Global Leadership Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Leadership Development - Essay Example Wyman enumerates some of the traits that a global leader should possess(2007). He mentions that a global leader should foster growth on a global basis(Wyman, 2007). Moreover, it is essential that he understands the different cultures and must have language skills. Since most organizations now have offices and branches around the world, the global leader must be competent enough to deal with employees of different nationalities. They must be flexible enough to be able to relate with their employees with diverse ages, culture, behaviors, and beliefs. Wyman also stressed that global leaders must think beyond boundaries (2007). Furthermore, they must be able to manage people even if they do not deal with them face to face.Aside from understanding his employees, a global leader must also think the way his worldwide customers do. He must appreciate the needs and wants of his customers who come from various regions.The challenge surrounding the issue of finding global leaders is that some o f these leaders’ capabilities do not necessarily match â€Å"the current emerging business requirements† of their organizations(Wyman, 2007). Another key issue in global leadership development is how to fill the pipeline and identify employees who can work from a global perspective(Wyman, 2007). Organizations must develop the global leadership skills of their employees. Some developmental tools that companies may adopt are assigning them to different jobs, mentoring or coaching, offering international business travel, etc.xposing them to experiential or action learning assignments, introducing international cross-functional teams, giving short and long-term expat assignments, providing language and cross-cultural training and implementing a 360-degree feedback system (Callison, 2011). The challenge faced in this issue is that if these employees are not developed soon, there might be a shortage of leadership talent; thus, creating problems in meeting future business requirements (Wyman, 2007). The third issue confronting global leadership development is the management of the process of gathering relevant information on pote ntial leaders and making decisions on the new roles that will be given to them and the organizational support that will be provided them (Smith, 2007). According to Smith, there are three factors that will help manage the process, namely: 1) executive engagement and ownership; 2) process resonance and simplicity; and 3) the right tools (2007). The executive engagement and ownership means that all executives of the company should be supportive of the program for developing global leaders. Process resonance and simplicity suggests that talent management must be simple and must be aligned with the organizational culture. On the other hand, the right tools refer to the technology utilized in the management of data related to decisions pertaining to the future leaders. The challenge in this issue is top management’s all out support for the development of leaders within the organization. They should not be threatened by the existence of potential leaders and therefore must be willi ng to reinforce the development process of these future leaders.

Importance of Xylem and Phloem Tissues Essay Example for Free

Importance of Xylem and Phloem Tissues Essay The primary xylem and primary phloem tissues are pushed inward into the] pith and outwards respectively by the continuous production of secondary tissues cut I off by the cambium ring. The primary xylem is gradually pushed inward and is found at the centre of the axis; whereas, the primary phloem, being soft in nature, gets completely crushed. These activities in the stelar region exert a great pressure outwardly. The cortex cells, the pericycle and the epidermis divide anticlinally to cope with the production of tissues in the stelar region. Formation of annual ring or growth ring The activity of the cambium ring is under the control of series of physiological and environmental factors. For example, in spring the cambium becomes more active and forms a greater number of vessels with wider cavities. In winter, the temperature is low due to which the cambium also becomes less active and forms narrow pitted vessels, tracheids and wood fibers. The xylem (wood) formed during the spring is known as spring wood or early wood and which is formed in winter is called autumn wood or late wood. The spring wood is lighter in color and exhibits low density where as the autumn (or winter) wood is darker and has higher density. These two kinds of wood appear together, in a transverse section of the stem, as a concentric ring known as the annual ring or growth ring. Successive annual rings are formed year after year by the activity of the cambium. Each annual ring corresponds to one years growth. Thus one can estimate the age of plant to some degree of accuracy by counting the total number of annual rings. Annual rings are readily seen with naked eye in the logs of a tree trunk. Heart-wood and sap-wood: In old trees, the greater part of the secondary wood is filled up with tannins resins, gums, essential oils, etc. , which make it hard and durable. It looks dark or brown. This region is known as heart-wood. The heart wood gives mechanical support to the stem. The outer region of the secondary wood is of lighter color and is known as sap-wood or alburnum. It helps in conduction of water and mineral salts from the root to the leaf. (B) Secondary growth in extra-stelar region Secondary growth in the extra stellar region occurs to cope with the addition of tissues in the stellar region. It occurs in the cortex and helps in the formation of periderm. It occurs by the formation and activities of a secondary meristem called cork cambium or phellogen. Origin and activity of the cork-cambium or phellogen Due to the addition of secondary phloem and secondary xylem elements, the outermost layer of the cortex becomes highly stretched and may crack open. During this process a few layers of meristematic tissue arise in the cortex. This is called the cork cambium or phellogen. The nature of cambium is secondary. Commonly it arises in the outer layers of the cortex i. . hypodermis. It may also arise in the epidermis itself, or in the inner layers of the cortex, or even in the pericycle. The cork combium consists of narrow, thin-walled and roughly rectangular cells. It is of few layers in thickness. The cork cambium cuts of cells on both the sides and secondary cortex on the inner. The cells of the secondary cortex are parenchymatous in nature and often contain chloroplast. Cork The new cells cut off by the cork-cambium on its outer side are rough rectangular and soon become suberized. They form the cork of the plant. Cork cells are dead, suberized, thick-walled and brown in color. They are arranged in radial rows being suberized, cork is impervious to air and water. Functions of Crock (i)It acts as a waterproof covering to the stem (ii) It also protects the plant] against the attacks of parasitic fungi, (iii) Cork cells, being dead and empty, containing air only, are bad conductors of heat. This being so, a sudden variation in outside] temperature does not affect the internal tissues of the plant; (IV) Cork is also made use of by the plant for the healing of wounds. The bottle cork is obtained from the cork] cells of Quercus suber. ) Bark In restricted sense, all the dead tissues lying outside the active cork cambium constitute the bark of the plant. It, therefore, includes the epidermis, the lenticels and cork, and sometimes also hypodermis and a portion of the cortex depending on the position of the cork-cambium. Thus the deeper the origin of the cork-cambium, the thicker would be the bark. The term bark in a wider since is used to describe all tissues outside the vascular cambium of the stem. Phellem, phelloderm and phellogen layers are collectively called periderm. Thus periderm is a protective multilayered structure of secondary origin. On the basis of function, two types of barks are distinguished- ring barks and scale bark. When the cork cambium appears in the form of a complete ring the bark that is formed comes away in a sheet; such a bark is known as the ring bark as in Betula. When the cork-combium appears in strips the resulting bark comes away in the form of scales; such a bark is known as the scale bark as in (guava) Psidium. Function of bark The bark protects the inner tissues (i) against the attack of fungi and insects (ii) against loss of water by evaporation and (iii) against variation of external temperature. Lenticels These are small aerating pores formed in the bark of stems through which gaseous exchange takes place. Externally they appear as scars or raised portions on the surface of stems. Lenticels are first formed below the stomata. A section through one of the scars shows that the lenticels consists of a loose mass of small thin walled cells called complementary cells or filling tissue.

Joy Williams The Killing Game :: essays research papers

â€Å"The Killing Game†, by Joy Williams In the story, â€Å"The Killing Game†, Joy Williams, uses several diffenent types of writing skills to presuade the reader to see her views. The quote â€Å"To kill be to put to death, extinguish, nullify, cancel, destroy.† be a good strong introduction, it catches the readers attention. Word choice like this be what gets the message across to the readers in a fast, easy way. Another good quote for word choice she uses be, â€Å"We kill to hunt, and not the other way around.† That shows that she be serious in what she be saying. She means to make the idea stick in readers minds. She be trying to get the point across, and make it stick, by using words like that. A final quote on word choice be, â€Å"Hunters make wildlife dead, dead, dead...† This be a good choice because it reflects on what be really going on, and what be happening. It happens in such a way, that be allows readers to stop and think about the subject. A good example she uses for imagry be the quote â€Å"Instead of monitoring animals—many animals in managed areas are tagged, tattooed, and wear radio transmitters—wildlife managers should start hanging telementry gear around hunters’ necks to study thier attitudes and listen to thier converstions.† That paints a vivid image of what be really going on with the animals. It gets the message across using a form of humor, which lets readers relax, and think about it subject. When she be talking about the hunter that shoots the racoons feet off, and lets his dogs get them, that paints an image of just how bad hunting could is. That be a good quote to use isacuse it will be rememisred. The gets a point of bad justice toward animals across to readers. Another good quote she used for imagry was, â€Å"The big pheasent folded in a classic fashion.† That paints an image of a mean person just likeing the way his kill dies. That gets an idea of how hunting can be just a waste of time, animals, and the worst of all, life. She uses sentence structure along with what kind of mood she’s in. The long sentences are when she be getting mad, or trying to make a serious point. The shorter, choppier sentences are when she be ising the most sarcastic.

The Symbol of Blood in William Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- William

The Symbol of Blood in William Shakespeare's Macbeth Blood represents life, death and often injury. It is an essential part of life, and without blood, we could not live. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood to represent treachery, murder and death. The word "blood", or different forms of it, appear numerous times throughout the play. Interestingly, the symbol of blood changes throughout the play, corresponding to the atmosphere and mood changes in the characters and the play. First, blood is a reference of honor, and this occurs when Duncan sees the injured sergeant and says, "What bloody man is that?"(1.2.1). This is symbolic of the brave fighter who been injured in a valiant battle for Scotland. The sergeant goes on to describe the courageous actions of Macbeth and says, "With his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution . . . [Macbeth] unseamed [Macdonwald] from the nave to th? chops"(1.2.20&23). This refers to Macbeth?s braveness in confronting and executing Macdonwald in battle, using his sword that is covered in the blood of the enemy. ...

Groups graphs and surfaces

Graphs, Groups and Surfaces Introduction In this paper, we will discuss the interactions among graphs, groups and surfaces. For any given graph, we know that there is an automorphism group associated with it. On the other hand, for any group, we could associate with it a graph representation, namely a Cayley graph of presentations of the group. We will first describe such a correspondence. Also, a graph is always embeddable in some surface. So we will then focus on properties of graphs in terms of their relation to surfaces. Thus, by using the Cayley graphs to describe a group, we can talk about the embeddability of a group.In this way, we see that we can talk about the geometries of a group by looking at their Cayley graphs. Another useful geometric tool to analyze groups is the Dehn diagram. Therefore, in the last section, we will give some comments on how graph theory may be helpful to Dehn diagrams of Coxeter groups. 2 Cayley Graph of Group Presentations In this section we will s ee how Cayley graphs correspond to a particular presentation of a group and how the properties of a group are reflected in the Cayley graphs. Definition 2. 1. Let G be a group

Circuit Breaker Abstract essays

Circuit Breaker Abstract essays A circuit breaker was examined to determine how it works. Basically, it is designed to disconnect the current if the current passing through the breaker is higher than the allowable current. Its main parts consist of a switch, connecting pads, and the disconnect device. Since the breaker consists of many individual parts, the only improvement found was to combine some of the parts into a single part. Our group dissected a thirty-amp household Circuit-breaker. Its purpose is to protect electrical appliances from being damaged though excessive currents. A circuit breaker limits the amount of current that may safely enter a household electrical system via a predetermined amperage rating. It is placed in series between your house and the provided electricity. Any current in excess of the rated current amount will trip the circuit breaker in to a non-conducting or open path condition. The closed path is maintained until either magnetism or thermal expansion causes the circuit The circuit breaker has several features that are worth noting in the design discussion. First is its ability to detect various types of loading situations. The breaker can not only open a circuit in response to a current spike, but can also react to a sustained moderate current draw, just above its rated current. The circuit breaker also has an easily resetable 3-position switch, and various internal safety features such as Operation of the circuit breaker is simple, but utilizes complex mechanisms. Essentially there are to main internal mechanisms; the trigger and the switch. The trigger is the device that senses the abnormal current load. A sharp spike in current will cause a magnetic field to form in the trigger, releasing the switch. A slightly elevated, but more constant current draw through the breaker will cause the bi-metal composition of ...

Bugs vs. Cottontail essays

Bugs vs. Cottontail essays After watching the short film of Bugs Bunny acting as Super Rabbit with his buddy Cottontail Smith I was a little confused about what I was to write for this response. I reflected upon the major events that were going on in our society at the time that this cartoon was made in 1943, and of course World War 2 comes to mind. The war was between America and Europe, with America coming out on top. If this clip has something to do with the tumultuous war then either Bugs Bunny or his enemy Cottontail Smith would have to represent one of the two countries. For this reason I am flustered because the character playing Cottontail Smith in the film was obvious to be our American hero John Wayne, also known as The Duke. Bugs Bunny on the other hand, also seems to be another one of our heroes, meaning that he is always the good guy and most of the time comes out on top. I had a hard time distinguishing whether it was Bugs Bunny or Cottontail Smith representing our nation. In the cartoon during Bugs and Cottontails war, Bugs had his carrots that magically turned him into a Super Rabbit with the cape and all, while Cottontail was much bigger than he, and also had some ammunition. Cottontail hated rabbits and was out to get Bugs Bunny so he simply pulled out his cannon and bombed him. Bugs being Super Rabbit, simply caught the bomb coming at him without a sweat and acted as if it were a basketball, in a way possibly mocking Mr. Cottontail Smith. He seemed to be enjoying himself and having just a great time, that is until his carrots slipped out of his bunny hands as he was supposedly saving the day flying through the sky, and he fell to the ground. As he looked up from the ground and saw all of his carrots that had been eaten to pieces by Mr. Cottontail Smith, who by the way was now wearing the cape and seemed to have won the war. Earlier in this response I mentioned that I was confused and this is e ...

Sugar and its Influence on the World essays

Sugar and its Influence on the World essays In the beginning of Sidney Mintzs book, Sweetness and Power, there is an engraving by William Blake that depicts three ethnically contrasting, naked women. The woman in the middle is a Caucasian European, and on both sides of her are women representing Africa and the early Americas, thus hinting to the fact that Europe was undoubtedly dependent on Africa and the Americas between 1000 and 1800 CE. Europe depended immensely on the Americas for the vast amounts of natural resources and wealth that resided in the region. American soil was a land of opportunity begging to be harvested by the hungry Europeans. Now that Europe had come across an abundant land of riches, it needed laborers to reap its economic benefits. Thus, Europe turned to Africa and slave trade was born. From 1441-1870 CE eighteen million slaves were traded and nine million of them died in the process (Lecture, The Slave Trade). Without the Americas and Africa the wealth and riches that Europe acquired would have been virtually non-existent. Europeans sent slaves from Africa to the new world to harvest the most valuable, and pertinent resource in the history of our world, sugar. The native indians of the area were also made into slaves, and they relentlessly mined and produced silver, gold, and other precious metals. Then the finished products were sent back to Europe to be traded and sold. Due to this new world system, Europes economy boomed and thrived. William Blakes illustration correlates directly to the vast importance of sugar and almost everything else in the history of our world, because everyone was interdependent on each other, and this inevitably attributes to the idea of intricate world systems. The world between 1000 and 1800 CE was entirely connected and world systems dominated. There was trade, mercantilism, agriculture, and eventually a successful money system, but none of it would have ex...

Ad-Words and Brand Confusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Ad-Words and Brand Confusion - Essay Example The increasing effect of all these changes have almost wiped off the geographical borders of the nations and the entire domain of trade and business has become a transnational issue. Along with such developments and changes, one cannot deny the role played by the internet. In fact, it is the internet that has acted as the most important facilitator of change in the development of information technology. The witty business leaders of the world have used the internet as the medium of business and the truth is such an effort has changed almost the entire dynamics of the traditional way of doing business. As it is widely accepted fact that internet is the huge pool of information. In order to make internet convenient to use for the users, the search engines came into existence in the previous decade. The search engines facilitate the search of the relevant information for the user. For the purpose, the user has to type the keywords of the information that he wants to get hold of. But there is a major possibility that such keywords are already trademarked by certain organizations and those words cannot be used in such a way. Moreover, of late the search engines are ch arging fees for such keywords which have turned out to be one of the prime sources of revenue for such search engines. This way of doing business has resulted in major controversies all across the globe. The report provides deep insight into the matter and unfolds various interesting facts in the course of a discussion. The revolution of the internet business commenced with that of the search engines. In simple words, search engines help the end user with the relevant websites or the source of information as he enters certain keywords in the ‘search’ option. The search engines were first developed in the year of 1993 in the form of Aliweb and JumpStation. Prior to the developments of search engines, a complete and extensive list of web servers were used to locate the websites. In the year of 1993 itself, before the launch of Aliweb and JumpStation, Achie and Veronica were launched.     Ã‚  

Creating Your Dream Job Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Creating Your Dream Job - Essay Example I would be provided with the opportunity of developing the portfolio of my responsibilities and aligning it with the needs and requirements of the business from the long term perspectives. Primary objectives to be fulfilled are as follows: Developing and executing financial strategies that would enable the organization to establish a foothold in the finance sector. Developing and executing strategies for business development. Establishing a strategic approach for the organization. Compensation and Benefits plan for the desired job Current Basic Pay $ 36500 Incentive Compensation $ 4000 Advance benefit dollars for the year 2013 $ 5500 Annual contribution for various other benefits $ 5500 Total Compensation and Benefits for 2013 $ 51500 This is the compensation and benefit structure of the desired job designation in the organization. Various other benefits are RISP (i.e. Retirement Incentive Savings Plan), STD (i.e. Short Term Disability), State Disability Insurance (SDI), Unemployment Insurance & Workers Compensation and Educational Reimbursement. The compensation package is the sum total of both direct and indirect benefits which the employees receive from an organization. The example of benefits generally includes salary, bonus, allowance, insurance, commission and pension plans. The compensation package provides ideas to the employees related to the entire payment structure (Rao, 2007). It does not deal with only hourly wages or salaries. The compensation and benefits plan presented to the employees include the basic salary, an idea about the bonus structure and various other benefits that an organization would provide to the employees. A thorough research has been done before preparing the compensation and benefits plan. The structure has been followed on the industry basis. Rationale behind choosing the Compensation and Benefits Package The employers offer comprehensive employee benefit package for attracting and retaining the employees. Every organization offers wide compensation and benefits package to the employees. Within the functioning of human resource, determination of whether the compensation and benefits strategy is aligned with the objectives, goals and strategies of the organization is an important factor (Leonard, 1994). The efficiency in these types of programs is always assessed by the effect it has on organizational performance as well as the limit till which it supports the potential talent strategy. Along with high efficiency, the compensation and benefit programs should have always increased the perceived value for all the employees of the organization. It enhances the individual performance which automatically increases the performance level of the organization. Thus, compensation and benefits package motivate the employees in a number of ways. The aforementioned compensation and benefits package includes incentives and a number of added benefits in order to provide a high perceived value to all the employees. Perf ormance Appraisal Plan One of the best methods of performance evaluation and performance appraisal is 360 degree feedback. It is also termed as the multi-source feedback, multi-rater feedback or the multi-source assessment. It is actually the feedback that is obtained from the immediate working circle of the employees. 360 degree feedback generally includes collecting direct feedback from the subordinates, supervisors and peers of the employees along with self

Which Markets AIBO Can Look for as Alternatives to US and Japan Essay

Which Markets AIBO Can Look for as Alternatives to US and Japan Markets - Essay Example Consolidating information from all the above sources, following are the features of AIBO which can be built in addition to the present features – 1. AIBO Facial Recognition – it would be very useful if AIBO is able to recognize its owner’s face. As of the date of the case, AIBO did not have facial recognition features. Users would find it more delightful if AIBO would recognize its owners face and express delight just as the actual dogs or puppies do. 2. AIBO Voice Recognition – similar to face recognition, AIBO owners would also find it very delightful if their robopet would recognize their voice and respond accordingly. This would really delight the users. 3. AIBO Self Battery Recharge – there have been questions raised by AIBO owners (AIBO FAQs www.aibosite.com) if AIBO can detect by itself if its battery needs recharge and would go and plug itself in order to recharge itself. This would remove the last bit of dependency of AIBO on its owner. Possibly this can be done by having the battery recharge through its legs which could connect to a docking station and connect itself for recharge. 4. AIBO Newspaper Collection – AIBO can try to make its habits as close to the actual pet dogs as possible. Many US dog owners have a habit of their pets fetching the morning newspapers. As an added â€Å"utility† expected by US consumers, this can be a very relevant functionality. There can be specially designed AIBO newspaper port where the newspapers would be dropped by the newspaper vendor. This can trigger an automatic detection by AIBO who can go to the port and fetch the newspaper for its owner. 5. AIBO Object Transportation – similar to AIBO newspaper collection, an additional utility can be added for AIBO where AIBO can pick small objects and drop it at the place in the house as suggested by the owner. 6. AIBO Intrusion Detection – as an actual dog many times serves as a watch dog at night and alerts the owners by barking, AIBO should be programmed as an intrusion detection system and if there is a housebreak, then it can detect movement and sound off a siren as well as give the burglar an electric shock or so, thereby preventing theft.

NAVAJO CULTURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NAVAJO CULTURE - Essay Example Navajos are known to be semi-nomadic from the 16th century through the 20th century. By nomads, they move constantly in search for pasteur and a place to live. This explains their travel from as far as Alaska, to Canada, to finally settle in Arizona. Their homes are called hogans which were built in traditional fashion until the 1900s. This type of dwelling is made from wooden poles, tree barks, and mud. Due to the way they constructed their dwelling, early historians had difficulties confirming their accurate location and way of life. Their early language was referred to as Athabaskan. This type of language is spoken today by another type of Indian tribe known as the Apache. Details from the Navajo, indigenous people of North America found in Columbian Encyclopedia (2001 – 2007) noted that â€Å"their original language belongs to the Athabascan branch of the Nadene linguistic stock†. Like other cultural people from other parts of the world, the Navajo’s way of life was influenced by a diversity of different races. Since they were formally nomads, traveling from one place to the other, they got to meet different kinds of people: the Canadians, Spaniards, Pueblos, and other Indian tribes. They got to imbibe traces of the other people’s way of life and apply and adapt them as their own. Originally, they were farmers who planted corn and beans. They also hunted animals such as deer, elk and antelope, among others. Intermittently, the Navajos gathered wild vegetables, fruits and other plants for food. The Navajo Indians were famous for their weaving of blankets and rugs. Their blankets were indigenously woven using raw materials which they themselves gathered and prepared. As quoted from the article the Navajo Indian Tribe from, â€Å"no two blanket designs ever are the same†. The uniqueness and intricate patterns produced by the Navajos made them known for their woven

No need Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

No need - Assignment Example By the end of the day the difference between the two groups was significant. On the days that the dog group didn’t have dogs at work, the stress level was the same as the others. The results obtained could not apply to employees in other companies. It was not clear if the same results would be obtained if it was carried out at night. Finally the workers had limited time in which to avail themselves for the study. Further research on the presence of dogs in the work place should be done. Larger organizations should be the target. The effect of other factors such as tiredness, productivity and absenteeism on the findings should be investigated. The study was carried out thoroughly but should have been widened to other companies that same time. The gift that was to be won by one participant was not motivating enough, this is known from the fact that some opted out of the study for being told to leave their dogs at

NAVAJO CULTURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NAVAJO CULTURE - Essay Example Navajos are known to be semi-nomadic from the 16th century through the 20th century. By nomads, they move constantly in search for pasteur and a place to live. This explains their travel from as far as Alaska, to Canada, to finally settle in Arizona. Their homes are called hogans which were built in traditional fashion until the 1900s. This type of dwelling is made from wooden poles, tree barks, and mud. Due to the way they constructed their dwelling, early historians had difficulties confirming their accurate location and way of life. Their early language was referred to as Athabaskan. This type of language is spoken today by another type of Indian tribe known as the Apache. Details from the Navajo, indigenous people of North America found in Columbian Encyclopedia (2001 – 2007) noted that â€Å"their original language belongs to the Athabascan branch of the Nadene linguistic stock†. Like other cultural people from other parts of the world, the Navajo’s way of life was influenced by a diversity of different races. Since they were formally nomads, traveling from one place to the other, they got to meet different kinds of people: the Canadians, Spaniards, Pueblos, and other Indian tribes. They got to imbibe traces of the other people’s way of life and apply and adapt them as their own. Originally, they were farmers who planted corn and beans. They also hunted animals such as deer, elk and antelope, among others. Intermittently, the Navajos gathered wild vegetables, fruits and other plants for food. The Navajo Indians were famous for their weaving of blankets and rugs. Their blankets were indigenously woven using raw materials which they themselves gathered and prepared. As quoted from the article the Navajo Indian Tribe from, â€Å"no two blanket designs ever are the same†. The uniqueness and intricate patterns produced by the Navajos made them known for their woven

Msc management and marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Msc management and marketing - Essay Example In the UK car market, there has been a high number of big automotive profiles, so it is of utmost significance that any car manufacturer invests a huge amount of capital in the marketing communication to develop a high brand awareness and sustain the same. Back in the year 2005, the expenditure in the UK media has been  £ 600 m which contributed 2 % of the total sales. Due to the high competitive prices, longer product life cycle of the new cars, competition from the second hand automobiles, having a brand identity at the front position is important for the success of the automobile manufacturer. Looking at the current UK automobile market scenario, mass market media like television and press have been considerably significant in the marketing communication mix to attract more customers. However in the current market scenario, significance of other communication media is growing gradually. Organisations must frame and introduce programs to apply and promote the brand positions, the organisation has opted for. If a car manufacturer wants to establish itself as manufacturr of premium quality cars at a high price, it needs to have in house production facilities to sustain the high quality. At the same time, they need to communicate this quality to their customers in order to rationalize the premium pricing for their products (Oxford University Press, 2004). Before considering and implementing the integrated marketing communication strategy, Land Rover must investigate into a number of issues which can impact on the organisation. There can be a number of issues in this automobile industry; few of them have been discussed here. High purchasing and running cost of the automobiles: The purchasing and running cost of the cars has been quite on higher range. A number of factors have been influential to decide on the cost incurred for the same. While some of the costs may not be so new for the consumers, some other new additions have raised the concern. Some of the

Plight of the American Worker Essay Example for Free

Plight of the American Worker Essay Ten years from now, I don’t know how wealthy I will be. I don’t know what kind of job my husband will have, nor do I know what kind of job I will have. What I do know though is the American worker is struggling, and the struggles will most likely get worse. The United States used to pride itself on providing for its families through hard work. Today, most people lacking education beyond high school struggle to maintain a lifestyle they once dreamed of. Not only are high school graduates suffering but many college graduates are as well because so many jobs have been eliminated due to globalization and technology. Globalization of companies is most likely the main reason American workers are not satisfied with their lifestyles. Companies are starting to outsource their manual labor to third world countries. People from these countries are fighting for their lives and are willing to work for less than a dollar an hour. For an example, â€Å"in Bangladesh, a garment worker makes 22 cents an hour† (Snyder). How can companies turn down such low wages for the same quality of work they would receive from employees who must earn at least minimum wage in the United States? Factories are closing everyday in the United States as new factories are built in third world countries. These factories would provide employment for many people in the U. S. , but companies are better off when they outsource their labor. Labor costs are cut significantly, and top executives are rewarded for their stellar performance. In this case, the top executives’ salaries go up, and the employees’ salaries might change a bit. The most dramatic change occurs for those high on the corporate ladder. Technology is a cause for concern for some individuals. Many jobs are eliminated because of new advancements in technology. Robots and highly advanced machines have taken the place of once very skilled workers. If jobs do open up, so many people apply for the job. They are either looking to get a job or get a job that is a step up from their previous position. For example, â€Å"over one three day period, approximately 10,000 people showed up to apply for 90 jobs making washing machines in Kentucky for $27,000 a year†(Snyder). 27,000 might sound like a lot for a college student trying to pay for rent and a tuition bill but to support a family on this income would be absurd. * Our world is extremely overpopulated and doesn’t help American’s concern for job security. Not only do individuals need to be concerned with a decrease in jobs from outsourcing and technology, but they also are factoring in how crowded the Earth has become. â€Å"Nine percent of the United States is currently unemployed† (â€Å"Unemployment rate†). The American worker wouldn’t be as affected by this number if there weren’t so many people available to work. Finally, as jobs are eliminated, individuals don’t have the resources necessary to start a new life. So many individuals have worked in the same job for long periods of time. Once certain jobs are eliminated, workers are forced to find new jobs. â€Å"They typical worker is spending 15. 4 weeks unemployed†(Frauenheim). Most of the time, if they want to earn an income equivalent to what they were making, they might even have to go back to school. Some individuals might not have the time to go back to school, or they might have started a family and have to put their children through school first. Whatever the case, with so many jobs eliminated, the American worker struggles to successfully start over. I took the side of American workers who have been in the workforce for more than a few years. I have lived a middle class lifestyle, so this is all I really know. As I talked with my mom just the other night, she told me that she wishes she could have changed occupations to make more money but didn’t have the time or the resources. Maybe the definition of hard work has changed in today’s society. Hard work in the past consisted of manual labor and farm work. Because of how society has progressively advanced, hard work now consists of spending a few additional years in school. To some, hard work might even mean having intelligence and finding a promising place to start a career. Whatever the case, the United States needs to keep its jobs here and eliminate such excessive outsourcing. My mother is a teacher, but before I know it, her job might be cut as schools start transitioning to only online courses. I am concerned for American workers, but if such an event happened to her, I would have even stronger feelings towards protecting the American worker.

Operational Readiness And Airport Transfer Programme

Operational Readiness And Airport Transfer Programme Different types of operational problems are witnessed when commissioning new facilities, especially during the first day of operations, potentially resulting in poor performance and disruptions reflecting negatively on the organization. Many organizations require carrying out a readiness assessment of the new systems and facilities An operation readiness strategy will allow airport operators to dot right and most important to do it right the first time prior to the commissioning. It is critical that on the opening day of an airport, the airport personnel is fully trained to effectively implement correct airport procedures and for all equipment to be in good working condition. The scope of work includes the safe and effective handling of passengers, efficient transfer of baggage, effective handling of the new facilities and equipment and an effective emergency plan. The New Airport Terminal King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA) is one of four international gateways in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is also one of the busiest airports during Hajj and Ramadan seasons. Due to the growth in passenger numbers, the development and construction of a new terminal is essential to meet with the daily demands, and this is what GACA (General Authority of Civil Aviation) intends to do. In fact, construction work of the new terminal has already been started. And the number of necessary handovers will require a clear and reliable guidance on what aspects are to be taken into account when dealing with the handover of facilities / buildings and systems. Our project aims to ensure a seamless transfer from construction to operation, avoid any serious difficulties during the end of the construction phase and contribute to the timely completion of the overall project. The development of a clear handover process will contribute to the operational readiness and prepare a more dependable warranty process. Operational Readiness and Transfer Program The complexity of an airport operational readiness project depends predominately on the systems and equipment employed and the time available for preparedness; rather than its physical dimensions. ORAT (Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer) is the key of success to achieve the operational goals. Purpose of ORAT Coordinate and assist stakeholders including external consultants, in the implementation of a defined operational readiness program for new infrastructure or services covering Operations and Maintenance from design phase through to operational implementation within a given timeframe. Conduct design review for new infrastructure to assess its suitability to meet operations and maintenance related objectives as well as international and national standards and regulations, and additionally prior to construction, identify and assist in the resolution of any design issues which may have a negative impact upon Facilities Maintenance processes. Ensure operational readiness planning is conducted in a timely manner through the establishment of O M stakeholder groups to, identify interdependencies and resolve operational issues as well as implement operational readiness time scheduling to facilitate accurate management reporting. Facilitate communication processes between departments and subsidiaries to ensure that the implementation of the requirements, including certification of all Regulatory Authorities and other government agencies is coordinated and well integrated within operational processes. Oversee and/or assist with the development of O M related standard operational procedures as well as operational contingency procedures for new infrastructure and services, ensuring correct operational integration. Oversee the implementation of maintenance training for new infrastructure and services to ensure that all new users can meet the required service levels to ensure the safe, effective, efficient and coordinated operation of the airport by operational due date. Ensure new infrastructure maintenance practices are operationally validated where practical, through testing of all operational interfaces between facilities, systems, procedures and human resources within a given timeframe. Ensure that operational validation testing includes all relevant stakeholders both internal and external. Review and/or assist in the development and implementation of contingency plans to manage any identified operational risk prior to the introduction of new client infrastructure or services. Oversee and/or assist in the development of Transition Planning to ensure a smooth transition is effected of new maintenance related infrastructure or services. Goals of ORAT Program Involvement and commitment of all airport users Resolution of operational interface issues Successful trial operations and relocation Timely inauguration Efficient operation from Day One Higher quality and service level standard Specification and Scope of Project The objectives of ORAT include having a coordinated approach to prepare all airport stakeholders including the airport operators, airlines, ground handlers, cargo agents and various government agencies, such as Customs, Immigration and the Central Industrial Security Force for the shift of operations to the new airport. Besides, it also has to ensure that there is streamlining of procedures, each and every person involved with the airport knowing their roles and responsibilities. The development of a clear written guideline of the overall handover process with all involved parties and their respective tasks is the objective of this project. After knowing the airport system and its flow of work First, all parties working in the airport and their roles should be defined. This step involves airport, contractors and government staff to ensure and specify the job description with no overlapped responsibilities. Second, these responsibilities are written in a clear guideline. Here, the guideline can be modified many times to reach the optimum goal of the work process. Changes are due to many reasons such as, enhancing the performance, changes in laws, modifications in some areas. Finally, application of the guidelines to ensure everybody is playing his role and getting feed backs for enhancement As building maintenance engineer, building maintenance is the concern of this project to set an example and expanded later to other divisions. Fraport in Brief METHODOLOGY 2.1 CONCEPTS An operation readiness strategy will allow airport operators to dot right and most important to do it right the first time prior to the commissioning. It is critical that on the opening day of an airport, the airport personnel are fully trained to effectively implement, correct airport procedures and for all equipment to be in good working condition. The scope of work includes effective handling of the new facilities and equipment and an effective emergency plan. To achieve ORAT goals, there are prerequisites to implement it which are: Facility: Hardware such as construction, equip. Information: procedures manuals Systems: AIMS, BHS, FIDS, NAVAID Security System Human resource: organization, qualified persons. Figure : Operational Readiness prerequisites Which is sometimes referred to as FISH, and a function checking components can be listed for each prerequisite as: FACILITIES Follow up of provision of facilities in respect of time, quality and quantity. State necessary operational conditions for rooms/equipment Alignment of requirement with available facilities Develop space requirements Approval of space requirements Develop equipment requirements Approval of equipment requirements Commissioning of the Operational availability of facilities INFORMATION State who has to provide which information in whatever form. Develop a processing procedure for these informations State necessary operational conditions for exchange treatment processing and transfer of information State intra-departmental responsibilities Approval of informational treatment and responsibilities. State what will be reported to whom, in what ever form SYSTEMS Creation of a dedicated IT-application for processing data. Assessment of necessary systems. Approval of these systems requirement. Procurement and/or adaptation system if not provided or not capable Implementation of system and application. Testing of connectivity of system and application. Commissioning of system and application. HUMAN RESOURCES Assessment of manpower requirements (qualification / quantity) Approval of manpower requirement by delegate Initializing of recruitment procedure by HR-department Selection of applicable personnel Hiring of selected personnel Training of hired personnel. An airports function can be divided into the Core Processes listed below, which are necessary for the operation of a major international airport. Development of Procedure As mentioned before, the project will concentrate on the maintenance and engineering department, point of view, to give a clear job description for all employees and their respective tasks. Fraport team had already cut a long path in this procedure. Learning the techniques and ways of how Fraport develops such a system is the purpose of The Young Professional Program. Procedures are till know being changed in Fraport, and are updated due to the daily requirements. Our goal is to catch-up with changes, discover the solutions with Fraport and implement them in KAIA. Fraport ´s organization differs than KAIA, in this case, it is our responsibility to search and soothe the project to be implemented in KAIA. Working with Fraport team for three months is a great opportunity. Even though the time was short, but the knowledge was intensive. Procedure Manuals Manuals have been collected with the coordination of Fraport operation team. Here I would like to notice that the Terminal team is responsible of the operation of the terminal as well as the maintenance of the terminal. Work tasks for every employee can be found here in the manuals. Looking at the manuals, and knowing how the work should be done, a system workflow can be developed. Then, a written form of these work tasks and responsibilities can be shown for every employee. The written form also describes what and how to do to accomplish the job. Results are stored in special system and which then connected to PCs to show progress and improvements if necessary. Identifying Stakeholders Achieving and maintaining the operational readiness stage of airports depends on the readiness of the entire airport community. The objectives of ORAT include having a coordinated approach to prepare all airport stakeholders including the airport operators, airlines, ground handlers, cargo agents and various government agencies, such as Customs, Immigration and the Central Industrial Security Force for the shift of operations to the new airport. Besides, it also has to ensure that there is streamlining of procedures, each and every person involved with the airport knowing their roles and responsibilities. Operation Maintenance Role The operation and maintenance role falls in to the service of their customers. Terminals operation and maintenance team, specially, are unique because they face and deal with the main costumer of the airport.

John Keats Essay -- essays research papers

English Literature Biographical Speech Keats, John (1795-1821) English poet, one of the most gifted and appealing of the 19th century and a seminal figure of the romantic movement. Keats was born in London, October 31, 1795,and was the eldest of four children. His father was a livery-stable owner, however he was killed in a riding accident when Keats was only nine and his mother died six years later of tuberculosis. Keats was educated at the Clarke School, in Enfield, and at the age of 15 was apprenticed to a surgeon. Subsequently, from 1814 to 1816, Keats studied medicine in London hospitals; in 1816 he became a licensed apothecary (druggist) but never practiced his profession, deciding instead to be a poet. Early Works Keats had already written a translation of Vergil's Aeneid and some verse; his first published poems (1816) were the sonnets "Oh, Solitude if I with Thee Must Dwell" and "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer." Both poems appeared in the Examiner, a literary periodical edited by the essayist and poet Leigh Hunt, one of the champions of the romantic movement in English literature. Hunt introduced Keats to a circle of literary men, including the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley; the group's influence enabled Keats to see his first volume published, Poems by John Keats (1817). The principal poems in the volume were the sonnet on Chapman's Homer, the sonnet "To One Who Has Been Long in City Pent," "I Stood Tip-Toe upon a Littl...

Hardys Tess of the dUrbervilles - Talbothay and Tesss Struggle Essa

Tess of the d'Ubervilles - Talbothay and Tess's Struggle   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Tess of the d'Ubervilles, Tess is spiritually homeless. She wanders from place to place, doomed by her guilt to suffer personal ruin. Most of her temporary domiciles are backdrops for unhappiness and uncertainty, but her time at Talbothay's Dairy is ostensibly a period of bliss. What purpose does this segment of the text - which on the surface seems so hopeful - serve? When she begins to work for the dairy and is wooed by Angel Clare, Tess is pulled asunder by two competing forces: nature and society. The happiness and innocent sexual blush she discovers at the Edenic Talbothay solidifies Tess's shift toward natural impulses. These impulses are strong enough to temporarily subdue Tess's crippling shame, and thus establish the text's central moral conflict.    The Talbothay interlude allows Tess to put off making the final plunge into marriage for as long as possible. In a literary limbo, Tess can enjoy her physical awakening without the stain of sin that her previous consummation with Alec had imposed. Were it up to Tess, she would remain in this state of neo-virginity forever, for in it she is anonymous. She is not given the opportunity to live in this state for very long, of course. Angel's ambitions - and these are grand in a conventional sense, despite his misleading antipathy toward social climbing - compel him to make Tess promise to marry him, preparing in her a channel for natural will that allows her to set aside fear of Angel's rejection should he find out about her past. While she at first resists his advances and resigns herself to living without him, she is ultimately vulnerable to desire. We watch nature subsume Tess's i... ... Tess's natural side wins over, but she is then set up for a bitter end because she abdicates herself to Angel's moral indignation, blind to her own natural goodness. This is the tragedy of the text. Because the two sides of the "social chasm that [divide] our heroine's personality" cannot be brought into accord, Tess must lose everything. The Talbothay period shows what a happy community might look like - what her life might have been were it not for the albatross of shame. Talbothay is a shiny foil for the social brutality present in every other phase of Tess's short life. Works Cited and Consulted Beer, Gillian. "Finding a Scale for the Human." Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Ed. Scott Elledge. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1991. Hardy, Thomas. Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Ed. Scott Elledge. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1991.

Stock-Flow Trap in US Economy

The model used in analyzing the article is the Balance of payments model. This model determines payments from one particular country to all the others. It condenses all economic transactions that a country performs in a year. The country’s exports and imports of commodities may exist in forms of goods, services, financial capital, and transfers. This moulds the countries balance of payments. All transactions resulting to any payment or liabilities from debit holders and credit holders are indicated here. The calculation for the balance of payments involves the Current Account, derived from movement of goods and services; the capital account, consequent to capital transfers and the attainment and the discard of non-financial assets that failed to be produced; and the financial account, which accounts for movement of investments. This model involves the economic ideas found in the article like balances between investments both locally and internationally. It also involves the key reason for the high amount of critical stock of US. This model also touches the issue regarding dollar as a prime currency for both US and the world. However, to further explain the model and relate to the article of Eatwell and Taylor, the American Stock-flow Trap, we will need to define another macroeconomic concept, the liquidity trap. (Catherine) â€Å"When expected returns from investments in securities or real plant and equipment are low, investment falls, a recession begins, and cash holdings in banks rise. People and businesses then continue to hold cash because they expect spending and investment to be low. This is a self-fulfilling trap.†(Mike Moffatt) In the article, the stock-flow trap is the main subject for discussion. â€Å"The stock-flow trap happens when stock/flow ratios become large, players in the financial markets first become suspicious and then may very rapidly flee into liquid holdings as they sell all the liabilities of the economy in question.† (Eatwell and Taylor) The stock-flow trap creates the very foundations for liquidity trap to happen. This condition, as stated in the article, is also likely happen in stable economies like the US. During the 1980s budget deficit is $153 billion. This deficit gradually increases to $233 billion during the 1990s. At present, trade deficit still subsists in US economy. From 1980s, several administrations came out with plans to reduce budget deficit but these discrepancies prove that the policies were not that effective. Among these are the present policies of US President George W. Bush. Based on the article written by Heffner titled â€Å"Bush’s Economic Policies Pt. 1† the US government estimated a $5.6 trillion surplus. But upon office, Bush came up with a towering $2.8 trillion deficit. Because of this budget deficit, the federal government made amends through foreign borrowings that lead them deeper into the arms of stock-flow trap. By having these kinds of policies, the US government failed to eliminate the problem regarding critical stocks. Based on this observation, we can say that the US economy has not significantly change from the last two decades. Thus, a stock-flow trap still bounds to happen. (Heffner) References Catherine, L. M. (August 19, 1999 ). On the Causes of the US Current Account Deficit. Retrieved December 11, 2006, from Peterson Institute for International Economics Web site: http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/paper.cfm?ResearchID=353 Heffner, J. (Mar 21, 2003). Bush's Economic Policies Pt. 1. Retrieved December 11, 2006, from Jobs and the Economy Web site: http://www.mikehersh.com/Bush_Economics_Pt_1.shtml Eatwell, Taylor, J., L. (1999, September).The American Stock-Flow Trap. Challenge. 34-49. Mike Moffatt. â€Å"What Happens If Interest Rates Go to Zero?†Ã‚   2006.   The New York Times Company. december 12 2006. ;http://economics.about.com/cs/interestrates/a/zero_interest.htm;. ;

American Imperialism Essay

Identify the countries or areas where the United States engaged in imperialistic actions during the period from about 1870 to 1914. Discuss why each area was important to American empire building (political, economic, and social). Explain America’s expansionist ideals. What were some of the factors that justified American imperialist actions? Identify the current political status of these places in relation to the United States. Age of Imperialism: 1870 to 1914 Place Why was there interest? U.S. actions Status today China The United States wanted to sell American Goods to their market. Treaty of Wanghsia in 1844 opened several Chinese Ports for American trade. The United States is currently China’s greatest Ally. Samoa The United States wanted to support naval fleets in the Pacific. 1872; United States was granted a naval base at Pago Pago. In the 1880’s the United States, Germany as well as Britain jointly signed treaties of occupancy. 1899 the treat was revised giving the United States a protectorate over the Eastern islands which became U.S territory.  Unincorporated Territory of the U.S; now called American Samoa Hawaii The United States wanted to construct a naval base and wanted their sugar plantations. 1875; The United States signed a trade agreement with Hawaii. In 1887 the United States was allowed to construct a naval base at Pearl Harbor. In 1890; the U.S tariff policy placed heavy tax on exports from Hawaii. American rebels over threw the Queen and Hawaii didn’t receive annexation to the United States in 1898; after going into a Pacific War with Spain. Incorporated into the United Sates and the people became U.S. citizens in 1990. The Philippines The United States wanted the Philippines; in its effort to attain global power and to become a market for American manufactured products. The United States acquired the Philippines from Spain in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. In1899 a Filipino leader Agunaldo led a war against the U.S. which resulted in the country being an unorganized territory. The Philippines is currently an independent country. Cuba The United States wanted Cuba for their sugar plantations and its rich resources. The Spanish-American War of 1898 prompted the United States to declare war against Spain that resulted in the Cuban War of Independence. This war was started by Spain’s harsh treatment of the Cuban people which was unsuccessfully fought for decades. The Teller Amendment was legislation passed by congress which barred the United States from annexing Cuba; forcing the U.S to leave it independent once the war was over. Currently; the United States has imposed an embargo on Cuba in 1960 and broke diplomatic relations in 1961 following the Castro regime. The U.S has attempted to reach out to the Cuban government in regards to their human rights policies; in doing so the U.S implemented the 1994-1995 U.S- Cuba Migration Accords. Currently, the U.S still remains Cuba’s largest supplier of food. Puerto Rico The United States wanted to use Puerto Rico for it’s natural rich resources and for naval purposes. Towards the end of the Spanish-American War the U.S invaded Puerto Rico which at that time belonged to Spain. In December of 1898; the treaty of Paris was signed which ended the Spanish-American war and gave the U.S power over Puerto Rico. Commonwealth of the United States. Part 2 Answer each of the following prompts with a response of at least 200 to 300 words: Trace the path of American imperialism during the period from about 1870 to 1914 through political, military, and economic events. Why was the United States interested in expansion in these areas? Why was America building a global empire? What were the benefits of America’s imperialistic actions for the people in these countries or areas? What were the disadvantages? How would you describe their experiences in terms of being conquered, assimilated, or marginalized? What were the moral implications of American imperialism? How did Imperialists justify their actions? How did the Anti-Imperialists justify their position? Consider the role of race, economics, science, and religion. What significance did the Spanish-American War have in the development of the United States as an empire and world power? Do you think the United States is currently an imperialist country? Why or  why not? Cite and reference all information sources consistent with APA guidelines.

Olympics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Olympics - Term Paper Example In the event, the games will take two cluster organization methods. There would be a coastal cluster for ice events in Sochi, and a mountain cluster located in the Krasnaya Polyana Mountains (Nauright and Charles 76). There are expectations this kind of arrangement would make the games one of the most compact Olympic Committee has ever organized. The Sochi Olympic Park construction is along the Black Sea coast in the Imeretinskaya Valley. This is where all ice venues would take place. These include the Bolshoi Ice Palace, the Sochi Olympic Skating center, the Maly Ice Palace, the Olympic Oval, the Olympic Curling Center, the Central Stadium, and the main Olympic Village. In the mountain cluster in Krasnaya Polyana, this would be the home of all skiing and sliding sports activities (Hofstetter 78). The preparation for these games has triggered construction of new and modern telecommunications, electric power, new Olympic Park along the coast of Black sea, and transportation systems. W omen gymnastics would feature and as expected, the China Women gymnastic team would rock the event (Franks 88). They have previously put some distance on the other contenders in past Olympic Gymnasium competitions. Team goal or task – Level of difficulty In order to recreate the amazing moments that prompted the women gymnastics team of China to be branded exceptional, there ought to be more of what this women team have been doing. This actually calls for perfectionist awareness of the skills needed to be a top contestant in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The women teams needs medal, and for that golden medal to come by, they know that not only thorough preparations and rehearsals will come calling in the subsequent days but also their bodies need to reach that high level of flexibility (Coma?neci 64). Since the attaining number four in Olympics competitions for China women gymnastics in 2012, there has been that pressure and pursuit of the entire team to reach that level of perfec tion. The team can win everything by not only producing a stunning performance but also attaining the level of flawless performance. The team’s head coach Lu Shanzhen, would want a repeat of the 1996 margin of almost near perfect performance over the most competitive opponents even if it were not the Russians (Crawley, Sara, Lara and Constance 102). This came to a success because the entire country, board and the bench team were exceptional. The coaching staff and the gymnasts need to wake into reality that their greatest task and level of difficult is the repeat of the standards once termed by the Bela Karolyi, a legendary gymnastic coach in US as performance so rare for 16 years old minors (Nauright, John, and Charles 110). The China team comprises of a beautiful bouquet of individual talent, which showed greater unity, mental toughness, and togetherness to compete 2012 Olympics (Hofstetter 79). The same zeal and commitment is the ultimate goal if the team has to affirm ful ly its heights in the sport of gymnasts. In order to put 1996 and 2012 performances in line of repeat, the head coach is ensuring that the team remains a solid entity despite individual talents and skills. There are no cracks of jealousy and rivalries among the gymnasts if success is their goal in 2014 Sochi Olympics. The team goes through individual qualifying by challenging each other in order to reach the individual all around. This is the pre-trial performances that have helped in fine-tuning the bests of these gymnasts and even makes

A letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal Essay - 3

A letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal - Essay Example In pure economic terms, the interest rates should be determined by the market forces prevailing at a particular moment. The government’s grip and control of the economy negatively impacts on its normal functioning. The main advantage of bond futures is that they offer long term investors an instrument to hedge against price swings. This will help protect them against unprecedented changes in the financial markets which can result in huge loses. In any economy, I strongly believe that investors play a significant role since they help it to grow as well as to stabilize it. Future bonds also help businesses to access funding in order to run their own enterprises. This also contributes to the growth of the economy through remittances of taxes which will be channelled towards the nation’s fiscus. Overall, I think the move by the Chinese government to bring back bond futures is a positive step towards liberalising the economy which can improve its overall performance. This move will also stabilize the interest rates. Therefore, I would like to commend the Chinese government for this noble decision since it is helpful to the overall performance of the economy as a

3 discussion questions and participation questions I will post a Essay

3 discussion questions and participation questions I will post a couple more later. thanks - Essay Example The best way to protect intellectual property rights is for managers to utilize a mechanism called patents. A patent is a special type of license that protects your intellectual property rights up to 20 years. An industry that depends on protection for its survival is the pharmaceutical industry. Patents are a way to pay justice to investors or companies that believe in innovation. A pharmaceutical company can take up to 16 years and upwards of $800 million to develop a new drug. Managers have to establish control mechanism in order to protect tangible and intellectual property rights. For example the research and development people should work in an area separated from the rest of the staff. The internal security of the building is also important. A way for a corporation to improve its security is by installing various cameras around the building. Performing trimester audits can help increase the accountability of the managers and workers of an enterprise. The OSHA Act protects all parties that participate in the corporate world. Safety is something that companies cannot forget since we are dealing with the well being of human workers. If an Act such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act would have existed in India in 1984 the tragic events of Union Carbide which killed thousands of people may have been avoided. The government has to establish responsible regulation to protect workers from being the victims of abusive behavior to their patrons. The Family Act you mentioned is a very governmental initiative because it protects the basic right of people when they needed the most. A major illness to a family affects people emotionally which can hurt their profitability at work. An interest fact you mentioned in your post was that employer are obligated to place an ASHA poster visible to the employees. I believe a lot of companies may be violating this regulation. At my last place of work I did see such a poster anywhere in the building. The minimum wage in

How has the Anglican Catholic Tradition shaped the Theology and Essay - 1

How has the Anglican Catholic Tradition shaped the Theology and Liturgy of the Marriage Service in Common Worship - Essay Example It is a social act that joins two people in a long lasting commitment and a promise to fulfill their marriage vows. Thousands of years back, considering the example of early men, who were hunters and wanderers changing their habitats every now and then. They were illiterate and uncivilized people who did not have any technology, luxury, means of communication, storage system for food etc. hence they lived for today only and had no moral values. There was no concept or need of marriage as they did whatever they liked to, involved in unethical sexual acts and women gave birth to children without knowing who the father was nor the offspring cared to find about their father and knew only their mother. This act kept going for years and gradually with an extreme need of change the women started realizing her responsibilities towards making own house and how to make the living beautiful. The men being the hunters remained busy all day long whereas the women invented the idea of cultivating crops in fields and made various kind of trials to grow better plants and selected those good in taste and for health. After the transition of men from hunters to farmers the concept of marriage arose as man being the owner of lands and properties will remain superior to a woman who will carry his child only by devoting herself to him and will not have relationship with other men. BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE: The ceremony and reception programs of marriage are not discussed in detail in the holy book Bible. However it does describe the marriage and its vows in many chapters. It is divine and sacred act and is common since Jewish times. Hence it is very essential to follow the commands and vows of marriage set by God which gives emphasis over the importance of this sacred occasion of matrimony. As said in the vows; that the couple will remain faithful to each other, stand together through good times and bad ,give love and care, in sickness and in health and till death do us part. A less importance is given to ceremony and its festivities and more to the contract made between the individuals according to religious perspective. Matrimony is a sacred agreement in the eyes of God. It is therefore essential for a man and woman to marry each other according to religion as said by Jesus that it is forbidden for a man and woman to live together without marriage and the relationship between such a couple cannot be termed as â€Å"husband and wife†. (John 4). Hence the scriptures of Bible reveal that holy union of two people in the eyes of God is the most sacred relationship fulfilling all the commands by God. CHRISTIANITY: Christianity is a monotheist’s ( believes in one God) religion founded on the basis of lessons given by Jesus Christ ( in Canonical Gospels and New Testaments). It is also the largest religion in the world. It says that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and the protector of mankind due to which He is also referred to as Messiah. The f ollowers of this religion are called as Christians. This religion is divided into three divisions: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. The Roman Catholic churches were separated from Eastern Orthodox churches in 1054 (AD).Protestantism was set in insixteenth century as a result of a protest from a group of people against Roman Catholic churches and hence a separate group of churches was originated. The religion started to

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Management - Essay Example f Brazil. This retail sector organization is considered as one of the leading retailers as well as largest employers in private sector of Australia (Coles Myer Ltd 2000). The origin of Coles Myer was around 100 years ago was from the two Australian retailers namely â€Å"G. J. Coles & Coy and The Myer Emporium† (Coles Myer Ltd 2000). They have their operations in Australia along with New Zealand and possess about 2,000 retail stores in those places. Coles Myer has shareholders numbering above 380,000 (Coles Myer Ltd 2000). The organization’s businesses are generally classified into five groups which include Food & Liquor, Myer Grace Bros, General Merchandize, e.colesmyer and Apparel & Home. The retail stores have an annual sale of more than $24 billion. The various brand of Coles Myer are Grace Bros, Coles, Myer, Target, Bi-Lo, Kmart, Liquor land, Fosseys and Officeworks. This retail sector organization has provided employment to over 167,000 staffs (Plunkett 2005). Col es Myer has adopted wide communication strategies in order to contact with their staffs, suppliers, customers, stakeholders, shareholders by replying through letters and intranet site. They believe that satisfying customers will bring their success and collecting customers’ feedback will help them to make necessary improvements if it is needed. They want to provide best services to the customers and preserve good relationship with them (Coles Myer Ltd 2000). Coles Myer provides ongoing practical training to the staff in order to facilitate them to handle properly the customers and provide quality services to them. The training is provided with a basis of making their staff to have an actual understanding of their compliance responsibilities (Coles Myer Ltd 2000). Coles Myer is entering into the retail market of Brazil with the aim of business expansion as well as spreading their brand name beyond the Oceania region. As Brazil is considered as one of the world’s largest retail markets, thus Coles Myer can get scope of extension of their retail business. Though the store will be located in Brazil but the services will be provided by the Australian organization. However, several Brazilian staffs will be hired for the retail store but the training will be provided by the Australian managers since they are extremely customer oriented. They want to provide best services to the customers of Brazil to build their brand name. The main purpose of the report is to prepare an environmental analysis of the Brazil’s business environment for an Australian retail sector organization Coles Myer who wants to enter in the market of Brazil. The company faces various challenges and can gain opportunities while expanding its business in new Brazilian market. In this paper the PESTL analysis along with SWOT analysis of Coles Myer is conducted and subsequently recommendations are provided for the organization for entering into the

Thomas Kuhn Writing Style Essay Example for Free

Thomas Kuhn Writing Style Essay According to the back cover, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is considered one of The Hundred Most Influential Books Since the Second World War by The Times Literary Supplement. I don’t necessarily agree with this assessment. Don’t miss understand what I’m saying; he is probably one of the more brilliant people that have ever walked this earth for all I know. But, I could not get over how difficult his writing style was to interpret. His form of writing is not something that most people who are not scientists are use too. From being written in a scientific and philosophical manner, to explaining a paradigm and normal science, to using words that I was trying to look up in the dictionary on every single page. The one thing I did care for was his redundancy in his book. His redundancy will grab your attention telling you to pay attention to this certain word or phrase because it will be important to understanding this book. From the start of the book, I’ve come to the conclusion that Thomas Kuhn is almost writing a scientific and philosophical essay. As he continues to refer back to some of the more brilliant people in the history of the world such as Aristotle, Galileo, Einstein, Newton and Lavoisier, this is where I recognized the scientific and philosophical â€Å"writing style† he had. Numerous times he would refer back to one of these names and tell of their scientific development that was associated with their name. This, for whatever reason, made me think his writing was actually organized; I just didn’t understand it. He gave explanations behind why he was referencing this particular person making everything attempt to flow a little bit better. For me, philosophy was never a subject that I understood well, therefore, it was very hard for me to follow in what he was saying. Throughout this essay, Thomas Kuhn puts a large emphasis on paradigms, and normal science. From what I understood, a paradigm meant that the nature of scientific inquiry within a particular field was going to be largely transformed. That was my own interpretation. I sat for about a day on trying to figure out how I was going to understand what his form of paradigm meant. For all I know, I’m completely wrong. But that’s what I understood so far. So, for Thomas Kuhn, his argument was that science did not progress on a linear accumulation of knowledge but that it went through so-called periodic revolutions. This is where the term paradigm shift had come from. I believe that it is impossible to go through a paradigm shift without a crisis. When attempting to understand what normal science was to Thomas Kuhn, I was still quite confused since I was trying to interpret paradigm and paradigm shift. Kuhn insists, (p. 52) Normal science does not aim at novelties of fact or theory and, when successful, finds none. Again, not quite sure what he just said there. So, I sat on it for a few hours to figure out what he was trying to tell the reader. After that day, I felt that he was almost concerned that common occurrence of discoveries was going to disprove his thesis. So, if normal science aims at discovery, and discoveries are novel, then normal science aims at novelty. Kuhn claims that discoveries are always accompanied by changes in the prevailing paradigm. Attempting to understand what each of these meant in his words was a struggle. I would have much rather used the Internet to try to figure out what in the world he was saying. For me, Thomas Kuhn’s writing style is above and beyond my intellect or knowledge. Having my bachelors in science didn’t help me out whatsoever like I thought it would when beginning this book. The most difficult obstacle for me while reading Thomas Kuhn’s book was no doubt trying to understand what he was saying by the words he used. Just in the first few chapters I was looking up words in the dictionary probably four or five times on each page. I understand his audience was a group of scientists so they should understand this. I won’t knock him for that. I also feel like he could’ve made the reading a little easier to understand. No to bring anyone down to a lower level, but to â€Å"dumb† it down a little bit would have given people like me a huge help at understanding his form of writing. Just in the first two chapters, this was the list of words or phrases I could not pick up on: * Phylogistic chemistry * Arbitrariness * Onslaught * Dichotomies * Elucidate * Esoteric * Corpuscles * Effluvium * Arduous * Recondite * Metallurgy * Morass * Juxtapose Sure, a few of these words I have come across before in another reading. The book I read these words from was probably a science textbook, and honestly were not words I was going to be using everyday. Lastly, I noticed how redundant Thomas Kuhn was in his writing style. I think that because of who his audience was, he needed to be redundant. He needed to repeatedly bring the importance of a paradigm up for discussion. He was trying to get people to pay attention to certain points in his writing and the best way to do that is to talk about them repeatedly. With his redundancy I found myself paying more attention to certain words or phrases he was pointing out to me, like, â€Å"Hey!  Grasp this concept and understand because I’m going to bring it up a lot in this book. † This was the only form of his writing style that I cared for. Again, I’m not trying to knock him for what he has written, because from reviews I’ve read on him and his book, he’s pretty brilliant. The redundancy is always annoying, but in this case it helped me to grasp concepts that he was really trying to focus on and bring my attention to so I could fully understand this book. Did it completely help me in understanding this book? No, not at all, I’m still blown away at what in the world I’ve read and am still reading to understand him.

Internationalization Strategies: European Car Makers

Internationalization Strategies: European Car Makers The Automobile industry is one of the truly most global industries in the world today. The automobile has changed the lives, culture, and economy of the people and nations that manufacture and demand them. Ever since the late 1800s when the first modern car was invented by Benz and Daimler in Germany, the industry has grown into a billion dollar industry affecting so many aspects of our lives. It covers a global community catering needs which may be common among the entire community or specific to a particular community. Its challenging for the Managers and their companies to develop a strategy that outrun their competitors and serve their global customer base. Automotive Industry in Europe at a Glance The automotive industry is a major industry in the European economy involving a few vehicle manufacturing firms and about 2/3 of the production is outsourced to a substantial number of independent suppliers. The produce includes cars, light trucks and vans, buses and coaches, medium and heavy trucks, motorcycles and agricultural and forestry tractors. A lot of mergers and acquisitions have been the routine of the automotive industry. Currently DaimlerChrysler, Volkswagen (VW), BMW, Ford Europe, General Motors (GM) Europe, Renault, PSA (Peugeot-Citroà «n), Fiat and Porsche comprise the main EU car industry. Beside them, there are a good number of small manufacturers apart from some Japanese manufacturers production facilities in the EU. The Internationalization strategies by European car makers The car industry as a whole is much internationalised as it is easy to do business in different parts of the world. To an extent, a lot of multinational corporations of the industry are heavily based in their domestic markets for several reasons, such as cheaper labour and creating jobs for the local inhabitants. When it comes to sales, the industry is perhaps more global, for example in the USA, one of the top three leading cars Toyota is a Japanese company that has much of its production facilities and technical development in Japan but according to Data monitor- industry profile. The internationalisation of the industry has a long history as the car industry itself is old and prolific. The American car industry is said to date back to 1908 when the first automobile was built. Internationalisation is slightly older and has been linked with the ending of world war two for the majority of developed countries; however it is a fairly newer concept in emerging markets. Institutional differences are apparent as many companies entered emerging markets, such as Ford, an American manufacturer, entered many emerging markets such as the Japanese and Chinese. There are still trade barriers in many parts of the world but not many affect the selling of cars. The speed of internationalisation depends on the country where the car originates. In more economically developed countries it makes sense that the speed of internalisation is fast and furious, for example many countries aspire to live life in the American lifestyle, therefore the sale of American cars in emerging markets occurs at a faster rate than the other way round. Although recent events suggest this is no longer true, as now Japanese cars are outselling American cars in the USA industry. Japanese internationalisation occurred at a slower rate at first but then it took off as soon as other continents industries slowed and so Japan were able to capitalise. Volkswagen- volume and diversity model (Boyer and Freyssenet, 1999) Toyota- Profit Strategy (Keeping the total cost low, no matter in what market they are operating) Honda practiced Profit Strategy based on innovation and flexibility. Producing models with distinct features and launching them quickly before the competitors could copy them Companies such as GM and Fiat have reactivated a strategy based on volume and diversity by increasing the commonalisation of platforms; by re-engineering their equipment-making subsidiaries in such a way as to regain control over the value chain; and by developing employee polyvalence. PSA tried to implement a strategy based on the permanent reduction, irrespective of output, of costs, but the French group had to abandon this orientation when its employees took industrial action, and it has reverted to its previous emphasis on volume and diversity. Ford, which had pursued the same line, shifted towards a volume based strategy, and tried to design and sell world cars, each of which with its own platform. Chrysler was at first unclear about the direction to take, but then made the decision to modify its profit strategy so as to emphasise innovation and flexibility .For Renault and Rover, quality became the top priority and each firm has tried to upgrade its market presence, repositioning itself in its segments top half. Renault subsequently focused on innovation, but has progressively discovered that such an approach would require the complete re-organisation of its corporate structures. (Boyer and Freyssenet, 1999) Geographical characteristics of Internationalisation About 20 yrs back one can argue that the automobile industry was just concentrated in U.S, Europe and Japan. But Due Globalisation and aggressive Internationalisation strategies used the manufactures, the market is moving towards the developing the economies. Due to recession and saturated market in U.S and Japan the more sales are happening in the developing economies. Within the EU the top five Automobile producing countries are Germany, France, Italy, Spain and U.K and in the world the top five are Japan, U.S, China, Germany and France. The European market is the largest markets in terms of production (33%) followed by Japan (20%). Though ACEA 2010 reports states that China will soon overtake Japan and the U.S in terms of Production and sales of Automobiles. The stats also shows that big markets that once accounted for most of the production and sales are now saturated and diminishing. Manufactures has now moved into the emerging economies to reap the high growth rate and economic conditions prevailing in many of these economies. An e.g. for this is the growing number of production and assembly plants in countries like Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South- Korea, Poland. Entry strategies by European carmakers The European drive into central Europe has been spearheaded by Volkswagen and Fiat, both of whom see the region as a vital part of their global strategies, even if managerial resources are being strained in an effort to obtain a return on investment. Eastern Europes market can be split into two distinct areas: the Central European Free Trade Area (CEFTA) consisting of Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia and the rest. Naturally, it is the former that is attracting Western attention, especially as sales in the CEFTA are running at around 600,000 per annum and are likely to rise at 10 per cent a year for several years to come, with VW and Fiat each commanding 25 per cent of the market. Fiats main interest lies in Fiat Auto Poland which it acquired in 1992 through its purchase of Fabryka Samochodow Malolitrazowich (FSM) and since then has exported 50 per cent of output to Western European markets. At the time of purchase FSM was riddled with the inefficiencies comm only found in state-owned automakers in Central and Eastern Europe, but Fiat pledged to invest $2 billion in Poland by the year 2000, and part of this at the time of writing is being used to finance production of its Palio models which it hopes to sell worldwide. Turning to Russia, Fiat in 1997 embarked on an $850 million project with ZAO Nizhegorod Motors, owned by GAZ of Nizhy Novgorod to produce 150,000 Palio units a year. Fiat and ZAO each have 40 per cent of the equity with the remaining 20 per cent funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (JustAuto.co. 2000; Automotive News, 1996b). Volkswagen holdings in the East are due to its acquisition of Skoda and the taking over of former Trabant plants in the former East Germany. VW has already diversified and modernised Skodas model range and will use these to drive into emerging markets in the area, including Russia, Poland and Belarus. Despite the workforce being well educated and skilled, VW did not always find it easy to persuade Eastern workers to adapt to Western production methods and this is best illustrated in its former Trabant plant at Zwickau. The plant was modernised to produce the Polo and Golf models, but workers experienced severe cultural difficulties in adjusting to modern production methods despite being given extensive training. Building a Trabant involved considerable physical effort just to get the body parts to fit together and this gave a sense of achievement for the workers. Though modern technology and lean production methods removed the physical effort, it also took away the sense of pride and it took VW a considerable time to persuade the workforce of the virtues of modern technology. Nevertheless, both Fiat and VW are firmly installed in Eastern Europe and are about to be joined by Renault which has signed an agreement joining forces with the Moscow City Authorities to build cars in an old Moskvich plant. Of the European producers, VW and Fiat are clearly the most dominant in Eastern Europe and, provided resources are not overstretched, will probably gather a considerable harvest in the future compared to their rivals. But the European arms of both Ford and GM are moving in the same direction, too. Besides being established in Belarus and Poland, Ford has formed a joint venture with Bankirski Dom, near St Petersburg and GM have entered into a similar arrangement with AvtoVAZ at Togliatti, 1,000 kilometres south east of Moscow (Automotive News, 1996b). Finally, stretching beyond the frontiers of Eastern Europe, European firms are currently attempting to establish themselves in China. It was Peugeot that made the initial running when, in the early 1980s, it formed a joint venture in Guangzhou to produce its 404 and 505 models. Neither vehicle was suited to the Chinese market. They were too large, unsuitable for the roads and considered old fashioned by the Chinese when compared to other Western models. In the end, no more than 20,000 units were produced in any one year, and in 1998 Peugeot were forced to withdraw from the market. As Peugeot withered in the market, its other arm, Citroen, prospered in a new joint venture at Wuhan where a stripped down version of the ZX is produced in approximately 15,000 to 20,000 units per annum, a figure that will rise sharply in the coming years (Donnelly and Morris, 1997). Volkswagen by contrast have been far more successful in its joint ventures with the Shanghai Automobile Industrial Corporatio n and the First Auto Works at Changchun in Jilinn Province in the north east of the country. Since the mid-1980s, VW has produced its Santana model in China with frequent updating and has recently introduced its more modern Jetta, Passat and Bora models. These ventures have proved successful in that VW have roughly 50 per cent of the taxi market in China, but have yet to obtain any return on their capital as they, like other multinationals in other countries, have discovered the Chinese market is no crock of gold (Donnelly and Morris, 1997, JustAuto.co., 2000c). While other European firms such as Mercedes and Renault have signed declarations of intent with the Chinese and are waiting to see how the market develops, both Ford and GM have moved further down the road and have begun production at Changan and Guangzhou respectively. Similarly, Chinese hostility to Japanese producers has waned and both Suzuki and Toyota have begun to compete in the market. Current opinion is that the Chin ese market will grow steadily in the coming century and that it is better to enter this market in its infancy than to hesitate. The ball is firmly in the European court and firms must either gamble now on the prospects of return in the future or they might be too late. An outline of the main foreign market entry modes and An overview of the enterprise structures and controls used by firms Ford of Europe was founded in 1967 on a merger between the British and German divisions of the Ford Motor company. Founded in Detroit, Mich., in 1903 by Henry Ford and a group of investors, the company introduced the hugely successful Model T in 1908 and by 1923 was producing more than half of all U.S. automotive vehicles. Through the Lincoln Motor Co. (acquired in 1922), Ford produced luxury Lincolns and Continentals. After years of declining sales, the Model T was succeeded by the Model A in 1927; other companies such as General Motors took the opportunity to make serious inroads into Fords dominance. The company was reincorporated in 1919, with Ford and his family acquiring full ownership. Later acquisitions included Aston Martin and the Land Rover brand of sport utility vehicles. Ford also owns a significant share of the Mazda Motor Corp. Because of financial struggles at the beginning of the 21st century, the company sold off Aston Martin in 2007 and both Jaguar and Land Rover i n 2008. However, Ford occasionally outsells Toyota in shorter periods (most recently, during the summer months of 2009). As of 2008, Ford has become the second largest automaker in Europe (only behind Volkswagen), with sales that occasionally exceed those in the United States and large markets in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. ( PaddockTalk). Ford Motor Co bought into China as a quick and low-cost way of entering the market. In contrast to Chrysler and GMs JV approach in China, Ford chose to acquire 20% of Jiangling Motor, a relatively small local auto producer. This helped in establishing their presence much quicker than their competitors and removed most of the barriers their competitors were facing such as management control and conflict. The European drive into central Europe has been spearheaded by Volkswagen and Fiat, both of whom see the region as a vital part of their global strategies, even if managerial resources are being strained in an effort to obtain a return on investment. Eastern Europes market can be split into two distinct areas: the Central European Free Trade Area (CEFTA) consisting of Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia and the rest. Naturally, it is the former that is attracting Western attention, especially as sales in the CEFTA are running at around 600,000 per annum and are likely to rise at 10 per cent a year for several years to come, with VW and Fiat each commanding 25 per cent of the market. Fiats main interest lies in Fiat Auto Poland which it acquired in 1992 through its purchase of Fabryka Samochodow Malolitrazowich (FSM) and since then has exported 50 per cent of output to Western European markets. At the time of purchase FSM was riddled with the inefficiencies comm only found in state-owned automakers in Central and Eastern Europe, but Fiat pledged to invest $2 billion in Poland by the year 2000, and part of this at the time of writing is being used to finance production of its Palio models which it hopes to sell worldwide. Turning to Russia, Fiat in 1997 embarked on an $850 million project with ZAO Nizhegorod Motors, owned by GAZ of Nizhy Novgorod to produce 150,000 Palio units a year. Fiat and ZAO each have 40 per cent of the equity with the remaining 20 per cent funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (JustAuto.co. 2000; Automotive News, 1996b). Volkswagen holdings in the East are due to its acquisition of Skoda and the taking over of former Trabant plants in the former East Germany. VW has already diversified and modernised Skodas model range and will use these to drive into emerging markets in the area, including Russia, Poland and Belarus. Despite the workforce being well educated and skilled, VW did not always find it easy to persuade Eastern workers to adapt to Western production methods and this is best illustrated in its former Trabant plant at Zwickau. The plant was modernised to produce the Polo and Golf models, but workers experienced severe cultural difficulties in adjusting to modern production methods despite being given extensive training. Building a Trabant involved considerable physical effort just to get the body parts to fit together and this gave a sense of achievement for the workers. Though modern technology and lean production methods removed the physical effort, it also took away the sense of pride and it took VW a considerable time to persuade the workforce of the virtues of modern technology. Nevertheless, both Fiat and VW are firmly installed in Eastern Europe and are about to be joined by Renault which has signed an agreement joining forces with the Moscow City Authorities to build cars in an old Moskvich plant. Of the European producers, VW and Fiat are clearly the most dominant in Eastern Europe and, provided resources are not overstretched, will probably gather a considerable harvest in the future compared to their rivals. But the European arms of both Ford and GM are moving in the same direction, too. Besides being established in Belarus and Poland, Ford has formed a joint venture with Bankirski Dom, near St Petersburg and GM have entered into a similar arrangement with AvtoVAZ at Togliatti, 1,000 kilometres south east of Moscow (Automotive News, 1996b). Finally, stretching beyond the frontiers of Eastern Europe, European firms are currently attempting to establish themselves in China. It was Peugeot that made the initial running when, in the early 1980s, it formed a joint venture in Guangzhou to produce its 404 and 505 models. Neither vehicle was suited to the Chinese market. They were too large, unsuitable for the roads and considered old fashioned by the Chinese when compared to other Western models. In the end, no more than 20,000 units were produced in any one year, and in 1998 Peugeot were forced to withdraw from the market. As Peugeot withered in the market, its other arm, Citroen, prospered in a new joint venture at Wuhan where a stripped down version of the ZX is produced in approximately 15,000 to 20,000 units per annum, a figure that will rise sharply in the coming years (Donnelly and Morris, 1997). Volkswagen by contrast have been far more successful in its joint ventures with the Shanghai Automobile Industrial Corporatio n and the First Auto Works at Changchun in Jilinn Province in the north east of the country. Since the mid-1980s, VW has produced its Santana model in China with frequent updating and has recently introduced its more modern Jetta, Passat and Bora models. These ventures have proved successful in that VW have roughly 50 per cent of the taxi market in China, but have yet to obtain any return on their capital as they, like other multinationals in other countries, have discovered the Chinese market is no crock of gold (Donnelly and Morris, 1997, JustAuto.co., 2000c). While other European firms such as Mercedes and Renault have signed declarations of intent with the Chinese and are waiting to see how the market develops, both Ford and GM have moved further down the road and have begun production at Changan and Guangzhou respectively. Similarly, Chinese hostility to Japanese producers has waned and both Suzuki and Toyota have begun to compete in the market. Current opinion is that the Chin ese market will grow steadily in the coming century and that it is better to enter this market in its infancy than to hesitate. The ball is firmly in the European court and firms must either gamble now on the prospects of return in the future or they might be too late.