Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Operations Management Synthesis - 1075 Words

Product Design The products that will be made out of the given components are corrective lenses for eyeglasses. The product will have the following features: a. Corrects near-sightedness or far-sightedness, whichever may be the case, through varying curvatures of the lenses, for different grades b. May be rectangular or circular in overall shape c. Around 1.5 inches in length, 1 inch in width d. Clear and transparent, not dark Considering that the finished goods (lenses) are very much expensive in relation to the raw materials (marbles), it would be safe to say that much value was added to the raw materials by the process of manufacturing, as a result. Process Design and Layout Given a product with just modules and†¦show more content†¦Human Resources The main objective of the human resources department is to make sure that the employees are skilled in glass processing. This is in order to troubleshoot properly and detect any defects in the product itself. Since the process is repetitive-focus, the qualifications of the workers are not as high as the qualifications needed for a process-focus design but still higher than that of the product focus. Salaries would be a bit higher than the minimum wage. Furthermore, the following factors shall be observed: a. The criteria on determining which Individual should be assigned to a station must be based on their skills, talents, and strengths (i.e, hiring field experts for checking for defective products and hiring capable persons for cleaning, packaging, and preparing for shipping). b. Employee empowerment should be considered through incentive systems (i.e, offering incentives to employees based on their needs, for instance, car loan for managers while food/transportation bonuses for the laborers). c. Employee empowerment through job expansion (i.e, enriching/enlarging the scope of the jobs, for instance, 1-2 employees assigned for all checkpoints instead of having 1 per checkpoint). Supply Chain Management . The primary suppliers should easily be accessible since raw material orders will only be issued upon demand. There must be aShow MoreRelatedThe Development of Operation Management Essay1211 Words   |  5 PagesOperation Management Operations management refers to the management of all activities directly involved in the creation of goods/services through the conversion of inputs into output. It consists of the following process capacity planning, forecasting, inventory management, buying and maintaining material, quality assurance, motivation of employees, scheduling, and making decision on where to allocate facilities. The four functions of management include operations, marketing and finance. FinanceRead MoreDistinguish Between Production Management and Production Engineering2627 Words   |  11 PagesINTRODUCTION Production is a formal activity that adds value to goods and services, including creation, transport, and warehousing until used. Production is an organized process with specific goals. It implies the creation of a utility or services. Operation is that part of as organization, which is concerned with the transformation of a range of inputs into the required output (services) having the requisite quality level. Production function  is ‘the part of an organisation, which is concerned withRead MoreOPERATIONS MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT8173 Words   |  33 Pages LEADSTAR COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP TUTOR MARKED ASSIGNMENT (TMA) FOR OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT WEIGHT: 50% STUDENT NAME Abreham Kelile Kaba ID LMBA0013/2014 BACTH 1ST Part I: Multiple Choice Questions (1 point each) Choose the best answer from the following Questions _C__Q1.One advantage of Just-in-Time (JIT) Management of stock is _____a. It reduces the need to plan and organize _____ b. it removes the need for delivery Quality Control _____ c. it reduces the cost of holdingRead MoreOperational Management36687 Words   |  147 PagesOPERATIONS MANAGEMENT STUDY GUIDE PROGRAMME CREDIT POINTS NOTIONAL LEARNING TUTOR SUPPORT : : : : MBA Year 1 20 points 200 hours over 1 semester opman@mancosa.co.za Copyright  © 2013 MANAGEMENT COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA All rights reserved; no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including photocopying machines, without the written permission of the publisher REF: OPS 2013 Operations Management TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6Read MoreScientific Management: Taylor and the Gilbreths1254 Words   |  6 PagesScientific Management: Taylor and the Gilbreths Scientific management focuses on improving efficiency and output through scientific studies of workers processes. 1. fig. 1 Frederick Winslow Taylor Frederick Winslow Taylor is considered the creator of scientific management. * Scientific management, or Taylorism, is a management theory that analyzes work flows to improve economic efficiency, especially labor productivity. This management theory,  developed by Frederick Winslow TaylorRead MoreGeneral Aviation Safety Security Practices1321 Words   |  6 Pagesobjective of this synthesis report is to identify current practices in safety management and security operations at general aviation airports and FBOs. Through the use of a survey of individual airports and FBOs, this report identified current practices and highlights unique, low cost ideas that may be in use at one airport, but transferable to others. From a total of 60 surveys distributed, 53 responses were received for a response rate of 88%. Additional information for this synthesis report was collectedRead MoreAnalysis, Evaluation, And Synthesis1699 Words   |  7 PagesThe theme of this paper is expanding the analysis, evaluation, and synthesis to provide the best solution for the disas ter recovery issue through identification of the issue’s scope, scale, effect, and so forth, considering various company organization structures. The overriding critical IT issue facing the Fox Television network and cable affiliates is disaster recovery. The result of a natural disaster may halt network operations, which will result in a revenue shortfall for outage duration. ManyRead MoreIntroduction. Strategic Human Resource Management Is The1068 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Strategic human resource management is the approach of dealing with the human resource that backings long haul business objectives and result with a strategy system. This technique on the human resource concentrates on the long individuals’ issues, coordinating assets to future needs, and full scale worries about quality, structure, qualities, culture and duty to the human resource in a business firm. The human resource administration spins around the procuring of workers, train endRead MoreDevelopment Of Technology Prototype For Home Care1181 Words   |  5 Pagesanother company, named â€Å"Morpho Synthesis Inc. Toronto†. In Morpho Synthesis Inc., we used the following analytical tools to design our project’s implementation model: ï‚ § Understanding the â€Å"Main hardware† ï‚ § Understanding the target group with chronic diseases ï‚ § Understanding the Competitors in the market As we have worked with Morpho Synthesis Inc. to design a device prototype for the development of company own system, we deliverd a complete evaluation and operation model development system in theRead MoreDevelopment Of A Simulation Management System1303 Words   |  6 PagesSummary The main contribution of the proposed research is the development of a Simulation Management System. Simulation models are vital to modern scientific research. These models tend to be extremely complex, often with many sources of uncertainties and numerous factors. To understand the impact of these factors and their interactions, on the simulation model results, requires effective design of experiments. DoE allows construction of well defined procedures for ordering experiment outcomes and

Monday, December 23, 2019

Relationship Between Nature And Nurture - 1666 Words

Phelps and colleagues (1997) help define monozygotic (MZ) as one sperm fertilizing one egg and dizygotic (DZ) as two individual sperms fertilizing two separate eggs. This is important to understand because this paper will primarily focus on the studies surrounding the onset of schizophrenia in MZ twins. Twins are such a unique source to study and observe because they convey how much of a person’s personality is because of family environments and how much is from a person’s genetic make-up (Kato Pederson, 2005). Most commonly referred to as the battle between nature and nurture. Most differences that appear between MZ twins are due to experiences that one twin will experience that the other twin will not (Kato Pederson, 2005). Crawford and colleagues (2007) note that this is how types of attachment can easily be recorded. Attachment styles (Crawford et al., 2007) help understand how exactly social relationships in varying life domains are created, preserved and dismiss ed as adults. By identifying these forms of attachments in early childhood, mental health professionals can begin recognizing symptoms for schizophrenia (Heiden Hafner, 2000). By using identical twins, we can further investigate whether a parent’s use of a secure or avoidant attachment will develop a specific personality trait within their child that can possibly lead to schizophrenia. Understanding Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a severe cognitive impairment that interferes with a person’s mental orShow MoreRelatedRelationship Between Nature And Nurture1262 Words   |  6 Pageshow these perspectives would explain the relationship between nature and nurture in the psychological development of humans. Nurture versus nature is a common argument on how people psychologically develop. Although some support that innate characteristics are the crucial factor towards how people mentally advance, the environment we live in and the people we are surrounded by does play a significant role in how we progress. Aspects of nature and nurture are observed in each of the current psychologicalRead MoreRelationship Between Nature And Nurture1397 Words   |  6 PagesIn psychology and counseling, one of the foundational question concerns the relationship between nature and nurture: What are the defining factors in a person’s development? I believe the seemingly random course of circumstances that make up my life are a narrative woven together by God to reveal His grace and His glory, and that each stage of development was meticulously crafted to create who I am as a woman in Christ. Lifespan development evaluates the whole person and the interactiveRead MoreRelationship Between Biological Natures And Nurture1910 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction The debate between the roles of nature and nurture in human development is one of the oldest arguments in the field of anthropology (Sincero, 2012). Villines (2014) argues in his article that this debate should be retired altogether, since it is impossible to neatly separate the nature from nurture. This essay aims to critically evaluate the relationship between biological natures and nurture which specifically focusing on culture with respect to a controversial topic of eating disorder;Read MoreNature Vs. Nurture Debate878 Words   |  4 Pagesdevelopment, are personalities and traits produced by genetics or shaped by the environment? Or, is there a relationship between nature and nurture with regards to child development? The debate continues. While some believe â€Å"nature and nurture work together, others believe they are separate and opposing influences† (McDevitt, 2010). Nature vs Nurture In regards to the nature vs. nurture debate, â€Å"this debate is a major issue in many social science disciplines and is concerned with the influenceRead MoreThe Medical Field And The Science Field942 Words   |  4 PagesSerial killers often are torn between their mental stability and their immoral actions. Mental issues are widely overlooked in the medical field and in the science world. Psychology does not seem to be an objective science to the majority of the world, and the brain is one of the arduous organs to study in the body. Not much detail is known about how the brain works and why it works the way it does, as the study of the human brain is still a relatively new field in the medical and science field.Read MoreNature And Nurture s Effect On Behavior1690 Words   |  7 Pages Reaction Paper Two Nature and Nurture’s Effect on Behavior Katelyn M. Buchanan Ball State University PSYS 100:002 Hypothesis: The environment a child is raised in has a greater effect on their behavior than the nurture the child receives from their parents. My Initial Hypothesis The influence of one’s environment versus the influence of one’s parents and home life may not seem to be much of importance to the average individual. Prior to learning more about human psychological developmentRead MoreNature vs Nurture: Do Genes Or Environment Matter More? Essay1300 Words   |  6 PagesNature versus nurture has emerged as one of the most heated debates in the 21st century. It is more aligned towards the internal and external factors that comprise human beings behavior. The internal factors are innate and perceived to be genetically revolved as opposed to the external factors that are influenced by the environment and individuals’ experiences. However, scholars in different fields have researched on the relationship between nature and nurture without due success and this has createdRead MoreNature vs. Nurture1218 Words   |  5 Pagesdifferent people with different interests and preferences? Or did the environments that they grew up in play a part in making who they are? In the nature vs. nurture controversy, nature proclaims that our genetic make-up plays the primary role in human development, while nurture declares that our environment dictates our development. The nature vs. nurture controversy is an age old question in the scientific and psychological world with both camps having evidence to support their theories. The controversyRead MoreNature vs Nurture: Do Genes Or Environment Matter More? Essay936 Words   |  4 Pageshas been an on-going debate between nature and nurture. T.H. White, author of The Once and Future King, explores the debate through many of the book’s characters. The issue clearly appears in the relationship of Queen Morgause and her sons, the Orkney brothers. The debate caused people to pick a side, to pick nature over nurture, or nurture over nature. However, it does not have to be one or the other. Nature and nurture work together to determine who we are. Nature does not simply determine ourRead MoreNature Vs Nurture Essay1409 Words   |  6 PagesOctober 2017 Nature vs Nurture In today’s society, it has become common to question what exactly makes us human. There are many questions to ask that pertains to the idealism of mankind, but the most important would be, â€Å"what shapes us into who we are?† The debate of whether nature or nurture molds the character of our being has been an exhilarating question throughout the history of time. Though this matter is only answered through individual perception, with nature being genetics and nurture serving

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Cultural Influences on Rite of Passage B Free Essays

Cultural Influences on Rite of Passage Beliefs and Rituals Cultures throughout the world honor the passing from childhood into adulthood with special celebrations and rituals that coincide with religious or social traditions. World civilizations pay homage to this rite of passage differently, ranging from jovial and lighthearted galas to the barbaric rituals frequently associated with remote African tribes. There are also other sects of the population where their youth enter a transitional phase that lasts from months or years, such as the Amish and the Aborigines. We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Influences on Rite of Passage B or any similar topic only for you Order Now Their youth use this time as a period of learning to think and act as adults and for decision making about their future. Amish or plain people as they are also known migrated from Europe in search of religious freedom. They were originally part of the Mennonite religion and follow many of the same practices today. They are governed by the unwritten rules known as the Ordnung. They live by principles of simplicity, reject arrogance, embrace humility and socialize only within their community and avoid other parts of society as much as possible. Amish children only attend school until they complete 8th grade and higher education is discouraged or forbidden. At the age of sixteen, Amish teens are given the choice of participating in Rumspringa, a German term that translates into run around in English. During this time Amish adolescents are free to explore life among modern American society. It is believed that at this age that they have reached a maturity level where they can act responsibly as well as having the skills for making rational informed decisions. This time of reflection is for the youths to decide if they want to remain in modern society or return to the Amish community where they are baptized as adults and are expected to follow the church for the rest of their lives without question. Wargny 2 Rumspringa is also a catalyst for Amish teens to socialize and meet prospective marriage partners. They congregate with other young men and women of Amish faith, experiment with alcohol, drugs, premarital sex, automobiles, cell phones, and video games. (Welcome to Lancaster County) Studies of rumspringa have concluded that approximately 85% of teens willingly return to Amish life and forfeit all conveniences of technology and English ways of life. The small percentage of those choosing to remain in modern society, do so with the understanding that they are shunned by all Amish people including their immediate family. There is no further contact or connection to their past and must live the rest of their lives as though they were strangers or non-existent to everyone they ever knew. The Australian Aborigine tribes are believed to have migrated from Asia more than 20,000 years ago and are native to the barren outback land of Australia. In ancient aboriginal culture, the rite of passage into manhood started at age 12 with a series of ceremonies and rituals held over a course of a few years. The Alkira Kiumi as it is called, started at age 12, and involved the boy being repeatedly tossed into the air and caught by their male relatives of the tribe. Next was the circumcision procedure, which took place by a fire ring. The chief of the tribe sat on the boy’s chest and cut the foreskin of the penis off with a sharp stone or knife. The boy was given a boomerang to bite on for the pain. After the circumcision, the boy was made to kneel close to the fire so that the smoke would rise up and purify the wound and then the elders of the tribe fed the young man his severed foreskin to symbolize the devouring of boyhood. Wargny 3 Months after the initial circumcision, a fireside sub incision ceremony was held. A stick was inserted into the urethra to brace the knife as it cut from the urethra to the scrotum. The boy then rose and allowed his blood to drip into the flames of the fire. The second circumcision made it necessary for the boy to thereafter assume a squatting position in order to urinate. Anthropologists theorize that this ritual was performed so that young males would better understand and sympathize with a females’ menstrual cycle. After the circumcisions came a ceremony in which a chisel was used to knock out the front tooth of the young man as it was believed it made him more physically attractive. The next step toward manhood was to serve as a test of his courage by having him walk barefoot across a bed of fire. The final phase of the rite of passage into manhood was known as a walkabout and is also noted as a time for dreaming hence the name Dreamtime. â€Å" According to Aboriginal belief, all life as it is today is part of one vast unchanging network of relationships which can be traced to the Great Ancestors of the Dreamtime† (Rose Marina) It involved young men leaving the safety of their childhood homes to roam about in the barren desert to live on their own for a period of up to 6 months. During the walkabout; the teen boys were only permitted to rely only on nature and the spiritual guidance of their ancestors for their survival. As they roamed through the uncivilized land it was believed that if they followed the guidance of the spirits they would return to their tribes safely and would from then on be considered men. And if they succumbed to the deserts elements, then it was believed that they failed the test of manhood and died shamefully as a boy. Wargny 4 Due to contact with the modern world, the ancient rituals of the aborigine tribes have disappeared or have been replaced by more civil ceremonies that merely symbolize the original rite of passage practices for becoming a man. As validation for becoming an adult, Rumspringa and Alkira Kiumi differ vastly. Rumspringa offers the opportunity to live carefree and seductively in what the Amish refer to as The â€Å"devil’s playground† without reprisal upon their return. Alkira Kiumi was a painful and grueling experience that served to prove a boy’s loyalty and faith in his heritage. Despite the overwhelming differences in these rites of passage, the completion of either of these ritualistic practices indicates a true allegiance to their respective religions and as paying homage to their ancestry. How to cite Cultural Influences on Rite of Passage B, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Some might say it is unethical... free essay sample

Some might say it is unethical to abort an unborn fetus. Others think it is unethical to cheat on a test. But what about gene therapy? More specifically, germline gene therapy. Germline gene therapy is a technique used to eliminate diseases from someones DNA so it does not show up again in future generations. Note that this affects the person receiving the procedure and their future children. There are many arguments for and against germline gene therapy, including is it ethically acceptable, do the benefits outweigh the risks, is it affordable, is it really needed, and does it consider human rights. The first major component of questioning whether or not germline gene therapy is ethical is asking Is it ethically acceptable? Well, in 1993 the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee (GTAC) was formed in the United Kingdom. Its main purpose is to supervise the use of gene therapy. All applications for gene therapy must be approved by the GTACs research Ethics Committee (REC). This helps stop applications from being accepted if theyre for reasons that are not non-medical, like designer babies. However, on the other end of the spectrum, some think gene therapy is not ethical. It can result in misuse like handpicking particular characteristics without regards to if it is good for the next generations health. Much like a certain infamous event in history, it could be used to pick certain characteristics to improve the population. Finally, it could lead to society not being accepting of people who are different, perhaps genetically modified. We already have enough problems with society not being accepting. But if you are really worried about that being a problem, no one said you had to tell anyone you are genetically modified. You may be wondering about the benefits and risks of gene therapy. Do they outweigh each other? Some say yes because it erases disease causing mutations that will be genetically passed down. This prevents future generations from ever inheriting the disease and allows them to have a good, long, nice life with no worries health-wise. Some say no, that gene therapys benefits do not outweigh the risks. It is too unpredictable. If the diseases was successfully eradicated, other mutations could pop up. Besides, gene therapy sometimes does not even work, or it works temporarily but then the disease comes back. It would have been for nothing if you spent all this money and it did not even work. It would be better to wait till technology has improved. Also, gene therapy targets the reproductive cells, so if anything were to go wrong, it would affect the hosts offspring. There are always risks with things like this, so it is really up to the person if they want to go ahead with it and still potentially not even be fixed. Like all medical procedures, cost is a big worry and can sometimes be a problem. Since gene therapy is still in its first stages, it is mighty expensive. If you live in a part of the world where there is no free healthcare, getting gene therapy may not be an option if you can not afford it. It could cost up to $1 million for just a single treatment. Even so, some people think the cost is worth it. You must think long term; if a disease can be eliminated and therefore not exist in a population, the overall cost of the treatment is worth it in the long run. Once gene therapy has been perfected and constructs a cost-effective way of dispersing it throughout the world, it will become cheaper. Also to take into account is how extreme the disease is. If you are eliminating a gene for cancer, then yes, it is worth it. If you are eliminating a gene for bad eyesight, maybe not. Bad eyesight is something you can live with. Cancer is not. By now you might be thinking is gene therapy even really needed? There sure have been a lot of medical advances since the beginning of time. It does not seem so unbelievable that editing your genes is a possibility. In favor of it, it will in the long run terminate diseases like Huntingtons disease from the population, which would obviously be very beneficial. The process for this would be similar to how polio, smallpox, and rinderpest were terminated; through global vaccination programs. It may even be easier than getting rid of those diseases since polio and smallpox are so contagious and genetic diseases are not. Against gene therapy, there is the argument that it is not successful enough to rule out the need for post-fertilization screening of embryos. Furthermore, gene therapy has a ton of steps and includes risks for the embryo. For now, I feel as though we have survived this long without gene therapy, we can probably survive for a long time more. Although it would be nice to not have to worry about getting a disease. Finally, perhaps the most controversial question, does it consider human rights? Some may argue that that does not matter because the human in question has not even necessarily been conceived yet. No unborn child is able to choose their genetics or characteristics and whether they have a disease or not. Some also say that children modified through gene therapy do not give permission or consent for their genes to be changed. In a survey taken by Alyssa Armsby and a professor of genetics named Kelly E. Ormond to see peoples thoughts on if gene therapy is ethical or not, it was found that 51% said it is unacceptable. The other 26% said it was okay. Note, though, that some of the 51% that voted unethical did so because of religious beliefs or reasons, as well as because of knowledge of gene therapy. Maybe more learning is required for people to accept it. Overall though, since it is regulated, gene therapy would ultimately benefit the child because it is eliminating diseases from their genes. You would not be editing their physical characteristics. Is that not a good thing? Would you rather your child have a gene for Alzheimers and forgetting everyone and everything? Or would you rather them live a long life to a ripe old age and never forget a thing about the great life you gave them by getting gene therapy? In the end, the choice to get gene therapy is entirely, completely up to you. If you choose to not get it because you believe it is unethical, then it will not be the end of the world for you. Millions of people have diseases and fight through it their whole lives; you can too. If it is too expensive, do not worry. It is likely no one else has gotten gene therapy, because no one has gotten a small loan of a million dollars.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Academic article free essay sample

The capability of states and institutions to foster post-conflict resolutions that are primarily focused on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) and Weapons Reduction are determined by the communication processes and the willingness of each member of the party to cooperate. However, the objectives of the two issues must be clearly pointed out to further support several important ideas related to post-conflict resolutions which it fails to address. Muggah presented the way DDR and weapons reduction has been eminent and evolving in the area of post-conflict resolution. Muggah first argued that in the end of conflict, security and stability is not yet attained contrary to other peoples understanding. There are processes involved to gradually restore order. In other words, the ‘post-conflict’ period is not as safe and secure as generally believed.[1] With this, Muggah elaborated several post-conflict scenarios and events that have been evident in studies. The rise of organized urban criminality in the aftermath of conflict is common. We will write a custom essay sample on Academic article or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page [2] This situation paved the way for the rise of post-conflict resolution mechanisms to ensure that these events and scenarios are lessened at a certain extent.   Groups, states and individuals are now recognizing the detrimental effects of these issues and adopted several important measures that will focus on monitoring, communication and cooperation. DDR and weapons reduction were the things that was emphasized by Muggah. He then elaborated on the rise of both literatures and indicated each ones significance in the realm of conflict resolution. DDR is a comparatively recent instrument adopted by the development community in the context of post-conflict reconstruction.[3] It can be seen that the concept of DDR has only been new compared to weapons reduction mechanism that had been used since the Cold War.   Muggah elaborated on the evolution of the concept of weapons reduction and how it has been applied in every specific time frame. Muggah then indicated that the recent concept of weapons reduction seek to address the issues caused by terrorism. More recently, as the (tenuous) linkages between under-development and terrorism have been woven together in policy circles, arms reduction has also recently been invoked by some governments as a part of a general poverty reduction initiative in the post-conflict period.[4] In the next section of Muggah’s analysis, he elaborated on the different flaws and shortcomings of the two mechanisms. Major weaknesses relate to the criteria invoked for measuring ‘success’ or ‘failure’ and the disproportionate focus on disarmament and demobilization, at the expense of long-term activities such as reintegration.[5] He first elaborated on the issue of gauging success and failure and argued that its weakness is that people treat each one as interchangeably and alike which should not be the case. In addition, Muggah argued that these varying criteria (interchanging, rationality of success and failure, substitution for long-term development measures, labeling, and management of expectations) can have detrimental effects and suspicions of the mechanisms credibility to promote post-conflict resolution. In the end, Muggah argued about the importance of communication and indicating objectives. Political process must also be taken into consideration by the actors. It is also important to recognize that any ‘successful’ DDR or weapons reduction intervention depends equally on the management of ostensibly ‘political’ issues associated with reconciliation, peace building and meaningful reform or judicial government and economic structures.[6] In his conclusions, Muggah indicated the importance of these mechanisms in promoting post-conflict resolutions as well as the emergence of development actors to promote such objectives. Mechanisms are in place however the objectives and aims must be clearly elaborated to prevent misunderstanding of the concepts and uncertainty. Looking at the article of Muggah, I can say that the article presented sufficient evidences surrounding the literature. In the end, it can be said that Muggah’s argument regarding DDR and weapons reduction are indeed relevant and convincing enough. By making the essay organized, Muggah is able to foster a better understanding of the article to readers. In the essay, Muggah gave a good outline and indicated important points that need to be considered in studying the two mentioned mechanisms. Furthermore, he looked into the evolution of such concepts and incorporating important actors that contributed to its development. Laslty, Muggah clearly gave important analysis of the two mechanisms shortcomings and highlighted important measures that should be addressed for it to be effective and efficient in promoting post-conflict resolution. Many studies have been made in relation to post-conflict resolutions. There had been reviews pertaining to different scenarios wherein post-conflict resolutions were successful and also failed. The review of Adekanye focused on the different mechanisms where the issue was applied to different countries and how each mechanism paved the way for each ones success and failure. It was indicated the study the (1) importance of arms management in negotiations, (2) resolving disarmament and conflict, and the (3) transition phase. In arms management according to Adekanye must have its own rules and dynamics that each party is willing to follow. The transition from war to peace involves military, political, psychological, humanitarian, and economic questions which are closely intertwined.[7] The next thing that Adekanye looked into is the ways resolving disarmament and conflict. In this section he elaborated on different scenarios where military intervention was made and elaborated on several process that it took for conflict and disarmament to be resolved. Lastly, Adekanye examined the movement from each phase of the issue. He indicated the shift from the military phase going to the process of post-conflict transition. Adekanye also indicated the important factor that arms contributes to the failure or setback in the transition process. Arms are seen as themselves ‘a major source of instability’, and the concern of participants in the project that these military considerations had not been sufficiently addressed in the past.[8] In addition, the factors revolving around the transition phase are varied and dependent on the internal factors present in the country. Comparing this with Muggah’s study, it can be seen that DDR and weapons reduction is a response to the different factors that are revolving around the conflict. The study of Adekanye was an analysis of the relationship between arms and post-conflict resolution.   Thus, both Muggah and Adekanye’s study are literature responses to the emerging field regarding post-conflict resolutions. Each study highlighted important mechanisms that can foster a transition stage for stability and peace after a post-conflict environment. By presenting several cases, the studies presented were able to justify each mechanism that were used and created several important suggestions and recommendations to further improve the process.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Why The Driving Age Should Be Eighteen essays

Why The Driving Age Should Be Eighteen essays Why the Driving Age Should be Eighteen In most states the driving age is eighteen. Unfortunately, Louisiana is not one of them. But most of the time, younger drivers are too irresponsible. The driving age should be eighteen Certainly, teens do not pay attention and are easily distracted. Overall, teens have the highest fatal crash risk of any age group. The problem is worse among young teens, especially sixteen year olds, who have the least driving experience and are the most likely to take risk behind the wheel. Which is certainly It is certain that night driving is a high-risk activity for beginning drivers. The nighttime fatal crash rate is three times higher during the day. Fatal crashes occur more in this age group because young teens simply do not have the experience to make the correct decisions in sudden situations. Sixteen year old drivers have the highest rate of fatal crashes. Speed is definitely one of the problems. Also, they are more likely to have a fatal crash with other people in the car. It is even more risky when there is more than two or three people The driving age should be eighteen in all states. The reason it is important for the driving age to be eighteen, is most younger drivers do not pay attention and think they have to show off. In fact, they are most likely to run into a ditch or even worse, hit another car or be a cause of an accident. This combination cannot be left out! Young drivers and loud music! This is a hazardous combination. It is impossible to tell a teen the above facts, they know it all! ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 8

Economics - Essay Example Basically, the Irish Government and European Central Bank are fixing a problem that has struck worldwide. In the end, the Irish economy will bounce back. As around the world, Ireland had a massive amount of bad bank debt. This bad bank debt has created a crisis within the Irish economy. This phenomenon has been worldwide. Banks have been making irresponsible loans, Irish banks were no exception. Kirby (2010: 4) reports â€Å"Government subsidies fuelled a frenzy of building around the country and banks lent recklessly to developers to buy land at grossly inflated prices and to customers to buy the houses and apartments built on this land at equally high prices.† When the economy was better, mortgage interest and collateral were seen as a win/win situation. However when the economy started taking a downward turn the banks began having too much collateral. Bankers do not want collateral, they want mortgage payments. Once these mortgage payments started to decrease, Irish banks started to fail. The banks were not tightly regulated before the recessions. Loans could be given on inflated prices. McCormick (2009) explains, â€Å"Overreliance on construction, cheap credit and securitization of housing loans exposed Ireland to a sharp reversal of economic activity. Irish housing prices collapsed and the banking sector faced losses and liquidity pressures.† The more given, the more the banks expected to receive. If regulations had been in place on how much could be loaned, property assessed correctly, and other common sense rules, the Irish economy might not be in a recession. McDonald and Moya (2010) reports: Hard-pressed Irish taxpayers are now rescuing the banks from the consequences of their greed and folly. In return, we must now insist that they go back to basic business, and that means keeping every fundamentally profitable company in business. As a result of the failing banks, the Irish Government and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Burger King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Burger King - Essay Example With the help of these marketing communication techniques a product can be expansively marketed and product consciousness may be generated amongst the public regarding the various aspects with regard to the product (Laitenen, 2009). The above mentioned tools may be used in segregation, but an organisation can get superlative advantage when these tools are used in a unified way to create impact among the target customers. Messages can be customer oriented or it may be related with the product but the basic underlining principle should be how to convey or deliver the message in the effective most way. Media may be further alienated into six chief classes’ print, outdoor, broadcast, in-store and other media class. Each class has a distinct media type, for example broadcast includes radio and television whereas print class has newspapers and magazines. The combination of the three elements i.e. the messages, the media and the tools is termed as integrated marketing communication ( IMC) (Laitenen, 2009). Planning for the promotion is an indispensable management activity and it should therefore be developed within an appropriate framework. Marketing communication planning framework certifies the provision of a visual guide among different elements. This plan is based on the basis of gathering of relevant information (Laitenen, 2009). The prominent factors that must be incorporated in the market communication plan are the context analysis which deals with defining an opportunity or problem. It identifies the opportunities which are available in the market segment. In the promotional objective tool, the object should be pragmatic in approach. The final end should however be in inducing the customers in buying the product. Corporate objective implies to the business area where the business unit should tend to function. Through promotional strategy the distinct marketing communication techniques are identified and subsequently selected. The three P’s strateg y of marketing communication is pull, push and profile. Pull strategy mainly focuses on the consumers and the basic goal is to induce them to procure the product. For the push strategy, the prospects are the channel intermediaries. A profile strategy emphasises on the brand development (Laitenen, 2009). Budget is concerned with the opportunities and precincts of the thriving marketing communication plan. It considers the monetary aspect of the concern. Schedules are the determining factors of time that may be a determinant in attaining the organisational objective (Laitenen, 2009). The communication process is followed by scrutinising the entire plan. It measures the level to which the target has been achieved. Control and evaluation is thus the most important factor to judge the efficiency of the executed project (Laitenen, 2009). Marketing Communication Planning Framework Source: (Laitenen, 2009). Situation Analysis Burger King has been lacking behind when being compared to McDona ld’s and Subway due to their declining sales figure which were disappointing. It was facing sturdy competition from its competitors who were reaching peaks in terms of gratifying their prospect customers. It had been observed by the analysts that that latest campaigns of Burger King focused on the

Monday, November 18, 2019

Classical composer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Classical composer - Essay Example in the fourth year of his age, father, for a game as it were, began to teach him a few minuets and pieces at the clavier.†(Deutsch pp.  454–462) He was about five years old when he begun making his own music which he played to his father who annotated them. Recognizing the special abilities of his children, Leopold devoted more time to teaching his children. He was a loving father as he was an exacting teacher. Wolfgang, though, found pleasure in learning. He â€Å"was motivated to make progress even beyond what his father was teaching him. His first independent (and ink-spattered) composition, and his initial ability to play the violin, were both his own doing and were a great surprise to Leopold.† (Deutsch pp.  452–453) At that point, Leopold started to consider ambitious plans in his mind. Partly perhaps out of parental pride, partly perhaps out of duty as he did not doubt his children’s talent were God-given, he set forth to bring his young prodigies on tour to the courts of Europe. Wolfgang was six when in January, 1762, his father brought them to the nearby Munich court of Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria. It was Wolfgang’s first exposition. The following three years were hectic for the young Mozarts. Leopold Mozart took his family to a long concert tour to the courts of Munich, Mannheim, Paris, London and The Hague. This foreshadowed the eight more years ahead of traveling Europe.. It was during these travels and performances when the young Wolfgang also met other musicians and got acquainted with their works. A prolific writer, Mozart wrote many of his music during that period of travel. â€Å"Most composers created music at the point of a pencil, writing and erasing over and over until they got down what they wanted.   Mozart, however, created exclusively in his head; then he wrote it all out once, once only, never erasing a note.†Ã‚  (Shepherd, pg. 5) Following their final return to Salzburg in 1773, Mozart, who was seventeen then, was

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Alternative Methods of Lactic Acid Production

Alternative Methods of Lactic Acid Production Lactic acid is a hydroxycarboxylic acid, which is widely used in food, pharmaceutical, leather, cosmetic and textile industries. It can be polymerized to biodegradable and biocompatible plastic, i.e. polylactic acid, which has environment-friendly and great potential for replacing petrochemical plastic. Industrially, it can be produced by either chemical synthesis or microbial fermentation. Presently, approximately 90% of lactic acid was produced by lactic acid bacteria fermentation. Fermentative production has the advantage that by choosing a strain of LA bacteria producing only one of the isomer and optically pure product. The widely used substrates for lactic acid production are pure sugar, which are expensive. It is also possible to use lignocellulosic biomass, especially by product or waste materials from agriculture and industrial waste as substrates for fermentation. Therefore, the use of alternative substrates, low-cost and raw materials become thus of special interest for la ctic acid production. The present study the utilization of industrial wastes and lignocellulosic as an alternative substrate for lactic acid production. Lactic acid Lactic acid (2-hydroxy propionic acid) is a chemical compound that a role in several biochemical processes. It is a carboxylic acid with a chemical formula of C3H6O3. Lactic acid is chiral and has two optical isomers as shown in figure 1. Lactic acid is organic solvent that can dissolve in water but insoluble in other organic solvents. Other properties of lactic acid are presented in Table 1. Table 1. Physical properties of lactic acid. Parameter Chemical formula C3H6O3 Molecular weight 90.08 Acidity (pKa) 3.85 Melting point L : 53  °C D : 53  °C D/L : 16.8  °C Boiling point 82  °C at 0.5 mm Hg 122  °C at 14 mm Hg Dissociation constant, Ka at 25  ° C 1.37 x 10-4 Heat of combustion, Hc 1361 KJ/mole Specific Heat, Cp at 20  ° C 190 J/mole/  °C Source: Vickroy (1985) Lactic acid can be produced by chemical synthesis or microbial fermentation. The chemical synthesis produced a racemic mixture of D, L lactic acid. Presently, about 90% of lactic acid made by LAB fermentation and the remainder is produced synthetically by the hydrolysis of lactonitrile. The advantage of fermentation technologies is possible to use renewable resources as substrates, such as starch and cellulose in fermentative production. In figure 2 described the diagram of commercial uses and applications of lactic acid. Food applications reported for approximately 85% of the total lactic acid, while the nonfood industrial applications reported for only 15% of the demand. Alternative substrate for lactic acid production In fermentation process, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) need carbon source, essentially simple sugars and nitrogen source, as vital nutrients for their growths. The widely used substrates for lactic acid production are refined sugar, which are expensive. Therefore, attention has turned towards lignocellulosic biomass and industrial wastes to provide a source of carbohydrate for lactic acid production. Lignocellulosic Lignocellulosic resources are generally considered to represent an interesting and inexpensive raw material for microbial fermentation of lactic acid production, as they are renewable and cheap. A schematic diagram of the procedures for the preparation of lignocellulosic hydrolyzates is provided in figure 3. Wee and Ryu (2009) reported the production of lactic acid from lignocellulosic, glucose and lignocellulosic hydrolyzates were used as the carbon source. The concentration of lactic acid decreases with increases in the dilution rate. Generally, the cell concentration obtained from lignocellulosic hydrolyzates media was approximately 10-15% lower than observed with glucose media. The lactic acid yields were provided at more than 0.90 gg-1 the result are shown in table 2. The lignocellulosic hydrolyzates have to be detoxified in order to reduce these inhibitory effects prior to fermentation, as some of the by-products released during the pretreatment (Mussatto and Roberto, 2004). Ruengruglikit and Hang (2003), reported the lactic acid production from lignocellulosic materials by R. oryzae. After an enzymatic hydrolysis and 48-h fermentation, lactic acid yields of 0.3 gg-1. Food wastes Food wastes, which are supplied at lower costs, high in moisture and rich in carbohydrates. They could be suitable alternative substrate for lactic acid production. The food wastes contain polysaccharides as well as various oligosaccharides. Ohkouchi and Inoue (2005) reported the production of lactic acid from food wastes. The composition of food wastes is shown in Table 3. The optimum pH for L (+)-lactic acid production by L. manihotivorans LMG 18011 was 5.0 and under these condition the L (+)-lactic acid was 19.5 g produced from 200 g food wastes Kim et al. (2003) determined lactic acid production from food wastes by simultaneous saccharification fermentation technical. The effect of food wastes concentration on lactic acid production as shown in figure 4. In figure 4, the highest yield was obtained from 65 g/L of food waste with a final lactic acid concentration of 44.3 g/L, while the highest lactic acid concentration of 79.7 g/L was obtained from 145 g/L of food waste. Pineapple waste Most of the work using starch, beet molasses and sugar cane as the fermentation media for lactic acid production. Recently, Uno (2003) used grape invertase to attractive the production of lactic acid utilizing pineapple syrup as substrate. The efficiency of lactic acid production has been an affect from various aspect and ability to use fruit waste. Idris and Suzana (2005) reported the liquid pineapple waste, it is feasible to use produce lactic acid by immobilized L. delbrueckii. The maximum lactic acid can be obtained when parameters initial pH of 6.5, temperature of 37  ° C and sodium alginate concentration at 2% with a bead diameter of 1 mm in diameter. The highest values of kinetic parameters are obtained at 37  ° C and initial pH 6.5 (Table 4 and Table 5). Recycled paper sludge Recycled paper sludge is an industrial waste has high polysaccharides (mainly cellulose) content. The conversion of polysaccharides on sludge to be broken down into the monomers and released sugars to be fermented to lactic acid. The methods for conversion of a polysaccharide into the monomer consist of enzymatic and acid hydrolysis. Marques et al. (2008) studied the utilization of recycled paper sludge as an alternative substrate for lactic acid product. The maximum production of lactic acid was produced 73 g/L of lactic acid, maximum productivity of 2.9 g/L/h, with 0.97 g LA per g of carbohydrates on initial substrate. The fermentative parameters concerned the lactic acid production of all the cultivations in this work are presented in table 6. Conclusions The widely used substrates for lactic acid production are refined sugar, which are expensive. It is also possible to use lignocellulosic biomass, especially by product or waste materials from agriculture and industrial waste as substrates for fermentation. Therefore, the use of alternative, low-cost and raw materials become thus of special interest for lactic acid production. The ability to utilize this industrial wastes and lignocellulosic as alternative carbon sources for lactic acid production will help reduce of environmental pollution problem and also reduce production costs. LITERATURE CITED Idris, A. and W. Suzana. 2006. Effect of sodium alginate concentration, bead diameter, initial pH and temperature on lactic acid production from pineapple waste using immobilized Lactobacillus delbrueckii. Process Biochem. 41: 1117-1123. Kim, K.I. , W.K. Kim, D.K. Seo, I.S. Yoo, E.K. Kim and H.H. Yoon. Production of lactic acid from food wastes Appl. Biochem. Biothnol. 101-108: 637-647. Marques, S. , J.A.L. Santos, F.M. Gà rio and J.C. Roseiro. 2008. Lactic acid production from recycled paper sludge by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Biochem. Eng. 41: 210-216. Mussatto, S.I. and I.C. Roberto. 2004. Alternatives for detoxification of diluted-acid lignocellulosic hydrolyzates for use in fermentative processes. Bioresour. Technol. 1-10. Nexant. 2008. Biotech Route to Lactic Acid/ Polylactic Acid. Available Source:  http://nexant.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0255-130_ITM Ohkouchi, Y. and Y. Inoue. 2006. Direct production of L(+)-lactic acid from starch and food wastes using Lactobacillus manihotivorans LMG18011. Bioresour. Technol. 97: 1554-1562. Ruengruglikit, C. and Y.D. Hang. 2003. L(+) lactic acid production from corncobs by Rhizopus oryzae NRRL-395. Lebensm. Wiss. Technol. 36: 573-575. Uno, T., Y. Ozawa, M. Ishikawa, K. Nakanishi and T. Kimura. 2003. Lactic acid production using two food processing wastes, canned pineapple syrup and grape invertase as substrate and enzyme. Biotechnol. Lett. 25: 573-577. VickRoy, T.B. 1985. Lactic acid, pp. 761-776. In: Blanch, H.W., S. Drew and D.I.C. Wang eds. Comprehensive Biotechnol. Vol. 3. Pergamon Press, Oxford. Wee, Y.J., J.N. Kim and H.W. Ryu. 2006. Biotechnological production of lactic acid  and its recent applications. Food Technol. Biotechnol. 44(2): 163-172. Wee, Y.J. and H.W. Ryu. 2009. Lactic acid production by Lactobacillus sp. RKY2 in a cell-recycle continuous fermentation using lignocellulosic hydrolyzates as inexpensive raw materials. Bioresource Technol. 100: 4262-4270.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Red Badge of Courage - Henry is No Hero Essay -- Red Badge Courage

The Red Badge of Courage - Henry is No Hero      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane explores the theme of courage and heroism in depth. He develops these themes through the main character, Henry Fleming. Henry is a naà ¯ve young man faced with the harsh realities of war, in this book, some argue that Henry is transformed into a heroic "quiet manhood" while others see Henry as the same young man who ran from battle in the beginning of the book. I think Henry doesn't change, his heroic status acquired at the end of the book isn't truly him, instead he merely is motivated by fear of dying and being rejected by his fellow soldiers.    At the beginning of the novel Henry is disappointed of war; he had far greater expectations of war. He wants one thing out of this experience, Glory, and he would go to any extreme to fulfill it. In battle Henry acts impulsively and is easily manipulated, he flees from battle at the sight of others running. When he realizes his cowardice he rationalizes without end to why he ran. He justifies that nature also flees at the sight of fear when he scares a squirrel to runoff. Henry acts shallow and vain when he manipulates his friend, Wilson; he uses the letters Wilson gave him as leverage if Wilson finds out Henry's "crimes". His pride is restored when he finds out that he doesn't get caught. He is constantly comparing himself to others, and doesn't judge himself by the same standards as he does others. I think Henry is envious of his friends. The only thing the tattered man wanted is warm pea soup and a warm bed, but he wants to survive to be there for his children. I think Henry admires the tattered man's selflessness and courage, he never really complained abo... ...ck at his General for calling them mule drivers by dying in battle. In reality Henry was an insignificant soldier and the General would never care whether he died in battle or not. To me, a hero doesn't try to hide behind his insecurities, like Henry did, he faces them.    In conclusion, I think Henry was not a hero in this novel, in fact I thought he acted more like a coward. Though during brief periods of time Henry physically acted heroically, his moral character was weak, trying to cover up his psychological wounds with self-justification and delusion. I think towards the end of the novel Henry abandons the notion of becoming a hero, mostly because it is unrealistic. Instead, he settles with a more humble title of being a man.    Work Cited: Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage.   Logan, IA:   Perfection Learning Corporation, 1979.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Nogo Railroad

The NoGo Railroad I. Problems A. Macro 1. Union problems need to be addressed at corporate level. 2. Massive changes are needed in personnel policies that can only be accomplished through intensive union and executive sessions. 3. This organization may not survive the needed changes. There may not be time for organization development to be used and the revolutionary method—organization transformation—may be too radical. 4. Changes may not be allowed by management at this time. Change is inevitable and the longer that NoGo waits, the more radical those changes will be.B. Micro 1. Dave Keller is in a no-win situation. 2. The only hope Dave has of making all the needed changes would be to accomplish the needed changes over a long period of time with empowerment and support from top management. 3. In the short term, Dave can attempt to gain employee support. Because the union is so strong, it is doubtful that he can obtain much support. II. Causes 1. Union stronghold. 2. Co mpany has been reacting to changes instead of proactively forecasting changes. 3.Management is not cohesive; they do not share information, support, or resources with employers and lower-level managers. III. Systems affected 1. Structural – job descriptions and the formal structure are very rigid, largely because of years of practice. 2. Psychosocial – Dave is very unsure of the security of his position and suspects he is being set up. Other employees, including some in management, want to preserve the status quo. 3. Technical – the technology has change through the years but the organization has failed to recognize the change.As evidence is the archaic job titles (fireman) and job descriptions. 4. Managerial – virtually no support from management for Dave to make changes. Management seems to be as much of the problem as unionized employees. Everyone seems to want to protect his or her turf. 5. Goals and values – though â€Å"status quo† is actually not a value, it never-the-less is what employees in many cases value. Their goal is not to change. IV. Alternatives 1. Dave can forge on ahead and suggest changes as he sees them.If top management does not begin to press for changes, the organization will probably cease to exist. 2. Management needs to consider what they will offer to unions prior to the next contract in order to make the following changes. a. Positions need to be eliminated. b. Positions need to be combined. c. Featherbedding and nepotism need to be eliminated from all levels of the organization. 3. Some proposed â€Å"carrots†: a. Management reduces unnecessary managerial and corporate staff as well as union positions. . The Board of Directors ties future management and union pay raises together. Pay increases will also be tied to productivity and profits. 4. Management should consider confrontation with union. a. This alternative needs to be carefully considered. b. There would be the possibility of violent confrontations. c. There will be many legal ramifications and expenses incurred by both sides. d. Even if the company is successful in obtaining concessions from the union, the company may have future problems.In unpopulated areas such as Montana, Idaho, and Washington, future employees will probably have ties to former union railroad employees. V. Recommendations Dave should attempt to make the necessary changes for NoGo to become a healthy organization. Unless he is able to live with the old corporate culture, he will not be effective. When Dave is â€Å"fed up,† he will probably resign. Hopefully before that point, the company’s top management will become supportive of the needed change programs. Meanwhile, Dave needs to be realistic about his future and keep his resume up to date.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Finance: United States Dollar and Exchange Rate Risk Essay

Your write-up should be eight to ten pages (double-spaced). If you provide information outside the case or the textbook, use a footnote to indicate the source. You can use pictures, but no more than four, and each figure should be no more than half a page in size. 1. Executive Summary. Briefly describe the history and business of Tiffany’s Co. What type of decision did the company have to make in 1993? Why was the decision important? 2. History of Japanese Yen. Describe the historical exchange rates between Japanese Yen and U.S. dollar over time. Focus on the big changes and what was the exchange rate in (and years before) July 1993. 3. To Hedge or Not? Do you think Tiffany should actively manage its yen-dollar exchange rate risk? Why or why not? Explain the benefits and costs of hedging. 4. What to Hedge? If Tiffany were to manage its exchange rate risk, then identify what exposures should be managed via such a hedging program (e.g., hedge sales, hedge gross profit, or hedge cash flows, etc.). Explain why. 5. Forward or Options? If Tiffany were to hedge the yen-dollar exchange rate risk, it can choose either forward contracts or options. Explain how Tiffany can hedge using forward contracts? How to hedge using options? The available forward contracts and options are described in Exhibit 8, assuming Tiffany can only use those derivatives to hedge. Based on what you have learned in this course, what are the pros and cons of using options to hedge compared to using forward contracts to hedge? 6. Your Decision. If you were CFO of Tiffany, what would you have done in July 1993? No hedging at all? Or hedging? If you decided to hedge, quantify how much of these exposures should be covered and for how long. You have to justify your answers. Note that there is no â€Å"correct answer.† The reasoning is more important. You should obtain information from Tiffany’s financial statements (e.g., Exhibit 3) and use information in the case (e.g., on page 3 it says that â€Å"Tiffany’s sales accounted for only 1% of the $20 billion Japanese jewelry market†) and then make an educated guess on what is the exposure and how much you want to hedge and how (i.e., using forward contracts or options or a combination.) Again, if two groups have similar write-ups, both write-ups will receive a grade of 0. Also, you should provide an answer to each specific question. Quantify questions 5 and 6. Otherwise you have to rewrite. Finally, I just want to clarify the option prices in Exhibit 8 in case 2. The left panel says Calls: it means these are call options on U.S. dollars, and these are from Japan’s point of view, not from U.S.’s point of view. So the left panel gives you the right (but not obligation) to buy U.S. dollar with Yen (i.e., sell Yen for dollar), and that is what you want to use. Do not use the right panel. You may ask, how come the case says that Tiffany should use Yen put options to hedge? Well, a Yen put option IS a dollar call option, why? A call option on US dollar, written at an exercise price in terms of Yen, is a put option on Yen, written at an exercise in terms of dollar. For example, in Exhibit 8, the three months call option on dollar with a strike price of 92Yen has a premium of 2.52 100ths of a cent per yen (i.e., premium is 0.000252$/yen). This call option gives you (mainly Japanese investors) the right to buy $ using Yen, that is to say, it gives you the right to sell Yen at (1/92)$, therefore, this is a put option for Yen from U.S. investors’ point of view. Bottom line, since Tiffany has Yen exposure, so you want to sell Yen as financial manager of Tiffany, so you should use the left panel, not the right panel.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Sony Case Study Essays

Sony Case Study Essays Sony Case Study Essay Sony Case Study Essay International Business Strategy Case Study: Sony: managing the international Ramp;D network 1. How did Sony internationalize its Ramp;D activities? Sony started to internationalize its activities in the 1950’s. For this, it used an incremental and cautious way. They followed the Morita’s strategy which is: first to learn about the market, to learn how to sell to it and to build up its corporate confidence before to commit itself. He also says that when you have confidence, you should commit yourself wholeheartedly. So Sony started by exporting products through foreign agencies or its own sales offices when entering foreign markets. The manufacturing plants close to markets where sales took off were also set up. Sony also internationalized its Ramp;D activities, starting with marketing activities in the US and other centres across Europe. Sony established incrementally overseas technology centres when the overseas sales and manufacturing subsidiaries were successful. Until the early 1980’s, these Ramp;D centres were set up by Japanese business labs or by foreign subsidiaries without the direct involvement of corporate headquarters. Sony established its first overseas Ramp;D centre in San Jose in California in 1977. The second was built in Basingstoke in UK in 1978. What were the initial motivations for Sony to establish technology centres abroad? The main reason why Sony’s foreign subsidiaries established Ramp;D activities was to solve problems faced by local sales and manufacturing activities, especially requirements. Indeed they had problems to modify products for local markets and to provide technological support to overseas plants. With technology centres established directly in the countries concerned, it was easier to analyze the local needs and to act directly. Sony also believed that foreign subsidiaries should ultimately conduct their own manufacturing, marketing, service financing and Ramp;D activities. How would Kuemmerle categorize the Ramp;D centres at Sony? Ramp;D centers at Sony can be categorized as home-base-augmenting because advanced knowledge from local Ramp;D centers is used to improve other Ramp;D bases. Indeed, the goal is to benefit from host country input markets as new suppliers of valuable resources or so called new FSAs. In the mean time, Sony has understood the need for more adaptation in order to meet host market demand requirements. . How have the motivations for internationalizing Ramp;D changed over time? At first Sony was very cautious in internationalizing its activities. It was very gradual. Foreign Ramp;D activities were set up only where Sony was successful. Sony believed that its foreign subsidiaries should run their Ramp;D activities themselves. The early motivations to proceed that way were to solve problem s faced by local sales and manufacturing activities, especially requirements to modify products for local markets and to provide technological support to overseas plants. So the first motivation was actually product adaptation. Managers on the field were more likely to choose the right Ramp;D projects to engage in. the underlying motivation was also to develop products locally in order to meet the needs and requirements of the local markets. Sony also aimed to realize global synergy in Ramp;D by transferring local specialties to other regions. But later Sony felt the need to use advanced knowledge embedded in various foreign locations. Indeed, some technologies were far more advanced in some countries than in others. There was then a clear need to establish Ramp;D bases in advanced technology locations so as to access the relevant knowledge. The second motivation could be called access to advanced knowledge. Then internal coordination between Ramp;D labs had to be increased to improve efficiency and to create synergies (efficiency and synergies). Coordination had become an important motivation for internationalizing Ramp;D while autonomy was kept by local Ramp;D centers in order to adapt to local requirements. 3. Why did Sony feel the need to internationalize its Ramp;D activities in the late 1980s and early 1990s? First Sony overseas production accounted for 30% of Sony’s total production and foreign sales represented 70% of Sony’s sales. So there was clearly a need to increase the fraction of Sony’s international Ramp;D which represented a too small fraction of Sony’s total Ramp;D. There was also the need to keep on developing products locally in order to meet local needs and requirements. Sony also felt that some parts of the countries could use more advanced technologies than others. There was then a need to allow Ramp;D centers from countries that were less technologically advanced to enjoy the advanced knowledge gained in other countries in order to remain at the cutting edge of technology. 4. How did Sony manage its overseas Ramp;D activities? How did the managerial approach evolve over time? As we’ve already said before, Ramp;D centers were set up by Japanese divisions or by foreign subsidiaries and managers of these centers were given substantial autonomy. Actually the overseas labs had the freedom to decide which Ramp;D projects to do. Then, as they gradually internationalized, Sony thought they had to increase internal coordination between the different Ramp;D labs in order to improve efficiency and create synergies. That’s why they introduced in the early 90’s a regional management system, hoping to improve internal coordination. In fact, they gave specific role to the US, Japan and European based offices. The CTO based in Japan became responsible for worldwide Ramp;D strategy, while CTOs in the US and in Europe were responsible for regional Ramp;D strategies and the coordination of activities. In addition, they organized coordination meetings twice a year for the 3 CTOs to discuss internal collaboration and resource allocation. However, overseas labs retained the power to plan and execute their own projects. 5. What have been the problems with Sony’s way of managing Ramp;D activities? There are 2 mains problems with Sony’s way of managing Ramp;D activities. First, the lack of coordination among divisional managers due to a silo structure. This insufficiency of coordination led to bad allocation of resources in Ramp;D for improving existing products. Moreover, different divisions and products groups under the decentralized structure have been allowed to pursue independent agendas. So, different labs worked on the same project. It is fair to say that Sony wasted resources and duplicated efforts for nothing. Secondly, even if we don’t care about the first problem, Sony’s Ramp;D efforts have simply been less effective than those of rivals because of a major problem in the realm of strategic guidance and incentives. 6. Besides in-house restructuring to strengthen its technological capabilities, what did Sony do to rejuvenate its business? Sony started to form strategic alliance to increase its technological strengths. For instance, Sony, IBM and Toshiba developed together Cell, a semiconductor described as a supercomputer-on-a-chip. Joint ventures were also formed by Sony such as Sony BMG in the music business and Sony Ericsson in mobile phones business. Sony has also worked on the structure of Ramp;D’s activities. They tried to create a sense of urgency and to stop with complacency. In 2005, they launched a plan to reduce management layers, improve coordination of Ramp;D and refocus Ramp;D on growth areas. This plan was called â€Å"Project Nippon†. Sony is also trying to create an â€Å"over-arching structure† for research and development and software spending for all products. 7. Can you provide an update on the internationalization of Sony’s Ramp;D activities, using materials available on the Web?

Monday, November 4, 2019

Barbara Ehenreichs The Roots of War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Barbara Ehenreichs The Roots of War - Essay Example Here, the chain of events elucidated in the writing is closely related to the notion of warfare by human beings. By drawing many cause and effects of warfare, Ehenreich attempts to challenge many of the prevailing understandings of war. In the very introductory paragraph of her paper itself, she negates some of the widespread misunderstandings on war such as the ideas that ‘war is essentially human’, war is essentially modern capitalist’ and war is instinctual’. War is mysterious. It stems from mysteries and it mystifies. There exist hundreds of misconceptions about war. Many people think that war is unique to human species. The proverbial saying goes that even animals do not kill except for food. According to Barbara Ehenreich, â€Å"there are [o]nly three types of creatures engage in warfare- humans, chimpanzees and ants†(598). Is tendency to go for war part of our genome make up? Feminists for long thought that it is testosterone that makes men wa r prone. War is not new to the human society. War prevails in all kinds of societies from primitive hunter-gatherers to modern capitalist ones. The first cause/effect assertion by the writer is that war is not equal to violence because violence is just part of it. It is a reductionism to say that war is equal to violence. No, war is greater than violence.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Brazil's development will attempt to lead sustainability for the next Essay

Brazil's development will attempt to lead sustainability for the next World Cup - Essay Example Introduction 1.1 Background Sports, conferences and entertainment events have become major events in which environmental sustainability has emerged as an important theme (Ponsford, 2011). Every event claims to be environmentally conscious but the extent to which the authorities take steps to attain sustainability remains a debatable issue. The event organizers should be responsible for making the first step towards sustainability as they make a major impact on the environment (Hill, 1998). The first step involves preparing an action plan based on various factors that are set together to create an event. Brazil is due to host the World Cup in three years’ time and the infrastructure development that this event calls for, is tremendous. Brazil is expected to invest US$18.7bn for the 2014 FIFA World Cup which will fund 50 projects in 12 Brazilian host cities (Portal Brasil, 2010). The Minister for Sports claims that the development of Brazil to meet the demands of the event would greatly improve the country for the citizens. 1.2 Rationale for the study Hosting the World Cup requires the nation to be prepared in three main areas – the stadium, airport and transportation, and accommodation (De la Cerda, Fernandes, Huebner, Madanes & Suarez, 2011). Brazil is poised for growth since its foreign exchange policy is liberalized. The success of an event is not merely limited to whether the event was economically profitable. For most mega events economic benefits are overstated in order to justify the public expenditure by the federal government (Karadakis & Kaplanidou, 2010). It can cause tremendous debts as in the case of Montreal 1976 as it was burdened with capital and interest costs; as resources become scarce price inflation is likely for goods and services. The general population could also be burdened in terms of additional taxation to pay for the cost of hosting. Opportunity costs also arise when the government is unable to raise enough funds to host the event. A reasonable ratio between the profit generated and the costs incurred is based on short-term effects, and is derived from induced demand stimulus (Muller & Moesch, 2010). However, an event can be sustainable only if the added infrastructure continues to generate revenue and pay for its maintenance. Sustainability is not limited to environmental concerns but can expand to other regions as well. 1.3 Research aims and objectives With the aim to evaluate what steps the authorities have taken to ensure that development attempts will lead to sustainability for the next world cup, the objectives of the study are: To determine the likely damage to the environment and suggest measures for sustainable management To determine the likely impact of the World Cup 2014 on the GDP of Brazil and its population in the future generations To evaluate if Brazil is moving towards a sustainable event This study has great significance because event managers/organizers globally would make consc ious attempts while planning events to ensure minimum damage to the environment, to the people, to the nation as a whole. 2. Literature review 2.1 Definition – events –