Group and Team Development - 2760 Words

The Customer Services Team handles all inbound calls for the business (1000+ per day) and operates from 08:00 to 20:00 Monday to Saturday. There are fifteen team members two of which are Team Leaders. The Team is further divided into different sub-groups that deal with different business sectors such as Pharma, Telecommunications, e-commerce. The main focus of the team is dealing with customer queries via inbound calls and managing corporate accounts in terms of providing daily reports and updates. The Team Assessment and the group discussions would seem to indicate that this is a group of individuals that are operating in a very structured environment and while they are referred to as a team they do not actually operate as a team.†¦show more content†¦As outlined they were aligned to both financial and performance objectives within the organisation. The second criteria was more difficult to assess in that while the intended outcomes were clear the nature of the intervention and its ability to produce these outcomes was less so. The final criteria involves the transfer of change management competence to the team which was difficult to assess prior to the intervention however in giving it consideration the transfer of these skills was to be a component of the intervention in that it would be part of the intervention to transfer some basic change management concepts to the team which they would be encouraged to use when working together. Prior to the intervention consideration was also given to the desired outcomes on a higher level than those that were financial and performance based. What would the team look like after the intervention? Would they evolve into a High Performance Team and if so what defines a High Performance Team? To establish these desired outcomes an analysis of the key stakeholders of the team was completed. Figure 1: Customer Service Key Stakeholders This analysis and subsequent meetings with these stakeholders revealed a number of different requirements many of which were conflicting with each other. This revealed some of the root causes behind the results of the team assessment particularly in relation to decision making and respect. This wasShow MoreRelatedGroup and team development Part 1- Group development All the parties involved; The Woodson900 Words   |  4 PagesGroup and team development Part 1- Group development All the parties involved; The Woodson foundation, the school district and the NCPIE all ultimately have the same goal, which is to have a successful school system in the D.C. area. To start off, I would first define a group to have a better understanding of what these three parties want to build to know where they stand in the development stage. 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Problem-Solving Essay Free Essays

Today the world has many issues, like hopelessness, prejudice, and selfish desires. The definition of the word moral is; concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. In the world today there are few moral standards; we have numerous evil influences and few holy and godly influences. We will write a custom essay sample on Problem-Solving Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now What does it mean to live honorably? It means that you respect yourself and others and live a life worth living. People have selfish desires to please themselves and not others. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:33 do not be achieved: â€Å"Bad company ruins good morals. † The company we keep, the influences we are under, and the things we look at all directly affect our morals and ethics. Some of the things that affect us morally are, music movies, books, the Internet, the friends we have, and the relationship (or lack of) that we have with God. The way we treat others and ourselves is a huge part of our lives and the way we live them. We should strive to be like Jesus in all our endeavors. Matthew 5:48, you therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Some of the ways that we could help the world regain moral standards are, leading by example, helping out or volunteering, and evangelism. The example we set should be an important priority for us as Christians; we should be Christ-like at all times. We could also help out the less fortunate, volunteering at charities or donating money; we should do our parts as Chrism’s messengers in the world. The final thing we could do is evangelism, the spreading of Chrism’s word. The world Is a sinful place, and God will come soon and take his people from It. The morals that we have are vital to our character. You could live honorably by, asking questions, figuring out what leads you astray, and helping fix It. James 1:22-25, but be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For If anyone Is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he Is like a man who looks Intently at his natural face In a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks Into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed In his doing. Problem-Solving Essay By Abernathy The world is a sinful place, and God will come soon and take his people from it. Asking questions, figuring out what leads you astray, and helping fix it. James 1:22-25, but be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed. How to cite Problem-Solving Essay, Essays

Factors of Social Business Strategy †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Factors of Social Business Strategy. Answer: Introduction: The case Qantas Airlines: Twitter Nosedive talks about burdens that the airline gone up against in the earlier years. Starting late the association made a social media blooper proclaiming a Twitter challenge neglecting the ghastly situation the association is to rectify at this point. For the disillusioned customers, it was a remarkable opportunity to express their decision out in the open. The unsuccessful competition brought a lot of thought, yet not in the way Qantas would wish for. The negative evaluation was spread and accordingly the broad society reflection of the association was hurt. This analysis would cover the main issues faced by the organization and how such situations can be avoided in future. We might recognize the significant issues identified with the communication plan through the social networking sites. The management team needs to comprehend the essential needs and requests of the clients at the underlying stage. It will be sufficiently useful in organizing the future needs of the organization. In 2011, the authority of Government and Corporate Affairs at Qantas Airlines, Olivia Wirth, was defied with a social media related situation that gave off an impression of being reckless. Qantas ran a competition on social media, Twitter, offering 50 sets of Qantas top notch night robe and a luxury amenity unit for general society to win as a reward. They should have, without any doubt held up with the competition until the situation is in control. As opposed to participating in the competition, the overall public used this competition as a phase on Twitter to verbally attack the airline and conveyed their negative contemplations about the airline on social media. The general populace in like manner made a YouTube video parody that investigated the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qantas Airlines for their feebleness to perceive how to talk with individuals when all is said and done to express their hopelessness. The negative feeling was spread in this way the overall public photo of the association was hurt. The negative comments started from the way that the association was encountering issues with the specific condition of aircrafts and issues concerning accomplishing a simultaneousness with work unions that prompt strikes in conclusion building up the fleet for several days. Directly the association needs to face the issues of the negative picture. Olivia Wirth must make an arrangement of exercises to counter the opposition of the airline on the social media stage and its diving reputation of its airline among the general populace to recover its airlines' photo as the greatest airline in Australia and the pride of the country. Recommendations There are a couple of exercises that Qantas Airlines could bring later on with a particular true objective to shield a comparative disaster from happening again and to develop a positive public impression of the airline's strong brand name in the country. As an issue of first significance, Olivia Wirth should change the team responsible for the competition and public relations. They were not checking the declarations. They did not do the investigation that their association had a poor picture when the competition has begun. Directly we cannot change the past yet later on each decision should be completely considered twice. They should finish the competition as quick as could be normal in light of the current situation. They have to pick the victor, however, endeavor not making it clamorous so the whole thing would quiet down speedy. If they use social media correspondence, later on, they should make people as opposed to robots accountable for what is appearing there. The association should focus on upgrading the correspondence with the public with social media. Obtaining capable stuff or outsourcing would be a not too bad option. Wirth should have endorsed dealing with particular fleet control immediately. Most of the Boeings and their engines should be 100% beneficial. By then Qantas airlines should proclaim that flying with their airlines is completely shielded and that the conditions from the past will never happen again. They should display the new course of action of aircraft controls. Each quarter the fleet will be checked, and the reports on their specific condition will be prepared. People should think about those exercises since it will provoke explorers feeling awesome about flying with Qantas. By then the marketing and communications team should have endorsed to have good relations with unions and to avoid such conditions later on. If they would be advised to have normal relations with those affiliations they could mediate to settle tense condition before there is nothing left than to strike about. Airlines should manage the relationship with their laborers and unions. For, without question, they thought about reality that the strike is an immediate consequence of the wrong calculations made (20 million consistently) and they could not successfully evade it. They should make a brisk move and expect obligation for the voyagers who were affected. If they keep those events, no ifs ands or buts later on Qantas will not lose any customers for exchange airlines e.g. Virgin and association picture will stay positive. Factors to Consider When Using Social Media Two most important factors to consider when using social media are: Making one understandable social governance demonstrate that structures and describes accomplices that are accountable for the strategy, organization and progression of an establishment would support the social business method (Treem Leonardi, 2013). There is an enormous benefit in knowing the direction in which we are going. It's not sufficient to have goals set up; there is more over the need to have a long term vision that conveys to everyone inside the company on why something is happening and the benefit it brings (Bolton et al., 2013) It is vital to define a vision for the future employees and customers that would arrive with the social media strategy, so that a purpose and direction can be provided (Afshar, 2013). Communication Template 1.Timing Starting from now such information should be released each quarter. Clearly now when airlines are standing up to colossal issues, this information should be released consistently. 2.Audience All people who will continue being with us, Qantas should get in touch with them through mass media and social media. Twitter, Facebook, Qantas website are the guideline course of correspondence. Unsatisfied customers especially the people who are dynamic on the social media 3.Sender Olivia Wirth 4.Key Message Your security is our need. We guarantee you will be on time wherever you require. We are changing for better. 5.Desired Outcome Rising trust in flying with Qantas. We needn't bother with our customers to feel that we are miserable continually anyway they should see that we are taking exercises to improve service and cover any irritates. Better association with the public. Improved correspondence. 6.Medium Social media, suitably. 7.Materials Audit reports, documents related to organizational updates. 8.Frequency In the beginning more powerfully and then every quarter. This analysis covered the main issues faced by the organization and how such situations can be avoided in future. We might recognize the significant issues identified with the communication plan through the social networking sites. The management team needs to comprehend the essential needs and requests of the clients at the underlying stage. It will be sufficiently useful in organizing the future needs of the organization. Additionally, if the organization can guarantee the important upgrades for the business, it will fulfill the client wishes in a compelling way. Organizing the consecutive communication plan will be useful to accomplish this reason. References Treem, J. W., Leonardi, P. M. (2013). Social media use in organizations: Exploring the affordances of visibility, editability, persistence, and association.Annals of the International Communication Association,36(1), 143-189. Bolton, R. N., Parasuraman, A., Hoefnagels, A., Migchels, N., Kabadayi, S., Gruber, T., ... Solnet, D. (2013). Understanding Generation Y and their use of social media: a review and research agenda.Journal of Service Management,24(3), 245-267. Afshar, V. (2013). The Seven Success Factors of Social Business Strategy [INFOGRAPHIC]. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 5 May 2017, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/vala-afshar/the-seven-success-factors_b_3677185.html

Marketing Initiative Essays - Marketing, Target Audience

Marketing Initiative Marketing Initiative Marketing Initiative is an act or step taken in advertising, packing, and/or selling designed to gain and/or maintain customers. It is created to help transfer goods for the producer to the consumer. I recently read an article about the Clear Channel Outdoor company and their launch of a new Hispanic marketing initiative. This article will be used as an example of a marketing initiative and how it may or may not work for the company. In the attached article the Clear Channel Outdoor company has created a new marketing initiative to try to gain a new customer base. Their current target audience seems to be the American public, which is not culture specific. Their new marketing initiative is an attempt to gain the Hispanic market in America. It is hard for me to say if this marketing initiative will be successful because they do not specify what they will be doing. However, I do feel that when you direct any type of advertising at a specific group it makes it more likely that that group will try you product. This type of advertising makes it more personal for the consumer. Once something is directed towards them it creates a feeling that the company understands them and understands their needs. Also a specific group is more likely to pay attention to an advertisement if they feel like they can relate to it or if it relates to them. Knowing this information I would have to say that the new marketing initiative has a very good chance of working for Clear Channel Outdoor. Marketing initiatives are very important for companies to maintain and gain a customer base. Companies must continuously try to create new marketing initiatives. Without them the company will fall out of the public eye. Also, their current customers might go elsewhere if they feel like the company does not have their best interest in mind. Music Essays

A synopsis of the similiarities and differences of the emergent theory and the reductionist theory in explaining the world

A synopsis of the similiarities and differences of the emergent theory and the reductionist theory in explaining the world Reductionism and The Emergent TheoryThroughout time people have always has the desire to understand the world around them. In this pursuit of knowledge many theories have been formulated to try to explain natural phenomenon. Theories of particular interest are those that attempt to give an answer to what is the best way to understand the mysteries of the world. Two prominent views are the reductionist theory and the emergent theory. Reductionism claims that there is a basic unit that composes all physical entities in this world, and anything can be understood by reducing it to its ultimate components. In this tradition the whole is defined in terms of its parts. The emergent theory argues that properties and laws cannot be reduced to those of its constituents. Rather the world is structured into layers each with their own properties and laws. Many of the inhabitants of the layers are interconnected but their properties and laws remain irrelevant to one another.EEG with 32 elektrodesI n this spirit the parts are defined in terms of the whole.The similarities and differences between the reductionist and the emergentist explanations of the world are best illustrated with a discussion about the nature of the mind. Both the reductionist and emergent views of the mind agree that it originated through evolution from molecular structures. The reductionists then go on to say that the mind can be understood by reducing it to its components and it is merely a simplistic way of defining the actual and potential patterns of behavior. The emergent view on the other hand sees the mind as existing on a higher level of reality and that its properties cannot be reduced to simple physical structures. Even though there are relationships between the physical structures and the mental processes that take place, emergentists argue that by...

A Journey of a Hundred Miles Begins with a Single Step

A Journey of a hundred miles begins with a single step It means that however long your Journey or how big and impossible the change you want to make it starts with Just one step, or action. If you have a long term goal, you cannot achieve it without taking steps or measures to achieve them. For example, I want to become a doctor. Well 10 years of school starts with English 101, and math, and science, etc Simple things sometimes lead to big things You have to start something before you can finish it.You have to write a word, then a entente, then a paragraph, then a page, then 3 more pages and you are done. Asking what it means was the first step it could mean that every step you take that step begins a new Journey! Or If you want to take a thousand miles all you have to do is take a step In a new direction! I dont know though so you might not want to use that on your paper! No matter how big the task seems, no matter how Insurmountable It seems, make a start and continue from there. Most things In life are accomplished In small stages, not In huge giant steps.Any task, broken down Into small pieces, seems much easier. It means If you never get started with anything. You never get anything done No matter how big the task or how challenging the goal, you get there by Just beginning. Without the first step, the Journey will never happen. Somebody who dreams big but never acts to make their dreams real will never attain them. But even if the dream seems unattainable, by taking that first small step, you move towards making that dream come true. In fact, the whole Journey Is made up of small steps.

Seminar Arts and humannities unit 1 Research Paper

Seminar Arts and humannities unit 1 - Research Paper Example Some of the elements of humanities that children enjoy include exploring, field study, travelling, acting and researching. The reason why children enjoy these elements of humanities is due to the fact that they mostly practical and involve physical activity which children are more interested in. I still engage in these elements of humanities especially field study, exploration and research whereby in tackling humanities such as history and language I have to go into the field to get a more profound understanding of these languages and where they culminated from. Here are skills that one can learn from studying humanities that would enable one to be a more effective critical thinker. These skills include analytical skills, speculative skills and creative skills. Analytical skills are acquired through activities involving analyzing data for example historical data. Speculative skills are obtained due to the fact that in many humanities, one comes across very many theories which are speculative and hence one has to choose the theory that he or she thinks is correct. In acquiring these skills I am able to apply them in other fields of study that require critical thinking and therefore they will enable me increase my chances of getting to my intended

Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah Terrorist Organizations Research Paper

Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah Terrorist Organizations - Research Paper Example The consequences of terror campaigns are about all the time catastrophic. Individuals or groups, which commend these crimes, are known as terrorists. Terrorists are present all over the globe. There are a small number of terrorists who operate unaccompanied, but generally they are fraction of one or many global terrorist organizations. Terrorism has been approximately since the commencement of time. It has caused realms to go up and to fall, and allowed certain people to obtain immensely destructive power. Terrorism by nature is difficult to define, roughly it could be said that â€Å"Terrorism as a word in its usual usage has a connotation of evil, indiscriminate violence or brutality.† (Lutz, 2008, p.7). Some groups those are not in any ways committing brutal acts but voicing out randomly for the commoners or for freedom of nation are also labeled as terrorist groups. This is really condemnable, because â€Å"People and organizations are degraded when labeled as terrorists, and political or religious movements can lose followers and funding as a result of the label† (Griset & Mahan, 2003, p. xiii). Terrorism involves ferocious and gruesome actions such as bombing, assassination of important people, mass killing or massacres, taking hostages by hijacking etc. Terrorism is directed towards the military sections, rather for religious or political entities. Several terrorist groups have shaken the world with their violent and horrible attacks and threatened the entire mankind repeatedly in all the parts of the world. Some infamous terrorist groups are working by encompassing global networking system, like Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Chechens, Hizbool Mujahideen, Taliban etc. They have succeeded to terrorize the entire world. Al Qaeda and Hezbollah are extremely active terrorist groups that have created their unique history of terror throughout the globe. Al Qaeda is the most prominent and matured global terrorist organization in the global history of

Literary History and the Concept of Literature Essay Example for Free

Literary History and the Concept of Literature Essay Literary history and the concept of literature I From the 1970s onwards, much has been said about the writing of history and literary history that has cast doubt on its intellectual credibility. For example, Hayden White’s Metahistory (1973) included an influential analysis of the metaphorical foundations of 19th century history writing. In 1979, Jean-Francois Lyotard criticized grand narratives in La Condition postmoderne (The Postmodern Condition), and in 1992 David Perkins presented a whole array of sceptical epistemological and methodological arguments directed against literary history in Is Literary History Possible?. The questioning of literary history has not however resulted in the abandonment of large-scale literary-historical projects, rather it has inspired attempts to base such ventures on better designs and better foundations. Not least, many new ideas about the field have been put forward in connection with the preparation of two major works of literary history sponsored by the ICLA. It is also natural to point to two theoretical publications from 2002: the collection of essays, Rethinking Literary History, edited by Linda Hutcheon and Mario J. Valdes, and Marcel Cornis-Pope and John Neubauer’s brief presentation of the ideas behind a history of literary cultures in East-Central Europe. [ii] The Swedish project â€Å"Literature and Literary History in Global Contexts†, which was started in 1998 and will terminate in 2004, focuses specifically on some theoretical problems associated with the writing of literary history. We who participate come, mostly, from various fields within oriental studies or from comparative literature. Since the project is sponsored by the Swedish Research Council we all work, or once worked, at various Swedish universities. One of the special features of the project is the interest devoted to world histories of literature, a genre where the general problems of literary history become especially visible and acute. (I shall return to this perhaps unfamiliar genre in a moment. ) Three important cruces in connection with world histories of literature have been singled out for special discussion within the project: (i) the understanding of the notion of literature, (ii) the understanding of genres, and (iii) the understanding of interactions between literary cultures. These three sets of issues will be made the subject of four volumes of literary-historical studies and theoretical reflections, and these volumes will represent the main concrete outcome of the project. In this paper, I shall concentrate on the first of the questions, about the notion of literature. I shall say a few words about the concept of literature itself, point out some of the difficulties that it occasions in a world history of literature, and conclude with a brief discussion of how such problems may be approached and dealt with. II In a sense, of course, there are very many concepts of literature: if every nuance is taken into account, it may well be the case that each person has their own. Yet if, conversely, one looks at the situation very broadly, one can say that there is an everyday concept of literature in Western culture which is widely shared. That concept came into being in the course of the 18th century. Before that, no exact counterpart to our present concept of literature existed either in Western culture or elsewhere, and the distinction between imaginative literature and non-fiction was not of primary importance in the classification of texts. Wilt Idema and Lloyd Haft have given a concise and clarifying account of how earlier cultures thought about texts and their basic divisions. As long as no more than a few written works are in circulation in a given society, all texts are more or less equally important and valuable. If there is a dramatic increase in the number of writings, with a corresponding differentiation in their content and character, the texts are likely to be subdivided into the categories of â€Å"high† literature, professional literature, and popular literature. â€Å"Literature† (or high literature) is then the term for texts which are felt to be of general educational value and which are, accordingly, regarded as part of the necessary intellectual baggage of every cultured person†¦. Works which contain useful knowledge but remain limited to one specific area, such as medicine or military science, are classified as professional literature. Works intended only to amuse, and which have (or are considered to have) no educational value, fall outside the scope of â€Å"literature†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. We may call these more or less despised writings â€Å"trivial literature†. In the kind of intellectual culture described in this quotation, the fundamental distinction among texts is the one between culturally important texts and culturally less significant ones. In most such cultures – classical antiquity, classical Chinese culture, classical Sanskrit culture, and so forth – the class of culturally important texts would comprise most of what we call poetry, history writing, and philosophy, and normally also other kinds of texts – some administrative texts, some texts concerning magic, some letters, et cetera. Oral vernacular texts, or relatively unadorned fictional narratives, what we call fictional prose, would normally form part of popular or trivial literature. For complex social, economic, and cultural reasons, this way of classifying texts came to undergo great though gradual transformations in Western Europe from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries. One of the very many crucial factors behind the process must have been the growing importance of a new, more rigorous conception of empirical truth, associated with the natural sciences. High literature, in the special sense described by Idema and Haft, had always aspired to truth in the sense of great human significance. As the distinction between empirical truth and empirical non-truth became more rigid and more significant – and as many other, more or less related developments were taking place – new groupings began to emerge in the textual universe. Poetry became dissociated from scientific writings, and successively also from history, philosophy, oratory, and letters. On the other hand, fictional prose, especially in the guise of the increasingly appreciated novel, came to be regarded as one of the genres of poetry. With this, our modern notion of literature had effectively taken shape, and the term â€Å"literature† (whose main meaning in the 17th and 18th centuries had been something like â€Å"education† or â€Å"culture†) successively developed into today’s normal designation of the concept. [v] III The late 18th and early 19th centuries saw the beginning of the writing of literary history – of the history of national European literatures, of the history of European literature as a whole and, at least from the 1830s onwards, of the world history of literature. World histories of literature thus comprise a genre which has existed for around 170 years. Among its modern instances are such impressive works as the German twenty-five volume Neues Handbuch der Literaturwissenschaft (New Handbook of Literary Studies), published between 1972 and 2002, and the Russian Istorija vsemirnoj literatury v devjati tomach (History of World Literature in Nine Volumes) from 1983-94. [vii] However in the English-speaking world the genre is more or less extinct, and its very existence appears to be overlooked in the contemporary international discussion about the globalization of literary studies. These debates are primarily inspired by the widespread interest in colonial and postcolonial studies and place the last few centuries at the centre of attention, while the traditional world histories of literature are, in principle, universal in scope, and are meant to cover all times and cultures. In many respects, it seems a good idea to have a world history of literature to fall back on. Such works can relate the various literary cultures of the world to one another and put them into perspective. Thus they may create a much needed overview, much as a map of the world helps us to comprehend certain fundamental geographical realities. To some extent, works like the Neues Handbuch der Literaturwissenschaft and the Istorija vsemirnoj literatury do just that, and of course they also contain a wealth of information and intelligent discussion. Yet, despite their often remarkable qualities, world histories of literature are typically profoundly problematic for a number of reasons. Two major problems have their roots in the very concept of literature. First, the concept is, in itself, an everyday notion. If employed without additional explications or stipulations, it is too imprecise and inconsistent to form the basis of a reasonable classification. Second, the concept of literature is a relatively recent Western invention. Its application to other times and cultures will easily lead to anachronistic and ethnocentric distortions. On the whole, world histories of literature are content to sweep such problems under the carpet. They typically prefer to rely on the everyday notion of literature and to include the resulting contradictions in the bargain. For instance, the concept of literature is traditionally used in such a manner that the criteria for a work to be classified as literature vary depending on the time and the culture one is speaking of. Modern literature is most often seen as consisting of just fictional prose, poetry, and drama. When there is talk of older periods, the concept of literature is however used very inclusively. [ix] For example, ancient Roman philosophy, history, and oratory are not excluded as being non-fiction; instead, such writers as Lucrece, Caesar, and Cicero are considered part of the European literary heritage. The same duality appears in the treatment of other literary cultures. Thus, for instance, the sacred Vedic texts (circa 1200 – circa 500 B. C.).

3M Essay -- essays research papers

12 Basic Immutable Tenets   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As we all know Warren Buffett may be the most successful investor in the world. Some people try to dismiss Buffetts’ prowess of picking successful securities on the basis of a certain degree of luck or inside information that the regular small investor could never hope to have. However what many people do not understand is that, according to Robert G. Hagstrom, Buffett does not invest in stocks but in companies and their underlying businesses. and instead of luck Buffett uses his twelve immutable tenets. These twelve tenets are broken into four sections of the companies: 1) Business, 2) Management 3) Financial and 4) Market. By analyzing 3Ms’ annual report, its financial statements, and by examining all aspects of the company and its’ industry we can come to a conclusion of whether or not 3M would make an attractive investment to Buffett.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first group of Buffetts’ tenets is the Business tenets. The business tenets are broken into three areas of concentration. The first business tenet is the business must be simple and understandable. 3M has thousands of different products, a few of which are simple (and thus interesting to Buffett) such as Post-It Notes, Scotch Tape, adhesives, and cleaning agents. But some of 3Ms’ other products are not as simple such as flexible circuits, and electronic and liquid crystal displays. These highly technical products would be out of Buffetts’ â€Å"circle of confidence†, products that Buffett does not know very much about and therefore Buffett would not be able to interpret and react to developments with as much confidence. The second business tenet is that the business must have a consistent operating history. Companies with a consistent operating history are firms that are in a stable industry, have spent years producing the same prod uct, and that are not currently involved in changing directions. 3M could easily be categorized as having a consistent operating history as shown by its strong core products (Post-It notes, Scotch tape, Scotch guard etc†¦) which have dominated their market for years. Also 3Ms’ consistency can be measured by its’ longevity in the fact that 3M was established over 100 years ago in 1902. The last of the business tenets is favorable long term prospects. Favorable long term prospects ca... ...he last group of tenets, the market tenets, helps the investor decide if the price of the shares is acceptable. The first market tenet is deciding the value of the business. To value a business Buffett estimates a companies total future cash earnings and discounts the owners’ earnings by a risk free rate (30 year T-bond). 3M had total owner earnings of $2,690,000,000 in 2003. If we assume that owners’ earnings will grow by 12% per year for the next ten years (which is what analysts predict as the industry as a whole is expected to grow 11% per year) we can calculate that 3Ms’ intrinsic value in 2003 would be $35,085,216,000. Even if 3M grows at 5% per year the company would still be worth $25,780,818,000. The final market tenet, buying at attractive prices, is buying at a sensible price that will give your investment a â€Å"margin of safety†, and also buying at prices that are below their indicated value. 3Ms’ value is calculated at $63,480,000 ,000. This value is almost double our calculated intrinsic value, which would indicate to us that the stock price is too high and that 3M would not represent a good investment until the price falls to a level that would give a margin of safety.

Causes of Car Accidents

Causes of car accidents Car accidents can happen to drivers anytime, anywhere. â€Å"According to the National Safety Council, which stated that more than 2. 5 million collisions back every year, making it the most common type of car accidents, it is also known that the accident rear end as incidents of injury, because the nature of the collision leads often in whiplash injury the driver in the car in front and about 20% of people who participated in a rear collision injury symptoms of this kind. , (NHTSA, auto-accident-resource. com). Among the car accidents, the teenage group is the only age group who is number of deaths is increasing instead of decreasing. Also, all the people are exposed to risk and actually every one of them has got car accident at least once that could have been easily prevented. There are many reasons car accidents happen such as drunken drivers, using cellular phones while driving, and teenage drivers. First reason is drinking and driving which is the leadin g cause of car accidents. â€Å"Over 1. 1 million drivers were arrested in 2010 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics†, (Federal Bureau of Investigation, â€Å"Crime in the United States: 2010†, madd. org). Also,† drunk driving costs the United States $132 billion a year â€Å", (NHTS FARS data, 2012, madd. org). Driving while intoxicated is dangerous, because drinking increases your inhibitions and self-confidence but lowers your driving performance. In other words, alcohol impairs the decision-making ability of the brain. For example, when people get drunk, they do not even think they are drunk.They may feel like they can do anything. But they cannot. Many accidents occur because of drinking. These accidents involve mostly one car, but other people can be killed by drunk drivers. People have to be educated about drinking and driving, so they do not kill themselves or innocent people on the road. Second reason, using cell phones while driving causes car accidents. According to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, â€Å"2,600 people died in 2004 and 330,000 more were injured while using cell phones just before an accident†. doityourself. com). When a cell phone is used while driving, it distracts the attention of the driver, leading to car accidents. While using a cell phone many people tend to miss traffic signals, because they are not really concentrating on driving. The process of dialing or answering the phone can make them lose control of the vehicle as well. Even though the driver is looking at the road, he or she can easily get distracted by the conversation. This can result in fatal accidents.Third reason of accidents on the road is teenage drivers. â€Å"2,739 teenagers died in car accidents in the United States during 2008 â€Å", (drivesteady. com). Some teenagers cause fatal accidents, because of immaturity and lack of experience. Teenagers are very impulsive. Although not intending to hurt anyone, t hey sometimes drive very aggressively. It is not difficult to find teenagers driving with one hand on the steering wheel, seat pushed back, and with loud music playing. In traffic they go wild, trying to seek attention.They underestimate the risk of what they are doing. All these acts result in serious consequences on the road. Many accidents of young drivers result from their own mistakes. In conclusion, many people do not realize that being intoxicated while driving, using cellular phones and teenage drivers may bring serious injuries to everybody. Some people may enjoy drinking without care until they get into car accident, which can even result in the deaths of many innocent people.The car accidents caused by these problems are really serious but preventable. If everybody tries to eliminate these problems by following the rules of the road, driving can be less dangerous, and we will not waste time on car accidents. REFERENCES: 1- (http://www. auto-accident-resource. com/statisti cs. html). 2- (http://www. madd. org/statistics/). 3- (http://www. madd. org/drunk-driving/about/drunk-driving-statistics. html). 4- (http://www. doityourself. com/stry/driving-safety-tips-statistics-on-deaths-by

Development of the United Kingdom Essay

Officially known as the Republic of Ghana, it was Europe’s first trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa – initially trading in gold and then later as a primary supplier of slaves. Although it was subsequently colonized by the British, it later became the first country in Africa to obtain independence from its colonizer (BBC News). Ghana came into existence in 1957 when what was then known as the Gold Coast acquired its independence from the British. Situated along the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa (see U. S. State Department map reproduced below), the country occupies an area of about 238,538 sq. km. composed of plains, rainforest, and some scrubland (U. S. State Department). Its capital city is Accra (population: 3 million) and the other principal cities are Kumasi, with an estimated population of 1 million, Tema (500,000), and Sekondi-Takoradi (population: 370,000). English has been designated official language of the Ghanaians but several dialects are spoken like Akan, which is spoken by about 49% of the population, Mole-Dagbani (16%), Ewe (13%), Ga-Adangbe (8%), and Guan, the dialect of 4% of the population. Sixty-nine percent of its estimated population of 23 million are Christians while 15. 6% are Muslims. Indigenous religious beliefs are being practiced by 8. 5% of Ghanaians. Although it existed as a democratic republic since its independence in 1957, the constitution of Ghana took effect only on January 7, 1993 (U. S. State Department). The cultural practices of Ghanaians which are mainly related to â€Å"conception, childbirth, and childrearing† consist of some harmful customs and traditions. One of these is â€Å"female genital mutilation (FGM). † This is a procedure which is conducted to partially or totally remove the external genitalia of a girl to turn her into a real woman. Another is a belief in dietary taboos which often leads to anemia or nutritional deficiency on the part of pregnant women. In Ghana, when a marriage does not produce an offspring after two years, it is considered defective. After a woman gives birth, the Ghanaians believe that burying the placenta near the house of the family would prevent the child from growing up into an errant or rebellious individual. In addition, they would wait for eight days after birth before naming the child and treating the umbilical cord with herbal preparations (Nyinah). Ghana is rich in natural resources with gold and cocoa being two of its major dollar earners. Its other export products are timber, diamonds, aluminum, tuna, manganese ore, and bauxite. In spite of this, the country still relies heavily on the assistance of international financial and technical institutions to remain viable. Thirty-five percent of its gross domestic product comes from the agricultural sector which also accounts for 55% of total employment in the country, mostly in the form of small landowners. Aside from seeking debt relief in 2002 under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program, Ghana was also one of the beneficiaries of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative which came into force in 2006 (CIA World Factbook). As of 2006, total exports reached an estimated $3. 9 billion while imports totaled $6. 8 billion. Identified trade partners were the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Germany, France, Spain, Nigeria, the Netherlands, and Togo (U. S. State Department). Statistics gleaned by Global Health Reporting. org from the CIA World Factbook and a report published by UNAIDS in May 2006 about the global epidemic on AIDS showed that as at end of 2005, an estimated 29,000 had already died from AIDS in Ghana, leaving behind them about 170,000 children below 17 years old who had lost one or both parents to the disease. The same sources also revealed that by the end of 2005, there were 320,000 Ghanaians who were living with HIV/AIDS, 25,000 of whom were children below 14 years old. Aside from AIDS, another major health concern of the country is malaria. With about three million new cases being reported every year, malaria accounts for approximately 61% of total hospital admissions in the country among children below five years old (Global Health Reporting. org). In its fight against AIDS, malaria, and other diseases which have been plaguing Ghanaians, the country has received varying degrees of support from international organizations such as the World Health Organization, Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Bank, the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Accra Daily Mail, 3/17 as cited in Global Health Reporting. org). On March 17, 2008, a campaign named â€Å"Voices for Malaria-Free Future† was launched in the country to educate the people about the techniques and the key concepts and practices used in fighting malaria. Rosemary Ardayfio, who represented the media in the launching ceremony, announced the formation of the Media Malaria Network composed of journalists from the print and online organizations. Ardayfio explained that aside from recognizing the role of the different media organizations in malaria advocacy, the network specifically aims â€Å"to disseminate information about the use of insecticide-treated nets and appropriate medication† (Global Health Reporting. org). Ghana was among the 177 countries that ratified the Kyoto Protocol which aims to require industrialized countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases to prevent global warming (UNFCCC). In addition, Ghana was also a party to other international agreements governing hazardous wastes, biodiversity, endangered species, law of the sea, ship pollution, environmental modification, ozone layer protection, wetlands, and tropical timber (CIA World Factbook). The Republic of Ghana faces a bright future. It is endowed with plenty of natural resources. Its leadership has commitment itself to free and compulsory basic education. In fact, its â€Å"free, compulsory, universal basic education (FCUBE)† which was launched in 1996 has been labeled the â€Å"most ambitious pre-tertiary education programs in West Africa† (U. S. State Department). It has also been described as a â€Å"well-administered country by regional standards† and considered a model for economic and political reforms in the region. And, most of all, a major oil reserve was discovered in 2007 (BBC News). For these reasons alone, the country and its people have no reason to remain impoverished. Works Cited BBC News. â€Å"Country profile: Ghana. † International version. 6 February 2008. 22 March 2008. CIA World Factbook. â€Å"Ghana. † 6 March 2008. 22 March 2008. https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gh. html Global Health Reporting. org. â€Å"Ghana. † 22 March 2008. http://globalhealthreporting. org/countries/ghana. asp? collID=11&id=144&malID=187 &tbID=188&hivIC=189&malIC=190&tbIC=191&map=192&con=Ghana&p=1 Nyinah, S. â€Å"Cultural practices in Ghana. † World Health. March-April 1997. 22 March 2008. UNFCCC. â€Å"Kyoto Protocol. † 22 March 2008. U. S. State Department. â€Å"Background note: Ghana. † January 2008. 22 March 2008.

buy custom International Business Environment essay

buy custom International Business Environment essay International business is described as the collectively commercial transactions, carried out in more than one country. Usually, government companies involve in business transaction across the boundaries for political reasons and the private companies for profit reasons. International business involves all the activities, carried out by public and private sectors across the borders. The economic transaction resources include capital, people as well as skills, necessary for production of goods and services. Many companies, involving in international companies, are referred as the multinational corporations. These are the companies that carry out business worldwide and they have their companies, located in more than one region. The international business operation depends on the objectives of the company. The global pattern of foreign direct investment from 2000-2011 have changed because the business operations have been affected by physical, societal and the competitive environmental f actors. The average annual FDI inflows on FDI in Africa doubled and increased significantly from 2000 to 2003. The global FDI flows in African regions increased for about 6 per cent. Among the developing nations, Africas FDI inflows from 2000 to 2003 increased, but it later reduced in 2004 to less than 9 % from 20% (UNCTAD 2008, p.109). From 2000 to 2003, FDI inflows accounted for one fifth per cent of the capital flow to African. In the developing nations, African continent has been lagging behind. However, the FDI is one of the most international dynamic resource flows for developing nations. The FDI is fundamental because of its intangible and tangible assets. This is because the firms deploying them are significant players of FDI flows in the global economy. The considerable evidence is that FDI affects growth and development, thus, complementing investments in the domestic market. Like many other developing countries, Africa requires substantial external resources inflows in order to el iminate the current economic crisis, which contributes to its increased poverty level. The international investment crisis started in 2004 but the year 2008 marked the end of this crisis because of the growth cycle. According to Cantwell, Dunning and Lundan (2010, p. 468), the FDI reached a remarkable record of $ 1.8 trillion during the year 2007. This was because of the ongoing global economic and financial crisis. This crisis affected many multinational companies, especially the International World Banks. Therefore, the FDI flows declined more than twenty the year 2008, making many multinational corporations to experience losses. The table 1 below indicates the FDI inflows by group of economies from 200 to 2008. The FDI flow decrease was experienced in 2009 due to transactional corporation crisis consequences and this affected the investment expenditures. This unfolded in the year 2010, when the private and public companies operating business worldwide started to experience a bigger loss in business transactions (Bergstrand and Egger 2007, p. 290). (Billions of dollars) Regions 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2009 Developed economies Developing economies Transition economies 1400 200 200 1200 200 200 800 300 200 600 400 150 1000 400 150 1200 300 400 1400 300 500 1600 500 600 1800 600 800 Source: UNCTAD, based on EDI database (www. Unctad.org/fdi statistics) Additionally, the global decreases in FDI in 2008 to 2009 were initiated by two major factors, which affected the domestic and international investment. First, the firms were unable to invest due to reduction in financial resources accessibility both internally and externally. This led to corporate profit reductions because of the lower availability as well as higher financial cost of borrowing fund for carrying out transactions effectively. The financial and economic crisis made the International Monetary Funds to regulate financial accessibility in an attempt to curb this crisis (Antoncic, Cardon and Hirsch 2004, p.181). Secondly, the economic prospects affected negatively the propensity to invest, especially in the developed nations. This is because many of the developed nations were hit by severe economic depression. In earlier 2009, many companies were forced to restrict their costs investment programs because of the two factors. This was done in order to enable the companies to be more flexible to any further decline in the business environment. The two factors impacted the FDI types such as the market, efficiency and resource seekers, though with varied magnitudes and locations. The FDI impacted particularly the cross border mergers as well as the acquisitions. The impact was severe, especially in 2008, where there was sharp decline, compared to other years behind. This led to a kind of divestments and restructuring, rising wave in the business environment. Although the international Greenfield investments were less impacted in 2009, most of the projects were cancelled and some of them were postponed. Moreover, the FDI impacts were different because they depended on the regions and each sector. The developed countries were much more affected than the developing countries due to a decline in the 2008 FDI inflows. This was because of the sluggish market visions. Although, the flows into the developing nations in 2008 continued to increase, it was, however, much lower than the years before. In 2009, the FDI inflows declined in multinational sectors. This was because of the pull-back in efficiency as well as in FDI resource seeking, which aimed to export their p roducts to advanced economies (Hajkova, Nicoletti, Vartia, and Yoo 2006, p. 110). The FDI market seeking intended at servicing domestic markers with development prospects but they receded. Among the industries, the most significant FDI flows that have been affected up to the year 2011 were the financial service, intermediate and consumptions goods as well as the automotive industries. Other industries that have been affected by slowdown in the global economy include the aircraft, steel industries and the transport sector. However, the crisis is still expanding to other activities, arraying from the primary to non-financial sectors. The short term current economic recession on worldwide FDI prospects have created the negative impacts on the economy. The present crisis, which is a result of the exceptional magnitude, could lead to structural changes in the global economy. This is because some factors, favorable for FDI growth, are still working and some of them are associated with the crisis itself. Some driving forces will sooner or later trigger the new FDI flows. These include investment opportunities due to cheap prices of assets, large financial amounts. Industrial restructure and availability of financial resources in merging nations will trigger the FDI flows. Additionally, high expansion rate of new activities such as internalization of industries and environmental allied industries will too trigger the FDI flows (Buckley and Ghauri 2004, p. 87). In 2008, the FDI inflows declined to more than 20 per cent in ajor economies, thus, contributing to economic slowdown, rigid credit conditions and economic profit reductions in multinational corporations. Many companies decided to lay off their workers, curtailed production and reduced their capital expenditures. However, all of these had implications on the FDI inflows. According to Sethi, Guisinger, Phelan and Berg (2003, p. 320), the UNCTAD and world FDI flows preliminarily estimated that by 2008, the FDI would decline by 21 per cent. This is because of the sharp step-back of other things that were anticipated during the quarter of the year. The table 2 below indicates the FDI growth prospects of 2009 t0 2011 compared with that of 2008. The recent IMF forecast on world economic outlook anticipated that the economic output in 2009 expanded by 2.2 per cent from November 2008 as compared to October projection of the same year, whereby the output was 1.5 per cent (Vygodina 2006, p. 22 0). The United Nations are more pessimistic on the global economic prospects. This is because they predicted that the FDI inflows would increase with a skimpy one per cent growth in the global economy. Table 2: Global FDI prospects (per cent of responses) FDI growth prospects (compared with 2008) Increase Remain the same Decrease 2009 2010 2011 22 33 50 20 26 31 58 41 19 The present FDI economic crisis is different from that of the previous. For instance, when comparing the economic crisis of 2000 to 2004, it is different from that of 2007 to the present, which originated from the developing nations. This led to a negative impact on the FDI inflows as indicated in table 3 below. In contrast, the present economic crisis originated from the developed nations, thus, spreading to developing nations (Publishing, 2005). The crisis that hit the developed nations varies in severity degree among the nations. Thus, the crisis has varied consequences on the FDI inflows in geographical locations. The preliminary data revealed that the protracted and the deepening crisis of 2008 affected many financial institutions. Nevertheless, the liquidity crisis in the monetary banks and debt markets affected the FDI flows (UNCTAD 2008, p. 112). This led to a decline in the inward flow, especially in countries such as Finland, Italy and Germany, compared to FDI inflows in 20 06, which was somehow higher than in 2008. The FDI decline in the United States and United Kingdom led to severe crisis that contributed to limited financial investments. Table 3: World FDI inflow prospects Regions 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 IMF: World Advanced economies Emerging economies World Bank Developing countries United Nations Developed economies Transition economies Developing economies 5 2.6 8.0 3.7 7.9 3.8 2.5 8.3 7.2 3.7 1.4 6.6 2.5 6.3 2.5 1.2 6.9 5.9 2.2 -0.3 5.1 0.9 4.5 1.0(baseline) -0.5(baseline) 4.8(baseline) 4.6 (baseline) - - 3.0 0.3 6.1 - - - - - - 2.0 0.2 5.5 - - - - Source: IMF, World Bank and United Nations However, there are signs of change but this depends on the sequence of uncertain factors. These factors can lead to change of FDI flows including the economic and financial speed up to a recovery state, effective public policies. These policies will address the causes of the current crisis, thus, looking for solutions to overcome them. Moreover, many companies made plans to scale back the high perceived risk levels and uncertainties in order to reduce economic crisis. Companies in advanced economies are restraining in launching new projects, which aim at increasing the capacity for market oriented production. Other companies are committed to increase production capacity in developing nations. However, this will weaken the external demand in developed nations, thus, contributing to a decrease in commodities and prices for energy. Heckscher-Ohlin Model Moreover, due to decreased commodities, many companies have tried to employ models that are labor saving and capital using products that provides high income. Many products manufactured undergo product life-cycle because of its comparative advantage. The economic theory of product life-cycle was developed by Raymond Vernon due to failure of Heckscher-Ohlin model. The later model failed to explain the observed international trade pattern. According to Buckley and Ghauri (2004, p. 89), Heckscher-Ohlin model suggests that in product life cycle, products evolve from the place, in which they were invented. For instance, personal computers are some of the products in the United States that undergo product life cycle. These products are produced and consumed within the production area, thus, no export trade occurs. This model is seen as a comparative advantage because product production changes from innovation in developed nations to developing countries. The OLI-Framework Another model being employed is electric paradigm, which is an economic theory, which is also well-known as the OLI-framework. This model was invented by John Dunning and became an internalized model, which was commonly used in the international trade. The OLI model is based on the transaction cost theory. According to Sedoglavich, Hill and Field (2008, p. 56), the transaction cost requires that the transactions should be made within the organizations in case the internal costs are lower than the free market. John Dunning added that three factors such as ownership, location and internalization advantages are significant in this theory, thus, the theory was shortened as the OLI paradigm (Sedoglavich, Hill and Field (2008, p. 89). However, Locational advantage is considered as the fundamental factor for multinational corporations, carrying out their transactions across the globe. The area, whereby an industry is located for transacting activities, is taken into consideration for market seekers. Industries that need to use their own competitive advantage prefer areas that favor presence of foreign location. Thus, firms may choose to expand or exploit their ownership advantage though engaging in FDI business. Therefore, the Locational advantage is considered essential in the FDI because industries located or constructed abroad can benefit from the capital intensiveness. In addition, under the location advantage, companies are required to use foreign factors in connection with their native firm location advantage to enable them perform business successfully. Thus, the location advantage is the key for determining the location for a successful multinational corporation. The location advantage can be separated into three areas. One of them is the economic advantage, which calls for quantity and quality factors of production. The economic advantage takes into consideration the markket size, transport costs and the scope, thus, advantageous in FDI. Another factor it considers is political advantage. This is whereby the firms, carrying out business in the international market, take into consideration the favorable climate for carrying out transactions efficiently. The companies, carrying out business internationally, consider the favorable government policies that will influence the inward FDI investment flows. Lastly, the social-cultural advantages, whic h include the language, cultural diversities and attitude towards foreigners, are taken into considerations, when choosing industrial location for transacting activities. Porters Diamond Model The last model, which is comparative advantage, is the Porters Diamond model, which is a framework pattern, used in industrialized nations. The model was developed by Michael Porter and it focuses on the competitive sources from the national context. The model is used in analyzing the ability of the industries if they can function in the international market. Moreover, it analyses the ability of the national market to compete favorably in the international market. The model recognizes the demand and factor conditions, it also recognizes strategies, used in the firm, its structure and rivalry that a company should use in analyzing the viability of the countrys competitiveness in the international market. The model determines if the demand as well as the factors of production is required in a business environment. Some of the pillars of his model takes into considerations the strategies and tries to highlight the competitive advantage areas and weaknesses. Thus, it tries to access the suitability for particular condition necessary for successive foreign business performance (Brooks and Weatherston 2010, p. 89). Factors Affecting the FDI There are ranges of factors that can affect the FDI. One of the factors is cost and this affects the profits, especially when the production cost is high. It is quite clear that the FDI brings out costs as well as benefits. However, this must be evaluated well, especially when making decisions on the best policy approach to be used in transacting activities. For instance, in case the production cost of manufacturing commodities in an industry is high, an industry may encounter losses, when carrying out business activities across the borders. This is especially the transportation costs and other costs, required in machinery maintenance or high cost of hiring expatriate to operate technical machine in the companies. Most companies in Africa experience high cost of production because of increased cost for machinery maintenance and hiring external expatriates for operating technical machineries. Another factor, affecting the FDI inflows, is the political risks. Poor political climate and unfavorable government policies affect the FDI inflows negatively. For instance, many developing nations are lagging behind in terms of economic activities. This is because of the unfavorable political conditions that scare the potential investors away. Many International Monetary Funds that provide financial aid to countries, carrying out business across the globe, are situated in developed nation. The few are in developing nations because of the poor political environment, especially the political instabilities, thus, affecting the FDI flows. This is because the foreign direct investors appreciate protectionism and providing adequate security to their investments. Moreover, the ever political crisis, associated with clashes for political powers, has affected the FDI inflows (Davies and Kristjaansdoottir 2010, p. 51). This is because the ever increasing clashes within the developing nations , especially Africa, have hindered the potential investors from locating many multinational corporations within the nation. Cultural factors may affect the FDI inflows. The cultural factors may hinder better performance of foreign industries. An industry, participating in foreign market, should ensure that they understand the cultural beliefs of people in the foreign market. This is essential because it helps a company to carry out transactions effectively. However, lack of cultural understanding may hinder the performance of business, thus, contributing to poor output. Moreover, it is vital to understand the language of a particular culture, in which the business is located (McDonald, Tsagdis and Huang, 2006, 526). This is because language barrier is one of the greatest hindrances in better performance of the business across the globe. Competitive factors are the major problem of better performance in the foreign market. Due to technological expansion, especially in communication and transportation sector, many companies are now competing favorably. Therefore, poor technological development may impact the FDI inflow. This is because innovative commodities of high quality will thrive in the market. Thus, the domestic market is working hard to produce innovative products, thus, creating competition with foreign market. This forces the foreign industries to reduce cost in order to earn more customers. Thus, the competition scares away the potential investor or makes them to withdraw from the market. This is because of the fear of making lower profits, thus, a hindrance to FDI inflows (Bora 2001, p. 220) Lastly, governmental regulations affect the FDI policies. The government policies in developing countries as well as heavy taxes, imposed on foreign activities, transacted within the developing nations, put away the potential investors. Moreover, the government does not provide adequate incentives to the foreign investors, thus, hindering them in transacting business within the developing regions. Sanderson and Kentor (2008, p. 521) points out favorable government policies that attract more investors to a country, hence, contributing to increased FDI inflows. However, if these policies are not conducive, the investors would be forced to look for a better location, which is conducive. Moreover, imposing heavy duties on the foreign commodities and lack of incentive provision to the potential investors affects FDI negatively. The federal government in the United States recently announced that some policies will be changed in order to enable the multinational firms to compete favorably in the foreign market. The social policies for host governments and their ability to attract foreign investment would be applied in the new institutional economies. The new set of data would be used to explore the direct as well as the indirect non-governmental organizations roles in the business sector. Non-governmental organizations are non profit oriented and non voluntary organized groups that work within the local, national and the international levels. The US government declared to work with the non-governmental organizations in serving the interests of the societies. They focus on the advocacy, operational efforts on social, economic and political goals. This is done in order to ensure that the environment is protected, thus, making it conducive for attracting the potential foreign investors. Conclusion In conclusion, the global pattern of foreign direct investment from 2000-2011 have changed. This is because the business operations have been affected by physical, societal and the competitive environmental factors, thus, making the environment unfavorable for potential investors. This is because of the increased economic crisis that hit the developed nations and then spread to the developing nations, especially that of 2007. The FDI impacted particularly the cross border mergers as well as the acquisitions. There are ranges of factors that can affect the FDI such as cost factors, political risks, cultural and competitive factors. However, many international companies employed competitive models such as the Porters Diamond model, Heckscher-Ohlin model and OLI model. Lastly, the federal government of US changed some policies in order to enable foreign markets to compete favorably in the international market. Buy custom International Business Environment essay

Climate change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Climate change - Essay Example London and New Orleans already have storm surge defense mechanisms in place as a national requirement. Displacement of communities and reduction in landmass will have dire consequences on the world’s resources. Coastal erosion, flooding, water quality, loss of life and cultural resources and values are all expected to be implicated as a result of this effect of climate change. . The Maldives are currently under pressure. President Nasheed of the Maldives islands stated recently that the nation state was looking for new land to purchase due to the effects of rising sea levels. The nation has the lowest land mass above sea level and it is estimated that unless climate change is controlled the nation will be under water by the end of this century. (OCarroll, 2008) New York metropolitan area is a coastal community so dramatic raises in sea levels will bare negative consequences. The GE community in Hungary has developed an animation to show the effects of sea level rises and shows a time line on the continuation of rises and the submerging of the area. The animation is available from http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2007/04/animation_roundup_ri.html OCarroll E (2008) Faced with rising sea levels, the Maldives seek new homeland Online Journal The Christian Scientist available from http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/11/11/faced-with-rising-sea-levels-the-maldives-seek-new-homeland/ accessed 9th December

How software engineering differs from other fields of engineering Essay

How software engineering differs from other fields of engineering - Essay Example The concept is applied with reference to engineering and computer science principles and practices, when exploring the development, operability and the maintenance of software systems. This paper will explore the aspects that differentiate software from other fields of engineering like mechanical and electrical engineering. The paper will also discuss the specific characteristics of the ‘software’ product, which differentiate the field from other engineering domains. The differences between software engineering and other traditional engineering disciplines The field of software engineering, unlike other traditional fields of engineering, can be traced to the growth in the field of computing and information technology. The growth in the field of computing and information technology has prompted the tremendous growth of the field of software engineering (Ghezzi, Jazayeri and Mandrioli, 2003). On the other hand, other fields of engineering can be traced to the development a nd the growth of respective fields of study and practice, and not necessarily the field of computing and information technology (Sommerville, 2008). ... erent from traditional engineering disciplines, in that many of the other fields of engineering – including civil, chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineering – can be traced to the discrete application of mathematical basements. On the other hand, software engineering can be traced to the application of technical computer and mathematical science principles, which resulted from the need of maintaining and improving software systems (Ghezzi, Jazayeri and Mandrioli, 2003). This difference shows that the field depends, mainly, on the principles of discrete mathematics, particularly that related to logic (Jones, 1995). Software engineering is different from traditional engineering fields, in that many of the engineers practicing these other fields construct real artifacts, but software engineers construct virtual/ abstract artifacts. This points out that the products developed by software engineers may not be subjected to the evaluation and the testing which is releva nt to those produced by the engineering practicing in the traditional fields. Additionally, traditional engineering fields are mature fields incorporating continuous mathematics and physical sciences, but software engineering is more immature, and reliant on discrete mathematics and computer sciences (Herbsleb and Goldenson, 1996). In traditional engineering, there are two major concerns about the products produced, including the costs of production and the reliability of the product, which is a function of time and failure (Jalote, 2005). On the other hand, in software engineering, the main concerns related to the products developed include the costs of development and the reliability of the virtual product, which is a function of the number of errors noted for every thousand lines of the source