Emerging Issues in Product Development Term Paper - 4

Emerging Issues in Product Development - Term Paper Example Companies and organizations have turned to product development as a means of staying relevant in the market. The essence of product development is to have customers get enhanced products that are capable of meeting their needs. Murad Ahmed, a senior technology journalist recently wrote an article concerning Microsoft is modifying the latest version of its software called the windows 8 (Ahmed 2014, p. 1). The story as reported by Ahmed detailed some of the reasons why Microsoft had decided to modify its latest product (Ahmed 2014, p. 1). The gist of the matter as reported by Ahmed was that customers world over were finding it difficult to use the product as it bore some sought of complications. The issue as reported in March 2014 by Ahmed seemed to have taken a number of people by surprise (Ahmed 2014, p. 1). Even though the giant software company has plans to incorporate the previous features in the newly introduced product, the actions should be well thought of as appropriate. It is just under 16 months since Windows 8 was introduced into the market (Ahmed 2014, p. 1). Pundits argued that this new development was by far the biggest thing that had ever happened in the software industry. The software product has gained a number of positive feedbacks since the time of inception. However, the company has reported that through its feedback system, a number of customers think otherwise about the product. Some think that the new software is not user-friendly and, therefore, provides a challenge in its use. This has prompted the Microsoft Company to announce its intention to return earlier features in the new product. While the company, maybe by right and well within its jurisdiction to satisfy its customers there are a number of issues that can be drawn from the company’s latest move. One of the issues that remain clear is that the company may not have done its homework properly. Before introducing a product into the market, it is incumbent upon a company to carry out the market survey so as to know what a majority of customers want.

Chicboy Marketing Plan Essay Example for Free

Chicboy Marketing Plan Essay Chic-Boyâ„ ¢ is a new trademark and business model of Pier One Bar and Grill Holdings Corporation, the company behind the successful Pier One Bar and Grill restaurant chain in the Philippines. It is a quick-service restaurant that is a cut above fast food, with a cult-like following. Our concept focuses on quality, variety and service. Chic-boy’s pride is its Cebu Lechon Manok and Cebu Lechon Liempo marinated and stuffed with her band spices and charcoal broiled to juicy and tasty perfection. * Objectives The main objective of Chic-Boy is to provide people/ their customers with great foods at affordable prices, provide convenience by allowing family reunions and get together. And last but not the least, one of their objectives is to expand the business by providing and allowing franchise. * THE FRANCHISOR-FRANCHISEE RELATIONSHIP Franchisor shall provide Franchisee with specifications for brands and types of any equipment, fixtures and furniture required for the Franchised Facility, The Franchisor will provide supplies such as products, equipment and materials previously designed and provided by the Franchisor to be used in the Franchised Facilities and â€Å"services† that includes, but is not limited to, consistent innovation and renovation of products and processes, in-store audit checks related to the consistent practices of hygiene, safety, and proper implementation of pre-defined pharmacy practices and methods, also training and assistance program will be given. * Responsibilities of the Franchisee The responsibility of the franchisee will focus on the continuing services and royalty fees, accounting and records, standards of quality and performance. * PRODUCTS AND SERVICES The company offers a wide variety of meals such as Chiquito Meals, Chibog-Busog Meals, Cebu Lechon, Magandand Umaga Meals, Sphagetamis, Japanese, Appetizers, Merienda, Desserts, Soup, Sizzling Specials and etc. Most meals are served with house soup and unlimited rice, they also offer bottomless iced tea. They also give customers fried garlic for free. * MANAGEMENT , STAFFING, STRATEGIC PARTNERS, ANG PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT * Management Team The owner is considered as the General Manager of one store. In every store the highest position that is handling the daily production is their respective Supervisors. . * Staffing The newly franchised Chic-Boy outlet will be hiring 11 staffs consisting of the cooks, crews, cashiers and security guard. * Strategic Partner and Professional Support As for strategic partner, the company will be provided with general contractors will be responsible for the store equipments, maintenance and physical attributes and design of the store, and as for professional support, an accountant to head the accounting and financial side of the company. * Gantt Chart As for the schedule of activities of the company, Chic-Boy will have a one year preparation before it will formally open. The given month will be from September 2012- September 2013. * OPERATIONS * Hours and Days of Operation The proposed Chic-Boy outlet will be operating for seven (7) times a week, sixteen (16) hours a day. The store hours will be from 7:00 am up to 10:00 pm * Layout and Facilities The store will be at least 200sqm. It will have a second floor to accommodate the number of customers. The chairs and tables will be arranged as to allow the customers to still walk in between the them even if ther are a lot of customers. * Licensing, Permitting Other Regulatory Issues Getting the required business license and permits for Chic-Boy is a necessary step to ensure that the business is abiding the bylaws. It needs some kind of business license or permit to run the business legally. Chic-boy will get first clearance and permit before heading to the Securities and Exchange in Commission. * Operating Procedures The procedure will be a simple process starting from the entrance of the customer followed by the purchasing of the food, consumptions of the ordered item and then leaving of the customer once done and satisfied. Then as a new customer arrives, the process starts again. * Inventory Management The products of Chic-Boy will be ordered from the commissary in a daily need basis. It will be stored in the kitchen chillers to preserve good quality and freshness and to satisfy customers standards. * MARKETING * Target Location The franchise will be located at Dr. C. A. Aguila St. inside Mendiola, Manila. Its approximate square footage is 200 sqm. , it is a well traversed path leading jeepney’s and vehicles coming from recto heading to Pandacan, Sta. Ana, Makati and Pasay, vice versa. It is also surrounded by at least six (6) schools. * Marketing Targets The target market of Chic-boy will be students, employees and famiies. There are no age limit as to who are their target market, as long as they can still eat the meals offered by the establishment. * Distribution Since the entity proposed is not in the manufacturing industry, the distribution described in the plan will be the location where the outlet will be put up thus serving the customers within the vicinity. * Competitive Environment and Positioning The primary competitors of the Chic-Boy will be the fast food chains such as Jollibee, McDonald’s and KFC that are within the same vicinity of the proposed franchise. The other food plaes are considered as secondary competitors because since both offer food, the service and type of food served is different. * Marketing Tactics and Support The marketing tactics and support that Chic-Boy are already offering are simple flyer giving and posting of tarpaulins and posters. And the Chic-Boy radio they have in their own stores and outlets. * CAPITAL PLAN * Sources of Funds The P 6,069,000 total investment will be funded by the 5 investors with the distribution as follows: P 3,069,000 for the managing director and P 750,000 for the remaining 4 investors. * Use of Funds The total investment of P 6,069,000 will be used in the payment of rent for the land/property, Working Capital, Furniture, Fixtures, Equipments, Construction and Renovation. A fund shall be allotted for the payment of rent, because the property is leased; for the furniture, fixture and equipments, this includes the aircon units, signage, tables chairs, grillers, range hood, freezers chillers, plates, utensils kitchen and restaurant supplies; another allocation for the construction renovation which includes civil works, plumbing, electrical, lighting, mechanical, exhaust and fresh air; and last but not the least, funds to be used as commissary deposit, franchise fee and working capital.

Controversial Advertising Essay -- Subversive Advertising Media Market

Introduction Advertising texts and images seem to be the most visible and ubiquitous icons of consumer society. The Advertising industry indeed has simultaneously become one of the most powerful and apparently most uncritical institutions of today as well as this, people seemingly have accepted billboard advertising as an usual part of their environment. Nevertheless there sometimes develop certain advertising campaigns undergoing general ideas about what ads are supposed to show and they hence provoke controversial public debates. So called controversial advertising has often been claimed to somehow subvert conventional advertising’s practice by the audiences, justice, advertisers, companies, advertising industry’s self regulating institutions and so forth. This now rises the question how far industrial advertising as an institution that has to promote consuming goods, can be subversive. This essay will work out, that advertising hardly can be subversive, because it is to much characterised by its function. It nevertheless firstly is necessary to formulate a working-definition of subversion, a notion that has been used in very different senses, before two example-cases of controversial advertising can be investigated. The integration of ad-alien contents within the Benetton-campaign then will be analysed as a form of aesthetic subversion to subsequently question exactly the image’s ad-alien and supposed subversive form and content. Thus, it will be shown that Benetton’s subversive potentials are overshadowed by their functions as advertisements. This works second part will look at two campaigns developed for French Connection. By investigating two campaigns it will be shown that the only form of subversion that might be claimed for advertising could possibly be described as a temporary phenomenon of charming subversion. Controversial advertising : subversive avant-garde or variations of conformity? The notion „subversiveâ€Å" has been associated with political issues and revolutionary activities intending to change the entire political, economic and hence societal order by slowly destroying the present system from its core. Simultaneously the notion has been used in a less ubiquitous sense, that might be more appropriate for this work’s purpose. Vogel for example in Film as a Subversive Art established the notions of Subversion of Form and Subve... ...ox, Henri, A. (1994): Disturbing Pleasures - Learning Popular Culture. London, Routledge. Jà ¤ckel, Michael (2002)(no title given) URL: http://www.uni-trier.de/uni/fb4/soziologie/faecher/amk/folien/ss02/folien4_m.pdf (Visited 12.12.03) McLuhan, Marshall (1968): Die magischen Kanà ¤le. Understanding Media. Dà ¼sseldorf, Wien: Verlag der Kunst. McLuhan, Newton P. (1996) Care Fakers URL: http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/02.01.96/corp-care-9605.html (Visited 12.12.03) Tinic, Serra A. (1997): Unitied Colors and United Meanings: Benetton and The Commodification of Social Issues. URL: http://joc.oupjournals.org/cgi/reprint/47/3/3.pdf (Visited 12.12.03) Toscani, Oliviero (1995): Die Werbung ist ein là ¤chelndes Aas. Kà ¶ln: Bollmann. Vogel, Amos (1997): Film als Subversive Kunst. Kino wider die Tabus -von Eisenstein bis Kubrick. St. Andrà ¤-Wà ¶rdern: Hannibal. White, Roderick (2000): Advertising. Fourth Edition. Glasgow: McGraw-Hill. Wilson, Neil (1995): A Study Of The Relationship Between Benetton And Its Franchisees And The Impact A Controversial Campaign Can Have On The Association And On Company Sale. Aberystwyth: University of Wales, Centre for Business Studies.

Tomco-Hll Merger

Mumbai: Tata Chemicals, a Tata group company, and Hindustan Lever’s (HLL) Hind Lever Chemicals (HLCL) are merging together to form what would be the second-largest fertiliser company in India. This is the third time that the Tatas and HLL are coming together and this time it is in the fertilisers and chemicals businesses. Previously the two came together in the Hindustan Lever-Tomco deal in 1993 and Lakme-Lever in 1998. The Tatas hold 30 per cent and financial institutions hold 26 per cent stakes in Tata Chemicals.HLL holds 50-per cent stake in HLCL and the institutional holding is at over 9 per cent as on 31 December 2002. The boards of the two companies are meeting separately on 24 January 2003 to ratify the merger and the share-swap ratio. Sources close to the deal reveal that the valuation of Tata Chemicals is much higher than HLCL’s, hence the latter’s shareholders will be issued shares of the Tata group company. Analysts estimate the share-swap ratio will b e in the range of 2. 5 to 3:1 — that is, 2. 5 to three shares of Tata Chemicals for every share of HLCL held.The analysts say the merger between the two companies makes good business sense given its complementary qualities. The Rs 1,516-crore Tata Chemicals manufactures soda ash, salt and fertiliser. Its fertiliser production primarily comprises urea. The Rs 1,285-crore HLCL’s fertiliser business covers di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) complex NPK fertilisers and single super phosphate (SSP). With this merger Tata Chemicals will be present in all fertiliser product categories such as urea-ammonia, NPK and DAP and will also assume a leadership position in soda ash, salt and fine chemicals.Post-merger, Tata Chemicals will have an estimated turnover of about Rs 2,750 crore, profits of over Rs 170 crore and reserves of over Rs 1,600 crore. Sources say HLL, which holds a 50-per cent stake in HLCL, will see its holding dip to under 10 per cent while that of the Tatas in Tata Chem icals may go down to around 20 per cent from their present holding of around 30 per cent. HLL is also likely to keep some representation on the Tata Chemicals board to ensure a continued arrangement for sourcing the chemical STTP, a key ingredient for its detergents business.HLCL produces 80 per cent of India’s STTP output, of which HLL consumes 90 per cent. At present in India there are only two players in STPP, which makes it likely that the business of manufacture of the bulk chemical can turn into a cartel. Therefore, outsourcing the ingredient is not advisable. Moreover, the Haldia facility of HLCL is well integrated with STPP, DAP and sulphuric acid, among others. STPP also goes into DAP, fertiliser and soda ash, which will fit well into Tata Chemical’s business plan.HLL’s move in moving out of the chemicals and fertiliser business is in line with its corporate strategy to exit from its non-core activities, and in the past few years the company has been lo oking for a buyer for this business. Also HLL will move out of a non-core business at a time when its power-brand strategy is at a critical trajectory of growth. Some analysts feel that its important for HLL to retain a presence in the fertiliser business as HLCL’s fertiliser network provides a good backbone for its large-scale operations in the rural areas. HLL gets about 50 per cent of its revenues from the rural markets.Others say that in the long run it does not make good business sense for HLL to continue with its fertiliser business, which has achieved 100-per cent capacity expansion, and for which there is need for consolidation. In the era of size and scale, it makes sense to merge HLCL with a company that can provide the needed focus and thrust. Financially, both HLCL and Tata Chemicals are cash-rich. However, an unclear government policy on fertilisers, over-capacity in the soda-ash market and increasing competition in the branded salt market has led Tata Chemicals to look at future avenues of growth.This merger will give Tata Chemicals a borrowing power of Rs 300-400 crore at a crucial time when National Fertilisers (NFL) is coming up for divestment. Tata Chemicals, understood to have put in an expression of interest for two state-owned fertiliser companies, NFL and Madras Fertilisers, was said to be in talks with a number of fertiliser companies for a suitable ally. Talks of a possible merger with Tata group company Rallis India was put off after the latter severed the marketing arrangement with Tata Chemicals. There were also talks of a possible tie-up with an AV Birla group company, Indo Gulf Fertiliser, to jointly bid for NFL.Reacting to the merger announcement, the Tata Chemicals scrip jumped 9. 81 per cent to close at Rs 66. 60 on the Bombay Stock Exchange on 22 January 2003, while the HLCL scrip closed at Rs 187, up Rs 17 over its previous day’s close. The Rs 1,433-crore Tata Chemicals posted profits of Rs 126 crore last year an d had reserves of Rs 1,370 crore. The debt-free HLCL, on the other hand, posted a profit of Rs 47 crore on a turnover of Rs 1,284 crore the previous year. Moreover, Tata Chemicals reported an increase of 8. 3 per cent in net profit to Rs 47 crore n the second quarter ended September 2002, and a 13-per cent increase in sales to Rs 439 crore. Urea, which contributes 45. 9 per cent to the company’s total revenues, is under government control and a lack of clarity in the fertiliser policy has been a contributing factor to the ambiguity. HLCL reported a 47-per cent rise in net profit to Rs 7. 40 crore in the second quarter ended September 2002, mainly due to higher topline growth and a sharp reduction in interest expenses. Total sales during the quarter rose by 11 per cent to Rs 300. 59 crore

Performing Arts Is a Waste of Time, Money and Resource Essay

Nowadays almost all schools include such subjects as art, drama, and music in their educational program. Therefore, by the time when children graduate school they have general understanding and basic knowledge in all of them. In my opinion, it is a positive tendency and these subjects should indeed be a part of every child’s education. I would like to introduce several reasons and examples that I believe will support my viewpoint. First and foremost, teaching of subjects such as art, drama and music is very crucial in forming of a thoroughly developed and educated individual who is well aware not only of science and related fields but also of arts in wide sense of this word. Completely educated person should have skills or at least knowledge in and understanding of art, music and drama as well, because these subjects develop creativity and artistic approach to life and surrounding world. Even though if a child will not pursue any of these fields of arts, he will be able to comprehend and appreciate them, by making his input to preservation and promotion of these subjects in future. For example, I did not attend any specialized music or art school, but my basic knowledge obtained at school assist me in apprehension and evaluation of pieces of art, music or drama. In addition, I can hold discussion in any of these subjects without any difficulties due to my background, received at school. Furthermore, teaching of these subjects helps parents in detection of hidden talents and special aptitudes of their child, because usually parents take their children to specialized art or music schools after discovering interest and abilities toward any of the mentioned subjects. For instance, my neighbors decided to send their seven years daughter to fine art courses because she was doing very well in her art class, especially in painting. Moreover, teaching of these subjects enrich the inside world of any child and assist in expression of ideas, thoughts and feelings that a child is unable to due to the traits of character. Usually people who cannot convey their feelings through words are successfully express them by playing music, drawing, creating sculptures and so on. The best example is the prominent scientist A. Einstein who was at the same time a very good violin player. When asked of the reason of his passion to music he responded that it was the best way to express what he could not deliver in words. In contrary, too much propagation of music, art or drama may shift a child away from the other subjects that constitute an important part of education as well. Only few of children desplay special ptitude to the mentioned subjects and mere interest in, let us say, music may persuade parents and a child to believe falsely that the latter has talent to it and drift him/her away from studying other subjects, causing serious gaps in a child’s education. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize, that teaching of music, art, and drama are critical in revealing hidden abilities of children toward these subjects and in forming completely educated and thoroughly developed individual with rich inside world. That is why I adhere to opinion that music, art and drama should be a part of every child’s education.

Corkscrew, by Dashiell Hammett Essays

Corkscrew, by Dashiell Hammett Essays Corkscrew, by Dashiell Hammett Paper Corkscrew, by Dashiell Hammett Paper Essay Topic: Literature There are many different aspects of a novel, which capture a readers imagination and make it a good read. However undeniably the most important part of the novel has to be the opening, where the author must use certain methods and techniques to capture the readers intrigue and ultimately draw them into the story. Almost immediately after starting to read this opening I feel that Dashiell Hammet has succeeded in creating this sense of intrigue by opening her story with very striking yet extremely powerful metaphor, Boling like a coffeepot. The way that she has used such an extreme state, Boiling, to describe how someone is feeling has an instantaneous impact upon the reader and the position of it also creates an instant sense of urgency. We know almost instantly also, that this story is written in the first person and it is this, which helps to get the reader involved with the story. When a story is written in first person the reader is instantly drawn closer to the character as they experience the story through the characters own interpretations and personal thoughts. In this particular story the reader is draw even closer to the character through empathy. There are a few short bland statements which makes the character sound as if he speaks in a distant, bleak tone, there are also several references to isolation and loneliness, I was the only passenger, .. without conversation, No person was in sight. Further more one gets the impression that he is out of control of this situation and unable to stop what is going to happen. I feel the phrase carried me.. conveys this and also .. we pushed up a long slope, topped a sharp ridge and slid down into corkscrew. The whole image of descending down a corkscrew I feel portrays his feelings of powerlessness about the situation he is going into. Another phrase that I feel evokes empathy is when the character speaks of death so calmly and sounding so unmoved and in different, Not that it mattered if it got any hotter, we would all blow up anyway, car, desert, chauffeur and I would all bang out of existence in one explosive flash. I didnt care if we did. That last statement would move the reader as they will be so shocked that the character can be so unconcerned of death and ultimately it will make them more intrigued to what is making him feel like this. Lastly the syntax in some of Hammets opening sentences has been manipulated to make the sentence stand out more and have more of an impact upon the reader. Hammet has rearranged word order to make sentences sound more urgent and dramatic, thus having an impact upon the reader, In the street four dusty automobiles cooked. The way that she has placed the destination of the event before the event makes it more of a visual image, thus making it more interesting to read. The exceptionally convincing, unpleasant desert setting is where Dashiell Hammet opens this story. Primarily it is the authenticity of her portrayal of this harsh desert land that captures and intrigues the reader, however as you continue to read through this introduction one realises that this setting not only works on one level where it has been used to capture the readers attention and illustrate mental images of the surrounding setting, but also on a deeper note where it almost represents more about the nature of the people it beholds. There are several metaphors that directly link characters feelings to the setting, the main one being the heat. The higher it got, the larger and hotter it got. The sun could be seen a metaphor for his destination, and the heat could be portraying his feelings of increasing angst and discomfort as he is nearing the destination. A second representation of how the setting reflects its people is the use of the dust. In the desert dust is something you would come to expect to be everywhere but some of the references in this story lead me to believe that the dust is just a metaphor for the corruption of the town. When the sheriff reaches the town he asks a fairly in hospitable man for a room and a lot of water however the mans reply is but water wont do you no good. You won no sooner drink and wash than youll be thirsty and dirty all over again. If the dust is the representation of corruption it would only make sense that the water the sheriff is asking for is to clean up the corruption. The mans reply on certifies what a desalted and corrupt place this is as he basically tells the sheriff there is no point in saying around and trying to clean up the town as it will only get covered in dust to soon. Dashiell Hammet describes this desert scene in a very successfully vivid and stimulating manner, which helps the reader to feel more attached to the story. She not only gives countless visual descriptions, she also uses alliteration so that the reader gets a deeper impression of the setting. Soft sifting sand, the sound of the ss in this phrase really emphasis the feeling of the sand sifting away, leaving a deeper impression on the reader. Also the phrase cactus-spiked sage-studded has almost been made physically difficult to read which creates a sense of unfamiliarity and almost discomfort within the reader, which reflects his feelings of this climate and environment. Generally the whole atmosphere created by the setting can be seen as a representation of the lifestyle in Corkscrew. The environment Dashiell Hammet vividly portrays is a harsh, desolate, unforgiving desert land. These descriptions could easily be applied to the characters that live in this area. The characters seem to reflect the environment and the environment reflects the people. The crooked, shabby, tumble-down shacks reflect the shallow skinned miscellaneous assortment of people that live there. All of the characters are introduced with depressing and completely negative language, apart from a couple that didnt belong to Arizona. They way Hammet has described this couple with their sharp prettiness and too perfect in their clean-cut regularity almost adds some variation to the bland set of people who live here. It is obvious that they will have some part to play in his story but what part this is will intrigue the reader and entice them to read on. Throughout the beginning of this novel the atmosphere and mood changes several time as the situations unravel themselves. At the beginning the negative description of the harsh unsown desert land creates an uncomfortable, unfamiliar mood. Hammet has used foreign words in this part to reinforce the feeling of unfamiliarity and the feelings the idea of descending down into corkscrew evokes are of helplessness. However as the story progresses and when the sheriff reaches corkscrew and the rest of the characters are introduced, there is a confrontation between the sheriff and a local and the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense, I hid my annoyance under my grin. It is now for the first time that the reader becomes aware of who and what the character the readers have been following is doing and the sceptical mood of before has now been replaced with intrigue and a sense of whats going to happen next! . The final change in atmosphere is in the final paragraph when we see the sheriffs hesitant mood turn swiftly to determination, as he stows away his new . 32 automatic and prepares to show his authority. Here the reader almost mentally prepares, as the sheriff is doing, for what will happen next. These are many of the aspects of the opening that makes it a successful introduction to the novel, in terms of creating intrigue and drawing the reader into the novel.

Alexander Hamilton essays

Alexander Hamilton essays Alexander Hamilton wasnt only George Washingtons accomplice, but he was also great admirer of Great Britains government, which explains why he wanted to develop better relations between the U.S. and Britain. Hamilton helped Washington out a lot during his term as aide-de-camp. Alexander Hamilton also worked at improved relations between Britain and the United States. When Alexander Hamilton accepted his appointment as aide-de-camp to Washington, it was the beginning of a long and productive, yet at times tense, relationship between the two. Many myths have been created about their partnership, some say that Hamilton was Washingtons brain, which thought for him and later on took over his administration. There are those who also say that Hamilton was the favorite and surrogate son to the childless General Washington, and that Hamilton saw Washington as the father he never had. When dictating official correspondence, Washington suggested the general idea of what he wanted said, and the aide put together his thoughts into an official statement. Washington carefully read all official correspondence before it left headquarters, and revised whenever necessary. He never allowed someone else's opinions to pass for his own. During his presidential administration, Washington did not blindly accept Hamilton's advice, but often required his Secretary of the Treasury to justify his policies thoroughly when they came under question. In matters of diplomacy, he routinely accepted Jefferson's recommendations, not Hamilton's. Hamilton had unbounded respect for Washington's power, and he knew that his position as aide-de-camp would get him useful connections and a high-visibility position in which to prove his abilities. Washington admired Hamilton's energy and intellect, and must have seen a bit of a mirror image in him. Washington's confidence in Hamilton was unwavering; he continued to seek Hamilton's advice throu...

Phosphorylation and How It Works

Phosphorylation and How It Works Phosphorylation is the chemical addition of a phosphoryl group (PO3-) to an organic molecule. The removal of a phosphoryl group is called dephosphorylation. Both phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are carried out by enzymes (e.g., kinases, phosphotransferases). Phosphorylation is important in the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology because its a key reaction in protein and enzyme function, sugar metabolism, and energy storage and release. Purposes of Phosphorylation Phosphorylation plays a critical regulatory role in cells. Its functions  include: Important for glycolysisUsed for protein-protein interactionUsed in protein degradationRegulates enzyme inhibitionMaintains homeostasis by regulating energy-requiring chemical reactions Types of Phosphorylation Many types of molecules can undergo phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Three of the most important types of phosphorylation are glucose phosphorylation, protein phosphorylation, and oxidative phosphorylation. Glucose Phosphorylation Glucose and other sugars are often phosphorylated as the first step of their catabolism. For example, the first step of glycolysis of D-glucose is its conversion into D-glucose-6-phosphate. Glucose is a small molecule that readily permeates cells. Phosphorylation forms a larger molecule that cant easily enter tissue. So, phosphorylation is critical  for regulating blood glucose concentration. Glucose concentration, in turn, is directly related to glycogen formation. Glucose phosphorylation is also linked to cardiac growth. Protein Phosphorylation Phoebus Levene at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research was the first to identify a phosphorylated protein (phosvitin) in 1906, but enzymatic phosphorylation of proteins wasnt described until the 1930s. Protein phosphorylation occurs when the phosphoryl group is added to an amino acid. Usually, the amino acid is serine, although phosphorylation also occurs on threonine and tyrosine in eukaryotes and histidine in prokaryotes. This is an esterification reaction where a phosphate group reacts with the hydroxyl (-OH) group of a serine, threonine, or tyrosine side chain. The enzyme protein kinase covalently binds a phosphate group to the amino acid. The precise mechanism differs somewhat between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The best-studied forms of phosphorylation are posttranslational modifications (PTM), which means the proteins are phosphorylated after translation from an RNA template. The reverse reaction, dephosphorylation, is catalyzed by protein phosphatases. An important example of protein phosphorylation is the phosphorylation of histones. In eukaryotes, DNA is associated with histone proteins to form chromatin. Histone phosphorylation modifies the structure of chromatin and alters its protein-protein and DNA-protein interactions. Usually, phosphorylation occurs when DNA is damaged, opening up space around broken DNA so that repair mechanisms can do their work. In addition to its importance in DNA repair, protein phosphorylation plays a key role in metabolism and signaling pathways. Oxidative Phosphorylation Oxidative phosphorylation is how a cell stores and releases chemical energy. In a eukaryotic cell, the reactions occur within the mitochondria. Oxidative phosphorylation consists of the reactions of the electron transport chain and those of chemiosmosis. In summary, redox reaction pass electrons from proteins and other molecules along the electron transport chain in the inner membrane of the mitochondria, releasing energy that is used to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in chemiosmosis. In this process, NADH and FADH2 deliver  electrons to the electron transport chain. Electrons move from higher energy to lower energy as they progress along the chain, releasing energy along the way. Part of this energy goes to pumping hydrogen ions (H) to form an electrochemical gradient. At the end of the chain, electrons are transferred to oxygen, which bond with H to form water. H ions supply the energy for ATP synthase to synthesize ATP. When ATP is dephosphorylated, cleaving the phosphate group releases energy in a form the cell can use. Adenosine is not the only base that undergoes phosphorylation to form AMP, ADP, and ATP. For example, guanosine may also form GMP, GDP, and GTP. Detecting Phosphorylation Whether or not a molecule has been phosphorylated can be detected using antibodies, electrophoresis, or mass spectrometry. However, identifying and characterizing phosphorylation sites is difficult. Isotope labeling is often used, in conjunction with fluorescence, electrophoresis, and immunoassays. Sources Kresge, Nicole; Simoni, Robert D.; Hill, Robert L. (2011-01-21). The Process of Reversible Phosphorylation: the Work of Edmond H. Fischer. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286 (3).Sharma, Saumya; Guthrie, Patrick H.; Chan, Suzanne S.; Haq, Syed; Taegtmeyer, Heinrich (2007-10-01). Glucose Phosphorylation Is Required for Insulin-Dependent mTOR Signalling in the Heart. Cardiovascular Research. 76 (1): 71–80.

Business Model Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Model Assessment - Assignment Example vity, for stabilising emergent properties from creative activities and for maintaining the stability of these by anticipating revenues (Fuller T, 2010). This shows that while it is important to have a vision and mission for any organization, it is also equally important to ensure that the same is valid and headed to the same direction. The Business Model Canvas is one of the strategic management tools that is essential for the development of both new, and existing business models to ensure that there is proper running of the same. The model is able to bring forward various value propositions to ensure that the infrastructure, finance and customers are all catered for in the best way possible. This, according to Osterwalder (2010), helps a company to deal with the various trades-offs that are expected to be run within the whole business. On the other hand, Boyd R. Keenan (Dec, 1961) has been a keen critic of the religious following of the various business model. The author thinks that there is no one unique way that the business would be able to develop a tailor-made solution for all its processes. This means that while the business models may be very important, they need to be followed with great care as they do not provide a one stop solution for all the problems that affect the business. The models should not be followed blindly with an effort to achieving whatever objectives set. This may not be so easy to achieve. There is need to exercise caution when it comes to how models are adopted. The business model canvas can be represented by the illustration below. This marks the main outline of the canvas model where one needs to insert the various models just to act as the guide for the said process of analysis. This section seeks to determine who are in the business and it incorporates the structure of the organization. It is often said that for any business to be able to play well in the market, their connections are very key. Tapscott and Williams, (2006)

Protecting the Environment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Protecting the Environment - Research Paper Example As a result of the industrial revolution and globalization, however, today, we are used to a lifestyle that promotes all these ills. However, they are also promoted by governments that work in collaboration with industries that tend to pollute the environment and exploit natural resources in an unsustainable manner. The initiative and the drive to clean up the mess, therefore, need to come from governments across the world. This has been slow in coming but slowly, across the globe, there has been recognition of the political nature of the problem and the need for a political solution for this problem. This paper shall focus on the initiatives that the Brazil government has taken so as to decrease pollution that occurs as a result of the gases that are emitted by vehicles that run on fossil fuels. An energy crisis that occurred in Brazil during the 1970s made the government of this region sit up and take notice of the problem and made it recognize the need for finding a solution that would be long-lasting, to this problem (Hofstrand). This crisis was the result of the scarcity of fossil fuels during the 70s that led a lot of countries to look for means to reduce their dependence on imports for fuel. While most countries switched back to fossil fuels as soon as the crisis was over, Brazil opted for a more lasting and environment-friendly option. In this move, we see how the political will of the government was important in the setting up of the policy that has today reaped rich rewards. The Brazilian government is far ahead of other governments in the sophistication of its machinery and the availability of ethanol- based fuel. The ethanol fuel industry would not have reached the heights that it has reached today if not for the will of successive Brazilian governments that have maintained the production of this form of fuel as a priority and initially offered heavy subsidies to this industry as a result of which many car- manufacturers started producing automobile s that ran on ethanol. By the middle of the 1980s, most of the cars that were being produced in Brazil were ones that ran on ethanol. The response that the private automobile firms made to the scenario that developed was one that was encouraging but was based on the market forces of supply and demand. This scenario came about because of the commercial viability of ethanol- based fuels for the consumers; a situation that evolved out of the government’s policy of providing subsidies to the ethanol fuel industry (Thompson). This made the option of ethanol a profitable one for the consumer classes which in turn influenced the automobile industry to switch to the production of vehicles that ran partially or completely on ethanol. The government’s policy that subsidized the production of these fuels is what was instrumental in the present situation where private players have stepped into the fray, thereby allowing the government to spend more on welfare projects that further enhance the standard of living of the Brazilians. The policies that were followed by the Brazilian government, thus, have enabled the protection of the environment, without compromising upon the goals of development that are important for a developing country like Brazil. This again goes to prove that the protection of

Analyze the statements of each speaker. What does each statement imply Essay

Analyze the statements of each speaker. What does each statement imply regarding their views on the following legal philosophica - Essay Example George Wallace was the 45th Governor of Alabama and he was strongly in favor of segregation laws. He held opposite opinions from Luther King Jr. on human rights and believed that it was right for white and colored men to be treated differently. His opinion on civil movements was also not pleasing for civil rights activist. He called for an end to these movements. King’s views on Legal Philosophical Issues Natural law is the law that is based on human inclination or nature (Rothbard, M. 2011). Positive laws are manmade laws that are based on the fact that human beings are not inherently moral or rational so laws are required to govern them. Martin Luther King considered natural law to be more legitimate than positive laws. King considered the positive laws of segregation to be incoherent with natural law of freedom and justice. He said â€Å"We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: ‘Fo r Whites Only.’† (Luther King Jr.). Segregation was supported by law and King argued against it because he thought it was against the natural laws of freedom. Luther King Jr. was of the opinion of St. Augustine that ‘unjust law is no law’ (MacDonald Jr. 2010). ... Law should be used to promote the common good as argued by King. He believed that it was our duty to follow the just laws. Just laws promote the common good among people by listening to the all groups of the society. He says in his speech â€Å"Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice† (Luther King Jr.). So he argues that laws should be changed. When he argues that laws should be changed he must believe that laws can be used to promote common good of the people. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in the non violent ways of protest. He was inspired by Gandhi and his philosophy of non violence. He believed that violence is not justified even if it is done to achieve a just claim. He said specifically â€Å"In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds† (Luther King Jr.). This clearly explains his non violent ideas. He strongly believed that harm done to people even in the course of protest for a just cause is not justified. The legal philosophy of King was to achieve the aims through peaceful protests and not physical violence. King viewed the role of autonomy to be great in determining aims of law. Autonomy was promised by the ancestors of America but this was not given to the black Americans. In his opinion aims of law were to promote autonomy but later on the society developed its own biases and prejudices. State intervention is argued by Stuart Mill but only in cases where a person inflicts harm or danger to the society (Dogan, A. 2006). King sees paternalism as undesirable as it hinders in achieving the aim of law and that is to promote freedom. Morality plays a role in determining aims of law according to Luther King Jr. The aims

Equity andTtrusts- problem question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Equity andTtrusts- problem question - Essay Example 250,000, and if the civil partner /spouse has survived more than 28 days of the deceased , then he is entitled to receive whole of ? 250,000 or less. If the net estate is more than ? 250,000 , then , the first ? 250,000 together with the personal possession to civil partner/spouse. Fifty percent of the balance should be equally shared among kids. The civil partner /spouse will also have the right to the interest on the balance amount of deceased estate during his life time only, and then children of the civil partner /spouse will receive the same in equal shares after the life time of the civil partner or spouse. (www.graysons.co.uk). In case of intestacy, if the claimant is not a registered civil partner or married, then he may not get a share in the deceased property automatically. If the deceased has not provided for the cohabitating partner in some other way, then such partner can make a claim under the provisions of the â€Å"Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Ac t 1975.† In case of cohabitation, the surviving partner has to demonstrate that she or he had maintained either partly or wholly by the deceased. Further, a cohabitating partner has to make the claim within the 6 months from the date of the issue of letters of administration. (www.direct.gov.uk) The position of children’s of cohabitated couple is somewhat awkward under U.K laws. Schedule 1 to the Children’s Ac 1989 offers power to the courts to order some financial relief for the advantage of children despite the status of the parent’s affiliation.(Barrington, A,2001). Stack v Dowden This case was about the rights over a property over which cohabitation partners lived together before their separation. This case codifies new structure within which cohabitant rights are to be decided and will pave to greater simplicity and certainty for future cases. In this case, the cohabitant couples separated after having four children. There was one residential place, w hich was co-owned by them and a suit was filed the estranged male partner for equal division. Finally, the House of Lords upheld the Court of Appeal’s ruling that Ms Dowden was entitled to 65% and Mr. Stack to 35% House of Lords might have given higher share to female partner on considering the factor that she had four children and also contributed substantially for the purchase of that house. (www.publications.parliament.uk). In this case, Pauline Jonathan will be the legal heir of Jonathan Reisberg as she is the daughter of Jonathan’s erstwhile wife. In the problem, it has been stated that they were in separation for the last fifteen years and there is no mention about a divorce. Since Lorraine Lexington is a cohabitating partner, either she or his children have no legal rights to inherit Jonathan’s estate as he died intestate. Lorraine Lexington, as a cohabitating partner can make a claim under the provisions of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Depen dents) Act 1975. The triplets can seek relief under Schedule 1 to the Children’s Ac 1989 offers power to the courts to order some financial relief for the benefit of children despite of the status of the parent’s relationship. Validity of a Cheque under UK Laws Under UK laws, there is no definite guideline about the validity of a cheque. Banks in UK normally will refuse to honour the cheques if it is more than six months old. However, it is at the discretion of the bank that deals with it. Cheques will

Analysis of Macro and Micro Environment of Microsoft Corporation Research Paper

Analysis of Macro and Micro Environment of Microsoft Corporation - Research Paper Example   The company, founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975, revolutionized the concept of personal computer usage by introducing the Graphical User Interface (GUI) Windows Operation system in 1985. Microsoft Corporation, working with a vision of seeing a computer at every desk and in every home, operates in over 60 countries.  Ã‚   For a company to make correct strategic choices in crafting its long-term business strategies, it should gain a clear understanding of the organizational environment. The trends in the macro environment will not only indicate current market conditions but also the long-term implications, which the company should gear itself to intercept in the future (Thomson & Strickland 2003). Macro environment analysis can be facilitated by a PESTLE analysis, which assesses Political, Environmental, Social & Cultural, Technological, Legal and Economic influences, which bears upon the organization. Some of the current developments in the Political environment include the liberalization of closed economies and the greater level of foreign trade. While this opens up new markets like China, it also fuels competition from the likes of India offering cheap outsourcing options. Recent turbulent conditions marked by escalated terrorist attacks disrupt the overall operations of the world markets. The political instability is also curbing the potential for industrial development, which is crucial for the growth of companies such as Microsoft Corporation.   

Deniers of Genocide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Deniers of Genocide - Essay Example One of the most controversial cases of genocide occurred in Nanking China in 1937-38 when occupying Japanese forces tortured, brutalized, raped, and murdered hundreds of thousands of Chinese men, women, and children over a six-week period. Its limited duration and scale of devastation portrays it as one of the most intense periods of violence in world history. Yet, decades of denial by the Japanese government and conflicting first hand accounts have fuelled a debate in regards to the accuracy of the event, and it has even been questioned as to its authenticity. As the story continues to evolve and more facts come to light, historical researchers revise the history of the incident and are themselves targets of controversy and risk the accusation of being revisionists. Psychological, cultural, and pragmatic forces delayed and minimized Japans public acknowledgement of their involvement in the Nanking massacre and have routinely impeded the historians efforts to adequately record the ev ent. History is not a set of facts, but is a dynamic concept of evolving knowledge that is interpreted in the context of the past and re-evaluated in the framework of the present. Terms such as genocide, ethnic cleansing, massacre, and atrocities suffer from semantics and the diverse subjectivity of worldviews can characterize an event to a nations advantage or disadvantage. Determining when an excessive use of force crosses over into genocide can make, "Politicians, scholars, relief agencies, and distinguished judges at international tribunals regularly agonize over whether to apply the label".1 States may suppress information or produce disinformation in a self-serving attempt to protect their image and self-interests. Historical scientists grapple with these complexities as they attempt to draw a clearer picture of past events, and suffer when activists rewrite historical accounts based on their own political or social agendas.

Analysis of Macro and Micro Environment of Microsoft Corporation Research Paper

Analysis of Macro and Micro Environment of Microsoft Corporation - Research Paper Example   The company, founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975, revolutionized the concept of personal computer usage by introducing the Graphical User Interface (GUI) Windows Operation system in 1985. Microsoft Corporation, working with a vision of seeing a computer at every desk and in every home, operates in over 60 countries.  Ã‚   For a company to make correct strategic choices in crafting its long-term business strategies, it should gain a clear understanding of the organizational environment. The trends in the macro environment will not only indicate current market conditions but also the long-term implications, which the company should gear itself to intercept in the future (Thomson & Strickland 2003). Macro environment analysis can be facilitated by a PESTLE analysis, which assesses Political, Environmental, Social & Cultural, Technological, Legal and Economic influences, which bears upon the organization. Some of the current developments in the Political environment include the liberalization of closed economies and the greater level of foreign trade. While this opens up new markets like China, it also fuels competition from the likes of India offering cheap outsourcing options. Recent turbulent conditions marked by escalated terrorist attacks disrupt the overall operations of the world markets. The political instability is also curbing the potential for industrial development, which is crucial for the growth of companies such as Microsoft Corporation.   

Advertisements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Advertisements - Essay Example Looking at the Bacardi advertisement image and discussing about it in terms of the needs it appeals to, we notice from the very beginning that one of them is the need for sex. (Fowles, 17) The man (the only man in the picture) is pouring rum into a glass, accompanied by three beautiful girls. And not only are they beautiful, but they also express, in an innocent manner, desire. The effect of the advertisement is amplified by the fact that one of the girls seems to look directly towards the audience, establishing thus a connection with the one the product is primarily addressed to. And more than that, the setting is an intimate one, a cheerful, luminous and comfortable room. The image of the man accompanied by three women makes also appeal to man’s need for attention (Fowles, 57). We all need to get others’ attention, if we cannot be the centre, we need, at least, to feel some people are interested in us. The advertisement shows more than a feeble interest, the man reall y got the interest of three persons, and they also belong to the opposite sex. If we look more attentively, we see that the women are looking at the way the man is pouring the beverage, so the reason they are fascinated is clear. Connected to some extent to the need for attention, is the need to dominate (Fowles, 51), to feel powerful and in control. Fernando, the man in the picture, seems in control of the situation, he dominates the environment and being in possession of a strong drink he is powerful too. As for the physiological needs (Fowles, 78), the image of nine glasses all full, aligned on the table and the tenth, in man’s hands, with the liquid pouring in it, is appealing enough to get the consumer’s attention and interest. And the use of the superlative of the adjective â€Å"rare† in reference to the Bacardi rum amplifies even more the effect of the image. The advertisement uses a hornblowing type of headline (Bovee, 7) – Bacardi

RJR Nabisco Case Study Essay Example for Free

RJR Nabisco Case Study Essay Executive Summary The RJR Nabisco case study was used to implement concepts that I have learned in class during the semester and apply it to the real world. The Nabisco case allowed me to develop my skills by using an Excel Worksheet, understanding how to calculate the fair value price per share, and determining the fair value price per share by changing the tax rate and growth rate. First, I was expected to construct an Excel Worksheet. Using the given data and analyzing the case, I was able to find all of the fixed variables needed in the Excel Worksheet. Using these fixed variables, I was able to use my prior skills in Excel to construct equations to find the dependent variables, such as the fair value price per share. This case also helped me develop my skills in calculating the fair value price per share. Using the different variables given in this case, I was able to use equations to find the best estimate for the fair value price per share of RJR Nabisco. The third benefit I gained from this assignment was how the tax rate and growth rate affected the fair value price per share. Using the previous data and the reusable Excel Sheet, I was able to find the changes in the fair value price per share due to changes in the tax and growth rate. Overall, the RJR Nabisco case helped me develop my skills in using Excel Worksheets. It also let me apply what I have learned in class about calculating the fair value price per share, and allowed me to experience it in a more realistic setting. I was also able to see how changes in the tax rate and growth rate affect the fair value price per share. 1. Construct a reusable Excel sheet that computes the fair value per share using the information given in the case. Please make sure that your Excel sheet can closely approximate the value per share given in the case (~$108). I was able to construct an Excel Worksheet (see page 5) that was able to use the information given in the RJR Nabisco Case Study. I was able to make it using different variables that would allow me to change the tax rate and  growth rate to get the next two answers. 2. In your Excel sheet, change the input cell for tax rate to 15%. What is the new fair value per share? By changing the tax rate to 15%, it causes the price per share to increase to $123.19 3. Change the tax rate back to 34% and this time change the perpetual growth rate to 5%. What is the new fair value per share? By changing the tax rate back to 34% and moving the growth rate up to 5%, it causes the price per share to increase to $125.14.

Liberalism in Early American Literature :: essays research papers

Liberalism is the foundation of America. This ideology is found in the country’s early fledgling literature and in the very document that made America free. Both the selected works of Phyllis Wheatley and Thomas Jefferson are actively working for the ideology of liberalism, which is a political ideology that is against any system that threatens the freedom of the individual and his natural rights and prevents the individual from becoming all the individual can be, specifically the importance of human individuality and the freedom of humanity from subservience to another group. The natural rights of man, in the words of John Locke, are â€Å"life, liberty and property.† These passages compliment each other because they are both in the support of the ideology of liberalism and support the freedom of all members of the human race. The big picture that is at stake is that the ideology of liberalism was the principle founding ideology in America and it was presence was felt in the social context via literature. The importance of human individuality and the freedom of humanity from subservience to another group was a crucial point in the ideology of liberalism. Therefore, when liberalism is found in literature, it carries the same determining factors. In a section of the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, Jefferson writes â€Å"He has incited treasonable insurrections in our fellow-subjects, with the allurements of forfeiture and confiscation of our property.† This language supports liberalism because Jefferson makes it clear that the â€Å"treasonable insurrections† were not caused by the people themselves but by King George III, i.e. an overbearing government and therefore it places the â€Å"fellow-subjects† in a subservient position. Another support of liberalism by this quote is the mentioning of the â€Å"confiscation of our property† which is, by way of John Locke, an infringement of natural rights and therefore an infringement of human indivi duality. Since Jefferson is condemning these infringements, he is then supporting the opposing view, which is liberalism. Jefferson also writes â€Å"He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it’s most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This statement is actively working for the ideology of liberalism by stating the life’s most sacred rights are life and liberty, which goes back to the statement by John Locke. By using the term sacred, Jefferson has created a sense of religiousness in his argument.

Climate of Egypt Essay -- Cairo Egypt Africa Environment Essays Papers

Climate of Egypt Cairo, Egypt, located in Northern Africa between Libya and the Gaza Strip, is on the eastern bank of the Nile River. Egypt, which is comprised of 97% desert, experiences mild winters and hot summers, with an average temperature of 71.1 degrees Fahrenheit (21.7 degrees Celsius), and receives only 1inch of rainfall a year. With only 5% of the land occupied, Egypt has a population of approximately 69,536,644 inhabitants. Cairo, the largest city in Africa, as well as the capital of Egypt, is home to over 15 million people. Its overpopulation has led to many changes within the country which have had a great effect on the society and environment of Egypt. The desert climate region has experienced many changes throughout history, and there is a drying trend in the climate. Because the Egyptians were among the first to record data, Cairo has a well documented history of its society, and in particular, of the Nile River. Historically, Nile River played a large role in Egypt. The Nile has served, both historically and still at the present time, as a method of transportation and has dictated the agriculture and water supply. However, with global warming, the drying trend of the climate, and a boom of industrialization, the nature of the Nile and the Nile Valley has changed dramatically. Using Chad as an example, Lamb notes the drying changes in the Sahara Desert, and the evidence of there once being a population of animals: This assemblage of artistic evidence clearly implies that there were enough moist places in the Sahara in those times to sustain life, so that animals and men could roam about, and cross, what is now the world’s largest desert. This conclusion is supported by evidence of the dated forme... ...a history of environmental legislation, the past few years has brought a wave of new policies. In 1994, Law 4, for the preservation of the environment, was passed. Most importantly, from Law 4 two new programs dedicated to improving Egyptian environment were created: the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) works to institute plans for environmental management and regulate environmental standards; and the Environmental Protection Fund, which grants funs to solve solid waste management issues. The greatest environmental concerns facing Egypt today are air pollution, carbon emissions, energy consumption, and the preservation of the coastal regions. In order to combat these problems, Egypt is working, in conjunction with legislation, to educate its inhabitants on the environmental concerns, and the individuals’ responsibility to preserving natural resources.

Enron And Ethics Essay

Having some detailed written code of ethics like Enron had is usually not enough. Enron had a 64 page code of ethics and incase you might be wondering, the pages were not blank. However, despite this, it went down. The organizations ought to infuse some integrity and ethics in their corporate structure and in their success definition. To be precise, Enron ethics were simply ignored by the management and the employees. In any organization, the functions of any department should be based on ethical values, competence, integrity and a clear accountability of financial matters. Enron totally ignored these functions thus leading to its bankruptcy. As the company’s reputation did grow globally, hence there was competition of the employees therefore leading to individual greed and also the generation of egotism in the company. Every employee wanted to earn more, achieve a lot and hence there was the high motivation by the company to succeed. Such an atmosphere leads to a tendency to distrust people as everybody is concerned with their personal interests. There were so many dealings in the finance section hence the company’s goals were underestimated as well as the business ethics. Therefore it is imperative to give an immense background on Enron’s collapse and various views that can be deducted from its collapse. Enron’s, history, collapse the whistleblowers and conflicts The main issue which led to its downfall lay comfortably in the department of the operations management. At one time the company was receiving lots of praises from outsiders and then it was mounted with a decentralized control in the finance sector and also their decision structure gave an unclear and illogical picture on the activities of the company and its operations. Enron Corporation was one of the largest companies in Houston, Texas which used to sell natural gas, electricity and also distributed energy. It also offered other services for example bandwidth interest connections as well as offering financial services and providing management of risk services globally. The company gradually became powerful due to its initiative marketing strategies as well as the endorsement of communications and power bandwidth services and the offshoots of risk management. All these services got supervised by the department of operations management and other departments. Though the functions of these departments were executive in their nature, there was however lack of responsibility, integrity, control and creativity. The absence of these vital ethics did lead to the entire bankruptcy of the whole company. Kenneth lay who died three months before he was to be finally sentenced was the founder of Enron in the year 1985. He initiated the electricity sale and then afterwards US congress did pass legislation on the deregulation of natural gas. Enron before its collapse could report some annual revenues in the year 1990 of $ 10 billion and in the year 2000 to about $ 101 billion (Mark, 2002). In October 2, 2002, early in the morning, Andrew, Fastow who was Enron’s former chief and the financial officer did voluntarily surrender to the FBI agents and was led in hand cuffs to the car trailed by the television cameras and reporters. He was later taken to federal house and was charged with mail fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. He was sentenced for ten years (Loren, 2003). In the 1990s, Enron was a universal lauded company that did transform all the old businesses and started creating new ones. However, the criminal complains did cap disclosures and revealed that it was poorly managed and had amplified its reliance on some convoluted business ordeals in order to maintain growth objectives and encourage some unbridled ingenuity that resulted to fraud. It is patent that the company had some poor internal controls and unreliable top managers. Enron came crushing in 2001 and filed for what could have been termed as the nation’s vast bankruptcy. What were the main causes of its down fall? First the financial statements of Enron were not transparent and did not give a clear detail on the finances and operations with analysts and shareholders. Second it had a complex business model that actually stretched on the accounting limits thus required the company to use the limitations of accounting in order to manage on its earnings as well as modify on its balance sheet to limelight a constructive depiction of its whole performance. It is completely patent in the Enron movie; these scandals had grown tremendously out of some steady accumulation of the values. Habits and actions that had already began many years before later going out of control. The top managers who were the whistleblowers like Jeffrey Skilling who was the chairman and Andrew Fastow contributed to the downfall. The auditor, Arthur Andersen, also got accused of reckless application standards in the audits out of conflict of interest over the vital consultancy fees that had been generated by this company. Finally, in November 28, of 2001, Enron was declared bankrupt. The company lost confidence in its investors and at the end had very little cash to run business and satisfy some hefty debts. Trade secrets and privacy in Enron Trade secret is by definition any information that the company keeps as a secret in order to offer them an advantage over other competitors. Basically Enron was a multi billion dollar company that had assets that were far flung that did rival those of other companies and countries thus there had to be some information on their weakness in order to bring them down that was unknown to some average citizens. According to Debka, the first hidden weakness of Enron was based on finance which could have made the competitors destroy the company fast. Enron hid hefty blocks of liabilities from investment company’s eyes through creation of shell companies to which they were basically shuffling debts. Since the outside companies had no tie to this company, there is no one in the investment community who realized how immensely in debt Enron was and how it was affecting on its pictures of profitability. The Enron executives knew that if this information if it was made public then the investors would end up selling their stock. Enron basically had to hide some hefty liabilities in their shell company to show the investors that they were still at a profit. The second weakness it had was the fact that it held some contracts on foreign soil thus depending on those countries to pay all their bills according to the agreement. All the conflicts of interest of this company were finally not solved as they accumulated and led to bankruptcy. All this later led to court cases where the convicts were sentenced. All this shows there was some extent of privacy. Kenneth lay already knew that Enron was undergoing some financial trauma but still went ahead to lie to the shareholders and the investors that the company was at its best shape. They kept their financial crisis a secret. Honesty and Enron The moral demand of transparency as well as honesty is the foundational principle in investing in the free markets. Any decision of any corporation to ignore some moral demands that are based on transparency and honesty in their financial arrangements should never be used like an excuse to smother the spirit of the entrepreneurial in aggressive situations (Philip, 2001). Analysts and the commentators analyzed on the hinge matter that led to the down fall of Enron. It is lucid that the demise of Enron did not lie in the deregulation of electric power but in some questionable practices of accounting by the company. Thus we can denote that honesty which is an ethical principal was not curtailed. Despite their higher earnings, in 2001 Jeffrey Skilling resigned for some disclosed reasons and Enron reported a loss of $ I billion because of poor performance. Despite the angle you look at the whole phenomenon, it is quite clear that there lacked honesty at Enron. In the documentary ‘Enron: the smartest guys in the room’ it depicts on some o the social evils like hubris, greed and lies that did bring Enron down. The film does a tremendous job of digging up a lot of dirty acts where the whistle blowers could tell some plain lies to the government, investors, and employees and make it sound very good. Virtues and Enron Despite the mischievous and questionable deeds by Enron, failing to credit them for some charity work they did will be questioning on our ethics too. Most media reports have reported on some good work that was done by Ken Lay, who is the former Enron’s CEO. With his family he gave generously to the church through the family’s charitable foundation which did hold over $ 50, 000,000 of all Enron stock in the year 2000 (Tim, 2010). Enron made some sufficient donations to the legitimate charities. (Francis, 2002). Utilitarianism and Enron Some theories and principles can be used to give an inner analysis on the situation at hand that led to this failure. Utilitarianism theory by John, Stuart Mill, does offer some straightforward method of approach in deciding the morally right action for all situations we find ourselves in. This is a theory that does consider what is good for everybody. To discover what we ought to do, we should identify first the divergent courses of actions that can be performed in the situation and all the future benefits as well as harms that can mount from that. Utilitarianism states that we should always take the course of actions that offers the most benefits when the costs have already been taken into full account (Manuel et al, 1989). In this case it is patent that utilitarianism concept was never used. The company since it already knew that it was going down to the drains could have come up with a strategy that was rational to save them from the predicament instead of fooling those around it that it was enjoying some benefits. They could have used this theory to look unto the future possibilities and work towards attaining sustainability. They should have been a global responsibility to advance in their financial aspects (Yvon, 2003). Egoism and Enron Unlike Utilitarianism, egoism theory states that individuals should only act to their own best interest and self interest. Egoism is basically not effectual for solving the moral conflicts. In Enron Company most people got away with this theory. Egoism is only based in addressing concerns that are based on satisfying our own desires and getting what we really want (Jelena & Kristijan 2008). The employees at Enron lost their jobs and life savings and the higher executives cashed in millions and received other millions in the bonuses for all the stock inflation thus bringing the company down. There were blatant interest conflicts that were overlooked, members of the board received hefty gifts from executives, millions were spent to discourage oversight and government regulations and warnings from within were ignored (Lawrence, 2002). That is pure egocentrism that should be discouraged in the workplaces.

Exam 1 Study Guide

Midterm 1 Practice Questions (Acct 201 Fall 2012) 1. Retained earnings at the end of the period is equal to a. retained earnings at the beginning of the period plus net income minus liabilities. b. retained earnings at the beginning of the period plus net income minus dividends. c. net income. d. assets plus liabilities. 2. Pinson Company began the year with retained earnings of $550,000. During the year, the company recorded revenues of $600,000, expenses of $380,000, and paid dividends of $140,000. What was Pinson’s retained earnings at the end of the year? a. 910,000 b. $630,000 c. $1,010,000 d. $480,000 3. Patent would appear in which balance sheet section? a. Intangible assets b. Investments c. Property, plant, and equipment d. Current assets 4. A balance sheet shows a. revenues, liabilities, and stockholders’ equity. b. expenses, dividends, and stockholders’ equity. c. revenues, expenses, and dividends. d. assets, liabilities, and stockholders’ equit y. 5. For 2012 Fielder Corporation reported net income of $30,000; net sales $400,000; and average share outstanding 12,000. There were no preferred stock dividends.What was the 2012 earnings per share? a. $2. 33 b. $0. 40 c. $33. 33 d. $2. 50 6. Use the following data to determine the total dollar amount of assets to be classified as current assets. Koonce Office Supplies Balance Sheet December 31, 2012 Cash$ 130,000Accounts Payable$ 140,000 Prepaid Insurance60,000Salaries Payable20,000 Accounts Receivable100,000Mortgage Payable 160,000 Inventory 140,000 Total Liabilities$320,000 Land held for Investment150,000 Land180,000 Buildings$200,000Common Stock$240,000 Less AccumulatedRetained Earnings 500,000Depreciation(40,000)160,000 Total Stockholders’ Equity$740,000 Trademarks 140,000 Total Liabilities and Total Assets$1,060,000 Stockholders’ Equity$1,060,000 a. $580,000. b. $430,000. c. $360,000. d. $290,000. 7. Using the following balance sheet and income statement data , what is the total amount of working capital? Current assets$ 14,000Net income$ 24,000 Current liabilities8,000Stockholders’ equity42,000 Average assets 80,000Total liabilities18,000 Total assets 60,000 Average common shares outstanding was 10,000 a. $ 2,000 b. $14,000 . $ 4,000 d. $ 6,000 8. Stockholders’ equity is increased by a. dividends. b. revenues. c. expenses. d. liabilities. 9. McKinney Corporation had beginning retained earnings of $2,292,000 and ending retained earnings of $2,499,000. During the year they issued common stock totaling $141,000. What was their net income for the year? a. $207,000 b. $ 66,000 c. $348,000 d. $273,000 10. The purchase of an asset by paying cash a. increases assets and stockholders’ equity. b. increases assets and liabilities. c. decreases assets and increases liabilities. d. eaves total assets unchanged. 11. Which of the following accounts has a normal debit balance? a. Accounts Payable b. Prepaid Rent c. Retained Earning s d. Common Stock 12. When a company has performed a service but has not yet received payment, it a. debits accounts receivable and credits revenue from services. b. debits revenue from services and credits accounts receivable. c. debits revenue from services and credits accounts payable. d. makes no entry until the cash is received. 13. When a company receives a utility bill but will not pay it right away, it should . debit Utilities Expense and credit Accounts Receivable. b. debit Utilities Expense and credit Accounts Payable. c. debit Accounts Payable and credit Utilities Expense. d. make no entry until the bill is paid. 14. In a service-type business, revenue is considered earned: a. at the end of the month. b. at the end of the year. c. when the service is performed. d. when cash is received. 15. The following is selected information from L Corporation for the fiscal year ending October 31, 2011. Cash received from customers| $300,000| Revenue earned | 370,000|Cash paid for exp enses| 170,000| Cash paid for computers on November 1, 2010 that will be used for 3 years| 48,000| Expenses incurred including any depreciation| 216,000| Proceeds from a bank loan, part of which was used to pay for the computers| 100,000| Based on the accrual basis of accounting, what is L Corporation’s net income for the year ending October 31, 2011? a. $184,000 b. $154,000 c. $152,000 d. $170,000 16. Boyce Company purchased office supplies costing $5,000 and debited Office Supplies for the full amount.At the end of the accounting period, a physical count of office supplies revealed $1,400 still on hand. The appropriate adjusting journal entry to be made at the end of the period would be: a. debit Office Supplies Expense, $3,600; credit Office Supplies, $3,600. b. debit Office Supplies, $1,400; credit Office Supplies Expense, $1,400. c. debit Office Supplies Expense, $1,400; credit Office Supplies, $1,400. d. debit Office Supplies, $3,600; credit Office Supplies Expense, $3, 600. 17. On January 1, 2010, Leardon Inc. urchased equipment for $45,000. The company is depreciating the equipment at the rate of $600 per month. At January 31, 2010, the adjusting entry would be: in Accumulated Depreciation is: a. debit Accumulated Depreciation $600 b. credit Accumulated Depreciation $600 c. cebit Equipment $600 d. credit Depreciation Expense $600 18. The closing entry process consists of closing: a. all asset and liability accounts. b. out the Retained Earnings account. c. all permanent accounts. d. all temporary accounts.

Benefits of Fast Food Restaurants I Essay

The popularity of fast food restaurants is growing every day. The popularity of fast food restaurants is growing because of three main causes: the low cost, the fast service, and how fast food restaurants are available anywhere. The most evident advantage of fast food is than it saves time. In today’s fast-paced life, there is nothing better than getting a ready meal. No matter how much the chefs praise the benefits of fresh food, at the end of a hard-working day, when one returns home all tiered and hungry? A pizza or a burger can be godsend. Besides the time an individual has to spend in the kitchen, cooking a meal also requires one to make a trip to the supermarket to buy the ingredients for the dish. Then there is the added effort and time consumed in washing and reeling the vegetables. All this makes eating fast food score more preferably over cooking a meal for a busy individual. Besides time, cost saving gives fast food an edge over the meal prepared in the kitchen. If one lives alone, then it is cheaper to buy or order a meal in the fast foods’ restaurant instead of cooking it at home. Also certain fast foods like fries and burgers come pretty cheap. Fast food does raised health concerns. However if careful, you can find some options on the menu of fast food restaurant that could be healthier. Salads are a smart choice. Go for bread products that are made from wheat bread. Opt for lean meat. If you could choose between the fried and boiled options, order the boiled preparation. Avoid ordering carbonic drinks, when you are thirsty. Go for fruit juices, low-fat milk, diet soda. It there anything better than plain water to quench your always resort to the â€Å" make to order† option that certain fast food outlets offer, where you could restrict the use of ingredients that are not healthy. As dessert does not play on important role in the fast food meal menu, you can keep yourself away from delicious and tempting sugary dishes.

Performance Pay at Safelite Auto Glass Case Study

Performance Pay at Safelite Auto Glass - Case Study Example Performance Management is undoubtedly one of the most important areas in managing the operations of a business enterprise. It is clear that the present management of Safelite Auto Glass, particularly the CEO John Barlow and COO Staglin want the firm to be profitable and expand into new markets. Ever since the change of management in 1987, there have been efforts towards expanding Safelite’s reach and markets. For this purpose, Barlow hit upon the idea of allowing the setup of franchise operations all across the USA, a move which increased the number of Safelite outlets from 250 to 550 within two years from 1987 to1989 (Hall et al., p 1) . The problem here was that stores were opened up rather haphazardly and customers had problems locating the stores. To deal with this issue, the CEO then hit upon the idea of using mobile trucks to provide repair and installation services to the customers at their own location. There was no need to bring the vehicle to the repair outlet. But h ere again the problems faced were coordinating the needs of the customers and reaching the locations correctly. To solve these issues, it was decided to open up warehouse style locations complete with technicians and fitters who could service, repair and fit out a car windshield all from this central location. The communications network installed here was used to route calls to the technicians so that service and repair work could be carried out with a minimum of time wastage. A limiting factor here was that too many calls came into the more central and popular locations while others stayed idle, but this too was being addressed by forwarding calls to locations that were not so busy. It is quite evident that these expansion efforts came with a cost. To make more use of idle capacity on the part of those warehouse locations that were not too busy, the managers of those locations had themselves been put on a performance pay plan that required them to do some actual fitting, repairing and servicing when the place was not too busy. Quite possibly some of the managers might have resented this double role. Yet the fact is that they had to improve the productivity of the warehouse before they could be considered for a rating upgrade. While it is clear that the present performance pay plan is not working, part of the reason is management’s lack of strategic long term thinking. This is evident from the way that problems creep up and are solved on the run. In the beginning the franchise system created a glut of stores in some locations and scarcity in others; it also created internal competition which was counterproductive. The use of trucks as mobile repair shops was innovative but included a cost that should have been considered before launching this initiative. Safelite’s own deficiencies in the current performance pay plan make it seem that the workers are being discriminated against after the initial guarantee period of 12 weeks have passed. At the in itial stage, the worker is being guaranteed a 12-week basic wage rate depending on his previous productivity. But after 12 weeks have passed, the worker has to prove himself again by meeting the difference and also make efforts to increase his productivity. This might not always be possible due to seasonal variations, intensity of competition and manager bias in a particular warehouse. As indicated, the workers would take it easy in the first 12 weeks of the plan unless pushed by conscientious managers. They would prefer to play pinochle (Hall et al., p 5) while maintaining a minimum of productivity. Secondly, despite the best communication systems there is a lack of proper coordination between the order takers on phone and the technicians and the drivers. This point needs to be addressed because it is having an

Develop a Basic Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Develop a Basic Marketing Strategy - Essay Example Information communication technology (ICT) industry is one of the highly prioritized sectors of the economy. ICT is a highly dynamic sector of the economy in Hungary accounting for about 6% of the country’s economy (Johansson, Karlsson, and Stough 102). ICT industry in the country targets three main pillars namely creating a highly skilled labor force, increasing the number of IT experts, and attracting more companies and Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs). The ICT industry in Hungary presents a great opportunity for Apple Inc to expand its customer base in Eastern Europe. This marketing plan will try to assess the potential benefits of the company entering in this market. Apple also has a strong workforce of talented individuals in many parts of the world. This seems to fit in well with the human capital available in Hungary because Hungarian employees are highly skilled and motivated. Apple computers do not function well with other Operating systems. This may be a disadvantage for the company because most of the customers in Hungary have other operating systems and it may prove difficult to switch immediately to Apple. Recent changes in management for the company may not be well received in new markets such as Hungary. Steve Jobs was highly regarded around the world as an effective manager and an innovator for the company. His sudden death created some level of uncertainty among customers. This may also may prove a problem for newer markets. One threat for Apple is the legal problems that may result in operating in Hungary. Hungary is an emerging economic powerhouse that is still trying to stabi8lize itself with various legal structures. Some of the laws such as tax policies may affect Apples operations in the country. Another challenge for Apple Inc is the popularity of a new mobile Operating System, Android that is gaining popularity in Hungary and other markets in Europe. This may pose a challenge for

Contemporary Human Resourse Management Research Essay

Contemporary Human Resourse Management Research - Essay Example While professionalization of the HR practice has been encouraged through certification programmes such as CIPD, the HR specialists need to add to their attributes to become worthy of the label of being a professional. A model of growth, contribution and enjoyment is what the HR specialists need to focus on. Challenges for the HR specialists Driven by numerous internal and external forces, HR management has expanded its activities from functional and administrative tasks to more strategic functions and aligning its functions and activities with the strategic goals of the organisation. A strategic partner should be able to create a positive impact on the organisation’s performance. The process view of HRM also known as HR system strength or HRS focuses on how the HR function communicates with the employees, not on what it communicates (Rebeiro, Coelho & Gomes, 2011). The HR practitioners are responsible for overall performance in two ways. They shape the skills, attitudes and be haviour of the entire workforce in the organisation which in turn impacts the organisational performance. Again, the HR practitioners can also have a direct impact on performance by creating structural and operational efficiencies which facilitates the organisation to implement strategies consistent with their goals. This approach requires a strategic fit between the HR practices and the organisational strategy for enhanced performance. HRS has a direct impact on improving behaviour. When messages are communicated to the employees in a clear, consistent and distinct way horizontal fit has been achieved. Organisational culture also impacts the outcome of HR practices. Thus, HR practices and their outcome cannot be considered in isolation because several factors contribute towards its success or failure. Realizing the challenges posed by the changed business environment, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) reframed its professional standards and introduced the concept of the â€Å"thinking performer† (Higgins & Zhang, 2009). The â€Å"thinking performer† is an ideal HR practitioner that adds value to their organisation as they are capable of and constantly willing to challenge the way things are executed. The â€Å"thinking performer† is a â€Å"strategic activist† who has the capability to challenge the status quo and demand more from what is currently being delivered by the people in the organisation. CIPD has been attempting to upgrade the personnel management towards strategic issues. This has become essential in light of the fact that most HR practitioners do not engage in strategic issues or challenge how things are being done. However, this too has to be handled in a way that other employees do not feel estranged if the entire focus is shifted towards strategic issues. This is perhaps what Pook (2001) means when he contends that HR development and organisational development are intertwined. People make a n organisation and their knowledge and capabilities are a resource that has to be used for achieving strategically defined results. Much of the business generating activity also depends upon employee loyalty and identification with the organisation. In other words people are both drivers and inhibitors of change and development. Therefore attracting and retaining the right

Henry Fayols Principles of Management Assignment

Henry Fayols Principles of Management - Assignment Example Equity. There should be a fair and equal treatment of all employees by the management. In an organization, the rules and regulations should apply equally to all personnel. There should not be any form of discrimination against any of the employee or to favor any of them. Authority. The managers of any organization should be in a position to give orders and ensure that all orders adhere. For instance, the instructions and rules given by the management should be adhered and respected by all employees. Discipline. Employees of an organization must respect the rules, regulations, and the laws that govern the organization. This will ensure there is clear cooperation between the management and employees. The employees must follow all the instructions, and be responsible for all the activities allocated to them. Unity of command. There should be a defined source of orders and information in an organization. The source of the orders and information should come from the highest level of management to the employees at the lowest level. Unity of direction. Any organization should have clear objectives that are to be achieved by the collective activities of all the employees in the organization. These objectives should be achievable. All the organization’s activities should be tailored towards the achievement of the objectives. Subordination of individual interest to the general interest. The objectives of the organization must supersede the objectives of each individual. All the employees in an organization should have the same objectives of achieving the overall organizational goals. Their objectives should not prevent the achievement of the organizational goals. Remuneration. All the employees in an organization must get adequate rewards for their service in the organization. The input of an employee should be equal to the outputs derived. There should be no exploitation of any  employee.

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Research paper - Essay Example The essence of all these tax systems is to collect tax for the government, and enhance the ability of the government to provide essential goods and eservices to its citizens. Nevertheless, the application of different types of tax systems and their calculations have been confusing to the citizens. While some tax systems seem to create equality for all people, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, others seem to favor the poor, by making the rich pay higher taxes. Taxation should have a neutral effect on all people, considering that it is not a voluntary contribution, but an enforced contribution established by the laws (Robert, 194). Nevertheless, to help close the gap between the rich and the poor, and create a system of fairness, people should pay taxes based on the income that they earn. Therefore, the rich should pay higher taxes than the poor. Making the rich pay higher taxes than the poor will increase the efficiency of income distribution in the economy. When the rich p eople are taxed higher than the poor through the progressive tax system, which increases the rate of taxation with an increase in the income to be taxed, the amount of tax obtained is relatively higher to the one obtained when a flat rate of tax is applied (Robert, 191). This being the case, it increases the amount of resources that the government has at hand, which can then be reinvested back to the economy, through enhancing and increasing the provision of goods and services to the citizens. However, if all people are taxed at a flat rate, the rich will certainly save more than the poor, since after the taxation, they will be left with a higher amount of income. The problem with this concept is the fact that the rich may choose to save the extra income they have, other than reinvest it in the economy, creating a shortage of the resources circulating in the economy, thus making the provision of essential goods and eservices inefficient (Robert, 196). Therefore, the intervention of the government to ensure a higher taxation of the rich, compared to the poor is vital, since it forces the rich to release the extra income and place it at the disposal of the economy, where it can be used to serve all people, and mostly the poor, through providing them with essential services, since they need them more than the rich. Another reason why the rich should be taxed more than the poor is the fact that this would increase the purchasing power of the poor, who are the majority in the economy. Taxing the rich more than the poor means that the poor will be left with a higher percentage of their revenues at their disposal (Robert, 192). This makes it possible for their purchasing power to be increased, which also serves to stimulate the economic contribution they make to the economy. The higher the purchasing power of the people, the higher the contribution they make to the economy. Additionally, taxing the rich higher than the poor will make it possible for the poor to save a substantial quantity of their incomes, and then start investing into the economy through starting small businesses (Robert, 195). This is beneficial compared to taxing all people at a flat rate, which would mean that the rich people would save more of their incomes than the poor, since the rich do not necessarily need to invest. Therefore, while income in the hands of the poor is

The politics of globalization of Brazil Essay Example for Free

The politics of globalization of Brazil Essay The world, which started in the form of tribes exchanging barters as trade, entered a modern scenario, and barter soon turned into exchange of gold and then eventually currency. With the period of time, the humble trade transformed into international deals, and which eventually started the age of globalization. The era of globalization brought the world very close, and the trade that seemed much distanced because of the detachment of continents, started commencing on daily basis, and every place in the world has now become reachable in hours. â€Å"Brazil†, one of the highlight of Latin America, has it share of chaos and confusion, but eventually with the course of time, it has dwindled itself in the colors of globalization. Brazil has had a very troublesome past, and after the colonial monarchy, the army crept in leading to numerous coups, which resulted in mass destructions and stumping of the economy. It has been only three decades since there has been proper regime that has been ruling the country, and has been providing a platform for business and trade to prosper in the nation. Brazil with due course of time has joined the trillion dollar economy, and is shaping up to become of the leading economies of the world. With its due course of time, Brazil silently has crept in the list of large economies, and currently it stands as the eight largest economy of the world. Brazil since the early 90’s started accelerating its prospects by splurging into the world economy and opening its huge market to the world. Brazil’s sudden significance to the world market made it entry into the G-20 and also into organizations like ‘Mercosur’ Globalization is just not one huge international trade fair anymore, and it has a lot of politics involved. The level of politics in globalization has different facets and different indicators, and each country with the amount of its strengths and weakness are weighed into the politics of globalization. The facets of politics of globalizations is best explained, when it is revealed that it is nothing much than anger of people in the underdeveloped countries of the world, of what they are seeing as the unfair distribution of wealth, education and resources and the increase in the gaps of the people falling into categories of haves and have-nots (Gail S. Schoettler, P. 1). The politics of globalization of any nation can be best understood on the basis of import prohibitions imposed by that particular nation. In the case of Brazil, it has a serious issue with automobile being imported, as it wants to protect its huge automobile market, which is very evident from the fact that in the year 2005 Brazil manufactured more than 1. 65 million cars only for its domestic consumption (Elisangela Cordeiro). Brazil doesn’t want cars to be imported in the country as it can seriously damage its very own market, posing a threat to its own economy, as automobile is one of the biggest manufacturing sectors in the country of Brazil, and if the ban is lifted for importing automobiles from other nations, then it can have several negative impacts on the Brazilian economy as well as Brazilian labor force. On the other hand Brazil maintains kind of a monopoly, when it comes to its exports, as Brazil is supposed to be the leading exporter of coffee, sugar, beef and orange juice. Brazil’s best example of playing the politics of globalization game, is by understanding the fact, that when the whole world, is trying to impose bans on the production giant China over the unsafe toys filled with lead content, which even includes the World Trade Organization, Brazil has no issue with the unsafe toy and Brazil’s ambassador to China has even made comments openly like â€Å" It’s necessary to avoid simplistic solutions, like championing protectionism, which is an ineffective tool in a globalize world† (Luis Augusto de Castro Neves, Reuters). The reason for this kind of attitude towards China is because Brazil has a huge market in the form of China for its iron ore and its soybeans production. This double standard of not only Brazil but almost all nations in the world of imposing prohibitions for imports, but want free trade scenarios for exports, show the depth of politics of globalization. Brazil on a global scene is moving towards huge figures in terms of trade, and it was estimated in the year 2005 that within a span of four years, Brazil had managed to double its exports from US$58 billion in 2001 to a whopping US$118 billion and within the same estimated period, Brazil has managed to curb its import levies and has managed to control imports from the rest of the world, in their booming economy, and have been able to manage import increase by only 30%, from US$56 billion to US$74 billion. Brazil has been taking the wrath of the United States of America in terms of its trade policies and import prohibitions, but again the politics of globalization can be seen from the fact that how much ever the tiff between these two countries over free trade, America tops the list in both segments of trade, i. e. import as well as export from Brazil. The country supposedly is very actively involved in its productions and manufacturing strengths, especially of automobiles, aircrafts, textiles and footwear. Basically the level of globalization is very different of that of an idealist, and now each country is only trying to protect its interests and actually has no regards for the impact of it callous attitude towards other countries. Brazil fundamentally thriving on its agricultural economy has to suffer because of the conflicts over farm subsidies and agricultural tariffs from the United States of America and other European countries. Brazil considers itself to be one of the developing countries and tries to connect to other developing nations on the basis of monopoly of the developed nations, be it on the basis of agricultural tariffs or import prohibitions. Brazil how much ever shows its dissent for the policies of the west, it tries to rally itself for trade to all the developed nation, and there is a huge hypocrisy, when it comes to trade, as both Brazil and the developed countries, how much ever disagree with each other’s policies, but both will be on one list of top imports and exports. Brazil though being part of the G-20 and Mercosur, was never actively involved, but with periodic trading coordination, Brazil has started taking active part in these institutions as of now, and it was seen that brazil has been participating in injecting a fresh lease and leading the confront from Mercosur on the lines of boosting trade, creating jobs and reducing poverty in Latin America. Brazil with all its highs and lows, is making a special place in this globalize world, though how much ever unpredictable is the entire trading scenario, Brazil is set to carve a niche in midst of all the politics, that the world has to offer in international trade. Work Cited: 1) Gail S. Schoettler, â€Å"Politics of Globalization†, November 2002, University of Colorado at Institute for International Business and Global Executive Forum Center for International Business Education Research, cudenver. edu/International/ /Documents/Politics_of_globalization. pdf 2) Elisangela Cordeiro, â€Å"Despite Crisis, Brazils Auto Industry Should Grow 5% This Year†, Thursday, 30 June 2005, http://www. brazzilmag. com/content/view/3004/54/ 3) â€Å"Brazil ambassador opposes quotas on China imports†, April 19th 2005, Reuters, http://asia. news. yahoo. com/070418/3/30itr. html 4) â€Å"Trade Policies†, U. S library of congress, http://countrystudies. us/brazil/80. htm