Japanese Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Japanese Politics - Essay Example Of great interest is the process of policy making in the Japanese political environment. It is evident that the elite in society are behind all the policies that get initiated and enacted in Japan. This paper seeks to establish whether or not the policies developed and enacted in Japan are indeed the input of the elite bureaucracy in Japan. As intimated earlier, the government is made up of the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Generally the government is a parliamentary democratic monarchy. The monarchy together with the Prime Minister forms the executive. The prime Minister heads the government which is also home to a myriad of political parties in its multi-party system. It is imperative to note that the executive part is as such exercised by the government which the prime minister heads. The Emperor of Japan is the overall head of state and as such appoints the prime minister. The prime minister before his appointment by the emperor has to have the designation of a diet and as such should win the confidence of the House of Representatives. The prime minister as earlier mentioned heads the government, heads the cabinet and appoints and disappoints the ministers of state who are largely members of the diet. Apart from the executive, there is the legislature. The legislature is basically made up of parliam ent which is divided into two i.e. the Diet which is basically the House of Representatives and the lower chamber which is called the House of Councilors. As such, the legislative power is exercised by both the government and the two chambers of parliament. The judiciary on the other hand is quite independent of the other two arms of government i.e. the executive and the legislature. The judiciary deals with all matters to do with the law and is made up of all the courts, the forces and prisons. It fully exercises the judicial powers without sharing these powers with any arm of government and this is why the judiciary is independent. As far as the law is concerned, Japan is simply a constitutional monarchy. The constitutional monarchy orientation in Japan is largely borrowed from the British system and it is also immensely influenced by the European civil law states such as German and France (Martin & Stronach, 1992). This can be illustrated by the 1896 enactment of a civil code similar to the German model by the Japanese government. The code has ever since remained in effect except for the minimal modifications which were effected after the Second World War. It is imperative to note that the statutory law comes from the legislature an d the national diet of Japan only acts as the rubber stamp for the emperor's approval. Actually, the current constitution provides for the role of the emperor only to promulgate the legislation passed by the legislature. As such the emperor has no constitutional powers to oppose legislation passed by the legislature. After legislation, it is the work of the judiciary to implement the legislation. The judiciary is made up of three levels of courts where the Supreme Court is at the top of the list followed by other three lower cadres of the courts (Johnson, 2002). The primary part of the Japanese statutory law is basically a collection of laws commonly known as the Six

English Language Learners Essay Example for Free

English Language Learners Essay In this paper we will explain the theory behind English language learners, and give the benefits Of the program. One will show how important it is to practice and or adopt this program as a teacher. In the scenario the teacher was caught off guard he know nothing about using, programs to help him teach the new student. When the student first came into school there should have been an assessment as to how much the child knew. As the child came into the classroom the environment should have made her feel comfortable and safe to explore. The teacher stated that he was frustrated because he did not understand the student native language. As after five months he didn’t know if the student was learning anything. The child would only nod her head or look at him to let him know she understood. The teacher needs to know the stages of oral language development which are the following and the descriptions: 1. The silent period- The student may smile, make hand gestures, point at what they want and not say a word. This stage could last 10 hours, up to six months. 2. The early production stage- This stage could last up to another six months and what also could be expected is simple yes or no answer. At this stage one is not looking for complete conversation. 3. Speech emergences stage- This stage may last up to another year. In the stage the students are able to answer question in complete sentences however, they may make grammatical errors. 4. Intermediate stage- the student is able to make statements and answer in complete sentences. They are also able to give their own opinion, if they don’t understand they will make sure they understand what you are asking and or saying. 5. Advance stage- This student is able to speak in full sentences and write without making grammatical errors. This student can speak as well as an English speaking person. Reading the scenario I was concerned with Mikhail, he had been in the United States for two years and have not yet learned the grammar on his grade level. The teacher states that Mikhail is very well liked and can understand English very well but has poor writing skills. The teacher has no idea what to do next. ACTION PLAN The action plan will be a plan set for all levels of ELLS learners. It will help new students that have not been in an English language learner’s class. It will also help student that have been in the United States for over two years. The first action plan that we are going to do to reduce the effective filtering (anxiety level) the reason for this is to make the students feel comfortable. The more at ease the student is the more the student will learn. The students that are first time comers need to know that the teacher is there for them and they don’t have to second guess. Scaffolding would be one of the activities to help with effective filtering. SHOW AND TELL- This activity is a great example of scaffolding. The teacher would go first so that the students would know how it is to be done. One could show them how to speak clear so that every student understands what they’re saying, it creates a great deal of vocabulary. In doing the show and tell it will allow you to get background on your students. This will allow you to develop a successful lesson plan. Lesson Plan K-12 VOCABULARY/WRITING Fish in a bowl Materials Fish Bowl Pens OBJECT The object of this lesson is to have the students listening, reading and writing. HOW TO PLAY Each student will write a question on paper and put it into the fish bowl. Each student has to put in two question each. One would have to take a paper out of the fish bowl, and read the question and read it in front of the class during this time every one is quite. There are 6 to 10 students sitting in a circle. Once all of the question are pulled and answered, they are put into a smaller group to talk amongst themselves to see how it feels to answer the questions. This activity will give the students listening, writing, reading and speaking activity. In this paper one has shown the importance of English Language Learners. One have shown that this program can be used by every level of English language learner. Reference Chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions?hl=en-USutm_source=chrome-ntp-launcher http://www.edutopia.org/blog/scaffolding-lessons-six-strategies-rebecca-alber Syrja, R.C. (2011). How to reach and teach English language learners: Practical strategies to ensure success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B0B0KWqGMI

Edgar Allen Poe :: essays research papers

EDGAR ALLEN POE BIOGRAPHY Edgar Allen Poe was born in 1809 in Boston. His stories were about love and sadness. He died when he was 40 years old in 1849. People said that they found him unconscious and believed him drunk. He was an excellent writer that kept people fascinated with stories. He died as he lived all his life was miserable and with out hope. It believed that he uses a drug named opium that helped him use his imagination and he uses alcohol. Those were his inspirations and his story's that were so fabulous come from there. These things were making him crazy and took him out of control. A thing that made him even more crazy is that everyone he had ever met or loved always semmed to have died from a disease called tuberculosis. This made him very depressive also. He was born to very poor family. His father was an actor that barley buy meat to eat. He was a little boy when his father abandoned him and their brothers. After that his mother got sick and few months later she died. He went to live with wealthy rich people but his father didn't want to adopt him. His father was a businessman and decided to move to England there he went to school to Manner House School. In 1820 he returned to Virginia but he couldn't afford it and decide left school. He fall in love with a neighbor her name was Elmira, but her father didn't want to accept their relationship. His stepfather criticized him about his story saying that they were workless and he decided to leave his house. He went to a military service but he realized that he like more poems than to be in the military service. He often wrote letters to Elmira unknowing that her father received the letters. She married a rich man and become a rich woman. He became heart broken and he began to write love poems. He was living with his real father, sister, muddy and her daughter. After that he married muddy's daughter at the age of 27 she was 13 years old. She became sick of tuberculosis and died at the age of 24. He didn't know how to support the family because the poems didn't give him enough money.

Miss Emily and the Invisible Man Essays -- Literary Analysis, Faulkner

William Faulkner and Ralph Ellison com from two different back grounds. William Faulkner was a white man born into a family who was affluent and powerful. (DiYanni 78) Ralph Ellison was a black man born in the south. (DiYanni 341) Through their stories they share their views of the south at that time. Faulkner and Ellison had contrasting views on the south about how people with differences were treated and whether or not the south’s changes were positive, however they both view the changing south as inevitable. In Faulkner’s south people who are different are not punished but they are protected from the public embarrassment of their honor. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily† Colonel Sartoris forgives Miss Emily of the taxes she owes the city of Jefferson. Instead of telling Miss Emily the truth, because of her position in the town she out of honor would have had to turn the offer down, the narrator says â€Å"Not that Miss Emily would have accepted charity. Colonel Sartoris invented an involved tale to the effect that Miss Emily's father had loaned money to the town, which the town, as a matter of business, preferred this way of repaying.† (Faulkner 79) Another example of the townspeople protecting Miss Emily’s honor is when they smell a repulsive odor coming from Miss Emily’s house. The mayor Judge Stevens is hesitant to confront Miss Emily the issue at hand. When one of the Aldermen, from the young generation, suggests addressing her of the situation Judge Steven s says "Dammit, sir, will you accuse a lady to her face of smelling bad?" (Faulkner 80) The townspeople ultimately decide to sneak onto Miss Emily’s property so the can remove the stench from her house without insulting her honor. The most extreme case of the citizens of Jefferson prote... ... fell away and did not send their children to her with boxes of color and tedious brushes and pictures cut from the ladies' magazines.† (Faulkner 83) In Battle Royal there is a sense of the inevitable change in the south. That the Invisible Man will follow his grandfathers words. That he has become privy to the game the white man is playing with him. Both of these authors’ short stories cover the changing south. Both of their short stories give us a profound impact on the thinking of these two men when it comes to their views of the south. Coming from different backgrounds this gives the reader a good view of what the overall picture of the south looked like at the time. Faulkner and Ellis disagreed about how differences were handled in the south and whether the changing south was good or bad, but they both of them agreed that the south changing was unavoidable.

People of the Kalahari: the Kung Culture Essay

The people of the Kalahari have a very peaceful way of living. They are secluded from the rest of the world, so they live very different lives. In order for them to survive in the Kalahari, they have to be good at hunting and gathering foods. Because the kung people live in small groups of people that consists of at most 15 huts in the dry season and 20 huts in the rainy season it is important to them to have peace among the people. They have very little crimes and or violence. Stealing is not a problem because when food is gathered, and game is killed everyone gets a portion. There is no need for stealing because the people share. Trust between the people is very strong. Every day the Kung people will gather around the fire and talk and have discussions. Because there is little crime among the people, there is no need for discipline. But on rare occasions that there is a crime, everybody will gather and have a group discussion. As they talk around the fire, they make sure to discuss things that both or upset them. When something happens, that stirs emotions like anger, hate, or jealousy they make sure to figure out what has caused it and to fix it to keep the peace. The Kung people are nomadic; they never stay in one area for very long. In the Kalahari water is an essential part of life, without it you could not survive. And since there is little water and it barely ever rains, the Kung people have to be near water. They move their villages to places that have water at reasonable distances that they can walk to. The people can’t drive to the super market or to a restaurant when their hungry, life is harsher than that in the Kalahari. If they need food, they have to hunt or gather it. The Kung people are excellent hunters. They use poison tipped arrows to shot their game. The poison tipped arrows are used as a sedative and puts the animal to sleep, and eventually kills it. But because the poison is slow acting, the people have to stalk their prey until it dies. The people are gatherers; they gather foods like roots, berries, fruits and nuts. The people of the Kalahari are a very peaceful culture. To survive they have to know the land and experts in hunting and tracking their prey, and gathering foods inorder to survive in the Kalahari.

9 Steps to Take During Your Job Search

9 Steps to Take During Your Job Search No matter why you’re looking for a job, you can get started on any of these nine steps immediately and feel more proactive and prepared. Blitz through them fast and you’ll be well on your way. 1. Update your resumeYou know you need to. Set aside an hour and update that thing. Make sure the formatting is clean, professional and uniform, then get ready to send it out.2. Reach outEven if you’re not sure what you want to do next, or how to go about it, engage your network. Ask for advice and suggestions. Chances are someone has a great idea or opportunity for you. All you need to do is ask.3. Take a quizIt never hurts to reevaluate, especially if you think it might be time to try a new career. Take an online career quiz like this one to make sure you’re going in the right direction for your skills and tastes.4. Ask up the ladderDon’t be shy to reach out to someone above your station, so to speak, whom you admire. People love to be asked for advice. The worst-case scenario? They’ll say no. The best? They might not have realized they had the perfect opportunity just waiting for someone like you to come along.5. Get organizedWhen you get heavy into your search, you’ll have resumes going out and correspondence coming in like mad. Take a breather to set up an organizational system to serve you smoothly throughout the process. You’ll be glad you did.6. Give yourself a digital makeoverGo ahead and Google yourself. Make sure your social media accounts reflect the best and most professional, hirable version of the special snowflake that you are. Take down those drunken pictures from the Christmas party, or set your Facebook privacy settings to Friends Only. Shore up your online presence before the right person searches for you and gets the wrong impression.7. Tailor your cover letterDon’t just send out the same soulless form letter. Do your homework. Learn about the company and the job first, then tailor each co ver letter to match.8. Bone upStudy up on interview strategies and techniques so as not to feel the waves of panic when you get one!9. Hit the job boardsReady, get set, get a job!

untitled essays

untitled essays Hello. My name is Emily Jackson. I am a 14 year old freshman at Louisville Male High School. I am interested in many sports including softball and basketball, but enough about me. I want to talk about you. Many people may ask why I admire a peer. Well, its simple. In fact a ccertain song comes to mind when I think about you: I wanna be like you... Anyway I admire you mostly because youre exactly the person everyone wants to be. A two- letter sports all-star (volleyball and basketball). Youre confident in everything you do. The way you walk, the way you talk, everything! You make good grades, not that I dont, mind you. You also have lots of friends both on the court and off. You are a great friend and a great tutor (I will go on to explain that later). Remember that time when you tried to teach me to play volleyball? It didnt work out, obviously, but I admired the way you never gave up and never lost your temper when I messed up. You might even have a shot at being a teacher if you get a real student, that is. You always go through with the things you plan. You are always committed to your responsiblities at home and at school. Thats why I admire you. I just wanted to thank you so much for what youve done for me and for many other. You helped me become more confident in certain situations and even helped me understand geometry, believe it or not. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate and respect how youve changed me. Its made me a better person in the world. Again, thank you so much and good luck in the future. ...

Character Similarities Between Medea and Lysestrata essays

Character Similarities Between Medea and Lysestrata essays Though different playwrights wrote Trifles, Medea, and Lysistrata they contain many of the same scenarios and characterizations. Both plays have protagonists that are strong-minded women who feel they have been duped by the men in their lives and they seek to return things to their normal daily lives. The women outwit the men and take the law in their own hands. Lysistrata believes the war is being mishandled and prolonged because of the stubbornness of the men. Medea, on the other hand believes she has been unlawfully cast aside by Jason and seeks her revenge. And in Trifles Mrs. Wright is isolated by her husband to spend her life in a small house with none of her pleasures of her youth. I believe that the reactions from the women are all due to their place in society. In Greek society women had no power and thus were held as second-class citizens who must obey their husbands. Women in the early twentieth century had very little power and for the most part were ruled by their husbands. In each play the women revolt against those in charge in order to obtain recognition of what rights to which they are entitled. All three women mean well. Medea doesnt want Jason to marry the princess for the sheer reason that while he is married to her he will continue a relationship with Medea as well. Medea clearly sees that the relationship with Jason and the princess will prove to be the kind of relationships based on what Jason wants and the princess will be just another person that Jason would be using. Despite the trials and tribulations that the men in Lysistrata endure they are punished and tortured to end a war. Lysistrata wants to stop the massive murders that occur on the battlefields and with good reason. She could have gone about things a different way, but the play was written as a farce and what Aristophanes did was appropriate. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters too recognize the ...

Week 4 Assignment Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 4 Assignment Paper - Essay Example Of the points raised in the readings, I agree that inclusion issues dealing with disability differ from country to country, expressed in Chapter 10. However, these differences are caused by more than just prejudice, being strongly influenced also by economics and legislation. On the other hand, I disagree with the point made by Steve Bucherati in Chapter 9, that community involvement is evident when a firm manufactures a good that is patronized by all segments of the market. For me, this simply means the firm has adopted the mass production strategy. These insights into community involvement, social responsibility, and diversity and inclusion, will help me, as a sales representative and agent of St Jude Medical, to create stronger and more meaningful bonds between my company and the public it relates to. In Chapter 10, I agree that inclusion issues dealing with disability differ from country to country; however, these differences are caused by more than just prejudice. There are economic considerations, such as in those countries where the population is large, labor is cheap, and the great number of able-bodied, qualified and skilled workers is more than enough labor supply for the existing industries. With the high rate of unemployment and largely manual production processes, it is not so much that the disabled are discriminated against, but that it is likewise an injustice to turn down more capable, equally jobless, workers who would be more useful to the business. There are also legal considerations; some governments provide wage subsidies for businesses which employ the disabled (Europa, 2008; EBU, 2012), but in other countries there are no such provisions. Ultimately, therefore, the decision to hire disabled applicants does not proceed solely from some sense of altruism, but to avail of government incentives for businesses which do so – thereby reducing costs and enhancing profits. Multinationals might therefore practice diversity where it

Case brief Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Brief - Case Study Example t can be said that there is more demand for books hence, in this regard the company plans to launch MIRA program which had the same focus, of promoting these simple story lines. It is indicated by research that customers are more inclined towards reading these romantic novels. As far as reasons for likeness of these romantic series is concerned, it can be said the novels offers the readers a sense of romantic fantasy which makes these books popular among young adolescence specially women. The case study of Harlequin shows that the company has stabilized growth in publishing romance series. However, the company should take the initiative of launching MIRA program with emphasis on women’s single title romance novels. The main reason of using this program would be that the company would be able to achieve a competitive advantage of creating a brand image which could help generate incoming sales in the long run. This brand image would be based on a business model that has the components of capitalist stance. This capitalist stance can be defined as having an advantage over the weaker market, making Harlequin a recognized brand. It is seen that the fiction market is fragmented so Harlequin has the potential of becoming the world largest publisher of these single title fiction series. Moreover, the name, â€Å"Harlequin† would suggest to the people as a dominant brand that establishes brand loyalty by being standardized in printing, marketing their books and using effective distribution channels. It can be said that this would make the company an opportunist and they can successfully take the title of being brand that promotes single title series of romance and limit access of other companies. The books provided by this company would cater to all the audience, making the readers hooked on these books so that there is no other brand that could compete with the company. It has been estimated that there is only around 50% of the books having the same title of single

MACROECONOMIC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MACROECONOMIC - Essay Example It has also seen that the market and business of the country getting to have a sense of decency and accountability. The banks major role is to regulate the money or the Australian currency. It is also responsible for the management of other banks. In essence the RBA has a regulatory role in the Australian economy rather than profit making like other banks. The absence of this bank could have seen a scenario was prices of commodities rise insignificantly and no one has control over them. Financial institutions could have also been free to impose any interest rates and totally create a situation of anarchy in the economy. It is then necessary that we keenly look at the role of the RBA in the economy of Australia. The role of the RBA Though the reserve bank can play several other roles there are three major roles that can be sidelined in the study of the functions of the RBA to the economy of Australia. These roles are. ... Interest rates are a significant and basic thing that loaners look at before they can take a lone from the bank. The RBA then plays a very basic role of regulating the availability of money in the economy to be borrowed, these is done by the bank regulating and defining the general cost rate of interest in the whole banking sector. These are ideally achieved through the domestic market operations (RBO). In these case then the bank is responsible for the granting of government securities, these securities are like the treasury notes and also the treasury bonds. These two will directly influence the general interest rate of the banks. Maintenance of employment Unemployment is one key factor in the determination of the economic status of a country. Unemployment is majorly or in most cases high when inflation is high. With the prices of commodities being high and purchase power of citizen being low then a situation presents itself were many employees will not employ more workers or in ev en other case downsize there labor force. The RBA has a major role of regulating inflation by ensuring that it remains at a very low value. This low inflation is very critical in marginalizing prices in the market and thus the purchase power remains high. These unable more people to get employed and thus in such a case the RBA is playing a very critical role of maintaining employment. Ensuring economic prosperity Finally the RBA has a very major role of developing the economy of Australia. From the roles it plays it ensures that there is stability in the currency of Australia. A stable currency is a very good indicator of economy growth. When the currency is strong against other international currencies then the economy

SEC project EBAY Inc Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

SEC project EBAY Inc - Assignment Example The Independent Auditors Report contained in the annual report of the company in 2012 was prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers. PricewaterhouseCoopers is the auditor of the company. 5. Is the company on a calendar or fiscal year? The company’s accounting cycle is based on the calendar year which means they reflect economic activity from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. 6. List the names of any 3 liability accounts from the Balance Sheet. Three liabilities accounts reflected in the balance sheet of the company are short term debt, accounts payables, and long-term debt. 7. List the names of any 3 Stockholder Equity accounts from the Balance Sheet. The names of three equity accounts reflected in the balance sheet of eBay are common stock, treasury stock, and retained earnings. 8. List the names of any 3 Asset accounts from the Balance Sheet. Three asset accounts reflected in the balance sheet of the firm are cash, account receivable and long term investments. 9. What is the to tal dollar value of their Current and Total Liabilities? The value of the current liabilities of eBay at the end of 2012 was $10,924 million, while the value of the total liabilities of the company was $16,209 million. 10. What is the total value of Stockholders Equity? The total value of the stockholders equity of the company in 2012 was $20,865 million. 11. ... The price of EBAY common stocks as of April 27, 2013 was $52.54 (Yahoo, 2013). 14. What was the highest price that the share traded at over the last 52 weeks? The highest price that the eBay common stock was traded during the last 52 weeks is $58.04. 15. What was the lowest price that the share traded at over the last 52 weeks? The lowest price that the common stock of eBay was traded during the last 52 weeks was $38.00 16. Provide a brief explanation for the 52 week high price and 52 week low price of the company. In other words, why did the company’s stock price go up and come down or vice versa? In order to visualize the movement of the price of the common stocks of eBay during the last 52 weeks a graph of the price of eBay’s common stock for the last year is illustrated below. (Yahoo, 2013). The graph shows that during the last year the eBay common stock has experience an upwards trend it its prices. A potential reason that the stocks of the firm climbed is due to t he good results of the quarterly financial statements of the company. 17. Write about any recent activity/event affecting the company in your own words. Do you think this activity had any effect on the stock prices? The different business activities of eBay have helped the company maximize the shareholders wealth of the investors. The company has been aggressively targeting growth in the European continent. Due to the growth in the region the company recently opened an international operations center in Dundalk, Ireland (Ebayinc, 2013). The firm has been keeping up with the latest technological trends. The PayPal subsidiary of eBay developed a phone application that allows people to send and receive money worldwide using the capabilities of their

Preschool observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Preschool observation - Essay Example Conducive environment increases ability to develop by observing and recognizing a need for growth in a specific content area. Right pedagogical tools fuel development by integrating inherent characteristics of an individual to observe, emulate and initiate a wide range of competencies. Literacy skills are at the heart of the knowledge based education to all children to make them competent for future. Literacy skills are composed of several components including, vocabulary and oral language, phonological awareness, knowledge of print, letters and words, comprehension, understanding of books and other texts, and a source of enjoyment. Development of literacy skills including language and communication progress are coordinated efforts of the child and the surrounding stimuli. This could be cooperatively boosted with the help of planned activities by educators. These intentional use of techniques helps to reach, teach and promote literacy learning among all the students. The children easily capture language skills by watching and listening to their teachers and colleagues without much effort. Then, they attempt to apply their vocabulary in conversation. The language is not only vocabulary but the knowledge of meaning of words, structured sound for conveying linguistic meaning and use of language in different contexts. Playful environment has unmet positive characteristics and exceptional features. This intentional learning strategy builds up various skills like verbalization, vocabulary, language comprehension, problem solving, observation, empathy, imagination, assuming another’s perspective, using symbols, and learning to cooperate with others. Play in a trustworthy environment with educator’s supervision and support; children can explore, develop, and learn language and communication skills. The learners are able to regula te the impulses and understand the need for rules. They are able to develop synergistic

SEC project EBAY Inc Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

SEC project EBAY Inc - Assignment Example The Independent Auditors Report contained in the annual report of the company in 2012 was prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers. PricewaterhouseCoopers is the auditor of the company. 5. Is the company on a calendar or fiscal year? The company’s accounting cycle is based on the calendar year which means they reflect economic activity from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. 6. List the names of any 3 liability accounts from the Balance Sheet. Three liabilities accounts reflected in the balance sheet of the company are short term debt, accounts payables, and long-term debt. 7. List the names of any 3 Stockholder Equity accounts from the Balance Sheet. The names of three equity accounts reflected in the balance sheet of eBay are common stock, treasury stock, and retained earnings. 8. List the names of any 3 Asset accounts from the Balance Sheet. Three asset accounts reflected in the balance sheet of the firm are cash, account receivable and long term investments. 9. What is the to tal dollar value of their Current and Total Liabilities? The value of the current liabilities of eBay at the end of 2012 was $10,924 million, while the value of the total liabilities of the company was $16,209 million. 10. What is the total value of Stockholders Equity? The total value of the stockholders equity of the company in 2012 was $20,865 million. 11. ... The price of EBAY common stocks as of April 27, 2013 was $52.54 (Yahoo, 2013). 14. What was the highest price that the share traded at over the last 52 weeks? The highest price that the eBay common stock was traded during the last 52 weeks is $58.04. 15. What was the lowest price that the share traded at over the last 52 weeks? The lowest price that the common stock of eBay was traded during the last 52 weeks was $38.00 16. Provide a brief explanation for the 52 week high price and 52 week low price of the company. In other words, why did the company’s stock price go up and come down or vice versa? In order to visualize the movement of the price of the common stocks of eBay during the last 52 weeks a graph of the price of eBay’s common stock for the last year is illustrated below. (Yahoo, 2013). The graph shows that during the last year the eBay common stock has experience an upwards trend it its prices. A potential reason that the stocks of the firm climbed is due to t he good results of the quarterly financial statements of the company. 17. Write about any recent activity/event affecting the company in your own words. Do you think this activity had any effect on the stock prices? The different business activities of eBay have helped the company maximize the shareholders wealth of the investors. The company has been aggressively targeting growth in the European continent. Due to the growth in the region the company recently opened an international operations center in Dundalk, Ireland (Ebayinc, 2013). The firm has been keeping up with the latest technological trends. The PayPal subsidiary of eBay developed a phone application that allows people to send and receive money worldwide using the capabilities of their

Europeanization of Islam in European Countries Research Paper

Europeanization of Islam in European Countries - Research Paper Example These migrations that took place over centuries occurred mainly due to a quest for a better life and better living conditions. However, some of these migrations were under forced conditions, owing to various tribal, sectarian, or familial conflicts; and sometimes also due to political unrest in the country of origin. The first prominent Muslim immigrants were those that settled in Spain, during eight century AD. Along with such migrations, there was also the transfer of science, arts, literature, and various important literary transcripts also found their way from the Arabian Peninsula to the Iberian Peninsula and soon spread to other parts of Europe. Thus, there was a transfer of knowledge and culture, and soon the host and the immigrant communities started influencing each other. Today after more 1500 years of migration and settlement, Islam has become an integral part of the demographical, traditional and cultural landscape of Europe. They are no longer guests who will go back hom e, but have become Europeans following the Islamic faith; and with Islam becoming the second largest religious community in Europe within the last 50 years, this religion can longer be overlooked or sidelined. The first generation of the Muslim immigrants remained more close to their home upbringing and thus their Islam was more relevant to their home culture. However, the later generations after years of being born and bred in the European continent, now have two distinct lineages to maintain, one is the old traditions and culture of their grandparents and the other is the local culture of Europe. In the recent years it has been seen that in spite of protests from the conservative Muslim circles, there has been a move to create an Islamic religion which is more adapted to the European way of life. This has been done with the express aim to amalgamate Islam and Europe more closely so that the former can show its strength to adapt and flourish in its adopted country like it has done previously in Africa or Asia.  Ã‚  

Social Work Law and Practice Assignment Essay Example for Free

Social Work Law and Practice Assignment Essay â€Å"To be accountable is literally to be liable to be called upon to give an account of what one has done or not done. The account may include all or some of descriptions, explanations, excuses or justifications. † (Banks, 2004, p. 150). Within my current agency context I have a professional accountability which appoints me a duty to carry out and justify my work through; informed theoretical knowledge, professional judgements and legal frameworks which govern the social work profession in the field of criminal justice (Kleinig, 2008). To date I have carried out my ‘supervised direct practice placement’ within a third sector agency whose aim within the ideal of social care and protection is to promote the economic and social welfare in Scotland in working with ex-offenders and young people deemed ‘at risk’ to provide them with the transferable skills they each require to help them find or stay within employment or education (Agency Policy, 2010a). The variety of settings and engagement styles I worked within over this period of time, although diverse, all aimed to uphold the organisations statement of purpose which defines that, â€Å"our work adheres to the use of the organisation’s employability model to; identify, assess and tackle barriers faced by our service users such as debt, family problems and offending. This service delivery should reflect upon the relevant techniques and guidance which focus on reducing re-offending and providing both guidance and advice on conviction relevance and disclosure† (Agency Policy, 2011b). As a social work student I have accountability and adherence to various bodies and individuals whom govern my professional practice. This duty to the work within the lines of multiple accountabilities which are often in tension with each other pose complexity on the work I deliver, which in turn both represents thus public bodies whilst safeguards and promotes the welfare of service users. This statement is agreed by Ingram (2011) who indicates that social workers within Scotland have â€Å"complex interdependencies and relationships in delivering safe, effective, accountable and professional practice† (Scottish Government, 2011). This comment also expands on the crucial professional partnerships I have with other agencies and statutory services. In the purpose of my professional practice I have worked together with the appropriate officials and agencies that all have the common purpose of tackling and delivering practice of various degrees to service users within the criminal justice field. Our service users are the key components of our interest focus and have brought us together to work with a common purpose; their welfare (Banks, 2004). Knowledge of the remit in which other agencies work within is vital, allowing for the reduction in both overlaps and voids in our service delivery (Glasby and Peck, 2004). In my current agency I have used partnership working as a tool to both source information and gather professional opinions from those working with individuals in a different capacity. This has marginally been in liaising with social workers for developed background information on the service users I have worked with and informing their professional decision making with regard to each individual’s progression with the organisation following referral. This multi-disciplinary style of working, although beneficial to my development and progression of work with individuals is additionally a legal standard of conduct which governs my professional performance (Pycroft and Gough, 2010). The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is the regulatory body whom describes and governs the standards of conduct which I am accountable to deliver in my work with individuals. Through my essential registration to them it is their guidance that outlines those standards and values I must adhere to in my professional practice. It is this Council that foresees the essentiality of; â€Å"Recognising and respecting the roles and expertise of workers from other agencies and working in partnership with them† (SSSC, 2003: 6. 7). This code of conduct influenced my role of with a number of service user during practice placement in collecting data both verbally and in the form of documentation from professionals, most commonly their social workers, whilst elaborating on the underlying goals I had in terms of developing ‘employability skills’. This in turn reflected upon my code’s of practice in contributing to the learning of others in improving and developing my knowledge of our each specific; accountabilities, powers and skills within our contrasting roles of working (SSSC, 2003: 6. ). Various research and informative legislation outlines my upheld values and duties within the Scottish context of social work. It is this legal writing alongside academic literature that influences my ‘need’ to act in particular ways and deliver ‘required’ services. It is in balancing my duties and accountabilities outlined by this published guidance that I am obligated to make my informed decisions and professional judgements with regard to my service user group (Lishman, 2007). Alongside this is additionally my duty o service users and my practice organisation, they may both have expectation from the practice I deliver, however striving to compliment this by working closely within the remit of my allowances as a trainee practitioner is what I have aimed to evidence to date (Fraser and Matthews, 2008). â€Å"It seems that the balance of accountabilities of social work practice has become somewhat skewed, with too much emphasis on accountability to the employer and not enough on individual professional accountability† (Scottish Executive, 2006, p. 30). This argument agrees that the delivery of effective practice is often focused more heavily upon one group or organisation. My working has aimed to display professional accountable to all those individuals and appropriate agencies during this practice learning whilst still implementing and working within the legislation that governs my work as a student social worker. Within my individual working with service users I have used both theory and ‘skills’ derived from the professional context such as active listening and open ended questions. These ‘skills’ are essential in portraying my professional competence as a social work student and beneficial to the forming of effective professional relationships and information gathering. As well as displaying my ability to practice these methods within my working I am accountable to do so by the SSSC who state that I must ; meet the outlines standards of practice whilst working in both an effective and safe way whilst within the boundaries of current legislation (SSSC, 2003: 6. 1). This has been displayed most commonly been through the initial contact assessment meetings I have both conducted and participated within. The main purpose of these meetings is to; inform, assess and discuss available routes and options available to each service user whilst anticipating their offending behaviour and criminal convictions and other relevant factors which could influence the sustaining of current or future employment (Agency Policy, 2010b). A common example of my working in this service delivery is in collaborating a disclosure letter with an individual, this document details their criminal convictions and gives an account for their occurrence; whilst drawing on the influences that were apparent for them to have happened. In order to complete such a letter with a service user I have had to obtain signed authorisation from them in order to access their charge sheet which is in the possession of their social worker. This element of work is governed by Shedule 20 of the Data Portection Act 1998; which outlines that the social worker has the authority as an official worker to supply confidential information if requested whilst permitted by the individual who is specified within the data (Gibbons-Wood, 2008). Upon receiving a copy of this official summary of convictions, I then calculate what convictions are ‘spent’ and ‘unspent’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This legislation governs the provision of the ‘employment and guidance’ service the organisation delivers. I worked within the remit of its legal guidance by calculating what convictions need to be disclosed to an employer and what ones do not in each service user’s case. This calculation is made dependant on; nature of conviction, time in between offending and reoffending and the length of sentence/probation period they served (Croall, et al. 010). The outcome of supporting service users to write a disclosure letter is ultimately to have a paper document that will support their job applications and interviews. The letter, in accordance with the relevant legislation provides the information that will allow an employer to assess the relevance of an individual’s convictions to the post being applied for (McLaughlin, 2008). Within this work I was mindful to be honest in my recommendations with regard to service user’s wishes towards employment whilst respecting their decisions and desires towards work. I did not at any point wish to be seen as discouraging or negative about their ambitions but had to be realistic about how the nature of their convictions could affect the post they want. One example of this lies within my working with Stacey*; she was eager to learn about the most appropriate way to disclose your past to en employer including her criminal convictions with the help of the organisation. Stacey wished to pursue a career in child care however had four convictions of ‘assault causing permanent disfigurement’ and several pending charges of theft. Although she may have been deemed as having the ambition and caring nature which is required for this work her convictions would most likely put a barrier on working with children and those within a vulnerable people grouping. I had to convey this information to her appropriately whilst being sensitive to her feelings. Ultimately I explained that I could not provide a factual answer to whether or not employment in this field would be possible as it is always at the employers’ discretion, however had to be realistic in terms of how these convictions may influence er working with children. Delivering this information in the most; open honest and accurate way I could posed complexity on the relationship I was building with Stacey through this discussion as I was unable to determine how she would respond although I aimed to not allow any false pretences within her expectations. This honesty to service users is a factor governed by my professional duty to practice and uphold the ap propriate ethical decision making and values for social workers (Walker and Crawford, 2010). My values and ethics although in part derive from some personal beliefs and experiences are governed within my professional practice through my accountability to the British Association for Social Workers (BASW*). This association defines my responsibility to service users alongside the ethics and values I must adhere to within my work with them. It is within this guidance that my obligation and duty to respect service user’s backgrounds and beliefs are outlined as well as valuing their thoughts and wishes whilst working at all times to meet their needs and interests (BASW, 2002). The dilemma I faced in working with Stacey came following the discussion we engaged in about her criminal convictions posing limitations on her desire to work with children. She told me that she understood why she may not be able to work in this sector and how limitations to other jobs in the care and support field may also be a result of this. Despite Stacey acknowledging and showing understanding to this information she disclosed that if she thought within any job application that she would not be considered due to her criminal record she would simply claim that she has no criminal convictions or pending charges. This left me with a an ethical decision to make; although I felt that Stacey had many personal attributes and the passion to make a success of a career within child care her not disclosing this information could ultimately put individuals including the children she may come to work with at risk. I was both duty bound and accountable to convey this information to employers or other professionals in this instance for the purpose of both public and child protection if she were not to do so herself and I made this clear to Stacey. Although I encouraged the importance of being honest with employers when it comes to the criminal history of service users I am bound by governmental policy in relation to child protection to share any information that may put the welfare or safety of children in jeopardy (Scottish Executive, 2002). Parallel with my accountability to service users are my additional accountabilities to my organisation and practice of the social work profession in which I represent as a student. I upheld this obligation through adherence to and practice within the diverse organisational policies which were in place and abided by the local and national policy that administers work within the field of criminal justice. A key document which outlines my learning requirements and elements I must both adhere to and demonstrate is The Framework for Social Work Education in Scotland. It is this document, set out by the government, which displays thus guiding principles I am expected to uphold and practice through my work with service users. One of which is my ability to demonstrate within a practice setting a â€Å"high level of transferable skills† (Scottish Government, 2003). This in turn defines my obligation to put my learning of theory and a range of; modules, skills and information I have studied from the social work context into practice within my practice organisation and demonstrate it to a competent standard. An obligation I have which is outlined in sections within the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 is to record with respect to each individual; what I did, why I done it and the outcomes or professional judgements I made in each instance (Davis and Gordon, 2011). In relation to my organisation I fulfilled this duty by keeping records up to date and accurate, documenting only information that was relevant to the welfare of the service user and purposeful regarding their employment needs. Most of my work with the organisation has been with young people aged between 16-25 years who are in contact with social work. A large proportion of my working with them has been influenced by conditions/orders or convictions they have incurred through the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Act 1997 and Care and Protection (Scotland) Act 1995 (Gibbons-Wood, 2008). However it is dependent on the nature of conviction which deems what legislation most heavily influences the sentencing of each service user and also the diverse nature and aims of the working style being formed with them. In my working with convicted sex offenders I was aware of the relevant legislation and guidance in place a national level which governs my working objectives and outlines my duty to be proactive in sharing information with external organisations and local authority teams. The Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA’S) framework was formed following the Management of Offenders Act 2005. It is this framework that governs my professional working with those convicted of a sexual offence making me â€Å"obligated by a statutory duty to cooperate, all relevant agencies including local authorities, voluntary organisations and, crucially, health services are jointly charged with the ‘management’ of such offenders (Gibbons-Wood, 2008, p. 232). Prior to my first assessment meeting with an individual charged with a sexual offence I used supervision from my workplace supervisor to discuss my concerns over my lack of experience in dealing with those service users convicted of schedule one offences. I felt I required more information on the individual’s circumstances and convictions prior to this arranged contact to aid my preparation and knowledge of his criminal history. I explained to my supervisor that I wished to contact his social worker to collect this information, which would ease my concerns on this occasion with respect to his referral information being extremely brief. This allowed for more relevant preparation to be conducted and a strengthening in partnership working with his social worker as we shared professional opinions and other information relevant to the purpose of his referral to the service. This professional partnership working adhered to the MAPPA framework in assisting our delivery of effective and applicable practice (McNeill and Whyte, 2007). The preparation on this occasion also included me independently requesting a risk assessment to be carried out before meeting the individual via one-to-one engagement. As I have to date had no sex offender or collusion training I requested this be carried out with support from my colleagues. My workplace supervisor explained to me that this is not mandatory within the policies and procedures of the organisation however I explained that I felt it to be necessary on this occasion and how I felt it would positively assist future practice. Following the expression my concern I was forwarded risk assessment paperwork from my superior in which I passed onto the individual’s social worker to be completed. The risk assessment paperwork aimed to allow his social worker to; â€Å"Make professional judgement on the level of risk this individual may pose onto staff members whilst detailing their conviction and victim group and showing what they recommend for risk management for the named individual† (Agency Policy, 2011a). I felt in my request for such an assessment to be carried out I displayed competence in my ability to use resources to aid my working relationships and support a ‘safe’ working environment. Although it was not essentially common practice within my agency is proved to be good practice in assisting my readiness for initial contact. Conclusively, a dilemma I faced throughout the duration of my practice placement was that the agency was not a statutory organisation. This meant that my work on a day to day basis was not always governed by national guidelines and government legislation, instead by organisational policies and procedures which were in certain cases only influenced by this relevant legislation. I responded to this by working as well as I could within the provisions set from both my organisation and those in place for me to best utilise my skills as a social work student. Working in the closest relation to the obligations I have as a trainee practicioner from the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 I acknowledged that; â€Å"the need to have an understanding of legal issues which service users may face even though there may not be a direct social work responsibility involved in the issue† (Brammer, 2010, p. ). I understand that I am not a qualified or approved social worker therefore I am not yet liable for to make individual decisions without the input of supervision from colleagues (Lackey, 2006). However, I aimed to show my accountability to the vast array of individuals and organisations I came into contact with over the duration of direct practice learning despite my obligations lying mostly with the organisation I was practicing within.

Starbucks Strategies for Profitability

Starbucks Strategies for Profitability 1. Introduction Major objective of this study is to shed light on the strategies and efforts made by Starbuck to solve its problems related to profitability. In order to do a careful analysis of internal initiatives is undertaken to have an idea about the success of these initiatives to return to a stable pace of profitability growth by Starbucks. To have growth in profitability Starbucks needs to generate competitive advantage among the rival firms. Starbucks will have to take into account overall trends of industry, so that long run profitability growth can be assured. Both the internal and external factors faced with the firm are analyzed separately in order to have a reliable future position. 1.1. Positive Aspects related with Starbucks and Recommended Strategy Starbucks provides healthy working environment to its employees and have detailed and employee friendly stock option plans. Moreover, the major strengths of Starbucks lie in the attractive shop design and comfortable shop environment. Starbucks aims to become a top coffee outlet not only at regional level but also at international level. So the strategy of globalization will help Starbucks to increase its profitability. In order to successfully implement this strategy performance targets for managers will have to be set so that they are provided with the incentive to improve their performance. 1.2. Objectives of Starbucks Clean supply of coffee. Create readily happy clients all the period. Provide an incredible work place and handle pride and one another with respect. Accept diversity being an important element in the manner we do company. Make use of the greatest requirements of quality towards the buying. Lead positively to the towns and our environment, and notice that success is important to our potential success. 2. Issues faced by the Firm 2.1. Internal Issues Limited Product Range: Starbucks offers a product range comprised of single source and approximately thirty products , Coffee machines, advanced candy, coffee cups, coffee accessories card, a stored value card, coffees, containers frap-puccino caffeine products, coffees, coffee liqueurs, type of ice creams, audio, publications, movies, house Starbucks and gifts. Limited Advantages provided to Employees: Many conflicts among workers have been observed since in various outlets of Starbucks all over the world and the main reason was low-pay and extended work hours. As the burden of work remains high the employees feel overworked and hence they find it difficult to continue working at Starbucks. 2.2. Insufficient Growth of Alternatives Available When the business was started there were just 17 coffee shops but now the outlets are running in 39 nations all over the world having almost 12,240 outlets. The worldwide rate of growth associated with coffee shops is too high as compared to that of Starbucks. This fact leads to create a severe anxiety for Starbucks and limits the growth opportunities available to the firm. 2.3. Customer Relationships The clients of Starbuck are not that much diversified and belong to almost similar group. On the other hand it not the case with other international coffee brands. Another consideration is attached with the Starbucks connection with their clients. Starbucks is regarded as very awesome coffee brand when consumer considerations are concerned. In the region of Beijing where Starbucks recently closed an outlet due to ethnic differences among manufacturers can also be regarded as a threat to the future growth of a business. Some revolutionary anti-capitalism activists left the Starbucks becoming former clients, but additionally Starbucks and especially small people even not approved within the company’s feel uneasy or shops. Because of Starbucks rapid development, the manufacturer so dropped its unique hospitality for customers and continues to be commoditized. Major Issue Faced by Firm On the basis of above discussion it is found that major issue for Starbucks is limited growth opportunities which may be result of weak customer relationships. 3. Analysis of Financial Ratios Liquidity ratios: Tells us about the ability of a firm to pay its short term debt obligations. The most commonly used liquidity ratios are current ratio, quick ratio and cash flow ratio. Current ratio (Cr) = Current Assets/Current Liabilities Current ratio shows that how much of current assets a firm has in order to be able to pay its short term debt. For the year 2009 Cr =403.60 / 309.30 = 1.30 For the year 2010 Cr =476.10 / 318.50 = 1.49 Conclusion: The current ratio is 1.30 in the year 2009 which shows that the firm had current assets of $ 1.30 in order to pay liability of $1. In the year 2010 the firm had $ 1.49 to pay the liability of $1. The improvement in current ratio is indicating that the position of firm in the form of current assets to finance its debt has been improved. Quick ratio ( Qr)= (Current assets-Inventory-Prepaid) / current Liabilities Quick ratio shows that how much of convertible assets a firm has in order to be able to pay its short term debt. For the year 2009 Qr =403.60- 119.20-44.30 / 309.30 = 240.3 / 309.30 = 0.77 For the year 2010 Qr = 476.10 115 – 47.30 /318.50 = 313.8 / 318.50 = 0.98 Conclusion: The current ratio was 0.77 in the year 2009 which shows that the firm had convertible assets of $ 0.77 in order to pay liability of $1. In the year 2010 the firm had $ 0.98 to pay the liability of $1. The improvement in quick ratio is indicating that the position of firm in the form of convertible assets to finance its debt has been improved. Cash ratio (Chr) = Cash/ Current Liabilities Cash ratio shows that how much of cash a firm has in order to be able to pay its short term debt. For the year 2009 Chr = 54.50 / 309.30 = 0.17 For the year 2010 Chr = 76.70 / 318.50 = 0.24 Conclusion: The cash ratio was 0.17 in the year 2009 which shows that the firm had cash of $ 0.24 in order to pay liability of $1. In the year 2010 the firm had $ 0.24 to pay the liability of $1. The improvement in cash ratio is indicating that the firm has more cash to pay back its debt has been improved in 2010 as compared to 2009 which is a good sign for Starbucks. Leverage Ratios: These ratios tell us about financial structure of company. The sources of fiancà © of a business are shown by leverage ratios. It shows the components of debt financing, equity financing and self financing of a firm. Debt to equity ratio = Total Debt / Total equity. It shows the components of debt and equity in firm’s capital structure. For the year 2009 (DEr) = 1827.80/ -1033.60 = -1.76 For the year 2010 (DEr) = 1783.10/ -696.40 = -2.56 Conclusion: negative value of equity is showing that the value of an asset used to secure a loan is less than the outstanding balance on the loan. The value of assets is far below the outstanding balance on the loan used to purchase those assets which is sign of possible financial distress of the firm. Debt to equity ratio is greater than 1 showing that the component of debt is much higher than that of equity in firm’s capital structure. The debt component has been decreased in 2010 as compared to 2009. Debt to asset ratio (DAr)= Total asset / Total assets. It shows how much of firm’s assets are financed through debt i.e. components of debt and equity in firm’s capital structure. For the year 2009 ( DAr) = 1827.80/ 794.20 = 2.30 For the year 2010 (DAr) = 1783.10/ 1086.70 = 1.64 Conclusion: The ratio of 2.30 in 2009 is showing that component of debt in total assets is almost two and a half times that of equity. However this ratio is decreased in 2010 which is showing that equity level of debt has been decreased in firm’s capital structure as compared to 2009 which is a good sign for this firm as there is a risk of financial distress and bankruptcy associated with high levels of debt burden. 4. Diagnosis of Firm Performance Profitability Ratios: Profitability ratios reflect the performance of a company it shows that whether firm performance is improving or deteriorating. Return on Assets = (Net profit / total assets) * 100. This ratio shows that how much profit is being generated by firm’s assets or what is the contribution of firm’s total assets in its profitability. For the year 2009 ROA = (48.80 / 794.20) * 100 =6.14 % For the year 2010 ROA = (327.30 / 1086.70) * 100 = 30.1 % Conclusion: ROA of 6.14% in the year 2009 is showing that every $ 100 invested generates $ 6.14 as profit. ROA has been improved in the year 2010 as now each $ 100 invested will generate 30.1 as profit. So the profitability is improved in the year 2010 which is a good sign. Net Profit Margin = Net Profit / Sales It reflects the amount of each sales dollar left over after all expenses have been made. This ratio helps a company determine how much actual profit is made from each sale earned. The higher the net profit margin, the better the company is doing at turning sales into profit. For the year 2009 NPM = (48.80 / 1295.90) * 100 = 3.7 % For the year 2010 NPM = (327.30 /1321.40) * 100 = 24.76 % Conclusion: Net profit margin has been greatly increased in the year 2010 as compared to that of 2009 which is a strong positive signal. The improvement may be because of strong sales or decreased costs and overhead. On the basis of above calculated ratios it can be concluded that overall financial position of the firm has been improved in 2010 as compared to 2009. However there is high risk of financial distress due to heavy debt burden. 5. Solutions for Issues faced by Starbucks Changing associated with an exterior atmosphere of the organization led to cause various problems related to the business and contributed to to the closing of the shops of the organization within the USA. These problems are mainly related to the businesses connection, the critique firm’s fair-trade guidelines and the additional governmental problems affecting the business. To cope up with these problems the organization requires a detailed strategy to resolve these issues. Major solutions for problems faced by Starbucks are as follows: Steps to face numerous current competitors, or to minimize the risk of fresh competitors entering the marketplace Revolutionize the political and financial atmosphere. Adjustments in consumer preferences or styles Selection of Best Alternative available Among the above mentioned solutions the most feasible one is to make adjustments in the products offered by the firm, to best suit the tastes of consumers. For this purpose Starbucks will have to keep in view the products sold by other firms of same industry because these products are substitutes of those offered by Starbucks. The firm will have to introduce more differentiated products because differentiated and unique products always remain successful to attract more and more customers. 6. Conclusion Keeping in view the above discussion it can be concluded that Starbucks severely needs to boost the worldwide reputation of the company in order to achieve its growth targets. Pursuing a careful strategy related to the enhancement of growth opportunities, Starbucks may become able to return to a profitable growth path as they have available opportunities for continued growth of their business. Coffee business is growing all over the world including US industry, a market is growing more saturated and hence the competition is rising at international levels. References CEO, S. (2004). HOW STARBUCKS WORKS WITH NGOS.California Management Review,47(1), 92. Thompson, C. J., Arsel, Z. (2004). The Starbucks brandscape and consumers’(anticorporate) experiences of glocalization.Journal of Consumer Research,31(3), 631-642. Gallaugher, J., Ransbotham, S. (2010). Social media and customer dialog management at Starbucks.MIS Quarterly Executive,9(4), 197-212. Grundy, T. (2006). Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porters five forces model.Strategic Change,15(5), 213-229.

Iraq: a Lesson from Panama Imperialism and Struggle for Sovereignty Ess

Iraq: a Lesson from Panama Imperialism and Struggle for Sovereignty If History is to be the signifier of lessons learned, then why do wars continue to happen? The United States has never really been considered an Imperialist nation, but as history proves, the US has had a long stake in international geopolitical control over various countries, as well as economic markets that have made these countries dependent on the United States for survival. In light of recent events in Iraq, one should take a step back and look at the US’ history of hostile invasions to â€Å"make the world safe for democracy.† This mantra had devastating on the tiny country of Panama 14 years ago. Why did the US invade Panama? To free Panama from its oppressive dictator, Manuel Noriega. The result was the a death toll of three thousand, and the country’s further dependence on the US for economic survival. Who again was the US trying to save Panama from? In reviewing the story of Panama, one is able to draw uncanny connections to the current sit uation in Iraq. The administration even has many of the same people that decided to invade Panama under Bush senior. Now the same minds have decided to invade Iraq under George W. Bush, under the same pretext of â€Å"freeing the Iraqi people.† Based on history however, what will be the consequences for the Iraqi people and the Iraqi nation? On December 20,1989 President Bush ordered US forces into Panama as he explained, â€Å"to safeguard the lives of Americans, to defend democracy in Panama, to combat drug trafficking, and to protect the integrity of the Panama Canal Treaty.†[1] In December of 1989, 26,000 US soldiers occupied Panama in search of Manuel Noriega to be seized and tried on traffickin... ...s neighborhood, and with West Indians in Margarita, Colon, February 14-19, 1990 [20] CODEHUCA, Testimonies recorded by staff of the Central American Human Rights Committees, San Jose, Costa Rica, taken in Panama Jan. 29, 1990 [21] Ibid. [22] Ibid. [23] Pensamiento Propio, Jan./ Feb., 1990 â€Å"La guerra total de Bush† pp.28 [24] Ibid. [25] Opinion Publica, CELA, Panama, No.24 Feb.1990 Magela Cabera Arias, â€Å"La Reconstruccion en El Chorrillo,† pp. 8-9 [26] El Periodico, â€Å"Bombardean Pacora con substancias quimicas,† Panama Occupied Territory, Feb. 1990 p.8 [27] Ibid. [28] Reuters, Washington D.C., Jan 9, 1990 [29] Ibid. [30] Wheaton, p.20 [31] Ibid. [32] http://www.geographyiq.com/countries/pm/Panama_history_summary.htm. [33] CRS Issue Brief, Panama – US Relations: Continuing Policy Concerns [34] Ibid. Iraq: a Lesson from Panama Imperialism and Struggle for Sovereignty Ess Iraq: a Lesson from Panama Imperialism and Struggle for Sovereignty If History is to be the signifier of lessons learned, then why do wars continue to happen? The United States has never really been considered an Imperialist nation, but as history proves, the US has had a long stake in international geopolitical control over various countries, as well as economic markets that have made these countries dependent on the United States for survival. In light of recent events in Iraq, one should take a step back and look at the US’ history of hostile invasions to â€Å"make the world safe for democracy.† This mantra had devastating on the tiny country of Panama 14 years ago. Why did the US invade Panama? To free Panama from its oppressive dictator, Manuel Noriega. The result was the a death toll of three thousand, and the country’s further dependence on the US for economic survival. Who again was the US trying to save Panama from? In reviewing the story of Panama, one is able to draw uncanny connections to the current sit uation in Iraq. The administration even has many of the same people that decided to invade Panama under Bush senior. Now the same minds have decided to invade Iraq under George W. Bush, under the same pretext of â€Å"freeing the Iraqi people.† Based on history however, what will be the consequences for the Iraqi people and the Iraqi nation? On December 20,1989 President Bush ordered US forces into Panama as he explained, â€Å"to safeguard the lives of Americans, to defend democracy in Panama, to combat drug trafficking, and to protect the integrity of the Panama Canal Treaty.†[1] In December of 1989, 26,000 US soldiers occupied Panama in search of Manuel Noriega to be seized and tried on traffickin... ...s neighborhood, and with West Indians in Margarita, Colon, February 14-19, 1990 [20] CODEHUCA, Testimonies recorded by staff of the Central American Human Rights Committees, San Jose, Costa Rica, taken in Panama Jan. 29, 1990 [21] Ibid. [22] Ibid. [23] Pensamiento Propio, Jan./ Feb., 1990 â€Å"La guerra total de Bush† pp.28 [24] Ibid. [25] Opinion Publica, CELA, Panama, No.24 Feb.1990 Magela Cabera Arias, â€Å"La Reconstruccion en El Chorrillo,† pp. 8-9 [26] El Periodico, â€Å"Bombardean Pacora con substancias quimicas,† Panama Occupied Territory, Feb. 1990 p.8 [27] Ibid. [28] Reuters, Washington D.C., Jan 9, 1990 [29] Ibid. [30] Wheaton, p.20 [31] Ibid. [32] http://www.geographyiq.com/countries/pm/Panama_history_summary.htm. [33] CRS Issue Brief, Panama – US Relations: Continuing Policy Concerns [34] Ibid.

Gene Therapy Research :: Science Genetics Health Essays

Gene Therapy Research The National Institute of Health and the Food and Drug Administration are the government bodies responsible for the regulation of gene therapy experimentation. The NIH oversees gene therapy clinical trials through the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules and the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also oversees the trials through such regulatory measures as scientific review, testing, and inspection.10 Following the death of Jesse Gelsinger, the Advisory Committee to the Working Group on NIH Oversight of Clinical Gene Therapy Research was established to examine the purpose and role of the NIH in gene therapy regulation. It made several recommendations, many of which were adopted by the NIH as amendments to its research guidelines.12 In March of 2000, two initiatives by the FDA and the NIH were announced by the Department of Health and Human Services to increase protection for individuals involved in gene therapy experiments. The first initiative, the Gene Therapy Clinical Trial Monitoring Plan, requires that the sponsors of gene therapy studies regularly submit their monitoring plans to the FDA for review. The FDA will also inspect clinical trials to insure that the plans are being followed, and any problems are managed. In addition, scientists experienced in gene therapy will be gathered to discuss monitoring practices at conferences of the inspectors. The second initiative, the Gene Transfer Safety Symposia, includes a series of symposia that take place four times a year to discuss gene therapy data, inviting some of the most experienced authorities in their respective fields. The NIH and FDA are also providing support for other organizations interested in holding safety conferences on the topic of g ene therapy.12 Proposed Review Process3 The guidelines of the NIH for gene therapy research have also changed since 2000. In one amendment to the guidelines governing gene transfer research, the NIH altered the way research subjects are enrolled for gene therapy experiments. Under the amendment, clinical trial protocols must be submitted to the NIH Office of Biotechnological Activities (OBA) for RAC review, and the RAC must finish its review before the local Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) gives its approval to the trial. Subjects for research can only be accepted once the IBC and the International Review Board, IRB, approve the trial.

Tears of a Tiger Questions

After the tragic accident, Andy isn't treated well by the people not close to him at school. Some people don't talk to him, others make rude comments. There are even some who won't even look at him in the halls. Everyone has the right to express their own opinion; however, they should look at the situation more carefully before lugging. It was Andy fault because he should not have been drinking and driving but, it was not intentional for Rob to die. 2. After the tragedy, death takes main focus in Andy life.While all of Andy friends eventually get over the death of their reined, Andy does not move on. He continues to close up more and more and Just lets everything overwhelm him. He does go back into basketball as soon as he is allowed to. His grades also continue to slip. He feels this is the way to continue his life because all the blame is on him so it no longer matters. 3. Many things happen after the tragedy that leads to the gradual decline and loss of control in Andy life. Andy has agreed to continue his sessions at a therapist's office.These are to help him open up and get him back to normal as much as possible to move on from the accident. However, after a while he fools the therapist and his parent's and teachers into believing that he is finally moving on from the accident. He doesn't hang out with his friends much anymore, and when he does he doesn't talk much about anything. After his break up with Geisha, he moves on past her and doesn't feel the need to talk to her anymore. His family and friends cannot help Andy, because he closes up with his friends and makes his parent's think he is getting better and does not say anything to them. 4.Andy final decision is seen as a coward's way out because instead of leaning with the accident and living through it and getting past it, he decides to take his life so he does not have to live with it any longer. It affects many people in his life. A) His parent's now have to deal with the loss of a kid and worry a bout how it will affect their other son. His parent's get a divorce and live in separate houses and his mother cries all the time. B) His brother Monty now has to go through life remembering what happened to his older brother. He has to grow up remembering his brother committed suicide and he has to learn to live with that.

Mistakes and Failures of a Business Essay

Small and large business fails because they take risk to many risks in what they do. Lots of times it is the employees that make or break a business or the owner of the business, which makes a business fail. The way they fix the problem is to ask the employees what they are looking to get out of the business and what they like to see done with the business these way owners and employees can work together as a team and not make mistakes and failures in the next years to come. Lots of business blindly trust employees witch means that the worker can take from the business or have problems with others they work with from day to day. The employee will give his/her boss mix singles on the task at hand and with that the business will fail and lose profits as well there income or overheard will be lost. The biggest failure of a business is employee time theft this cost the business money and time witch can fail a business and is a big mistake the business misses every day. As stated by go4funding. com every single day, many businesses fail for numerous reasons. According to the United States’ Small Business Administration (SBA), approximately 90% of all small enterprises fail within the first two years of operation, primarily because many entrepreneurs lack the basic knowledge and experience in handling the challenges of their company in its initial stages. The following are several common problems that are encountered during this vital preliminary phase. Business owners should be informed about these issues and work diligently to address them in order to avoid failure.

Scientific Integrity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scientific Integrity - Essay Example these areas, many times their knowledge is just in politics and regulation and lacking in the particular areas where scientists are the ones who are the experts. Though politicians allegedly have the interest of the common good in mind, however, if the issue somehow interferes with the belief of their party affiliation or platform, it can determine how politicians vote on regulation. The article in regards to Feymans commencement speech addresses that the scientific method should always be used and it is scientific integrity to tell all evidence, whether it proves or disproves a theory and even recognizes that politicians may describe something scientific in a way that works in their favor, rather than looking at it from the scientific point of view. Errors in science are not necessarily scientific in nature but instead by human error and lack of intelligent judgment. Politicians are the people in power that can help make the regulations and it is necessary in some cases for regulations to be set to protect the people. However, they are uninformed which makes it impossible for them to make intelligent suggestions about

Answer the 4 Questions in 1 or 2 paragraphs each. (Questions listed in Assignment

Answer the 4 Questions in 1 or 2 paragraphs each. (Questions listed in Order Instructions) - Assignment Example Examples are Germany and Sweden. 2. Social responsibility is a duty that needs to be done to society. Ethics on the other hand â€Å"refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues† (Santa Clara University). Organizational stakeholders are those entities that have interest in an organization which could include the stockholders, employees, government regulators, general public, funding institutions, international monitoring agencies and anybody who has an interest in the organization. Social consciousness today is generally driven by consumption and accumulation of wealth because the motivation why people do the things that they do is either to profit or to have something. 3. A corporation is an artificial being created by law â€Å"which permits a group of people, as shareholders, to apply to the government for an independent organization to be created, which then pursues set objectives, and is empowered with legal rights usually only reserved for individuals, such as to sue and be sued, own property, hire employees or loan and borrow money† (www.duhaime.org). Publicly held corporations issue stock certificates to be bought by the public to have an ownership in the corporation. The advantage of a corporation is that it could make additional revenue from the stocks it issued to its investors or stockholders. It also has a limited liability or its liability is limited only to the business. Its disadvantage is that it is difficult to manage and is prone to unethical business practices. Managing a corporation can be tough and complex because of its sheer size especially today when corporations are global in reach. It has to deal with many entities such as employees, government regulators, stockholders and competition. Corporations are also prone to ethical issues such as greed where

Assignment about ethics Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

About ethics - Assignment Example System 1 thinking is characterized by an unconscious and automatic way of thinking. This system has the universal cognition that occurs both in human beings and in animals, an aspect that is considered evolutionary. System one thinking is comprised of subsystems that work hand-in-hand within the same autonomy. System 1 thinking is responsible for instinctive behaviors that are programmed inherently. This system solves problems through the dependence of prior information that is associated with the system including automatic, holistic and fast cognitive ability (Kaufman & Singer, 2012). System 2 is recent compared to system 1. This system is characteristic of human beings only. This system is also understood as the explicit and rule-based system. It is slow, sequential, and domain-general and is performed in the central memory system. System 2 allows abstract hypothetical thinking that does not happen in system 1. This system functions with regard to logical standards and is rule based, demanding, analytic and controlled of cognitive capacity (Kaufman & Singer, 2012). The kind of individual ethical problem-solving that happens in business and organizations involves the application of system 1 and system 2 thinking. The use of instinctive information must be used then making an ethical decision. It also involves a holistic approach that will involve looking at the causes of the ethical problem and going towards the identification of a solution. System 2 is also significant because ethical problem solving in a business or an organization must be made using logic and reasoning. This happens in the sense that one has to think through an ethical dilemma or problem and go through certain processes that involve identification, ranking, developing an action plan, implementing it and reflecting on its success. An example of a system 1 response to an ethical dilemma in business is when

Buddist Text- The Heart of Understanding Thich Nhat Hanh Essay

Buddist Text- The Heart of Understanding Thich Nhat Hanh - Essay Example We may be able to see a figurative â€Å"sunshine† on the paper after a poet or a writer has written something that will move us but not the literal sunshine. The definition of the word interbeing in itself is confusing and in fact can even be contradictory in terms. Especially when Thich Nhat Hanh mentioned that â€Å"you cannot just be by yourself alone† (10). Dissecting the terms and their meaning of his text, he seemed to contradict himself of what he meant by being alone because by being alone is being without anyone else and how could I not be alone with myself when nobody is no longer around. Of course I am already alone by myself then. (b) Defend his argument by adding additional evidence or crafting an additional   logical proof   Thich Nhat Hanh’s  Interbeing has to be read in the greater context of the belief system of which it operates which is Buddhism. Reading it by itself without inferring to a greater context of which it has to serve a purpo se, the text will render the reader confused, with the author’s work becoming pointless because the texts cannot be understood as it is full of contradictions and stretched out connections. It will also be very difficult to understand because the allegory does not make any sense. In the text, Thich Nhat Hanh’s mentioned that it is just not possible that â€Å"you cannot just be by yourself alone† but I already am when nobody is around. And we cannot see the paper at the same time (Thich Nhat Hanh 9) because you are not here with me looking at the same text that I am reading. You may be looking at the same text but it would be another copy of the text, not the exact paper that I am reading. But in Thich Nhat Hanh’s perspective, we can actually be looking at the same paper even without your physical presence. To appreciate Thich Nhat Hanh text, we have to understand the theology of Bhavat Gita that motivated the meaning of Interbeing. While Bhagavad Gita is as common to the Buddhist as the Bible to the Christian, it is still a strange idea to a non-Buddhist especially if the reader’s perspective is oriented towards western philosophy and using it as a yardstick for understanding the text. The text is reflective Bhavat Gita’s concept of karma that everything is just a cycle and interrelated including life and death. This process of karma is ever continuing to improve one’s karma until enlightenment and vijnana is achieved. So everything in this world is in a continuum and nothing exists by itself because all is subjected to the law of karma which is cyclical and interrelated. When Thich Nhat Hanh mentioned that â€Å"you just cannot be alone by yourself† it was in fact logical when viewed with the perspective of a Buddhist. â€Å"To be† is to be â€Å"inter-be† because nature’s natural order of things is for us to be in commune with everything around us that there is no such thing as â⠂¬Å"just yourself†. To be â€Å"yourself† meant â€Å"to be with† because the natural order of the â€Å"self† is to serve karma which necessitates to be â€Å"inter-be†. Under this lens, seeing the parents of the logger or the sunshine on the paper is no longer improbable or illogical. For the paper is a part of the bigger scheme of things that are interrelated and came into being not only with the inputs of production of the

Reading Response Questions for One.Life ( Preface chapters - Chapter Essay

Reading Response Questions for One.Life ( Preface chapters - Chapter 5) - Essay Example Indeed, McKnight explains that many people have misinterpreted Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom. To many Christians, it only entails going to church and reading the Bible. However, Jesus emphasized that God’s kingdom entails going beyond this and identifying a dream which has been chosen for them by God. Ubuntu is a term associated with African Traditional Religion. It means humanness. In other words, it is a spirit of kindness and togetherness. Actually, Africans were great egalitarians who believed in the kinship system, sharing and egalitarianism. I think it was supported by Jesus because He preached about generosity, love and brotherhood. 5. If you do not already know the Lords Prayer by heart, I recommend you memorize and pray it daily throughout this class on Christian Faith and Life. Write it out here in whatever version of the Bible youve been using in your study. (You can find this prayer that Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 6: 9-13 or Luke 11:

Aristotle - Essay 7 Essay Example for Free

Aristotle Essay 7 Essay One of the greatest thinkers of all time was Aristotle-322 BC, the Ancient Greek philosopher. He has practically influenced every area of present day thinking. His main focal points were the natural and social sciences. In Stagira, a town on the northwest coast of the Aegean Sea, in the year of 384 BC Aristotle was introduced to the world. He grew up a wealthy boy. His father was friends with the noble king of Macedonia, and as a young man he spent the majority of his time at the Macedonian court. At the age of seventeen, he was sent away to study in Athens. It was there that he transformed to a disciple of Plato. Over time, Aristotle became the mind of the school. Later in his life, he followed his mentor and became a teacher in a school on the coast of Asia minor. Aristotle was the professor of young prince Alexander, who went on to become the ruler Alexander the Great. Aristotle was the first known person to make major advances in the fields of logic, physical works( such as physics, meteorologists, etc .) ,  psychological works, and natural history( modern day biology). His most famous studies are in the field of philosophical works. His studies play an important role in the early history of chemistry. Aristotle was the first person to propose the idea of atoms matter and other grand ideas. Aristotle made the first major advances in the field of philosophy of nature. He saw the universe as lying between two scales: form without matter and is at one end and matter without form is at the other end. One the most important aspetc  s of Aristotles philosophy was the development of potentiality to actuality. That can be explained as something possibility in terms of its accuracy. The actual state compare to the potential state is demonstrated in terms of the causes which act on things. The four causes include material cause, efficient cause, formal cause, and final cause. First the material cause is also defined as the elements out of which matter is created. The way in which matter is created is known as efficient cause. Formal cause is called  the expression of what the material actually is . The last cause, appropriately named final cause, is for the end of the substance. An example, actual compared to potential, can be as simple as bronze statue. The material cause is plainly the bronze. Its efficient cause is the sculptor . The formal cause is the idea of the statue, as the sculptor envisions it . The final cause is the perfetc  ion of the statue . These four  stages of creation through termination exist throughout nature. Aristotles vision of early chemistry created a strong foundation for the chemists of today. Works Cited Aristotle (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy). (Online) Available http://utm.edu/research/iep/a/aristotl/htm Aristotles Page. (Online) Available http://eng.ox.ac.uk/jdr/aristo/html Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia. 1995 Comptons NewMedia, Inc.

Selecting Right Partner In Forming International Joint Ventures Management Essay

Selecting Right Partner In Forming International Joint Ventures Management Essay Over the past twenty years, there has been a surge of interest of companies coming together, many of which were reflected in the popular management press and the academic journals of corporate links being formed. Many organisation now uses strategic relationship rather than competition among themselves to grow their business. These are formed for a variety of reasons, which include new technology development, expansion to new domestic market, reducing manufacturing cost, new product development, ability to increase profit margin, financial support and sharing of economics risk, overcome legal and trade barriers and many more. These are some of the reasons why collaboration sometimes called partnering, alliances or joint venture among many terms are formed. Joint venture is one of the most popular forms of strategic relationship and it utilises separate business entities like cooperation, limited liability company or partnership, this entity makes the involved parties to limit the lia bilities involved. In recent years global challenges has fostered many companies from many countries to go into international joint venture more stronger than in the past, manufacturing companies, oil and gas companies, construction companies, banking sectors, automobile companies and many more are forming the international joint ventures. Objectives As partner selection is considered to be very important to have a successful collaboration, this module will be focusing on selecting the right partner in forming an international joint ventures. The answers will be focusing on the literature on how to select a good and successful partner when forming a joint venture. Also the following factors will be considered in forming a successful collaboration: The main characteristics to look for in a good collaborative partner, selection criteria and the strategic, political and tactical implications. The factors thats determines the good partners match in collaboration. And what the two companies going into collaboration can do to create good partnership condition. Literature review introduction As it was started in the objectives in the previous chapter, this report will be discussing various factors that are needed to be highly considered in selecting a partner when forming international joint venture, but before going further below are the definitions of some common terms of collaboration. Some Basic Definitions Collaboration Different companies go into collaboration with different reasons, and the reason why many companies go into collaboration is to try and gain competitive advantage, entering new market and many more. Collaboration accomplish shared vision, achieve positive outcomes for the audience involved and it also build interdependent system to address issues and opportunities. It is a world in which almost anything, in principle, is possible since you are not limited by your own resources and expertise only but by tapping into resources and expertise of others. ( Huxham and Vangen, 2005). Members of the collaborations needs to be ready and willing to share their vision, mission, power, goals and resources to achieve success. Also Collaboration is the act of working together to create or produce something for mutual benefit. (Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary, 2001). http://ayanthianandagoda.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/collaboration.jpg Fig 1 collaboration Source : http://ayanthianandagoda.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/collaboration.jpg Joint ventures There are many different definition for joint ventures, as experts opinions differ significantly. A joint venture is a strategic alliance formed by two or more parties usually in businesses, partner together to share markets, assets, intellectual property, knowledge and profit. (Valerie, 2006). Stephen et al.(1993) consider joint venture as a form of collaboration. He later defined it as a distinct business entirely created and jointly owned by two or more parent organisations. Robert L .Wallace ( 2004,) defined joint venture as the coming together of two or more independent businesses in which both of them have sole purpose of achieving a specific outcome that might be difficult for each of them to achieve individually. http://www.internationaltradelaw.org/images/partnership.jpg Fig 2 joint venture . Source : http://www.internationaltradelaw.org/images/partnership.jpg International joint ventures When joint ventures crosses across the border, it becomes international joint ventures. International joint venture is defined as the joint ventures that involve firms coming together from different countries cooperating across national and cultural boundaries. ( Aimin and Yadong, 2001). At times, international joint ventures are formed by two companies in the same country but located in a country other than their parent countries. (Geringer and Hebert 1989). Though majority involve two parent firms, one from foreign and the second one a local company. Also it may involve partners with complex nationality and cultural background. For example, Xerox Shenzhen company formed from Xerox (china) and fuji Xerox (US-Japanese joint venture in Japan.). International Joint Venture Fig 3. International joint venture Source : http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:shC_GkI4UDgeCM:http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3504/3841640658_367ae3ab0d.jpg Merger and Acquisition There is a big difference between merger and acquisition, they should not be mistaken to be the same. Merger is when two companies come together to form a new company while acquisition is when one company purchase another company. Fig 4 merger and acquisition source : class module Motives of collaboration According to Ian Hewitt (2005), A company should not just go into collaboration just because other companies does, in fact different companies go into collaboration for different reasons. Below are few of the reasons why many companies does Increasing competitive pressure : competitors or rivalries in the market is one of the major reasons that force some companies into joint venture. Sharing cost and risk : one of the main reasons for joint venture is cost saving and risk sharing. It helps to achieve synergy through rationalizing of employment and other fixed cost, and it also research and development project like pharmaceutical, electronics, aero-engine, telecommunication and so on. Joint ventures are frequently used in capital intensive project like power stations or infrastructural projects Entering new markets : partnering with another company already established in a particular market also helps in entering new and emergence market effectively and it also helps in marketing an existing products and service to new customers. Total-quality-management. Do more with less : it brings about a quality management into business and help in achieving the companies objectives in less time. Access to new technology, technology know how and customers : joint venture helps to gain access to and to learn from partners technology , experience and skills as there is a rapid change in technology advancement day by day. Improve access to financial resources : coming together of the two companies improves the financial resources. Expand customer base : international joint venture also help to expand customer base in by making use of partners strength in different geographical area and both develop a wide network. Developing new products : a company can go into joint venture to provide new products or service to their current customers or new customer. Since it is joint venture, the companies can develop a new products to sell to their customers. In this new wave of technology, you cannot do it all yourself, you have to form alliances. Carlos Slim Helu. The Benefits and Risks Having considered few of the reasons why companies go into collaboration, it may sound interesting that collaboration is everything but an extreme care need to be taken when choosing the collaboration partner. Collaboration is good (when the right partner is selected) and it is bad (wrong partner). Before going into details of selection criteria in choosing a partner, below are the types, benefit and Risks associated with collaboration. Benefits Increased financial resources and stability : it allows the partners to contribute financially to the project in an appropriate ways to the joint operation and it increases the financial stability of the business. Improve buying power and economies of scale : it gives cost advantages and better purchasing power to increase the volume of business. Expansion to new market : forming joint ventures can help in capturing a new market. Share R D, engineering, production costs : joint venture helps when a company is trying to enter a new field of business, by forming joint venture with a company already established in the business, it makes it easier to enter into the market. Examples include research institute and national government level. Shorten lead time : collaboration shorten lead times and it makes it possible to achieve more in less time. Risks Loose overall control or desire for control : if it is not well managed, the stronger partner becomes a dominant and this can undermine the interest of the other partner and it may eventually leads to termination. Cultural issue : the partners must understand each others culture very well by doing an intensive research. Competent team that can negotiate in with people of different culture should be assigned to manage. Foreign exchange risk : in joint venture, high volatility in the foreign exchange market, the movements of Dollars, Yen, Pounds, Rupee, Franc and many more cannot be predicted, and even due to this in the oil transaction, it is generally accepted in the western world to trade in US dollars. Communication and translation problems : multinational project can become more complex if there is communication problem, and it is even better to have a translator or even two translators. Loose identity : individual company can lose their identity and they may end up in forming a new name and old customers loyalty may be lost, though if the partnership is well managed it will create new customer loyalty. Partners failure : if the partner failed to deliver, this mat cause a serious consequence or termination to the contract while the objectives have not been meant. Types of collaboration There are many ways in which collaboration can be formed, depending on the common objectives of the companies involved. Collaboration can be grouped into two namely : those defining the structure of the relationship and those defining the technical or commercial purpose of the relationship. Below are few types of collaboration that can be formed. Purpose Research Collaboration : which is most effective in scientific research and high technology new products. Joint Design and Development : involves two or more companies coming together to share the risk of developing a new product and this often leads to joint or parallel production. Joint Production : when two companies agree to produce separate sub-assemblies of the final product and this can leads to joint venture company. Parallel Production : when same and similar product is manufacture in two or more countries and one partner leads the development of manufacturing facilities. Licensing : formal agreement between two companies where primary company allow to use it design or know-how, or to manufacture a product and it involves payment of royalty fees. It may be of two types namely ;licensing in and licensing out, or both . Franchising : this involves third party to market proprietary products or services under the original suppliers brand name e.g. stores and supermarkets, fast food outlets, petrol stations, etc. Structure Informal and Gentlemans Agreements : this can be word of mouth agreement usually between partners of common interest and trust is essential. It can be a starting point for formal arrangement. Strategic Alliances : Michael and Srinivasa 1995) said it can be defined by simultaneously possessing the following three necessary characteristics; Two or more firm that unite to pursue a set of goals already agreed upon Partner firms share the benefits of the alliance and control over the performance of the assigned task Both contributes on a continuous basis in one or more strategic areas, e.g technology and product. It has no legal form, it is a relationship formed between two or more companies that share (proprietary), participate in joint investments, and develop link and processes to improve their performance of their companies. (http://www.apics.org/.). It can lead to creation of joint venture company. Strategic partnership : is a form of strategic alliance in which the partners are linked by a non-controlling level of shareholding, either bilateral or unilateral. (W.J.Bacchus 2005) Joint venture companies : this is an independent business entity, it involves ownership, operational responsibility and financial risk and reward. As it was started in the objectives in the previous chapter, this report will be focusing on joint venture companies. How to select a compatible Partner Companies that are more thorough and comparative in selecting international joint venture partners are more likely to be successful. When there is a need for joint venture, choosing the right partner is another important factor. Only few companies today believe they can achieve their goals and objectives on their own but by seeking partnership with another company to stay ahead in todays global economy, So due to this, there has been an high increase in the numbers of companies coming together around the globe . When a company is going into a joint venture, collaboration strategy need to be established. Furthermore in this report, it should be noted that a company in question will be represented by Company A and other companies that are available to choose from will be represented by Potential partner A,B,Cà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The company A planning and operational stages can be established as : 1st stage 2nd stage 3rd stage Fig 5. Planning stages Company strategic planning For any company going into collaboration, internal check is the first thing to consider. Internal check allows company A to analyse its performance so far in the competitive market, the knowledge and skills, financial stability and status, government policy, benefit and risks associated with joint venture, and most importantly their objectives of going into collaboration. To properly analyse these factors, S.W.O.T analysis can be used as follows : SWOT Analysis S- Strength What makes company A to remain strong in the market, backbone of its performance so far and this is part of what will attract a partner to go into joint venture with company A. W- Weaknesses Where they have been lagging behind, and affecting the company performance, it may be new technology innovation, lacks of skills or experience staff, inadequate training, breaking into new market and many more. O- Opportunities Opportunities can be to how strong company A is where it operates, reliability, wide network of customers, government connection, fast developing market, regional growth, license, market expansion and many more. T- Threats The treats can be government policy, competitors, Intellectual property right, fakes or fraud copies etc Table 1. S.W.O.T analyses of Company A After the S.W.O.T analysis of company A, having clearly analysed the needs and the objectives of the company, then a decision can then be made on types of strategy that will be best suited for them, either growing internally to combat the threats and weaknesses analysed while making best out of their opportunities and strength ,or by sourcing for a potential partner that they both have common objectives, and make sure the SWOT analyses of the two companies complement each other. The company As decision can be to grow internally or to seek a potential partner of product or project relatedness. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ Fig 6. (Source : Class Module) Growth of Company A At this stage, company A should be clear of the strategy best suited for them, and to assume that collaboration is the best. Then what type of collaboration and with what type of partner. How to maximise the benefit of collaborations and how to mitigate the risks should also be noted. Initial Assessments of the Potential Partners Having decided to go for collaboration (international joint venture), Initial assessment of the potential partners is very essential at this stage before going into details or make any commitment to avoid some of the risks attached to forming a joint venture, which is money and time wasting. In doing this, the following factors need to be considered : Objectives : the objectives of the two companies should be common and complement each other. Backgrounds : knowing about the companies background is important, knowing about their past, present and future intention records. Reputation : integrity of the company going into business with is important as people tend to judge you by the company you keep. Check what people say about them in terms of trust and reputation and also the success of collaboration they have had in the past if there is any. There should be a clear indication that trust can be build inside the relationship. Reliability : the company must be reliable to trade with. Experience : also it should be checked if they have had any collaboration experience in the past, then what was the outcome of it, if it was a success or failure, What type of management team do they work? Capital : they must be financially secured and they do not have credit problems and free from debt . Culture : the culture of the potential partners must be well read and understood. In international joint venture, cultural issues need to be taking care of as different cultural background sees contracts different ways. Structure ; also the structure in which they operate must be understood, also their mission, vision and values must be clearly considered and check if the joint venture can work. Performance : the way they perform in the market is also important, their level of performance in satisfying their customers and suppliers also need to be considered. Their production performance is also important. Product : the brand value should complement each other . These are the characteristics to look for in a potential partner and these factors can be known by checking the websites of the potential partners, company magazines, company reports (quarterly, mid-year, or annual), journals, trade publications, consultants, investment banks, collaboration track records, their suppliers and customers, ex- employee, newspapers and/or from the proposal sent from the potential partner. Tactical planning The next stage is the tactical planning and analysis, it is one of the most important aspect to consider when selecting a partner, having gotten SWOT analyses of your company and all the companies involved. Analyses Company A Potential partner A Potential partner B S- strengths à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ W- weaknesses à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ O- opportunities à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ T- threats Table 2. S.W.O.T Analyses Comparison These allows to compare the general features of each of the potential partners with company As S.W.O.T analysis to check which ones complement each other , and to make initial consideration of the company that can be collaborated with. Key issues and objectives at this stage need to be analysed from these S.W.O.T analysis, and the type of options each company can offer in terms of working together. If collaboration is the best, then what type can be the best for each of the potential partners. Which partner share the common strategy with company A. Also what can be the benefits and risk of forming joint venture with each company need to be carefully accessed. Also at this stage, evaluation and initial assessment of most suitable partner attributes is next. Then the objectives must be clearly defined . it must be S.M.A.R.T. S- Specific M- measurable A- achievable R- realistic and T- time bound The following factors are must be carefully considered when selecting a partner : Cultural issues In international joint venture, cooperation between different partners of different cultures can be a major challenge. In America tends to be individualist and not group oriented but unlike the Japanese that practices collectivist and are group oriented. Aimin and Yadong,(2001), Said one partner may impose its cultural values and norms on the other partner without even consider what the latter attribute might be. And later said that Americans are not very good in learning from their partners as Japanese does, so many foreign companies uses joint venture as an easy way of gaining access to America market and technology. And apart from the national culture, company operational culture need to be well access and make sure that there is compatibility in organisational and management practices with potential partner. Other factors that need to be taking into consideration about cultural issues when forming an international joint ventures are : Language : the language of the contract must be well understood. Since it is international joint venture, it is most likely that the companies comes from a very different nationality, so there must be a common language agreed upon to be used in meetings. Moreover if it is difficult to communicate better in that language, then a competent interpreter that can easily understand the two languages can be used and to be more clear and perfect, two interpreters can be used. The language must be well understood with no hidden agenda. Negotiation : negotiation in international joint venture require a very good management team in order to be successful. The strength and success of o joint venture depends on the interactions of its people. The team must have the experience, skills and attribute it takes to manage joint venture or people with moderate experience but motivated and committed to gain more knowledge. The management team consider the following factors ; Possible outcome : it is essential to outline what the possible outcome of company A and even the potential partners can be. Either it will be a win-lose or win-win approach or mixed. Alternative to agreement : also Company A need to have in mind what can be the best alternative to what they have already agreed on, and also what can be the best alternative for the potential partners as well. Then Company A should find a creative ways to strengthen their own and weakens their partners alternatives. Contract termination : there must be a clear agreement on how to terminate the deal and the price at which any of the companies can breach the deal must be set and estimated for each company. Records keeping : proper record is essential in international joint venture and at the end of every meeting, they need to check what they have already agreed on and what is still open to be discussed. Build trust : the team must be very open, ask many questions for clarity, show respect and highlight complementary need and interest. Resources : a company going into collaboration might not have the full resources require available to meet the demand and may need to tap resources from the joint venture partner. Resources can be human (people), skills and training, technology, raw materials, manufacturing facilities and so on. It must be ensured that the there will be availability of full resources. Political issues The partnership should be checked if it is politically accepted in each country and political risks should be considered. It is possible for the international joint venture to be affected by the political events or political instability in a host country. Also when there is a change in political relationship between the two countries, it may also have an implication on the joint venture. The system of government of the host country, political stability, laws and regulations, existence of other governing bodies must be taken into account. In order to plan ahead of any unforeseen political risk, an insurance policy need to be done and there must be an agreement on financial and operating policies. Financial issues This is another critical aspect of joint venture, it is very important in choosing a joint venture partner. There must be negotiation and the involved parties should agreed on the financial requirements. Financial status or position of all parties involved, debt etc. should be checked Partners market credibility : the market credibility of all the potential partners should be considered Partnership records : their financial performance in the previous partnership they had in the past. Capital contribution : the percentage of capital contribution of each partner should be clearly stated Raising capital : in case there will be a need to raise capital, this can be overdraft, short or long loan, government sources etc. likely source must be outlined Working capital : the capital needed while working must be agreed upon Shareholding : the ownership right of each company should be stated and clear Financial management structure Transaction risk : to avoid transaction risk due to unstable foreign exchange market, trade in home currency or open foreign bank account in the country where the partner comes from. E.g if companies from US and Uk form a partnership, there can be a an account in US Dollars and another in Pounds Sterling to run the project. Taxation (import and export) :different countries with different tax policy, it is very important to discuss the percentage of taxation in the country, the import and export rate Board of directors : the board of directors should be decided. Chairman : the chairman of the joint venture must be decided Governance : the rule of the countries to govern the joint venture Role definition : each party role must be stated clearly Profit share : the percentage of sharing profit between the parties must also be agreed upon. Inflation : possible solution in case of inflation in any of the countries must be taken into account. Resources availability : resource availability in terms of assets, equipment, rent, intellectual property right must be well planned. Legal issue In joint venture company, legal agreement is essential and this can be by word of mouth, gentlemens agreement, memorandum of understanding (MOU), detailed specification, evergreen, full contracts and many more (class module). In international joint venture, the following issues must be considered Governing law : the law of the country to govern the contract must be agreed upon. Payment method : there must be an agreement on the type of payment method accepted. IPR : the right of each partner in terms of Intellectual Property Right must be stated. Patent right, copyright, trademarks etc must also be considered. Termination : it should be stated under which condition can any partner terminate the contract. Common events that terminates contracts are When the contract expires Change of goal of one of the partners Breach of contract by any of the parties Financial or legal issue. Responsibilities : what is expected from each party need to be understood Financial right : they must know their financial right. Veto power : there must not be a partner enforcing power on the other Communication : the way in which communication will be transferred from place to place must be addressed. Managerial right : the level in which each company will operate in terms of management must be stated. Capital : what each partner will contribute and what they will get out of it in terms of profit, product etc Transfer of share : there must be a mutual agreement on the share transfer, normally the parties entering into a joint venture is not expected to transfer its share to third party without the consent of its joint venture partner. Agreement : the management team must ensure that there is a proof of agreement between the partners. Language : the language of the contract must be plain and well understood by the joint venture companies. Criteria for selecting a partner Clear definitions and Common Objectives : select a partner that brings no hidden agenda when negotiating with them, the objectives must complements each other and there must be an evidence that the parties need each other, the language of the contract must be well understood. Strategy clarity and compatibility : the strategy of company A and the potential partner must be very clear, well understood and compatible with each other. Financial strength : it is advisable to partner with a company that has a very strong financial base as it was explain in this module. Mutual benefit : win-win attitude and approach is the ideal for the joint venture partner there must be a low risk of either of the partners becoming a competitor. Previous track records : it is not advisable to go into joint venture with a company that has a poor track record in terms of partnership, financial or customers satisfaction. Management : Culture compatibility : as different companies from different countries operates on different culture, there must be a clear understanding of the potential partner culture in compatible the your Compatibility of CEOs and Senior managers Market power : how strong the potential partner are in the market, customers satisfaction, suppliers relationship Overseas experience : the experience they have in doing business outside their parent country, how it was managed and the success stories they have had in the past. Product relatedness : the products of the joint venture companies must supplement each other, there must be product relatedness. Proper match : there must be proper match in terms of objectives, strength, weakness, opportunities, weakness, culture, financial capability, product relatedness, strategy and so on. There must not be gaps left behind or overlook. Common Objectives Strength Strength More opportunities Less threats