Hofstede Canada vs Japan Essay

Individualism vs Collectivism In essence this dimension deals with the relationship between the individual and the collectives in a given society. It is reflected in the way in which people live together. For example, nuclear families, extended families, tribes and other larger communities. It directly effects peoples values and behaviours. In some cultures individualism is sometime to be sought after but in others it is seen as alienation. Canada Canada has a score of 80 in this dimension which is its highest score by a considerable margin of 28. Their society expects people to look after themselves and their immediate family. These values in are line with my own Irish values but we generally go one further and include extended family members in this bracket such as cousins, aunts and uncles by blood or marriage. Likewise in a business environment employees are expected to take initiative and be self-reliant without constant supervision. Where hiring and promotion decisions are concerned assessments are based on the individual’s accolades and capabilities. It is important to note that Canadian employees will be expected to be able to work on individual tasks as well as group projects. The vast majority of Canadians as well as other capitalist English speaking countries such as Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States have individualism ranked first. Financial most of all but most successes are a measure of personal achievement. Canadians are generally confident and open to discuss general topics however their private affairs are only up for discussion with their closest friends and family members. The predominately French speaking province of Quebec holds different views than the rest of Canada. This leads to tension between and their English speaking countrymen. Quebecers tend to be more private and reserved. Ethnocentrism is prevalent in Canada but particularly in Quebec. Japan Japan has a score of 46 on the Hofstede’s individualism dimension. Japan has many qualities of a collective society and indeed in popularly stereotyped as one, when in fact it scores in the middle. It prioritised harmonies relations over an individual’s need to express themselves and has a great sense of shame for losing face. This being said it is not as collective as its Chinese and Korean neighbours as they do not maintain extended families to the same extent. Japan has a paternalistic society where assets are inherited from father to eldest son while the remaining siblings are left to their own devices, making their own living with their core families. A more recent study by Woodring[1] found that Japanese students are scored higher on individualism and lower on power distance than Hofstede’s original sample. This was due to their age, according to Woodring. The findings suggest that Japanese college students value individualism and equality more than the rest of their society. Hofsede’s longitudinal study showed that national wealth and individualism are related. Japan has the world’s third largest economy[2], so it is no surprise that Japanese society is changing in this way. In fact a recent Japanese term shin jin rui literally meaning â€Å"new human beings† has developed to describe 25 year olds and younger by their elders. They are thought to be â€Å"selfish, self-centred and disrespectful of elders and traditions†[3]. Japanese society could be regarded as paradoxical as it is both individualist and collective depending on the given situation. For example Japanese employees are famous for their company loyalty but loyalty is something they choose for themselves which is a individualistic characteristic. Japanese society is collective by Canadian and indeed Irish standards but individualist by the rest of Asia’s standards. Individualism vs Collectivism impact on Decisions Making This mostly effects the motivations of a decision. Individualist societies are motivated by personal success and make their decisions according. They constantly trying to climb the corporate ladder and achieve a higher standard of living for themselves and their immediate family. Meanwhile in collective societies they prioritise their decisions for good of the group above their own personal goals. In a business context collective societies will work better in groups with people they have a personal relationship with. While individualist societies can work well as individuals and in groups with people they do not know. This allows for quicker decision making but not knowing a colleague on a personal level may lead to less active participation. Collective mentality takes more time but more options are analysed in more depth which in some circumstances is more effective but less time efficient. Uncertainty avoidance Uncertainty avoidance indicates how threatened a society will be by ambiguous contexts and the degree to which it will attempt to avoid these situations by not tolerating deviant ideas or behaviours, and a belief in absolute truths[4]. This ambiguity leads to anxiety. Different cultures manage this anxiety in different manners. A High Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country has a low tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. This creates a rule-oriented society that implements laws, rules, regulations, and controls in order avoid uncertainty. A Low Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country is less worried about doubt and is more comfortable taking into account a wide variety of views and opinions. This is mirrored in a society that is less strictly regulated, accepts change quicker, and takes more and greater risks. Japan Japan, with a score of 92, is one of the most uncertainty avoiding places on earth. This is thought to be due to Japans ever present threat of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons and volcanic eruptions. May 2011s tsunami is a testament to this with a death toll of just under sixteen thousand. The Japanese have learned to prepare themselves all aspects of life and not just emergencies. From start to finish Japanese life is extremely organised by Canadian standards, with many tradition ceremonies such as opening and closing events for schools. These are performed in very much the same manner throughout Japan. Detailed etiquette books are available outlining proper behavioural practises and dress for important events such as weddings and funerals. In the Japanese business world, vast amounts of time are invested into feasibility studies. All risk factors must be precisely analysed before any project gets the go ahead. Managers will insist on and indeed expect detailed facts and figures before committing to any decision. This need to precedent and approved practises makes introducing change difficult. Canada With a score of 48 Canada is considerable more â€Å"uncertainty accepting† than Japan. They readily accept new ideas, innovative products and have an enthusiasm to try new or different things whether its new technology, products or business practices. They are accepting of ideas and opinions from people on any level of a business which allows freedom of expression and upward and downward communication. Canadian culture is not rule orientated as Japan is but they tend to be less emotional expressive than cultures scoring higher on the dimension. Canada uncertainty avoidance is fragmented somewhat. The British Columbia providence is viewed as the â€Å"Western Frontier† while Quebecers are much more reserved and reluctant to change. Traditionally British Columbia’s economy was based on exploiting natural resources such as mining, lumber and fishing. Due to a change in the global economy in the 1990s it shifted to a more entrepreneurial, innovative intense economy. Innovation is the product of entrepreneurship which is directly linked to lower uncertainty avoidance[5]. In May of 2002, the University of British Columbia studied entrepreneurial activity in B.C. and compared it to other Canadian provinces.[6] Their research showed that the province of B.C. is ready for greater entrepreneurial activity but that over-regulation may be stunting entrepreneurial activity in the province. During the late 1990s the number of new business starts in B.C. was higher than the Canadian national average. Thus, it shows lower uncertainty avoidance in B.C. Uncertainty avoidance impact on decision making This directly impacts decision making as it relates to risk taking and preparation in every form. A high scoring uncertainty avoidance country such as Japan actively makes decisions to constantly avoid risk. Decisions are only made after lengthy considerations with all plausible possibilities careful considered before action is taken. It was be advantage of being better informed but the disadvantage of being time consuming. Whereas in a country with a low uncertainty avoidance score such as Canada decisions are may much quicker with less considers and options accounted for before taking the plunge. This is a high risk, high reward strategy which can work well given the right entrepreneurial skills. Both nations could learn from each other, making reasonable quick decisions with the best information given time constraints. Bibliography https://docs.google.com/a/ucdconnect.ie/viewer?a=v&q=cache:5pvQ7O-6yo0J:www.cjrs-rcsr.org/archives/30-2/McNabb-final.pdf+canadian+uncertainty+avoidance&hl=en&gl=ie&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESg1FrvsrtpXzN76VcxyTTQ-41w1fT3mmEF46pj4oZCKrQwWL-1IoYpW2iiR2wH9pu7aIgJORx1xQj8w06gzLj8xnIq7FEoS6QW14Ame4iS5nfDGejToZ70ZJS5KGa6GzRoFBw5H&sig=AHIEtbQ3NA9rLoVL-GovrHnXzRqTiSO5OA&pli=1 http://cos.sagepub.com/content/51/1-2/59.full.pdf+html http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/canada.htm Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations by By Geert H. Hofstede.

Swot Analysis and Organizational Development in the Nigerian Public Service

Abstract: The public service in Nigeria has suffered setbacks which are largely attributed toineffective and inefficient management. The general poor service delivery of publicservice organizations can be attributable to the inability of these organizations todevelop proper evaluation strategies that would assist them refocus on their coremandates. A relatively new concept in organizational management, SWOT is a toolthat assists organizations assess themselves by evaluating their internal and externalcompetencies, challenges, opportunities and threats, with a view to enhancing their performance.Using secondary data and a purely descriptive approach, the paper examines the concept of public service and organizational development and prescriptively presents SWOT as one such tool that can enhance the performance of public service agencies. Conclusion: In today’s organizational context, performance has assumed a pivotal role in the face off rapid changes in the domains of globaliz ation and technology. To survive, grow and succeed in achieving their objectives public enterprises in Nigeria must become aware of their strength, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges.This can be achieved by using SWOT analysis in performance management decisions. In the Nigerian public service, annual budgets and annual performance evaluations areused in managing performance-outcomes and behavior. These deal with the past and not futuristic. The use of SWOT analysis framework can help improve enterprises ‘efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability. This will turn around the Nigerian public service and enable it to achieve the national goals and remain an influential institution and as an instrument of public service delivery and development.Nevertheless, while useful for reducing a large quantity of situational factors into a more manageable profile, the SWOT framework has a tendency to over-simplify the situation by classifying the organization environment into catego ries in which they may not always fit. The classification of some factors as strengths or weakness or as opportunities or threats is somewhat arbitrary. Perhaps what is more important than the superficial classification of these factors is the organization’s awareness of them and the development of a strategic plan to se them to its advantage. In view of the expected benefits of SWOT analysis, we recommend that public service organizations should take advantage of this management tool to improve on their overall performance and service delivery. SWOT analysis will expose these organizations to their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats so as to assist them to take evidence based decisions about strategies that will focus on effectively achieving their core mandates and visions.

Apush Brinkley

The failure to ratify the Treaty of Versailles was mainly due to the lack of ability to compromise between Lodge and Wilson. . The idea of maintaining the stance that America would stay UN-involved n foreign affairs. 2. Treaties to replace the Treaty of Versailles and the League of d. The Washington Conference was an attempt to prevent a costly naval Nations armaments race between America, Britain, and Japan. Hughes proposed a plan for dramatic reductions in the fleets of all three nations and a ten years moratorium on the construction of large warships. This was mostly an attempt to create a kind of safety net for the U. S to keep from getting into war again. E. The Kellogg-Brand Pact was a diplomatic treaty outlawing war as an instrument of foreign policy- protect the peace f. These are connected to the retreat to isolationism because we were trying to create systems to keep us out of any foreign problems. 3. International Debt and Diplomacy g. Calvin Coolidge was opposed to offering aid to those in debt, the general attitude of our gob. Was they hired the money, didnt they? suggesting that they could pay it back. . One major problem of debt was the circular pattern the money was making: we gave Germany a loan, the lent it to France/England, France gave it back to us- resulting in no solution. The debt these nations acquired caused an imbalance of trade. I. Charles G. Dates, an American banker, negotiated an agreement between France, Britain, Germany, and America by stating (how plan worked) that American banks would provide huge loans to Germany (allowing them to meet their reparations. In return, Britain and France would agree to reduce the amount of those payments. However, Dates plan did little to solve the problem it addressed- (what it did) creating a growing economic presence in Germany, along with a growing circular pattern of international finance. It was an attempt to stabilize J. High tariffs caused additional problems, the Forefend-Encumber Act Germany. As designed to protect American product by raising the tariff rate to 38%. This gave the president the power to raise the percentage on any product he felt necessary. This was passed in the beginning to protect the farmers, who were taking a post WI decline, this tariff hoped to use the surplus on a domestic level and eventually leak into international trade- this effected the European nations trying to pay back debts because they were unable to export goods and make a profit. 4. Failure of New Era Diplomacy, Hoover and the World Crisis k. Hovers attempts to help included placing a moratorium on war debt loans- meaning European nations did not have to make payments for six months. During this time Hoover hoped to stabilize the currency and stop the circular cycle. This idea caused Hoover to be given very little support in America- resulting the idea to die before he really had the chance to work with it. Disarmament- Hoover was trying to extend the ideas of the Washington Conference and the Kellogg-Brand Pact. L. Rise of Dictatorships: In the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin became dictator in 1929 and Bonito Mussolini came to the front of Italy in 1925, Doll Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933, and later on dictator, and Hide Tool led Japan. Germany stopped reparation payments and occupied czar valley, Soviet Union was persuading expansion against borders, Japan was invading China and extending its power into China, Mussolini invades Africa. Anything we wanted to do in terms of peace and disarmament was in shambles. M. U. S. Foreign Policy crumbles: there was the choice to be interventionists: and try to influence things before they happened (economic, military, political) or move into Nationalism that we relied on our own devices for dealing with problems at hand. . Isolation, Isolationism and Nationalism n. World Economic Conference- London, 1933. Roosevelt went off the gold standard and said they were going to make payments, limit loans to end cycle, and the negotiations in 1933 fell apart because other nations were not willing to move away from backings of gold and silver. Roosevelt in 1934 foreboded American banks to make loans to foreign countries- hoping to end that circular systems- which it did. These were isola tionist ideas because we were going on our own standard. Roosevelt helped international trade by pushing through the reciprocal trade agreement act- empowered Roosevelt to lower tariff rates as much as 50% to get some currency flowing internationally and positively. Roosevelt also broke with past policies by recognizing the Soviet Union- hoping to establish strong trade, not very successful but an attempt to expand trade. However Roosevelt was too late and economic crisis deepened. America began turning to isolationism. O. They also forayed trading on the basis of loans. The concept of cash and carry came out of these acts- if companies were going to trade with belligerence in war, the only way that was okay was if it was paid for in cash. Q. Failure of appeasement, Munich: This marks the end of creating an international policy. Hitler went through a series of marches with no opposition. Appeasement is the idea of giving someone what they wants to get them to shut up, even though it isnt good for them. The Munich Conference Hitler lies and promises that the expansion was over. Hitters book, Mien Kampala explained he was going to continue expanding. R. Isolation as a tort to appeasement: Our tailored to become part to the international community in 1920 created problems throughout the world because there was no enforcement. The U. S. Didnt get involved because we were involved one time and were rejected (14 points) 6. From Neutrality to Intervention s. Western Europe Falls, Great Britain alone:

Lewis Jeans Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Lewis Jeans - Case Study Example This calls for developing innovative designs and utilising information technology in your company to study the market. Rupert has asked me to address his findings which show several problem areas within your organisation that need to be evaluated. The first area covers the style of the product itself, and Rupert is concerned that the jeans produced by the company do not appeal to younger customers. This report will offer possible solutions to this problem by suggesting ways to establish positive brand recognition. A study of the market for jeans indicates the need to offer a unique style or marketing method that will bring younger buyers to Lewis Jeans. The next area of concern is the quality of the product. Because retailers are returning 15% of sales, it is important to test the quality of the jeans manufactured to see where the weaknesses are. By improving durability, the brand will eventually be known for its wearability in addition to style. One of the most serious problems to be addressed is the high turnover of the workforce. It would appear they might not have the incentive to commit themsel ves to the company. Because you communicate only with the managers at your different factories, you may be unaware of how your workers see the company. More interaction is needed with staff from your office to each factory to encourage employees to propose innovative ideas on how to improve sales. Finally, the cost of manufacturing your line of jeans is 25 per cent more than other clothing lines in the industry, and it is important to study the various stages of manufacture to see where savings can occur without impacting quality. The report will present suggestions on how to evaluate the company and show different methods of improving all aspects of your business by applying the SWOT Analysis and developing a balanced scorecard. As the CEO, you have the opportunity in such a small company to meet personally with all of your staff and make sure your managers are reflecting your beliefs on how the company should be run. Organization Structure and Culture In studying the structure of the company according to its diagram, it is immediately obvious that there are too many managerial positions at too many levels, and sales and marketing have no real connection to the rest of the company in any of its locations, including the main office. Restructuring after setting up a strategic plan for the future is recommended. The first step would be to apply a SWOT analysis, determining strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). Strengths: Although a small company faces competition from major companies such as Levi, the benefit of a small company is the opportunity for leadership to interact with all areas of the business. Another strength is that the product has been successful in the past and by establishing a different marketing method and improving quality, the company can be successful again. Weaknesses: One of the most serious weaknesses for Lewis Jeans is the dependency of leadership on the telephone in a technological society. Another weakness is the high turnover of staff and lack of connection with the leadership. Opportunities: By restructuring the company and establishing new communication equipment, the company would

Phenomenon and Behavior Now and in the Future Assignment

Phenomenon and Behavior Now and in the Future - Assignment Example Understanding that society is dynamic, meaning that it does not always remain the same throughout the years is important. This will bring to the realization of people that whatever society determines as normal will someday in the future be deemed as abnormal while whatever is determined as abnormal can change to be very normal in the future. This means that the social norms will change in the society say 25 to 100 years to come. Very many phenomenon and behaviors will change from being currently considered as normal to being considered as abnormal in the future. This will also be the case with the currently considered abnormal phenomenon or behavior turning out to be normal in the future. Therefore, this paper will compare some of the phenomenon or behavior in the present 2015 and in the future 2040 to 2115. I shall deal with the prisons phenomenon, the education phenomenon, tolerating poverty, language use, the behavior of queuing for goods and services and finally privacy. In the first part, I shall handle the normal things turning out to be abnormal in the future. Looking at the current prisons system sends a chill down one’s spine. Imprisonment is a normal phenomenon currently where the state has little or no alternatives to it (Tonry, 2004). Criminal behaviors are tried in the court system. If the convicts are found guilty, they end up in prison. This is where all judicial systems believe the punishment for wrongdoing can be achieved. The main aim is to reform the criminals into becoming good law-abiding citizens. In the future, an alternative might be found far different from the current ones which include house arrest, electronic monitoring among others. The prisons of the future may aim at completely different alternatives of regular imprisonment. Predictions are that innovative prison options for the future will be developed.  

Degrading Women In Ads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Degrading Women In Ads - Essay Example Most Americans spends larger percentage of the day viewing TV advertisements. The advertisements sell an extensive number than brands. Advertisements sell messages, reputation, morals, images and achievements, personal worth, sexuality, affection, prominence and status quo. In addition, they inform people about themselves and their ideal character and sometimes, ads sell addiction. The critical objective of media is to bring viewer to marketers, the same way TV shows deliver commercial to viewers. In efforts to fulfill their objectives, ads, magazines and other commercials oppress women. The paper seeks to investigate how advertising commercial degrades women in their work. Discussion Various feminist and other scholars assert than diverse television commercials, magazines, newspapers, and other media outlets are degrading and disrespectful to female body because they hyper-sexualize women, or portray women as sex objects or a weaker sex. Advertisements influence people thoughts and emotions such as adolescents who are mostly vulnerable because they are weak and inexperienced clients, and the main targets of various ads. Teenagers are in the learning stage – realizing the responsibilities and values and building self-concept, (Skinner, 2003). Various adolescents are increasingly sensitive to adverse influence and experiences some challenges to resist and question the powerful cultural messages reflected and reinforced in these advertisements. Advertisements are a form of national peer influence that ruin privacy and personal standards and values of women. The main message people learn for media advertisements and commercials are stereotypes about men and wo men. Advertisements create an imaginary environments where by people (women) are never obese, ugly, poor or disabled. Advertisements portray women in different degrading roles (as sex objects and house helps). As homemakers, women are pathologically preoccupied by hygiene, debates the virtues of product cleaning with herself and minds of the ring on the collar. Women feel guilty of being ugly and for not making a better mother or wife. Similarly, this advertisement portrays a typical woman as long-legged, slender and tender, (Gunter, 2002). All attractive females in magazines (such as minority females), irrespective of viewer and products, correspond to this principle. Consequently, women are mainly pressurized to copy this idea, and feel guilty and worthless if they fail. Such advertisements degrade women because they instill in them a notion that their lovability, desirability and beauty lies on their physical perfection. In Kellog’s PEP Vitamin paper, the advertisement por trays a degrading image of a woman. The advertisement heading proclaims, â€Å"The more a woman works, the cutter (beautiful) she appears.† The message from the images is that the secret of a woman’s beauty lies on her housekeeping prowess, (Skinner, 2003). The husband exclaims, â€Å"Gosh honey, you are better on cooking, hygiene and house dusting.† Similarly, the female body answers, â€Å"Vitamin.† The woman always get vitamins for the husband – this implies she must fulfill a man’s ego desires to achieve her beauty. Sexuality of women is utilized to market all market brands. For instance, products of men, to appeal sexually to a woman and entice men to purchase products and for women advertisements attracts men so as to reconsider their images as they read the advertisements and watch a TV commercial. Various magazines entail advertisements and images where females are assured that live, breathe and work to satisfy the male

Persuasive speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Persuasive speech - Essay Example More and more car accidents are declared to be cell phone related, worldwide. According to Vogel (2007), horrific dangers associated with text driving equal those associated with drink driving, in terms of inhibiting a person’s driving abilities. This is more commonly observed in teen drivers, among whom text driving is on a mind-blowing rise despite the continuous efforts of increasing awareness about this issue. This is a deplorable fact that only a minimal percentage of young adults consider text driving potentially capable of distraction leading to awful traffic problems. It is this defiant attitude that is an obstruction in the way of ensuring responsible driving. According to the National Traffic Safety Administration report (cited in Vogel, 2007), distracted drivers account for almost 80% of all crashes and 65% of near-crashes in the United States, only. The question is, when the public, especially youth, will finally open their eyes to the drastic effects of texting wh ile driving? Is the use of cell phone while driving in heavy traffic so important that one can feasibly ignore one’s own safety in addition to ruining the safety chances of other people’s lives? I cannot imagine anyone saying yes to the unjustified use of cell phones while in the midst of traffic, if the consequences of this action are seriously scrutinized. Car crashes due to calling and texting amidst traffic cannot be accurately evaluated or numbered, but this is a general consensus that cell phone use definitely leads to distraction which is the leading cause of car accidents. According to 2008 statistical data regarding the use of cell phones while driving, at any given moment, over 800,000 Americans were texting, making calls, or using a handheld cell phone while driving during the daytime. (cited in Edgar Synder and & Associates, 2010). Research studies of Strayer (cited in Cruz et al., 2009) show that most drivers tend to stare

Compare and Contrast Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Compare and Contrast - Research Paper Example However, the American’s political analysts and scientist have been reluctant in carrying out studies on the religious organizations. This means that political science has shown some lack of interest to religious issues and the politicians have failed to merge their work to the theories of religion. The different religious interest groups have different operation whose characteristics are unique. It’s safe to claim that most religious interest groups have to some point, been involved to the politics in America. This chapter focuses on the religious politics that raises concern for the religious interest groups. It also attempts to identify the various religious interest groups in the United States and their views of political issues. I will also discuss two types of religious interest groups and their goals at the national level. Evidence is derived from studying the various religious interest groups. The religious diversity in the United States has resulted to the diver sity of goals and how their means of seeking them. Religious traditions in U.S.A The religious tradition in the United States is manly Judeo-Christianity. It divides the entire religious community into six groups. They include, the Roman Catholics, black Protestants, evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants, Jews and the Secular people. The biggest religious group in the United States is the Protestant community. The Evangelical Protestants view the Bible literally and have the mission of bringing people back to Christ. The Black Protestants have more liberal political views than the Evangelical Protestants. Some groups in the religious tradition detach themselves from the secular or non-religious people in the society. However, majority of them obtain power from the political system of the nation. Most political scientists claim that the religious interest groups are to be held responsible for the absence of multiparty system in America. The religious interest groups organize ecumenical coalitions just like how political parties construct coalitions, in order to gain influence on various political issues in the Country (Wentz,67). Types of religious interest groups The types of religious groups discussed in this chapter are the Christian and Muslim interest groups. The two interest groups have both similar and different understanding of the political matters. Christian Religious group The Christian coalition was formed to improve the agenda on preserving the traditional view of the political and social system in the United States as well as the traditional values of the Americans. In 1989, Pat Robertson established the Christian coalition after losing the presidential nomination in 1988. The coalition mainly consisted of evangelical Protestants. The Christian coalition in America is composed of two million members and an additional of two thousand chapters in different fifty states. It influences the actions of political legislators in favor of tradition al values of religion and family. It also supports school prayer and market capitalism. On the other hand, the Christian interest group in the United States opposes gun control, abortion and secular influence. The organization was very selective in supporting the political candidates. It supported some and ignored others. However, the organization’s power of influence started to decline as membership dropped

Automatic Stabilizer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Automatic Stabilizer - Essay Example Automatic stabilizers primarily deal with minor shifts that could harmfully affect one or more sections of economic classes. They are unable to cope with major changes, as those are usually resolved with legislations that utilize greater funding. The population assisted by the shift becomes aware that their situation is not as deeply affected by a change in the economy while the process remains publicly unnoticed. Its action can be best illustrated during recession, wherein income employs displays multiplier effect on progressive tax for it not to drop exceedingly. Correspondingly, transfer payments and services for the poor increases in multiplier effect as well. Automatic stabilizers work as a means to reduce fluctuations in GDP. During recession, the size of the government deficit tends to increase keeping the national income high through a multiplier. Moreover, recession tend to keep imports low, keeping more money in the domestic economy. Being progressive, government tax revenue tends to fall in proportion to national income. In as much as corporation tax, with greater regards to profits than turnovers, decreases with lesser economic activity. There are instances when transfer payment and government purchase increase as opposed to income decline. This becomes apparent when government expenditure consequently increases during recession. Government's unemployment and welfare benefits serves can be describe as such. This is e

Daimler Chrysler Merger Essay Example for Free

Daimler Chrysler Merger Essay The DaimlerChrysler Merger (A): Gaining Global Competitiveness Question 1: What was the situation at Daimler and what was the situation at Chrysler before the merger? The situation at Daimler was difficult before the merger because Daimler experienced tremendous losses in the beginning of 1990s. Starting from 1995 when the new CEO came in place some changes were instantly done, for example, unprofitable business units were either closed, restructured or sold. Even though the new CEO had in mind how to turn the company around, the Japanese rivals competed really well by offering comparable products in the car industry at cheaper prices. In general, the auto industry was shifting, basically many of the luxury car brand merged with other bigger car companies around the world, and therefore, the number of luxury car brands expanded which also had a positive impact on the economy overall. Chrysler, on the other hand, also experienced a tough period during those two decades; the company was near the bankruptcy twice. Nonetheless, the firm shifted its focus in the direction of cars and light trucks. In the 1990s, Chrysler made significant shifts which ultimately led the company toward a stronger competitor in the car industry. Chrysler shifted its focus and headed for the cost-effective approach, thus the firm was known to be the leanest car manufacturer During the 1990s the company experienced positive changes which turned them into a strong player. The company was focused toward cost-effectiveness approaches which turned to be new world standards. The company was considered as the leanest manufacturer compared to the other participants of the Big3. Nevertheless, the company’s position in the market was weakening after its attempts to expand the company beyond NAFTA. Question 2: How does the external macro-environment look like for the automotive passenger car industry? To address this question I will use the PESTLE forces analysis. Political- the political factors were pretty much stable for the automotive car industry. At the time of the merger and in general, there was not perceived any political instability that would negatively affect this industry. Competition was solely based on the products that each of the companies produced. Economic- The economic factors of that time seemed to contribute positively to the success of the companies. During the 1970s car manufacturers were able to produce fuel-efficient cars due to the oil crises of that time. Countries such as Asia and Latin America were in the expansion nd developing phase and promised an attractive future for the car manufacturing industry. Nevertheless, economic difficulties due to currency volatility, high inflation and competitive pressure resulted in a negative impact for the companies in these markets. Production costs were reduced due to the low cost of raw materials that were set by the suppliers of that time. Socio-Cultural- Socio-Cultural factors of that time did not have a strong impact on the future of the industry. The biggest impact was due to the doubled world population which increased the number of cars purchased. Technological- these factors were the most influential for the future of the car manufacturing industry. The technological developments during the two last decades have shaped largely this industry sector by changing the production methods, affecting the production costs, and changing the working capacities and the employment levels. The companies were investing huge amounts of money in RD which was one of the most crucial aspects of their success. Authorities undertook various technological approaches by the use of computers to reduce the flow of traffic and pollution levels. Environmental- These factors were also crucial for the success of the companies as the world was becoming more conscious and aware for the negative impact that car emissions had on the environment. In order to reduce this impact, companies undertook actions to change the manufacturing process and produce more efficient cars with lower negative impact on the environment. As explained above, the technological developments also played an important role on the reduction of negative impact that cars had and still have on the environment.

Theories for the Evolution of Alarm Calls

Theories for the Evolution of Alarm Calls Alarm Call Evolution: Altruism or Kin Selection? Taylor Rystrom Introduction Humans have always been fascinated by animal communication. One important manifestation of animal communication is alarm calls. Alarm calls, even functionally referential alarm calls, can be observed across many different species. Prairie dogs give alarm calls specific even to the shirt color that a nearby human is wearing (Slobodchikoff 2009). Male blue monkeys give alarm calls that are specific to predator type, distance, and location (Murphy et al. 2013). Even African elephants, who have relatively few predators, give alarm calls when they hear the sound of bees (King et al. 2010). But why did these alarm calls, a seemingly altruistic act, evolve in so many different animal groups? How did some get so specific? Sherman lays out six interesting theories of the evolution of alarm calls. Alarm calls could have evolved to divert the attention of the predator, discourage the predator, alert relatives of the caller, help the group which the caller resides in, reduce the later return of the predator, or warn others who will reciprocating at a later time (Sherman 1977). The main findings have suggested that alarm calls have either evolved as an altruistic act, possibly with reciprocity among the group, or as a mechanism to protect kin (Trivers 1971, Sherman 1977). As for functionally referential alarm calls, meaning that the alarm calls encode specific information about the predator, evolution has been suggested as a response to the need for different escape methods from different predators due to the habitat of the group (Furrer and Manser 2009). Altruism Theory Although Koenig (1988) points out that there is no commonly accepted definition of altruism in behavioral ecology (Koenig 1988), it can be explained for the purposes of this review as an act that has a cost to the individual and a benefit for others. Reciprocal altruism, which Trivers argues to be present in alarm-calling birds (Trivers 1971), would be a type of altruism which benefits the individual only when another party reciprocates the act toward the first individual (Koenig 1988). Trivers suggests that alarm calling in birds is reciprocal altruism because alarm calling keeps predators from specializing on the location and species of the caller (Trivers 1971). However, Koenig points out that reciprocal altruism is still speculative in birds (Koenig 1988). Furthermore, it is unlikely; if alarm calling is altruistic and natural selection acted on the individual that had the novel gene for alarm calling, the animal would have no increase in fitness, the gene would not spread, and t he trait would not evolve (Charnov and Krebs 1975). This being said, if alarm calling is an altruistic behavior, it must have evolved because of some benefit to the caller (Charnov and Krebs 1975). One speculation is that an alarm call could encode the presence of a predator but leave out the location of the predator, thus causing confusion of the dispersal of the flock while the caller knew exactly how to escape the predator (Charnov and Krebs 1975). However, it has been found that male blue monkeys can in fact encode the predator distance and location, thereby giving all immediate information to their conspecifics (Murphy 2013). Problems arise in this theory when specific species of birds are studied more closely. The alarm calls of one species of jay, the Siberian jay, were closely analyzed due to the nature of the groups of this species of jay. In this species, the jays live in social groups comprised of one dominant breeding pair, their offspring, and sometimes non-related immigrant birds (Griesser and Ekman 2004). If alarm calling is altruistic in this species, the dominant breeding pair would call whenever a predator is nearby, regardless of whether they were with immigrants or kin (Griesser and Ekman 2004). However, the results showed that females called only during the breeding season while their kin was present, while males called indiscriminately (Griesser and Ekman 2004). This raises further questions about the intentions of males; do they call indiscriminately to selfishly protect future mates or to dilute a predator attack by providing benefits to immigrants in the group to reduce the caller†™s chance of being attacked? Willow tits also give alarm calls, but Hogstad (1995) suggests that this is a form of mate investment and evolved for this purpose. Males are dominant and breeding pairs last for several years, so if a female dies, especially during the winter, the male partner will likely be unpaired the following breeding season (Hogstad 1995). Adult willow tit males gave alarm calls more frequently when they could see their mates than when they could not; this implies that alarm calling for this species is primarily a form of mate investment (Hogstad 1995). Since the benefit of having a mate the following season is fairly large for a male willow tit, this is not an altruistic act. Studies regarding animals other than birds suggest that alarm calling is not an altruistic act. Alarm calling would only be categorized as altruistic if the calling was costly to the caller in some way (Koenig 1988). Round-tailed squirrels only give alarm calls when they are already retreating, thus not endangering themselves (Dunford 1977). Marmots do not reduce their own chances of survival because they rarely call when exposed to predators, and their calls are acoustically difficult to detect by predators (Barash 1975). There is no real threat to either of these species when they give alarm call, thus destroying the option of alarm calling being altruistic. Furthermore, yellow-bellied marmots can identify who produced an alarm call and will ignore calls after many false alarms (Blumstein and Daniel 2004). Although this seems to support the hypothesis for reciprocal altruism since identification of false callers is important for the reciprocity, there are no known cases of which ro dents take turns calling. Kin Selection Theory The kin selection theory requires that kin be nearby when alarm calls are given for the function of alerting kin of danger. Kin selection is not altruistic because protecting offspring and other kin is a way to protect the future of one’s own genes. The evolution of alarm calls due to kin selection is definitely dependent on the social system of the species. Belding’s ground squirrels have a social system where females generally stay in their natal territory their whole lives and males are polygynous, do not defend any mates or offspring, and emigrate from their natal territory alone, constantly moving after they mate (Sherman 1977). Sherman (1977) found through an extensive observational study that females call frequently when relatives are nearby and do not call at all when they have no living kin; meanwhile, males rarely call. In another study regarding ground squirrels, Dunford (1977) found that males do sometimes call – but this is only when they are juvenil es and their mother and siblings are near. Sherman (1977) hypothesized that the function of alarm calling is nepotism, and that the evolution of this behavior is due to kin selection. Similar results are found with Gunnison’s prairie dogs (Hoogland 1996). Females with kin in the same territory called more often than females who did not have nearby kin. This species has a slightly different social system than Belding’s ground squirrels. Males guard 3-4 females and move between adjacent territories, and it was observed that males give alarm calls regardless of whether or not they had kin in the territory (Hoogland 1996). It is likely that the males had kin in adjacent territory, so these kin could theoretically be close enough to benefit from an alarm calls. These prairie dogs assess their own personal safety before calling, as they are more likely to call if they are farther from the danger (Hoogland 1996). Previously it had been found that male Black-tailed prairie dogs only give alarm calls only after they sire offspring in the territory (Hoogland 1983). These studies show extreme support for the hypothesis that alarm calls evolved as a form of sele cting for kin. A study on chipmunk alarm call behavior offers support that there could be a reciprocal altruism component to the maintenance of alarm calling in the species (Smith 1978). This is because they are one of few species in which all members of the group can and do give alarm calls (Smith 1978). Although kin selection was most likely the basis for the evolution of the behavior since older females with many nearby daughters give the most alarm calls (Smith 1978), it is interesting that both seemingly opposing hypotheses can work together. When yellow-bellied marmots call, the spotted predators almost always leave. However, not all of these marmots call. Blumstein and Armitage (1975) found that the calling is generally a safe activity for these marmots so there is not much cost associated with alarm calls. Their hypothesis is that some individuals do not call because they are trying to reduce reproductive competition (Blumstein and Armitage 1975). Females are the most likely to call, and only when they have vulnerable young. So if another female refrains from calling when she spots a threat, she will reduce the competition for her young since the most vulnerable are the young which are ignorant to the threat (Blumstein and Armitage 1975). Further Extensions and Conclusions There are also factors which affect the complexity of alarm calls, including the level of sociality and habitat composition of species. Sociality and communicative complexity were compared across three different sciurid rodents, and only in marmots did communicative complexity increase with sociality; there was no correlation for prairie dogs or squirrels (Blumstein and Armitage 1997). This implies that alarm repertoire size has many factors, such as facial and laryngeal morphology and habitat acoustics (Blumstein and Armitage 1997). Habitat could influence the evolution of functionally referential alarm calls because if different escape routes are needed for different predators due to the physical nature of the habitat, then it would be beneficial to your survival to have different alarm calls for each type of predator to streamline the escape (Furrer and Manser 2009). However, this hypothesis is not completely supported by data. In Gunnison’s prairie dogs, the habitat does i nfluence the alarm calls; they have been found to change their alarm call dialects for different levels of vegetation cover (Perla and Slobodchikoff 2002). However, meerkats and Cape ground squirrels live in the same habitat yet only meerkats have functionally referential alarm calls; thus habitat does not have a profound influence on the evolution of functionally referential alarm calls (Furrer and Manser 2009). The continuing evolution of alarm calls into more complex communication like functionally referential alarm calls is an important angle of study. How much of alarm call behavior is learned? Female Campbell’s monkeys produce three alarm calls in the wild but only two in captivity, one of which is not observed in the wild (Oattara et al. 2009). This implies that the capacity for alarm calling evolves, but not fully utilized if not needed. This study also suggests that in order for alarm call behavior to be expressed in a population, the threat of predation must be large. Since captive monkeys do not have predators, they have lost vocalizations associated with this danger (Oattara et al. 2009). The evolution of alarm calls is no simple matter. When factoring in the specific ecology of each species studied to give alarm calls, it all comes down to each species’ life history. It makes sense evolutionarily for a species which live in social groups comprised of kin and non-related individuals to call to warn kin, and if only females live near kin, for females to predominantly call. However, if a species lives in a different type of social group, alarm calling does not necessarily have to function as a way to warn kin. Alarm calling in species of many different types of social groups should be studied in regards to the hypotheses offered by Sherman (1977) in order to find support for other evolutionary drivers as well as reciprocal altruism and kin selection. Literature Cited Barash, David P. Marmot Alarm-Calling and the Question of Altruistic Behavior.American Midland Naturalist94.2 (1975): 468. Print. Blumstein, Daniel T. The Evolution of Functionally Referential Alarm Communication: Multiple Adaptations; Multiple Constraints.Evolution of Communication3.2 (1999): 135-47. Print. Blumstein, Daniel T., and Janice C. Daniel. Yellow-bellied Marmots Discriminate between the Alarm Calls of Individuals and Are More Responsive to Calls from Juveniles.Animal Behaviour68.6 (2004): 1257-265. Print. Blumstein, Daniel T., and Kenneth B. Armitage. Does Sociality Drive the Evolution of Communicative Complexity? A Comparative Test with Groundà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Dwelling Sciurid Alarm Calls.The American Naturalist150.2 (1997): 179-200.JSTOR. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Blumstein, Daniel T., and Kenneth B. Armitage. Why Do Yellow-bellied Marmots Call?Animal Behaviour56 (1998): 1053-055.JSTOR. Web. 1 Mar. 2014. Charnov, Eric L., and John R. Krebs. The Evolution of Alarm Calls: Altruism or Manipulation?The American Naturalist109.965 (1975): 107-12.JSTOR. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. Dunford, Christopher. Kin Selection for Ground Squirrel Alarm Calls.The American Naturalist111.980 (1977): 782. Print. Furrer, RomanD., and MartaB. Manser. The Evolution of Urgencyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Based and Functionally Referential Alarm Calls in Groundà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Dwelling Species.The American Naturalist173.3 (2009): 400-10. Print. Griesser, Michael, and Jan Ekman. Nepotistic Alarm Calling in the Siberian Jay, Perisoreus Infaustus.Animal Behaviour67 (2004): 933-39.Science Direct. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Hogstad, Olav. Alarm Calling by Willow Tits, Parus Montanus, as Mate Investment.Animal Behaviour49.1 (1995): 221-25. Print. Hoogland, John L. Nepotism and Alarm Calling in the Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys Ludovicianus).Animal Behaviour31.2 (1983): 472-79. Print. Hoogland, John L. Why Do Gunnisons Prairie Dogs Give Anti-predator Calls?Animal Behaviour51.4 (1996): 871-80. Print. King, Lucy E., Joseph Soltis, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Anne Savage, and Fritz Vollrath. Bee Threat Elicits Alarm Call in African Elephants. Ed. Karen Mccomb.PLoS ONE5.4 (2010): E10346. Print. Koenig, Walter D. Reciprocal Altruism in Birds: A Critical Review.Ethology and Sociobiology9.2-4 (1988): 73-84. Print. Murphy, Derek, Stephen E.g. Lea, and Klaus Zuberbà ¼hler. Male Blue Monkey Alarm Calls Encode Predator Type and Distance.Animal Behaviour85.1 (2013): 119-25. Print. Ouattara, Karim, Klaus Zuberbà ¼hler, Eliezer K. Ngoran, Jean-Emile Gombert, and Alban Lemasson. The Alarm Call System of Female Campbells Monkeys.Animal Behaviour78.1 (2009): 35-44. Print. Perla, Bianca S., and C. N. Slobodchikoff. Habitat Structure and Alarm Call Dialects in Gunnison’s Prairie Dog (Cynomys Gunnisoni).Behavioral Ecology13.6 (2002): 844-50.Oxford Journals. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. Sherman, P. W. Nepotism and the Evolution of Alarm Calls.Science197.4310 (1977): 1246-253. Print. Slobodchikoff, C. N., Andrea Paseka, and Jennifer L. Verdolin. Prairie Dog Alarm Calls Encode Labels about Predator Colors.Animal Cognition12.3 (2009): 435-39. Print. Smith, Stephen F. Alarm Calls, Their Origin and Use in Eutamias Sonomae.Journal of Mammalogy59.4 (1978): 888. Print. Trivers, Robert L. The Evolution of Reciprocal Altruism.The Quarterly Review of Biology46.1 (1971): 35. Print.

Poverty and Food Shortages :: Famine World Hunger

There is a serious development that concerns not only hungry people but all of us. Food is becoming too expensive and food riots are spreading. There were tortilla riots in Mexico when the praise of grain became unaffordable which can happen again. Most countries have been able to feed their own but there is a fear that the millions of the unfed will come across borders to eat. If this happens those with food will battle to keep it from the hungry. Supermarkets will be forced to place armed guards in front of their doors and refrigerators will be padlocked. There are food riots going on at the present time in Haiti where the government was overthrown. Nobody can predict tomorrows costs of grain or rice. Many say it will double in price in the coming months. Over a billion Chinese people are now eating meat products that are grain fed. This is a result of an increase in their standard of living. They grow very little grain so more than ninety percent of all meat eaten in China is imported. This is one of the causes of the shortage of world wide grain. The Chinese people have a right to eat as much meat as they can afford. It would be ridiculous to ask them to curb their appetites for the sake of the hungry in other countries. We must look elsewhere for a solution. The rising price of oil is the main cause of rising grain costs. Harvesters and trucks that use oil have to pass on added expenses. A loaf of bread cannot be sold for one dollar when it costs two to produce. The hungry must eat but if they cant afford to buy bread who will pay to feed them? The best solution is to lower oil prices which will bring down the costs of grain production. This would bring to a halt world wide hunger. There have been many famines where millions have starved to death. The Ukraine suffered a man made famine less than seventy five years ago where over a million died of hunger.

Wal-Mart and Class Inequalities Essay -- increasing class inequality

Wal-Mart has become a staple company in many communities. It is a place where individuals can find most of their needs, and many of their wants. The appeal of Wal-Mart can be found in its slogan, â€Å"Always Low Prices.† It is the appeal of low prices during a time of economic recession that entices consumers. What many consumers do not recognize are the means by which Wal-Mart ensures these low prices. The media coverage of Wal-Mart during the recent months has not been favorable towards the company, and with lawsuits pending regarding issues such as low wages, anti-union practices, and sexual discrimination, Wal-Mart provides an avenue for examining media and alternative media depictions of the issues. This analysis will determine the extent to which media sources provide information on Wal-Mart and the allegations, and how this corporation is working to reduce class inequality. The focus will more broadly develop an argument which claims that superclass interes ts are the driving force behind our media, and therefore our exposure to critique of the system is limited. There are three articles that will be referenced during this analysis. The first article is taken from the mainstream media publication USA Today. â€Å"Wal-Mart takes hits on worker treatment: Lawsuits, unions slam megaretailer†(Armour, 2003) argues that Wal-Mart is coming under attack from critics who argue workers are underpaid, women are discriminate against, and illegal tactics are being deployed to kill unionization efforts. Armour (2003) states, â€Å"company officials say they don’t know why the attacks are coming now, and they also say the allegations are unfounded.† The next statement made during the article states that Wal-Mart employees agree with the statement. The author continues reporting on the issues at stake, but focuses mostly on how unions may be less relevant in today’s world. The article makes mention of both sides of the argument, but the rhetoric and terminology used leans towards the portrayal of Wal-Mart as a victim o f biased attacks to further union interests in the market. Perucci and Wysong (1999) would argue that this article is a perfect example of selective reporting, â€Å"unstated but routine news reporting policies and practices that produce a preponderance of flattering news media coverage of superclass-favored issues† (1999:160). It ... ...tive media portrayals of an issue. Ultimately this assignment was beneficial to my perspective on class issues. It exposed me to multitudes of informational sources ranging from mainstream to alternative. It was also interesting to see the ways in which issues are portrayed differently, and as I mentioned other the lack of blaming the system is extremely interesting. The various sources opened my eyes to the reality of media impact and control over our lives and opinions. It is difficult to see beyond the obvious appeal of corporations such as Wal-Mart, but this should be apparent to me after all these years of sociology. I think this assignment really helped me to think outside the box, and really analyze who has control; it isn’t me or you. That’s for sure. Works Cited Armour, Stephanie. 2003. â€Å"Wal-Mart Takes Hits on Worker Treatment.† USA Today. Hellerman, Caleb. 2004. â€Å"The Wal-Martization of Everywhere† & â€Å"Low Road/High Road.† Retrieved March 6, 2004 from: www.inequality.org. Olsson, Karen. 2003. â€Å"Up Against Wal-Mart.† Mother Jones. 28:2. Perrucci, Robert and Earl Wysong. 1999. The New Class Society. Lantham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

A New Way of Teaching Essay -- Education, teachers

There are three different stages in education. Primary Education starts in Preschool and goes all the way up to 6th grade. Teachers in the Elementary School teach students the basic subjects that will prepare them for the next stage. The second stage and probably the most important stage is Secondary Education that starts in 7th grade and goes all the way up to 12th grade. Throughout these grades students start to learn more advanced subjects, most of which they need so that they can get an idea of what they want to do for a future career after they graduate. As a Secondary Education teacher it is their job to prepare their students for the final stage in education which is Higher Education, if the student is planning on attending a college or university. They introduce them to many new subjects that can give them an idea of what they are interested in so that choosing a future career is easier. The most important part of being a high school teacher however is preparing their studen ts for adulthood. They have to get the students to realize that after high school they are the ones that have to decide their future. A high school teacher guides their students towards achieving their goals and motivates them to further their knowledge so that they can become successful in life. Ultimately the teacher must realize that once the student graduates it is his/her choice on what they want to do with their life. The only thing the teacher can hope for is that the student learned something from and uses it to become successful. Students that want to further their knowledge will enter the third and final stage of education which is Higher Education. In this stage the student attends either a college or university and chooses a specific care... ...w to learn different teaching styles so that class is not boring. By mixing the classroom up a little bit each time it can be a really successful class. Students should look up to their teachers because in the end they should realize that they are only trying to help them achieve their goals and help them prepare for what is to come in the future. I believe that the greatest gifts we can give our children are the same kind of values these teachers demonstrate. Then our children can also become unforgettable teachers, sharing values that will inspire happiness and faith for future generations (Brunkhorst 1). Education itself is important because without one, life is not going to be so easy once high school is over. In order to become successful you need to have an degree in any type of career that you enjoy that way you can prepare for a future you can be proud of.

Operation Managenent Essay

After completing this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Define the term operations management. 2. Identify the three major functional areas of organizations and describe how they interrelate. 3. Identify similarities and differences between production and service operations. 4. Describe the operations function and the nature of the operations manager’s job. 5. Summarize the two major aspects of process management. 6. Explain the key aspects of operations management decision making. Briefly describe the historical evolution of operations management. . Characterize current trends in business that impact operations management. Chapter 2 – Competitiveness, Strategy, and Productivity After completing this chapter, you should be able to: 1. 2. 3. 4. List the three primary ways that business organizations compete. Explain five reasons for the poor competitiveness of some companies. Define the term strategy and explain why strategy is important. Discuss and compare organization strategy and operations strategy, and explain why it is important to link the two. 5. Describe and give examples of time-based strategies. 6. Define the term productivity and explain why it is important to organizations and to countries. 7. Provide some of the reasons for poor productivity and some ways of improving it. Chapter 3 – Forecasting: 1. List the elements of a good forecast. 2. Outline the steps in the forecasting process. 3. Evaluate at least three qualitative forecasting techniques and the advantages and disadvantages of each. 4. Compare and contrast qualitative and quantitative approaches to forecasting. 5. Describe averaging techniques, trend and seasonal techniques, and regression analysis, and solve typical problems. Explain three measures of forecast accuracy. 7. Compare two ways of evaluating and controlling forecasts. 8. Assess the major factors and trade-offs to consider when choosing a forecasting technique. Chapter 4 – Product and Service Design: 1. Explain the strategic importance of product and service design. 2. Identify some key reasons for design or redesign. 3. Recognize the key questions of product and service design. 4. List some of the main sources of design ideas. 5. Discuss the importance of legal, ethical, and sustainability considerations in product and service design. 6. Explain the purpose and goal of life cycle assessment. 7. Explain the phrase â€Å"the 3 Rs. † 8. Briefly describe the phases in product design and development. 9. Name several key issues in manufacturing design. 10. Recognize several key issues in service design. 11. Name the phases in service design. 12. List the characteristics of well-designed service systems. 13. Assess some of the challenges of service design. Chapter 5 – Strategic Capacity Planning for Products and Services: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Summarize the importance of capacity planning. Discuss ways of defining and measuring capacity. Describe the determinants of effective capacity. Discuss the major considerations related to developing capacity alternatives. Briefly describe approaches that are useful for evaluating capacity alternatives. Chapter 6 – Process Selection and Facility Layout: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Explain the strategic importance of process selection. Describe the influence that process selection has on an organization. Compare the basic processing types. Explain the need for management of technology. List some reasons for redesign of layouts. Describe the basic layout types, and the main advantages and disadvantages of each. Chapter 7- Work Design and Measurement: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Explain the importance of work design. Compare and contrast the two basic approaches to job design. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of specialization. Explain the term knowledge-based pay. Explain the purpose of methods analysis and describe how methods studies are performed. 6. Compare four commonly used techniques for motion study. 7. Discuss the impact of working conditions on job design. 8. Define a standard time. 9. Describe and compare time study methods and perform calculations. 10. Describe work sampling and perform calculations. Compare stopwatch time study and work sampling. 12. Contrast time and output pay systems. Chapter 8 – Location Planning and Analysis: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Identify some of the main reasons organizations need to make location decisions. Explain why location decisions are important. Discuss the options that are available for location decisions. Give examples of the major factors that affect location decisions. Outline the decision process for making these kinds of decisions. Chapter 9 – Management of Quality: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Define the term quality as it relates to products and as it relates to services. Explain why quality is important and the consequences of poor quality. Identify the determinants of quality. Distinguish the costs associated with quality. Compare the quality awards. Discuss the philosophies of quality gurus. Describe TQM. Give an overview of process improvement. Describe and use various quality tools. Chapter 10 – Quality Control: 1. List and briefly explain the elements of the control process. 2. Explain how control charts are used to monitor a process, and the concepts that underlie their use. Chapter 11 – Aggregate Planning and Master Scheduling: 1. Explain what aggregate planning is and how it is useful. 2. Identify the variables decision makers have to work with in aggregate planning and some of the possible strategies they can use. 3. Describe some of the graphical and quantitative techniques planners use. 4. Describe the master scheduling process and explain its importance. Chapter 12 – MRP and ERP: 1. Describe the conditions under which MRP is most appropriate. 2. Describe the inputs, outputs, and nature of MRP processing. 3. Explain how requirements in a master production schedule are translated into material requirements for lower-level items. Discuss the benefits and requirements of MRP. 5. Explain how an MRP system is useful in capacity requirements planning. 6. Outline the potential benefits and some of the difficulties users have encountered with MRP. 7. Describe MRP II and its benefits. 8. Describe ERP, what it provides, and its hidden costs. Chapter 13 – Inventory Management: 1. Define the term inventory, list the major reasons for holding inventories, and list the main requirements for effective inventory management. 2. Discuss the nature and importance of service inventories. 3. Explain periodic and perpetual review systems. 4. Explain the objectives of inventory management. 5. Describe the A-B-C approach and explain how it is useful. 6. Describe the basic EOQ model and its assumptions. 7. Describe reorder point models. 8. Describe situations in which the singleperiod model would be appropriate. Chapter 14 – JIT and Lean Operations: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Explain what is meant by the term lean operations system. List each of the goals of a lean system and explain its importance. List and briefly describe the building blocks of lean. Identify the benefits of a lean system. Outline the considerations important in converting a traditional mode of operations to a lean system. 6. Point out some of the obstacles that might be encountered when converting to a lean system. 7. Describe value stream mapping. Chapter 15 – Supply Chain Management 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Discuss the key issues of supply chain management. Name the recent trends in supply chain management. Summarize the motivations and risks of outsourcing as a strategy. State some of the complexities that are involved with global supply chains. List some of the strategic, tactical, and operational responsibilities of supply chain management. Give examples of some advantages of e-business. Explain the importance of supplier partnerships. List the requirements of an effective supply chain. Name some of the challenges in creating an effective supply chain. Chapter 16 – Scheduling 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Explain what scheduling involves and the importance of good scheduling. Describe scheduling needs in high-volume and intermediate-volume systems. Describe scheduling needs in job shops. Use and interpret Gantt charts, and use the assignment method for loading. Give examples of commonly used priority rules. Summarize some of the unique problems encountered in service systems, and describe some of the approaches used for scheduling service systems. Chapter 17 – Project Management: 1. Discuss the behavioral aspects of projects in terms of project personnel and the project manager. 2. Explain the nature and importance of a work breakdown structure in project management. 3. Give a general description of PERT/CPM techniques. 4. Construct simple network diagrams. 5. List the kinds of information that a PERT or CPM analysis can provide. 6. Describe activity â€Å"crashing† and solve typical problems. Management of Waiting Lines After ompleting this chapter, you should be familiar with waiting line terminology, be able to solve typical problems using the models presented in this chapter, and answer these questions: 1. Describe what imbalance does the existence of a waiting line reveal? 2. Explain what causes waiting lines to form, and why is it impossible to eliminate them completely? 3. Describe what metrics are used to help managers analyze waiting lines? 4. Explain what are some psychological approaches to managing waiting lines, and why might a manager want to use them? 5. Explain what very important lesson does the constant service time model provide for managers?

Criminal Law 2009 Exam Paper

THIS PAPER IS NOT TO BE REMOVED FROM THE EXAMINATION HALLS UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 265 0010 ZA 269 0010 ZA 277 0101 ZA DIPLOMA IN LAW LLB EXAMINATION for External Students INTERMEDIATE EXAMINATION (Scheme A) FIRST AND SECOND YEAR EXAMINATIONS (Scheme B) GRADUATE ENTRY LEVEL I (Route A) GRADUATE ENTRY FIRST YEAR (Route B) BSc DEGREES for External Students MANAGEMENT WITH LAW, LAW WITH MANAGEMENT, ACCOUNTING WITH LAW AND LAW WITH ACCOUNTING FOR STUDENTS IN THE EXTERNAL PROGRAMME Criminal Law Wednesday 13 May 2009 : 10. 00 – 1. 15 pmCandidates will have fifteen minutes during which they may read the paper and make rough notes ONLY in their answer books. They then have the remaining THREE HOURS in which to answer the questions. Candidates should answer FOUR of the following EIGHT questions. Candidates should answer all parts of a question unless otherwise stated.  © University of London 2009 UL09/806 Page 1 of 4 1. Under what circumstances may a person be criminally liable for a fa ilure to act? 2. (a) Could the reasoning in the cases of Roberts (1971) and Williams and Davis (1992) be said to conflict with that in the case of Blaue (1975)? b) Anna stabbed Iqbal. Iqbal was seriously injured. He was taken to hospital and placed on a life-support machine. One night, an intensivecare nurse, Norah, who hated money being wasted on expensive lifesupport machinery and without being authorised to do so, switched off the life support machine. Iqbal died. Consider Anna’s and Norah's possible criminal liability for murder. 3. Fred and Marcus had fought because Marcus was angry with Fred for having carved the letter ‘F’ on to Livia’s arm using a penknife. Livia is Marcus’s 14year-old daughter, who begged Fred to do this as she was in love with him.Fred had reluctantly agreed. The wound was not serious, although it did require one stitch. Fred and Marcus decided to settle their differences by having a fight. Fred punched Marcus, knocking hi m over and causing him to fracture his skull. Fred ran away when the police were called. As Fred was making his way home, a beggar, Beryl, who was carrying a baby in her arms, approached him and asked him for money to feed the baby. This incensed Fred who hated beggars. He sprayed after-shave cologne in Beryl’s face causing her to drop the baby which bruised it slightly.The police then caught up with Fred. PC Bill tried to arrest him. Fred pushed PC Bill out of the way in an attempt to get away, causing PC Bill to stagger. In an effort to save himself from falling, PC Bill put his arm out and pushed it through a shop window, sustaining severe cuts to his arm. Discuss the possible criminal liability of Fred. UL09/806 Page 2 of 4 4. Egor, who had a history of depression and schizophrenia, and his wife Irina were eating in a restaurant. Egor was taking medication for his condition and was therefore not drinking alcohol.He was trying to reassure Irina who had received threatening letters from her ex-husband Alexey. All of a sudden, Alexey, who was very drunk, burst into the restaurant and stormed over to Egor and Irina’s table shouting: ‘You stole my wife! You must die! ’ Egor was alarmed. He picked up the heavy water jug from the table and threw it at Alexey. It hit Alexey on the head and he fell to the floor, unconscious. The sight of Alexey lying on the floor enraged Egor as he remembered the letters Alexey had sent to Irina.He was also worried that Alexey might wake up and kill him. He repeatedly kicked Alexey who died of a fractured skull before an ambulance could be called. Discuss Egor’s criminal liability. 5. â€Å"Self-induced intoxication is never accepted by the courts as an excuse for committing an offence. † Discuss. 6. On her way out from her workplace, Jenny found ? 50 which she used to buy a pair of shoes to go with the gown she had bought for her firm’s centenary ball. She later overheard someone in her office saying that they had lost ? 0 but she did not return the money. While chatting to her colleagues, she discovered that her firm had set up a fund to contribute ? 100 towards the cost of a ballgown for each female worker who could demonstrate financial hardship. Although, initially, she did not apply for this, as she had already bought her gown and was not in financial difficulties, after hearing that all of her female colleagues intended to do so, whether or not they had already purchased their gowns, she applied for the money stating that she was in financial difficulties.She thought it was probably alright as she knew that none of her colleagues was in financial difficulties either. She did not get the money as, by the time her application was received, she was told the fund had been spent. On the day of the ball, Jenny went to the hairdressers which was offering a 20% discount to students. She had borrowed her sister’s student union card which she showed to the r eceptionist and obtained the discount. When she arrived at her house, Jenny noticed that her next door neighbours were having a delivery of shopping.She had forgotten to buy anything for her lunch and was hungry and so, hoping they would not mind, took a microwave meal from one of the shopping bags, putting ? 5 through their letter box. Consider Jenny’s possible criminal liability. UL09/806 Page 3 of 4 7. Antoine enjoyed dressing up as a woman and so every Sunday he wore his sister's clothes and called himself Antoinette. One Sunday, at his local pub, a visitor to the area, Geezer, starting chatting to him. Very quickly Antoine realised that Geezer thought he really was a woman and was sexually interested in him.Antoine did not tell Geezer the truth as Geezer was rather rough and Antoine was a little nervous of him. What Antoine did not know, however, was that Geezer was even more interested in Antoine's Cartier watch which he thought would make a nice gift for his wife. He t old Geezer that he was going to ‘powder his nose' and took himself off to the men's lavatory to think about how he was going to get away from Geezer. Geezer, however, came into the lavatory and was shocked to see ‘Antoinette' there. As he came to realise what was going on, he became extremely angry at having been fooled.He ripped off Antoine's clothes and forcibly penetrated him with a bar of soap. He then held Antoine down while he removed his watch. He put it in his pocket and ran off. Antoine, who was, by now, very distressed, put his clothes back on and left the pub. He thought a cup of tea might make him feel better and so went into a cafe where he ordered tea and toast. When he offered to pay, he was told that a bill would be brought to his table and that he should pay the cashier at the door as he left the cafe. When he had finished, he left the cafe without having paid.He was subsequently diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and claims that he did not kn ow what he was doing when he left the cafe. Consider the possible criminal liability of Antoine and Geezer. 8. Priya and her twin brother Dipak – both aged 16 – hated their next door neighbour, Hans. He swore at them if they made a noise and they were convinced that he spied on them and reported everything they did to their parents who were abroad. They decided that it was time to teach Hans a lesson and that Dipak would break into Hans' house and give Hans a fright while Priya kept watch outside.The following night, while Priya kept watch, Dipak entered Hans' house dressed as a skeleton, using a spare key he had found under a flowerpot. He put the key back once he had opened the front door. On his way to Hans' bedroom he spotted a ? 20 note on the table and decided to take it. He then went into Hans' bedroom, gently climbed on to the end of the bed and started vigorously jumping up and down shouting: â€Å"We're coming to get you! † Hans woke up and was so terr ified he had a heart attack and died instantly. Consider the possible criminal liability of Dipak and Priya. END OF PAPER UL09/806 Page 4 of 4

Ready to Eat Food

NEW ERA OF INDIAN READY TO EAT FOOD (RETORT FOOD – Having shelf life up to 18 months) Sanjeev Bhanga BRIEF India has made lot of progress in agriculture & food sectors since independence in terms of growth in output, yields and processing. It has gone through a green revolution, a white revolution, a yellow revolution and a blue revolution. Today, India is the largest producer of milk, fruits, cashew nuts, coconuts and tea in the world, the second largest producer of wheat, vegetables, sugar and fish and the third largest producer of tobacco and rice. Now the time is to provide better food processing & its marketing infrastructure for Indian industries to serve good quality & safest processed food like ready to eat food. It is opening a new window in world scenario as far as taste & acceptance is concerned. Therefore, Indian Government is providing more infrastructure for this sector. Excise duty is now ZERO % on RTE and 100 % tax deduction for the first 10 years for new units. This allows manufactures to bring down their prices & spreads its flavors to the world. The retort processed foods do not require rehydration or cooking and can be consumed straight from the pouch with or without pre-warming, depending upon the requirement of the users and the weather conditions. These foods meet the specific needs of convenience, nutritional adequacy, shelf stability, storage, distribution to the centers and have become very popular after the Year 2002. Some of the mouth-watering dishes in retort pouches include sooji halwa, upma, chicken curry, mutton curry, fish curry, chicken madras, chicken kurma, rajma masala, palak paneer, dal makhnil, mutter paneer, potato-peas, mutter mushroom, vegetable ulav chicken pulav, and mutton pulav, etc. The pioneer introduction of retorting technology has made the sale of ‘Ready-to-Eat’ food products commercially viable with great taste. CONCEPT †¢ Ready to Eat Meals like already cooked or prepared lunch & dinner are relatively new products which came in market only a few years back and are now sold through retail general stores in especially made sealed aluminum laminates. †¢ The retorting or sterilization process ensures the stability of the Ready-to-Eat foods in retort pouches, on the shelf and at room temperature. The application of sterilization technology completely destroys all potentially harmful micro-organisms, thereby making sure that the food product has a very long shelf life of over 12 months and needed no refrigeration. †¢ When customer needs to eat, the food item pouch is either put in microwave oven to warm it or keep in heated water for a few minutes and then serve to eat. †¢ Such ready to eat meals have been especially given to soldiers in army of many countries who require carrying their rations while on war front or while located far away from their main unit. The advertisements like, â€Å"Hungry Kyaa† are adding zest to the market by popularizing such food items which are precooked and free from any preservative, and yet have a long shelf life of over 12-months. These food items are normally selling in pouches, well packed in cardboard printed boxes of small book size and carry about 300 grams of cooked food at a price of about Rs. 40 to 200 in foreign marke t depending upon the type of dish packed. One packet of vegetable dish is normally sufficient for one meal for three persons and therefore falls in economic zone of consumer’s preferences. WHY READY TO EAT FOOD Globalization of Indian food and its culture are the core factors for popularization of ready to eat foods. Main motivation for these ready to eat foods is fast growing foreign market. Retail outlet culture is now growing rapidly in India. Shelf life of these foods are at least 12-18 months. Quality, Taste and Flavor of these foods remains as good as fresh up to the expiry date. Women wanting to spend more time out of the kitchen. More working bachelors staying away from homes. Cost effective in comparison to the Indian cuisine served by the restaurants in foreign countries. TYPES OF READY TO EAT FOOD Veg Food Alloo Matar Palak paneer Sarso Ka Saag Chana Masala Kadi Pakora Cheese Tomato Dal Makhani Rajma Masala Non Veg Food Chicken Curry Butter Chicken Karahi Chicken Mughalai Chicken Mutton Masala Mutton Korma Karahi Mutton Mutton Biryani Deserts Gajar Ka Haluaa / Sugi Ka Haluaa / Milk Kheer PLAYERS IN READY TO EAT FOOD MTR Kohinoor Foods ITC Haldiram Tasty Bites RETORT & ITS PACKAGING The water RETORT is an equipment or vessel or sterilization module through which steam (at 130 degree centigrade for 25 minutes) is applied on food products packed in retort pouches. The retorts use water or steam/air combination as processing medium to heat the container/packages. Compressed air or additional steam is introduced during the processing cycle to provide the overpressure (any pressure supplied to the retort in excess of that which can be normally achieved under steam at any given retort temperature). Overpressure is important in preventing package damage or loss of seal integrity (like bursting), during the heating process. Retort pouches is a flexible packaging material that basically consist of laminates or bounded layers of different packaging films of Polyster-Nylon-Aluminium-polypropylene that can withstand high process temperature & pressure. Their most important feature is that they are made of heatresistant plastics unlike the usual flexible pouches. This makes the retort pouches unique which are suitable for the processing of food contents at temperatures around 120 degrees Celsius. That is the kind of ambient temperature prevalent in the thermal sterilization of foods. There is lesser time to spend in cooking food themselves and so ready to eat foods are preferred. To get the food of different cultures, taste etc, it is important that food has good shelf life so that it can be made available at far off places too and then can be conveniently consumed also. ADVANTAGES OF RETORT PACKAGING †¢ Pouch laminates permits less chance to overcook during the retorting thus products having better color, texture & less nutrients loss. †¢ It requires less energy for sterilization. †¢ It requires less disposal & storage space. †¢ Low oxygen & moisture permeability. Shelf stable for longer time & requires no refrigeration. †¢ Sun light barrier, light weight, easy to open. MARKET & ITS GROWTH The popularity of ready to eat packed food now is no longer marks a special occasion. Peoples want value for time, money in terms of quality and variety. The food processing industry is one of the largest industries in India and it is the ranked fifth in terms of Production, Consumption, Export & Expected growth. Processed food market in India accounts for 32% that is Rs. 1280 billion or 29. 4 billion US $ in a total estimated market of Rs. 990 billion or 91. 66 US $. Euromonitor International, a market research company says that amount of money Indian spend on ready to eat snacks & food is 5 billion US $ in a year while on abroad Indian or Indian subcontinents spend 30 billion US $ in a year. Ready to eat packaged food industry is over Rs. 4000 crore or 1 billion US $ and it is growing at the rate of 20 % per annum. Ready to eat food market is developing specifically in UK, USA, Canada, Gulf & South Asian Countries with the growth rate of over 150 % per annum. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is retort packaging? Retort packaging is a self stable flexible package What is the shelf life of retort food? – The shelf life of a retort package is a year plus. What are the shipping advantages? – A retort package will not b reak or dent and weigh less. Where do you display the package in the retail store? – You can display at room temperature at any corner of the retail store What are some of the main reasons, a packager of consumer products would like to go from a conventional package material to a flexible retort pouch? – The package provides a flat surface for graphics and text, needs no refrigeration and is microwave compatible. What's the difference between foil and non-foil retort structures? – Non-foil retort packaging can be put in the micro wave. What about taste of products in a retort package? – People say that products packaged with retort material taste fresher and maintain a more natural flavor. What about shelf appeal? – Retort pouches are more space efficient and provide a larger surface for graphics and text. What kind of food products can be packed in retort packaging ? – All kind of veg & Non- veg food products Email: [email  protected] com

Israel & the Palestinian Territories Conflict Essay

I. Topic Background The Israel/Palestine conflict ultimately boils down to religious tension, and is part of the larger Arab/Israeli conflict. In 1948, the U.N. partitioned the region of Palestine into two states, one Jewish, and one Arab, to address the ongoing Jewish-Arab tension. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, the Palestinian government did not, and the result was a short-lived civil war which ended with Israel declaring independence on May 14, 1948. For decades after the civil-war, Arab nations refused to recognize Israel’s legitimacy as a nation, and in 1964 formed the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel captured the Gaza strip and Jerusalem from Egypt, and West Bank from Jordan. In response, several Arab nations banded together and launched the Yom Kippur War against Israel. No definitive gains were made by either side, however it did lead to the Camp David Accords of 1978, which led to the Egypt-Israeli Treaty. Tensions sparked into violence yet again in 1987 with the First Intifada, in which Palestinians living in Israeli-occupied territory revolted. The First Intifada bore the creation of Hamas, founded by Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, an armed resistance establishment that is prevalent in the current Gaza situation. In the Oslo Peace Process of 1993, Israel and the PLO tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a peace agreement. Its failure was credited to the lack of effort on both sides to uphold the conditions established by the process, such as the promised decrease Israeli settlement activity in West Bank and Gaza, and the acceptance of Israel as a legitimate nation. In 2000, the Second Intifada broke out in wake of the failed peace attempt. In 2003, Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon announced a disengagement plan, which constituted the removal of Israeli civilian and military presence in Gaza, to refute the claim that Gaza was an occupied territory. However, the 2006 elections of the Palestinian Legislative Council gave rise to the increased political power of Hamas, which complicated any existing attempts at peace. In  December 2008, Israeli military forces launched Operation Cast Lead in response to repeated mortar attacks from Hamas on Israeli civilian areas. Since then, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, including hundreds of Palestinian civilians. On January 18th, 2009, a ceasefire took effect, which has put a end to the violence, at least temporarily. II. Past Actions In 1947, the young U.N. partitioned the conflicted region of the British mandate of Palestine into two states, Israel and Palestine. Though the Security Council has â€Å"primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security,† it has not been able to address and resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict. The Council has taken no significant action since 1967, when it passed Resolution 242 calling on Israel to relinquish the territories acquired during its war with Syria and Egypt. The UN has condemned Israel for killing civilians in the Gaza Strip. Many resolutions made by the UN to resolve the conflict have been vetoed by the US, including the demand for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza in 2006. The US has repeatedly used its veto power in favor of Israel, and, using its influence, has steered the issue away from the UN agenda. In January 2009, the US again blocked the UN’s demand for an immediate ceasefire. III. Country Policy Since the start of Israel’s aggression in Gaza, our Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has shuttled between Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Syria in a proactive attempt to achieve a ceasefire. We have verbally assailed Israel for the killing of Palestinian innocents in Gaza and in general. If any noticeable progress is to be made, Israeli military presence must be withdrawn from the Gaza Strip. Palestinian homes are often bulldozed by Israeli forces in attempts to â€Å"eliminate possible terrorist cover,† even though a majority of the houses contain Palestinian civilians. Practices such as these must be put to an end. Polls taken in Israel and Palestine confirm that Gaza and West Bank are regarded as Palestinian territory, and should remain so. Hamas must end its aggression towards Israel, as rocket attacks are what instigated the Gaza strip conflict of 2008-2009. More importantly, the United States must cooperate with the UN to create a peace resolution, as it has been the blockade of peace attempts dating back many  years due to its pro-Israel bias. The West Bank, an Israeli settlement, is also an obstacle. Now, Erdogan is using contacts with Hamas, and its backers Iran and Syria, and contacts with Israel and the West, to assume a leading role in trying to broker a cease-fire. In regards to the refugees present in Gaza, NGO’s such as Doctors Without Borders and Red Cross could be implemented to ensure no further degradation of human rights takes place. We again stress the need for an effective cease-fire to which both Israel and the territory of Palestine respect, there is little prospect Israel can solve the Gaza crisis solely by military means.

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China Essay - 3

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China - Essay Example The state based automobile manufacturing company of China, Chery International was founded in the year 1997 with an investment capital of RMB 3.98 billion. The Chinese state owned firm has grown rapidly over the years and presently has a production capacity of around 900,000 engines, cars along with 450,000 transmissions. The product portfolio ranges from passenger and commercial vehicles along with minivans. The company follows a highly modernized approach towards the production of automobiles in all its facilities and provides a strong focus on quality and innovation. With the passage of time, the Chinese firm has successfully penetrated into multiple markets in home and abroad (Cherryinternational.com-1, 2013). The automobile market in the US is one of the largest in the world and is interesting the home turf for 13 automobile manufacturers. Every major automobile manufacturing brand ranging from European, Japanese, Korean or Indian has presence in the US automobile market (selectusa.commerce.gov, n.d.). On a statistical note, the top 10 automakers manufacture 80% of the world’s automobiles, 90% of which is sold in the US markets. Talking in depth about the US auto market, it has to be stated that the market is dominated by the multiple global brands. General Motors is presently the leader in the US market. Other popular and prominent auto brands in the US market are Ford, Toyota, Daimler, Honda and Nissan. As of the current times, it needs to be highlighted that the US auto industry is starting to attain the pre-crisis growth levels. Auto sales in the year 2013 in the US were pegged at 15.6 million vehicles, which is a significant 7.6% increase as compared to 2012. For the year 2014, it is being expected that the US auto industry is supposed to attain a sale of around 16.1 to 16.5 million vehicles (Woodall and Klayman, 2014). It can be said that the marketing mix comprises of

Phase 2 Individual Project_Criminal Investigation Essay

Phase 2 Individual Project_Criminal Investigation - Essay Example An example of a case outlining the exclusionary evidence rule is the Weeks vs. United States (Signorelli, 2010). From the case, the United States Supreme court ruled that it is a breach of the Fourth Amendment of the American constitution when a law enforcement agent seizes the property of a suspect without a warrant. The statute prohibits local law enforcement agencies from collecting evidence by unlawful means. Wetterer (1998) identifies the following as exceptions to the exclusionary rule, The doctrine of good faith observes that the evidence in question is admissible in a trial court if a law enforcement agency under a good faith took action believing that it was not a violation of the Fourth Amendment. In explaining the application of this law, Leon vs. United States of America.1984 challenges the admissibility of evidence obtained through an illegal search by law enforcement agencies (Persico, 1997). From the case, law enforcement officers in California got information about the activities of Patsy Stewart and Armando Sanchez. After investigation and surveillance, police officers identified Ricardo Castillo and Alberto Leon as accomplices in drug trafficking, and a detective sought a search warrant from a judge (Persico, 1997). The warrant in question was illegal since the police could not prove a probable cause for the warrant. However, the evidence was admissible because the police action was on the belief that they followed the law. The inevitable discovery doctrine is grounded on the belief that the evidence in question was likely to be discovered by legal means. A statute explaining this exception is the Nix vs. Williams’s case (Signorelli, 2010). In the case, the defendant killed a young girl in the state of Iowa. The defendant surrendered to law enforcement officers, and on his own plea, he was arraigned in court. The officers searched for the victim’s body, and because of heavy snow,

ROBOTICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ROBOTICS - Essay Example The robot has imitated the human arm in most cases because this is where it receives application in industries. Regardless of the robot developed and application specification for it, robots have some basic characteristics that define them. Sensing is a key feature in robot development. They should be able to sense the environment around them. To be able to articulate this principle sensors like light sensors, sonar sensors, touch sensors and chemical sensors can be adopted to implement the robot (Anderson). A motionless robot is not a robot. The robot should have the ability to move in its environment. Using wheels, rollers, legs, and or thrusters can make the robot move to perform its tasks. Care is taken during application of the robot to ensure the environment does not harm the robot or vice versa. Owing to the use of electronic components and codes to give it logical sequence guide in its operation, means they utilize energy (Cordeschi). Because of its movement capabilities, its design should put consideration into powering itself. A degree of intelligence needs injecting into the robot design. This is the ability of a robot to be smart. Programming is the playground to implement the smartness of the robot as it works in the environment. The programs guide the robot on what to and not do. In general, a robot is a combination of sensors, power supplies, manipulators, control systems and software all gear to one task. Robots for industrial use rotate through three different axes. They achieve applications in the field of assembly, welding, pick, and placing objects, packaging, and inspection of products, testing, and painting. In fact, the said field of application requires endurance, fastness, and utmost precision (Igor Aleksander). This entirely are features that a robot can be designed to achieve. Robots in every manner attempt to imitate the human being. About this, analyzing a human body goes along way into