Corporate Social Responsibility and Enhancement of Competitive Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility and Enhancement of Competitive Advantage of Companies - Essay Example This paper is aimed at providing a detailed study of the fact that Corporate Social responsibility is a business strategy which can be used by business organisations to enhance their competitive advantage in markets for various goods and services. The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility and its importance: In a study, conducted in 2005, it has been revealed by more than 80 percent of respondents (who were business executives in different organisations) that, business strategies related to Corporate Social Responsibility is extremely essential for their businesses (Blowfield, Blowfield and Murray, 2011, p.10). The phrase Corporate Social Responsibility has been described in modern businesses as one of the most important business practices. With the help of this responsibility multinational corporations are redefining their function in the society and their functional responsibilities to rights of the human beings and the environment. Ethical as well as environmental aspects, al ong with effective business strategies are important components of Corporate Social Responsibility. ... According to few companies the practice of corporate social responsibilities business organisation can acquire greater profits through greater market shares (Forcese, 2008, pp.153-154). It is sometimes argued by business organisations that as long as they are paying taxes to the government and wages to their employees and even maintaining regulations related to health and safety needs they are acting as good corporate citizens. Economists like Milton Friedman (1970) supported this view of doing businesses or running corporate organisations. The problem associated with this business strategy came into effect when economists argued that in this method certain sections of the society (mainly poor people) are getting marginalised. Therefore these economists, including John Gregory Mankiw, have suggested to incorporate the government to provide goods and services to these deprived people and hence to protect these people from corporate strategies. By the end of 1980s this corporate busine ss strategies have been criticised by many economists and environmentalists. A rapid revolution started during this time in regard to greater environmental protection against unethical corporate practices. As a result of these environmental movements Union Carbide had to withdraw its business from Bhopal, India, General Motors to stop ‘selling vehicles with military application to the apartheid government in South Africa’ and many other large businesses, like Nestle, to change their business strategies. In the 2000s these changes started to include oil and gas industry across the globe, making significant changes in applications of business ethics by large number of multinational corporations all over the world. In this time, mainly after 2000, many multinational

ENTERAL NUTRITION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ENTERAL NUTRITION - Essay Example paper examines Weenen et al., (2014) research in relation to providing a systematic approach to achieving research prioritization in enteral nutrition. From the research conducted the results obtained were in relation to defining the disease areas that needed more attention, ranking importance of product characteristics of tube feeding and finally assessment of the involvement of KOLs in enteral nutrition (Fulbrook, Bongers & Albarran, 2007). Weenen et al., (2014) ranked three product characteristics and three disease areas that deserved more research attention by summarizing the overall scores by multiplying ranks for both products characteristics and disease areas. The results were seventeen qualitative interviews conducted, and seventy-seven questionnaires completed and returned, which was only thirty-five percent in proportions. The noted disease areas by Weenen et al., (2014) in oral nutritional supplements(ONS) and tube feeding with highest priorities are ONS, general malnutrition and geriatrics, composition and clinical evidence, taste from a KOL perspective and taste from a patient perspective. The paper by Weenen et al., (2014) is significant for the subject area in that it highlighted the involvement of KOLs in the identification of research priorities as they have ability to provide balanced view of the unmet patient needs. Weenen et al., (2014) stated that sixty-two percent of all KOLs gave advice to enteral nutrition companies on patient needs by influencing the setting of research priorities by enteral nutrition. This was a limitation of the quantitative research analysis undertaken on patient needs and enteral nutrition in the market. Additionally, there was a high discrepancy between product characteristic prioritization from a KOL and patient perspective. Fulbrook, Bongers & Albarran (2007) researched about European enteral nutrition and adult intensive care units and noted that so as to appropriately know the patients’ needs and enteral

History of BSES Delhi

History of BSES Delhi ORGANIZATION PROFILE: Following the privatization of Delhis power sector and unbundling of the Delhi Vidyut Board in July 2002, the business of power distribution was transferred to BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL). These two of the three successor entities distribute electricity to 22.6 lakh customers in two thirds of Delhi. The Company acquired assets, liabilities, proceedings and personnel of the Delhi Vidyut Board as per the terms and conditions contained in the Transfer Scheme BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) BYPL distributes power to an area spread over 200 sq kms with a population density of 4230 per sq km. Its 10.4lakh customers are spread over 14 districts across Central and East areas including Chandni Chowk, Daryaganj, Paharganj, Shankar Road, Patel Nagar, G T Road, Karkardooma, Krishna Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Mayur Vihar, Yamuna Vihar, Nand Nagri and Karawal Nagar. BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) BRPL distributes power to an area spread over 750 sq. km with a population density of 1360 per sq km. Its over 12.2 lakh customers are spread in 19 districts across South and West areas including Alaknanda, Khanpur, Vasant Kunj, Saket, Nehru Place, Nizamuddin, Sarita Vihar, Hauz Khas, R K Puram, Janakpuri, Najafgargh, Nangloi, Mundka, Punjabi Bagh, Tagore Garden, VikasPuri etc. Since taking over distribution, BSES singular mission has been to provide reliable and quality electricity supply. BSES has invested over Rs 3500 crore on upgrading and augmenting the infrastructure which has resulted in a record reduction of ATC losses. From a high of 63.1 % ATC losses in BYPL area in 2002 the losses have come down to 23% a record reduction around 40%.Similarly, in BRPL area ATC losses have been reduced from 51.2% to 20% a record reduction of 31% History / Origin of BSES Delhi The first diesel Power Station was established in Delhi in the year 1905 when a private English Company by name M/s. John Fleming was given permission to generate electricity under the provisions of the Indian Electricity Act 1903. It was given the responsibility both of generation and distribution of power in a limited manner. That Company after obtaining license under the provisions of Electricity Act 1903 had set up a small 2 MW Diesel set at Lahori Gate in Old Delhi. Later on, this very Company was converted as Delhi Electricity Supply and Traction Company. In the Year 1911, the power generation was augmented by Steam Generation Station. In the year 1932, the management of Central Power House was handed over to New Delhi Municipal Committee (NDMC). In the field of power generation and distribution, a major breakthrough was achieved in 1939 when Delhi Central Electricity Power Authority (DCEPA) was established. This Company was responsible for the supply of power to the areas covered by Local Bodies, namely, the Municipal Committees of Delhi, West Delhi and South Delhi, the Notified Area Committees of Red fort, Civil Lines, Mehrauli, Najaf Garh, amd the District Board of Delhi. The supply of electricity to the Municipal Committees of Delhi-Shahdara and the Notified Area of Narela was done by different private agencies. In 1947 DCEPA took over a Private Limited Company by name Delhi electric Supply traction Company Limited. Formation of Delhi State Electricity Board (DSEB) In the year 1951 the Delhi State Electricity Board (DSEB) came into existence and the responsibility of generation and distribution of electricity was taken over by DSEB from DCEPA. Formation of Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking (DESU) After the promulgation of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act 1957, the DSEB was dissolved and the functions of DSEB were taken over by Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking (DESU), which came into existence in 1958. After the formation DESU, the generation and distribution of electricity to all the areas of Delhi came under DESU. Formation of Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi vide notification No. F.11 (10)/92-LSG /PF (II) dated 24.02.1997, issued under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948, constituted a separate Electricity Board, i.e. the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) for the NCT of Delhi w.e.f. 24.02.1997 for the purpose of generation and distribution of power to the entire area of NCT of Delhi except the areas falling within the jurisdiction of NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board. Unbundling of Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) The Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) was a State Electricity Board set up in 1997 under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948, succeeding the Delhi Electricity Supply Undertaking (DESU) which has existed since 1957 as a wing of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. It was an integrated utility with generation, transmission and distribution functions serving all of Delhi except the NDMC and MES (Cantoment) areas to which it supplied power in bulk. The creation of DVB, replacing DESU, is 1997 proved to be merely a change in the legal status of the organization and was not followed by any real change in its structure, functioning and work culture. Its reputation continued to deteriorate and its poor commercial performance, the best known thing about DVB perhaps being its high Transmission and Distribution (TD) losses made it a drain on the public exchequer. Further, failure in raising the resources necessary for improvement of its services made matters critical. There were unprecedented, widespread expressions of public discontent during the difficult summer of 1998. In December 1998 when the present government came to power in Delhi, the power situation was grim to say the least. With T D losses as high as 50% regular power cute for 10 to 15 hours and Delhi Vidyut board accumulating liabilities of over Rs. 23,000 crores, Delhi government had to come up with a fast and viable alternative. An alternative that would not only meet peoples aspirations in terms of its end result but also be interesting enough for investors. And thus began a step by step process of a never-before fundamental power reform. Delhi Electricity Board Regulatory Commission (DERC) was constituted in May 1999 whose prime responsibility was to look into the entire gamut of existing activity and search for various ways of power sector reforms. The DERC is even today a fully functional body which has since issued tariff orders for annual revenue requirement. Delhi Electricity Reform Ordinance, 2000 was a body which was promulgated in October 2000 and notified in the form of an Act in March 2001. It mainly provides for the constitution of an Electricity Regulatory Commission, unbundling of DVB into separate generation, transmission and distribution companies and increasing avenues for participation of private sector. This was followed with a Tripartite Agreement which was signed by the government of Delhi, DVB employees to ensure the cooperation of stakeholders in this reform process. The tripartite agreement sent off very positive vibes to the people in general as well as to the investor community about the sincere and hassle-free objectives of power reforms. Next, a two stage competitive bidding process of Request for Qualification (RFQ) and Request for Proposal (RFP) was set into motion for privatization of the distribution companies. The bidders were selected on the basis of reduction of total Aggregate Technical and Commercial of losses (AT C) a unique feature of the power sector reforms in Delhi. The bidders were required to bid on the basis of efficiency improvement like reduction of AT C losses that they achieve year wise over a period of five years. Finally Delhi Vidhyut Board was taken over by two giants the TATAs and The Reliance ADA group ie. Reliance Energy Ltd. The two firms took control of 51 per cent shares in the three distribution companies. The DVB was formally unbundled into three distribution companies (Discoms), a generation (Genco), transmission (Transco) and a holding company. The DVB claimed that it had completed the process of dividing its mammoth staff of 24,000 employees, office property and records which would be divided among its six successive companies. BSES got 12,900 DVB employees to manage distribution operations like supplying electricity, metering, billing, controlling thefts and technical and commercial losses in central, east, south and west Delhi. About 5,200 DVB staff was transferred to Tata Power to manage similar operations in north and northwest Delhi. The state government maintained full control on Genco and Transco. Each of the two companies got 4,000 employees. DVBs two members (technical) were transferred as head of Genco and Transco. CORPORATE VISION AND MISSION: Vision To be amongst the most admired and most trusted integrated utility companies in the world. To deliver reliable and quality products and services to all customers at competitive costs, with international standards of customer care- thereby creating superior value for all stakeholders. To set new benchmarks in: standards of corporate performance and governance, through the pursuit of operational and financial excellence, responsible citizenship and profitable growth. Mission To attain global best practices and become a world-class utility. To provide: uninterrupted, affordable, quality, reliable, safe and clean power to our customers. To achieve excellence in: service, quality, reliability, safety and customer care. To earn: trust and confidence of all customers and stakeholders by exceeding their expectations, and make the company a respected household name. To work: with vigour, dedication and innovation keeping total customer satisfaction as the ultimate goal . To consistently achieve: high growth with the highest levels of productivity. To be: a technology driven, efficient and financially sound organisation. To be a responsible corporate citizen nurturing human values and concern for society, the environment and above all, people. To contribute: towards community development and nation building. To promote a work culture that fosters: individual growth, team sprit and creativity to overcome challenges and attain goals. To encourage: ideas, talent and value systems. To uphold the guiding principles of: trust, integrity and transparency in all aspects of interactions and dealings. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE Two basic forms of organizational structures can be distinguished as below: The following chart depicts the organizational structure as it is existing in 2009. The hierarchy is much flatter than it was earlier, and as such, more organic as well. Thus it has left the mechanistic realms and become more complex and horizontal diversification, which has not only improved the work culture but has also enhanced the quality of service it provides to its customers which is totally evident through the tremendous decrease in ATC losses. Functional Structure Both BRPL and BYPL perform similar functions but for different areas. So the basic framework remains the same. CORE VALUES People at REL believe that any business conduct can be ethical only when it rests on the nine core values of Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Fairness, Purposefulness, Trust, Responsibility, Citizenship and Caring. Strong commitments to these high values have long been building principles for Reliance Energy Ltd. EVALUATION OF BSES Delhi BASED ON 7S MODEL The 7 S Model provided by McKinsey is a framework for analyzing organizations and their effectiveness. The basic premise of the model is that an organization is not just a structure, but actually consists of seven elements. Strategy: The company plan or route-map to maintain competitive advantage Structure: The company hierarchy Systems: The day-to-day processes and procedures throughout the company Shared Values: The core values of the company Style: The company leadership style Staff: The companys employees and their broad abilities Skills: The skills and competencies of employees The central theme of the model is that the seven elements are interconnected and interdependent upon one another. In order to achieve business success, each of the seven elements must be aligned and mutually reinforcing each other. Effecting change using this model involves the assessment of all areas, simultaneously taking into account their nature and effect on each other. At BSES, REL has taken a lot of initiative to gel all the 7 aspects together so as to improve the functioning of the company. Employee Resistance to Change Change is a common occurrence within organizations, and resistance to change is just as common. There are several types of resistance to change. Acquisition of DVB by private companies was a huge change that was to be accepted by the employees. So in most of the cases a resistance was generated amongst the DVB employees. More than 50% of the employees chose to take up voluntary retirement scheme which was offered to them. The scheme was open to all regular employees who had completed 10 years of service from the date of joining Delhi Vidyut Board or had attained the age of 40 years. A company spokesperson believed that there was an additional unique concept in the voluntary retirement scheme which entitled the employees to enhanced additional benefit if the number of voluntary retirees crosses the threshold level. This was a benefit which had never been given in any voluntary retirement scheme in a utility before. Resistance to change can be broken down into three groups: organization-level resistance, group-level resistance, and individual-level resistance. Each of these groups can be broken down further. Organization-Level Resistance Organization-level resistance includes resistance to change due to power and conflict, differences in functional orientation, mechanistic structure, and organizational culture. Power and Conflict Resistance to change due to power and conflict occurs when a change may benefit one department within the organization while harming another department within the organization. Functional Orientation Resistance to change due to differences in functional orientation occurs because employees or departments with different functions will see problems and issues differently, thus making it harder to come to an agreement regarding change. Mechanistic Structure Resistance to change due to mechanistic structure occurs because employees working within a mechanistic structure are expected to act in certain ways and do not develop the initiative to adjust their behavior to changing conditions (George et al.). Organizational Culture Resistance due to organizational culture occurs when organizational change disrupts the values and norms within the organizational culture. Group-Level Resistance Group-level resistance includes resistance to change due to group norms, group cohesiveness, and groupthink and escalation of commitment. Group Norms Resistance due to group norms occurs when change alters interactions between group members due to changes in task and role relationships within a group. Group Cohesiveness Resistance due to group cohesiveness occurs because members of a cohesive group wish to keep things, such as members or tasks, the same within the group. Groupthink and Escalation of Commitment Resistance due to groupthink and escalation of commitment occurs because members ignore negative information, even when they realize that their decisions are wrong, in order to agree with each other, thus making a change in group behavior incredibly difficult. Individual-Level Resistance Individual-level resistance includes resistance to change due to uncertainty and insecurity, selective perception and retention, and habit. Uncertainty and Insecurity Resistance due to uncertainty and insecurity occurs because employees do not know what the outcome of the change will be. Selective Perception and Retention Resistance due to selective perception and retention occurs when employees direct attention to how the change will affect their department, their function, or them personally. Habit Resistance due to habit occurs when employees are comfortable in their daily habits and do not want to alter them due to change. Management at BSES took following actions tol reduce resistance due to uncertainty and insecurity. Education and communication: Management explained why the change was done, identified the benefits of the change to individuals and departments, and became willing to answer all questions as they arise. Topics regarding the change that were covered were why, what, when, where, and how. Communication between management and employees was carried out in the form of discussion groups, memos, formal reports, scheduled meetings, one-on-one meetings, etc. Verification of the message received: Employees were asked to repeat the message they received, and management compared the message received with the message management intended to send. If there was a discrepancy between the message received and the message sent, then management repeated the message until employees stated a message received that matches the message sent. HUMAN RESOURCE POLICY FRAMEWORK The liberalizationof the power sector in India has paved way for new business opportunities and has redefined the nature of the power business. Envisioning future and to make the power sector credit worthy and capable of funding future investment needs, these reforms have opened arenas for new technologies. In this new environment of opportunities, REL with its competitive edge of resources is playing a key role in the transformation process and aims to emerge as a world class power utility offering uninterrupted, affordable, quality, products and services to all customers at competitive costs, with international standards of customer care thereby creating superior value for all stakeholders. To achieve this vision REL believes that investment in people and their potential is one of the greatest investments we can make. For this, we are constantly in search of talent that can perform excellently with determination and win. Its HR systems and policies are thereby designed to unleash the latent capability of its people by fostering a continuous learning and performance based culture where its people have the opportunity to grow and succeed and realize their true potential while delivering high quality services. To achieve these objectives its HR Policy is pivotal and aims to: Achieve organizational and business goals with firm belief that Its Employees are its Future. Haveempowered and accountable employeesto take decisions in response to emerging challenges and opportunities in a competitive environment. Endeavor to make its employeesThe Bestwith an urge for and commitment to excellence. Reliance Energy Ltd. offer opportunities for growth that can fill a career. Careers at Reliance Energy Ltd. are built in course of its concept of forming a team of people or individuals who are made responsible for specific functions; from concept to development to implementation, with concomitant empowerment. Reliance Energy Ltd. provides employees seamless merging of functional roles, to provide a sharper business focus groom employees for larger responsibility across industry sector. We believe, working smarter would mean not just doing a given job well, but also stretching it into a mini profit-making project. As the transition from the old HRD to the New People Management has materialized, the HR function at Reliance Energy Ltd. has begun to play a role much broader in scope, much stronger in impact much more permanent in effect. Career Opportunities: Exposure to Latest technological know-how World class management practices Multifunctional skills Customer Relationship Management Exposure to Regulatory, Legal and Contractual aspects of business Fast track growth Recruitment: Woven into strategic planning, recruitment in Reliance Energy Ltd. no longer involves short-term vacancy or the annual ritual of Campus Recruitment. Translating corporate strategies into a manpower plan developing a long term programme accordingly, Reliance Energy Ltd. is tracking down people with the combination of knowledge, experience, skills behaviour best suited to achieving the companys objectives. The focus of Recruitment: Attract people with multi dimensional experiences skills Induct talent with a new perspective to lead the company Develop a culture that attracts people to the company Locate people whose personalities fit the companys values Devise methodologies for assessing psychological traits Seek out unconventional development ground for talent Design entry pay that competes on quality as well as quantum Anticipate find people for positions proactively Induction: A formal induction programme is organized for all the new employees A structured Induction programme is carried out for: Lateral Joinees This provides a general overview of the organisation to the new recruits and familarises employees with various business processes, culture, business practices of the company It also covers soft skills modules like Team Building, Change Management, Communication etc. Graduate Engineer Trainees (GETs) All the GETs undergo a one-year induction training programme. The induction programme contains the following: Technical Training On the Job training Class room training Functional Training Managerial Skill Development Performance Management: To ensure that the talent we have attracted can help us achieve our goals, we create appropriate working conditions, by adopting following steps: Evaluating all jobs so as to assign them to the individuals best suited for them Designing customized jobs, if necessary, using techniques drawn for behavioural sciences industrial psychology Creating manpower configurations to boost the ability of the individuals Through it all, balancing corporate employee interests by designing individual career paths. Objective of its Performance Management System (PMS): Create a culture of excellence that inspires every employee Match organizational objectives to individual aspirations Equip people with the skills necessary to perform their duties Clear growth paths for specially talented individuals Provide new challenges to rejuvenate plateauing careers Forge a partnership with people for managing their career Empower employees to take decisions without fear of failing Imbibe teamwork in all operational process Performance Appraisal System: The Performance Appraisal System in Reliance Energy Ltd. provides for Recognition of individual performance Continual learning and development Better skills and employability Monetary and other rewards The achievement of the organizations goals Increased productivity and profitability A motivated workforce Performance Appraisal Process Managers distribute Professional Self-Assessment form to direct reports for completion. Training Performance Appraisals are completed and forwarded to upper management for review and approval. Performance Appraisals are forwarded to Senior Executives for review and approval. Performance Appraisals are forwarded to the Human Resources Department for review and approval. Human Resources returns the approved Performance Appraisals to Managers who conduct individual performance discussions with the employee. All signed Performance Appraisals are returned to Human Resources Training Development: With the changing business environment becoming more more dynamic, a need on a continual basis for improved domain expertise is the need of the hour. The core function of our training department is to bridge the gap between the Changing requirements of the job the abilities that individuals need to perform these tasks such as self-directed leadership, self-motivated teams self generated creativity to excel in their respective areas of performance. Objective of Training Development (TD) Department: Make learning one of the fundamental values of the company Commit major resources adequate time to training Use training to bridge the gap with the external work Integrate training into initiatives for change management Use training as a developmental tool for individuals Link organizational, operational individual training needs Install training systems that substitute work experience Ensure that training allows the staff skills to bloom Use retraining to continuously upgrade employees skills Create a system to evaluate the effectiveness of training LATEST EVENTS AT BSES Delhi Facing mounting criticism for mismanagement in power supply in the city, Reliance Energy-backed power discom BSES on Thursday removed its CEO Arun Kanchan and appointed separate CEOs for two distribution companies. Ramesh Narayanan, senior vice president of the company, has been appointed CEO of BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL), while Gopal Saxena, COO, would be the new CEO BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Energy Conservation is the need of the hour. And awareness about it is the key. And the best method of spreading awareness about this growing international concern is to catch them young. Addressing this objective and to further broad base its emphasis on Energy Conservation, BYPL has conceived Bijli Gyan Abhiyan (March 08) a mammoth initiative targeting thousands of students across 500 schools in East and Central Delhi. The Delhi Government and BSES had signed an agreement for beautification of the Capital through a new Green Drain project as part of World Environment Day celebration. Under the Green Drain concept unveiled by the Delhi Government on the occasion of Earth Day on April 2209 some of Delhis dirtiest drains are being given over for adoption and beautification to interested parties. Under the concept, the selected parties will beautify the drains by planting and maintaining Bougainvilleas along their allocated stretches. Explaining the rationale behind choosing Bougainvilleas, a BSES official said: These pretty-looking plants, besides being hardy, need minimal maintenance and are best suited to Delhis climate. BYPL signs 1strenewable energy PPA, to buy power fromDelhis 1stCity waste to power initiative (Nov09). Around 1200 tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) will be processed daily. Gas generated from a 10 MW MSW power plant yields reduction in greenhouse gases equal to planting 1.19 lakh trees or removing 83,000 cars for a year. Power plant to power around 4000 middle class homes. REFERENCES Websites: www.bsesdelhi.com www.wikipedia.org www.rinfra.com www.indiatoday.intoday.in www.thehindu.com Textbook: Organizational Theory, Design and Change by Gareth R. Jones Management: Er. (Mr.) B.P. Verma (Asstt. VP , Commercial department BRPL) [DVB Employee] Mr. Ravi Kohli (Divisional Commercial Officer, BRPL) [CTC employee]

How Is Being An American Related To Young Goodman Brown? :: Free Essay Writer

Young Goodman Brown and Endicott and the Red Cross and two short stories that, I believe, have many subliminal messages. The author of both, Nathanial Hawthorne, uses symbolism many a time to bring across these messages along with his personal beliefs of life, and the people of the 17th century. Religion is the basis of both stories. Both men go against religion. So what is an American? Not necessarily someone that goes against religion, but stands up for their rights, for what they want.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The biggest symbol in Young Goodman Brown is the idea of faith. Before he goes on his â€Å"errand,† he is talking to his wife, promising he will come back, but in actuality he is talking to his faith, as in religion. He subconsciously knows he is going against his faith on this errand, but will return. â€Å"My love and my Faith,† replied young Goodman Brown, â€Å"of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee. My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When Brown says later in the story â€Å"I am losing my Faith†, he is not only about his wife, (which is shown through her pink ribbon in the tree), but more about his religion, which is flashing before his eyes. This errand was a test of Goodman Brown’s faith. When Brown hears people singing hymns in swears, it is a symbol of the corruption of the church. The name Goodman Brown I think is very ironic. Is he a good man after this errand?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sword in Endicott and the Red Cross is a symbol of the ideas of the Puritans. When Endicott thrust his sword through the flag, he was using their new idea to get rid of those of the English. When he pointed at people with the sword when he was talking, he was referring to his beliefs. â€Å"But Endicott, in the excitement of the moment, shook his sword wrathfully at the culprit†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is showing how he put his ideas in the face of Williams and the English. The Red Cross represents the English power and religious ideas forced upon the citizens of the colonies. When Endicott cut the red cross out of the flag, he was ridding his people of the English power. This was going against religion, a common theme among Hawthorne’s writings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is an American? After reading these two passages, I would have to say that we are a people that religion is not really a big thing.

Geely Automobile Essay

   In the first part, the ECLIPTER factors including econography, culture, legal system, income profile, political risk, tax regime, exchange rate and restrictions, together with the multilateral institutions such as WTO, EU and ASEAN will be examined by using UK and Malaysia as examples. Then based on this analysis, it will provide an assessment of the company‘s overall international expansion strategy and process. In the second part, legal system and income profile, the two most important ECLIPTER factors on Geely‘ overseas operations, will be evaluated. Furthermore, the scheme which Geely used to deal with the impact of these two factors and leverage the multilateral institutions will be shown. Finally, this report will analyze whether the company‘s international adaptation of the business function is effective, and then give some recommendations and lessons. 2. ECLIPTER Factors Analysis 2. 1 Econography Econography refers to physical and human assets including distance from major markets, and natural resources of nations that affect industry performance. In the first, the close distance between parent company and foreign subsidiary can help the company to reduce the transport costs and overhead expenses; it also can improve the connection between them. If the parent company is in China, it is better to build a subsidiary in Asia such as Malaysia. Secondly, the natural resources used for making cars mainly include steel, copper, and aluminum. If the country owns rich mineral resources, it can greatly provide benefit in the production of automobiles. One of the major purposes for many multinational corporations establishing overseas subsidiaries is to exploit the foreign natural resources. This is good for companies to 5 International Business Environment II reduce production costs and get competitive advantages. As World Steel Association reported in 2009 that the crude steel production of United Kingdom is 13. 5 in 2008, whereas the crude steel production of Malaysia is 6. 1 in 2008. 2. 2 Culture This paragraph will analyze the effects of culture on auto industry through power distance index and saving rate. Firstly, power distance index measures the degree of inequality exists in a society (Hofstede, 1997). The power distance index is 80 in Malaysia whereas it is only 35 in UK (Hofstede, 2008). The unequal distribution of wealth makes most Malaysian citizens prefer to hold a commercial auto. So the inexpensive Geely auto could be a good option for them. Secondly, saving rate could be a standard to show the attitude of citizens. The saving rate of Malaysia was 47 per cent in the year 1998 which ranks second in Asia (Azia, 2004). In contrast, the saving rate in UK was significantly low, which was less than 10 percent in the past ten years. For instance, the saving rate of UK household in 2008 was only 1. 7 percent (chart 1)(Presser, 2008). So UK citizens are apt to consume a relatively high price car. Chart 1 Resource from Posser (2008) 6 International Business Environment II 2. 3 Legal system The auto industry has been affected by laws and government regulations since the 1960’s. The first safety act passed in 1966 by Congress and was called the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Highfill, 2004). This act forced manufacturers to improve the safety for the passengers, the driver visibility, and the braking of the car. Not only safety, but also environment is being growingly concerned even before the oil crisis. The Vehicle Air Pollution and Control Act passed in 1965 was the first act to set standards for automobile pollution. Then in the 1970’s, Congress passed the Clean Air Act that led to a 90% decrease in automobile emission within the next six years (ibid). In the 1970’s the oil crisis led to the approval of The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 which stated that all automobiles must meet a certain mileage per gallon. The act required that all automobiles had to meet a standard of 20mpg by the 1980 model and then 27. 5 mpg for the 1985 model (ibid). EU 2020 growth strategy also emphasizes the importance of low carbon automobile (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, 2010). There are also many special laws for auto industry in different countries, such as Malaysia, which has built a free trade area for production and assembly of products for export-oriented enterprises. Companies can enjoy the minimum tariffs, raw materials and simplified mechanical equipment import formalities. Nevertheless, the Malaysia government regulates that more than 80% products should export to other countries (Daily News, 2006). Furthermore, the UK Byers Acts Measures to cut the average price of a car by ? 1,100 and save private car buyers around ? 1 billion a year. Although it may lower the profitability of auto industry, the number of consumers will increase gradually (DTI, 2000). 2. 4 Income profile Since automobile is not inferior goods, the demand of automobile would rise when income increases. In the economic aspect, income could be an indicator of the purchasing power of individuals and nations. Data from UK national statistics office (2010) demonstrated that despite the contracted 4. 9 percent of GDP in the whole year, the GDP increased 0. 4 percent in 7 International Business Environment II the fourth quarter of 2009. Furthermore, Household expenditure also rose 0. 4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 in UK (chart2). For Malaysia, the GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2009 was 4. 5 though the figure was negative in the whole year (chart 3) (Malaysia statistics, 2010). It can be observed that the economy of both UK and Malaysia seem to recover from the global financial crisis. This positive signal predicts the growing demand and distensible market for Geely in both countries. Chart 2 Resource from UK statistics 2010 Chart3 Resource from Malaysia statistics 2010 8 International Business Environment II The core competitiveness of Geely automobile relies on its high performance-price ratio. Per capital GNI (Gross national income) in Malaysia was 25784 RM in 2008. By analyzing the 2004 United Nations Human Development (UNHDP) report, except the 20% population of richest and poorest class, Geely will be a better choice for the rest citizens in Malaysia(chart 4) (Lumpur, 2004). In comparison, the young people account for a great amount of population in UK. A source from HMRC shows the average income of under 20 years is ? 9,570 and 20-24 years is ? 13,200 which is below the average (chart 5). It implies that when young generation decide to buy a car, price is the first consideration factor. For medium quality car manufacture companies, young population in UK could be a potential group of customers. Chart 4 9 International Business Environment II Chart5 Median Age Band Under 20 years 20 – 24 ? 11,800 years 25 – 29 ? 17,000 years 30 -34 ? 19,500 years 35 – 39 ? 20,100 years 40-44 ? 20,200 years 45 – 49 ? 20,300 years Resource from Lumpur (2004) ? 28,600 ? 24,800 ? 35,400 ? 15,200 ? 20,100 ? 28,100 ? 24,600 ? 34,600 ? 14,900 ? 19,800 ? 26,800 ? 23,600 ? 31,700 ? 15,500 ? 20,100 ? 23,900 ? 21,600 ? 26,700 ? 16,400 ? 20,100 ? 19,300 ? 17,800 ? 20,600 ? 15,900 ? 17,800 ? 13,200 ? 12,400 ? 13,800 ? 11,200 ? 12,300 ? 8,130 ? 9,570 ? 8,490 ? 9,810 ? 7,990 ? 9,250 Median Income Mean Income Income (Men) (Men) (Women) (Women) Income Income Income Mean Median Mean 2. 5 Political risk According to Guinger (2001), political risk describes the stability of government institutions. It can be measured in a variety of ways such as likelihood of foreign aggression and civil insurrection. The Transparency International (2009) showed that UK and Malaysia both face some problems of political corruption, which adversely affects the efficiency of economic operation. World Bank estimates that corruption could cost Malaysia as much as RM10 10 International Business Environment II billion a year – an amount equivalent to 1 or 2 per cent of GDP. The corruption in the UK is lighter than Malaysia, which ranked 17, whereas Malaysia ranked 56 in world in 2009 based on Corruption Perceptions Index 2009. But the corruption in UK is not unheard. Surveys by Control Risks and Simmons & Simmons show that the awareness of UK laws against foreign bribery may be decreasing over time. In 2002, after the act came into force, 68 percent of respondents said they were familiar with its main points. But in 2006, 48 percent people said that they have totally ignored it (Global Corruption Report, 2009). 2. 6 Tax Regime Tax regime refers to the tax instruments that governments use to raise revenues from multinational firms, such as corporate taxes. The tax of Malaysia is transparent, the multinational corporate must be taxed 30% of the corporate income which is just the same as Malaysia companies Marketing directory, 2005) According to the tax incentive treaties, auto ( . industry may be eligible for pioneer status which is given by the way of an abatement of 70% of the profits for five years (ibid). The remaining 30% of the profits will be taxed at the prevailing corporate income tax rate. The profits abated are exempt from tax and will be available for distribution as tax-free dividends. In UK the resident corporate tax is the lowest in Europe, even the tax is zero for the small companies in 2002(Lawandtax-news, 2010). According to the tax treaties, multinational corporate which set up, purchase or control the companies in UK can follow the resident tax (Navstar, 2009). In the ordinary course of events, foreign companies cannot follow the low corporate tax, but with regard to double taxation and the agreement between UK and China, Chinese multinational corporates in UK now pay the low tax (ibid). 2. 7 Exchange rate Stable trade policies are extremely important for both the economic welfare of the countries and the multilateral trading system. Unfortunately, the liberalization measures were adopted by many countries. As Dornbusch‘s 1976 analysis has pointed out that when the exchange rate is used to provide protection for domestic firms, it is through undervaluation. An undervalued 11 International Business Environment II exchange rate protects domestic firms from imports and gives domestic firms greater incentives to export. For example, the Balance of Payments Committee of the WTO has received 39 requests from member countries for derogations from their international obligations and for a temporary increase in temporary protection. Moreover, several developing countries, such as Malaysia, have recently increased tariffs in response to financial crises even though the higher rates remain below the rates these countries bounded in the WTO. Moreover the analysis said China has become a great auto exporter, as a result of the huge subsidies, an undervalued exchange rate and dirt-cheap credit (Swaminathan, 2009). 2. 8 Restrictions Restrictions refer to the taxes and limitations that host governments place on foreign products and services or on foreign firms themselves when they enter or leave the host economy. Because of the policy of protecting their national automobile industry, the import tax of automobile is relatively high in Malaysia. Since 2004, Malaysia began to reduce the automobile import tax: for the import components the tax is reduce from 25% to 10%, and for the whole automobile the import tax is drop from 130% to 30% for the companies outside of Southeast Asia (MEI, 2009). In 2010, according to the agreement of ASEAN, the automobile import tax will be zero to all the regions of ASEAN. UK is a member of EU, it followed the economic agreement of EU which sets no import or export tax between members of EU and they must charge the same tax when they have business with the third country (European competitiveness, 2009). 12. International Business Environment II Scoring Analysis of UK and Malaysia Country Score Econography Culture Legal System Income Profile Political Risk Tax Regime Exchange Rate Restrictions Total (10) (10) (20) (20) (10) (10) (10) (10) (100) 8 7 18 8 8 8 7 7 71 7 6 16 15 5 9 8 9 75 UK Malaysia 3. Institutions 3. 1 WTO The major objectives of WTO‘s roles are ? the creation of a common automobile market through the elimination of barriers to intra-Community trade; the maintenance and expansion of a competitive world automobile industry; the use of voluntary import restrictions to prevent cheap imports and to maintain competitiveness? (European Commission, 2006). For example, in 2006, WTO announced the establishment of a panel to examine whether China’s tariffs on imported auto parts violate WTO trade rules, following a joint complaint made by the United States, the European Union and Canada, who accused China for its discriminatory charges on imported auto parts. After examining China‘s related regulations, WTO panel declared that China’s regulations are inconsistent with China’s WTO obligations. China has agreed to make the necessary regulatory changes by September 2009 (Herd, 2006). 13 International Business Environment II. WTO facilitates Geely‘s international expansion since the elimination of trade barriers has cleared its path to world market and made it integrated to the world economy. In 2002, after China joined into WTO, 100 automobiles of Geely exported to Syria (Luo, 2005). 3. 2 EU EU functions as a rule-imposer. It sets strict requirements and institute rules and regulations to improve vehicle safety. Besides the vehicle crash tests executed by Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program backed by European Commission), there are also some regulations set to protect the environment. First, in order to respond to the gradual aggravation of greenhouse effect, the European commission developed a mandatory emission standard to limit the emission of one major kind of greenhouse gas, CO2. The regulation set a fleet-average CO2 emission target for passenger cars, which is 120 g/km to be reached by 2015 (European Commission, 2010). The vehicle manufacturers must reach the CO2 emission target of 130g/km, with an additional reduction of 10 g/km to be provided by supplementary measures, such as the use of hydrogen fuel. A long-term target of 95 g/km to be reached by 2020 is also established by the regulation (ibid). This regulation will take effect in 2012. From 2012 onwards, vehicle manufacturers who do not meet this target will have to pay penalty for their excess emissions. According to DieselNet (2010), from 2012 to 2018, the penalties are â‚ ¬5 per vehicle for the first g/km of CO2; â‚ ¬15 for the second gram; â‚ ¬25 for the third gram; â‚ ¬95 from the fourth gram onwards. From 2019, manufacturers will pay â‚ ¬95 for each g/km exceeding the target. Another congressional mandate imposed by European Commission requires tire pressure monitoring systems on all new cars in 2012. According to Europe‘s Information Society (2010), many road accidents resulting in fatalities and physical injuries are linked to tire defects. Furthermore, under-inflated tires can result in severely inefficient use of fuel and cause an extra two million tons of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere per year. So this mandate enhances vehicle safety and protects the environment. 14 International Business Environment II These regulations have incurred a rise in car prices since vehicle manufacturers are forced to increase price to offset the cost of upgrading. These regulations put Geely in an unfavorable position. Since Geely is better known for making low-tech and cheap cars, making eco-friendly cars is not included in the competencies of the company and huge R&D spending is inevitable for nurturing this competence. They set a high bar for the competition and limit Geely‘s ability to expand market in Europe. 3. 3 ASEAN ASEAN – Association of South East Asia Nations is a geo-political and economic organization of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia. China and ASEAN are both newly-emerged, rapidly-developing auto markets. Cooperation in auto industry between China and ASEAN will bring a win-win situation for the two sides and make their cars more competitive in a global competition. For instance, according to Xinhua News Agency (2006), a report released by the Ministry of Commerce Indonesia has announced that compared to the expensive Japanese sedans, the China-made ones gradually gain popularity for more favourable price-performance ratio. ASEAN country also needs investment from Chinese carmakers to expand local employment and for more price-favourable cars, said a Germany auto expert at the China-ASEAN Expo, 2006. Consequently, in general, ASEAN opens its gate to Chinese car companies including Geely to achieve a win-win situation. 4. Assessment of Geely’s overall international expansion strategy Geely‘s current international strategy is to produce affordable automobile, so the market size and consume power of a foreign market are highly valued by Geely. Malaysia automobile market resembles China more than UK, in the aspects such as the people‘s income, the similar culture, and the similar geographical position, etc. As by now most cars have been exported to some developing countries like South-East Asia, Ukraine, Russia, and Mexico, Malaysia will be good choice. Meanwhile, although UK does not represent a neighboring or ? home‘ market, 15 International Business Environment II as markets in South-East Asia do, UK could be seen as an interesting market with a potential for higher margins, higher price levels and a more mature market for branding, technology, etc, as the UK‘s income per capita, and the automobile sales volume are higher than that of Malaysia. Considering the future international development, Geely should focus on UK. Therefore, at first, it is better for Geely to develop its ? producing automobile which most of people can buy‘ strategy in Malaysia, and when Geely is able to enter high-end automobile market, UK will be a better choice. In terms of multilateral institution, after evaluating the influence of international organizations, we suggest that Malaysia is a better choice for Chinese car companies to exploit new markets. Firstly, a win-win situation guarantees a favourably corporate relationship between Geely and ASEAN (Eichengreen, 2006). Secondly, there are various quality-related requirements and constraints in EU and probably NAFTA, which puts up a strong challenge for those Asian auto makers. Moreover, by far, there is no evidence to prove the acquisition of Manganese Bronze and Volvo have considerably increased Geely‘s sale in developed nations. Thus considering the opportunities and threats faced by Geely, it is recommended that the company emphasizes on developing nations‘ markets, rather than the developed markets. 5. Marketing analysis 5. 1 Legal system According to Alistair Darling‘s pre-budget report, UK will bring new opportunities for the low-carbon industries. Through the Innovation Investment Fund and the Carbon Trust’s Venture Capital scheme, UK will invest at least ? 160m in low carbon projects (Guardian, 2009). They will also invest ? 90m in the European Investment Bank’s new 2020 fund, which will put 6. 5 billion Euros of finance in green infrastructure projects. In this report, there are alterations to the climate change levy, company car tax, and fuel benefit charge (ibid). This is good news for Geely because now it dedicates itself to produce high-tech and eco-friendly automobile. In 16 International Business Environment II UK the amount of car tax depends on the price and the discharge amount for carbon, which is from 9% for electric motor car to 10%-35% for petrochemical car. UK also has a successful car scrappage scheme, which gives consumers a ? 2,000 discount off. If they scrap their old vehicle, it will help up to 125,000 families replace their inefficient boilers with new models (Julia, 2009). Through the government‘s support of low-carbon industry, Geely has more opportunities to innovate high-tech and eco-friendly automobile. Furthermore, because of the low tax and car scrappage scheme, customer is inclined to buy or change an electric motor car,. In 22nd March 2006, Malaysia published the new automobile policy (MEI, 2009). Since that day, the import taxes of CBU (Complete Built Unit) are reduced from 20% to 5% for the ASEAN members and 50% to 30% for other countries. The import taxes of CKD (Completely Knock Down) are 10%. In 28th October 2009, Mustafa Mohamed announced many new policies for auto industry which will give much more preferences and subsidies for the new energy automobile companies (ibid). 5. 2 Income profile It is known that the success of Geely relies mostly on keeping low cost and offering the affordable cars. For instance, Geely’s best-selling four-door sedan, the King Kong, has been sold 6127 in April 2010 and the retail price is between 47,800RMB – 58,800RMB (Jiang, 2010). Geely sold 329,014 passenger cars in 2009, making it is the third largest domestic car producer (Zheng, 2010). However, Geely’s winning formula is under pressure in china because Chinese consumers are becoming wealthier; the higher-end models will gradually be affordable for them. Meanwhile, brands such as the Chery QQ, Ford Fiesta, and Honda Civic are threatening Geely‘s current market position. Geeky‘s winning formula is also challenged at the oversea markets like UK and Malaysia. Date from HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs) indicates that nearly 50% of the population in UK earns ? 16400 annually which is much higher than the middle class income of Malaysia. This group of population could be a dominant power in the automobile market in UK. It is not a wise choice to sell its inexpensive cars in UK considering that low price would not be 17 International Business Environment II attractive for these relatively rich citizens. The similar situation also happened in Malaysia which made Geely‘s low price cars less competitive. This is because that the predicted real GDP growth in 2010, 2011 and 2015 are 4. 7%, 5. 0% and 5. 0%, Malaysian people are becoming richer than before(IMF, 2010). Their increasing incomes will directly affect their car buying choice. People nowadays prefer the higher-end models and the market share of Geely‘s lower-end models are estimated to reduce gradually. 6. Geely’s reacts to the impact of the ECLIPTER First, since the middle of 2009, the sales of car exports decreased from 37940 in 2008 to 6297. Furthermore, although Geely exports to more than 50 countries, most of them are developing countries which are not so effective in the promotion of the brand image. In order to get rid of low-end image, Geely changed its strategy from ?produce automobile which most of people can buy‘ to ? do not produce cars which price is below 40000 Yuan‘ (Fang, 2009). Besides, Geely take over Volvo which also expressed its desire to promote the brand image. Geely‘s strategy changes starts in May 2007, which is focus on transforming its competitive advantage from price to technology. In 2007, Geely used three new motorcycle type—Yuan Jing, King Kong and Zi You Jian, which have relatively higher value added to substitute the Haoqing, Meiri and You Liou. For doing that, Geely scraped its old molds, jigs and production line which worth up to 8 billion Yuan. In 2008, the sales of these three new auto types grew 12% without discount marketing strategy (Geely annual report, 2009). Furthermore, in 2010, Geely will market 21 new auto types, and some of them were designed by Fabrizio Giugiaro, the Italy‘s famous auto manufacturer. Moreover, the new energy auto will also be produced in 2010, which will include Panda and DiHao (Wenqing, 2010). These new energy auto types have been showed in the Beijing car exhibition 2010 (Phoenix auto, 2010). In order to deal with these two factors, Geely also has a complementary strategy: cooperate or takeover other well-known international auto manufacturers. It will not only help Geely to promote its auto manufacture technology, but also improve its brand image. Geely has already cooperated with 18 International Business Environment II Britain‘s Manganese Bronze to produce luxurious brand-named taxi (China car Times, 2010) and assembled cars with Information Gateway Corp Sdn Bhd (IGC) in Malaysia, 2006 (Tan, 2006). 7. Leverage the multilateral institutions 7. 1 ASEAN One of the stunning news in 2005 was the political barriers Geely met in Malaysia, which was considered as the biggest challenge for its overseas expansion so far. Geely‘s President Li Shufu described Malaysia as ? an unexpected trap? because of Malaysia government‘s rejection on fulfilling the contract. After examining the ECLIPTER factors of Malaysia market, Li Shufu and his team regarded Malaysia as the first pillbox and cornerstone of its expansion to ASEAN countries. He believed the learning in Malaysia could be helpful. Therefore, in May 2005, Geely has made a joint contract with Malaysia IGC group for building CKD factory in Malaysia. However, Malaysia government denied the contract after a new document on automobile being published. According to the document, all cars made by foreign automobile manufacturers were prohibited to sell in Malaysia. Then the situation in Malaysia went against its expection of getting a huge sale. However, according to Geely officials, to some extent, ASEAN agreements have made Geely to reconsider the importance of Malaysia (Harwit). In South East Asia nations, there are some strict tariff-related regulations for automobile industry. Contrarily, tariff among ASEAN countries is in a minimum rate. According to an inner-ASEAN agreement, from 2003 to 2009, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippine, Singapore and Vietnam exempted auto import tariff for each other. From 2010, all ASEAN countries will implement zero auto import tariff for each other. At the same time, Indonesia, Thailand and some other ASEAN nations‘ demand of cars is increasing considerably (JAMA, 2008). Especially after an impressive increase in 2007, the car-sale in Indonesia becomes significantly dazzle. Therefore Geely 19 International Business Environment II planed to only manufacture cars in Malaysia and then export cars to other ASEAN countries, which seems like a forward-looking plan in a long-term development. Finally, Geely decided to move its Malaysia CKD manufacture center to Indonesia. However, its vision of leveraging ASEAN to pursue a sale performance in all ASEAN nations has not changed. 7. 2 EU In terms of EU regulations, since Geely has acquired 100% ownership of Volvo, the Sweden‘s company, Geely is no longer an outsider of European market. According to the EU Single market concept (European Commission, 2010), a free circulation of capital, labor, goods and services between EU members is granted. Geely now have got over tariff barriers and competes as an insider. 8. Implications and Recommendations One of the strategies of Geely is to promote new energy automobile, there are two advantages for this strategy: Firstly, Geely can get powerful support from government since the development of new energy is encouraged by the government. Secondly, since new energy automobile is environmental friendly goods, it not only reduces the carbon emissions, but also decreases the expenses on routine maintenance (Bond newspaper, 2010). However, there are also drawbacks, such as the inadequate facilities. Acquiring other world famous bands is the other strategy of Geely, which facilitates the company‘s global expansion. For instance, Volvo is well-known by its safety, which could provide Geely with a competitive advantage on its brand trust. It also provides a valuable, more upscale user image. Therefore, through merger or acquisition of international well-known brands, Geely can get greater international fame and advanced technology, integrate into the world market and attract more consumers. However, certain risks should be considered when Geely acquires Volvo. The first risk is that the culture conflicts between two countries. It has been reported that one of the hindering factors is that the union of Volvo in Sweden disagrees the acquisition for their reduced 20 International Business Environment II welfare and unemployment (Gasgoo, 2009). The second risk is that the value of acquired equity. It has been said that Volvo‘s vaunted reputation for safety has been challenged by other manufacturers which can also provide automobiles with same safety standard. In this case Volvo‘s ? safe? advantage may not be as competitive as before. 9. Conclusion To sum up, this essay has analyzed the ECLIPTER factors of Geely‘s two overseas markets, Britain and Malaysia, and examined influence of the related multilateral institutions. According to this matrix analysis, legal system and income profile have the most important impact on the auto industry. For multilateral institutions, ASEAN and WTO generally promote the Geely‘s international expansion strategy, while EU regulations are less favored in its expansion. Considering both ECLIPTER factors and related multilateral institutions, it is suitable for Geely to enter developing nations to acquire market share at its initial development. But for long-term development, Geely need to pay attention to research and develop higher-end models. With the development of Geely Company and the overall auto industry, Geely‘s focus will shift from developing countries to developed countries. Currently, Geely‘s low price strategy is challenged by the legal system and income profile of developed countries. Therefore, Geely is increasing its efforts in releasing new model cars and tapping into developed countries through merger or acquisition. Geely intends to promote its brand image and enlarge its market share through these strategic moves, although it has to face the risk of culture conflicts and the uncertainty of acquisition value. 21 International Business Environment II 10. References: Azia, A. Z. (2004) Malaysia-Encouraging Saving in a Dynamic Economy [Online]. Available at:< h.

Medieval Universities Essay

The English universities were one of the most significant creations of Medieval England. The scholars who attended eitherOxford or Cambridge Universities set an intellectual standard that contrasted markedly with the norm of Medieval England. Oxford University came into being some 20 years before Cambridge University. The church had a major impact at Oxford. The town came within the diocese of Lincoln, yet Oxford had its own archdeaconry. It was the input of the church that led to the first recorded student/university authority clash at Oxford. The universities led to major growth in both Oxford and Cambridge as towns and both became important centres. No-one is quite sure why Oxford was chosen as the town for England’s first university – however, the town had a number of distinct advantages. Oxford was the centre of communications within its region and both royalty and foreign scholars frequently visited the town. There were also many religious houses/centres around the town and the agricultural land was rich and farming did well at this time. Oxford was considered to be in a civilised part of England – it was near to London and getting to Europe was not necessarily a major journey. Oxford also held strategic importance, which led to the building of a castle there. In 1167, a quarrel between Henry II and Thomas Becket led to a temporary ban on English scholars going to study in France. For whatever reason, scholars and academics gathered in Oxford to continue with their work – fifty of them. As journeying to the university in Paris was not allowed, more scholars and academics arrived in Oxford. Sometime after 1167 Giraldus Cambrensis visited Oxford and started teaching there. He taught three times a day. He took poor students for lectures; he then taught academics from different faculties, and lastly he taught knights and the likes. His clientele became larger than the ‘normal’ monastic or cathedral school. In 1180, Prior Philip of St. Frieswade, Oxford, recorded that a scholar had left his family in York to study at Oxford. Within twelve years, the importance of a good education was clearly having an impact. In 1192, Richard of Devizes wrote â€Å"Oxonia vix suos clericos, non dico satiat, sed sustenat.†| Richard was basically stating that there were so many scholars in Oxford that the town could barely feed them. By 1209, it was estimated that there were 3,000 students in Oxford. It was also in 1209 that students in Oxford started to migrate to Cambridge. This occurred after some students killed a woman in Oxford. At this time, King John and Pope Innocent III were quarrelling over a new Archbishop of Canterbury. Innocent put England under an interdict. With such worries, John had few thoughts for students in Oxford. He gave his permission for the execution of three students in Oxford involved in the woman’s death. However, in the delay that took pace, the students fled to Reading, Cambridge of Paris. Others followed to Cambridge and by 1284, Peterhouse College was founded. Unlike the great university of its time – the university in Paris – Oxford was not connected to either a cathedral or a religious house. The Sorbonne was supervised by ecclesiastical men while Oxford was supervised by masters, though these were usually in holy orders. Regardless of this, Oxford developed with a degree of practical independence. By the end of what is considered to be Medieval England, the following colleges had been created at Oxford – University College, Balliol, Merton and Exeter. In Cambridge, Peterhouse College was created. Student life in both towns was to transform Oxford and Cambridge. The lifestyle of the students was to frequently bring both universities into conflict with the church.

Impact of Scientific Discoveries on the World

Impact of Scientific Discoveries on the World William and Colin (2009) define scientific discoveries as the incoming achievements that are majorly grasped through a thorough exploitation and research on nature and the societal needs.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of Scientific Discoveries on the World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Horton and Freire (2006) assert that, for decades, scientific discoveries have formed the backbone for the worldwide technological advancement and revolutions, which have created a turning point to the direction of the economic development and revolution in the social production. Notably, discoveries bear a special significance on the modern stages of technological progress. As envisioned by Juan Enriquez, scientific, coupled with the discoveries of genomics have spearheaded the growth of the business world and increased economic influence. This paper, therefore, presents a discussion on the basis that Enriquez envisions fo r the future for the future of the global economy. According to William and Colin (2009), future global economy may refer to what the world may look like by the year 2040. Predictions have foretold of tremendous developments in the scientific and the technological world. A plethora of nations are to pull out of repression, poverty, and starvation caused by inadequate food supply. In addition, other predictive reports have shown the negative future trends in the future. These include overpopulation, rise on the level of terrorism and violence, climate change characterised by global warming, mass migration in search of food as the gap between the rich and the poor widening (Horton and Freire, 2006). Moreover, Juan Enriquez envisions a future with a full potential in the supply of the energy resources (Teitel, 2002). The supply of energy resources is one of the most critical aspects of an economic model. Most economic activities in a country or across the globe such as industrialisatio n owe their success to the adequate and reliable source of energy. The global economic progress depends on the development of the hydrocarbon sources of energy. The hydrocarbon sources of energy should be sustained for the longest duration possible (Santayan, 2008). The use of energy should also take proper care of their impacts on the environment as well as the cost of production.Advertising Looking for essay on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Similarly, the global economic base is predicted to broaden  in the near future (Teitel, 2002). The widening of the economic base across the globe is a program that aims at expanding the marketing resources to not only one superior and economically stable state such as the US markets but also encouraging the individual local market resources. Achieving this will limit the vulnerability accompanied with the overreliance on the sales of energy resources. The program also aims at creating new markets in the future from where products are expected to rise from both the natural and human resources supply (Horton and Freire, 2006). Integrating the discoveries of genomics and science with the world of business provides a firm foundation for the sustenance of a sound economic plan and growth across the globe. In order to provide the sound economic platform for the growth of the global economy, wise and a reliable management system is required. Technological management systems including the use of computers and other automated systems in management of resources such as electricity and transportation systems are necessary to support global interaction (Teitel, 2002). As claimed by Teitel (2002), the future of the global economy is also envisioned to be consisting of both local and foreign investment. Foreign investments are those often implemented on a large scale on the major natural resources such as the energy resources. Santayan (2008) elab orates in his book that the investments are mostly fueled by the scientific and discoveries of genomics. The management of the future investments requires a more strategic as well as a more disciplined approach in the management of the natural resources. As a wrap up, therefore, Juan Enriquez envisions the future of the global economy which is characterised by tremendous developments in the scientific and the technological world (Horton Freire, 2006). The envisioned state in the global economy could be achieved through full utilisation of the sources of energy to the potential as well as broadening the market resources. References Horton, M., Freire, P. (2006). We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of Scientific Discoveries on the World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Santayan, G. (2008). Character a nd Opinion in the United States. New Brunwick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. Teitel,G. (2002). Transitional Justice. Madison Avenue,NY. Oxford University Press. William, H., Colin, M. (2009). Mexicans in Revolution, 1910-1946: An Introduction. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

Literary Analysis Never Marry a Mexican Professor Ramos Blog

Literary Analysis Never Marry a Mexican Sandra Cisneros â€Å"Never Marry a Mexican† introduces readers to Clemencia. Cisneros eludes Clemencia as a woman who appears proud of her Mexican heritage, yet knows not how the slanderous phrase â€Å"Never marry a Mexican† uttered from her well-meaning mother’s trusty lips about Clemencia’s own Mexican father negatively foreshadows her seedy life and gloomy world perspective later down her destructive journey of adulthood. Simply put, Clemencia’s relationship with her mother is like she never had one (Cisneros 131) especially during the final moments of her sickly fathers life. When Clemencias mom meets a white man during her fathers hospitalization, Clemencias mom instantaneously begins dating him. Why not? Owen Lambert is definitely not Mexican. Clemencias mother seems to be in her own world as she completely disregards her life with her former husband and their children. This does not bode well for Clemencia as she holds a lot of resentment towards her mother, that will likely never resolve due to the fact that Clemencias mom is not around in the world anymore. Even though her mother may not be in this world anymore, Clemencia will always wonder why her mom did marry her father. On the other hand, Cisneros depicts Clemencia to be a bit of a â€Å"daddys girl, so the degrading way her mother talks about him as if Clemencias father is â€Å"nothing but a showoff(Cisneros 128) irks Clemencia immensely. Clemencia sees her father not as a showoff, but just like his things: calidad. Quality† (Cisneros 129). Clemencias father was not born in the US, so her own father views US Mexicans to be not on par with the Mexicans who originate from Mexico. In her father’s opinion Mexican girls who didnt know enough to set a separate plate for each course at dinner, nor how to fold cloth napkins, nor how to set the silverware† (Cisneros 127) are ridiculous. Clemencia knows not how to do these things. When Cisneros begins to describe Clemencias intimate life, Clemencia appears to be a femme fatale through the eyes of others. She has numerous affairs with married men but will never marry herself as Clemencia claims shes too romantic† (Cisneros 127). Why is that? Does she not consider herself being able to love or have someone love her? Clemencia thinks of herself as â€Å"amphibious,† a person who â€Å"doesn’t belong to any class.† When she was young, she moved away from home and lived with Ximena, whose husband recently left her. At this point, Clemencia coveted the idea of becoming an artist, hoping to be like Frida Kahlo. But she and Ximena lived in a dangerous neighborhood, where gunshots rang out all night long. This reminded Clemencia of her childhood since the two girls grew up in an even worse neighborhood. Once their father died, their mother married a white man despite their protests, justifying her decision by pointing out that she married so young that she never got the chance to be young, â€Å"your father,† she said, â€Å"he was so much older than me.† Clemencia holds this against her mother so much that she has disowned the old woman entirely. The anger Clemencia feels toward her mother has to do with the idea that her mother is disloyal to her father. In her eyes, not only has her mother betrayed her father’s love, but she’s also betrayed her cultural identity by marrying a white man, of course, this is in keeping with her mother’s belief that no woman should never marry a Mexican man. And while Clemencia seems sometimes to agree with this sentiment, she still appears to want her mother to respect her father’s legacy. As such, she condemns marriage in general, turning away from it in her own life in favor of independence. Clemencia addresses a man named Drew in her narrative, asking him if he remembers speaking Spanish to her as they make love. When Clemencia and Drew lie together, she writes, her skin is dark against his, and he calls this beautiful. He whispers Spanish into her ear while â€Å"yanking her head back by the braid.† Despite these intense moments, though, every morning he leaves before the sun rises. Still, Clemencia admits that she likes when he speaks to her in her own language; â€Å"I can love myself and think myself worth loving,† she says. When Clemencia says she can conceptualize herself as â€Å"worth loving† when Drew talks to her in Spanish during intercourse, it becomes clear that her notions of self-worth and love are entangled in a broader consideration of cultural identity. This makes sense, considering how much attention she pays to her mother’s ideas about how romance and cultural identity interact with one another. For her, then, love is a complicated mix of identity and passion. Clemencia asks Drew if his son knows the role she played in his birth. Pushing on, she insists that she was the one who convinced Drew to have the baby when his wife was pregnant, he was unsure whether or not it was a good idea to have a child, but Clemencia convinced him to not suggest that his wife get an abortion. When it finally came time for his son to enter the world, Drew wasn’t next to his wife in the hospital room; while she was in the throes of labor, he was having sex with Clemencia in the very same bed in which his son was conceived. â€Å"You’re nothing without me,† Clemencia tells him now. â€Å"I created you from spit and red dust. And I can snuff you between my finger and thumb if I want to.† Critics praise Cisneross ability to explore conflicts directly related to her upbringing, including divided loyalties, feelings of alienation, and degradation resulting from poverty. Although she addresses important contemporary issues associated with minority status throughout her two collections, critics have described her characters as idiosyncratic, accessible individuals capable of generating compassion on a universal level. Commentators laud her lyrical narratives, vivid dialogue, and powerful descriptions, applauding her poetic depictions of life as a Chicana woman, as well as her deft treatment of such controversial themes as sexism, racism, and poverty.

Airplane Accidents in the Media

This paper examines the amount of airplane accidents that get covered in the media versus the number of the airplane accidents that actually happen. The following paper examines how the news media has been changed from a brave, controversy-seeking faction to a community of self-censoring, congress-fearing puppets of whom the politically powerful are the puppeteers. The writer argues that the media is not the same establishment that once looked for the extra, but it is merely a reserved, timid society, a society that has ignored its once unquenchable thirst for the truth in order to satisfy its hunger for the more material things, money and power. It is a calm, cold morning in Maine and the news is blaring in one household. The family hears that there has been another violent plane crash. Little Jimmy is quaking in his shoes, because he knows that the story will be covered constantly for most of the week, if not longer. Violent images will be shown on the television that his parents bought for Jimmys favorite educational television shows. Jimmy decides to change the channel, but almost all of the channels are covering the same information about the plane crash. Then, an image of a man who died in the crash appears on television. Little Jimmy bursts into tears. Jimmy grows up to detest the news, and to hate plane crashes. Why must the news cover tragedies so extensively?

Employee Reward Systems Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employee Reward Systems Presentation - Essay Example Many reward systems exist in the workplace, and they may reflect the organization of the staff, or the type of work. For instance, at the University of Virginia's Department of Athletics as well as at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, employees can nominate each other for a particular award. In these cases, efficient teamwork and group leadership are assets that contribute to the award. This type of recognition can be particularly surprising and exciting for workers. Nomination-based reward systems can promote a friendly atmosphere, but unfortunately, this system may become more like a popularity contest. In other companies, such as the State of New Mexico Human Services Department, specific criteria must be fulfilled for the award to be given. These companies are organized differently, and particular tasks can qualify a worker to achieve a higher rank in the company. These reward systems are appreciated by employees that prefer to know exactly what they must do to move ahead in the company. In general, straightforward reward systems are more highly regarded by employees because they promote structure in the workplace and a defined sense of purpose. The actual rewards can be many things, from a monetary bonus or gift certificate, to a hand-written note of recognition and approval from a supervisor.

Management research method Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management research method - Assignment Example research topic â€Å"An exploratory investigation of the potential relationship between student learning styles, course grade, cumulative grade point average and selected demographics in on-line undergraduate business courses† is a well-structured and articulate topic, which is relevant to the current learning needs globally. With the current educational trend, online learning has become on the rise hence it would be viable to determine the effectiveness of online learning through a comparison to the traditional teaching method especially in relation to the business courses. The research was designed based on three critical hypothesis that were meant to be tested at the end of the research. Basing on the assumption that there is a significant effect of the learning style on the student achievement; in relation to the online versus the enrolled on-fine courses as well as there is a significant relationship between the learning style, age, gender and ethnicity of the students. The hypothesis used in designing the research is significant as it helps to validate the research topic making the testing of hypothesis the ultimate benchmark for research outcome. In the conduction of the research, data was collected through the use of a WebCT courseware to collect information from all the online courses examined in the study, while the learning style survey for college (LSSC) was employed to collect data for determining learning style of the college students. LSSC employed the use of 32 questions in the questionnaire to assess the learning style preferred by the students with a student data form used to collect the learning style, as well as other demographic information. The final grade for the semester was then used as a tool for assessment of the effectiveness of the various learning styles preferred by the students. Seventy-two participants were then sampled to represent the entire group of the learners thus providing the research with a good sample size that would

Marketing and the Apple global organization Research Paper

Marketing and the Apple global organization - Research Paper Example The history of Apple Inc. dates back to the early 1970’s when Steve Jobs along with Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak established the technology firm. Apple is presently headquartered in California, USA. The company together with its subsidiaries develops and markets laptops, portable music players, desktop computers, mobile communication devices and several other gadgets. Apple has a global presence and functions with around 370 Apple exclusive stores. As of 2011 the company employed 60,400 people throughout the world (â€Å"Apple Inc.†). Some of the evident products that have made Apple one of the biggest technical giants of the world are I-Phone, I-Pad, I-Pod and various software products. The Mac OS X in the software category has been able to revolutionize the computing experience of the users. If reports are to be believed, within few years from now the company will be launching I-car, a four wheeler car with unique style and design resembling the official logo of App le. From the days of its inception Apple is highly sensitive towards its marketing strategies. The company tactically develops its business strategies for the purpose of retaining and gaining customers. This is the reason why we find Apple launching new products in every 2-3 years. Apple mainly distributes its product through whole sellers, retailers and Apple owned exclusive stores. The company has large number of competitors in direct and indirect form. Hewlett Packard, Dell, Google and Research in Motion Limited are the direct competitors of the company (â€Å"AAPL Competitors†).... In this article the author discussed about the unique marketing initiatives of Apple Inc. Furthermore the article highlighted some interesting facts about the company. In the introduction part of the article the author demonstrated about the hype that Apple creates before launching a product in the market place. To cite an instance it showcased how the brand loyal customers of Apple spend a night outside an Apple store, just for the purpose of buying the new product from the company. The article offered a number of unique marketing strategies of the company. Some of the evident among them are as follows: - Apple has been long facing issues with the product knowledge of its sales staffs. This problem made it more complex for the company to notify the potential customers about the unique features that it offers. Hence the company decided to open ‘a store just for Apple’ or an Apple exclusive store. In this article it has been also highlighted that the products of Apple com es in the form of a complete package, so that users do not have to search for any add-ons. In accordance to this statement the author mentioned the example of I-Pod and free music via Apple I-tunes. The product strategy of the company has been also emphasized in this article. Apple uses a varied product strategy, in which they offer various portable gadgets at a low cost to the consumer, with a feeling that these customers may consider buying an Apple computer in the near future. The author also clearly explains about the extensive research and development that the company carries out for the purpose of offering quality products. Furthermore in the article few promotional

Nobel Prize Winner Harald zur Hausen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nobel Prize Winner Harald zur Hausen - Essay Example In 1969, he became a regular teaching and researching professor at the University of Wurzburg, and worked at the Institute for Virology. In 1972, he joined the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In 1977, he moved on to the University of Freiburg as the head of the department of virology and hygiene. (nobelprize.org) Harald zur Hausen has been honored with Nobel Prize for discovering HPV vaccine. The specific field of Harald Zur Hausen of research is the erudition of oncoviruses. In 1976, he published the hypothesis that human papilloma virus plays a significant role in the cause of cervical cancer. Mutually with his coworkers, he identified HPV16 and HPV18 in cervical cancers in 1983-4. This research directly made possible the development of a vaccine which was launched in 2006. He is also attributed with discovery of the virus causing genital warts (HPV 6) and a monkey lymphotropic polyomavirus that is a close relative to a newly discovered human Merkel cell polyomavirus, as well as methods to immortalize cells with Epstein-Barr virus and to persuade replication of the virus using phorbol esters. His work on papillomaviruses and cervical cancer received an immense deal of scientific censure on initial presentation but afterward was confirmed and extended to other high-risk papilloma viruses. ( The Gairdner Foundation) He made HPV16 and HPV18 available to the scientific society.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Teenagers Research Paper

Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Teenagers - Research Paper Example Some researchers have maintained that in the society, the percentage of cutters and percentage of individuals with eating disorders are similar. Compared with non-mutilators, self-mutilating teenagers were significantly more likely to have an eating disorder, and about 61% of the self-injurers may report current or past eating disorders. In a study of 2525 Australian teenagers Patton et al. (1997) found psychiatric comorbidity to be the clearest factor associated with extreme dieting with 62% of extreme dieters reporting high levels of both anxiety and depression. With the literature demonstrating evident relationships between these three disorders, namely, cutting behaviour, eating disorders, and alcohol and drug abuse, it appears these are comorbid conditions which originate early on life. If the parameters of these conditions and their interrelationships can be elucidated through the literature, this would enhance knowledge about these conditions. This enhanced knowledge can be then used in the school programmes directed to the teenagers, where the counsellors and teachers can make use of this information through specially designed training programmes for support in dealing with these issues in their students. Aim The aim of the study is to explore the comorbidity of three classes of self-harm within teenagers: cutting behavior, eating disorders, and alcohol and/or drug abuse. As a result of the study, develop a training program for school counselors and teachers to utilize for support in dealing with these issues. Objectives Identify the relationship between cutting behaviour, eating disorders and alcohol/drug abuse. Increase awareness and understanding between the relationship between cutting behaviour, eating disorders and alcohol/drug abuse. Develop an innovative training program with the aim of improving client outcomes. Evaluate the effectiveness of school counselors as a method of support to those who self harm and have eating disorders. Review of Literature Strategy Methodology is important to fill in the intellectual vacuum that may be associated with a research question, and therefore, there is a need to pinpoint the context of a research within the existing knowledge base. Since there is a considerable body of existing literature depicting the studies in several areas of science and practice, while performing a literature review, it is pertinent and important to perform the review in a systematic

Article Summary from OPM (Human Resources) Essay

Article Summary from OPM (Human Resources) - Essay Example It is imperative that each member should get the opportunity and involvement for the execution of task with great clarity in thoughts and means for its execution. It is essential that planning should be suitable, comprehensible as well as attainable. Moreover it is also required that the planning should be supple and possess helpful working documents rather than simple paper work. Monitoring: constant monitoring is imperative in the execution of tasks. This provides a feedback and hence directs the development for attaining the set goals. It is performed with respect to reviews obtained against the standards and a comparative study can be made with the desired amendments to avoid hindrances in accomplishing the targets. Developing: any successful organization will always encompass means that motivates its employee’s aptitude to work and the requirements of the recruits are constantly evaluated. This is through training, guidance and by opportunities to keep them abreast with the latest trends and technologies. These means provides overall development opportunities as well as promotes better performance, fortifies job-related skills and proficiencies. Through performance management, development abilities are further enhanced and deficiencies are overruled. This kind of management enhances improvements in performance and actions can be directed to promote triumph and efforts of successful employees. Rating: time to time appraisals not only enhance the performance but also let the organization know who the better performers are. This serves as a kind of motivation and always directs the staff to provide their best services. It is essential to assess the performance of the employees through performance management, goals are set and work is planned on a routine basis with great deal of feedback and hurdles. It also provides a way to overcome the problems and a

Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Teenagers Research Paper

Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Teenagers - Research Paper Example Some researchers have maintained that in the society, the percentage of cutters and percentage of individuals with eating disorders are similar. Compared with non-mutilators, self-mutilating teenagers were significantly more likely to have an eating disorder, and about 61% of the self-injurers may report current or past eating disorders. In a study of 2525 Australian teenagers Patton et al. (1997) found psychiatric comorbidity to be the clearest factor associated with extreme dieting with 62% of extreme dieters reporting high levels of both anxiety and depression. With the literature demonstrating evident relationships between these three disorders, namely, cutting behaviour, eating disorders, and alcohol and drug abuse, it appears these are comorbid conditions which originate early on life. If the parameters of these conditions and their interrelationships can be elucidated through the literature, this would enhance knowledge about these conditions. This enhanced knowledge can be then used in the school programmes directed to the teenagers, where the counsellors and teachers can make use of this information through specially designed training programmes for support in dealing with these issues in their students. Aim The aim of the study is to explore the comorbidity of three classes of self-harm within teenagers: cutting behavior, eating disorders, and alcohol and/or drug abuse. As a result of the study, develop a training program for school counselors and teachers to utilize for support in dealing with these issues. Objectives Identify the relationship between cutting behaviour, eating disorders and alcohol/drug abuse. Increase awareness and understanding between the relationship between cutting behaviour, eating disorders and alcohol/drug abuse. Develop an innovative training program with the aim of improving client outcomes. Evaluate the effectiveness of school counselors as a method of support to those who self harm and have eating disorders. Review of Literature Strategy Methodology is important to fill in the intellectual vacuum that may be associated with a research question, and therefore, there is a need to pinpoint the context of a research within the existing knowledge base. Since there is a considerable body of existing literature depicting the studies in several areas of science and practice, while performing a literature review, it is pertinent and important to perform the review in a systematic

Alcoholic beverage Essay Example for Free

Alcoholic beverage Essay In 2011, the rate of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities per 100,000 population was 3. 2, representing a 65% decrease since 1982, when record keeping began, and 49% since the inception of The Century Council in 1991. What this translates into is, for every 100,000 people in the US in 2011, slightly more than three people were killed in a drunk driving fatal crash, a rate that has been cut almost in half over the past two decades down from a rate of 6. 3 in 1991. Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 31% of the total vehicle traffic fatalities in 2011. Between 1991 and 2011, the rate of drunk driving fatalities per 100,000 population has decreased 49% nationally, and 63% among those under 21. These statistics and others are positive indicators of the gains being made to fight drunk driving, and while The Century Council cannot claim to be the sole influence in these reductions, it is likely we have played a significant role in reaching these historic low levels. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 32,367 people died in traffic crashes in 2011 in the United States (latest figures available), including an estimated 9,878 people who were killed in drunk driving crashes involving a driver with an illegal BAC (. 08 or greater). Among the people killed in these drunk driving crashes, 66% were drivers (6,507), 27% were motor vehicle occupants (2,661), and 7% were non-occupants (710), with an average of one person dying in a drunk driving fatality every 53 minutes. The Century Council’s Statistics Drinking alcohol and benefits. Over the last five years, the health benefits of moderate drinking have been widely celebrated in the headlines. To those who think everything enjoyable must be bad for you, this news might seem like a dream come true. Of course, there are many caveats and these studies dont indicate that teetotalers should take up drinking or that infrequent drinkers should start drinking more. The operative word here is drinking in moderation. Studies show, for example, that health benefits only come with moderate drinking and are greatest for older men. And even moderate drinking is not recommended for women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, or for people who are under 21. The strongest medical evidence exists for the link between moderate drinking and a reduced risk of heart disease. Dr. Kenneth Mukamal, an internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, was the lead author of a New England Journal of Medicine study examining the roles of drinking patterns and heart disease that found, after 12 year of follow-up, that men who consumed alcohol between three and seven days a week had fewer heart attacks than men who drank once a week. Below, Mukamal discusses the risk and benefits of moderate drinking. Do we know why moderate drinking lowers heart disease risk? We think that a lot of the benefits of alcohol are on the blood vessels and on blockages in the arteries to the heart and to the brain. This might be related to alcohols effect on the good cholesterol, the HDL cholesterol. In fact, alcohol affects HDL levels just about as strongly as any other lifestyle factor. People also think that alcohol may lower heart attack risk by acting as a blood thinner. What are some of the other health benefits associated with moderate drinking? A wide variety of health effects have been attributed to moderate drinking. A lower risk of diabetes has been seen in women and men. There actually have been experiments done in which alcohol was administered over a couple of months to people without diabetes. In those studies, most of which have been conducted in women interestingly, it looks like moderate drinking improves the bodys sensitivity to insulin. It may actually lower insulin levels altogether and may prevent diabetes through that mechanism. More recently weve done some work on moderate drinking and dementia. We looked at a group of older adults in the United States average age was in the mid-70s and found a reduced risk. There has been some more work in slightly younger populations from Europe, and those studies have fairly consistently suggested that older adults who were drinking moderately may have a lower risk of dementia. Were not exactly sure what the mechanisms may be behind that. Some of it may very well be because drinking tends to occur in social settings and just the process of getting out and socializing may be an important way to prevent dementia. There is also evidence that moderate drinking may prevent silent strokes or other subtle types of brain injury that we know over time can predispose to dementia. I think its still an area where we need some more investigation. Is the pattern of alcohol consumption important? In most of the studies that look at this issue, people have been asked How much alcohol do you usually drink? When that question is asked, people take an average. For example, I drink 10 drinks a month. But 10 drinks a month is very different for someone who has them all on one night vs. someone who has them on 10 different nights of the month. That kind of detail surprisingly hasnt been available in most of the studies that have been devoted to this topic. In our study we tried to figure out the drinking pattern thats most closely tied to lower heart attack risk. What we found in a study of about 38,000 men was that the key factor wasnt what men were drinking, or frankly even so much how much they were drinking at a time, but how frequently they were drinking alcohol. We found that men who were drinking at least three to four days a week or more had lower heart attack risks than people who had one drink a week. We also have some very strong studies showing that heart disease risk, while lower amongst moderate drinkers, can be substantially higher among people who drink to excess even occasionally. They dont have to be drinking excessively every single night to potentially have a greater heart attack risk. Many of the effects of moderate drinking, such as acting as a blood thinner, are only true at moderate levels of drinking. Those effects actually go away and reverse if people drink too much. What constitutes one drink? What doctors usually consider a drink is basically a medium glass of wine, a 1. 5 oz shot of spirits, or a can or bottle of beer. All of those have roughly similar amounts of pure alcohol in them. We usually define moderate drinking as up to one drink per day for adult women who arent pregnant and up to two drinks per day for adult men. Some guidelines recommend that moderate drinking among adults over 65 be limited to one drink per day. Are the heart benefits of alcohol consumption the same for men and women? In general, when were thinking about the putative health benefits of moderate drinking, they mostly apply to older people and to men. Issues for women and for younger individuals are much more difficult to sort out. The role of alcohol consumption in heart disease varies strongly by gender. The reason for that is twofold. On the one hand, women at any given age tend to have lower risks of heart disease than men do. As a result, the benefits of moderate drinking accrue disproportionately to men. At the same time, there are some particular risks of drinking for women that dont exist for men. There is some evidence that women may be particularly prone, for example, to liver disease related to drinking. Even moderate drinking may increase breast cancer risk. And, while the effects on heart attack risk are roughly similar in men and women, I think its even more difficult to determine what the ideal level of drinking ought to be for women than it is for men. I think it is fair to say that if young women in general are drinking with the expectation that there is some health benefit to it for them, theyre probably mistaken. Young women are a group of people for which, as of now, we basically have no clear proof that the overall balance of alcohols risks and benefits is going to work in their favor. What are some of the risks of moderate drinking? There is fairly consistent evidence that breast cancer rates are higher among women who drink moderately. I think thats important because obviously breast cancer is very common disease. I certainly think women at high risk for breast cancer should talk with their doctors about whether they should be drinking any alcohol. Another important risk, which is unrecognized for many people in this country, is that even moderate drinking among people with hepatitis C may increase their risk of permanent liver damage. Anybody who is known to have hepatitis C shouldnt be drinking any alcohol at all. People who have risk factors for hepatitis C ought to be tested because it will very substantially impact what the potential risks are related to moderate drinking. In addition, although we dont think moderate drinking necessarily clouds our judgment, it turns out that it probably does. In simulated driving tests that were done as far back as the 1950s, people have realized that at very low blood alcohol levels, simulated driving performance is impaired. When I say low blood alcohol, what Im talking about is as low as . 02 percent. Some studies, for example, the analysis of the National Alcohol Survey, showed something similar. You begin to see higher risks of injury even when people are reporting one drink a day. Thats why we still recommend that even moderate drinking occur in the home, preferably tied to meals. That is not so much because we find that that drinking with a meal is more likely to lower heart disease risk, for example, but because its the safest way to prevent high blood alcohol levels that can get people into accidents. What about people with a history of alcohol abuse? Although it has been bantered back and forth, most people think that people who have a personal history ofalcoholism very rarely can return to social drinking. People who, for personal or family reasons have never had alcohol before, at least as of now, probably shouldnt start drinking for any health reason. What is your advice for an individual who is weighing the risks or benefits of moderate drinking? Its hard to give any single piece of advice because of all the things weve learned about moderate drinking. The potential risks and benefits are going to vary by a persons health history, their age, sex and family history. The number of factors that would have to go into the decision is really very substantial. As a primary care doctor myself, these are long discussions that people should have with their doctor. I would not recommend that anybody go out tomorrow and start drinking alcohol simply on the basis of results that we and others have presented. I would say that for people who are drinking moderately and are able to control it and dont have any of the absolute reasons why they shouldnt be drinking alcohol, that there is no evidence now that thats a bad thing to do. Beyond that, I dont think right now we have enough evidence to say that anybody should take up drinking just for any particular benefit unless their doctors recommend that they do so. www. medicalnewstoday. com 7 Health Benefits Of Drinking Alcohol Getting wasted every weekend might not be the best thing for your physical or mental well-being, but moderate alcohol consumption may have some substantial health benefits. It should be noted that alcohol consumption and its benefits vary based on an individuals body makeup and type. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate alcohol consumption is defined as having up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. This definition is referring to the amount consumed on any single day and is not intended as an average over several days. Now, weve all heard the reasons why alcohol is bad for you, but what about the benefits? Here is our list of seven ways that drinking alcohol in moderation (when youre of the legal drinking age of course) might benefit your health. 1. It Can Lower Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease. The School of Public Health at Harvard University found that moderate amounts of alcohol raises levels of high-density lipoprotein, HDL, or good cholesterol and higher HDL levels are associated with greater protection against heart disease. Moderate alcohol consumption has also been linked with beneficial changes ranging from better sensitivity to insulin to improvements in factors that influence blood clotting. Such changes would tend to prevent the formation of small blood clots that can block arteries in the heart, neck, and brain, the ultimate cause of many heart attacks and the most common kind of stroke. This finding is applicable to both men and women who have not been previously diagnosed with any type of cardiovascular disease. Follow Us 2. It Can Lengthen Your Life Drinking occasionally could add a few years to your life. A study by the Catholic University of Campobasso reported that drinking less than four or two drinks per day for men and women respectively could reduce the risk of death by 18 percent, as reported by Reuters. Little amounts, preferably during meals, this appears to be the right way (to drink alcohol), said Dr. Giovanni de Gaetano of Catholic University, another author on the study. This is another feature of the Mediterranean diet, where alcohol, wine above all, is the ideal partner of a dinner or lunch, but thats all: the rest of the day must be absolutely alcohol-free. 3. It Can Improve Your Libido Contrary to prior beliefs, newer research has found that moderate drinking might actually protect against erectile dysfunction in the same way that drinking red wine might benefit heart disease. In a 2009 study published in the, Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers found that the chances of erectile dysfunction were reduced by 25 to 30 percent among alcohol drinkers. The lead researcher, Kew-Kim Chew, an epidemiologist at the University of West Australia, conducted the study with 1,770 Australian men. In his study, Chew cautiously noted that he and his team in no way are advising men to hit the bottle, and that further research is needed to accurately connect impotence and alcohol consumption. 4. It Helps Prevent Against the Common Cold. The Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University found that while susceptibility to the common cold was increased by smoking, moderate alcohol consumption led to a decrease in common cold cases for nonsmokers. This study was conducted in 1993 with 391 adults. In 2002, according to the New York Times, Spanish researchers found that by drinking eight to 14 glasses of wine per week, particularly red wine, one could see a 60-percent reduction in the risk of developing a cold. The scientists suspected that this had something to do with the antioxidant properties of wine. 5. It Can Decrease Chances Of Developing Dementia In a study that included more than 365,000 participants since 1977, as reported in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, moderate drinkers were 23 percent less likely to develop cognitive impairment or Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Small amounts of alcohol might, in effect, make brain cells more fit. Alcohol in moderate amounts stresses cells and thus toughens them up to cope with major stresses down the road that could cause dementia, said Edward J. Neafsey, Ph. D. , co-author of the study, as reported by Science Daily. We dont recommend that nondrinkers start drinking, Neafsey said. But moderate drinking — if it is truly moderate — can be beneficial. 6. It Can Reduce The Risk Of Gallstones Drinking two units of alcohol per day can reduce the risk of gallstones by one-third, according to researchers at the University of East Anglia. The study found that those who reported consuming two UK units of alcohol per day had a one-third reduction in their risk of developing gallstones. Researchers emphasized that their findings show the benefits of moderate alcohol intake but stress that excessive alcohol intake can cause health problems, according to the study. 7. Lowers The Chance Of Diabetes. Results of a Dutch study showed that healthy adults who drink one to two glasses per day have a decreased chance of developing type 2 diabetes, in comparison to those who dont drink at all. The results of the investigation show that moderate alcohol consumption can play a part in a healthy lifestyle to help reduce the risk of developing diabetes type 2, researchers said in a statement to Reuters. By Sabrina Bachai http://www. medicaldaily. com 12 Health Risks of Chronic Heavy Drinking Its no secret that alcohol consumption can cause major health problems, including cirrhosis of the liver and injuries sustained in automobile accidents. But if you think liver disease and car crashes are the only health risks posed by drinking, think again: Researchers have linked alcohol consumption to more than 60 diseases. Alcohol does all kinds of things in the body, and were not fully aware of all its effects, says James C. Garbutt, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and a researcher at the universitys Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies. Its a pretty complicated little molecule. Here are 12 conditions linked to chronic heavy drinking. Anemia. Heavy drinking can cause the number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells to be abnormally low. This condition, known as anemia, can trigger a host of symptoms, including fatigue, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness. Cancer Habitual drinking increases the risk of cancer, says Jurgen Rehm, PhD, chairman of the University of Torontos department of addiction policy and a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, also in Toronto. Scientists believe the increased risk comes when the body converts alcohol into acetaldehyde, a potent carcinogen. Cancer sites linked to alcohol use include the mouth, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), esophagus, liver, breast, and colorectal region. Cancer risk rises even higher in heavy drinkers who also use tobacco. Cardiovascular disease Heavy drinking, especially bingeing, makes platelets more likely to clump together into blood clots, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. In a landmark study published in 2005, Harvard researchers found that binge drinking doubled the risk of death among people who initially survived a heart attack. Heavy drinking can also cause cardiomyopathy, a potentially deadly condition in which the heart muscle weakens and eventually fails, as well as heart rhythm abnormalities such as atrial and ventricular fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation, in which the hearts upper chambers (atria) twitch chaotically rather than constrict rhythmically, can cause blood clots that can trigger a stroke. Ventricular fibrillation causes chaotic twitching in the hearts main pumping chambers (ventricles). It causes rapid loss of consciousness and, in the absence of immediate treatment, sudden death. Cirrhosis Alcohol is toxic to liver cells, and many heavy drinkers develop cirrhosis, a sometimes-lethal condition in which the liver is so heavily scarred that it is unable to function. But its hard to predict which drinkers will develop cirrhosis. Some people who drink huge amounts never get cirrhosis, and some who dont drink very much do get it, Saitz says. For some unknown reason, women seem to be especially vulnerable. Dementia As people age, their brains shrink, on average, at a rate of about 1. 9% per decade. Thats considered normal. But heavy drinking speeds the shrinkage of certain key regions in the brain, resulting in memory loss and other symptoms of dementia. Heavy drinking can also lead to subtle but potentially debilitating deficits in the ability to plan, make judgments, solve problems, and perform other aspects of executive function, which are the higher-order abilities that allow us to maximize our function as human beings, Garbutt says. In addition to the nonspecific dementia that stems from brain atrophy, heavy drinking can cause nutritional deficiencies so severe that they trigger other forms of dementia. Depression. Its long been known that heavy drinking often goes hand in hand with depression, but there has been debate about which came first the drinking or the depression. One theory is that depressed people turned to alcohol in an attempt to self-medicate to ease their emotional pain. But a large study from New Zealand showed that it was probably the other way around that is, heavy drinking led to depression. Research has also shown that depression improves when heavy drinkers go on the wagon, Saitz says. Seizures Heavy drinking can cause epilepsy and can trigger seizures even in people who dont have epilepsy. It can also interfere with the action of the medications used to treat convulsions. Gout A painful condition, gout is caused by the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints. Although some cases are largely hereditary, alcohol and other dietary factors seem to play a role. Alcohol also seems to aggravate existing cases of gout. High blood pressure Alcohol can disrupt the sympathetic nervous system, which, among other things, controls the constriction and dilation of blood vessels in response to stress, temperature, exertion, etc. Heavy drinking and bingeing, in particular can cause blood pressure to rise. Over time, this effect can become chronic. High blood pressure can lead to many other health problems, including kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke. Infectious disease Heavy drinking suppresses the immune system, providing a toehold for infections, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases (including some that cause infertility). People who drink heavily also are more likely to engage in risky sex. Heavy drinking is associated with a three-fold increase in the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, Rehmn says. Nerve damage Heavy drinking can cause a form of nerve damage known as alcoholic neuropathy, which can produce a painful pins-and-needles feeling or numbness in the extremities as well as muscle weakness, incontinence, constipation, erectile dysfunction, and other problems. Alcoholic neuropathy may arise because alcohol is toxic to nerve cells, or because nutritional deficiencies attributable to heavy drinking compromise nerve function. Pancreatitis In addition to causing stomach irritation (gastritis), drinking can inflame the pancreas. Chronic pancreatitis interferes with the digestive process, causing severe abdominal pain and persistent diarrhea and its not fixable, Saitz says. Some cases of chronic pancreatitis are triggered by gallstones, but up to 60% stem from alcohol consumption. By David Freeman WebMD Feature Reviewed by Marina Katz, MD HOW DO PEOPLE BECOME ADDICTED TO ALCOHOL? Pleasure People use alcohol because they enjoy the way it makes them feel, report doctors at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The brain is wired to seek out enjoyable feelings and to repeat the process that made those reactions possible. Alcoholism is a disease that affects the brain, creating a craving for a repetition of the good sensations. Doctors at the AAFP say that the brain chemistry actually changes to seek out those pleasurable activities, causing the consciousness to lose control over the behavior that will provide them. Alcoholism, or an addiction to alcohol, results when the need for those repeated pleasurable sensations becomes stronger than the need for security. Consequences such as loss of relationships, jobs and freedom cannot overcome the brains desires to seek more pleasure. Read more: http://www. livestrong. com/article/27164-people-become-addicted-alcohol/#ixzz2jLgnOq7T Physical Changes Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that, over time, the balance of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate become altered. GABA inhibits impulsive behavior and glutamate causes the nervous system to become excited. Dopamine levels are also increased by alcohol, which cause the pleasure-seeking behaviors. Genetic markers also can contribute to alcoholism, as the disease tends to run in families. Those with a genetic tendency toward alcoholism are more likely to become addicted once they start drinking. Drinking also can block certain stress hormones, which add to the likelihood of addiction for those who use alcohol to combat stress. Psychological Boost. Many people use alcohol to be socially accepted into various groups. Mayo Clinic doctors report that people with low self-esteem often use alcohol to boost their confidence and fit in with their peers, which can lead to extended use and addiction. People with other mental disorders in addition to social phobias often turn to alcohol to self-medicate. Patients with depression, bipolar disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder commonly become addicted to alcohol after using the drug to decrease the intensity of their symptoms. Excess. Addiction to alcohol is a process that evolves over time, often years. Drinking to excess for an extended period of time increases the likelihood of developing a dependence on the drug. Mayo Clinic doctors report that for men, 15 drinks or more a week can lead to a physical dependence, while women drinking 12 or more drinks per week are at risk for becoming alcoholics. Time frames vary between individuals and can be affected by heredity, the age when the drinking first began, environmental factors, such as drinking in the home, and other emotional and mental disorders.