The impact of out of stock in convenience sector( retail) Literature review

The impact of out of stock in convenience sector( retail) - Literature review Example They can be categorized as discount store, super market, convenience store, hyper market or departmental store. In the literature based on supply chains and logistics, when a customer is unable to find an item of his choice the retail store is considered to be out of stock. Actually, it is not difficult to say â€Å"out of stock†, but like many other issues taken under research; this issue has its own implications which can only be clarified through research (Charlton and Ehrenberg 1976). â€Å"Out of stock can be classified into two types: item and brand† (Fitzsimons 2000). Firstly, a stock keeping unit (SKU) of a particular brand may be out of stock and secondly all options of a particular brand in a single product can be out of stock. Out of Stock (OOS) has been defined differently by different researchers. Gruen and Corsten (2002) define OOS as â€Å"the percentage of SKUs that are OOS on the retail store shelf at a particular moment in time†. This means that the customer perceives that the item he wants will be available but it is not. Alternatively, from a consumer point of view, OOS is â€Å"the number of times a customer looks for the SKU and does not find it† (Corsten and Gruen 2003). ... First, retailers are battled with more charges in providing string of connections, due to high inventory, procurement, management, and warehouse costs. Second, it furthermore raises the likelihood that out-of-stocks (OOS) may happen, which may lead to clientele displeasure and shop disloyalty. As retailers strive to contend with discounters on service, OOS can harshly jeopardize their comparable place in the buyers’ mind. According to Campo et al. (2000), out of supply position not only decreases revenue but furthermore decrease of clients as well. In 20% situations shop swapping is due to out of supply situations. Presently, there have been a vast number of studies carried out by Emmelhainz et al. (1991), Verbeke et al. (1998), Campo et al. (2000), Gruen et al. (2002), Corsten and Gruen (2003) and Sloot et al. (2005). They were responsible for formation of factors which encourage buyer reactions, such as the category of inventory, the extent of brand devotion, type of consume r and the urgency of the requirement for the item. So all of these investigations were rather associated to assess buyer answer as an outcome of OOS position at retail- OOS position is too exorbitant for retailers, as it can originate a decrease in revenue; the study performed in 1968 for Progressive Grocer assessed more than eleven percent decrease in sales. Emmelhainz et al (1991) study outcomes display, for example, that a stock-out can make a constructor misplace more than fifty percent of his clients to competitors, alternatively retailers countenance the decrease of up to fourteen percent of the purchasers of the missing product. This income decrease does not only owe to lost sales all the way through the OOS experience, but can

Individualism versus Collectivism Essay Example for Free

Individualism versus Collectivism Essay The concepts of individualism and collectivism apply to the description of societies and individuals within the society. Cultures vary in their levels of individualism/ collectivism while individuals within these specific cultures vary on the same dimension. Idiocentric and allocentric are constructs that are very important in differentiating consistent variations of an individual’s attitudes, beliefs, self-definition, normative behavior and self-definition. Individualism is termed as the person’s level of idiocentric while collectivism is the person’s level of allocentric (Udehn, 2001). Idiocentric individuals emphasize more on their own goals and needs over those of the group to which they belong. They are much independent and self-reliant. On the other hand, allocentric individuals tend to be more cooperative, interdependent and they also have a stronger desire to partner with others. In addition allocentric and idiocentric individuals differ in their source of intimacy and companionship to satisfy their several needs and to strengthen their self-esteem. For instance, idiocentric obtains their social support from peers and best friends while allocentrics obtain their social support from their parents. Individuals with allocentric tendencies have fewer daily but more in-depth discussions than individuals with idiocentric tendencies. People who express more allocentric or idiocentric tendencies vary in various ways. For instance, the people who tend to be more allocentric have good reliability and inter-correlation thus showing convergent validity. They are characterized with three main aspects which include individual to group goals, in-group as extension of the self and in-group identity. Individuals who are more idiocentric mainly use equity and need in distributing rewards. Individuals who are more allocentric mainly emphasize on the values of cooperation, fairness and honesty while individuals who are more idiocentric put much emphasis on values of comfortable life, competition, pleasure and social recognition. Persons who are allocentric receive much and better quality social support while those who are more idiocentric are usually higher in achievement motivation, alienation and greater loneliness. The difference between collective and individualist cultures is mainly based on self. In collectivist cultures, the self is more linked to in-group memberships while in individualist cultures; self-concept is obtained from independently groups which are based on the varying characteristics and contributions of the individual. In collectivists’ cultures, there is high adherence to the goals of the in-group and to in-group values and also the maintaining of in-group harmony (Lee Kelly 1996). In individualistic societies, the aims and the goals of a particular individual are more important and less significance is attached to in-group harmony. Nevertheless, individualism is mainly based on Western cultures while collectivism is related with Eastern cultures. Collectivistic cultures have lower rates of suicide, psychopathology and relatively higher marital satisfaction than individualistic cultures. I consider myself to be idiocentric. This is because I always concentrate on my own goals and achievement over those of the other people and I carry out my tasks independently. I normally display a different tendency towards the allocentric. For instance, in making purchase of luxury brands, I purchase goods for my own sake pleasures ad interests while the allocentric purchase the luxury brands only with an aim of seeking social recognition (McCarthy, 2005). As a result of these differences, conflict and misunderstanding emerges. This is because as a personally motivated consumer, I will purchase the luxury brands for self-interests while on the other hand an allocentric individual who is socially motivated will make the purchase of luxury brands with an aim of seeking social recognition.

Why the Brother in The Scarlet Ibis is Selfish :: James Hurst

Some people are selfish in such a way that affects only their own selves, but others’ selfishness can hurt those they care about. One of these such people is Brother in â€Å"The Scarlet Ibis†. In James Hurst’s â€Å"The Scarlet Ibis†, Brother is selfish and only teaches Doodle to walk to benefit himself. Brother is too engulfed in his selfish desire for a ‘better’ brother that he does not give Doodle a chance to rest. â€Å"I made him swim until he turned blue, and row until he couldn’t lift an oar.† This excerpt shows the reader how ruthless Brother is in the training he has set up for Doodle. Brother appears to care more about him being capable of doing these ‘fun’ things than his brother having fun doing them does. â€Å"Success lay at the end of the summer like a pot of gold† When Brother says this, he relays how he is greedy for a better brother and will do anything to get what he wants. Brother is selfish because he is not concerned about how the rigorous training is negatively affecting Doodle. â€Å"†¦ Doodle began to look feverish, and Mama felt his forehead. At night he didn't sleep well, and sometimes he had nightmares, and I touched him and said, "Wake up, Doodle. Wake up.† Even though Brother is lucid of the fact that the training is making Doodle unwell, he continues to press Doodle to train harder. Every day, Brother makes Doodle train, even if he does not wish to. Brother is someone that Doodle always looks up to. Brother uses this to persuade Doodle that he must not be different. In conclusion, Brother shows his self-interest in how he treats his younger brother. He treats his younger brother, Doodle, as something to ‘fix’ and he cannot accept his brother as he is. When Doodle finally learns to walk, Brother’s selfish need for a more ‘ideal’ little brother is not satisfied for long. Soon he demands a little brother who can run, jump, climb, swim, swing on vines, and row a boat. When he gives Doodle lessons for these activities, he does not do so for concern about Doodle wanting to be able to do them, but because he wants Doodle to be able to be a ‘normal’ brother.

Who are the real winners and losers in RJR Nabisco takeover

Most Of us looks at LOBO transactions from outs idà ©e and have completely different viewpoint how these transactions are done. Barbarians at the Gate presents a n insider's perspective. We somehow have these believe that when there is billions of dollars involved in transactions, Coo's, investors, investment bankers make their decisions based on numbers, trying g to be objective to make rational decisions and very seldom let their subjectivity such as their ego to drive thee r decisions.However after reading the book, I realize how wrong we all are. This paper focuses on what the management team did wrong that cause them to fail and who are the real winners from this transaction. Why management team lost When Ross Johnson proposed a levered buyout, he was sure he would win. H e thought that Or's directors would give him the deference due a chief executive, never realizing that the b road would have no choice legally or morally but to treat him as an outsider.The following factors h ighlights why management team lost. Remaining Equity: The board tried to keep the company as unbroken as poss. able to minimize the negative effect on employees. However the management team planned to keep only t e tobacco business and sell the entire food business after the acquisition. Employees' benefits: Management focused only on employees who would sat y and did not care about employees who would lose their jobs.Ross Johnson did a mistake during one of his interviews regarding potential layoff in the Atlanta headquarters by saying â€Å"those workers had port able jobs and could find employment elsewhere†. Loosing boards trust: Even though Johnson insisted that some portion in queue TTY would be divided among workers, only six names emerged besides his own. Too much for too few, this s what the directors thought, which shocked them. In the end, Ross Johnson lost the battle when he refuse d to guarantee the benefits of those same workers.Choice of bankers and lack of cla rity. Choosing only one banker whom Ross Joe hone's friend suggested was a big mistake. Ross Johnson did not have a clear overall approach and was cons sisterly following Shearers Salmon's advises. Why KIRK won Clear strategy: Recruit every significant player so that the other bidding group s would not be able to retain them and left the management-Shearers bidding group with only one available e player, Salomon Brothers, with significant access to capital market.Reading board's mind: Keeping its options open, KIRK did not disclose fully its Eng-term plans and tried consistently read the board's mind and to act based on it (for example, guar noted severance and other benefits for employees who would lose their jobs, or the announcement to Pl an to hire Paul Stitch as the chairman and CEO in order to mitigate the uncertainties regarding the business as, since he has been with company previously and showed due diligences in his position). Who are the real winner and losers?

Professionalism and ethics Essay

The episode presented in this case study give rise to Moral Sense Test directed to analyzing human moral judgments. The issue of saving a large woman to save 22 tourists behind her, driving a boat faster to save life of five people from drowning and at the same time letting one person to fall of and drown, failure to give a drug to a terminally ill person in knowledge that he may die without it and his organs may be used to safe some other three persons, and suffocating your baby with aim of averting an enemy from finding both of you and kill and other eight hiding with you presents a moral dilemma situation directed towards scrutinizing psychological mechanism basic to social moral judgment. Situation leading to moral dilemma has been capturing human attention towards how people judge certain affairs, deciding on justified and unjustified situations as well as social views on right and wrong action. Debate on moral decision has been has been a contentious issue with philosophers speculating how people have been making moral decision in the society. Scenarios presented by this paper give a situation which has for long been pondered by philosophers as well other professional on whether to sacrifice one for a greater good. Utilitarian ethical theory support option of sacrificing one to protect many. Many societies seems to value the utilitarian option but there is a considerable emotional element given that verdict involves harming a human being. Any of decision made on these scenarios results to a moral tug of war between whether to kill one person as in the case of killing huge woman to save 22 tourist, sacrificing one person to save five from drowning, sacrifice on ill person to save three and sacrificing a child to save you and others with sympathy of killing a human being. Moral theories Egoism as an ethical theory entails individual’s self is the motivation and the goal of individual’s own accomplishment. Egoism has two folds i. e. descriptive and normative. Descriptive also called positive variant, define egoism as explanation of human affairs meaning individuals are motivated by self interest and desires while normative ethics elaborates that people should be motivated. Ethical egoism an individual have no duty anyone but to him/herself. Meaning that, every person should strive satisfy his or her individual interests maximizing own welfare. According to egoism, each individual has a goal of his own†¦This diversity of goals may endanger conflict. This is not an objection to ethical egoism, however. When people have goals in conflict, each individual ought, according to egoism, to maintain his or her goal. Ethical egoism is a consistent ethical theory, in competition with other ethical theories,† (Tannsjo 2002 pp 42). From the above quote we can say that according to egoism theory you act wrongly when if you do not strive to maximize your interest. Maximizing of interest means that an individual can go to an extent of doing harm in order to protect his/her interests. The egoist is prepared to kill, not only in order to save many lives but in order to save his or her own life. Therefore, in the scenarios presented in our case study when considering egoism ethical theory means that when doing any act you should consider your interests. For example an egoist would consider saving digging a woman and making 22 tourists to perish and sacrificing woman life to save tourist will depend on different interests according to egoism theory. That is can sacrifice the whole group or to save large woman according to whom we have interest in and vice-versa. Being a subject of Moral Sense Test based on egoism moral theory I would drown person in the falling from the boat to save other five based on my interests. If I am more affiliated to the falling person, according to egoism I would let five to perish and save the one I have interest in. In case my interest is more to the five people I would work to save them making the falling person to die. In the case where am to suffocate my screaming my screaming baby to save myself and other eight hiding with me would be a better option considering egoism theory. This is due to individual interest of living taking more priority than that of the baby hence saving other eight people. Faced with scenario of sacrificing failing to give drug to a terminally ill patient knowing that he will die but his organs could be used to save other three patient considering egoism theory would mean to fall the self interest in this scenario. Saving three persons to the expense of sacrificing one terminally ill patient means that my interest for example if patient is my relative. On the other hand if I have more interest to a more terminally ill patient I would not fail to give drug making other three to die according to egoism theory of maximizing of interests. Conventional morality can be described as a morality of established local practice or a part of morality that directs people day to day life. â€Å"Conventional morality defines responsibilities, gives direction to action, helps to organize social life. It establishes expectations and thereby give guidance for personal development† (DeMarco 1994 pp. 24). This means that it is a fixed pattern of individual or a professional governing a particular role, giving boundaries of action, dependencies as well as patterns of authority. That is society or individuals have moral responsibility based on conventions and violations of conventions mean individual actions are immoral. In the three scenarios presented in case study in this context conventional morality theory would looking at different laid down standard in trying to save different dilemmas. Incase of saving a five from drowning to the expense of saving the one falling and vise versa would depend on morals raid down. If my society moral dictates that saving many would be the most moral, according to conventional morality I would strive to save the five and let the falling person to die even if it is my relative since these are set convention and must be followed. In case it is refusing to give terminally ill patient drug making his to die and use his organ to save the three will depend on convention set by the hospital and act according to them. Suffocating my baby so that I can save myself and other eight persons from attacks of an enemy would depend on set societal convention which may favor suffocating my baby or letting all to die all together. For example if conventions dictates that I should strive to save many, suffocating of my baby may be an option and this would be morally upright according to conventional theory of morality. Moral dilemmas have presented various arguments making some of philosophers to argue that â€Å"†¦doing the right is whatever produce the greatest balance over evil†¦This view has been called ‘utilitarianism’ or ‘consequentialism. ’ ‘Utilitarianism’ tends to be associated with the view that ‘good’ means a balance of pleasure over pain†¦or perhaps some more sophisticated ‘happiness’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hallquist, 2008 para. 5). According to Hallquist (2008), when applying utilitarianism theory of morality to moral dilemma where you have an option of killing one person to save many, an individual is requires to kill one and save many. This situation presents a greater evil or prevents a greater evil according to Utilitarianism theory of morality. There have been options when you can consider killing many and save one for example if killing the five would prevent a deadly riot would allow for saving one person instead. According to utilitarianism, killing someone harvest organ to save the five individuals would be a better evil. This means that the case presented in the case study in the context of this paper about refusing to give drug to terminally ill patient letting him to die and using his organ to heal other persons would be a better choice according to utilitarianism. Letting the falling person to die and save and saving five droning persons would be the better evil instead of saving one and letting five to die. Suffocating a my screaming baby according to utilitarianism theory of morality would be a better evil than letting myself and eight people accompanying me to die. Theory of duty ethics also called deontological morality theory view morality through probing the nature of actions and will of agents instead of results achieved i. e. looking at input instead of the outcomes. Incase of killing one person to save many for example a situation where the doctor would sacrifice life of one person and use his organ to save five, duty of ethics opposes this. â€Å"†¦the agent should not kill the one person because if he does that he will produce worse state of affairs, as seen from his position. That he should not kill is the result that deontologist endorse as well† (Kamm 1993 pp. 5). According to duty ethic correctness of an accomplishment is not simply reliant on exploiting the good, if that accomplishment goes in opposition to what is consider moral. This means that the scenarios where am require not to give drug and to let terminally ill person to die and save three from his organ would be immoral from duty ethics. This is because by refusing to give drug is immoral no matter the good it can contribute of saving three persons. Letting the falling from the boat to save the five persons from drowning is immoral according to duty of ethics. On the issue of suffocating my baby it may be immoral to do that because in the first place is illegal to do that hence letting the worst to strike. Virtue of ethics emphasizes that; morality should be guided by character rather than established rules or procedures. This theory is greatly dependent on wisdom to direct an individual to do what he/she feel is moral. Virtue of ethics encompasses trait like honesty and generosity in performance of a moral duty. In the case of moral dilemma of killing on person to save many will be judged from what the person in this situation feel is morally upright. Moral principles The above analysis of the moral theory do not give define solution and are inadequate when giving solution to various situations for example moral dilemma episodes. Seven moral principles give an alternative in trying to get solution on moral decision. Moral principles define the right and wrong accepted an individual or a society to a certain situation or are universal rules that guide an individuals or a society on what to do. That is, they are standard for good behavior in the society. Moral decision making process is the process in which an individual tries to implement a balance of the seven moral principles in a given situation. The seven moral principles are; Respect, Non-Malevolence, Benevolence, Integrity, Justice, Utility and Double Effect. The lists of moral principle incorporate many cultures to serve purpose of morality. According to the principles of morality a moral action should be guide by the application of the most appropriate principle(s). Principle of respect calls for treating everybody with respect together with application of dignity and importance of a person(s) not matter the diversity. Non-malevolence principle calls for avoiding harming people or even causing pain to them. Benevolence principle tries to promote well-being of others. That is it emphasize on responding in the needs of other. This should be consistent to promoting spiritual and cultural belief and values. Principle of integrity advocates for maintaining personal standards for example in the professional environment. In application to the episode of killing one to save many, moral principle provides with a range choice in coming with appropriate action. Conclusion Application of moral theory and moral principles should be directed by the intention of being morally upright in the social operation. There intention is to guide person and society at large to have a common way of handling their affairs for common good. Moral theories and principles are motivated greatly by the social need toward an upright society. Social life presents different circumstances in life and hence many moral theories and principle geared toward giving moral solution to different social circumstances.

Iodine Essays - Thyroid Disease, Thyroid, Iodine Deficiency, Iodine

Iodine Essays - Thyroid Disease, Thyroid, Iodine Deficiency, Iodine Iodine Iodine is an essential macromineral. Almost half the iodine is found in the thyroid gland which is located in the throat. Iodine is an important component of thyroid hormones, which control energy, metabolism in the body as well as the bodys temperature, reproduction, and growth. It is not found in the body so it is very important that you get about .15 mg. daily. Some foods such as vegetables, grains, table salt, dairy products, and especially seafood are the best sources of iodine. Breathing in sea air everyday will give you a sufficient amount of iodine to prevent a disease called goiter. There are two types of goiter: toxic and simple. Toxic goiter is caused by excess of thyroxin secretion. Symptoms may include rapid heart beat, tremor, increased sweating, increased appetite, weight loss, weakness, and fatigue. Other symptoms may include eye problems such as staring or protrusion. Goiter affects over 200 million people throughout the world. 96% is caused by iodine deficiency. Goiters are rare in the U.S. and other industrialized countries because iodine is now added to table salt. Iodine affects body functions too. Hair and nail growth are affected by iodine. The brain, skin, speech, teeth, energy production, metabolism, and physical & mental health development are dependent on a well-functioning thyroid gland. Deficiency symptoms include dry hair, goiter, intellectual disability, paused growth, irritability, nervousness, and obesity. If a pregnant woman takes iodine during pregnancy, the development of goiter will be decreased for both the mother and the child. Iodine is the most efficient treatment for children who have goiter. Iodine does have a down side to it, too. It is not toxic up to 2,000 mcg daily, but it may cause acne. Too much iodine is can link to thyroid cancer. Some people are sensitive to iodine and may break out in a rash if their iodine intake is excessive. The rash looks like a lot like acne. It disappears when the iodine intake is reduced. Most of the illnesses related to iodine occur on all continents and to people of all ages. People who mostly avoid dairy, seafood, processed food, and iodized salt can become deficient. Iodine deficiency can cause low thyroid function, goiter, cretinism. Some people who are overweight mistakenly blame their overweight condition on an under active thyroid gland. In the hopes of speeding up their metabolism, they may start taking a supplement or eating sea salt or seaweed. But in very large amounts, iodine can be poisonous. Iodine is used to treat cuts and scrapes on the skin. The human thyroid gland secretes an iodine-bearing hormone called thyroxin. The body needs iodine as an iodine deficiency causes thyroid trouble. Most table salt is now iodized to supplement the diet. As well, iodine is found in seafood. Iodine is only needed in trace amounts. A good source of this mineral is kelp. Iodine helps to metabolize excess fat and it is very important for both mental and physical health. Iodine deficiency in children can cause mental retardation. In adults iodine deficiency is related to fatigue, breast cancer, hypothyroidism or cretinism, and weight disorders. Chronic iodine toxicity results when the iodide intake is 20 times greater than the daily requirement. In some areas, particularly Japan, inhabitants consume as much as 50 to 80 mg a day, resulting in high plasma levels. Some of these people develop goiters. Increased uptake of iodine by the thyroid may lead to inhibition of thyroid hormone synthesis and eventually causes iodide goiter or myxedema. At very high doses of iodide, a brassy taste, increased salivation, gastric irritation, and skin acne may occur. Iodine is the important component of thyroxine, the thyroid gland's hormone. If there is not enough iodine in the diet, there is insufficient thyroxine, and the pituitary gland responds by releasing more thyroid-stimulating hormone. This causes enlargement of the thyroid gland. However, a goiter may also be caused by overactivity of the pituitary gland or by overactivity of the thyroid gland itself. Other causes include reduced activity of the thyroid gland, so that the gland swells in order to produce more thyroxine. Some types of drugs can produce a goiter. During adolescence or pregnancy, a goiter may appear as the thyroid gland copes with the body's need for more thyroxine. Sometimes a goiter is caused by a tumor on the thyroid gland. Bibliography www.juno.com

I Believe I Can Fly Essay Example

I Believe I Can Fly Essay Example I Believe I Can Fly Paper I Believe I Can Fly Paper I believe I can fly I got shot by the F. B. I All I wanted was some chicken wings and a little bit of collad greens I believe I can soar I got a beaten at the geocery store the barneys ones are: I hate you, You hate me Let get together and kill Barney put a nine millarmeter to his head bang bang bang Barney’s dead I hate you, you hate me, Lets go out and kill Barney, And a shot rang out and Barney hit the floor, No more purple dinosaur! I hate you, you hate me Lets team up and kill Barney Put a gun to his head Pull the trigger, now hes dead First hes purple Now hes red! I belive I can Fly Gettin shot by the FBI all I wanted was a bag of chips Instead I got blown to bits I belive I can soar Hit ma head off an open door Thats how I wanna die Not some lame old poisned pie i believe i can fly i got shot by the FBI all i wanted was a bag of chips instead i got shot in the private bits and then something else or i believe i can fly i got shot by the FBI all i wanted was a chicken wing instead i got shot in the dingiling believe I am high I believe Im gonna die I think about it every night and day Smoke some cracj and pass away I believe I can smoke See me chokin right up my throat I believe I am high

Set up Your Elementary School Classroom for the First Day of School

Set up Your Elementary School Classroom for the First Day of School With the start of each school year, teachers get a fresh chance to arrange their classrooms for a new group of students. Every choice you make sends a message to your students, their parents, and anyone who visits your classroom. Through furniture, books, learning stations, and even desk placement, you communicate the values and priorities of your class. Follow these steps to deliberately maximize the organization and efficiency of your classroom set-up. What You Need Classroom furniture (desks, chairs, bookshelves, etc.)Textbooks and reading books for the class libraryPosterboard for sharing class rules and other key informationAn alphabet/handwriting poster for easy student referenceMaterials for decorating bulletin boards (butcher paper, die cut letters, etc.)School supplies (paper, pencils, dry erase markers, erasers, scissors, and more)Optional: Computers,  class pets,  plants, games 1. Decide How to Place Student Desks If you are going to emphasize cooperative learning on a daily basis, youll probably want to move the student desks into clusters for easy discussion and collaboration. If you want to minimize distractions and chatting, consider separating each desk from the one next to it, leaving a little buffer space to discourage misbehavior. You could also place the desks in rows or semi-circles. Whatever you choose, work with the room and materials you have, leaving plenty of aisle space for you and the students to move around with ease. 2. Strategically Place the Teachers Desk Some teachers use their desks as a central command station, while others use it primarily as a paper pile repository and rarely sit down to work there. Depending on how your desk functions as part of your teaching style, choose a spot where your desk will meet your needs. If its very messy, consider placing it in a less conspicuous spot. 3. Determine What Belongs up Front Since students spend most of their days facing the front of the classroom, be very deliberate about what you place on the walls up front. Perhaps you want to emphasize discipline by placing the class rules on a prominent bulletin board. Or maybe theres a daily learning activity that requires easy-to-view space that all students can see. Make this prime time space engaging, but not distracting. After all, all eyes should be on you, not necessarily a colorful explosion of words and images that distract from the core instruction at hand. 4. Organize Your Class Library Just like a public library, your classroom book collection should be organized in a logical manner that will be easy for the students to maintain throughout the school year. This could mean sorting the books by genre, reading level, alphabetical order, or other criteria. Labeled plastic bins work well for this. Also consider providing a little comfortable reading space for students to lounge with their books during silent reading time. This could mean some inviting bean bag chairs or a dedicated reading rug. 5. Set Aside Space for Your Discipline Plan Its wise to post your class rules in a prominent spot for all to see each day of the school year. That way, theres no opportunity for argument, miscommunication, or ambiguity. If you have a sign-in book or flip chart for rule offenders, set up a station for this activity. Ideally it should be in an out-of-the-way spot where curious student eyes cant easily stare as a rule-breaking student signs in, flips the card, or otherwise does his or her penance. 6. Plan for Student Needs   Make sure basic school supplies are strategically placed for easy student access. This may include various types of writing paper, sharpened pencils, markers, erasers, calculators, rulers, scissors, and glue. Organize these materials in one clearly-delineated part of the classroom. 7. Define the Role Technology Plays in Your Classroom Placement of your computer center communicates the role technology plays in your teaching. If you aim for a more traditional approach to instruction with technology as an occasional compliment, the computers likely belong in the back of the room or a cozy corner. If you integrate technology into most of the lessons, you might want to mix the computers in throughout the room so theyre easily accessible. This is a personal choice based on your beliefs about teaching in the 21st Century in combination with how available technology is on your campus. 8. Express Yourself Through Bulletin Boards Almost every elementary school classroom has bulletin boards on the walls, requiring themes, displays, and regular rotation. Consider designating one or two bulletin boards as seasonal, and thus focus on keeping those boards timely and relevant to current holidays, instructional units, or class activities. Make it easy on yourself by keeping the majority of the bulletin boards evergreen and constant throughout the school year. 9. Sprinkle in Some Fun Stuff Elementary school is primarily about learning, for sure. But its also a time for fun personal touches that your students will remember for a lifetime. Think about having a class pet and make space for cages, food, and other required materials. If a pets not your style, place a few houseplants around the room to add life and a touch of nature. Make a game center for educational activities that students can use when finished with their work. Pop a couple personal photos from home on your desk to express your interests and personality. A little bit of fun goes a long way. 10. Minimize Clutter and Maximize Functionality Before your new students (and their parents) enter the classroom on the first day of school, take a look around your classroom with fresh eyes. Are there any little piles that could be put into a cupboard to tidy up? Does each part of the room serve a clear, functional purpose? What messages are you sending with your classrooms overall appearance at first glance? Make tweaks as necessary. Check out your colleagues classrooms Visit the classrooms of other teachers on your campus for ideas and inspiration. Talk to them about why they made certain organizational decisions. Learn from their mistakes, and dont be shy about copying any brilliant ideas that will work with your teaching style and resources. Similarly, dont feel pressured to adopt any aspects that arent a good fit for your personality or approach. As a gesture of gratitude, share a few of your own best tips with your colleagues. We all learn from each other in this profession. Strike the right balance An elementary school classroom should be engaging, colorful, and expressive. However, dont go overboard and end up more towards the overstimulating end of the spectrum. Your classroom should project a sense of calm, organization, and positive energy, as well as a seriousness about learning. If you gaze around your room and feel overwhelmed by too much color or too many focal points, your students will feel scattered, too. Find a balance between chaotic and stark. Aim for cheery, but focused. Your students will feel the difference each day they walk into the room. Dont be afraid to make changes at any time Once your school year gets underway, you may find that certain aspects of your classroom set-up arent working quite the way you initially envisioned. No worries! Just eliminate any parts that now seem obsolete. Add in the new functionalities you now know you need. Briefly introduce the changes to your students, if necessary. Every so often, reevaluate with a practical, flexible attitude, and your classroom will be a vibrant, organized place for learning all year long.

Why Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why Technology - Essay Example odern age. Laptops, tablets, PCs, mobile devices are creating new economic and business opportunities and students need these skills to compete effectively in the economy for career placement. 2- Reflections on what you learned about teaching, learning and technology? Teaching, learning, and technology are all joined by the common denominator that what one does with a tool is more important than any other aspect of learning. There are many situations where a person may have many resources – academic, economic, and social – but fails to produce anything with the opportunity. Therefore, it is not only providing options but also action that should define aspects of technology, learning, and education. This means class participation, projects, and hands-on building activities to generate new projects and practical experience. 3- Statements of how or why this is important to you and your class and students.

Apple and samsung Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apple and samsung - Essay Example Apple and Samsung companies are doing very well and they have several things in common. The objective of this writing is to compare and evaluate the two major competitor corporations, Apple and Samsung. According to Wagstaff & Kim (2012), it is undeniable that both companies are similar in terms of size though were founded in different periods. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple in 1976 while Samsung was founded in 1938 by a Korean businessperson, Byung-Chull Lee. Even though Samsung started as a vegetable and fruit company, it later started back in 1969 as an electronic company. Apple’s personal computers were amongst the best but later experienced a decrease in sales after the high competition in electronics began. The company then started to produce new product iPod that largely enhanced her revenues. On the other hand, Samsung was developing slowly through introduction of various products in the market prompting it to change her mission statement to keep pace with its growing global operations, changes in the world economy as well as escalation from well-established companies. Moreover, Apple prides herself on innovation and is known for taking 8 years to develop a single product before releasing it to market. Worstall (2013) explains that Apple’s culture is to release products that are not perfect and once released, they make major updates hardly, confident that their original work is the best. This technique ensures a fascinated tech press and awed public, which compels a certain level of security as well as secrecy that segregates the company from attaining valuable market feedback prior to launch. This further raise the stakes of every product launch to the market changing and checking on any of their recent launches such as iPhone 5 and iOS7, it is nearly impossible for Apple live up to the demand for their products. Samsung however, releases a less than perfect product and iterate their way to success, which conforms, to their hi story of releasing new products that are far from perfect. The company does not make massive splash, instead the first generation product is meant to gauge interest and test capabilities since they are content to iterate their way to successful products. It is worth noting that Samsung uses less resources in product launch compared Apple although they are both at the top of the global smartphone market (Worstall, 2013). Although Samsung is a vast industrial conglomerate that manufacturers several things such as refrigerators and semiconductors, most people identifies it with smartphones, which is actually powering her growth. The company’s stunning fourth quarter results saw her profits rising to 87%. It is apparent that the phone division contributed to half of the profit and it does not break out smartphone revenues (Gupta, Kim and Levine, 2013). In 2011, Samsung sold almost 63.5 million in the quarter of which 40 million came from Samsung Galaxy S3 although the market seem to reach saturation in developed countries and the competition is high in developing countries. In the last quarter of 2011, Apple saw a remarkable profit of $13bn, which included 48 million of iPhones outpacing the Samsung Galaxy S3. Apple is even more dependent for profits for profits on smartphones compared to Samsung and Apple still takes a vast share of the mobile phone

The Iconography of Buddha Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Iconography of Buddha - Essay Example Art has been seen as a connecting factor to people sharing the same belief. The Buddhist with their representation of their god sees it an as a unifying factor. Â  The current art vocabularies are trying to adhere to the tradition vocabularies that did not allow for diversity. The vocabularies are trying to define the technical requirements within the art word. The modern art vocabularies are having a problem of getting the right words to describe these art technical terms. Â  Buddha has seen an unlighted being among the Buddhist. In the early years of development of the Buddhist religion, it did divide into different denominations. The different denominations came up with a different representation of Buddha. The imagery representation of Buddha is a man. The man poses some characteristics like having his legs resembling an antelope’s leg. The hands and the legs of the Buddha are webbed, while the hands are touching the knees. The face of the Buddha is represented by a youthful stature. Having a youthful face is to symbolize the ordinary process of the Buddha. The pictorial representation of Buddha was changing with the legs and foots growing long with time. This attribute has stopped changing in the recent times with them remaining the same in pictures. Â  The Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings representation. They have some observable difference with the Buddha-like having some objects carried in their hands. They have a resemblance to the superhuman by having multiple legs and hands, unlike the Buddha that has only a pair of legs and hands. One of the Bodhisattvas made in India was the Kannon which can be depicted as a woman in Japan. Â  Canons are the different laid out rules of art.

Matrix for Capstone project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Matrix for Capstone project - Term Paper Example Its experimental approach and clinical set up, however, offers remedies to the weaknesses. Consequently, it can be used to inform a research study or to develop knowledge on operation safety from radiations. The sample consisted of a radiology fellow, who was involved in all of the investigated procedures, and 21 anesthesiology residents. Sixteen of the residents were primary clinicians in single procedures while the remaining five residents were primary clinicians in more than one procedure. The maximum number of procedures for a resident was four. The clinicians had been trained on radiology safety prior to the study. The level of evidence that lack of randomization and control characterizes is a threat to validity and reliability of the study. Another limitation is the small sample size, for a quantitative study. Strengths of the study such as use of laboratory equipments that are accurate and presumed personnel diversity within the facility of study remedies the limitations. The study can, therefore, be used as a source of information for further scientific research and to inform practices in radiology procedures. The study aimed at making a vibro-tactile display and to investigating effectiveness of vibro-tactile display, through â€Å"identification rate, accuracy, response rate, ease of learning, and feedback,† and to compare the display with auditory alarm (p. 1723). The study had multiple purposes that are to explore types of radiation and possible biological effects of radiations, to discuss radiation quantity and units of measurement, and to review measurement of radiation exposure and safe range of exposure. Other objectives were to discuss risk of exposure to pregnancy, measures for mitigating exposure, and to develop knowledge on the ALARA concept. The author does not disclose approach to recruitment an selection of reviewed literature and this could conceal possible bias. Bias in interpretation of reviewed

Intro to Mngt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro to Mngt - Essay Example Management is a generic term which can be applied to anything undertaken. It could be management of any kind of task. While business pertains to larger entity and usually involves more resources consumption, more manpower utilization and ultimately broader scope. Management usually requires more clerical and on the paper activity while business may be conducted in aloofness from the on the paper procedures and documentation. Business can be that of commercial level and outdoor activities. Management at the same can be applied to businesses while the term is non exclusive one towards management. In other words, each has their own domain yet management being implementable to business, while the latter may not be implementable to the former. Classical Approach of Management came to fore at a time when the industrial development rose up and the need was felt for making use of the industrial environment in a better way. As a result different modes of classical approach were introduced which are vis a vis: Each has given flexible options in their own way and have improved the manner in which businesses were being conducted in past. The proponent of this theory was F.W. Taylor (Raju & Parthasarathy 2004). While scientific management approach is reliant on the technical knowledge and based on that knowledge the execution according to the desired manner. In a collective way, these three models have paved way for the current state of managerial development and the fruit being extracted from it in form of high productivity and satisfaction of all the stakeholders. Bureaucratic management model was more focused on public administration and the working and governance of the controlling lines such as political and line management. its traces can be stretched back to 18th century and the pioneer behind this idea was Max Weber. Out of these three, administrative management provides more options, for the mere reason that it takes

Matrix for Capstone project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Matrix for Capstone project - Term Paper Example Its experimental approach and clinical set up, however, offers remedies to the weaknesses. Consequently, it can be used to inform a research study or to develop knowledge on operation safety from radiations. The sample consisted of a radiology fellow, who was involved in all of the investigated procedures, and 21 anesthesiology residents. Sixteen of the residents were primary clinicians in single procedures while the remaining five residents were primary clinicians in more than one procedure. The maximum number of procedures for a resident was four. The clinicians had been trained on radiology safety prior to the study. The level of evidence that lack of randomization and control characterizes is a threat to validity and reliability of the study. Another limitation is the small sample size, for a quantitative study. Strengths of the study such as use of laboratory equipments that are accurate and presumed personnel diversity within the facility of study remedies the limitations. The study can, therefore, be used as a source of information for further scientific research and to inform practices in radiology procedures. The study aimed at making a vibro-tactile display and to investigating effectiveness of vibro-tactile display, through â€Å"identification rate, accuracy, response rate, ease of learning, and feedback,† and to compare the display with auditory alarm (p. 1723). The study had multiple purposes that are to explore types of radiation and possible biological effects of radiations, to discuss radiation quantity and units of measurement, and to review measurement of radiation exposure and safe range of exposure. Other objectives were to discuss risk of exposure to pregnancy, measures for mitigating exposure, and to develop knowledge on the ALARA concept. The author does not disclose approach to recruitment an selection of reviewed literature and this could conceal possible bias. Bias in interpretation of reviewed

European Union Law discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Union Law discussion - Essay Example Although the European Union has been concerned with discrimination issues since its inception, it was not until 1997, when the Treaty of Amsterdam3 amended the Treaty of Rome, that anti-discrimination was included as a basic founding principle of the Union. Than, another step was made in 2000 with the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union4 which introduced the notion of equality and non-discrimination as fundamental rights which should be respected by every State.. Since the project of Constitution5, the notions of gender equality and of the respect of the minorities have been introduced. Furthermore, to become a member of the Union, it is necessary to promote all of these values. On this first part, we will discuss one of the principal issues regarding discrimination in the European Union: Gender Equality, through the use of case examples and the description of the policy of the quotas. One of the most important examples of successful gender equality in the European Union today may be the long waited access to politics for women. Belgian Environment, Sustainable Development and Consumer affairs Minister Van den Bossche accessed her position in Parliament thanks to gender quota according Amanda Ripley in her special report about gender equality in Time Europe.6 Taking the example of Belgium, the percentage of women in the lower House of Representatives has risen from 23% in 1999 to 35% in 2003. Nevertheless, the problem does not exist within the politics of quotas but in the mentality of the people: "They insist that France's largest parties failed to meet the quota requirements because powerful men didn't want to relinquish their positions to women. "There is still a lot of machismo," says Anne Hidalgo, a Socialist Party (PS) member who is also deputy mayor of Paris and a city councilwoman."7 When we are dealing with gender equality quotas and the policy of the European Union regarding this subject, we are only facing a European Union Directive aiming to put an end to gender discrimination (COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation8) but there is an absolute lack of promotion dedicated to change the ideas that the population may have regarding women access to higher positions in the public or the private sector. Naturally, the legislation is necessary to make it happen. In "Spain plans to ban sex discrimination at work" from Leslie Crawford9, the consequences of Spain proposed law which would oblige companies with more than 250 workers to introduce "equality plans" aimed at eliminating discrimination against women in pay, promotion and benefits had an echo on the European Union which stated that "a new European institute for gender network of national gender equality bodies to monito r and fight discrimination on equality would be up and running in January next year, while it also promised to fund a grounds of sex in member states." It is disturbing to observe when facing such an important issue like as woman discrimination

Seven Virtues Essay Example for Free

Seven Virtues Essay As long as there has been recognized sin in recorded history, there has been the virtuous equivalent by which good people live their lives. Before Christianity, there were the Pagan virtues, and when Christianity came into dominance in Scandinavia, it adopted these virtues and added several spiritual virtues of its own. Each virtue can be seen as a reflection of societal thought. The virtues tell how the ideal person lives their life, and this idea of the virtuous person is often reflected in literature. In fact, ever since the philosophical writings of Aristotle and the Greeks, there have been tales of characters who embody these virtues. The protagonist of Authun and the Bear exemplifies these seven virtues, and this technique can be seen in modern literature as well, particularly in the 1986 novel, Forrest Gump, by Winston Broom. The virtuous character used must be first defined as morally pure. This chastity sets about them an aura of childhood innocence in many representations. The seven heavenly virtues were first displayed in their current form in the epic poem, Psychomachia, around year 400 (Prudentius). They were the counterparts to the well-known seven deadly sins and chastity is perhaps the broadest of them all. It stresses the importance of honesty and purity of the soul in all walks of life. This was meant to be portrayed to society through the story of Authun and the Bear, as Authun lives a completely pure life in terms of morality. He is open and honest with all those he encounters throughout the story, even those who might otherwise be his enemies. When facing the rival king of Denmark, he maintains that he means to give his bear to Denmark’s king (Jones). By expressing this virtue in a traditional tale which was most likely passed on for years before being written down, it appealed to many people on a very personal scale. Authun may not have always lived the pure life he does in the current form because the story was written down after the shift away from shamanistic principles, when Christianity stressed the virtues. Ever since Christianity took hold as the dominant religion in Western society, there have been tales focusing on characters who represent the virtuous life. Forrest Gump is a modern example that distinctly outlines the idea of a pure character. He only has one love, is open and honest in all his dealings, and carries about a childhood innocence throughout the text. The effect of tales such as Authun and the Bear and Forrest Gump has made an undeniable mark on society; it has led to the reverence of a chaste life in all aspects of the word. In order to live a life of purity, one must also live by the virtue of temperance. Authun shows balance in many aspects of his life. Although he leaves on a journey for himself, he ensures that his mother is provided for before doing so (Jones). In Scandinavia, this can be seen as a shift away from the gluttonous pillaging of the Vikings. It was meant to impress upon the citizens that a life lived by moderation can be just as successful and fulfilling as an immoral life of greed. The vices were being brought to the light and this continued with many pieces of literature exposing them. Georg Stiernhielm, in Hercules, condemns gluttony through his personification of the vice in Ruus . This trend is prevalent all the way through to the 20th Century where in Broom contrasts the virtues Forrest with the greed of others in Forrest Gump. Forrest finds balance in his life by not overindulging in any one activity, but living a life of variety and virtue. _____________________ A clear offspring of the temperate life, is the participation in charity. For a society where it was once thought that the rich had the right to supplement themselves and let the poor remain poor, this was a monumental shift in social thought. This principle is displayed by Authun in his gift of the bear to the king of a foreign land, but more important is the reaction of the king. Kind Svein returns Authuns gift with marvelous treasure which Authun humbly accepts. The king also finds Authun a poor and sick man, but scorns those who scoff at him saying, â€Å"He has provided better for his soul than any of you† (Jones). With this new idea of Christian charity impregnated in traditional folk tales, Scandinavian society was able to move in a direction where assistance of the less fortunate was commended. This attribute of Authun and the Bear was especially standout for a time when kings meant to project images of power and might. Snorri Sturluson did not include the tale of Authun in his original book of King’s sagas, possibly meaning that the tale was created years later to suit Christian ideals. Either way, charity has been impressed on world culture as a virtuous characteristic, and has been noticeably prevalent in literature. While the virtuous character must be concerned with providing for others, he or she must also have intrinsic motivation to accomplish the tasks at hand. This is where the person of virtue must come to embody diligence. This virtue is set to combat the vice of sloth, which can be devastating to a productive society. By showing the success and happiness of a zealous man in Authun, the impression is that one can reach similar achievements by applying this motivation to their own life. This idea has been around many years as a necessary trait of citizens. In Plato’s Republic, the citizens are raised to work diligently at their tasks so that the entire city can prosper. Christianity saw the rewards of this work ethic and therefore preached that the virtuous life requires it. Forrest Gump continues this trend into the 20th Century by following the successful life of a man who excels at all tasks because of his persistence. Intelligence is not stressed in the virtues and neither Authun nor Forrest shows any signs of great intellect. Christianity did not need its followers to become extremely educated, because that was not deemed important for an ideal society. John Ruskin, a writer and critic of art, architecture and society in the 19th Century said, â€Å"Nearly all the evils in the Church have arisen from bishops desiring power more than light. They want authority, not outlook. † By teaching people to be diligent and hardworking rather than speculative and questioning, the Church gained power and authority through citizens who did not question its corruption at the time. Authun and the Bear was written prior to the Modern Breakthrough, where writers began questioning authority and tradition.

Information Management System Of Samsung Marketing Essay

Information Management System Of Samsung Marketing Essay We believe that Samsung has good chance to get success when global market is becoming more competitive. Samsung can create new trends in market in a fashionable way and using the recommended conditions which have been discussed, while it is backed up by core competency of marketing. We really believe that earlier advantage can be achieved despite Nokia has currently launched a new phone as their brand is driven by style and price. Samsung can launch a new product with a fashionable style and can build a new brand image that is not manufactured and launched by any other company. Sustainability of this product requires new and up to date relevant technology which will keep it for long period. Technical and famous designers are used to make certain products at forefront of the new competitive global and fashionable industry. Technology used is the key role player to change the traditional trends in industry and this technology is incorporated into the Cell phone to make best use of it for the potential sales. Strategic Information Management of Samsung 3 Introductions 3.1 Background and Assumptions Samsung Group of companies was found in 1938 and major leading company to provide manufacturing and financial services. Since 1980 it has made enormous development in semiconductor and electronics industry. Samsung has made remarkable growth in net profits since last two decades. This is regarded as the ways of Samsung conducts the business and strategic information management is the pillars of the entire business at Samsung. For a long period relationships between corporate strategy and information systems; Top management of the firms were not much interested. Information management systems are to be thought as same to corporate data processing and support the daily routine functions (Rockart, 1979). Information management systems based on computer based response to any type of interaction whether at transaction level and supply levels etc. Although Samsung is a much consolidated company but it requires more strategic development planning system to identify more future projects to compete its sister companies in the world. Shipping of products and the best use of strategic information management can enhance the capabilities of the managers to identify the achievable targets of selling of new products of fashionable mobiles by installing the new information management systems. Supply Chain Operations need more development to improve Samsungs global business operations. 4. Objectives For the strategic decision making organizational analysis is much important and business units concerning to organizations objectives which require accountability must be clearly defined. Stakeholders must be satisfied with these new strategic decisions (Joyce and Woods, 2001). The Samsung requires a corporate culture and ethics when implementing new strategies whether this strategy is adequate and can be implemented within firm. Top Management of the Samsung takes strategic decisions to become important player in the Phone Industry. All units within Samsung are responsible to CEO. The CEO of the Samsung is setting a separate unit to foster the start up and meeting the requirements of the customers as well as generating more revenue for its share holders. The CEO of the Samsung has set these goals to take advantage of wealth of shareholders to ensure that Samsung will remain more profitable within market. In this way Samsung mobiles will be an independent unit driven by the goals of Samsung as it is functioning within Samsung firm and its revenue will be rewarding to Samsungs shareholders. 5 Remote Environment For any firm market based view is very important to understand the external environment before they make any strategic choices. Many factors must be addressed which influence the industry and these factors include as PESETEL analysis, Porters Five Forces and Globalization drivers (Partridge, 2005). 6 PESTEL analysis 6.1 Political - Due to that as markets are regulated so both manufacturers and operators work in an environment free of governments invention. 6.2 Economic- Increase in income makes the people to have more disposable income, which enables the user or customer to make selection among the best choice of mobile cells. Price is a key factor to be focused rather addressing the basic needs (messaging and calls) of the customers. 6.3 Social- Due to rise in information society, telecommunication has become more important for consumers in terms of leisure and work. Electronic media provides the information about the new advancement in handset mobiles and consumers are aware of their best choice among these handset phones. 6.4 Technological Global technology advancement are as GPRS, GSM, WAP, Bluetooth, MMS and Cameras which are hallmark in mobile phone industry. European market is less technologically advanced than their counterpart Asian market i.e. in Asia 90% phones with cameras while in Europe just 4% phones had handsets with cameras (Johnson and Scholes, 2001). Environment Mobile phones have hazardous affects on human health due to waves which are emitted by these handsets and also cause potential tumors (BBC, 2004). Immense wastage created by the disposable handsets which are also non-ecological. Legal It is very difficult to patent the mobile phones designs. 7 Porters Five Forces A company needed as many as possible to neutralize the five forces to generate a well competitive advantage. Porters forces (Porter, 1998) are used basically for the attraction of industry and searches sources of its competition. These forces are dependent on each other and Samsung like industries must know the connection between these forces. 7.1 Entry Barriers Change in the technology makes the entire industry to invest more in development and research, which is carried out by the firms to keep up to date that which firm has latest technology featured handsets. Companies in the same mobile phones are in competition to release a similar or better product than other company. Many Asian small manufacturing companies copied the design of these products and grabbed the share in market in 2002. Samsung already has good access to its supply and distribution channels but it requires more channels to spread the Samsungs products more successfully. Due to globalization the cost of products is decreased. Entry barriers are resurrected to make the marketing more effective focusing upon fashion and exclusively. 7.2 Buyers Buyers power is very economically beneficial for the manufacturing companies as operators purchase the products in bulk and large sum of money is invested to keep their constant demand of good quality products. This large sum money provides necessary funds to research and develop to satisfy the customers with their demands. It shows the buying power of the customers which is a cyclic process and favors the operators. Consumers of Samsungs products are divided into two groups, one of them group wants to purchase the product based on price, style and quality while other people living in China and Philippine pay higher prices than their counterparts living in European countries. Users in Britain and Germany get mobile phones subsidized while people in Asia and Italy purchase the phone at full price. Buying power for the Samsungs products is seen as powerful due to users loyalty towards the new fashionable products. 7.3 Substitutes Better technology in future can be the best alternative of the mobile phones. PC based application are possible substitutes for messaging through Yahoo Messenger and people always return to mobile phones call as the call charges escalates. Because mobile phones provide very massive convenience so less alternative of mobile phones are available. 7.4 Suppliers Suppliers are high in numbers and therefore switching costs is low. Suppliers have very feeble power having very limited bargaining supremacy. 8 SWOT Analyses Samsung is one of largest group based in South Korea that works worldwide as subsidiaries. Company has focused on electronics products and service activities. Samsung Electronics is a major manufacturer of random access memory chips and mobile cells as a whole sets. Strengths 8.1.1 Credit ratings Improvements In 2002 company made a tremendous increase in credit rating as it also made previously in 1996. This shows that Company has recovered from the financial crisis and raised the corporate image of the Samsung Company. Diversification Company has made continuous transformation of diversification through its entire business. This is achieved due to competitive pricing of mobiles phone products and catered the premium demand. This has forced the competitors to expand its shares in market. Telecommunication Business New products of mobiles phones with advanced features (cameras, voice dialing and color screens) are added to its sale. Handset mobiles increased its sale up to 48% in 2002 and have become one of the largest mobile phone manufacturers in world. 8.2.0 Weaknesses Prices of the memory chips has fallen which constitute a major portion of its revenue collection. Due to fluctuation in telecommunication demands and technology issues has impacted on the revenue collection. A slump in demand can be averted by the competitors improvement in fashion and new designs. Mobile phone business requires Samsungs more investment to protect its market shares and stability. Other areas of company which require more attention are the fast SCM. 8.3.0 Opportunities Samsung has invested heavily in marketing and internal research and development products during last 10 years. Company wants to build a system for research and development that will stimulate the demand and SCM. A number of affiliated companies are sold in recent years in order to build it and reduce its debts. Samsung has restructured its business to surpass the Hyundai to become the largest company of the South Korea. Samsung is now building itself in Easter Europe and India market to build a globally integrated business administrative system to improve its international network infrastructure. 8.4.0 Threats 8.4.1 Strong Competitors LG and SK groups are the competitors of the Samsung in South Korea and also other major companies across all areas of its entire business. Samsungs competitors in electronics include the Micron Technology, Sony and Matsushita. Nokia is also major competitors in the area of the mobile phones production. 8.4.2 Safeguarding the Property Rights Samsung is manufacturing and marketing new products each year. Samsung is facing the problem of safeguarding the property rights which are crucial to retain its competitive edge. 9 Alternate strategic approaches Samsungs rival companies may produce good designed mobile phones with better technology to make difference with other companies. Smaller companies are using this trend in Chinas market and copied the products of major companies. Using Samsung mobile phones, user can perceive the quality and style of the manufacturing company. Technology used is the potential of the Samsung to compete other companies in the market and generate more revenue. Customers will find it more comfortable when product is not potentially out of date up to a year in terms of its functionality. It could increase the demand and prove ultimately cheaper. What are the strategic options in future to grow more economically the Samsung? It can be seen as 9.1 Price The price of the Samsung mobile phones must be in approach of common users ensured with quality and services. This will encourage the customers to increase the demand of products. 9.2 Distribution Supply Chain Management must ask its retailer to display the products in highly fashioned apartments and stores, which will impact the brand image of products. 9.3 Countries Europe, Asia and America are the major world markets. European countries are wealthier than other countries, so Samsung mobile phones must reach there with advance features. 9.4 Operators Operators and retailers have high power of buying these products. They know the degree of the price of the end-consumers. Operator can sell these products very efficiently. 9.5 Brand Marketing Samsung mobile products are very crucial because new brands have been added to already list of mobile phones sets. Marketing of these products must be in fashion world and role models are very significant. 10 Competitive advantages / CSFs Critical Success Factors CSFs measure the existing strengths and advantages in Samsung. Rockart (1979) has defined the critical success factors being in the limited areas for a business with satisfactory results, that ensures the competitive performance of an organization. CSFs are critical factors which represent many things in a firm and must go in right direction to flourish the business. CSF basically discusses the objectives of the business that is under review. This technique is used by the people and its value is lost when used below the third level in an organizational hierarchy (Ward, 1990, p.164). Samsung has improved its ability to recycle the sources and developed the cell phones more plausible for users. Strategic transformation of RD center has altered the organization and progressed the business unit value (Park, Sangmoon,Gil, Youngjoon, 2006). Samsung is providing best customers services in following areas Samsung facilitates best and costs valuable solution It provides unique service at homes without any change of mobile terminal and provides automatic installation and remote operations for users feasibility Value creation for End Users is a great advantage of the Samsung. It provides voice service, fast data service and wired/wireless service to its customers. Samsungs efforts are proving to be fruitful because their SCM six sigma program is very useful to produce talented specialists. It is expected that six sigma will play a vital role for global optimum. Branding strategy of sponsoring big events like Olympics and placements of its products at festivals is a good move of Samsung. Transition from 2G to 3G technology that emphasizes on multimedia is good change in technology strength. However new changing technology can solve many technology issues and can bring key driver changes in the Samsungs mobile phone industry. Currently market is dynamic and if Samsung goes away of this it could damage the sales. 11 Conclusions After the external and internal analysis it is required that strategic issues in Samsung must be addressed immediately. Best information management system can resolve these strategic issues by implementing the current strategy to retain the long term competitive advantages. Samsung being the key driver of technology transition of mobile phones industry can sustain its continuous and new competitive advantages. Samsung is not likely to fail because mobile phones are relevant to customers demand and up to date. Samsung has focused much upon the brand marketing because global market is highly competitive and dynamic. Sigma program is key factor to develop the Supply Chain System. On the one hand Samsung is very optimistic to facilitate the end users with best quality services and on the other hand it is generating more revenue for its shareholders. Finally Samsung mobiles are designed by talented designers; it ensures that products are displayed at best events of the world and remain fo refront at the fashion industry.

Reality is Like A Dream in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by

Reality is Like A Dream in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates intrigues readers in her fictional piece â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been† by examining the life of a fifteen year old girl. She is beautiful, and her name is Connie. Oates lets the reader know that â€Å"everything about her [Connie] had two sides to it, one for home, and one for anywhere but home (27). When Connie goes out, she acts and dresses more mature than she probably should. However, when she is at home, she spends the majority of her time absorbed with daydreams â€Å"about the boys she met†(28). This daydreaming behavior is observable to the reader throughout the story. From theories about dreams, theories about subconscious thought, and the clues that Oates provides, the reader is lead to believe that Connie’s experience with Arnold Friend is a nightmare used to awaken her to the consequences that her behavior could result in. Have you ever experienced a dream or a nightmare that seemed like reality? Most people in the world today would say that they have. Although this realistic dream experience does not occur often, when it does, clear distinctions are hard to make between the dream and reality. Theories exist that explain dreams as our subconscious thoughts delving into our minds to make us reflect upon feelings or experiences that we neglect in life when awake. Connie often flirts with her feelings about sexual encounters. In fact, Larry Rubin believes that â€Å"Connie’s intense desire for a sexual experience runs head long into her innate fear of having such an experience† (58). Connie’s tendency to eventually dismiss these fears forces the reader to make the connection between her experience wit... ...tomy between reality and dreams quite well throughout her piece. She provides the reader with two ways to experience the story: either as reality or as reality that turns into a nightmare. This dichotomy that Oates creates â€Å"allows the reader to escape this story, and allows this story to end† (Hurley 374). The end of the story shows Connie entering the new world of experience, and Oates wants the reader to sense her fear. Oates intricately provides the reader with clues that help see why Connie’s experience with Arnold is just a nightmare. She also allows the reader to see how this nightmare is meant to scare Connie into making the realization that her decisions have consequences. I hope that anyone reading this learns from Connie that not everything we do is good for us, and we have to think about the consequences of our actions, whether good or bad, before we act.

The Fluidity of the Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is a novel by Khaled Hosseini. Published in 2003 by Riverhead Books, it is Hosseini's first novel, and was adapted into a film of the same name in 2007. The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan, his father's young Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan's monarchy through the Soviet invasion, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime. Plot summary Part IAmir, a well-to-do Pashtun boy, and Hassan, a Hazara who is the son of Ali, Amir's father's servant, spend their days in the hitherto peaceful city of Kabul, kite fighting. Amir's father, a wealthy merchant, whom Amir affectionately refers to as Baba, loves both boys, but is often more harshly critical of Amir, considering him weak and lacking in courage. Amir finds a kinder fatherly figure in Rahim Khan, Baba's closest friend. Khan understands Amir and supports his interest in writing. Amir explains that his first word was ‘Baba' and Hassan's ‘Amir', suggesting that Amir looks up most to Baba, while Hassan looks up to Amir.Assef, a notorious sociopath and violent older boy, mocks Amir for socializing with a Hazara, which is, according to Assef, an inferior race whose members belong only in Hazarajat. One day, he prepares to attack Amir with stainless-steel brass knuckles, but Hassan bravely stands up to him, threatening to shoot out Assef's eye out with his slingshot. Assef and his posse back off, but Assef threatens revenge. Hassan is a successful â€Å"kite runner† for Amir, knowing where the kite will land without watching it. One triumphant day, Amir wins the local tournament, and finally Baba's praise.Hassan runs for the last cut kite, a great trophy, saying to Amir, â€Å"For you, a thousand times over. † Unfortunately, Hassan encounters Assef in an alleyway after f inding the kite. Hassan refuses to give up Amir's kite, and Assef decides to teach Hassan a lesson. He beats him severely and then anally rapes him. Amir witnesses the act but is too scared to intervene. Secretly, he also knows that if he intervenes, he might not be able to bring the kite home; therefore, Baba would be less proud of him. After witnessing this brutal act against his dearest friend, he feels incredibly guilty, but knows that his owardice would destroy any hopes for Baba's affections, so he tells no one what he saw. Afterward, Amir keeps a distance from Hassan, his guilt preventing him from interacting with the boy. Jealous of Baba's love for Hassan, Amir worries that if Baba found out about Hassan's bravery and his own cowardice, Baba's love for Hassan would grow even more. Amir, filled with guilt on his birthday, cannot enjoy his gifts. The only present that does not feel like â€Å"blood† money is the notebook to write his stories in given to him by Rahim Kha n, his father's friend and the only one Amir felt really understood him.Amir feels life would be easier if Hassan were not around, so he plants a watch and some money under Hassan's mattress in hopes that Baba will make him leave; Hassan falsely confesses when confronted by Baba. Baba forgives him, despite the fact that, as he explains earlier, he believes that â€Å"there is no act more wretched than stealing. † Hassan and Ali, to Baba's extreme sorrow, leave anyway. It is clear that Ali knows about Hassan's rape. Their leaving frees Amir of the daily reminder of his cowardice and betrayal, but he still lives in the shadow of these things. Part IIFive years later, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan in 1979. Amir and Baba escape to Peshawar, Pakistan and then to Fremont, California, where Amir and Baba, who lived in luxury in an expensive mansion in Afghanistan, settle in a run-down apartment and Baba begins work at a gas station. Amir eventually takes classes at a local co mmunity college to develop his writing skills after graduating from high school at age twenty. Every Sunday, Baba and Amir make extra money selling used goods at a flea market in San Jose. There, Amir meets fellow refugee Soraya Taheri and her family.Soraya's father, General Taheri, once a high-ranking officer in Afghanistan, has contempt for Amir's literary aspiration. Baba is diagnosed with terminal small cell carcinoma but is still capable of granting Amir one last favor: he asks Soraya's father's permission for Amir to marry her. He agrees and the two marry. Shortly thereafter Baba dies. Amir and Soraya settle down in a happy marriage, but to their sorrow they learn that they cannot have children. Amir embarks on a successful career as a novelist. Fifteen years after his wedding, Amir receives a call from Rahim Khan, who is dying from an illness.Rahim Khan asks Amir to come to Peshawar, Pakistan. He enigmatically tells Amir, â€Å"There is a way to be good again. † Amir g oes. Part III From Rahim Khan, Amir learns the fates of Ali and Hassan. Ali was killed by a land mine. Hassan had a wife named Farzana and a son named Sohrab. He had lived in a village near Bamiyan, but returned to Baba's house as a caretaker at Rahim Khan's request, although he moved to a hut in the yard so as not to dishonor Amir by taking his place in the house. During his stay, his mother Sanaubar returned after a long search for him, and died after four years.One month after Rahim Khan left for Pakistan, the Taliban ordered Hassan to give up the house and leave, but he refused, and was executed, along with Farzana. Rahim Khan reveals that Ali was not really Hassan's father, that Ali was sterile, and that Hassan was actually Baba's son, and therefore Amir's half-brother. Finally, Rahim Khan tells Amir that the true reason he called Amir to Pakistan was to rescue Sohrab from an orphanage in Kabul. Rahim Khan asks Amir to bring Sohrab to Thomas and Betty Caldwell, who own an orpha nage.Amir becomes furious; he feels cheated because he had not known that Hassan was his half-brother. Amir finally relents and decides to go to Kabul to get Sohrab. He travels in a taxi with an Afghan driver named Farid, a veteran of the war with the Soviets, and stays as a guest at Farid's brother Wahid's house. Farid, initially hostile to Amir, is sympathetic when he hears of Amir's true reason for returning, and offers to accompany him on his journey. Amir searches for Sohrab at the orphanage. To enter Taliban territory, clean shaven Amir wears a fake beard and mustache.However, Sohrab is not at the orphanage; its director tells them that a Taliban official comes often, brings cash, and usually takes a girl away with him. Once in a while however, he takes a boy, recently Sohrab. The director tells Amir to go to a soccer match, where the procurer makes speeches at half-time. Farid secures an appointment with the speaker at his home, by claiming to have â€Å"personal businessâ⠂¬  with him. At the house, Amir meets the man, who turns out to be Assef. Assef recognizes Amir from the outset, but Amir does not recognise Assef until he asks about Ali, Baba, and Hassan.Sohrab is being kept at Assef's home where he is made to dance dressed in women's clothes, and it seems Assef may have raped him. Assef agrees to relinquish him, but only for a price;cruelly beating Amir. However, Amir is saved when Sohrab uses his slingshot to shoot out Assef's left eye, fulfilling Hassan's threat made many years before. While at a hospital treating his injuries, Amir asks Farid to find information about Thomas and Betty Caldwell. When Farid returns, he tells Amir that the American couple does not exist.Amir tells Sohrab of his plans to take him back to America and possibly adopt him, and promises that he will never be sent to an orphanage again. However, US authorities demand evidence of Sohrab's orphan status. After decades of war, this is all but impossible to get in Afghani stan. Amir tells Sohrab that he may have to temporarily break his promise until the paperwork is completed. Upon hearing this, Sohrab attempts suicide. Amir eventually takes him back to the United States without an orphanage, and introduces him to his wife. However, Sohrab is emotionally damaged and refuses to speak to or even glance at Soraya.His frozen emotions eventually thaw when Amir reminisces about Hassan and kites. Amir shows off some of Hassan's tricks, and Sohrab begins to interact with Amir again. In the end Sohrab only shows a lopsided smile, but Amir takes to it with all his heart as he runs the kite for Sohrab, saying, â€Å"For you, a thousand times over. † Characters Amir is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. He was born in 1963, and his mother died giving birth. He is a Pashtun. As a child, Amir delighted himself with storytelling and was encouraged by Rahim Khan to become an author.At age eighteen, he and his father fled to America following the Sovi et invasion in Afghanistan, where Amir pursues his dream of being a writer. Hassan is Amir's closest childhood friend. He is described as having a China doll face, green eyes, and a harelip. The reader eventually discovers that Hassan is actually the son of Baba and Sanaubar, although Hassan never knows this during his lifetime. Hassan was later shot by the Taliban led by Mohammed Omar for refusal to abandon Amir's property. Assef is the main antagonist of the novel.He is the son of an Afghan father and a German mother and ironically, given that he is of mixed origin, an advocate of Pashtun dominance over the Hazara. As a teenager, he is a neighborhood bully and is described as a â€Å"sociopath† by Amir. Many of his cruel actions as a child include raping Hassan as a means of revenge against Amir, and giving Amir a biography of Adolf Hitler as a birthday present. As an adult, he joins the Taliban and rapes and abuses Hassan's son Sohrab. Baba is Amir's father and a wealthy b usinessman who aids the community by creating businesses for others and building a new orphanage.He is also the biological father of Hassan, a secret he takes to the grave. Baba is born in 1933 . According to legend, he won in a fight with a black bear in his younger years. Believing that sin could be explained as a form of stealing from one's fellow man, he does not endorse the religiosity demanded by the clerics in the religion classes attended by Amir in school. Baba is disappointed in his son Amir, whom he wishes to be as manly as he is, and appears to favor Hassan. In his later years after fleeing to America, he works at a gas station.He dies from cancer in 1987, shortly after Amir and Soraya's wedding. Ali is Baba's servant, a Hazara believed to be Hassan's father. In his youth, Baba's father adopted him after his parents were killed by a drunk driver. Before the events of the novel, Ali had been struck with polio, rendering his right leg useless. Because of this, Ali was cons tantly tormented by children in the town. He was killed by a land mine in Hazarajat. Rahim Khan is Baba's loyal friend and business partner, as well as a mentor to Amir. Rahim convinces Amir to come to Pakistan by saying â€Å"there is a way to be good again. He eventually tells Amir that Hassan is his half brother, and that he should save Sohrab. He dies peacefully knowing he has successfully made Amir the man Baba wanted him to be. Soraya is a young Afghan woman whom Amir meets in America. She lives with her parents, Afghan general Taheri and his wife. She meets Amir at a flea market and later marries him. Soraya wants to become an English teacher. Before meeting Amir, she ran away with an Afghan boyfriend in Virginia, which, according to Afghan tradition, made her unsuitable for marriage. Because Amir also had his own regrets, he loved and married her anyway.Soraya wants to have children but cannot because of â€Å"unexplained infertility†. Sohrab is the son of Hassan. Af ter his parents are killed and he is sent to an orphanage, Assef buys him and physically abuses the child. Amir saves him, and then is saved by Sohrab in a pivotal confrontation. He is later adopted by Amir and Soraya, where he adapts to his new life. Sohrab greatly resembles a young version of his father Hassan. Sanaubar is Ali's wife and the mother of Hassan. Shortly after Hassan's birth, she runs away from home and becomes a gypsy. She later returns to Hassan in his adulthood.To make up for her neglect she provided a grandmother figure for Sohrab, Hassan's son. Farid is a taxi driver who is initially abrasive toward Amir, but later befriends him. Two daughters of Farid's seven children were killed by a land mine, a disaster which mutilated three fingers on his left hand and also took some of his toes. After spending a night with Farid's brother's impoverished family, Amir hides a bundle of money under the mattress to help them: the secretive act once committed to hurt his friend Hassan, he now does to help someone he barely knows.General Taheri is the father of Soraya. General Taheri lives mainly off welfare, considering himself too good for ordinary work. He is always waiting for a call to be restored to his former position as a high-ranking general in Kabul, which he eventually receives at the end of the novel, after the fall of the Taliban. Khala/Khanum Jamila is Soraya's mother, who lovingly accepts Amir into her family. She sees Amir as someone who could â€Å"do no wrong in her eyes. † Farzana is Hassan's wife and Sohrab's mother, a shy Hazara who is later shot to death by the Taliban.Reception The Kite Runner received the South African Boeke Prize in 2004. It was the first 2005 best seller in the United States, according to Nielsen BookScan. It was also voted the Reading Group Book of the Year for 2006 and 2007 and headed a list of 60 titles submitted by entrants to the Penguin/Orange Reading Group prize . Controversies The Kite Runner has bee n accused of hindering Western understanding of the Taliban by portraying Taliban members as representatives of various social and doctrinal evils not typically attributed to the Taliban .The American Library Association reports that The Kite Runner is one of its most-challenged books of 2008, with multiple attempts to remove it from libraries due to â€Å"offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group. † Afghanistan's Ministry of Culture banned the film from distribution in cinemas or DVD stores, citing the possibility that the movie's ethnically charged rape scene could incite racial violence within Afghanistan. Adaptations The Kite Runner was published in 2003 and in 2007 adapted as a motion picture tarring Khalid Abdalla, Homayoun Ershadi, and Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada . Directed by Marc Forster and with a screenplay by David Benioff, the movie won numerous awards and was nominated for an Oscar, the BAFTA Film Award and the Critics Choice Award . However, M anhola Dargis of the New York Times states that â€Å"The back of my paperback copy of this Khaled Hosseini novel is sprinkled with words like ‘powerful' and ‘haunting' and ‘riveting' and ‘unforgettable'. It's a good guess this film will be rolled around in a similarly large helping of lard. The novel was also adapted to the stage by Bay Area playwright Matthew Spangler. It was performed at San Jose State University in March 2007 and two years later at San Jose Repertory Theatre, where David Ira Goldstein directed a cast that included Barzin Akhavan, Demosthenes Chrysan, Gregor Paslawsky, James Saba, Thamos Fiscelle, Craig Piaget, Lowell Abellon, Rinabeth Apostol, Adam Yazbeck, Zarif Kabier Sadiqi, Wahab Shayek, and Lani Carissa Wong, with Salar Nader also onstage playing tabla.The play was subsequently produced at Arizona Theatre Company, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Play House, and The New Repertory Theatre of Watertown, Massachusetts . See als o A Thousand Splendid Suns Kite Runner The Kite Runner 16 Days in Afghanistan – referenced film. Bibliography Hosseini,Khaled. The Kite Runner. Anchor Canada: Toronto, 2004. ISBN 978-0-385-66007-5 References External links on the BBC World Book Club Excerpts: by The San Francisco Chronicle Bibliography: Wikipedia @baygross

Effects of Globalization on Small Enterprises Essay

The business world has witnessed a transformation in past years. Technological innovations, cultural progress, and connectivity have all influenced the habits and customs of businesses all across the world. Globalization has been behind this change, fuelling the revolution and shaping the businesses and society of today. Globalization is defined as â€Å"the process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology.† This process has had effects on culture, society, business, consumer habits, and more. Globalization has also had notable effects on small businesses and economists anticipate more effects to come. Globalization is a phenomenon that has been present for many years and has a long history. It really began to take effect after World War 2; this is described as the resurgence of globalization. Certain agreements have driven globalization, notably the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which was signed in 1994 creating a trilateral trade bloc. Since, globalization has become rampant and has greatly influenced trade, competition, and small businesses. Globalization’s impact on small businesses has been both negative and positive. This impact can be seen on the macroeconomic level and affects gross domestic product greatly, as small businesses contribute largely to GDP. However, globalization has created multinational corporations with untold power – which has received a plethora of criticism and accusations of corruption and bribery leading to a significant disadvantage for small businesses. However, these days, globalization has made it possible for small enterprises to finally outsource certain tasks, thereby increasing productivity, lowering prices, and becoming more competitive against their contenders. Ultimately, each country has unique issues when it comes to market globalization and must adopt varied measures to combat these difficulties. Economists are able to project trends using different variables to understand what will come in the future and act accordingly. Globalization has provided solutions to certain problems small businesses faced while introducing new problems in their wake. Effects on the Macroeconomic Level Globalization’s impact can be felt on the macroeconomic level. The development of integrated economies creates changes on the aggregate economy of countries which affects a multitude of phenomena ranging from unemployment to price levels. These changes have an especially impactful effect on small businesses as multinational corporations pose threatening competitors and are able to offer lower prices. Conversely, globalization has also provided larger markets with untapped potential. The advantages and disadvantages posed by globalization upon small businesses each have negative and positive consequences and shape business and trade today. Globalization breaks down barriers and encourages trade among different countries. This, in turn, provides many new potential customers, suppliers, and partners – each with different needs to be met. The increased possibilities can be useful for small businesses to gain new customers and create brand loyalty. However, globalization can also go awry for small businesses. With expansion and rampant trade as the status quo, multinational corporations can infiltrate different countries and eradicate small, local businesses that had once dominated the area. A concrete example of this is the effect Walmart often has on their locales. Ana Kasparian, co-host of the talk show, The Young Turks, asserted, â€Å"If you bring in a Walmart†¦ those local businesses are gone.† For instance, after a Walmart opened in Chicago, 82 small businesses in the area closed within two years. Joe Persky, an economics professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, illustrated the occurrence saying, â€Å"No matter which direction you go from Walmart, there’s a very high rate of business closures in the immediate vicinity, and the further away you get there’s less and less.† Multinational corporations, with brand names that are recognized world-wide, become more popular than intimate, local businesses. In this way, globalization can replace small businesses and have a dangerous effect on the security of small business owners. The creation of international markets can be attributed to today’s globalized economies and small businesses benefit greatly. Industry Canada reported that in 2002, 84% of exporters were small businesses. This is especially beneficial as technological innovations and increased connectivity have allowed countries to manufacture more goods and services than they can consume and exportation provides a new market for increased consumption of these goods and services. Open trade also allows for countries to specialize in the domains in which they have what economists refer to as â€Å"comparative advantage.† When countries specialize in the fields which pose the lowest opportunity cost, this increases productivity and minimizes loss, which creates efficiency and synergy for all parties. Globalization allows for small businesses to export. In the past, importing and exporting was only a possibility for large corporations as they could absorb the cost. Now, globalization has become accessible – even to small businesses – which allows them to compete on the international scale. Consequently, small businesses are able to focus in the areas where they thrive, producing goods and services efficiently, and positively contributing to their country’s gross domestic product and overall productivity; increased productivity is an indicator of a superior quality of life. The negative effects of globalization are often felt most intensely in developing countries. The opening of borders increases emigration from developing countries and it is often the country’s most productive, educated, and innovative members of the population who leave the country to explore opportunities elsewhere. This phenomenon is described by economists as the â€Å"Brain Drain† and can strip a developing country of the most talented members of their labour force, throwing them into an even larger disadvantage compared to developed countries. This migration means that small businesses have less human resources to choose from, rendering them less productive. Corporate Money in Politics Globalization has created multinational corporations with power in various countries and enormous wealth. This wealth gives these multinational corporations advantages that many argue are unfair. Corporate money in politics is a topic of wide discussion in the present economic circumstances. In 2010, the court ruled in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that money is â€Å"political speech.† This ruling allowed for corporations to provide unlimited donations to political campaigns. Since, many have protested the influence corporate money has on political decisions, saying that corporations donate to politicians to get certain benefits – a term coined as â€Å"legalized bribery.† This bribery was revealed in a New York Times investigation which found that a Walmart built in Mexico in 2004 bypassed certain zoning regulations which prohibited any building near ancient pyramids. The report announced, â€Å"Walmart was a corrupter offering large pay-offs to get what the law otherwise prohibited†¦ It used bribes to subvert democratic governance – public votes, open debates, transparent procedures. It used bribes to circumvent regulatory safeguards that protect Mexican citizens from unsafe construction.† The most powerful claim in the story was that Walmart used money to gain an advantage against fellow competitors: â€Å"It used bribes to outflank rivals.† Small businesses do not have the financial assets to compete with multinational corporations in terms of political donations. Since these donations often have significant consequences in political decisions, small businesses find themselves disadvantaged as they do not have the same financial or political power as multinational corporations. In this way, globalization has had a negative effect on small enterprises. The power disparity creates an uneven footing for small businesses and forces them to remain in the shadows of large, multinational corporations. Investments Investment is defined as â€Å"the conversion of money into some form of property from which an income or profit is expected to be derived.† Globalization has also impacted investments greatly in past years. Since the world has become more connected, individuals and corporations have begun allocating their resources to foreign investments at a rapid pace. Foreign direct investments (FDI) are defined as â€Å"flows of money into a country that purchase a lasting stake in an enterprise for a foreign investor.† Now, many people hold shares or investments in companies originating in countries other than their own. These investments are significant as they affect the gross domestic product of countries. Additionally, the manifestation of foreign direct investments is especially important to small businesses as they do not thrive in this field. Individuals and corporations are more willing to invest in multinational corporations with long histories, reputable names, and monetary excess. Small businesses, which are less known, are less likely to receive assets in the form of investments as people view this type of investment as risky since they do not feel they know as much about the company and the future profitability of their investment. This largely contributes to the low survival rates of small businesses. Industry Canada’s findings reveal that only 51% of small businesses survive beyond five years. Contrarily, multinational corporations have much longer life spans. For instance, Coca Cola was founded in 1886 and continues to be a household name and an extremely profitable enterprise. The lack of foreign or domestic investments in small businesses is hugely disadvantageous to small businesses in the global market and international economy. This is a domain in which small businesses are still far less developed than large, multinational corporations. Outsourcing and Pricing In the past, outsourcing, a means to reduce costs by allocating certain tasks to outside suppliers rather than completing the tasks within the company itself, was reserved for big corporations as it was extremely expensive and small businesses did not have the financial assets to take on such a task. This meant that large corporations could greatly reduce their costs of production, hence reducing the price of the good or service and rendering themselves more competitive and even more favoured by consumers over small businesses. These days, that is not the case. Technology has transformed and progressed enormously in recent years. This has allowed small businesses to outsource jobs in a cost-effective manner, which reduces their costs, increases their productivity, and renders them more competitive. Now, outsourcing is a real possibility for small businesses. Outsourcing is often international; globalisation has hence played an important role in this phenomenon. â€Å"More small businesses are outsourcing tasks these days because technology has advanced to the point of professionals being able to work from anywhere in the world, coupled with the availability and accessibility of extremely qualified professionals who have decided or been forced to leave the corporate world,† Laura Lee Sparks, owner of Legal Marketing Maven, says. â€Å"These freelancers come on board as subcontractors and save the small business owner the burden of paying overhead associated with payroll taxes and expenses such as health insurance and worker’s compensation, as well as the space constrictions that growing a company in-house can present.† Small enterprises focus on outsourcing three major types of jobs. The first are jobs that require highly skilled, or executive, expertise. These jobs are outsourced to analysts outside of the company who can provide insight into the situation and give constructive feedback. The second type of job that is often outsourced by small businesses is highly repetitive tasks. Menial tasks are outsourced so that the workers of the enterprise can focus on strategic and tactical decisions and focus on the big picture of the company rather than bother themselves with unnecessary distractions. Lastly, small businesses often outsource jobs that require specialized knowledge. This outsourcing is increasingly important since globalisation has increased competition. In order to survive, and especially to thrive, businesses must find ways to produce goods and services in the most cost effective way possible. Consumers are always looking to buy the product for the lowest price and the highest quality possible. By outsourcing and reducing costs, small businesses have become attractive options for consumers looking to make a cost-effective purchase of goods or services. In this way, globalization has positively affected small businesses by giving them an avenue to rival against multinational corporations. Outsourcing overseas is even more profitable for small businesses. Products made overseas are much cheaper since the minimum wage laws in different countries vary and are often much lower in certain countries. Additionally, the worth of currency in more developed countries counts for significantly more than the currency in other countries, making the cost of salaries and production much lower. For instance, many American businesses choose to have production operations run in China because of the cost effectiveness of this decision. Wage laws in China are extremely deregulated, allowing businesses to underpay their workers. Although this poses significant moral dilemmas, from an economic point of view, it is very profitable for small businesses who can now exploit this means of saving money. Since this has become an option for small businesses, they have become greater rivals and much more competitive in the international marketplace. Globalization has opened this door for small businesses and provided an avenue for increased wealth. Policy Issues and Recommendations When it comes to market globalization, every country has their share of policy issues and problems. Canada has three main issues that slow down their SME’s in confronting the challenge of market globalization. Firstly, the Canadian monetary policies have affected the value of the Canadian dollar resulting in reduced competitiveness. The goal intended for the Canadian monetary policy was to limit inflation, while ignoring Canada’s global objectives such as the competitiveness of the dollar on markets and job creation. As a result, Canada has interest rates that are higher than their competitors, which unfortunately creates overvalue in the Canadian dollar. Secondly, increases in investment in both tangible and intangible technologies are needed for the competitiveness of SME’s. Canadian enterprises competitiveness, results from the transfer of new tangible production technologies, such as plant and equipment. However, Canada should also gain competitiveness from intangible technologies, such as management and staff training, as well as new forms of internal and external organization. This equal investment of intangible and tangible technologies will result in the creation of partnerships, which in the long run will connect small and large enterprises while provoking innovation and maintaining flexibility among members. Thirdly, access to information is an important factor that the Canadian SME’s are lacking. SME’s need management that is well informed about different markets and international competition, so that human and organizational resources can effectively reply to the opening up of markets. Subsequently, Canadian SME’s need a new macroeconomic policy, an equal investment in tangible and intangible technologies, and access to information about specific markets, in order for them to meet the new challenge of the global economy. The globalization of SME’s has various different implications for policy issues at a national, local, and international level. Below is a table that describes the possible country initiatives suggested for each policy issue on a national and local level. Policy issue Possible initiative Start-ups and competitiveness Emphasize international competitiveness in start-up assistance and targets. Information access First-stop and one-stop shops that can advise both domestic and foreign clients. Management Advisory consultancy programmes to integrate international advice. Technology International technology exchange programmes. Finance Export finance and guarantee programmes. On the national and local level, Canada needs to focus on proper plans, strategies, and policies. As previously stated, Canada needs to focus on their information access, their management, and increasing their competitiveness. Given these initiatives, it is important to focus on programmes that are cost-effective in order to increase international competitiveness and avoid destructive competition between borders. A management and human resource development programme will give training in skills specific to international activities such as export management. For example, the Kunto programme in Finland works by first analyzing the SME’s needs, strengths, and weaknesses, and then teach how to develop export markets. Other programmes such as information access, gives the SME an advisory service to help them with information about regulations, market conditions, etc. For example, the Canadian Business Service Centres provide a central point of contact for SME’s when seeking information, and also work with the private sector. Canada could benefit from these programmes, and many more, when dealing with national and local policies towards SME’s. However, on an international level, SME’s will need to recognize the dynamic of the entrepreneurial engine of growth that they provide. SME’s need better development of better infrastructure and once again, finding the best programmes and practice policies. Below is a table that describes the possible initiatives suggested for each policy issue on an international level. Policy Issue Possible initiative Access to information Work toward common standards and formats for the provision of government information. Access to markets   Establish simple notification procedure facing market access problems. Business incorporation Examine future requirements for legal recognition of emerging structures. International finance Convene a forum of SME finance-providers to investigate feasibility. Competition policy Continue work to establish international comparability and recognition of competition law principles. General and future trends Although SME internationalization is difficult, based on the eighteen OECD countries, and eight Asian economies, there has been a final analysis made for general trends and key features of SME globalization. Firstly, SME’s contribute between 15 and 50 per cent of exports, between 20 and 80 per cent of SME’s are exporters, and they contribute between 25 and 35 per cent of world manufactured direct exports. Secondly, SME internationalization has been found to be greater in smaller open economies and less in larger, and more self-contained economies. For example, in large economies such as France, SME’s contribute 30 per cent of exports. However, in small economies, such as Denmark, SME’s contribute 50 per cent of exports. Additionally, in countries for which information is available, SME’s have increased their international role. For example, in Finland they increased their share of exports from 17.8 per cent in 1987 to 23 per cent in 1991. Also, approximately 10 per cent of SME’s are engaged in foreign direct investment, and 10 percent or more of foreign investment is attributable to SME’s. Lastly, less than 40 per cent SME’s are reasonably protected from any effects of globalization. Now that we know the general trends of all international SME’s we can look at the specific trends for Canadian SME international activity and compare where we stand amongst the general trends of SME’s. First of all it is important to know that there are three main types of Canadian SME exporters. The first is the opportunist exporter, where a firm adopts a mostly reactive strategy, with little resources devoted to pursuing international opportunities. The second is the exporting SME in transition, where the firm is in the process of moving toward a more sustained and consistent approach to international activity. Lastly, the professional exporting SME is a firm that is committed to sustained international activities, which is a more professional approach. In Canada, about 14 per cent of manufacturing SME’s export products, but most of the products only export less than 20 per cent of their production, and most of that percentage goes to the United States. However 2 per cent of those SME’s have increased their exports to other countries besides the United States, and can be recognized as fully global. Approximately 25 percent of manufacturing SME’s, and 20 per cent of general SME’s are at risk of being directly exposed to increased international competition, and thus unlikely to survive in their present form. The remainder of SME’s which is around 27 per cent, are already exporting or they have export potential, and thus globalization creates new opportunities. After having read the general trends analysis of international and Canadian SME’s, one may ask themselves, what will happen in the future? Unfortunately there isn’t enough statistical information to establish a baseline of present level and pattern. However, with the available information, there has been an estimation of likely trends. It is suggested that the level of SME globalization will continue to increase, and there are 5 reasons why it is expected to do so. Firstly, international trade opportunities will increase as a result of WTO (world trade organization) agreements, along with a number of international agreements for trade liberalization and reduction of non-trade impediments. Secondly, as the level of globalization of industry increases, so will the level if SME globalization. Thirdly, there will be a self-generating expansion. The learning-by-doing is likely to help accelerate the process of SME globalization. Furthermore, technological advances in communications and computing will continue to make it easier and cheaper for SME’s to operate internationally. Lastly, globalization of SME’s is not a policy itself, however it is an important factor in economic development. Governments can be expected to pursue policy initiatives to increase global competitiveness of their SME’s. These five factors are likely to affect the three main industry groupings in different ways. SME’s in mature conventional industries and markets are likely to be able to grow at a rate slightly exceeding that of world trade growth. Restructuring in the mature global industries and markets is likely to limit the potential for SME’s to grow at more than the rate of growth of world trade. Additionally, the opportunities for international growth in excess of the trade growth rate are most likely to be taken by larger firms that organize smaller and more specialized SME’s. In conclusion, SME internationalization will proceed faster than the rate of growth of domestic SME’s, and it is also predicted a structural shift in importance toward new and niche markets. Conclusion Small businesses have made many adjustments due to the effects of globalization. Globalization has provided avenues for increased productivity and competitiveness but has also pushed small businesses into dilemmas, including competing against multinational corporations. Small businesses have played a significant role in the makeup of various countries’ economies and will continue to play an important role. However, now, it is important to study the effects of globalization in thinking of future steps and goals in small businesses. Globalization has had both negative and positive effects on small businesses. More than ever, it is important to learn how to take advantage of globalization and operate in the international marketplace.