Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Critical Thinking in Homeland Security Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking in Homeland Security Essay Critical Thinking in Homeland Security Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Homeland Security is an essential part of the security organs that are very crucial in ensuring the protection of the country’s sovereignty. Just as other nations in the world, United States faces significant threats from the external and internal factors. The US established Homeland Security Department in 2003, in an effort to address the external threats and aggression like the September 11 terrorist attacks (Pruitt, 2003, â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). Therefore, the main objective of the department is to prevent terrorist attacks in the US. Additionally, the department has to minimize the exposure of the nation to terrorism and minimizing the injuries that results from the attacks, if attacks occur.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To achieve its mandate the department applies several skills. These skills are aimed at determining the likelihood of a threat and establishing the credibility of the threat as per the information provided. Among the skills used is the critical thinking. By definition, critical thinking refers to the ability by the department personnel to make clear, rational judgments (Paul Elder, 2009). This means that the decisions regarding security should be arrived through a well thought out processes (Pruitt, 2003). Critical thinking under homeland security focuses on crucial elements of thought and asking the relevant questions. This means that the department has to evaluate every piece of evidence at their disposal in order to develop appropriate security solutions to the country. The discussion put forward below will aim at establishing what critical thinking method model is appropriate for the decision-making within the structures of homeland s ecurity (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). The reason behind this inquiry is highly dependent on the fact that there are different critical thinking models. These models are very useful in the since they help to find the best and effective solution in homeland parameter. However, different models offer different results. Discussion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The September 11 attack brought about unprecedented need for good, efficient and effective security apparatus. With the introduction of the Homeland Security Department, the country was placed at a position to deal with the terrorism threats. The terrorism activities are currently very dynamic and in return there is a need for the solutions that might meet these challenges (Pruitt, 2003). As a consequence, the homeland security personnel is require to meet the ever rising need for increased demand of the security services as well as meeting the high placed accountability standards. To achieve these requirements they have to learn to become highly skilled in their level of thinking, as well as reasoning abilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fundamental reason for the need to improve skills is that the employees have to analyze all the massive information, understand it, identify the problems and offer solution (Paul Elder, 2009). However, the processing of this massive information comes against the race of time. Homeland security department has to make timely decision that would help to preempt any threats that may arise or control the already existing threats (Pruitt, 2003). Additionally, the strategies employed by the terrorist are changing day in day out, and as well these changes must be encompassed in the decision which the department is undertaking. For instance, before the September 11 attack, the defense apparatus restricted themselves to biological and chemical threats. Moreover, the use of airplane as a tool to carry out terrorism strikes was covered by defense agencies like the Pentagon (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). On the other hand, the threat o f airplane strike was not addressed as the security agencies believed this would result to giving the terrorist an additional tool to their disposal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The example about the use of airplane as a tool of terrorism indicates an ineffective manner of using the available information to mitigate the terrorist attacks. In this regard, critical thinking is very essential in manner in which the homeland security handles the information they acquire to handle security issues or threats (Paul Elder, 2009). This is mainly, because critical thinking offers the prediction and diagnosis analysis for security issues. Prediction depends chiefly on the ability of the security organs to be able to think ahead. Thinking ahead, as part of critical thinking, dictates that the security organs are able to establish the likely causes of terrorism and probable outcomes (Kiltz, 2009). Diagnosis means the analysis of previous threats which in turn helps to extrapolate the likely future events. In this regard, security organs are able to identify their past failures and in turn making amendments. Additionally, the organs are able to replicate past successes to the future. Best Critical Thinking Model   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While understanding the importance of the critical thinking skills, there are several critical thinking models at the disposal of security organs to address any homeland security issues. It is very crucial to put a lot of emphasis on the fact that critical thinking is basic requirement for security decisions facing the country (Paul Elder, 2009). Therefore, to identify the best critical thinking model it would be prudent to learn the two factors that will play a very major role in determining the best model. Critical thinking in the context of homeland security is fundamentally dependent on the most important factor for good decision-making and the nature of the homeland security context (Browne Keeley, 2007). 1. Decision making   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Critical thinking is fundamentally aimed at arriving at appropriate decision. Every decision made or arrived at should be able to offer solution in the context of homeland security. In this light, the decision of the security apparatus should be able to effectively prevent the threats that arise as well as minimize the damages is events occur (Kiltz, 2009). Thus, critical thinking plays a pivotal role in decision-making process. On the same note, the best decision-making model is exceedingly reliant on the right questions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The right question are said to be the main factor that enable effective decisions to be made in all the fields of the society, security being inclusive (Kiltz, 2009). Questions are a good guiding factor while looking for the appropriate results. One, right questions create a structure that our thinking relies upon, that is to say, right questions are essential in finding the suitable materials or information that are essential to the decision or solutions. Secondly, right questions play a vital role of determining the course of our thinking. In this regard, the right questions are crucial element of individual thinking (Kiltz, 2009). This indicates that the right questions part of the homeland security parameters, in that they would help the decision makers in this context will arrive the best solutions possible to the various security challenges. 2. The nature of homeland security   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The processes and the activities surrounding decision making in the parameters or the context of the homeland security are substantially complex. The complexity comes in two levels: one, there amount of data or information being processed is extremely large and second, there are a lot of dynamics and variables in homeland security decisions (Paul Elder, 2009). Therefore, the decision-making process has a higher requirement of exhaustive scrutiny of all the probable accompanying implications of any decision made. In addition, the scrutiny extends other available options prior or before the enforcing any decision passed. A good example relates to diversion tactics that are highly employed by terrorist (Davis, 2012). This is where a threat is identified in a particular location while in reality the actual threat is in another place. Without appropriate critical thinking capabilities, the security apparatus are expected to put enough emphasis on areas which are reported to have the threat while leaving the other places vulnerable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Understanding the nature of homeland security is pegged on homeland security operations and the past failure. Past failures help to understand what part of the process failed and how efficiently and effectively did homeland rise from their falls. For instance from the example above, if the severity of a homeland security event was increased by the misjudgment stated above, in future homeland security would put all efforts at protecting all places equally while still putting emphasis on any information gathered (Paul Elder, 2009). That fact encompasses a crucial part of the critical thinking in such a security decision-making process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In effect, the most effective critical thinking model should be all-inclusive. Inclusivity means that all the available alternatives should be taken into account while simultaneously evaluating the possible outcomes associated with each likely action. The module applied is similar to a game theory model (Davis, 2012). In such a model, the homeland security is supposed to establish every strategy available to them as well as those available to the opponents, the terrorists. This would help to preempt most, if not all, of the threats posed by various terrorists groups. Therefore, every strategy has probable action, which in turn will deliver results. It would be the aim of homeland to select the most applicable strategy and take an action that would offer the best-expected outcome (Paul Elder, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For example, through information and intelligence gathering, the security organs in the United States had all the necessary, adequate and relevant information to indicate that an attack was eminent. This information was prior to the September 11 attack, which detailed the Al Qaeda plans to attack the US. This shows that the security organs had the available strategies of the opponents. However, the organs failed to select the best strategy and their actions failed to meet the required results (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The time constraints also play a critical part in undertaking any security decision. The reason behind this is that despite the large volumes of information that need to processed, the uncertainty of when a homeland security event is likely to occur needs timely decision-making. Using the September 11 example, it can be observed that the security organs failed to meet the timely decision requirement (Kiltz, 2009). Although all the information processed indicated the likelihood of a terrorism incident in United States, no timely action was taken to preempt the threats due to the argument that the decision process was at its preliminary stage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Additionally, homeland security should be in a position to predict the opponents’ likely cause of action and also putting a lot of effort towards preventing the threats preempting the homeland actions. This is attached to diversion tactics, where the threats mature to events in places other than those indicated in the threats information. This was the strategy that was employed by the Al Qaeda to beat homeland security at their game in September 11 (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). Prior to the attack, the information gathered indicated that the threats were highly in United States departments and agencies that were beyond borders. The fact that overseas parts of homeland security were threatened, the homeland skewed its efforts towards the external offices and agencies. Consequently, the Al Qaeda anticipated the moves of homeland security and they counteracted by attacking the internal departments (â€Å"The 9/11 Commissi on,† 2005). Critical thinking should help to homeland security to fill all the available loopholes that may expose their operations and the country was vast. 3. Right Questions Model   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As stated earlier there are several models at the disposal of the homeland security, but among them asking the right questions takes the reign. There are several factors that have heavily tilted the odds towards the right questions model of critical thinking (Browne Keeley, 2007). First, the model plays a pivotal role in addressing the various loopholes found under the nature of homeland security. For instance the failures that were capitalized by the Al Qaeda in the September 11 attack (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). The right questions model aims at querying all the information available. The inquisitive nature of the model allows the various security issues to be determined as well as determining the necessary conclusions. The conclusions are highly dependent on the reasoning, assumptions, and clarity of words.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are numerous benefits that accompany this essential model of right questions. To begin with the model is highly useful in offering a well detailed analysis of the decision made as well as the cause of actions undertaken. When comparing this model with the other models such as the elements of thought thinking model, right questions model outranks them all in enabling homeland to meet its objectives or targets (Browne Keeley, 2007). Furthermore, it is established that the model has other models easily inbuilt. Mainly, homeland security establishes the positive elements of the other models and encompasses them in the right questions model. As a consequence, the models offer comprehensive and well-contained solutions out of all the available alternatives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, the said model is highly interactive as it offers an all rounded analysis of the various situations. The analysis is crucial in timely and effective decision-making as well as in actualization of the actions set. Additionally, the model allows homeland to identify the instances of fallacies in reasoning (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). Well thought out decision should not be guided by a belief, myth of misconceptions. This allows homeland security process of verification and validation of evidence to be thorough and unbiased. If some essential information is missed, the model would results to different alternatives. Right questions model bases its success on availability of possible alternatives. Therefore, the model puts a lot emphasis on the available information which helps decision makers to arrive at the best possible alternative. On the other hand, the other models have some constraints in their operations (Bro wne Keeley, 2007). For instance, the Element of Thought thinking model success is highly dependent on the emphasis given to some four aspects of decision-making. Using the Model   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Several failures have been seen under the dome of homeland security. These failures are highly attributed as the indirect contributors of past events like the September 11 attacks. The right questions model can easily address these past challenges (Browne Keeley, 2007). Moreover, the model is the key to providing support to the homeland security decision-making process as well as creating and enhancing the credibility of the actions undertaken by homeland security.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The right questions model is dependent on an extensive spectral analysis. This analysis is the foundation of critical thinking. As a consequence, the right questions model helps to evaluate all the possible alternatives and their accompanying actions; which aim at getting the best possible solution. The model has been extensively used under the homeland security context to eradicate and lessen threats like the September 11 attacks. For example, prior to September 11 attacks the United States intelligence had gathered that there were several threats directed towards the United States institutions outside the country (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). Lack of a wider spectral analysis, the homeland security failed in its job (Browne Keeley, 2007). In dependence to the information, the homeland security strengthened the security agencies beyond borders and failed to do so with the domestic agencies. As a consequence, the Al Qaeda use d this loophole to carry out the attacks in the US soil (The 9/11 Commission, 2005). Under right questions model, an in-depth analysis would have taken place prompting homeland security to reinforce all the security agencies across the board. Such analysis would have enabled homeland security to alleviate the September 11 attacks. The alleviation would have been achieved through the fact that the homeland security would have easily identify and eliminated all the security exposures that faced the United states at large without overemphasis on the overseas institutions (Browne Keeley, 2007). The fallacies of logic resulted to this misguided conclusions. While combating the Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, there was a belief that the US turf was safe from the Al Qaeda actions. This resulted to homeland security ignoring the domestic security need for dealing with terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Additionally, there were not efforts to fill the information gaps that were there before the attacks. There poor statistics since there limited activities that were undertaken by security agencies in the United States (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). The model selected put emphasis on identifying the missing information which in turns increases the chances of obtaining the best strategy and the appropriate cause of action to be employed. For instance, the evidence provided that an attack was imminent, but there were no prompt actions that were undertaken to mitigate these threats. Also, despite the availability of evidence that indicated that there were terrorist threats facing the US, no security actions were undertaken in time (Browne Keeley, 2007). The claims behind the lack of actions were that the decision process was still at preliminary stages, indicating the rigidity of the security operations. The selected model offers flexible and dynamic solutions to challenges. Through the right questions model, appropriate decisions would have been arrive at early enough to mitigate the threats. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Critical thinking is crucial for the undertakings of the homeland security department. This is because there are significant complexities of the decisions and accompanying actions. The critical thinking models are several but one outranks the others; the right questions model is very essential in establishing the right decisions and cause of actions. The model employs a wider spectral analysis strategy with an aim of achieving efficient, effective and timely solutions. Looking at the applicability of the model against the events of September 11 attacks the model would achieve better-desired results (â€Å"The 9/11 Commission,† 2005). References Browne, M., Keeley, S. (2007). Asking the right questions. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Davis, V. (2012). Use Critical Thinking to Overcome Personal Biases. IN Homeland Security. Retrieved 22 January 2015, from http://inhomelandsecurity.com/use-critical-thinking-to-overcome-personal-biases/ Kiltz, L. (2009). Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Homeland Security and Emergency Management Courses. Journal Of Homeland Security And Emergency Management, 6(1), 1-20. Retrieved from http://www.innovative-analytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DevelopingCriticalThinking.pdf Paul, R., Elder, L. (2009). The miniature guide to critical thinking. Dillon Beach, Calif.: Foundation for Critical Thinking. Pruitt, K. (2003). Modeling Homeland Security: A Value Focused Thinking Approach (1st ed., pp. 1-236). Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio: Department of the Air Force, Air University. Retrieved from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/afit/pruitt_vft_hls.pdf The 9/11 Commission,. (2005). The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (1st ed., pp. 1-400). Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-911REPORT/pdf/GPO-911REPORT.pdf Source document

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Understanding Business Concepts

Understanding Business Concepts Unit Number Title: U35 Business and Entrepreneurship Assignment 1 Sit 1: Understanding Business Concepts Table of Contents Task A: Answer 1 Answer 1.1 Answer 2 Answer 2.1 Answer 3 Answer 3.1 Answer 3.2 Answer 4 Task B: Answer 1. Answer 2 Answer 3 References List of Figures Figure 1 SWOT Diagram Task A: Answer 1 Opportunity cost is the next highest valued alternative to one’s decision. It is the loss of potential gain from the second best alternative, once a business decision is taken. Answer 1.1 A Motor vehicle company has taken a decision to start a new production line for its vehicles with the aim of green technology. It has two options, option one is to start producing a fully electric vehicle while option two is to start producing a hybrid vehicle. If the company decides to start producing a fully electric vehicle then the opportunity cost will be the cost of producing a hybrid vehicle. A utility company supplying electricity is going to build a new power plant. It has two options, first option building a power plant using nuclear power while the second option building a power plant using natural gas. If the utility company decides to build the new power plant using natural gas, then its opportunity cost will be the cost of building a power plant using nuclear power. (Henderson, n.d.) Answer 2 Double entry system delineate that every transaction will be registered at least into two separate accounts in a companys accounting system. A simple example is shown in table below: (Averkamp, n.d.) Answer 2.1 There is more than one advantage for using a double entry system. Some of these are: There is an arithmetic check on the companys bookkeeping records as for every debit amount there is always a corresponding credit amount. This means that the total debit entries must be matched with the same amount of credit entries. Better understanding of a companys financial situation. It shows the true profit or loss of the company more clearly at any given time. Financial statements will be prepared much easier when double entry system is in place. Examples of these statements are: balance sheet, income statement and cash flow. This system also helps in detecting and reducing accounting errors. (Advantages and disadvantages of double entry book-keeping, n.d.) Answer 3 The balance sheet is one of the most important financial statements within a company. The balance sheet is a snapshot at a single point in time, (usually at the end of month or year), which gives investors an accurate and reliable picture of a companys financial position, what it actually owns and owes. The following formula is followed in a balance sheet: Assets = Liabilities + Capital (Shareholders Equity) (Balance Sheet, n.d.) Answer 3.1 The main purpose of the balance sheet is that it figures up the companys economic resources, obligations and shareholders equities at any point in time. It displays how the resources contributed by the shareholders and money lenders are used in the business. The term balance sheet is derived from the fact that at any given time, assets must be equal to liabilities plus capital hence the two sides of the balance sheet must balance out each other. On the other hand the balance has some drawbacks too. One of which is that the true value of the assets are not reflected on the balance sheet. Historical costs of the assets will not reflect the true market value since these assets may have increased or depreciated in value. Another drawback is that certain assets value are estimated thus does not reflect the true economic situation of the business. (Balance Sheet, n.d.) Answer 3.2 Two important financial statements complimenting the balance sheet are the Cash Flow statement and the Profit Loss statement. Cash flow is comprised of three components which displays the cash generated and used by the company for any given period of time. These components are operations, investing and financing activities. Operation activities measure the income and expenditure caused by the core business operations of a company. It reflects how much profit is generated from the companys products and services. Investing activities reflect the investment in purchasing of new assets such as property, land and equipment. Financing activities reflect changes in debts, loans and dividends paid. These include issue of shares and/or bonds, re-purchase of shares and/or bonds, interest paid to bond-holders. (What is a Cash Flow Statement, n.d.) The Profit Loss statement displays a companys income, costs and expenditure for a particular period of time. Normally this statement is issues quarterly or yearly depending on the companys size and directors preference. The purpose of this statement is to show investors whether the company has made or lost money during the specific period indicated in the statement. The Profit Loss statement gives a good account of the companys capabilities to increase profits and reduce costs. (Profit Loss Statement, n.d.) Answer 4 The following is an abstract from the regulations of the Malta Financial Services Authority: A private company is a company that must, by its memorandum or articles: restrict the right to transfer its shares; prohibit any invitation to the public to subscribe for any shares or debentures of the company; The minimum authorised share capital is â‚ ¬1,164.69. The maximum number of shareholders is fifty Must have at least one director A public company is a company which does not qualify as a private company. A public company may offer shares or debentures to the public but it may not issue any form of application for its shares or debentures unless the company is registered and the issue is accompanied by a prospectus. The minimum authorised share capital of a public company is EUR 46,587.47.There is no maximum number of shareholders in the case of a public company. Must have at least 2 directors In the case of a public company not less than 25%, and in the case of a private company not less than 20%, of the nominal value of each share taken up shall be paid up on the signing of the memorandum. Every Company must have a company secretary and hold an Annual General Meeting. (A Guide to the Registration of Companies, n.d.) Task B: Answer 1. The acronyms of PEST and SWOT analysis are as follows: PEST analysis Political, Economic, Social and Technological analysis. SWOT analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis. Answer 2 PEST is a business measuring tool to understand the business environment growth or decline before setting up a new business or expanding an established business. It is an investigation for reviewing the external environment factors for political, economic, social and technological influences. Political Environment These are all those factors related to and executed by a government. A change in government can bring a change in laws, regulations, policies and taxes which can have an impact on the business environment. Since Malta is part of the European Union, EU regulations and new member states can have an impact on the business environment. Economic Environment This is mainly the financial system fluctuations that occur from time to time with general booms and slumps in the economy activity. A change in unemployment, interest rates and customer purchasing power can cause these fluctuations. Social Environment This is the influence on the business environment which its effects depend on religious, cultural and social trends. These effects can be either positive or negative. Education, lifestyles, career trends and demographics have influence on the social environment. If a decision from a business company have a huge impact which goes against the societal norms, it may face negative publicity and protests. Technological Environment This gathers all the technical aspects of the business environment such as automation, technology awareness, progress, research and development. Technical environment aspects can have an impact on the cost and quality of the business production. (External Environment Theory PEST Analysis, n.d.) SWOT analysis is a matrix analysis of the internal strengths and weaknesses of a company against identification of external opportunities and threats. It helps a company to uncover and exploit opportunities while understanding the weaknesses to eliminate threats. Workshop sessions and brainstorming sessions are two useful ways of completing the SWOT analysis while involving personnel from your own company. A sample table of the SWOT Matrix is shown in figure 1 below. Figure 1 SWOT Diagram Strengths are the resources and capabilities of a business or a project within a company which are used to gain a competitive advantage over other competitors. Examples of strengths are: Reputation, Superior product performance, Unique selling points, Strong brand names. Weaknesses are the absence of certain strengths on which your competitor may take an advantage. Examples of weaknesses are: Weak brand name, Limited budget, Limited personnel, Opportunities are external elements that can uncover new opportunities where a company can exploit its advantages for profit and growth. Examples of opportunities are: Changes in technology, Change in government policies on a particular area, Unfulfilled customer needs, Local events. Threats are changes in external environment and opportunities taken by other companies which can have a competitive advantage over your business. Examples of threats are: Appearance of alternative products, New legislations, Retention of key staff, Negative publicity. (SWOT Analysis, n.d.) Answer 3 SWOT analysis for Bank of Valletta plc. Task C References A Guide to the Registration of Companies. (n.d.). Retrieved 01 15, 2014, from MFSA: https://registry.mfsa.com.mt/otherPDFs/ROCGuide.pdf Advantages and disadvantages of double entry book-keeping. (n.d.). Retrieved 01 12, 2012, from Figurate Ltd Chartered Management Accounts: http://www.figurate.co.uk/2007/07/03/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-double-entry-bookkeeping/ Averkamp, H. (n.d.). Accounting Basics (Explanation). Retrieved 1 12, 2014, from Accounting Coach: http://www.accountingcoach.com/accounting-basics/explanation/5 Balance Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved 01 14, 2014, from Investopedia: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/balancesheet.asp External Environment Theory PEST Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved 01 16, 2014, from The Times 100 Business Case Studies: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/business-theory/external-environment/pest-analysis.html#axzz2qb3hjMJw Henderson, D. R. (n.d.). Library of Economics and Liberty. Retrieved January 10, 2014, from http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/OpportunityCost.html Profit Loss Statement. (n.d.). Retrieved 01 14, 2014, from Investopedia: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/plstatement.asp SWOT Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved 01 18, 2014, from Businessballs: http://www.businessballs.com/swotanalysisfreetemplate.htm What is a Cash Flow Statement. (n.d.). Retrieved 01 14, 2014, from Investopedia: www.investopedia.com/articles/04/033104.asp

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Trickery and Deception in Much Ado about Nothing :: essays research papers

Incomplete An exploration of Shakespeare’s presentation of trickery and deception in his play ‘Much Ado about Nothing.’ In William Shakespeare’s play ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, there are many instances of trickery and deception, which seem to surround the whole of the play. These instances are as follows: Don Pedro wooing hero for Claudio, Don Pedro wooing hero for himself, Claudio pretending to be Benedick to find out information from Don John and Borachio, Don John and Borachio both know that Claudio is not Benedick but trick Claudio into thinking that they believe that Claudio is in fact Benedick, Benedick pretending to be somebody else whilst talking to Beatrice, Beatrice pretending to believe that she is in fact talking to Benedick, Beatrice having romantic feelings for Benedick, Benedick having romantic feelings for Beatrice, Beatrice not having romantic feelings for Benedick, Benedick not having romantic feelings for Beatrice, Hero is unfaithful with Borachio, Hero is dead, and Antonio having another daughter. Don John plays an essential role for nearly all of the trickery and deception in this play. He acts like a catalyst and an instigator for trouble, whose sole aim is to marmalize the love and happiness between Claudio and Hero. Shakespeare uses foreshadowing of Don John’s villainy to display the trickery and deception: ’It better fits my blood to be distained of all than to fashion a carriage to rob love from any, in this, though I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man, it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain. I am trusted with a muzzle and enfranchized with a clog: therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage. If I had my mouth, I would bite, if I had my liberty, I would do my liking. In the meantime, let me be that I am, and seek not to alter me.’ - Don John. o (Act I, Scene III: Lines: 22-30). The first instance of trickery and deception is when Don Pedro tells Claudio that he will woo Hero for Claudio to marry her in Act I Scene I. Tricking her to believe that Don Pedro himself has feelings for Hero: ‘I will assume thy part in disguise, and tell fair Hero that I am Claudio, and in her bosom I’ll unclasp my heart, and take her hearing prisoner with the force and strong encounter of my amorous tale. Then after, to her father will I break: and the conclusion is, she shall be thine.’ - Don Pedro. o (Act I, Scene I: Lines 276 - 282). It is reported to Don John by Borachio that â€Å"†¦The Prince should woo Hero for himself, and having obtained her, give her to Count Claudio.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Behavior Problem In Children And Adolescents

This is a story of Ted, an eight year boy, in whose eyes there always was seen a certain kind of anxiety. He loves playing football like any other child in my neighborhood. He has brown hair, wears long T-shirt, hat and always has a muffler around his neck. He looks like any other normal boy but one day when I went to his house, I saw anxious face of this mother and what she told made me felt thinking. She said that one day Ted was sitting in his English class and suddenly he felt that he should run away from his room, or he was going to get mad and hurt somebody.Not only this, he started breathing very fast and began to tremble too. He asked his teacher that he wanted to leave the classroom but his teacher simply refused. He became so adamant that he started to scream, just kicked the desk, slammed the door behind and rushed outside the class room finally finding himself landing in the Principal’s office. He apologized but that was not the end of the story. Sometimes his face also used to turn red. He started behaving in this manner in regular intervals.His mother told me that they had even got him thoroughly examined by the doctor but there was no serious problem with him. He stayed with his mother who got divorced few years back, and there was no one else in the house. His mother goes to office after dropping him to near by school and Ted always returns home disappointed, finding himself all alone. Later it was found out that he is suffering from Panic Disorder. Panic disorder is a form of anxiety disorder commonly found in thousands of children all over United States of America.Generally 12 per cent of children of ninth grade have panic attacks, and 1-2 per cent of adults have this problem. Children having Panic disorders may suffer from fear and discomfort, palpitation, pounding heart or great heart rate, trembling, sweating, shaking legs, nausea, dizziness etc. Panic disorder has become the most common problem among children and adults alike. They may also feel choking, chest pain, fear of dying, parasthesia (numbness or tingling sensation) etc.We generally ignore Panic disorder terming the symptoms as normal behavior of children but it is a very serious problem, which can hamper the child’s mental and physical growth. Affected children are socially cut off, their school performance is deteriorated and they may suffer from many other problems. It is not necessary that those children who are having panic attacks may have panic disorder, if 10 % of the children will suffer from panic attacks then 1 to 2 per cent only suffer from Panic disorder.Out of these who develop the Panic disorder, 10-35% is sure to get cured, 50% may get affected mildly later. The most common of all panic disorder is Agrophobia. This means always having a feeling of finding in a place or any situation were it is impossible to escape, or face a situation where help is not nearby available. According to the researchers, Panic disorder is caused when there is abnormality in that part of the brain, which indicates the quantity of Carbondioxide in the blood. If Carbondioxide is more, this means breathing is less than normal.Therefore, body will send the signals to increase the breathing process and also send adrenaline to help in the same process. We can also say that Panic disorder is hereditary problem. The children are much more likely to have an anxiety disorder if a parent also has an anxiety disorder. Part of this heredity is expressed through something called Behavioral Inhibition, which means reacting opposite to entirely new situation and things. Some infants and children will be very happy, eager and curious to find out about new people and things.However, roughly 15% of children will feel shy, withdrawn, and irritable in a new situation or with new people or things. Ted’s problem of Panic disorder is a problem of anxiety disorder, which is the most common among Children and adolescents. There are many kinds of a nxiety disorders but the most common of them are Separation Anxiety Disorder and Specific Phobias, occurring in the age group between 6-9 years old. Anxiety is one of the many disorders affecting man hood like neuroses. Children generally suffer from maximum fear and worry more than their parents do.Many of these problems can be predicted and cured easily so clinician before starting the treatment should carefully examine the behavior among children and then should prescribe the medicine for the same. Girls suffer more from fear than boys do. Separation anxiety disorder is found in childhood only and these involve the problems like specific phobia, social phobia among others. Children suffering from the phobias will try to leave the feared object. Social phobia occurs when children fear from being humiliated in public place.Children may get scared of speaking, writing, reading, performing in public, initiating and maintaining conversations, speaking to authority figures and interact ing in informal social situations. The idea can daunt on the children that what others will think of them and may suffer somatic symptoms with a sole purpose to escape uncomfortable situations. These children may suffer from lower self esteem and and always feel lonely and sad. This disorder can be comorbid with other diagnoses such as anxiety or depression.So, it becomes inevitable to treat the problem, whatever disorder the child may be suffering from before it causes some serious implications on his health and life. There should be open communication between clinicians, therapists, family and school staff. The source of stress of the child should be reduced through counseling, medicines and supportive environment both at home and school. It becomes utmost important for the parents to understand the illness of the child and his struggle with it. The child should not be left isolated.They should listen to the child’s feeling, praise his efforts and encourage him to participa te in various activities to relieve him of the stress, tension and depression. Ted’s mother also understood the root cause of problem and following the advice of child psychologists, she herself undertook parent guidance counseling sessions. With this, she was able to manage his son’s illness effectively by providing much needed support and love. Soon, Ted was on the path of recovery. Reference Nelson R. W. , Emeritus & Allen Y. (2005) Behavior Disorders of Childhood. Publisher: Prentice Hall

Monday, January 13, 2020

Dramas and Comedies on the Big Screen Essay

â€Å"Forrest Gump† is one of Tom Hanks’ best movies. He did an outstanding job of playing a dimwitted man who always seemed to be a part of most major events that happened during the 1960s and 1970s. It told an awesome story of a man recollecting his childhood to his present life. Sally Field also did an excellent job of playing Hank’s mother in the movie. She was the 1995 BAFTA Supporting Actress nominee. The visual effects were dynamic, especially the way that Gary Sinise’s character â€Å"Lt. Dan Taylor† was shown with amputated legs. The movie won the 1995 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Eddie Murphy plays seven different characters (five at the same time) in â€Å"The Nutty Professor†. The main character, Sherman Klump, is an overweight college professor that tries to impress a chemistry graduate student, Carla Purty (Jada Pinkett-Smith). He is so frustrated with himself that he takes a weight-loss formula. Of course, it has flaws that affect him and the people around him. This is definitely a movie that showcased Eddie’s talents. It is very few actors that can play multiple roles to that extent. This is movie that will make you laugh out loud. The makeup jobs were also very impressive features about this movie. Many movies that are produced are based on books or remakes of classics. Some movies are remade more than once. In some cases, the original is always the best. In these instances, both versions are comparatively terrific. Reference 1. Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://www. netflix. com.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Collaborative Ventures Essay

1.0 Summary The competitive nature of today’s international business world pushes the companies to find a common ground between each other. Even market giants have considerable tendency in creating collaborative arrangements with their competitors in order to keep their positions in the market. The competencies of competitor companies differ from each other often. Collaborative agreements provide companies to gain varied knowledge and specialties with less R&D costs. Also competitors can access each other’s established markets with collaborative ventures. Nevertheless, the accomplishment of an international collaborative venture depends on the harmony between national and organizational cultures of the partners. Hence, the cultural examination of the venture has a crucial role in the success. The partners should state a suitable integration method considering the cultural impacts in the negotiation period. 2.0 Introduction 2.1Definition of the International Collaborative Venture Collaborative ventures, sometimes called international partnerships or international strategic alliances, are essentially partnerships between two or more firms. They help companies overcome together the often substantial risks and costs involved in achieving international projects that might exceed the capabilities of any one firm operating alone. (Cavusgil, et al. 2011) Cavusgil, et al. (2011) also state that there are two basic types of collaborative ventures: equity joint ventures and project based, non-equity ventures. In this essay we are going to examine an equity joint venture between Sony and Ericsson. Equity joint ventures are traditional collaborations of a type that has existed for decades. (Cavusgil, et al. 2011). According to Wallace (2004, citing in Ahmed and Pang 2009), joint ventures are usually formed on the basis of a common objectives or mutual goals of all the parties. This objective should serve the needs of the companies in a proportionate manner otherwise the success of the joint venture will be short-lived. 2.2The motives for Collaborative Ventures Daniels, et al. (2011) state the motives for collaborative ventures as: ââ€"  Spreading and reducing costs: When the volume of business is small, or one partner has excess capacity, it may be less expensive to collaborate with another firm. Nonetheless, the costs of negotiation and technology transfer must not be overlooked. ââ€"  Specializing in competencies: The resource-based view of the firm holds that each firm has a unique combination of competencies. Thus, a firm can maximize its performance by concentrating on those activities that best fit its competencies and relying on partners to supply other products, services, or support activities. ââ€"  Avoiding or countering competition: When markets are not large enough for numerous competitors, or when firms need to confront a market leader, they may band together in ways to avoid competing with one another or combine resources to increase their market presence. ââ€"  Securing vertical and horizontal links: If a firm lacks the competence and/or resources to own and manage all of the activities of the value-added chain, a collaborative arrangement may yield greater vertical access and control. At the horizontal level, economies of scope in distribution, a better smoothing of sales and earnings through diversification and an ability to pursue projects too large for any single firm can all be realized through collaboration. ââ€"  Gaining knowledge: Many firms pursue collaborative arrangements in order to learn about their partners’ technology, operating methods, or home markets and thus broaden their own competencies and competitiveness over  time. ââ€"  Gaining location-specific assets: Cultural, political, competitive, and economic differences among countries create challenges for   companies that operate abroad. To overcome such barriers and gain access to location-specific assets (e.g., distribution access or competent workforce), firms may pursue collaborative arrangements. ââ€"  Minimizing exposure in risky environments: The higher the risk managers perceive with respect to a foreign operation, the greater their desire to form a collaborative arrangement. 3.0 Information and analysis 3.1Information about Sony Ericsson Joint Venture (SEJV) 3.1.1The brief history of the SEJV Sony Ericsson, the mobile telephone company formed by Ericsson and Sony in 2001, was born of two, coincidental, serious crises. April 24, 2001, saw the announcement that the Swedish telecommunications equipment company Ericsson was merging its mobile telephone operations with Japan’s Sony, forming Sony Ericsson with each company owning 50 %.The new, mutual company was headquartered in London. Originally, the two companies were compatible partners for the joint venture. Sony was a major electronics brand with expertise in the industry and Ericsson was a leading company in the communications sector. (Nilsson undated) Finally, Sony acquired Ericsson’s share in the venture on February 16, 2012. (Sonymobile 2012) 3.1.2The main motives for the SEJV ââ€"  Spreading and reducing costs: Sony was desiring to increase its market share in the mobile phone industry. Ericsson had major financial problems due to delays in the production. Eventually, Sony made less amount of investment to the industry and Ericsson continued its business by reducing its costs. ââ€"  Specializing in competencies: One of the essential objectives of the venture was to merge Ericsson’s know-how in the telecommunication area to Sony’s wide experience in the electronics. ââ€"  Avoiding or countering competition: Ericsson desired to be the market leader. Also Sony wanted to increase its market share. So they combined their resources and knowledge to receive a bigger share. ââ€"  Securing vertical and horizontal links: Ericsson had serious problems in the value added chain due to its supplier Philips. Also, before joining, Ericsson had a problem of manufacturing their goods cheaply, which Sony’s affiliates and manufacturers solved for them. (Tharp 2009) Moreover, the brand awareness of Ericsson was an area which Sony is reputable. ââ€"  Gaining knowledge: While Sony was accessing the wide knowledge of Ericsson in the telecommunication, Ericsson also gained access to Sony’s expertise in the visual and digital technology. 3.2Examination of the SEJV from Sony’s perspective 3.2.1Examination of the main motives from Sony’s perspective One of the main purposes of a joint venture is to share the cost of building a new organization. Sony wanted to take a chance of the opportunities that were rising in the mobile phone industry in the early 2000’s. Despite that, the business environment in this industry was carrying a high risk for the new players. It would have been a great cost for Sony to form a new organization, which can challenge with top players like Nokia and Motorola. Consequently, Sony decided to enter the mobile phone market on a leading company’s coattails. (Tharp 2009) Ericsson was the 3rd big mobile phone manufacturer in the beginning of the 2000’s. Sony had hegemony in the audio, vision and chip technology for the electronic devices however; it had defects in the software and patenting in the mobile technology. With some 33,000 granted patents, Ericsson is the largest holder of standard-essential patents for mobile communication. (Ericsson 2013) Therefore, the specialization of Ericsson in the mobile phone industry provided a major advantage for Sony. Sony was not a preferable brand in the mobile phone industry in the beginning of 2000’s with a market share of less than 1%. Sony may not have been able to counter a competition in this industry by itself. Simultaneously, Ericsson was the 3rd major player in the industry  and was trying to get over its dramatic fell in the market share. Moreover, Sony, which had virtually no presence in mobile phones outside Asia, would gain a foothold in Europe and America, where Ericsson had distribution agreements with major operators. (Kapner 2001) Thus, Ericsson would be the ideal component partner for Sony due to its situation in the market. Sony had lack of the R&D management in the mobile phone technology. Despite that, Ericsson had an experienced R&D team specialized in the mobile technologies. This team fulfilled the gap of R&D management in Sony. Sony accessed the long-term gained knowledge of Ericsson in the mobile technology area with this joint venture. Sony was planning to integrate this knowledge into its specialized know-how in the electronic devices. 3.2.2Examination of the problems in the SEJV, which Sony encountered As we examined above the main motives about SEJV that Sony had, we would have expected a compatible partnership with Ericsson. Nevertheless, the implementation was not so successful. Bryan Ma of IDC Asia-Pacific said â€Å"They originally came together to incorporate the Ericsson technology and the Sony brand, but they haven’t been able to achieve much with the combination,† (BBC 2011) Moreover, â€Å"When the joint venture was formed, mobile phone technology was simple and Ericsson’s inputs in that area suited Sony’s purposes,† said Tim Charlton of Charlton Media. (BBC 2011) Parallel to these thoughts; SEJV was not at the place in the market where they desired to be in the beginning. Charlton also stated that now things have changed. Phones are much more advanced and Sony feels it is hampered by the fact that Ericsson doesn’t bring much to the table with regard to the smartphone segment. (BBC 2011) Analysts said the 50-50 partnership has played a role in hurting the company’s product development. Melissa Chau of IDC Asia-Pacific stated that whenever decisions are made at one end, they need approval from the other. That has hindered their ability to bring new products to the market at a fast pace. (BBC 2011) Sony expected to gain more knowledge and technology from Ericsson; however Ericsson didn’t contribute both of them enough to the partnership. The lack of R&D activities revealed phones, which were not representing an innovation. Consequently, the release of the brand new models of SEJV delayed and also disappointed the market. As a result of this, it gave a particular damage to the corporate image. Cultural separation was another problem in the SEJV. As mentioned by Lane and Beamish (1990) IJV partners from different national cultures tend to experience greater difficulty in terms of communication and coordination (Lane and Beamish 1990 cited in Pothukuchi et al. 2002). If we look at the organizational culture of both the partner companies, we see that there is also a significant difference on this account. The only similarity among them is the professional orientation towards work and open system that exist within the organization. When we make this comparison with Sony Ericsson, we find out that the culture integrated at Sony Ericsson is quite similar to that of Ericsson. The reason may be due to both the companies are based in Europe and also there is very less difference in their respective national cultures. Another reason for showing similarity with Ericsson is that the ratio of Swedish employees working at Sony Ericsson is quite high, thus giving a similar notion. It can be assumed that the culture incorporated at Sony Ericsson is partially based on some commonalities between the parent firms and partially influenced by the national culture as well. (Ahmed and Pang 2009) As a result of these facts, Sony acquired Ericsson’s share in the venture on February 16, 2012. While hailing the past decade’s partnership with Ericsson, Sony president and chief executive Howard Stringer pointed out that the market had drastically shifted since 2001 from focusing on loss-making simple mobile phones to highly profitable smartphones. The separation from the Swedish company was therefore a logical and strategic step that would enable Sony to more efficiently deliver devices that can connect to each other and open up new entertainment possibilities. By taking full control, Sony can integrate its smartphone operation with its tablet, hand-held game console and personal computer businesses to save on costs and better synchronize development of mobile devices. (Anon 2011) 3.3Examination of the SEJV from Ericsson’s perspective 3.3.1Examination of the main motives from Ericsson’s perspective As it was mentioned in the annual report 2001 of Ericsson (2002); year 2001 was a tough year in the telecom business. Like most of competitors, Ericsson incurred considerable losses for the year. Relative market position of Ericsson improved, however, and after decisive restructuring and cost  control efforts, Ericsson’s objective for 2002 was to achieve an operating margin of over five percent. Ericsson was looking for a partner to share the cost of this organizational restructuring in order to stay competitive in the industry. Sony was a reliable brand for Ericsson to keep on its business. Wojtek Uzdelewicz, managing director at Bear, Stearns & Co. (2001) mentioned Sony-Ericsson deal as a perfect union. He said â€Å"Ericsson has done a poor job of building brand awareness. That’s what Sony is famous for.† Furthermore, Ericsson would also gain access to Sony’s expertise in combinin g audio, visual and digital technology, a skill whose importance will grow with the introduction of a new generation of phones with Internet connections and other advanced features. (Kapner 2001) Another advantage for Ericsson was Sony’s expertise in mobile handset technology, which was a key sector Ericsson was hoping to break into at the time. (Tharp 2009) The annual report 2001 of Ericsson (2002) stated that the industry has a strong growth potential and Ericsson look forward with optimism on Ericsson’s role as the top-class vendor to top-class operators. Due to the uncertainty in the telecom market under current economic conditions, Ericsson believed a solid upturn may be a couple of years away. The long-term financial objectives of Ericsson were unchanged to grow faster than the market, which means a growth of more than 20 percent in a few years. This marketing objective was a crucial motive for Ericsson to create a joint venture. Indeed, Sony was known as a marketing genius worldwide. Both companies would benefit from each other’s established markets, making them fifth largest mobile phone producers in the world. (Tharp 2009) In 1998, Ericsson had b egun to experience technical problems with its telephones. For the next three years the company would be forced to admit to a number of problems and unexpected events, ranging from problems with circuits and new model delays to a fire at a subcontractor and lack of back-up systems. Still, the largest problem was probably the lack of skills with consumer products most clearly shown in the legendary answer to the question of why the Swedes did not try to imitate the highly successful Finnish telephone design: â€Å"If you want a phone that looks like a piece of soap, then† (Nilsson undated) In spite of that, Sony was a reputable consumer product manufacturer due to its quality management and design innovations. Also, Ericsson had a problem of manufacturing their goods cheaply, which Sony’s affiliates and manufacturers  solved for them. (Tharp 2009) Sony was a great information source for Ericsson to access. First of all, Sony was a global giant in the consumer electronics. The expertise of Sony in audio, visual and digital technology was fulfilling the gaps in Ericsson’s knowledge. Besides technology, Ericsson was also searching for a remedy to its marketing problems. Conveniently, Sony was famous for its branding, marketing and commercial activities. 3.3.2Examination of the problems in the SEJV, which Ericsson encountered Sony wanted to gain the market, which Ericsson already established in a long-term. Nevertheless, a deal would do little for Ericsson’s market position. Sony sold just five million phones in 2000. Adding them to Ericsson’s 43.3 million would increase Ericsson’s market share just one percentage point, to 10 percent worldwide, leaving it in third place behind Nokia of Finland (35%) and Motorola (14%). (Kapner 2001) At this point, Ericsson trusted the brand-new mobile phones, which were developed with its new partner, would have boosted their sales. In spite of that, their sales dramatically decreased in 2002 and 2003 and they even lost their position in the market share. Indeed, the average marketing management of Sony also disappointed Ericsson and caused this situation. As we mentioned before, Ericsson had a problem of manufacturing their goods cheaply. The pricing strategy of SEJV was quite high in comparison with the market average. This caused lower profits than they aimed. Furthermore, according to Hofstede (2001) research, the national culture of Ericsson can be described as having low power distance, low uncertainty avoidance, high individualism, very low masculinity and low long-term orientation. (Ahmed and Pang 2009) On the other hand, Sony had a high power distance, very high uncertainty avoidance, low individualism, very high masculinity and high long-term orientation national culture. (Ahmed and Pang 2009) These contrasts in the national cultures lowered the performance of Ericsson’s R&D teams. Moreover, due to this lack of performance, they have started lay-offs in the R&D departments. Eventually, this chain linked to outdated products. 4.0 Conclusions International collaborative ventures allow companies to reach their mutual  objectives by accessing each other’s resources, knowledge, specializations and established markets. Nevertheless, an ICV can be successful as long as the partners fulfilled each other’s gaps. The motives for the companies may be seen flawless; however the problems can rise in the implementation. The motives of Sony and Ericsson were also fitting perfectly to each other in the initial negotiations. Their interests in spreading and reducing cost, benefiting from each other’s competencies, increasing their market share, having a greater control and access in vertical and horizontal levels and gaining each other’s expertise knowledge were matching excellently in the theory. Sony was looking for a reliable partner in the mobile phone industry to increase its market share. Ericsson was under pressure due to crisis in the industry and had tendency to cut-off its production and R&D costs. Sony had competency in the electronic and digital technology, as Ericsson had the competency in the telecommunication technology. Ericsson had problems in the branding, marketing and manufacturing management. Sony had a worldwide reputation in these issues. Lastly, Sony and Ericsson had reputable expertise know-how in their areas. When we combine these assumptions, we might expect a new innovative brand in the mobile phone industry. Nevertheless, the implementation of the theory failed. The cultural differences between these two companies revealed unforeseen conditions. Ericsson could not represent its R&D department’s skills sufficiently due to Sony’s low-individualist culture. This result caused the manufacturing of outdated products. Outdated products decreased the profits and the percentage in the market share. Besides these, Sony could not successfully implement its branding, marketing and manufacturing management due to cultural discrepancy with the Ericsson’s native personnel. The new SEJV lost its 3rd place in the mobile phone industry as a result of these management failures. Finally, Sony broke this chain by owning the JV totally. Nowadays Sony uses the advantage of know-how which gained from Ericsson in the last decade and applies its marketing and manufacturing management fully. 5.0Recommendations In the initial periods of creating an IJV, the future partners should consider the cultural impacts. Thus, cultural researches should be done and examined carefully before negotiations for following a suitable management  path. Each partner also should realize the other’s competencies accurately and should leave those zones for the better one. Furthermore, partners should avoid hiding knowledge from each other because it brings only loss to the venture. In the Sony Ericsson example, if Sony had left the control of R&D department to Ericsson totally, the R&D failure would not have happened. The Sony management couldn’t able to notice the cultural differences at this point. Besides, Sony should have been focused on the marketing and branding activities more intensively. (Headlines, subheads and reference quotation information (author date) are excluded) 6.0References  ° Ahmed A, Pang Z (2009) â€Å"CORPORATE CULTURE IN AN INTERNATIONAL JOINT VENTURE† A case study of Sony Ericsson, Master Thesis, School of Sustainable Development of Society and Tecnology, Malardalen University. Available at: http://mdh.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:224194/FULLTEXT01.pdf [Accessed 12 October 2013].  ° Anon (2011) Ericsson and Sony go separate ways. The Local, 27 October. Available at: http://www.thelocal.se/36986/ [Accessed 12 October 2013].  ° BBC News Business (2011) Can Sony succeed where Sony-Ericsson partnership failed? Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk /news/business-15285258 [Accessed 12 October 2013].  ° Cavusgil S T, Knight G and Risenberger J R (2011) International Business: The New Realities (2ndedn), Upper Saddle River (NJ): Pearson. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-245327-1  ° Daniels J D, Radebaugh L H and Sullivan D P (2011) ‘Chapter 14: Direct Investment and Collaborative Strategies’ in International Business. Available at: http://drgeorgefahmy.com/labteachingtips /daniels14_im.doc [Accessed 10 October 2013].  ° Ericsson (2013) The Leader in Mobile Communication Patents. Available at: http://www.ericsson.com/the company/company_facts/patents [Accessed 11 October 2013].  ° Ericsson (2002) The Annual Report 2001 Financial Statements. Available at:http://www.ericsson.com/res/investors/docs/annual-reports-1970-2002/annual 01_financial_en.pdf [Accessed 12 October 2013].  ° Kapner S (2001) ‘Ericsson and Sony Discussing Mobile Phone Joint Venture’. The New York Times, 20 April. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/20/business/ericsson-and-sony-discussing-mobile-phone-joint-venture.html [Accessed 11 October 2013].  ° Nilsson T (undated) The formation of Sony Ericsson. Available at: http://www.ericssonhistory.com/the-ericsson-files engelska/Foretaget /Sony-Ericsson/ [Accessed 10 October 2013].  °Sonymobile (2012) Sony Completes Full Acquisition of Sony Ericsson. Available at: http://blogs.sonymobile.com/ press_release/sony-completes-full-acquisition-of-sony-ericsson/ [Accessed 10 October 2013].  ° Tharp A (2009) Joint Venture: Sony Ericsson. Available at: http://tortora.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/joint-venture-sony-ericsson/ [Accessed 10 October 2013].  ° Wallace, R. (2004) Strategic Partnerships: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Joint Ventures and Alliances, Chicago: Dearborn Trade, A Kaplan Professional Company. ISBN-13: 978-0-79-318828-4

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Harriet Beecher Stowe s Uncle Tom s Cabin - 1024 Words

In varying societies, there’s a tendency to preassign a work or cap on achievement to different kinds of people. The following selections all feature societies in which certain people are stunted in their pursuits for no more reason than their biological identities. Middlemarch by George Eliot (1994) is a novel based off 18th century England provincial life. Dorothea is Eliot’s main character--a woman who spends most of the novel frustrated with a glass ceiling of education that’s been set lower for women than men. There’s also mention of people from the working class with scarce other options for earning income and drastically poor living conditions in comparison to the central characters. (This is only a matter of biological identity†¦show more content†¦In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Uncle Tom’s story line is that of a devout, obedient, Christian slave (Stowe, 2010). His first owner Mr. Shelby describes him as â€Å"an uncommon fellow...s teady, honest, capable...† (Stowe, 2010, p. 2). Mr. Shelby sells him to a slave trader named Haley who takes him further south, but Tom’s disposition and conviction stays with him until his death. Mrs. Shelby wishes her husband hadn’t agreed to sell Tom and scolds him for it. In response Mr. Shelby says â€Å"...I don’t know why I am to be rated, as if I were a monster, for doing what everyone does every day† (Stowe, 2010, p. 29). Frederick Douglass (1852) heeds against siding with the majority, as Mr. Shelby did (Stowe, 2010), in cases concerning the oppressed in his fourth of July speech. He indirectly compares those against England’s oppression before it was socially and legally acceptable, to alienated or criminalized slavery abolitionists from his time when he said: â€Å"...there was a time when to pronounce against England [racialized slavery], and in favor of the cause of the colonies [abolition of racialized slavery], tried men’s souls. They who did so were accounted in their day, plotters of mischief, agitators and rebels, dangerous men [a threat to the economic benefits of slavery]. To side with the right, against the wrong, with the weak against the strong , and with the oppressed [black slaves] against the oppressor [majority of whites]!† (Douglass, 1852)Show MoreRelatedUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe901 Words   |  4 PagesHarriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a story that described the real life plight of an American Slave. Kentucky farmer George Shelby amassed enormous debts and faces the possibility of losing everything he owns. To settle his debts he makes the decision to sell two of his slaves, Uncle Tom and Eliza’s son Harry. Eliza is a young, beautiful quadroon girl who Geor ge Shelby’s wife took on as a daughter. Eliza overhears a conversation between George Shelby and his wife concerning the impendingRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe Essay1351 Words   |  6 PagesIn Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe uses the character of Augustine St. Clare to play a very important role in expressing her views of abolition to the reader throughout the novel. St. Clare is, in himself, a huge contradiction of a character, as his way of life is supported by the same system that he despises, slavery. St. Clare professes multiple times in the book that slavery is wrong, yet he holds slaves and refuses to release them, making him a hypocrite whose morals are right, mainlyRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1295 Words   |  6 PagesUncle Tom’s Cabin, one of the best classic novels by Harriet Beecher Stowe takes place in Kentucky on Mr. Shelby’s land. In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the author communicates to the reader the horrific actions and aftermaths of slavery. She does this by telling the story of slaves who were sold to unpleasant masters, showing slavery rips apart families and loved ones, and by showing how children - both free and slave - are affected by slavery. In Uncle Tom’s Cabin a main point to take away from the bookRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1008 Words   |  5 PagesIn the 1800’s,a horrible sin of slavery took America by storm. Africans were brought to the United States as slaves. They were sold like animals, separated from their families, and forced to work for wealthy white men. They underwent torture, famine, and verbal abuse, the sole reason for their mistreatment being their skin color. Movements were made, protests held, but what no one was expecting was a short white lady by the name of Harriet Beecher Stowe to make the change that no one had yet achievedRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1522 Words   |  7 PagesLincoln is quoted as saying, â€Å"So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.† upon meeting Harriet Beecher Stowe for the first time. The book that the former president is referring to is Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a 1850s book about the moral wrongs of slavery. It has been said to be the most influential anti-slavery book that has ever been written. Harriet Beecher Stowe is an effective author. She uses numerous literary devices such as facile characters, character foils, and symbolismRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1357 Words   |  6 PagesUncle Tom’s cabin Uncle Tom s Cabin from the author Harriet Beecher Stowe, was first published in 1852 was a book that tackled the repulsive acts of slavery. In this paper I will discuss my overview and opinion on this book. It is clear if you have a general idea of this book you would know how to this novel ultimately inspired the civil war. As said by our 16th Abraham Lincoln when he met the author â€Å"so you’re the women who brought this Great War† Uncle Tom’s cabin has had a great influence onRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe975 Words   |  4 PagesThere are numerous likenesses and contrasts between the lives of the slaves from Uncle Tom s Cabin, composed by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and that of the wage slaves from Sinclair s The Jungle. Featured mutually in each books, was slavery. Along with that, both novels allocate the authors’ perspectives on the issue. In Sinclair’s book, he wrote about the lives of the wage slaves, how capitalism aff ected the wage slaves. Meanwhile, Stowe’s consisted more on a religious aspect, going in depth of howRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1019 Words   |  5 PagesUncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe is â€Å"one of the most famous books in the world† she is considered to be the woman that started the civil war. This book presents Anti-slavery ideas using Religion, Maternity and the idea of Gender Roles to promote the idea of Anti-Slavery. Throughout Uncle Tom’s Cabin there are â€Å"slave problems†,how slavery destroys and crumble families by splitting apart mother and child along with husband and wive.Stowe argues that these slavery brings out the femininityRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe1760 Words   |  8 PagesHarriet Beecher Stowe was born in June 14, 1811 in Lichfield, CT and was the sixth of her family’s eleven children. Beecher’s parents taught their children that their primary life goal was to make their mark. All seven sons became ministers, Isabella (the youngest) founded the National Women’s Suffrage Association, and Harriet revealed the horrifying truths and dissolved the social injustice of slavery. During her 85 years Beecher published thirty novels, but her bestselling book Uncle Tom’s CabinRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesUncle Tom’s Cabin was the most popular story in the mid to late 19th century. There are nearly thousands of copies of that novel sold. The author Harriet Beecher Stowe was an amazing author and abolitionist. The purpose of her writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin is to influence other people to abolish slavery. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was based on Religion and the abolition of slavery. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was epic story in the mid 1800’s because it represents the cruelty of slavery and religious beliefs. Stowe kind

Thursday, January 2, 2020

My fathers song (Poem analysis) Free Essay Example, 1250 words

The joy that the boy feels for his father’s â€Å"undivided attention† is greater than his fear. Moreover, the plot shows the diction of a working-class family and the difference between the boy and his father. The â€Å"palm caked hard by dirt† is a sign of a working-man’s life (Roethke 14). Roethke is known to not follow the working-class life of his father by being a writer, so the poem matches his real life, how he must have feared his drunken father who has a different livelihood from him (Jadwin 1). The poem shows the attitudes of fear and love, both intense emotions for his father. These two boys from Ortiz’s and Roethke’s poems are reliving bonding moments with their fathers, though they share somewhat different attitudes toward them. Apart from the plot that shows a son’s love for his father, the poems are similar in their use of alliteration to show the impact of a father in imparting cultural values to their children. Ortiz uses alliteration that emphasizes his connection to his father. The words â€Å"son† and â€Å"song† are alliterations with internal rhymes. We will write a custom essay sample on My father's song (Poem analysis) or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Since the title says that the poem is about his father’s song, and â€Å"song† blends with son too, which suggests how the song or identity of the father influences the identity of his son. The â€Å"soft† and â€Å"sand† words suggest the power of their environment in forming identities. The sand is related to planting, and planting is both an economic and cultural process for Ortiz. Leon Lewis describes Ortiz’s poetry where Ortiz sees his role in the â€Å"preservation and presentation of his cultural heritage† (1). Culture is central to â€Å"My Fathers Song. † As Native Americans, planting is part of their way of life. The softness of the sand indicates the tender feelings that both father and son have for the planting that does not only give them food, but also asserts their cultural connection to their Native American traditions. Roethke also shows how much his father imparted cultural values to him as a child. Waltz is something that became popular with immigrants because of its initial â€Å"scandalous† image, something that only the â€Å"Other† or the marginalized people danced (Jadwin 1). The little boy’s father seems to dance the waltz frequently when he is drunk, for he comes with the smell of â€Å"whiskey† (1). His drunkenness may trigger cultural memories of his youth, when gayness and innocence were alive. Waltz is a cultural dance that may have important emotional functions for the father. By dancing it with his son, he tries to impart these values of freedom and happiness that he once enjoyed in his youth.