Intelligence Agencies and Just War on Terrorism Essay

America and its allies face Ð ° world that has become more and more dangerous with its weapons of mass destruction and Ð ° shadowy world of terrorists more than willing to use them. The wisdom of the past does not have the prescience or universal insight to deal with this new threat. America and its allies must change direction if they wish to respond to the challenge in an effective manner, even if it means employing policies that seemed dubious in the past. The state is called to protect its citizens in Ð ° Machiavellian world, filled with depravity and compromise. The church is called to submit to the superior wisdom of those who have the special intelligence, experience and expertise to handle the current crisis. Our forefathers came from Europe to settle in Ð ° wilderness that was not always hospitable. Death was imminent, and survival was uppermost on all their minds. The settlement in Jamestown, after the death of Powhatan, suffered an unprovoked attack at the hands of the Native Americans in 1622, in which some 375 settlers were massacred. The immediate response was to make Ð ° perfidious treaty with the natives and then starve them by burning their crops late that summer. It was Ð ° matter of survival. It was either ‘us or them’. (Amit 2003 127) â€Å"The same policy was followed by the Puritans of Massachusetts when the Pequot Indians, Ð ° most war-like people, presented an imminent threat in the mind of these settlers. Rather than wait around to die, they proceeded to attack them first, killing in one horrific conflagration of Ð ° Pequot fort some 4oo men, women and children. The exact motives behind the massacre remain unclear, but no doubt survival was uppermost in their minds. Today the situation that confronts the American people is not so different. It is similar to that of their ancestors in many ways and direr in regard to the number of lives at stake. one can debate whether the times have ‘waxed worse and worse’, but it is beyond question that the times have proved ‘more and more critical’ with their weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the ever-increasing number of potential users. The nation of Israel felt this threat in 1981 when it conducted Ð ° pre-emptive strike against an Iraqi nuclear reactor. The United States roundly condemned the action at the time, but with the threat now facing them from this and other rogue nations Ð ° new policy has emerged. The nefarious intentions of the Iraqi regime are apparent to most observers. It appears as if this regime plans to continue the production of WMD and deliver these weapons themselves or distribute them through the shadowy world of terrorist networks to designated targets in this clandestine manner. The signs of the times are all around us. Iraq already has violated over fifty UN resolutions to date. The UN inspectors revealed that Saddam was vigorously working on Ð ° stockpile of WMD—chemical, biological and nuclear, and by the mid-9os he began to deny them access to his supply. He already has used these weapons against his own people and waves of foot soldiers in his war with Iran. He has pledged on Ð ° number of occasions to bring destruction upon the United States, and even planned the assassination of its former president, George Bush. He has subsidized and continues to support terrorist groups throughout the region, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad according to seized Palestinian documents. His relation to terrorism is Ð ° matter of grave concern. â€Å"(Rahul 2002 37-44) It provides Ð ° special channel to deliver and promote his wicked designs, Bin Laden has called it Ð ° ‘religious duty’ for his minions to obtain and use WMD against the infidels, but he knows that his terrorist network needs help. It is only in the movies that Dr No is able to create the facilities to manufacture and deliver WMD. In the real world of terrorism, the capacity to make and utilize these weapons requires the help of Ð ° government. Aum Shinrikyo, Ð ° Japanese cult, tried to kill thousands of commuters with Ð ° potent nerve agent but managed to kill only Ð ° dozen after spending somewhere around thirty million dollars. The loss of these lives was tragic but much less than expected and displayed the complexity of operations using these agents. The cult was not able to produce the chemical (sarin) in sufficient purity and resorted to using Ð ° most primitive delivery system—carrying it on Ð ° train and piercing bags of it with tips of umbrellas. Ð  government working with Ð ° terrorist organization would produce Ð ° more lethal combination. 3 In light of this threat, it appears as if the only long-term solution is to eliminate the regime in Baghdad. Some would argue that there is no need to rush into war. But one wonders how realistic this option is in view of the track record of the regime. Is it realistic to believe that Iraq would comply with inspectors? It did not the first time around, not in toto, would the UN impose the necessary sanctions and penalties if it did not? Or would it ignore certain closed doors and cave in as it did before to Iraqi demands? And even if unmolested, would the inspectors catch the regime in its lies, knowing that it is likely to play Ð ° shell game and was given four years to hide its weapons? (Bruce 2003 44) Donne’s fatalistic maxim succinctly defines the essential context that modern intelligence services function within, and the variables determining their relative fortunes. Their experiences suggest that they are very human institutions largely shaped by the vagaries of circumstances beyond their control, not to mention misfortune and luck. As refined information used by the state to further national goals and policies, intelligence is directed, collected, analyzed and disseminated (the ‘intelligence cycle’) within the milieu of international politics. Intelligence work must therefore function within the ‘anarchical society’ of Great Powers. 1 Equally significant is the extent to which intelligence functionaries serve at the mercy of their policy masters. The intelligence officers themselves, in their various professional incarnations, are the ‘desperate men’ in this formulation, striving as they do to carry out their risky and/or problematic duties in the face of inertia and outright opposition on the part of rivals, enemies, and occasionally their own countrymen. It is unlikely that any intelligence service in history has ever completely escaped subjugation to such restrictive bondage. â€Å"As mentioned in the previous chapter, the war on al Qaeda should be Ð ° deliberate broad-front attack. It is already that in practice, but the rationale for sustaining this approach is less established and troubles are certain because such Ð ° strategy requires relating the efforts of multiple agencies, subagencies, and even nations, and it sometimes necessitates rapid action. This would seem to require two enhancements of capability which may at first seem contradictory, but they are complementary and equally important. â€Å"(Paul 2002 31) These facts hold particularly true for the office of Strategic Services mission in London, America’s critical liaison and operational intelligence outpost during the Second World War. Expanding to Ð ° peak of 2,800 personnel in 1944, OSS/London was originally established in October 1941 with the arrival of Ð ° single representative, followed by Ð ° staff nucleus the day after America’s entry into the war. Eventually consisting of contingents from the four major OSS branches-Research and Analysis, Secret Intelligence, Special operations, and X-2 (counter-intelligence)-the mission served as Ð ° focal point for Anglo-American intelligence relations in the decisive theatre in the war against Germany. The London mission was at the heart of OSS relations with British intelligence, and as such it personified the essence of that connection in the Allied war effort. The Allied invasion of Europe ensured that OSS/London, more than any other OSS outpost, would have the greatest opportunity to perform Ð ° decisive role in the intelligence war. Other OSS missions would also make important contributions, notably in Cairo, Algiers and Italy; but these were ultimately secondary theatres, while in the Pacific and Asia, OSS never acquired the sound relationship with the military necessary for intelligence operations. London was at the heart of the Allied war effort, and at the heart of the Anglo-American alliance itself. While intelligence exchanges with the Soviet Union have been documented by Bradley F. Smith, London was the ‘big league’ in Allied intelligence during the war. Many significant matters were accordingly played-out there, offering detailed examples of intelligence services in action. The experiences of OSS in London therefore illuminate the process by which America was introduced to the various components of intelligence and clandestine work, and how well American intelligence performed in its own right. As the presumed precursor to the post-war US Central Intelligence Agency, OSS further invites study in order to understand the antecedents of America’s Cold War intelligence service. The significant Anglo-American context of the evolution of modern American intelligence moreover suggests that the Anglo-American ‘Special Relationship’ had an intelligence component that was manifested most strongly and clearly in OSS/London. (Bruce 2oo3 75) The mission thus provides Ð ° case study of how US intelligence matured and became institutionalized within the context of the larger Anglo-American political-military alliance. This analysis accordingly examines an aspect of that alliance and of intelligence history in particular, that has not yet been explored in any comprehensive detail. It is part of Ð ° current historiographical review of the significance of intelligence services in military and international affairs. It specifically examines OSS/London within the context of Anglo-American relations, as well as the evolution of both modern American, and Allied, intelligence during the Second World War. The general research approach blends what has been termed the American and British ‘schools’ of intelligence scholarship. The more historical nature of British intelligence studies has been noted by Kenneth G. Robertson, while Roy Godson’s ‘Intelligence: an American View’, in Robertson’s British and American Approaches to Intelligence, distinguishes between this historical methodology and the more conceptual or theoretical nature of American studies (for example, Sherman Kent’s Strategic Intelligence for American World Policy). British diplomatic historian D. C. Watt has therefore identified these approaches as two distinct schools of intelligence study, though Ð ° recent noteworthy British contribution to the theoretical school is Michael Herman’s Intelligence Power in Peace and War, which surveys the interrelationship between post-war structures, tasks, and effectiveness. This study for its part demonstrates the influences of both schools by linking theoretical concepts to the role of intelligence ties within the larger wartime Anglo-American alliance. (Neville 2004 45)

Monroe Clock Company

Assignment #1 The problem that is brought to our attention would be an argument between Monroe Company executives. Jim, the Ceo, believes that the product should use plant wide manufacturing overhead, which brings the retail sale of the product to $29. 40/per unit. Meanwhile frank, the Sale Manager, believes the product should not absorb the entire manufacturing overhead and be based off the variable cost it incurs and sold at $16. 00/per unit.The issue occurs when deciding whether to choose between variable costing, not including fixed cost, which is usually acceptable on small orders, or choosing absorption costing which includes a portion of the fixed costs. Of course choosing between the two different costing approaches makes a big difference in this case. One keeps the product above market price while the other cuts the competitors prices by 20%. With out thinking you would go with cutting competitors prices and still gaining sales.What to keep in mind is using the variable cost ing approach you aren’t accounting for the manufacturing overhead that the new timer is incurring. It is possible that the new timer isn’t incurring much overhead considering it is simply a new addition to the old timer. The modifications to create the new addition are simple and at low cost because the resources are already there. They did not have to create or purchase a new warehouse because they already had recently purchased one and were going to use it regardless.Other than the initial set up cost of approximately $20000 for tables, lighting and small tools, the other overhead cost would already be accounted for and the new incurred overhead cost would not go beyond the relevant range of fixed cost.. One thing not accounted for in the calculations is the location of the new warehouse. There will clearly be transportation cost because one warehouse is in Texas and the other in Pennsylvania.Of course we don’t know which warehouse will be used but still a cos t to consider. With the new timer absorbing the full manufacturing overhead cost it would of course increase the price of the product almost doubling it but does not run the risk of creating a product that actually has them loosing money in the long run. The variable costing approach of course will create sales and revenue in the short run but in the long run can possibly create losses by not accounting for all the cost actually incurred.My conclusion (due to space restriction) would be to use the variable costing approach due to everything mentioned and one more determining factor. The forecasted sales projection is 50 000 units. At this production level advertising would be $50 000 regardless of how many units they sale. By using the cheaper pricing you are creating a better chance of you getting those sales and after you sell a unit past 50 000 you will be creating more profit because the budget of sales, which is $1. 00 per unit, would be divided among more units.

What do we owe each other in the social Contract Research Paper

What do we owe each other in the social Contract - Research Paper Example onfessing (assuming they wish to), they will be assured of punishment but by refusing to do so each of them is guaranteed a light one (Kreps et al., 1982). Ergo if each can depend on the other not to confess for the sake of them both, then it can be said they have a social contract in place. In the early part of this decade there has been a great deal of controversy and conflict in respect to the expectations of Americans from the social contract that has was established in previous generations (Edsall, 2013). There have been numerous complains for instant in the fast food industry with employees and employers at loggerheads over issues of minimum wage. In the 80’s and early 80’s for instance, the industrial social contract in the USA was characterized by companies that took care of their workers welfare and provided them with insurance cover and pension benefits (Lubchenco, 1998). As a result, they workers needed unions less and one could argue that the industrialist sacrificed their right to exploit workers and they in turn sacrifice theirs to agitate for better conditions than they were already enjoying through labor unions. There are other underlying issues that underpin the social contract challenge, for the first time in nearly half a century, Americ ans are forced to struggle with what they want to get from the social contract (Freedman & Lind, 2013). Retrospectively, it was founded on a premise of relatively high wages and reliable benefits; however today, the system is such that low wages are supposed to be offset by reduced consumer prices and government intervention. Explicably, there has been considerable disaffection with the state of affairs and this has necessitated a re-examination of what the social contract is expected to do for the people and how it is they seem to be getting a raw deal. Alan Krueger who is the chairperson of the Obama’s economic advisors posits that America has lost its ethical and moral moorings because of the

What are the major arguments for both the advantages and disadvantages Essay

What are the major arguments for both the advantages and disadvantages of(1) division of powers and checks and balances and (2) federalism - Essay Example ecutive branch had the complete power of the United States vested in its care then a significant amount of individuals could potentially feel alienated or oppressed by the decision-making (Joe). Similarly, the short time period of congressional representatives, and the life period of judicial representatives allows for differing perspectives to be thrown into the political mix. Still theorists recognize that there are many disadvantages. The United States operates under what has been termed Federalism. One of the primary tenants of Federalism is that there is a national government, but states that fall within the auspices of this governmental structure. There is then a further division of powers between the states and the national government. Just as with the branches of government, the checks and balances between state and national powers guard against corruption and allow for multiple perspectives. Still, the disadvantages with both the divisions of the branches and Federalism are that they create layers of bureaucratic government structure. These added layers hinder the quick passage of laws that could directly contribute to the betterment of society (Rice). Joe, Chris. "Drawbacks of Checks and Balances." . N.p., 2011. Web. 26 Mar 2012.

Minorities and Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Minorities and Education - Essay Example Currently, the minorities comprise of the largest proportion of low and middle class earners in the country. In the past, the US Supreme Court handled many cases that were resolved in favor of minorities. Dr. Martin L. King believed that for equality to be achieved, Whites majority needed to adjust many aspects in their lives, a thing they were not willing to do. Altho...ugh many people felt that minority students needed a different approach of learning due to a different culture, some felt that it was a deliberate move not to do so. For instance, Shor and Freire (15) believed that education does not shape society, but rather the society shapes the education depending on who has power (Douglas 75). Public opinion Race, public opinion, and social sphere In American society, issues relating to race seem to intertwine together with social class, in such a way, that one cannot clearly have an honest discussion regarding race without having to look at the issue of class. Many people avoid the discussion of race although it is still very much alive within people’s hearts. These aspects of the society were constructed, seemingly for the advancement of such community as white. The African –Americans are widely blamed for the wrong things happening in the community. Some scholars believe that a number of events in the society have continuously led to the tremendous income inequality between Whites and Blacks. According to Douglas (29), these events comprise of reconstruction, suburbanization, and the contemporary institutional racism as among the key factors in the widening gap between the communities. Additionally, the media seems to have aggravated the situation, by distorting the views of the ground. These media houses, owned by the ruling class, distort views about economics by making believe the ruling class is nonexistent and that poor Blacks are actually the dregs of society (Bobo 28). Thus, the media with its 'magic' apparently make the sins and al so harshness towards African-Americans go away by claiming it is their fault and blaming that they are poor. As a result, upper and middle-classed Americans end up fearing and loathing poor Blacks and often refusing to make a connection between systematic form of racism and high poverty evident amongst African-Americans. In a similar vein, a widening wealth gap describes how offending but legal dealings amongst corporations and politicians usually lead to work wages stagnating far too long and millionaires becoming even more richer. Racial attitudes, Educational level and personality measure Many people insinuate that high black people crime rates are a result of blacks' predisposition to criminal behavior. They base this premise on the correlation, for instance, between cities having large populations of black people also having relatively high crime rates. Such a theory is simplistic and superficial, although this level of pseudo-scientific kind of analysis could hold some water. However, some people say that if this theory held true, such same numbers would be reflected worldwide. In America, Black people descend from African Blacks. Thus, why do African countries fails to reflect same ridiculously high crime rates? In America, Whites are viewed to be the most read community (McDonald 39). It is seen obvious for the children of the rich to attend the best school in the

How to Manage Negotiation - Using Mistakes to Explain Research Paper

How to Manage Negotiation - Using Mistakes to Explain - Research Paper Example The purpose of negotiation is to discover the circumstances, and to obtain a solution that is satisfactory to both group. It’s helpful to have uniformity in the employees where distinct kind of person is able to bring about different returns to the business. But this uniformity frequently leads to change of judgment among two workers or two different departments. Conflicts are a part of working situation and as a manager cannot remove the dispute in total; all they could do is to direct them in a manner that it won't influence the level of productivity. Managing Negotiation: Efficiently managed negotiations will leads to agreements and that increases the worth of the organization. Further, they present extremely better profits per investment. On the other hand, unsuccessfully completed negotiations, eventually result in exhausted capital and improved expenses to the organization, creating both the manager and the organization in a difficult where capital effort makes it harder to create the lost position and attain constructive consequences. The faster they manage them, the more the benefits will be for the business if not the conflicts will provide means to destructive performance and lack of group hard work, and as an it causes low output. Mistakes in Negotiation: Negotiation is a hard skill as it needs momentum, in immediately, in the other person's mind and in one’s own. While the managers have to concentrate on positives, it is uniformly significant not to neglect the negative feature of negotiations. There are a set of mistakes that all of us make and we need to be conscious of to be at our most excellent when negotiating. These mistakes happen all the moment. In a number of situations, they occur by mistake. At other instance, some people create these mistakes on intentionally. They overlook conservative understanding and perceptive recommendation and decide to negotiate in a way that brings no success to the negotiation. There are a number of mistakes that negotiators can create and should evade at all costs in order to be a successful negotiator. The two of them are discussed here. 1. Neglecting the Other Side's Problem: A person alone cannot make negotiation the other party is equally involved in it. Therefore, one must take into consideration the other persons interests or problems. The parties should try to place themselves in the other's place. The parties should not merely suppose that their bad doubts will turn out to be the dealings of the other party. They should not accuse the other for the problem. Each party should try to give suggestions which would be pleasing to the other party. â€Å"The objective of negotiation is to seek a win – win solution and if win and lose solution happens than you are neglecting the other side’s problem† (Lalitbhojwani). Consider the example of a manager firing one of the employees in the organization. The manager argues and fires the staff for a long time for his low performance, without asking the reasons for his poor performance. According to the employee, he/ she will be some personal or official problems which lead the employee to perform poorly. In this situation, the manager needs to listen carefully to the problems of the employees so that the manager can solve the problem very easily. Considering the opinions of outside parties is useful.

How might a youth worker assist young people with the development of Essay

How might a youth worker assist young people with the development of moral thinking What are the issues for undertaking this kind of work - Essay Example Late adolescence is when the youth comprehends separation from the family and living an independent life. There are a lot of directions that these adolescents need. The physical and mental changes that come about develop their identity and character. It is quite natural for parents to expect a change for the better. Expectations from parents and society increase. This is a time when a youth, if not guided properly, can end up being a liability to society. Parents need to be careful in the way they handle their children at this time. Children can get carried away and be influenced by the people around them. A time when they are told to 'grow up' or 'act you age', these children must be counseled in knowing the right from wrong. This must be done professionally. Children are now in a position to understand their role in society and take a firm decision on their career. Many youths come through their adolescent years without problems. However, for some, it is a difficult period, necessitating a great deal more of understanding, patience and support. No two children are alike. Each child will have his/her own thoughts and views on life and parents experience different challenges along the way in the growth of their child. However, through their journey of adolescence, analogical situations faced by almost all adolescents are: Measuring the society's values and moral standards Identifying themselves with others; a personal identity Rebellion of authority Moodiness To an extent, an interest in the opposite sex This is the time when all the training and guidance thought to them will be of importance. There is no point in trying to impose on them, for the simple reason that they would rebel. The youth should be taken into confidence and taught the aspects of life. 2.0 Executive Summary Moral education is an integral part of psychology and education. Never before have the reports of increased violent juvenile crime, teen pregnancy, and suicide been highlighted as now. The reason: The numbers of cases just got longer and longer, outnumbering all other news reports in newspaper every day. While not all of these social concerns are moral in nature, they are complex. There is a need to find solutions to these problems so that children are better prepared to face the challenges of life more socially. It is much easier said than done. There are many potholes on the way to success. Adolescence is often stereotyped as a period of stress and turbulence, though this may be far from true. Many adolescents have shown a lot more resilience in the face of challenges and stress, quite a few have engaged in behaviours involving risk, and there are others

Rock and Roll Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rock and Roll - Essay Example As the decade reached its end, the Rock and Roll had become a phenomenon that helped delineate the differences between the children and the adults. Rock and Roll originated in African American Blues and Gospel. Suburban teens were attracted to the sounds of Rhythm and Blues with the migration of the African Americans to the northern cities in large numbers. However, racism and segregation deterred many great artists of the genre from getting much exposure or attention. Alan Freed, the Disc jockey started a show of rhythm-and-blues played on the Cleveland radio station. The number of people liking the show grew in no time, thus causing Freed to coin the â€Å"rock and roll† term (Halper, 2001, p. 169). White artists first tried to cover the R&B songs but that led to weaker renditions which were not comparable to the originals in any way. This caused the record producers to start searching for a white artist for capturing the African American sound. â€Å"In 1955 â€Å"Rock around the Clock† was rock and roll: the first number 1 hit that was neither pop nor a white cover of a rhythm-and-blues song† (Campbell and Brody, 2007, p. 105). A Memphis record producer, Sam Phillips, identified the answer in Elvis Presley who took an old style and with his pouty lips, deep Southern sound, and gyrating hips, made it his own. The sound extended far and wide from Memphis, causing a drastic increase in the demand for Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley gained immense popularity in the entertainment business in a span of time as short as two years. â€Å"With his totally uninhibited stage manner, teen-tough dress, greased hair in a pompadour, and energetic singing style, Elvis projected a rebellious attitude that many teens found overwhelmingly attractive† (Campbell and Brody, 2007, p. 105). After the opening up of the door to the acceptance of rock and roll, many performers of the African American origin including Fats Domino, Chuck

French Revolution Essay Example for Free

French Revolution Essay The French Revolution was a very important series of events for all of French history, making a big impact on all the lives of past and present French citizens. There was no one factor was directly responsible for the French Revolution. Years of feudal cruelty and taxing, public revenues and public debt mismanagement contributed to a French society that was on the edge of revolt. The French Revolution, the revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799, reached its first climax there in 1789. After taking notice of the falling economy in the late 1700s, King Louis XVI, very self-centered, thought his authority to rule came from god himself. He brought in a number of financial advisors to review the weakened French treasury. Each advisor reached the same conclusion, that France needed a large change in the way it taxed the public, and each advisor was, in turn, kicked out. Eventually the king realized that this taxation issue really did need to be solved so he appointed a new controller general of finance. The new general of finance suggested instead of taxing the poor, tax the ones that would be able to pay, the nobility, the ones that were exempt from paying taxes before. The nobility refused. Financial ruin thus seemed imminent. The French Revolution was a very important series of events for all of French history, making a big impact on all the lives of past and present French citizens. There was no one factor was directly responsible for the French Revolution. Years of feudal cruelty and taxing, public revenues and public debt mismanagement contributed to a French society that was on the edge of revolt. The French Revolution, the revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799, reached its first climax there in 1789. After taking notice of the falling economy in the late 1700s, King Louis XVI, very self-centered, thought his authority to rule came from god himself. He brought in a number of financial advisors to review the weakened French treasury. Each advisor reached the same conclusion, that France needed a large change in the way it taxed the public, and each advisor was, in turn, kicked out. Eventually the king realized that this taxation issue really did need to be solved so he appointed a new controller general of finance. The new general of finance suggested instead of taxing the poor, tax the ones that would be able to pay, the nobility, the ones that were exempt from paying taxes before. The nobility refused. Financial ruin thus seemed imminent. The French Revolution was a very important series of events for all of French history, making a big impact on all the lives of past and present French citizens. There was no one factor was directly responsible for the French Revolution. Years of feudal cruelty and taxing, public revenues and public debt mismanagement contributed to a French society that was on the edge of revolt. The French Revolution, the revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799, reached its first climax there in 1789. After taking notice of the falling economy in the late 1700s, King Louis XVI, very self-centered, thought his authority to rule came from god himself. He brought in a number of financial advisors to review the weakened French treasury. Each advisor reached the same conclusion, that France needed a large change in the way it taxed the public, and each advisor was, in turn, kicked out. Eventually the king realized that this taxation issue really did need to be solved so he appointed a new controller general of finance. The new general of finance suggested instead of taxing the poor, tax the ones that would be able to pay, the nobility, the ones that were exempt from paying taxes before. The nobility refused. Financial ruin thus seemed imminent. The French Revolution was a very important series of events for all of French history, making a big impact on all the lives of past and present French citizens. There was no one factor was directly responsible for the French Revolution. Years of feudal cruelty and taxing, public revenues and public debt mismanagement contributed to a French society that was on the edge of revolt. The French Revolution, the revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799, reached its first climax there in 1789. After taking notice of the falling economy in the late 1700s, King Louis XVI, very self-centered, thought his authority to rule came from god himself. He brought in a number of financial advisors to review the weakened French treasury. Each advisor reached the same conclusion, that France needed a large change in the way it taxed the public, and each advisor was, in turn, kicked out. Eventually the king realized that this taxation issue really did need to be solved so he appointed a new controller general of finance. The new general of finance suggested instead of taxing the poor, tax the ones that would be able to pay, the nobility, the ones that were exempt from paying taxes before. The nobility refused. Financial ruin thus  seemed imminent. The French Revolution was a very important series of events for all of French history, making a big impact on all the lives of past and present French citizens. There was no one factor was directly responsible for the French Revolution. Years of feudal cruelty and taxing, public revenues and public debt mismanagement contributed to a French society that was on the edge of revolt. The French Revolution, the revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799, reached its first climax there in 1789. After taking notice of the falling economy in the late 1700s, King Louis XVI, very self-centered, thought his authority to rule came from god himself. He brought in a number of financial advisors to review the weakened French treasury. Each advisor reached the same conclusion, that France needed a large change in the way it taxed the public, and each advisor was, in turn, kicked out. Eventually the king realized that this taxation issue really did need to be solved so he appointed a new controller general of finance. The new general of finance suggested instead of taxing the poor, tax the ones that would be able to pay, the nobility, the ones that were exempt from paying taxes before. The nobility refused. Financial ruin thus seemed imminent.

Democracy & sacred term Essay Example for Free

Democracy sacred term Essay Democracy is a sacred term associated with freedom. Freedom is an issue that has been fought for by a lot of nations worldwide. Freedom is a result of being independent, of possessing self-respect and dignity. Democracy is associated with freedom and vice versa. A true democracy is said to exist when the people of a given country are not deprived of their rights to vote, to express their feelings with the use of proper channels and when they can freely chose their leaders. The people sitting in government have a responsibility to its people, most especially to those who are oppressed and uneducated. It is often the case that during election time politicians gives out promises about the programs that they want to implement such as providing education for the poor. But, once these candidates are already proclaimed as winners they forget about their promises and do nothing about fulfilling them. There is an underlying reason for this and it is worse than what people think. In most third world countries, the reality is that politicians do not exert too much effort in alleviating the plight of the poor because they are afraid to educate the poor or make them literate. When these voters become literate or have gained knowledge, they would be able to vote wisely and this would mean that some politicians would not be put into office. The votes of the poor are the only things that matter to them and most of the politicians do not have a real concern about these illiterate people. The number of illiterates equate to the number of votes by which a potential candidate can use for his candidacy. The poor or the illiterate are segments in society that candidates and politicians alike would never give up on because they know that these people could help a lot in ensuring their success in elections. Thus, it can be said that there cannot be a true democracy if the people who compose the government are illiterate. (Bove, Carol. 2008. The Educational Theory of Jonathan Kozol. Retrieved from website http://www. newfoundations. com/GALLERY/Kozol. html). The reason for this is that these illiterate are deprived to choose the best people who would govern them. Education and knowledge are very important tools to the success of a nation. A government which deprives its constituents of the opportunity to learn cannot call themselves as living in a state of democracy. Instead, the opposite is true that without knowledge and education the government is destroying the lives of its people. The lack of education brings about many untold sufferings in a society and it is also the root cause of many problems. For one, the lack of knowledge or good education is the cause of poverty. Poverty is the evil that destroys the lives of many because many people use this problem as an excuse to commit crimes. This is the reality that gives life to the quote given by James Madison saying â€Å"A people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. † It is very important for any government that seeks to impose democracy to breath life and meaning to it. A democratic government should start by investing in the education of its people so that it can really be said that the former is a government for the people and by the people. The people and the government should work together if a true democracy really exists. The government should show that it is giving utmost importance to the participation of its people by taking into consideration the suggestion of the latter in making laws, rules, or other important functions. Douglass and Kozol are both correct in their observations and opinions that the cost of illiteracy is high and the damage are great. As already pointed out earlier, the problem on illiteracy deserves more consideration and in-depth study of how it would be addressed. An educated person is given endless possibilities in life to become the best that they can be, this privilege and opportunity is taken away from the illiterate who merely depend on what others tell them out of fear or desperation. Thus, these people who are illiterate are deprived of the freedom to live out their life as they please because they lack the knowledge on how to maximize their full potential. Kozol was correct in saying that â€Å"democracy is a mendacious term when used by those who are prepared to countenance the forced exclusion of one third of the electorate† since the educated and powerful people use the weaknesses of the illiterate to their advantage. The reality existing in society today is that good education is available only for those who can afford to pay for it. The government of the United States provide for free or low cost education which is not of good quality. Private schools in the country are very expensive thus the students enrolled therein are given the best that money can buy. Although the state provides for public education it is not as good as those being received by the students enrolled in private schools. Thus, there is an inequality at this level. The argument of Kozol that there should be a shift in the quality of education in that it should be made at par with those of private schools is within the concept of ‘malign neglect’. In essence, ‘malign neglect’ wants to give out the message that there seems to be neglect in the quality of education being received by the students of public schools. There should be equal opportunity of education to be received by all. (Kozol, Jonathan. May 23, 2002. Malign Neglect. Retrieved on May 6, 2009 from website http://www. thenation. com/doc/20020610/kozol. ) A high quality of education would help the government and the society to produce better individuals who can compete globally for the advantage of everyone concerned. The quote by Kozol saying that â€Å"This is the society which most of us did not create, but which our President and other leaders have been willing to sustain by virtue of malign neglect† is very accurate because the problems on illiteracy and poor education has been in existence for a very long time. Therefore it is a great challenge today to try to change the way on how things are at present as a result of the mistakes committed in the past. But, it can be done. If only the government would cooperate and listen to the needs of the people, changes could be proposed and implemented for the good of the society. It is not impossible to educate the illiterate or to give quality world class education to all children. It is not unknown to many that a lot of countries worldwide have fought for democracy to the point of shedding thousands of lives to achieve freedom and independence. A country which calls itself as a democratic nation should live by the true meaning of the word ‘democracy’. There is true democracy if the government is composed of people who were chosen by its people because they believe in their officials and not because they were lured by the latter to vote them as a result of false promises brought about by their illiteracy and poverty. Another aspect that deserves consideration is the need to upgrade the quality of education being received by students. There should be a proposal for the government to provide for an adequate budget for a good education for everyone without regard as to the social status of an individual. Without these aforementioned criteria’s, democracy remains to be a word that exists only in theory. Reference: 1. Bove, Carol. 2008. The Educational Theory of Jonathan Kozol. Retrieved on May 6, 2009 from website http://www. newfoundations. com/GALLERY/Kozol. html. 2. Kozol, Jonathan. May 23, 2002. Malign Neglect. Retrieved on May 6, 2009 from website http://www. thenation. com/doc/20020610/kozol.

Comparative studies and performance evaluation Reebok

Comparative studies and performance evaluation Reebok INTRODUCTION Reebok International Limited is a producer of athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories and is currently a subsidiary of German sportswear giant Adidas. The name comes from the frikaans spelling of Reebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle. The company, founded in England in 1895, was originally called J.W. FOSTER SONS but was renamed Reebok in 1958. The companys founders, Joe and Jeff Foster, found the name in a dictionary won in a race by Joe Foster as a boy; the dictionary was a South African edition, hence the spelling. Reebok surged in popularity in 1982 after the introduction of the Freestyle athletic shoe, which was specifically designed for women and came out when the aerobics fitness craze started. Not only was the Reebok Freestyle popular as athletic wear, but also on the streets as casual wear because of its comfort and styling. As a result the Freestyle became an icon of the 1980s fashion scene with hi-top versions (including two velcro straps at the top) and colors including white, black, red, yellow, and blue. Reebok contines to produce the Freestyle to this day as it is popular with cheerleading, aerobic dancing, the gym, and other consumers. HUMAN RIGHTS AND PRODUCTION DETAILS In the past, Reebok had an association with outsourcing through sweatshops, but today it claims it is firmly committed to human rights. In April 2004, Reeboks footwear division became the first company to be accredited by the Fair Labor Association. In 2004, Reebok also became a founding member of the Fair Factories Clearinghouse, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving worker conditions across the apparel industry. Supplier information, according to the Reebok website as of May 2007: Footwear Reebok uses footwear factories in 14 countries. Most factories making Reebok footwear are based in Asia-primarily China (accounting for 51% of total footwear production), Indonesia (21%), Vietnam (17%) and Thailand (7%). Production is consolidated, with 88% of Reebok footwear manfactured in 11 factories, employing over 75,000 workers. Apparel Reebok has factories in 45 countries. The process of purchasing products from suppliers is organized by region. Most (52%) of Reeboks apparel sold in the US is produced in Asia, with the rest coming from countries in the Caribbean, North America, Africa and the Middle East. Apparel sold in Europe is typically sourced from Asia and Europe. Apparel sold in the Asia Pacific region is typically produced by Asian-based manfacturers. The company holds exclusive rights to manfacture and market both authentic and replica uniform jerseys and sideline apparel of the teams of the National Football League (Gridiron) since 2002, the Canadian Football League since 2004, and is the official shoe supplier to the NFL Gridiron and Major League Baseball. In addition Reebok acquired official National Hockey League sponsor CCM in 2004, and is now manfacturing ice hockey equipment under the CCM and Reebok brands, and has signed popular young stars Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin to endorsement deals (Crosby for Reebok, Ovechkin for CCM). Reebok has phased out the CCM name on NHL authentic and replica jerseys in recent years, using the Reebok logo since 2005. Reebok is also endorsed by Allen Iverson, Yao Ming, Carolina Klà ¼ft, Amà ©lie Mauresmo, Nicole VaidiÃ… ¡ovà ¡, Shahar Peer, Ivy, Thierry Henry, Vince Young, Iker Casillas, Ryan Giggs, Andriy Shevchenko and Amir Khan It maintains its relationship with its origins in England through a long-term sponsorship deal with Bolton Wanderers, a Premiership football club. When the team moved to a brand new ground in the late-1990s, their new home was named the Reebok Stadium. Several other English clubs had Reebok sponsorship deals up until the purchase by Adidas, but most have since switched to either the parent brand (which has a long history in football) or another company altogether. PRODUCT RANGE Reebok has many variety of products which is as under:- Cricket teams with kits manfactured by Reebok Asia Chennai Super Kings Isasthan Royals Bangalore Royal Challengers Kolkata Knight Riders Football (soccer) clubs/leagues with kits manfactured by Reebok Europe Bolton Wanderers Aris FC KF Drenica 1. FC Kà ¶ln PFC CSKA Moscow Africa Bloemfontein Celtic AmaZulu F.C. Reebok technologies Hex Ride Play Shield Play Dry Rbk Edge Uniform System Hydro move DMX DMX10 DMX6 Griptonite The Pump DMX Foam DMX Reflex Hexalite 3D Ultralite E.R.S. (Energy Return System) TRANSFORMATION PROCESS Every organization, be it a product or service organization, transforms certain inputs into outputs. For getting the desired output, the quality of these inputs are to be monitored regularly, and also a comparion is to be made for the real output and the desired output. This all process is done in an environment of random disturbances which are unexpected and therefore sometimes not planned too. This all process is hence known as transformation process in context to operations management. Reebok adopt transformation process which creates input into output. This process creates good product of reebok. The following example shows us the transformation of reebok and it starts from learning and ends with interpretation. Reebok is main player in the market. It has its own image in the market Reebok creates good working environment for their employees Several months were taken out of the product developmentprocess, which allowedReebokto bring new and more relevant products to market much faster. FACILITY LAYOUT Whether your company is looking to incorporate new processing equipment, expand facilities or integrate a data collection system into your existing, expanded, or planned facility, reebok can help you realize the maximum benefit from your efforts. Proper Facilities Layout of reebok includes optimally locating equipment, materials, people, infrastructure and data collection points to minimize movement, handling and travel distance of the material and labor while increasing overall productivity. Reebok Facilities Layout Approach Develop and/or verify a baseline drawing Reebok and will develop and/or verify a baseline drawing of your existing facility, to include, if applicable: Production Production area drawing will show production equipment, personnel, locations and routing of primary utilities (electrical, pneumatic, vacuum, coolant, data, etc.), lighting, cranes, column locations, transportation aisles, material storage areas, docks, doors Warehouse/shipping Warehouse/shipping will show racks, columns, aisles, electrical, material handling equipment, computer workstations, data collection points, printers, inventory location and quantities Office Data infrastructure, electrical, personnel locations, solid and partition walls, common equipment (copiers, printers, etc.), Facilitate employee input meetings reebok will facilitate meetings to gain input and identify the facilities layout requirements with regard to: Product/process flow Facility / infrastructure Data transfer Equipment Inventory levels and management Develop, design and present potential new layout(s) Reebok will work to improve the process flow and efficiency based upon underlying principles of lean manfacturing and process flow efficiency. Efforts will focus on dock locations, equipment configurations, inventory management and handling practices, and expansion. The team will develop facilities layout options, showing the current operation best arranged within the facility, and offer recommendations to accommodate future growth. FACALITY LOCATION Facility location, also known as location analysis, is a branch of operations research concerning itself with mathematical modeling and solution of problems concerning optimal placement of facilities in order to minimize transportation costs, avoid placing hazardous materials near housing, outperform competitors facilities, etc Input validation assumption output PRODUCTION PLANING SYSTEM PRODUCTION PLANNING AND INVENTORY CONTROL includes the analysis of six key factors. Forecasts of future demand for both new and existing products provide information for developing production plans. In capacity planning, the firm analyzes how much of a product it must be able to produce. Location planning for goods and for low-contact services involves analyzing proposed facility sites in terms of proximity to raw materials and markets, availability of labor, and energy and transportation costs. Layout planning includes designing a facility so that customer needs are supplied for high-contact services and so as to enhance production efficiency. In quality planning, systems are developed to ensure that products meet a firms quality standards. Finally, in methods planning, specific production steps and methods for performing them are identified. The training program provides in-depth conceptual and practical skills about PRODUCTION PLANNING AND INVENTORY CONTROL Objectives of Reebok in planning It is the key concepts of Production Planning and Inventory Control. Explain the meaning of the term production or operations. Describe the four kinds of utility provided by production and explain the two classifications of operations processes. Describe the FIFO FILO concepts and processes. Identify opportunities in inventory management. Learn how to apply the tools by participating in a simulation. Explain factors in operations scheduling, operations control, materials management and the use of operations control tools. QUALITY SYSTEM First of all I m telling that why quality system needed:- How is customer satisfaction achieved? Two dimensions: Product features and Freedom from deficiencies. Product features Refers to quality of design. Examples in manfacturing industry: Performance, Reliability, Durability, Ease of use, Esthetics etc. Examples in service industry: Accuracy, Timeliness, Friendliness and courtesy, Knowledge of server etc. Freedom from deficiencies Refers to quality of conformance. Higher conformance means fewer complaints and increased customer satisfaction. Reebok take in mind all these things before designing product. It has good quality system . INVENTORY MANAGEMENT Inventoryis a list forgoodsandmaterials, or those goods and materials themselves, held available in stock by abusiness. It is also used for a list of the contents of a household and for a list for testamentarypurposes of the possessions of someone who has died. In accounting inventory is considered anasset. In business management, inventory consists of a list of goods and materials held available in stock. Inventory Management of reebok includes:- Inventory Control Must tie together the following objectives, to insure there is continity between functions: Company Strategic Goals Sales Forecasting Sales Operations Planning Production Material Planning Reebok adopt this inventory management. CONCLUSION We analyze the overall structure of the Reebok company so we conclude the it is in good position in the market. The transformation process adopted by Reebok is very good and quality of his products is very good and finally we can say the overall position of Reebok is very good. BIBLIOGRAPHY www.reebok.com www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facility_location www.invatol.com Books Stevenson Philip Kotler

Rap Vs Poetry :: essays research papers

What is hip hop? What are some of the common stereotypes and generalizations by which hip hop is conceived? Is it a music that is for only one group of people? Does hip hop promote violence and negativity? Many people claim that it is a disgraceful, mea ngless din. Antagonists often claim that hip hop is offensive to many groups of people. I will agree that unfortunately these are sometimes true with certain varieties of hip hop. The fact is that so many artists out there are in the industry simply for the love. These artists are not â€Å"sellouts† that are only in the industry for the money and fame. Also, there are many artists out there in the hip hop world that promote positivit As time goes on hip hop culture is integrating many different racial and ethnic groups. It is now socially acceptable for people of all races to enjoy the many aspects of hip hop. Hip hop was spurred in the late 70’s. The man credited as being the first rapper ever, DJ Afrika Bambataa, was the first to â€Å"talk† to his music. His unorthodox style quickly became very popular in the disco and funk clubs. For the lack of a better word, rap† was the term given to the music. As more and more rappers came about, the term MC, or Master of Ceremonies, was associated with rappers. Break dancing actually originated a few years prior to DJ Afrika Bambataa. Break dancers (B-Boys and B-Girls), would dance during the breaks in the music while steady beats were played. Eventually rap and break dancing united and hip hop began. The area in which hip hop first became a popular music was the Bronx. The Bronx is often labeled as the birthplace of hip hop. In its early stages hip hop was mostly a black and hispanic thing. As hip hop has evolved over the past 20 some odd years its n base has dramatically broadened. Not only has its area of influence broadened, but the race and ethnicities of hip hop lovers have also. If you go to a hip hop concert nowadays you will almost always see a mixture of races. Groups such as A Tribe Called Quest, and The Roots welcome this ethnic mixing in their music. On the contrary, most â€Å"gangster rappers† do not promote this mixture. Th preach about racial tension, therefore further distancing the posibility of tranquility between races.

Gattaca The Movie And Discrimination :: essays research papers

In the movie Gattaca the main character Anton was discriminated against because of his gene makeup. Anton never even had a chance in the society in Gattaca because the potential employees of companies were not tested on their skills or knowledge but on their physical and mental possibilities. The same society also used derogatory terms for people like Anton. Just because his parents decided that he would come into the world naturally instead of through gene therapy or alteration. Terms like â€Å"faith birth'; and â€Å"invalid'; were used against Anton. I think gene therapy has it promises, but when used in the fashion as it was used in the Gattaca I think its progress should be carefully monitored. Right now sheep and other animals are being cloned. Soon primates and Humans could be cloned. I think we should further investigate human cloning for research on the parenting process and other physiological experiments that can only be used now on identical twins separated at birth. T hese experiments when used could be used to gain insight on what our genes determine in our personalities. I also think that the achievement of us humans cloning ourselves would be a great achievement for the entire human race such as it was when we landed on the moon in 1969.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the movie Gattaca they barely showed the moral consequences of the actions. Anton’s father showed more pride in his brother than Anton, but what about Anton making friends, was he doomed to be a social outcast in friendships also? The second rate swimmer so depressed by being second in a race almost committed suicide, what about him? The movie never revealed how poor nations around the world dealt with eventually becoming a nation of an inferior human race. The movie pretty much shows how Hitler’s plan of creating a perfect human race would be like.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie does show some positives though. A longer lifetime full of health was promised to all planned pregnancies.

Different Change Models

Change is vital in any organizations bid to achieve its objectives. It is thus important for any organization to manage the change process carefully. Different change models such as Lewin’s, Mckinsey’s 7- s and Kotter’s eight step change models can be used to effectively handle the change resulting from the purchase of EEST by Quest Culture. Lewin’s model. A basic notion about this model is that change is a journey rather than a simple step. Kurt Lewin identified three stages of change; unfreezing, transition and refreezing.Unfreezing. According to this model, people in the face of a change will feel uncomfortable and hence various significant efforts will be necessary to get them moving (Janis I. L & Mann, 1977)). This entails the use of push principle and pull methods to keep them going. Transition. For change to occur, time is required. Various levels of misunderstandings may also be witnessed during this stage. Training, counseling and any other psycho logical support will be necessary. Refreezing.This is the final stage according to the model which involves putting the change process into action. In most organizations, this stage can have positive or negative impacts. Positive in that it makes the next stage of unfreezing easier and negative in that it might reduce the employees efficiency and effectiveness as a result of the change process Lewin’s model is very helpful in explaining human behavior. Every form of learning starts with a state of discomfort or frustration.Motivation and change mechanisms are thus necessary. Combination and elimination of excess positions as a result of the acquisition might result to discomfort hence Lewin’s model would be most effective in such situations. The advantages of this model include; Innovation. Solutions to problems or new ways to achieve the organizational objectives are established. Provides ways for evaluating progress towards the change hence making the change process easy. It helps in allowing the change process to be easily understood.It is done in steps which prove it to be an efficient model still applicable today. The main disadvantage of Lewin’s model is that it is timely for any change to take place. The other disadvantage is that during the refreezing stage, the employees might be worried of another change resulting to a change shock which might result in their inefficiency or ineffectiveness in discharging their duties. Mckinsey 7-s model This was developed by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman while working for Mckinsey & Co.and in 1978 by Richard Pascate and Anthony Athos (Janis I. L & Mann, 1977). The model considers a company as a whole by taking into consideration seven different factors: strategy, staff, skills, systems, styles (organizational culture and management styles), structure and shared values such as mission and vision statement. This model would be most effective in situations where change is to be effected in the who le organization as opposed to a single department, product or process.The advantages of this model include: It provides a better way to study and understand an organization; it is a guide to organizational change as it combines both coherent and emotional parts and since all the parts are interrelated, they must be attended to and addressed. The major disadvantage of this model is that since all parts are interrelated, a change in one causes the whole system to change. The other disadvantage is that the model ignores differences. Kotter’s eight step change model.Kotter identified eight steps for a successful change (Chapman, A. 2006). These include; Problem definition. This refers to what is causing the change. Identification of a change agent. The agent must have clear knowledge of the situation and experience of the change process. Constructing the vision. This is where the organization wants to be after the change process. Communication. For change to occur, communication (both upwards and downwards is necessary). Empowerment. Everybody involved in the change process needs to be empowered.Creation of short term goals. Rewards are very important at this step. Persistence. This is necessary even after meeting the short term goals. Implementation. This is by putting the change into the company’s culture and practices. Kotter’s eight step model can be most effective in various diverse situations as opposed to the other models. Organizations despite their size, public or private status can use the model. However the model may lack or override nuances or realties that could be specific to a certain type of organization.The principles may also apply equally to all organizations but how the principles will be implemented might be different from one situation to another. Advantages of this model include; Step by step model. Just like Lewin’s model, Kotter’s model is a step by step model easy to follow and understand. Enhances chang e in that instead on concentrating on the change alone, other factors such as acceptance and preparedness for change are also well thought-out.The major disadvantage of this model is that since each step is necessary, one step cannot be skipped otherwise the whole system will fail. The other disadvantage is that the model is time consuming since the steps involved are numerous. In my view the best model for the acquisition of EEST by Quest corporation is the Kotter’s eight step model as it prepares the employees fully before even the mission is created hence enhancing the transition process.

Kathmandu Enter Into Chinese Market Essay

With the rapid development of economy and society, Chinese market has attracted a great number of attentions from foreign companies. Therefore, how to enter into Chinese market and how to be a successful company in China has become a realistic issue faced by business managers, entrepreneurs and consultants. This essay will focus on introducing one Australian local brand â€Å"Kathmandu† which is an outdoor sport equipment company into Chinese market. Thus, a detailed analysis of the current situation of the Chinese market and this foreign company is indispensable. Firstly, this paper will analyze the current situation of the Chinese outdoor sport market and the Chinese economy, and then identify the strengths and weakness of the Kathmandu Company when entering into Chinese market. Subsequently, selection of entry modes and partner and recommendations will be provided to deal with or to reduce the risks when enter into the Chinese outdoor sport market. 2. BACKGROUND ABOUT KATHMANDU COMPANY Kathmandu Holdings Limited was established by John Pawson and Jan Cameron in 1987. The company started off as a small outdoor apparel shop in New Zealand and in 25 years has grown to a multi-national brand primarily producing outdoor sport clothing and equipment which combine with the advanced technology, high quality and high comfort level. Such as, tents and shelters, packs and luggage, sleeping gear, outdoor clothing, footwear and other accessories of outdoor. In 2006, one Australasian private equity company fully acquired Kathmandu for NZ$275 million. Currently Kathmandu does the business in Australia, New Zealand and England. The company slogan aims to capture young and adventurous individuals and the marketing strategy has been built around this notion (Kathmandu, 2012). 3. OPPORTUNITIES OF CHINESE OUTDOOR MARKET 3. 1 Outdoor sport in China Along with the development of economy and living stander, outdoor sport becomes increasingly popular in China. In China, outdoor sport was started at Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai in 1999(Chinese News, 2011). Currently, combing with pressure reducing, such sport increase quite fast and become one kind of society fashion. There are four outdoor sport activities which include High Mountain, exploration, rock climbing and bicycling in China (Chinese outdoor Sport Association, 2012). The outdoor sport is an professional sport activity not only require a good physical quality but also good clothing and equipment to resist the bad environment. Therefore, fast increase of the outdoor sport contributes to sharp augment on demand of outdoor sport clothing and equipment. As reporting by China Outdoor Sport Association, the number of annual sales from existing manufactories of outdoor equipment was 800 million RMB in 2010, while the number of that in 2000 was 60 million RMB, and the number of Chinese participation in the outdoor sport has reached one hundred million (China Outdoor Sport Association, 2012). Hence, along with the unbelievable development of the outdoor sport and the higher demand of outdoor products, obviously, the potential of the Chinese outdoor sport market is quite considerable. 3. 2 Situation of Chinese outdoor market Basic the market research, currently, there are approximately 200 Chinese local outdoor sport brands and around 1100 outdoor clothing and equipment stores. Although the outdoor industry of China is at beginning phases, every year increase 50%. The CEO of the GORE Company which is one of the beat 100 American outdoor equipment companies pointed out that such fast increase would maintain at the least 5 years in China (Simone, 2002). It can be calculated that the Chinese outdoor sport market should be worth around two billion. However, even though the outdoor sport is obtaining swift development, the outdoor market is relatively backward. The local manufactures only produce or provide elementary products or services, lack of the leading company and well-known brand is a serious issue in the local market. Therefore, it is a favorable opportunity for Kathmandu to expend to the Chinese outdoor market, because of the sharp escalation of market demand and insufficient supply of the local outdoor market. 3. 3 Competitors in Chinese outdoor market China already had around 200 local brands in outdoor sport market. However, in such new industry market foreign companies occupied the main position. According to the research, there are four main competitors for Kathmandu in the Chinese outdoor market, which include The North Face that is an American company, it has a long history and produce fine workmanship products, one company of France named ALGLE which entered into China in 1997, and its products are practical and noble. OZARK which is a Switzerland Company and the design of their products is following the characteristic of the Chinese. The last one competitor is Salewa from German (Chinese News, 2011). Compare with these foreign companies, the technology and quality of the local brands are at lower level, particularly, at the aspect of technology. Company is difficult to survive without advanced technology supporting, especially, in the outdoor sport market. Therefore, the outdoor market that has a small number of strong competitors will supply an opportunity for Kathmandu to obtain the biggest market share by adopting the advanced technology. 3. 4 Chinese economic situation For the financial reason, the Chinese market is quite appropriate for the Kathmandu to enter. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recourses, in 2010 the number of average disposable personal income of cities and towns was 21033 RMB, which was higher 11. 3% than that in 2009. Meanwhile, the recourses also mentioned that the number of average disposable personal income in cities and towns was 7414 RMB in the first quarter 2011, which was higher 14. 1% than that in 2010 (National Bureau of Statistics, 2011). The increase of the disposable personal income of the Chinese offered an ideally material guarantee for consumption of the outdoor sport, which also means that Chinese has obtained higher purchasing power than before. The Nominal GDP per capita continues experiencing increase since 2001 to 2010 from 8. 3% to 10. 3% (National Bureau of Statistics, 2011). Following the acceleration of the urbanization progress, increasingly Chinese has selected outdoor sport, particularly, the young people. As the China Outdoor Sport Association report 2010, 90% of the participators already have attained high education degrees and the wages in the 65% of them over 5000RMB per month, 20 to 40 years old people occupied 84. 1% (Chinese News, 2011). China possesses the most enormous consumer groups which attract the vision of the world. Such consumer groups will contribute more benefits than England and New Zealand for Kathmandu. According to the National Development and Reform Commission, there is a police of 5 years plant from 2011 to 2015, which will focus on inequality of wealth distribution and shifting emphasis from investment to consumption (National Development and Reform Commission, 2011). Therefore more money will be spent in rural and inland development. So that Kathmandu can expect a growing number of potential customers in the coming 5 years. Therefore, the current situation of the Chinese market is ideally for Kathmandu to attract more customers and to sales more outdoor products. 4. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF KATHMANDU IN CHINA Kathmandu has sufficient experience on oversea expending. According to the Kathmandu office report, currently, the company of Kathmandu has totally 107 retail stores, 65 located in Australia, 39 in New Zealand and 6 in United Kingdom respectively. In 2003 and 2004, the company entered into the market of United Kingdom, and speedy became one of the top two outdoor brands in the UK. The office report also mentioned that the Kathmandu Company made 237 million AU$ sales and obtained 7 million profit in 2011(Kathmandu, 2012). Therefore, the Kathmandu has sufficient expending experience, which enables to reduce risks that are bought by the insufficient of experience when enter into China. Furthermore, owning of advanced technologies is able to guarantees the leading position in Chinese outdoor market. Specifically, the technologies of anti-wind, anti-fire, waterproof and high heat preservation are adopted by all of their products with high comfortable level. Such advanced technologies are what the Chinese local outdoor equipment market and customers need. However, there are some weaknesses of Kathmandu can not be ignored in Chinese market. Firstly, lack of Guan XI (special relationship) will be the main issue for the company. In Chinese market, it is difficult to obtain long-term profit that making the business without a favorable Guan Xi, particularly, the closing relationship with the Chinese government. The Kathmandu may face some restriction from the Chinese Government. Such as, polices changing, law modifying and the controlling on some local resources, which will bring a great number of obstacles on operation of the Kathmandu company in China. Secondly, low brand awareness will lead to high cost in Chinese market. Obviously, although there is an increase in the demand of western products for the Chinese customers, the products selection of customers is quite cautious, especially on unacquainted brands. The Kathmandu may needs more patience to the Chinese clients to know more about the products of the Kathmandu, in other words, more time is required by the Chinese market. In addition, in such situation, more capitals will be spent by the company on advertising in order to build the name recognition. Thus, these weaknesses may bring some risks for the Kathmandu company operation in China. 5. HOW TO ENTER INTO CHINESE OUTDOOR MARKET 5. 1 Selection of the entry modes The selection of entry modes is crucial for every company when enter into a new market. There are two major entry modes, which include non-equity modes and equity modes (Chen Hui, 2002). As a multinational company and has good expending experience in the UK and New Zealand, it is undeniable that equity modes is appropriate to the Kathmandu when enter into Chinese market. The entry modes contain joint-venture, acquisitions and green-fields (Peter, 2008). Merger and acquisition can assists the Kathmandu directly entering into Chinese market by purchasing the company that already has established in China. However, a large number of capitals are required by the Kathmandu company to merger the Chinese local company, which means more cost will occur when choose this entry method. In addition, social-cultural environment issue should be considered by the western companies, acquisition entry method may be related to a sort of aggression by Chinese duo to the Chinese history, so that some threatens will be faced by the Kathmandu Company, for instant, anti-products and service of the company. The green-fields entry method also requires large number of capitals to support, and this approach is quite complicate to operate. While more freedom in designing the plant, selecting suppliers, and hiring a work force will be contributed by green-field (Ilkaka, 2007). Compare with acquisition and green-field, joint-venture entry method is more appropriate to the Kathmandu Company to enter into the Chinese outdoor market. The reasons as follow, firstly, Beamish pointed out that joint-venture is cheaper to exit compare with green-fields and also has the advantage that benefits the company to directly enter the market of other countries (Beamish, 2001). Secondly, the Kathmandu Company is not familiar with Chinese institutions and regulations, finding a Joint-Venture partner can help understand rules of running business, and the Guan Xi of the Chinese partner can be used by the Kathmandu in China. Moreover, such method will provide strong bargaining power with Joint-Venture partner for the company, as Kathmandu can provide high technical resources and product line which is the crucial issue facing by the Chinese outdoor companies. However, there are some disadvantages that lead to the risks to the Kathmandu Company from the joint-venture entry method. Firstly, the joint-venture may modify the partner to competitor (Swierczak, 1994). Specifically, it is dangerous that giving the advanced technologies to the partner to control. Perhaps the primary goal of the local partner is to control the leading technologies of the Kathmandu; such technologies will be used by other local companies on their products in order to obtain the bigger market share and to make more profit, which should be the most primary risk for the Kathmandu Company. Secondly, shared ownership can lead to conflict over goals and control. The ownership and administrative power will become the main conflict between the partner and the foreign company (Swierczak, 1994). In order to control and make the biggest profit to their own company, both local and foreign company adopts various approaches to attain the beneficial position in the joint-venture company. Such as, increasing the investment and controlling the resources. Balancing the advantages and disadvantages for the Kathmandu Company to select the entry modes in Chinese market, joint-venture is the ideally entry modes for the company. However, which Chinese partner should be selected by the Kathmandu is another issue. 5. 2 Selection of the Chinese partner There are a great number of local outdoor or sport brands in China. However, it is difficult to find a well-known outdoor sport brand because of the new outdoor market. Thus selecting a famous sport equipment company as the joint-venture partner is the best selection for Kathmandu Company. The Chinese sport companies include 361, ERKE, ANTA, PEAK, DOUBLE STAR, Xtep and LI NING (Chinese sport research, 2011). According to LI NING annual report 2010, the capitalization of the company has reached 8. 387 billion and has had 8156 sales shops in 1800 cities in China, and The number of LI NING brand retail stores is 7478 Moreover, LI NING has the highest reputation as the company is sponsoring several of Chinese sport national teams. The company already cooperated with AIGLE, LOTTO and Kason using joint-venture entry modes, which means that LI NING has had sufficient experience on such entry modes, and the high experience will assists the Kathmandu to reduce the risks on joint-venture (LI NING, 2011). Therefore, LI NING should be the most appropriate joint-venture partner for the Kathmandu Company, the large number of LI NING sales network and capitalization will contribute the convenience to the Kathmandu to enter into Chinese outdoor market. 6. CONCLUSION China has become the biggest market for the foreign company duo to the rapid development of economy and society. Such development specifically expressed in the GDP and the average disposable personal income continually increase, which also represent high purchasing power in China. In the same period, the fast development of Chinese outdoor sport market contributes to the high demand not only for the outdoor clothing and equipment but also for the advanced technologies of the outdoor equipment in the Chinese outdoor market, and the lower strong competitors also provide a God-given opportunity for the Kathmandu outdoor equipment company to enter such ideally market. Hence, how to enter Chinese market will be the first issue faced by every foreign company manager. The joint-venture entry modes should be the possible modes selected by the foreign company, particularly, the Kathmandu Company duo to the lower cost, easily access the market. The Kathmandu enables to use the local resources and Guan Xi network of the LI NING Company, which are the weaknesses of the Kathmandu, via joint-venture in order to become a successful company operating in China after into the outdoor market. Both companies will obtain the benefits that they want from joint-venture entry modes. 7. REFERENCES Beamish, P. W. ,&Banks, J. C. 2001. Equity joint ventures and the theory of the multinational enterprise. Journal of International Business Studies, 18(2):1-16. Chinese Customs, 2011, â€Å"Export Procedure†, viewed: 20 May 2012, from http://www. customs. gov. cn/publish/portal0/. Chen, H. 2002, An analysis of determinants of entry mode and its impact on performance, Int. Bus. Rev. , 11 (2002), pp. 193–210. Chinese News, 2011, The demand of copper is recovering to the level before financial crisis, viewed: 20 May, 2012, from. http://www.chinanews. com/cj/2011/06-13/3108018. shtml Chinese Outdoor Sport Association 2012, â€Å"report of Chinese outdoor sport situation†, viewed: 20 May 2012, from http://www. iouter. com/. Ilkka A. Ronkainen, 2007, International marketing, Cengage Learning, 2007, p417-422. Joseph Simone, â€Å"Criminal Enforcement Against Counterfeiters†, China Business Review, 29/6 (2002): 22-23; Timothy Trainer, â€Å"The Fight Against Trademark Counterfeiting,† China Business Review, 29/6 (2002): 20-24. Kathmandu Annual Report, 2012, Introduction of Kathmandu, viewed 17 May, 2012, from homepage: http://www. kathmandu. com. au/. Kobrin, op. cit. ; Minor, op. cit. ; Charles Hill, International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace, 4th Edition (Bostom, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2003), p. 47. Lining Annual Report, 2011, Introduction of Lining, viewed 17 May, 2012, from http://www. lining. com/eng/global/home. php. National Bureau of Statistics, 2011, â€Å"situation of Chinese economic†, viewed 17 May, 2012, from http://www.stats. gov. cn/. National Development &Reform Commission, 2011, â€Å"situation of Chinese market development†, viewed 17 May, 2012, from http://www. sdpc. gov. cn/. Peter Liesch, and Duncan Poulson, 2008, â€Å"An Unconventional Approach to Intellectual Property: The Case of an Australian Firm Transferring Shipbuilding Technologies to China,† Journal of World Business, 35/1 (2000): 1-20. Swierczak, F. W. 1994, Culture and conflict in Joint Venture in Asia, International Journal of Project Management, 12 (1) (1994), pp. 39–47.

Gms Ch1

CH 1 – Introducing management Talent Intellectual capital is the collective brainpower or shared knowledge of a workforce that can be used to create value. (Competency x Commitment) A knowledge worker is someone whose mind is a critical asset to employers. Diversity Workforce diversity describes the composition of a workforce in terms of differences among people according to gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and capabilities. Prejudice is the display of negative, irrational attitudes toward members of diverse populations.Discrimination actively denies minority members the full benefits of organizational membership (ex: glass ceiling effect). Globalization – the worldwide interdependence of resource flows, product markets, and business competition Technology- technology is an crucial part of everyday business and helped with globalization communication. It has also added flexibility to workplaces through things like, telecommuting. Ethics â€⠀œ set of moral standards of what is â€Å"good† and â€Å"right† in one’s behaviour.Careers – skills should be portable and always of value. Portfolio workers are people who always have the skills needed to readily shift jobs and even careers. Some critical skills include mastering, networking, entrepreneurship, tech-savvy, marketing and passion for renewal Organizations in the new workplace What is an organization? Organizations are collection of people working together to achieve a common purpose. All organizations share a purpose of providing goods or services of value to customers and clients.Organizations as systems: organizations are open systems (they transform resource inputs from the environment into product outputs) that interact with their environments in the continual process of obtaining resource inputs and then transforming them into outputs in the form of finished goods and services for their customers. Organizational performance: When ope rations add value to the original cost of resource inputs, then 1) a business organization can earn a profit or 2) a non-profit organization can add wealth to society.A way to tell is through productivity which measures the quantity and quality of outputs relative to the cost of inputs. Performance effectiveness is an output measure of task or goal accomplishment. Performance efficiency is an input measure of the resource costs associated with goal accomplishments. Productivity = effective and efficient performance. Changing nature of organizations: Organizational trends and transitions: Renewed belief in human capital: demands of the new economy place premiums on high-involvement and participatory work settings that rally the knowledge, experience, and commitment of all members.Demise of â€Å"command-and-control†: traditional hierarchical structures with â€Å"do as I say† bosses are proving too slow, and costly to do well in today’s competitive environment. E mphasis on teamwork: driven teamwork which pools talents for creative problem solving. Pre-eminence of technology: new opportunities appear with each development in computer and information technology; they continually change the way organizations operate and how people work.Embrace of networking: organizations are networked for intense, real-time communication and coordination, internally among parts and external with partners, contractors, suppliers and customers New workforce expectations: a new generation of workers brings to the workplace less tolerance for hierarchy, more informality, and more attention to performance merit than to status and seniority. Concern for work-life balance: As society increases in complexity, workers are forcing organizations to pay more attention to balance in the often-conflicting demands of work and personal affairs.Focus on speed: everything moves fast, so those who get products to market first have an advantage, work is now expected to be done b oth well and in a timely manner. Organizational Environment Dynamic forces and the general environment: General environment of organizations consists of all external conditions (economic, legal-political, technological, socio-cultural and natural environmental conditions) that set the context for managerial decision-making. Economic conditions: some of these influence customer spending, resource supplies and investment capital that is crucial for managers to recognize.Legal-Political conditions: monitor changes to understand the trends that can affect the regulation and oversight of businesses. Internet censorship is the deliberate blockage and denial of public access to information posted on the Internet. Technological conditions: technology is only evolving, so you must be up-date with it. Socio-cultural conditions: these conditions take meaning as norms, customers and social values on matters like ethics, human rights, gender roles and lifestyles. All such changes have consequenc es for how organizations are managed.Natural environment conditions: going â€Å"green† is one of the impacts/changes we have seen in the past few years. Public concern to such matters changes the way organizations will run. Sustainable business is when firms operate in ways that both meet the needs of customers and protect or advance the well-being of our natural environment. Sustainable innovation creates new products and production methods that have reduced environmental impact. Stakeholders and the specific environment: Specific environment (task environment) includes the people and groups with whom an organization interacts and conducts business with.Members of the specific environment are often described as stakeholders, who are the persons, groups and institutions directly affect by an organization. Value creation is the creation of value for and satisfying needs of stakeholders. Competitive Advantage: refers to something that an organization does extremely well, a cor e competency that clearly sets it apart from competitors and gives it an advantage over them in the marketplace. Competitive advantage is linked with strategic positioning which occurs when an organization does different things or the same things in different ways from its major competitors.Competitive advantage can be achieved in the follow ways: Achieved through costs- finding ways to operate with lower costs and earn profits Through quality- create products/services that are demonstrably and consistently higher quality for customers Through delivery- finding ways to outperform competitors by delivering products and services to customers factored and consistently on time, and to continue to develop timely new products Through flexibility – finding ways to adjust and tailor products and services to fit customer needs in ways that are difficult for one’s competitors to matchEnvironmental Uncertainty: means that there is a lack of complete information regarding what exi sts and what developments may occur about the environment. There are two dimensions of environmental uncertainty: 1) Degree of complexity or the number of different factors in the environment – an environment is either classified as relatively simple or complex. 2) Rate of change in and among these factors – environment classified as stable or dynamic. High uncertainty environments require firms to have flexibility and adaptability.Organizational effectiveness: is sustainable high performance in using resources to accomplish a mission and objectives. Organizational effectiveness in different viewpoints: Systems resource approach: looks at the input side and defines organizational effectiveness in terms of success in acquiring needed resources from the organization’s environment Internal process approach: looks at the transformation process and defines organizational effectiveness in terms of how efficiently resources are utilized to product goods and services.Go al approach: looks at the output side and defines organizational effectiveness in terms of how to measure achievement of key operating objectives. Strategic constituencies approach: looks at the external environment and defines organizational effectiveness in terms of the organization’s impact on key stakeholders and their interests. Managers in the new workplace What is a manager? A manager is a person who supports, activates, and is responsible for the work of others. Levels of Managers: Top managers guide the performance of an organization as a whole or for one of its major parts (CEO, presidents, and vice presidents).They also create and communicate long-term vision, and ensure that strategies and objectives are consistent with the organization’s purpose and mission. Middle managers report to top managers and oversee the large departments or divisions. Team leaders report to middle managers and supervise non-managerial workers. Top managers guide the performance of an organization as a whole or for one of its major parts (CEO, presidents, and vice presidents). They also create and communicate long-term vision, and ensure that strategies and objectives are consistent with the organization’s purpose and mission.Middle managers report to top managers and oversee the large departments or divisions. Team leaders report to middle managers and supervise non-managerial workers. Type of Managers: Line managers are responsible for work that makes a direct contribution to the organization’s outputs ex: retail manager. Staff managers use special technical expertise to advise and support the efforts of line workers. Functional managers are responsible for one area such as finance, marketing, production, personnel, accounting, or sales.General Managers are responsible for complex, multifunctional units. Managers are sometimes called administrators in public or non-profit organizations. Managerial Performance: Accountability is the requirement to show performance results to a supervisor. Effective managers help others achieve high performance and satisfaction at work. Quality of work life is the overall quality of human experiences in the workplace. Changing nature of managerial work: Upside-down pyramid is a concept: operating workers are at the top, serving customers, while managers are at the bottom support them.Customers and Clients – ultimate beneficiaries of the organization’s efforts ^Serve^ Operating workers – Do work directly effecting customer/client satisfaction ^Support^ Team leaders and managers- Help operating workers do their jobs and solve problems ^Support^ Top managers – Keep organization’s mission and strategies clear The Management Process Functions of Management: management is the process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling the use of resources to accomplish performance goals. These steps don’t have to be accomplished in a linear fashion.Plannin g: the process of setting objectives and determining what should be done to accomplish them. Managers identify desired results and ways to achieve them. Organizing: the process of assigning tasks, allocating resources, and coordinating work activities. Managers can turn plans into actions by defining jobs, assigning personnel, and supporting them with technology and other resources. Leading: the process of arousing people’s enthusiasm and inspiring efforts to achieve goals (plans and objectives).Managers can build commitments to a common vision, encourage activities that support goals, and influence others to do their best work on the organization’s behalf. Controlling: the process of measuring work performance, comparing results with objectives, and taking action to ensure desired results and corrective action if it is needed. Managers can maintain active contact with people in the course of their work, gather and interpret reports on performance, and use this informa tion to make constructive changes.Managerial Roles and Activities Managerial Roles: The roles fall into three categories: informational, interpersonal and decisional roles. Informational roles involve the giving, receiving, and analyzing of information. Fulfilling these roles involve monitoring, the scanning for information; disseminator: someone who shares the information, and a spokesperson- acting as official communicator. Interpersonal roles involve interactions with people inside and outside the work unit. A manager fulfilling these roles will be a figurehead- the odelling and setting forth key principles and policies; a leader- providing direction and instilling enthusiasm; and a link coordinating with others. Decisional roles involve using information to make decisions to solve problems or address opportunities. A manager fulfilling these roles will be a disturbance handler- dealing with problems and conflicts; a resource allocator- handling budgets and distributing resources ; a negotiator- making deals and forging agreements; and an entrepreneur- developing new initiatives.Managerial Activities: they are always busy with many things like meetings, problem solving etc. They work long hours, intense work pace, work at fragmented and varied tasks, work with many communication media and accomplish their work largely through interpersonal relationships. Managerial Agendas and Networks: Agenda setting develops action priorities for accomplishing goals and plans. Networking is the process of creating positive relationships with people who can help advance agendas. Networking creates social capital which is a capacity to get things done with support and help of others.Essential Managerial Skills: Learning is a change in behaviour that results from experience. Learning in management is focussed on developing skills and competencies to deal with the complexities of human behaviour and problem solving in organizations. Lifelong learning is continuous learning fro m daily experiences. A skill is the ability to translate knowledge into action that results in desired performance. Categories of skills of managers: Technical skills: the ability to use a special skills or expertise to perform particular tasks.Human and Interpersonal skills: the ability to work well in cooperation with other people. Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage ourselves and our relationships effectively. Conceptual and Analytical skills: the ability to think critically and analytically to diagnose and solve complex problems. Developing Managerial Competencies: High concept is the ability to see the big picture, identify patterns and combine ideas. High touch is the ability to understand and enjoy others in the pursuit of a purpose. Managerial competency is a skill-based capability for high performance in a management job.Here are some high-concept and high-touch competencies: Communication: ability to share ideas and findings clearly in written and oral expressi on—includes writing, oral presentation, giving/receiving feedback, technology utilization. Teamwork: ability to work effectively as a team member and team leader—includes team contribution, team leadership, conflict management, negotiation, consensus building. Self-management: ability to evaluate oneself, modify behaviour, and meet performance obligations—includes ethical reasoning and behaviour, personal flexibility, tolerance for ambiguity, performance responsibility.Leadership: ability to influence and support others to perform complex and vague tasks—includes diversity awareness, global understanding, project management, strategic action. Critical thinking: ability to gather and analyze information for creative problem solving—includes problem solving, judgement and decision-making, information gathering and interpretation, creativity/innovation. Professionalism: ability to sustain a positive impression, instill confidence, and maintain career advancement—includes personal presence, personal initiative, and career management.