaged reputation, which we rated as a 1. By using these scores in the internal factor evaluation matrix, we came to a total score for Wal-Mart being a 3.01, which is above average. They are above the average company when it comes down to its strengths and weaknesses and how they deal with them. (This is Figure 5 in the appendix) External Analysis (O)pportunities Economic An opportunity available to the industry is the free trade zone. When the government enters into new trade agreements with foreign countries, businesses in the United States have the ability to offer products from these countries in their stores. This simply increases the markets available to retailers. Social, cultural, demographic, and environmental An opportunity facing the industry is that customers want ease of shopping. To provide the ease of shopping the industry is guaranteeing that the customers will find what they want when they want it. This is supported by convenient presentation and the right level of service every time the customer shops. Political, legal, and government An opportunity facing the industry is that the Asian market is virtually untapped by the retail world. By having an untapped market it gives a huge opportunity for companies to expand. It promises unlimited potential for growth and profits. Technological An opportunity facing the industry is that internet shopping is growing. To take advantage of internet shopping, the industry is focused around the customer. The customer receives friendly site designs, efficient order fulfillment, fast delivery and professional customer response. They process returns, refunds, and rebates quickly. Competitive An opportunity facing the industry is that the value of money is weakening. The weakening value of money will help the industry because it reduces the ability of foreign manufactures to offer discounts. (T)hreats Economic A threat is that the economy is very slow right now. There is no way of preventing it and no way to change it. This impacts all businesses and causes profit margins to be reduced as price-cutting ensues to attract more consumers. Social, cultural, demographic, and environmental A threat is customer theft. Manufacturers are fighting back against customer theft by embedding paper clip sized antitheft tags, called electronic article surveillance labels, inside products and packaging. Called source tagging, the process offers several major benefits. For one, merchandise tagged on the factory floor during manufacture or packaging lets retail employees spend less time in the storeroom applying labels and more time on the show floor helping customers. Also, high-theft merchandise previously displayed behind glass can now sit out in the open, boosting sales significantly. Another social, cultural, demographic, and environmental threat is employee theft. Along with antitheft labels there are radio-frequency circuits that are hidden in packages and go unnoticed. The only time they will go off is when the bar code scanner does not deactivate the circuit, which means they stole it. This helps to prevent the two forms of employee theft, which are sweat hearting and sliding. Sweat hearting is when the employee charges the customer less than the actual price and sliding is when the employee covers the barcode at the point of sale. Political, legal, and governmental A threat is the Chinese regulations. China has one of the largest populations in the world; however, the Chinese government does not take kindly to opening their country to foreign establishments. Also, there is rampant corruption among the Chinese, and they have no generally accepted accounting principles. Technological A threat facing the industry is that technological advances may make the products obsolescent. As technology advances, products being sold today are gone tomorrow; this provides less products for retailers to sell. Competitive A threat is that the industry is not following consumer taste. To overcome the threat of not providing consumers wants the industry is expanding rapidly in the urban centers while traditional wet markets are being edged out as the middle-class enlarges and young people flock to the cities. Competitive Profile Matrix A competitive profile matrix identifies a firms major competitors and its particular strengths and weaknesses in relation to a sample firms strategic position. The ratings are as follows: 1 major weakness, 2 minor weaknesses, 3 minor strengths, and 4 major strengths. (Figure 1 in the appendix) Compared together, Wal-Mart, Target and Kmart are very close competitors. They are all retail-variety discount stores making their existence known throughout the world, except Target, which you cannot find globally. These three companies are constantly vying for the reputation as the lowest priced retailer. In the competitive profile matrix, the most critical success factor would be advertising with a weighted score of 0.25. Advertising for these competitors is very critical if they want to compete against each other for the best quality products at low prices. With this, Target was scored the highest with a rating of 4 while both Wal-Mart and Kmart are rated as a 3. This is because Target does a lot more advertising then Wal-Mart and Kmart. The next most critical success factor is global expansion with a weighted score of 0.20. This is somewhat important if you wanted to keep up with the competitors. Wal-Mart was found to be rated the highest with a 4 with Kmart was rated next with a 3, and finally Target rated as a 2. Wal-Mart was ranked the highest because they are found around world, while Kmart was ranked next because they are only found in a few other countries. Target, ranking last, does not have any global branches. This is only a minor weakness because they really do not have to go globally because of how well they are keeping up with the competitors within the United States. Price competitiveness and financial position are ranked next on the competitive profile matrix with a weighted score of 0.15 each. Wal-Mart, ranking the highest in both cases with a 4, is above all competitors. This is because they price reasonably with lower prices then all the competitors and their financial position is great. Target is ranked next with a rating of 3 in both price competitiveness and financial position. Target is known to have somewhat high prices and people tend to see that and want to go shopping elsewhere like Wal-Mart. Their financial position is not that great with the minor strength, but they are keeping up with their major competitor, Wal-Mart. Finally, Kmart is found to have a rating of a 3 in price competitiveness, and a rating of 2 in financial position. This is because Kmart does keep up with the prices of competitors, but they do get pricey in some areas. Their financial position is a minor weakness because of the Martha Stewart scandal and their bankru ptcy. Her products were being sold a lot until the scandal came out. Now they are pricing her products really low just to get the inventory sold. Next, product quality and customer loyalty is found on the competitive profile matrix to have a weighted score of 0.10. Target is found to have a rating of 4 in product quality. In customer loyalty they have a rating of a 3. This is because products found in Target tends to be top brand products, but at the same time, customers see these products somewhere else for a lower price and they tend to go to that place instead. Wal-Mart is ranked next with a rating of 3 in both product quality and customer loyalty. Wal-Mart may not have top brand products but the quality is fairly good. Customer loyalty is also ranked as a 3 because some people do like to get better products no matter how much it costs. Kmart, ranked last with a 2. This is because they do not carry quality products. People tend to go other places for what they want because of the better selection and quality. Finally, the last critical success factor is market share with a rating of 0.05. Wal-Mart and Target are both ranked 3 while Kmart is ranked 1. This is about right because as indicated by the total weighted score, Kmart is the weakest with 2.55. Targets total weighted score was in between but closer to Wal-Marts score of 3.15, and Wal-Marts was the strongest weighted score as 3.50. In conclusion of the competitive profile matrix, Wal-Mart as a competitor rises above both Target and Kmart. External Factor Evaluation An external factor evaluation matrix identifies the industry-wide opportunities and threats. Weights are assigned to the various opportunities and threats based on how well the subject company is responding to the threats and opportunities. The ratings are as follows: 1 = poor response, 2 = average response, 3 = above average response, and 4 = superior response. (Figure 2 in the appendix) The main opportunities that we identified were increasing internet shopping, ease of shopping, free trade zones, the Chinese market, and the value of the dollar. The main threats that we identified were technology making products obsolete, customer and employee theft, slow economy, the Chinese regulations, and not offering what the consumer wants. The opportunities were weighted .15 for internet shopping, .10 for ease of shopping, .10 for free trade zones, .10 for Chinese markets, and .05 for the weak dollar. The threats were weighted .10 for technology making products obsolete, .20 for customer and employee theft, .05 for the slow economy, .10 for the Chinese regulations, and.05 for not offering what consumers want. The weights and are representative of the importance the opportunities and threats presented to Wal-Mart. They were determined by considering the impact that each one has on the industry and how well Wal-Mart is conditioned to react to the situations presented. We felt that the most important factors were internet shopping, and customer and employee theft. These two factors are paramount to the industry and all of its counterparts success. If these factors are not addressed by the industry, bankruptcy is sure to follow. We rated each of the opportunities and threats based on how well Wal-Mart has been positioning itself in the market. Wal-Marts website has been a huge success with it contributing additional revenue to the bottom line; we rated this as a 4. The response to consumer demand for one-stop shopping has also been a success. The fact that you can buy a vast majority of everyday needs such as groceries, clothes, personal care products, electronics, among many other products shows the commitment Wal-Mart is making to the one-stop shopping idea. We also rated this 4. We felt that Wal-Marts continued expansion into foreign countries to be above average and thus rated it a 3. Because China is heavily regulated, we rated their response to the opportunities available in China a 2. This is still a very good score because it is very difficult for any firm to expand into China. Wal-Marts reaction to the dollar weakening has been above average because of its worldwide coverage. They have been able to take advantage of this economic factor with ease and we rated it a 3. The response to threats has been equally impressive. While technology is constantly making products obsolete, Wal-Mart has been able to position itself to be a positive avenue for selling all of the newest and innovative products. Wal-Mart suppliers definitely have a great opportunity for sales because of the vast audience that patronize Wal-Mart. We rated this as a 3. Employee and customer theft is inevitable in all industries. This was ranked as a 2 because Wal-Mart uses the same devices that the entire industry uses. The slowing economy has been a sour point to all industries as well. Wal-Mart has been able to limit its exposure by offering low prices and maintaining its market-leading share. We ranked this factor a 4. Again, because China is such a tough market to enter, we ranked their response to Chinese regulations a 2. The idea that companies offer products that consumers do not want is not uncommon. There have been thousands of products that have flopped after being introduced. Wal-Mart has been able to circumscribe their exposure by offering thousands of products across many different areas. We ranked their response to this a 4. The final score, 2.80, that was obtained from the external factor evaluation matrix shows that Wal-Mart is above average when reacting to opportunities and threats.