China Global Imbalances, Reserve Currency and Global Economic

Global imbalances, Reserve currency, and Global economic governance The accepted hypotheses for the root cause of global economic imbalances are: 1)East Asian economies’ export-led growth: recently the integration with international markets leads to an import and export expansion making the trade surpluses in EA dramatically increase. It had a great success in EA producing higher living standards and poverty rates declining. This cannot be the main cause for the emergence of large global imbalances in 2000 and thereafter since before 2000 EA economies’ TB were roughly balances. )Self-insurance motivation for foreign currency reserve accumulation: after the financial crises in the late 1990s, emerging market economies in EA increased their CA surpluses substantially, and they experienced rising international reserves. After 2005 Chinese surpluses and reserves are too large to be justified by the self-insurance motivation. 3)China’s exchange rate policy: the g. i. started to grow in 2002 and China has been accused of causing the imbalance sustaining a large undervaluation of its real exchange rate since 2003, but it is not true because: †¢China trade surplus did not become large until 2005 RMB appreciated against US$ by 20% in 2005-2008 but the global imbalances continued to grow †¢Most other developing countries also increased their CA surpluses in the same period (if exchange rate was the cause, the other countries that compete with China would have experience declining trade surpluses and reserves) >The need for an alternative hypothesis: these hypotheses imply that the EA economies are driving the g. i. but is not consistent with the basic statistics.While the US trade deficits with China did increase substantially, the share of the US trade deficit due to EA economies as a region actually declined significantly. The three hypotheses surely contributed but they cannot be the main cause of the global imbalances. >An alternative h ypothesis consistent with the data: it views the g. i. as a result of the status of the US $ as the major global reserve currency, combined with: †¢The lack of appropriate financial sector regulation due to deregulation in the 1980s. The federal reserve’s low interest rate policy following the burst of the â€Å"dotcom† bubble in 2001. These policy changes led to excessive risk-taking and higher leverage, producing excess liquidity and â€Å"bubbles† in the US markets, which enabled the US overconsumption that increased the US CA deficit. As China had become the major producer of labor-intensive processed consumer goods by 2000, the US ran a large deficit with China, which ran trade deficits with the EA economies that provided intermediate products to China.The excess liquidity also led to the large outflow of capital to developing countries, which enhance their investment and consequently in large trade surpluses in capital-goods exporting countries and na tural resources exporting countries. Since the US is the reserve currency issuing country, the foreign reserves accumulated through trade/capital account surpluses in other countries would return to the US leading to the US CA surplus. >Why did China stand out in the global imbalances? : the large CA surplus in China reflects high domestic savings.There are several commonly accepted hypotheses about China’s high households saving rate: such as the lack of well-developed social safety net and the demographics of an aging population. But the uniqueness of China’s savings is the large share of corporate savings, which are driven by the excessive concentration of the financial system that serves the big firms, low taxation on natural resources, and monopolies in some sectors. Reforms are required for removing these distortions and increasing consumption. The role of the reserve currency in global imbalances: the status of the $ as the major global reserve currency, combine d with the financial deregulation of the 1980s and the low interest rate policy of the 2000s, led to the emergence of global imbalances. To prevent their recurrence, the ultimate solution is to replace national currencies as global reserve currencies with a new global currency, but US is unlikely to give up its reserve-issuing privilege to a global body (IMF).A more likely scenario is the emergence of a basket of reserve currencies with some changes in the basket’s consumption and weights. >A win-win solution for the global recovery: the most urgent challenges are high unemployment and the large excess capacity in high-income industrialized countries. Win-win solutions for the global recovery and long-term growth could be based on new international financial arrangements along with structural reforms in both high-income and developing countries.On the financial front it could be created a global recovery fund (supported by hard-currency countries and large-reserve countries a nd managed by multilateral development banks) to finance investments to release bottlenecks and enhance productivity in developing countries. These investments would increase the demand for capital goods produced in high-income countries, reduce their unemployment now, and enhance the developing countries’ growth in the future. The fund could be complemented by structural reforms in high-income and developing countries to create space for investment and to improve the efficiency of investment.

Microsoft

Question 1 Developing customer intimacy is essential for developing a sustainable competitive advantage. Whether the products of an organization will have any market potential depends on whether the customers like them or not. Therefore the management of an organization will have to develop an intimate understanding of the customers’ tastes and preferences if that organization is to stay of ahead of the competition. The process of developing customer intimacy is to conduct periodic market research on what the customer expectations are. One of the first companies to market itself through developing customer intimacy was Dell Computers. Michael Dell wanted to build computers not through idea generation from its internal engineering personnel but through data collection on what the customers’ tastes and preferences were. The founder of the company himself spent a significant amount of time with the customers to determine what they wanted to see most in a computer. The hardware manufacturing company also developed a website by means of which the customers could share their opinions with the company. As a result, the company hit the fortune 500 list in a very short time. Being in constant touch with customer requirements enabled Dell to develop customer intimacy that also enabled them to develop their products and services very quickly. Question 2 The external environment of an organization is the industry in which it operates. The industry is affected by a number of forces such as political, economic, sociological and technological. Therefore a business organization in particular has to conduct a PEST analysis periodically. A company such as Microsoft has to take into account the forces of the external environment very carefully. On first appearances, the political environment would not seem to affect Microsoft’s operations significantly. However Microsoft is frequently thrust into anti-trust suits the outcome of which would depend considerably on the prevailing political environment. The company would be hard hit if the country it is operating in went through an economic downturn. Whenever there is an economic downturn, companies tend to invest less and one of the first operations that experience cost-cutting is information technology. Therefore, demand for Microsoft’s products and services would go down when the economic environment is unfavorable. Corporate social responsibility is a very critical issue in today’s business environment. Therefore Microsoft has to fund community projects from time to time in order to endear itself to the society. That is part of the sociological environment. Also relevant in this respect is how the society views the complexities of adopting new technologies. Microsoft would also be affected very significantly by technological shifts. For example, when the use of the internet caught on, Microsoft had to reengineer itself completely to stay in business because previously it had decided not to enter the Internet. Question 3 Price is the risk that is at the forefront of the customers’ minds when making a purchase. When making a purchase, consumers must make sure that the price they are paying is equivalent to the value they are receiving in return. If this risk remains high for the customer, then the company will have a negative image in the minds of the customers. Therefore the management of that company must work to reduce that risk. One method is to offer customers price guarantees. This means that the customers will be paying the lowest possible price available anywhere. Some companies even offer to lower the price even further by a certain percentage if after purchase, the customer comes across another company offering a lower price still. Price guarantees are an admirable way to attract customers in the current age of the Internet because a lot of customers prefer to make their purchases online if the products they are looking for are available there. This enables to them go price shopping. Rather than walking miles to compare prices, customers shopping online can simply surf and compare sitting in the comforts of home. If they come across a certain company offering price matching or price beating, then customers will be hooked immediately because they can stop price shopping right there. Another perceived consumer risk is how they will be viewed by the society when they buy a certain product. The way to mitigate this risk is to promote certain products as status symbols and the demographics of the people who purchase those products. That will have a positive effect on the customer psyche. Question 4 The phenomenon of price sensitivity is a function of demand and supply. When prices are lower, people buy more and vice versa. However there are times when demand peaks and during these times there is lower price sensitivity. Business organizations can take advantage of these times to raise the prices of their products and services in order to maximize their revenue. For example many people like to go skiing during school vacations. As a result, skiing resorts raise their prices when school is in half term because that is the time when demand for skiing is very high. All the parents like to take their kids skiing during that time and they are willing to pay a higher price at the time. So peaks and troughs in demand are the top influencers of price sensitivity. In other words, the management of the business organization has a powerful tool in the form of price sensitivity by taking demand seasonality into consideration. However price sensitivity also depends type of goods. If the goods in question are necessity goods, then price sensitivity will significantly affect buying behavior. If the goods are status symbols however, then raising prices will not affect demand. Question 5 A business organization must promote its products and services in order to attract demand. The management has four methods with which to conduct the promoting. It might want to go for advertising. Usually the media used for this form of communication is radio, television or the internet. It is a non- personal form of communication. The advantage with this form of communication is that it has a wide reach. If the advertising is broadcast by means of the television for example, then millions of people will be exposed to the message. It also has a high emotional value. The second form of communication is personal selling. As the name implies, this has a personal touch because usually the company sends out its sales representatives door to door promoting its products and services. The advantage with this form of communication is that consumers can ask questions and find out whatever they need to find out about the products immediately. Another form of communication is sales promotion whereby consumers get something else into the bargain when they purchase a product. The advantage with this form of communication is that it motivates the consumers to consider buying something that they had not bought before. Last but not the least in the list of communication techniques is public relations. This promotional technique is most useful when the management is trying to build a good corporate image. BIBILIOGRAPHY Kotler, Philip., and Gary Armstrong. Principles of Marketing. Prentice Hall. 2005. Cateora, Philip, and John Graham. International Marketing. Prentice Hall. 2005. Kerin, Roger A., et al. Marketing. McGraw Hill/Irwin. 2005. Nagle, Thomas T., and John Hogan. The Strategy & Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Growing More Profitably . South western college pub. 2007. 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Receiver Paper -- Ted Youth Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Receiver Paper -- Ted Youth Speech - Essay Example â€Å"Leading Miami† was formed with the main objective of teaching the local youths in Miami about the values of leaderships, empathy, and self realization. According to Koenig, active leadership presents the best solution towards changing the way young people engage in civic activities in the city. He said that he believed leadership is the best avenue to changing the state of low civic activities not only in Miami but across the world as well. Koenig’s speech was a rallying call to the youths in Miami to take action towards changing Miami for better. The greatest lesson that the speech carried was on leadership and how it can be used to drive personal and communities ambitions to higher levels of achievement. Philip Koenig was very articulate about the subject of leadership. He said that teaching about leadership was a great opportunity for the youths in Miami to â€Å"create change within a broad spectrum on all sides.† He further gave examples of some of the world’s greatest leaders like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi who took active role in civic activities. He said that empathy was the greatest personal value behind the passions of Mandela and Gandhi in leading to change the world for better place. Koenig was speaking to a group of mostly the youths that had assembled for the TEDx speech presentation in Miami in November 2013. Members of the auditorium had assembled to exchange experiences and also learn from others, what it would mean to change Miami to statuses of cities like Minneapolis a very active civic life. Speaker after speaker was a youth perhaps to authentic the fact that the speech presentations on the day was as forum for the youths of Miami. The audience was also representative of the American multiracial diversities. Speakers were also from different racial backgrounds. Philip entered the stage just moments after an African-American youth had just finished making his presentation. The occasion was specificall y dedicated to youths of Miami to learn about what they could do to change their city for a better place. The rallying call that Philip made was for the youth to rise above the below average ratings of their city and compete with the likes of Minneapolis where civic engagement by the populace was way above. The audience applauded the speaker in appreciation after he finished his presentation. Koenig was an effective speaker and being a member of the audience, I found him very articulate in presenting his views. His major objectives were to call upon the youth to take an active role in engaging in civic activities. He also wanted to tell the youths to inculcate the spirit of empathy in them as they learn of leadership skills and self development. On the other hand, the speaker wanted the audience to know of various ways through which they could engage actively in civic activities in the city. The speaker created an impression that he is an authority worth listening to early in the sp eech. He stated that he has been running â€Å"Leading Miami†, an organization that has been in the forefront of educating and inculcating leadership values in the youths of Miami. He thus came forth as someone that has been in the fore when it comes to civic activities in the city of Miami. The speaker also employed the use of emotional appeal to capture the audience’s emotions. He said that taking part in civic activiti

Sash Sliding windows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sash Sliding windows - Essay Example The complete unit is housed in a jamb groove (Jackson & Day 2009, p.183). The spiral balances can be used to replace window weights in old sash windows. First, the sashes are removed and weighed on the bathroom scale. Secondly, determine the weight of each sash, height, width and overall inside height of the window frame to ensure that the right sashes are ordered for and delivered. The sashes are then reinstalled until the balances are delivered. The sashes are then removed as well as the pulleys. Wood filler is used to plug the holes, as grooves are cut according to the specifications of the manufacturer to fit the stales of each sash to accommodate the balances. A mortise is cut at each end of the bottom edges to receive the spiral rod mounting plates. The plates are then installed with screws. The top sash is pushed in place as the top pair of balances that are shorter than the bottom sash then each is installed in its groove (Chudley & Greeno 2013, p.24). The top ends of the balance are attached to the top ends of the balance tubes to the frame jambs pushing the ends tight to the top jambs. The sash is lifted and propped with a scrap of wood. The key is hooked with balances into the end of each spiral rod and the tension adjusted according to manufacturer’s instructions. The end of each rod is attached to be mounting plate and the test balance of the sash. If it drops, ensure that another turn is added until it is held in the right position. Care should be taken so that the balances are not overwound. The bottom sash and balances are installed in the same way. Stops that limit full crewel of the sashes in respective tracks are placed. Sash windows are recognised for their aesthetic and conservative value to the homes and commercial buildings. The windows are simple to scrub and keep, are sustainable to the environment since they have excess energy ratings, are air

TEN COUNSELING THEORY CONSTRUCTS Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

TEN COUNSELING THEORY CONSTRUCTS - Coursework Example The ego is on the other hand is concerned with realization of reality and it demands on someone and it is involved with reasoning. Superego is concerned with things being right or wrong. Since the personality has the id, ego and superego, it is the three that function in their own ways to result to functions of personality. The id controls ones desires and needs like the drive to eat or drink. Ego acts as the mediator of the others i.e. the id and the superego (Corey, 2008). It also mediates these two with the external world. The superego is responsible to decision making on what is right or wrong. Freud stated that a normal human being is as such on the average. He further stated that this person’s ego nears that of a psychotic in some instance or in a greater extent. He further asserted that anxiety reduction is responsible for normal traits. Freud asserted that mental illnesses develop from childhood and hugely caused by unconscious mind and motivation comes from anxiety reduction. He further said that behaviors in abnormality are exhibits of alternatives of repression. Corey (2008) states that the theory makes it clear that the human mind is dynamic and the behaviors that one exhibits if well looked into have a source that is traceable meaning that it is possible to change behavior. Freud has mentioned a number of techniques that can be used therapeutically or in Counseling. One is dream analysis where traumatic ones are referred to as routes to the unconscious. The other is Para praxes which is the slip of the pen or tongue when the unconscious interrupts the conscious mind shortly. The last is word association where the first word uttered randomly is used at a later therapeutic situation. The client needs to attend the sessions as required or agreed upon. The client is supposed to give honest information about the situation bothering them. Above all it is important for the client to give information of progress of the

HBR 6 - Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HBR 6 - - Case Study Example Consequently, companies depend upon these executives too much and their departure can cost a company all its success. The bossy and non-cooperative style of the overachieving executives demotivates other organizational personnel. As opposed to such bossy style of leadership driven by the excessive motivation for achievement in the executives, the authors have identified directive, visionary, affiliative, participative, pacesetting, and coaching styles of leadership as the ones that can help an executive manager motivate organizational personnel. None of these leadership styles can be established as better or worse than the other as each has its own pros and cons. The hypothesis of this article is that overachieving managers can only bring short term success for a company and fail to develop rapport with other organizational personnel. Another hypothesis of this article is that in order to ensure long term success of a company, it is imperative that the executives place more emphasis on the organizational personnel than numbers and

Risk in building house Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk in building house - Research Paper Example This step will help in simplifying the complex process. This step is also very important and every potential risk must be made note of and it should be dealt with accordingly. There are several risks involved in building a house and one needs to be very cautious not to ignore any risks. This step will facilitate all the other steps and it will decrease the level of uncertainty. This step is one of the most important steps of all, the risks that have been made note of should be dealt with and the best way of dealing with these risks is to have backups or plan B. Plan B is very useful and it again brings down the level of risk. These steps are dependent and one cannot be completed without the support of the other, monitoring is another very important step and if this is not incorporated then the whole process may fail. Monitoring reduces the risks involved in building a house, after the process of planning is completed, it is essential to ensure that the steps decided must be incorporated and this is where monitoring and controlling comes into the picture. Maintaining a risk register is also important and all these steps should be followed when one decides to build a house in order to bring down the level of uncertainty involved in this complicated process. It is integral to divide this perplexing process into two namely Mitigation and contingency. When it comes to receiving the material for the house, it must be ensured that everything is received well before the deadline and a deadline of one week is set. As far as the mitigation is concerned, one must find another vendor should the primary vendor fail to provide the material required to build the house. The weather conditions is another aspect that requires great deal of attention, it must be checked beforehand and it must be made sure that the conditions are ideal for the workers to start the

Advertisement to bid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advertisement to bid - Essay Example This entails the strengthening of the construction concrete with steel bars known as rebars. Vibrators are also used to remove any air that might be trapped in the concrete to increase the strength. It is also understood that you require stained concrete floors, we have unlimited number of designs and colors for a beautiful finish. We also understand that you require light steel framing of good thermal properties. We have managed to use steel studs for rough-framing in both residential and commercial construction. The steel we use has good thermal and structural behavior especially in cold climate regions as heat loss is reduced and has tenement thermal comfort. We have also used clear windows to do some our previous constructions. Clear windows are able to let in light at the same time keeps inclement weather outside. The entire faà §ade of the building can be covered by curtain walls. We have examined the plan located on Chin building, 55 west 45 street, and confirm that we are able to complete the task in the required time. Enclosed is the bill bond of $18200 for the total of 6000 square foot. We write to inquire if you would be interested in working as a wood framing subcontractor on an office/warehouse project. In case you are interested, you are supposed to present your major history, including main works undertaken by you recently. The details of key personnel you will have performing your portion of work over the entire period should also be presented. The building technique should be the stud technique which provides a stable frame to which the wall coverings are attached. Plywood, oriented strand boards, and wind braces should be used in wall sectioning and stabilization. For other fittings you, glued limited timber and laminated veneer lumber will be used. To save on materials used, dimensional lumber method should be used. You will also be required to fix a laminate floor with a high aesthetic value. The floor pieces should be machine

Trifles deals with gender perception a sensitive reading of the drama Essay

Trifles deals with gender perception a sensitive reading of the drama involves understanding how the men view the women, how t - Essay Example "Trifles" deals with gender perception; a sensitive reading of the drama involves understanding how the men view the women, how the women view the men, and how the women ultimately triumph over the men. Men are presented as an egoistic species that reserve the back roles for the women right from the beginning of the play. Throughout the development of the play, women seem to be placed in the dark and they consequently withdraw themselves to trivial details that men count as unimportant in the case. â€Å"She didn't pay much attention,† are examples of words men use in the play to refer to women (vcu.edu, 6th conversation by Hale). At one point in the play, women are depicted as a species that concentrates on trifles at an instance when men plainly mock them for linking a quilt to murder case evidence. "Trifles" deals with gender perception; a sensitive reading of the drama involves understanding how the men view the women. Other trivial details that the women fall on in their assistance to unravel the murder are equally rejected by the chauvinistic men in the play. In aromatic turn of events, the very rejections termed trivial become the main pieces of reliable evidence.

Money Laundering Sources Essay Example for Free

Money Laundering Sources Essay 1.Drug traffic: it is considered as the most important financial source in the illegal business. The important money operation is related to drug dealings. 2.Bribery: it is one of the sources that lead to have illegal money. Most of the laws prohibited the bribery in its different ways and have imposed some punishments when bribery takes place. 3.Money embezzlements: the crime of embezzling money is one of the important crimes that is related to administrative corruption. People who get the embezzled money tend to put it in banks outside the country with the intention of bringing it back in an illegal way. 4.The illegal evading from paying taxes: it is also called â€Å"tax cheating† or â€Å"tax evading†. This means that one can evade or escape from paying the due taxes through practicing cheating and counterfeiting in the records and breaking the taxation rules and laws. The evading process is considered one of the sources that lead to gain huge amounts of money that will become later a target for the money laundering operations. 5.The crime of money: these are crimes that aim to gain huge amounts of money and the people that commit such crime work on hiding or concealing its sources so it can look as if it is legal. 6.The crimes of people with white collars: these crimes are done by people who have a high position socially and economically while practicing their businesses. 7.The crimes of the politicians: the money laundering operations is connected to the political corruption that is associated with the utilization of the power and authority to gain the huge amounts of money then, smuggle it outside to be laundered and bring it back in a legal way. There is also the method of buying the stocks and assets where the money launderers buy perceptible assets such as cars, boats, real estate, precious stones, drawings for famous artists, or buying cash instruments like banking checks, paying orders, traveler‘s checks, notes and many other means. The most favored technique for the money launderers is buying commercial notes, especially depositing certificates, for example instead of depositing cash money which in many cases can be detected if the amount is big, it is divided into the ways of buying the notes which could be easily bought in value ranges between 100 and 100,000 dollars. Some commercial activities that can be used for laundering money are : 1.Operations of the equivalent markets: in this type of plans, the launderers tend to replace the dirty dollars with other foreign currencies and sometimes, they switch it back to dollars again. 2.Illusive deals: counterfeiting operations is considered one of the popular activities used in laundering money. With the use of exaggerated prices, money launderers can establish illusive companies or work with their partners for finding illusive bills where the prices included in these bills are either exaggerated to an extent exceeding the amount paid actually, or that the commodity is never bought at all. 3.Insurance companies: there is another planning for cash brokers in the free commercial areas which appears in accepting cash liquidity from the drug dealers to buy life insurance documents and get back its value by the virtue of checks. 4.Off shore companies: the off shore companies are traditionally used by money launderers. For example, a money launderer can establish commercial business in Lebanon as a cover for opening a commercial account in a bank. Then, the money launderers travels to one of the countries that are refuges for free taxation with the help of a lawyer or local agents to establish an external company in the free area. The local agent can be the owner and the boss of that company where the name of the launderer isn‘t used in any of the external documents. After that, the illusive company pretends to do some commercial activities and then transfer the dirty money telegraphically from the commercial account in Lebanon to the account of the external company in the free area. This could be done through the counterfeited bills which are used to pretend that there are legal commercial dealings. As the dirty money is put in the Off Shore companies, it can be transferred telegraphically to any place in the world. Money laundering is not restricted to banks but in the banking field for example, the money launderers are used to collude with the employees of the banks administrations. This is often done by using methods of corruption to allow the passing of the special transaction related to transferring huge amounts to pass by without filling the application from or through splitting them into small amounts to avoid the procedures.

Benefits of Value Chain Analysis

Benefits of Value Chain Analysis Introduction In this assignment Im going to show that an organisation can add value with its success and how the concept of a Value Chain can be used to assess where organisations add value and develop future strategy. According to Wright (2004), Value Chain is a traditional manner of departmentalising stages of the business process. The value chain highlights the importance of the operational manager being involved in all aspects of the process, from suppliers right trough the customer. With the value chain approach functional boundaries are ignored and in many organisations its now accepted that the operations manager has to control the whole process from buying in goods and services to the final stage of satisfying the customer. Marketing, accounting, human resources are not showing up in the value chain, but the operational manager has to be interesting and to be involved in these internal functions of the organisation as well. (Wright and Race 2004) Information technology is changing the way companies operates. According to Porter (1985), cost leadership and product differentiation can be pursued simultaneously only under rare conditions. If organisations are to achieve competitive advantage by delivering value to customers, managers need to understand which activities the undertake are especially important in creating that value and which are not (Johnson et all 2008) . The value chain concept is important to understand this describing the categories of activities within and around an organisation, which together create a product or service. The concept was developed by Michael Porter with his book competitive advantage 1985 where the idea of value chain is based on the processe view of organisations, the idea of seeing a manufacturing or service organisation as system, made up of subsystems each with inputs, transformation process and outputs which involve the acquisition and consumption of resources (money, equipment, labour, land, buildings, management and administration). The primary value chain activities are: Logistics/ Inbound:the distribution of manufacturing after the raw materials are received and warehoused. Operations: the transformation process of inputs into services and finish products. Logistics/ Outbound: The warehousing and distribution of the finished goods. Marketing and sales: Placing the product on the market generating sales reaching the right people interested to buy it Service: The tool used to offer the product on the market and the service offered after the product is sold (customer service) This Primary Activities are supported by: The infrastructure of the firm: organisational structure, control system, company culture etc. Human resource management: employee recruiting, hiring, training, development and compensation. Technology development: technologies to support the value chain activity Procurement: purchasing input such as materials, supplies, and equipments. (http://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/) The firms margin or profit then depends on its effectiveness in performing these activities efficiently, so that the amount that the customer is willing to pay for the products exceeds the cost of the activities in the value chain. It is in these activities that a firm has the opportunity to generate superior value. A competitive advantage may be achieved by reconfiguring the value chain to provide lower cost or better differentiation. (http://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/) External efficiency is measured by customer satisfaction and by market share. To achieve customer satisfaction the company requires, and is depends on, the timely received goods and its services to specification by external suppliers. Is very important to have a good communication, and teamwork between suppliers at one end, and the customer at the other end of the value chain. (Wright and Race 2004) Cost advantage and Value Chain A firm maybe create a cost advantage either by reducing the cost of individual value chain activities, or by reconfiguring the value chain. Once the value chain is defined, a cost analysis can be performed by assessing the costs of the value chain activities. The cost obtained from the accounting report may need to be modified in order to allocate them properly to the value creating activity. Porter identified 10 cost drivers realting to the value chain activities: Economies of scale Learning Capacity utilisation Linkages among activities Interrelationships among business units Degree of vertical integration Timing of market entry Firms policy of cost or differentiation Geographic location Institutional factors (regulation, union activity, taxes etc.) A firm develops a cost advantage by controlling these drivers better than do the competition. A cost advantage also can be pursued by reconfiguring the value chain. Reconfiguration means structural changes such a new production process, new distribution channels, or a different sales approach. For example FedEx structurally redefined express freight service by acquiring its own planes and implementing a hub and spoke system. (http://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/) Differentiation and Value Chain A differentiation advantage can arise from any part of the value chain. For example procurements of inputs that are unique and widely available for competitors can create differentiation, as can distributor channels that offers high service levels. A differentiation advantage may be achieved by changing individual value chan activities to increase uniqueness in the final product, or by reconfiguring the value chain. Porter identified several drivers of uniqueness: Policies and decision Linkages among activities Timing Location Interrelationships Learning Integration Scale (eg better service as a result of large scale) Institutional factors Most of these also serve a cost drivers. There are several ways which a firm can reconfigure its value chain in order to create uniqueness. (http://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/) Technologies and the Value Chain The changes in technologies can impact the competitive advantage changing and making possible new configuration of value chain. Many technologies are used in both primary value activities and support activities: Inbound Logistic Technologies Transportation Material handling Material storage Communication Testing Information systems Operations Technologies Process Materials Machine tools Material handling Packaging Maintenance Testing Building design operation Information systems Outbound Logistics Technologies Transportation Material handling Packaging Communications Information systems Service Technologies Testing Communications Information systems In order to compare value chain activities and how can be added value to a company, I chosen few international hotel chain: Hilton Worldwide Is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For over 90 years Hilton has been offering business and leisure travellers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. Company dedicated for the tradition of providing exceptional guest experience across its global brands distributed over a total of more than 3400 hotels in 79 countries. The company manages the world-class guest reward program called Hilton HonoursÂÂ ®, innovative technologies to enhance the guest experience. http://www.hiltonworldwide.com/aboutus/index.htm Marriott international Marriotts brands are leading in customer satisfaction and owner and franchisee preferences. Exceptional amenities. Attentive guest guest care. In-depth local knowledge set industy standards around the world. Marriott International has become the worlds leading lodging company, not only through its deiverse portfolio of global brands, but also by training and engaging the best employees (300.000) to delivery the best service. http://www.marriottdevelopment.com/ As we can see, two very big hospitality company operating worldwide are constantly trying to add value. In the service industry and especially in the hotel industry, the value is added and created from the people inputs of time, knowledge, equipments and systems to serve the hotel guests and customers. Customers in these companies can be also employees from the same organisation. The more value is created, the more people will be ready to pay the price for the service or product and the more they will keep on buying from the same company. Value chain analysis To understand and find out where we can create value we need to use a Value Chain Analysis. The first step for the analysis is the Activity Analysis: Where all the activities to serve the customer and to deliver the service are analysed. In this step of activities analysis we are going to collect as much information as we can from all the people involved within the organisation such us guest, employees, suppliers, business partners, travel agents and tour operators. This stage will also involve the way to recruit people with the right skills that will deliver the best service. How to keep the team motivated and informed about the performance. In the case of these featured company the KPI system (Key Performance Indicator) has been introduced to control the standard of performance that will help to get feedback from the guest to enhance the guest engagement. To conduct the Value Chain Analysis are needed up to three years of annual repors to understand and analyse how the costing of the activities are changing and whether they are in unison with the competitive strategi of the firm. To gain knowledge about the core competence of the company, we can have a look at the company and competitor websites and SWOT analysis of both companies can be done to understand the key strengths and weaknesses of the company and how different are the firms from the direct competitor. (http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/value-chain-analysis.php) Value analysis After few activities are identified we list the Value Factors which is the kind of service that the customer value in the way the activity is conducted. If we analyse a telephone order, the customer will value a quick answer to his/her call, a good an polite manner, efficient taking of order details with fast and knowledgeable answering of questions and a quick resolution to any problems that arise during the order. Delivering a professional service, the customer will like the correct solution based on the good options and up to date alternatives. This analysis will give us what needs to be done or changed to provide a great value for each Value factor. Evaluate changes and Plan for Action With the Value Analysis, we will generate so many ideas for increasing the value that we are going to deliver to customers Value Chain in the Hotel Industry The primary activities in the Hotel industry: Starting from the Inbound Logistics where we have all the contracts with supplier that are delivering the food and beverage, providing laundry service and other services; Back of the house storage and distribution within the hotels departments and inventory control and stock requisitions. The Operations are represented from all the procedures and processes that, with the support from all the advanced equipments and tools, will produce goods and service to offer on the market. Outbound Logistics in the hotel can be the way the services and final products are offered and distributed to the different outlets and different guests. Marketing and Sales: all the activities that are trying to get customers and people interested in the hotel for rooms, conferences, restaurants but also the promotion of the hotel with advertise and pricing considering the competitors Service in the hotel industry is crucial for its succes. The quality of service is created with a certain number of employees in proportion with the hotel capability and with the respective training. A good service will enhance the products value and will be crucial for the guest that will have to chose in which of the many hotels to stay. An example can be made between the company Hilton and Marriott where both can offer the same guest room, the same equipment in the room, same facilities with different price; probably the price for Hilton is more competitive but the service offered will be not at the same level as a Marriott hotel. The same room at the Marriott hotel with a nice presentation of the hotel services from the reception staff will probably an added value and the travellers will be more likely to go back where a better service is offered if the price is not much higher (value for money). Support activities in the Hotel industry The Procurement in the hotel can be the facilities offered to guest, the building, and the equipment that will support all the operations to make easy and smoothly the service. Technology Development is very important within the hospitality as it is a modern industry in constantly growth where new technologies are needed to save time and work smarter. The Propriety Management System is the most important to take into consideration which is the software to manage all the operations and share all the information with all the hotel departments in real time. The innovation and the technology are developing the hotel industry. The Firm Infrastructure is represented from the management team with the long term planning, the quality management , public affairs, finance and accounting. A good example for these two organisations can be the reservation system. If we got feedback from the customers not happy with the website for the difficulties to make the reservations or we know that both the company are occurring the same problem, therefore we know that if we want to add value for one of the company, we are going to find the solution to make easier the reservation system for the guests. Porter, M. E. Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, 1985, New York: Free Press Wright N. Race P. The Management of service Operations, second edition 2004, Thomson Johnson G. et all Exploring corporate strategy, eight edition, 2008, FT Prentice Hall Porter, M. E. The competitive advantage of nations,1990, New York: Free Press. http://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/ http://www.marriottdevelopment.com/ http://www.hiltonworldwide.com/aboutus/index.htm http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/value-chain-analysis.php The Value Chain and its components: The value chain is a systematic approach to examining the development of competitive advantage. It was created by M. E. Porter is his book, Competitive Advantage(1980). The chain consist of a series of activities that create and build value. The organisation is split into primary activities and support activities. Primary Activities: Here goods are received from a companys suppliers. Stored until they are needed on the production/ assembly line. These goods are moved around the organisation. Operations: This is where goods are manufactured or assembled. Individual operations could include room service in a hotel, packing of books/videos/games by an online retailer, or the final tune for a new cars engine. Outbound Logistic: The goods are now finished, and they need to be sent along the supply chain to wholesalers, retailers or the final customer.

The Gay Marriage Controversy Essay -- Same-Sex Marriage Essays

Marriage has been an important part of life since the Biblical times. It usually consists of the union of a man and a woman, but for gays and lesbians, it is the union of two men and two women. On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution guarantees the right for same-sex couples to marry. Many conservatives are completely against gay marriage and they have stated that they will fight to have the Supreme Court ruling overturned. Legalizing gay marriage is a very difficult issue for much of society to accept. Some of the controversies with gay marriage are religious beliefs, equal rights, legal ramifications, a fight for acceptance and the freedom to practice their lifestyles openly while society can contend that gay marriage is a bad idea for the sake of procreation, because the consequences far outweigh the benefits. We can concede that the emotional stigma associated with gay marriage makes it more difficult for children to fit societal standards. First of all, there are many reasons that are given to refute why gay and lesbian marriages should be a part of our society. Marriage in this country is defined as the union between a man and a woman, but over the past couple of years there has been much controversy over the true meaning of marriage. For the vast majority of professing Christians today believe that the Bible teaches that monogamy is the only acceptable form of marriage and that gay marriage violates God's commandments concerning marriage. According to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in July 2003, the Vatican stated, â€Å"There is absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family†¦ Marriage is ... ... Works Cited Keenan , Jill. "Legalize Polygamy!." Slate. 15 April 2013: n. page. Web. http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/04/legalize_polygamy_marriage_equality_for_all.html Mello, Michael . Legalizing Gay Marriage. Philadelphia, PA: Temple Univ. Press, 2004. Print. ProCon.org. "Gay Marriage.† ProCon.org.Web 3 Dec. 2013. http://gaymarriage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004857 Robson, Ruthann. Gay Men Lesbians And The Law. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1997. Print. Sean, C. R. . Same-Sex Marriage in The United States: Focus on the facts. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2004. Print. Stanton, Glenn T., and Dr. Bill Maier . Marriage On Trial. Downers Grove, IL.: InterVarsity Press, 2004. Print. Wardle, L. D. . Marriage and same-sex unions, a debate. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 2003. Print.

Fire in the Lake :: essays research papers

Fire in the Lake By Gerard Chretien  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  English:Vietnam 2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prof:Morgan Shulz Twenty-eight years after publication, and 25 after the war's end, Fire in the Lake remains one of the very best books on the Viet Nam war. Sadly, Americans are woefully ignorant of the rest of the world. We have little real knowledge of our own history; but for the rest of the world's history and culture, we have neither knowledge nor regard. We do not even do the Vietnamese people the courtesy of respecting the name of their country--Viet Nam, not Vietnam; Sai Gon, not Saigon. Fitzgerald helps to correct some of this ignorance and arrogance. She begins examining the U.S. in Viet Nam from the perspective of Vietnamese history and culture; and in the process, demonstrating the tenacity and courage of the Vietnamese people, as well as their determination to rid themselves of any foreign invaders, even if, as with the Chinese, it takes 1,000 years. Another great strength of Fitzgerald’s book is, with her attention to Viet Nam's history and culture and their 20th century struggle against the French, she demonstrates, in an almost matter of fact way, a fundamental tenant of U.S. foreign policy which has been repeated numerous times in the post World War II era. That central tenant is to support thugs over patriots, to elevate to power those who will sell out their people for 30 pieces of silver rather than work with those committed to the well being of their people. Ho Chi Minh was our ally during WWII; his hero was Thomas Jefferson, not Karl Marx or Stalin. He was very pro-American; yet he was a nationalist and a patriot first, which meant, from the perspective of the U.S., he was not only unreliable, but someone who had to be destroyed. And though Fitzgerald does not carry her analysis beyond Viet Nam, an informed or a curious reader quickly can draw the parallels between U.S. policy in Viet Nam and U.S. policy in Africa, the Middle East, the Pacific rim (Indonesia specifically), South America, the Caribbean, and most obvious of all, Central America. Thus F itzgerald gives us not only the means of understanding the war in Viet Nam, and why we were doomed to lose, but also a point of departure for understanding the travesty of U.

Decision In Paradise Essay example -- decision paradise Business

Decisions in Paradise As stated in Decisions in Paradise I, Kava has struggled with many obstacles that have prevented this country from becoming a beautiful and a well- known paradise attraction. At this portion of the project, AJA Consulting Firm would like to continue our vision by establishing a greater presence in Kava. Critical thinking is an important part of the decision making process which is essential to ensure decisions are well thought out and possibly prevent individuals from making bad decisions or mistakes that could be costly and in some instances, deadly. No matter what kind of decision an individual makes critical thinking is a very useful tool. Our proposal will display critical thinking skills learned and present a portion of the nine step decision- making techniques to find possible solutions to those problems and how those solutions could affect the island of Kava. At this time, the stakeholders need information to make a sound judgment concerning the project. Several tools are available to gather statistics that will assist stakeholders in determining if the project risks are worth the investment. To start, an individual would need to know who the stakeholders are. A stakeholder may be defined as an individual who perceives themselves as someone having an interest in the actions of the organization such as customers, shareholders, employees, or members of a community. By identifying the stakeholders, the project planners can study the individual or group concerns through a stakeholder analysis. De Kluyver and Pearce state that a stakeholder analysis is "the process of identifying and prioritizing key stakeholders, assessing their needs and concerns, and incorporating their ide... ...king a problem through. The individual will have self gratification knowing that a decision was not made in haste and to know that all angles and possible avenues have been explored from understanding what point he is trying to convey. Learning to think critically can help an individual avoid buying into fallacies and limited thinking. When one applies critical thinking to the decision making process, one is less likely to end up making a poor decision. References De Kluyver, C., Pearce, J. (2006) What is strategy. Strategy: A View from the Top (An Executive Perspective) (pp. 1-14). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2006). Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Qualities That Are Important for a Successful Teacher

1. makes the course interesting; 2. teaches good pronunciation; 3. explains clearly; 4. speaks good English; 5. shows equal interest in all students; 6. encourages student participation; 7. shows great patience. One of the most important aspects of a successful learning environment is the rapport a teacher has with her students. Establishing this rapport is probably one of the hardest things to teach, as it very much depends on individual personality and teaching style, but with some effort can be the key to success in language learning.Working with children for example is a very demanding job as it requires a lot of patience and creativity. Being energetic and full of ideas and the children motivated throughout classes isnt necessarily easy especially when English is not their mother's tongue. I also use the whiteboard to highlight the topics we are discussing and end up brainstorming our entire class thereafter. Although having said that, i think its very important to be patient (w hich i must admit can be nerve wrecking) and encourage the kids to speak up. Some of them are either very shy or worried that they may be judged incorrectly.I normally tell my little ones that it doesnt matter if they make a mistake, as long at theyre trying and practise makes perfect. I find pop up quizzes and challenges seem to encourage them all the more. Funny enough, the competition amongst one another, seems to motivate them to focus more. Outgoing Working abroad in some cases can be painfully lonely, especially if you are working in somewhere isolated, or in a country where the language is very different to our own. Adaptable You might be immersed in a totally different culture Positive attitude: The tight a teacher through anything without negavatively impacting students.High expectations: Letting students achieve your level of expectations thereby gfiving them a boost in confidence which will help students learn and achieve more. Consistency and fairness: A consistent teach er is the same person on a daily basis and a fair teacher treats her students equally. Flexibility: A flexible attitude is important for your stdents who expect you to be in charge and control of any situation. Lesson plans: Well prepared and organized. Effective communication/listening: by developing a friendly but structured base with your students and make them feel connected to you, is all the more merrier.They will be content as they will feel more confident to speak up as they know you have met them half way and are actually listening to them. Positive attitude, good problem solving skills and monitoring student progress is essential. Being passionate about teaching and learning is vital in being a successful teacher Self-evaluation and reflection are also vital in creating a successful language learning environment. I find it very helpful to evaluate each lesson on completion, both the good and bad points of the lesson. By doing this we learn by our mistakes and improve on ou r success.In a monolingual class I think it’s a great idea to try to learn your students' language, at least at a basic level. Learning their language and an understanding of language acquisition make their difficulties (especially in pronunciation) easier to identify. Additionally, talking about your own language learning experiences will encourage the students and make you more credible. In the language classroom, tying grammar to real-life settings will help the students see the use of the structure and help them to remember what they've learnt. They'll be inspired to learn if you provide real-life examples and use authentic materials. Qualities That Are Important for a Successful Teacher 1. makes the course interesting; 2. teaches good pronunciation; 3. explains clearly; 4. speaks good English; 5. shows equal interest in all students; 6. encourages student participation; 7. shows great patience. One of the most important aspects of a successful learning environment is the rapport a teacher has with her students. Establishing this rapport is probably one of the hardest things to teach, as it very much depends on individual personality and teaching style, but with some effort can be the key to success in language learning.Working with children for example is a very demanding job as it requires a lot of patience and creativity. Being energetic and full of ideas and the children motivated throughout classes isnt necessarily easy especially when English is not their mother's tongue. I also use the whiteboard to highlight the topics we are discussing and end up brainstorming our entire class thereafter. Although having said that, i think its very important to be patient (w hich i must admit can be nerve wrecking) and encourage the kids to speak up. Some of them are either very shy or worried that they may be judged incorrectly.I normally tell my little ones that it doesnt matter if they make a mistake, as long at theyre trying and practise makes perfect. I find pop up quizzes and challenges seem to encourage them all the more. Funny enough, the competition amongst one another, seems to motivate them to focus more. Outgoing Working abroad in some cases can be painfully lonely, especially if you are working in somewhere isolated, or in a country where the language is very different to our own. Adaptable You might be immersed in a totally different culture Positive attitude: The tight a teacher through anything without negavatively impacting students.High expectations: Letting students achieve your level of expectations thereby gfiving them a boost in confidence which will help students learn and achieve more. Consistency and fairness: A consistent teach er is the same person on a daily basis and a fair teacher treats her students equally. Flexibility: A flexible attitude is important for your stdents who expect you to be in charge and control of any situation. Lesson plans: Well prepared and organized. Effective communication/listening: by developing a friendly but structured base with your students and make them feel connected to you, is all the more merrier.They will be content as they will feel more confident to speak up as they know you have met them half way and are actually listening to them. Positive attitude, good problem solving skills and monitoring student progress is essential. Being passionate about teaching and learning is vital in being a successful teacher Self-evaluation and reflection are also vital in creating a successful language learning environment. I find it very helpful to evaluate each lesson on completion, both the good and bad points of the lesson. By doing this we learn by our mistakes and improve on ou r success.In a monolingual class I think it’s a great idea to try to learn your students' language, at least at a basic level. Learning their language and an understanding of language acquisition make their difficulties (especially in pronunciation) easier to identify. Additionally, talking about your own language learning experiences will encourage the students and make you more credible. In the language classroom, tying grammar to real-life settings will help the students see the use of the structure and help them to remember what they've learnt. They'll be inspired to learn if you provide real-life examples and use authentic materials.

“Glory and Hope” by Nelson Mandela Analysis Essay

Nelson Mandela gave a speech at his inauguration as president of the Democratic Republic of South Africa on May 10, 1994. His speech is named â€Å"Glory and Hope†, which hints at the content of it. In â€Å"Glory and Hope†, Nelson Mandela expresses his gratitude towards those who had aided them thus far and reminds everybody of the hardships they suffered, their successes, and their goals for the future. Mandela also tries to communicate the message that cooperation had brought them hope and to their glory and hopes to continue to do so. He conveys his appreciation and message through his word choice, tone, sentence structure, and use of rhetorical devices. Nelson Mandela’s word choice helps him convey his gratitude towards the audience and message that they must continue to work together to build and better society. He begins by addressing his audience with â€Å"Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, Distinguished Guests, Comrades and Friends†. His audience c omprised kings, queens, important government officials, and so on. However, through his word choice, Mandela is able to bring a sense of belonging and togetherness, regardless of their race, age, gender, and position. He uses words like â€Å"compatriots†, â€Å"we†, and â€Å"us†, making the audience feel and realize that they are all human beings and therefore equals in such a sense. Mandela uses tone and sentence structure to communicate his main message and express how thankful he is. His tone is appreciative, formal, hopeful, and passionate. Mandela constantly expresses his thanks to those who aided them. Near the end of the speech, he is also hopeful and passionate about their newfound freedom, equality, and democratic government. Mandela says â€Å"We are both humbled and elevated by the honour and privilege that you, the people of South Africa, have bestowed on us, as the first President of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa, to lead our country of the valley of darkness.† While Mandela’s tone is appreciative, hopeful, and passionate, he is also able to keep his speech formal. In addition to tone, Mandela’s sentence structure contributes to both tone and conveying his message. He uses lengthy sentences with occasional short and clipped sentences to emphasize a certain point. Mandela says â€Å"The time for the healing of wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come. The time to build is upon us.†

Organizational Impact Paper Essay

Both manufacturing and the service industry drive today’s economy, not only domestically but globally. Innovation, design, and creativity are essential to each organizational type. A company must find its niche and create a name for itself that differentiates itself from all others within its branding. By having the creativity to take another company to the next level all three aspects must be balanced. The restaurant industry is very complex and offers a great variety to customers. Innovation, design, and creativity can be seen in each company. Restaurants include everything from fast food settings to fine dining, inexpensive to expensive pricing, American food to Asian cuisine. The restaurant industry strictly caters to the needs and wants of the public. Fast food has become a necessity with the growing fast pace of life. Companies such as McDonalds, Five Guys, Taco Bell, and Subway have not only created different menus in relation to daily meals but also have created a healthier choice menu. Offering different varieties is a form of innovation. Innovating new concepts and ideas will create a name and buzz that will be beneficial to the company. For example, when Wendy’s created the first value menu in 1989, items were 99 cents (â€Å"Wendy’s â€Å", 2013). This was innovative and created an option for those on a tight budget. With the popularity of the value menu other chains followed suit including, Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Burger King. Designing of a menu, concept, building, even a drive through is important to the restaurant industry. Design goes down to specific details and even reasons why colors are chosen. For example, researchers have discovered the color red makes people hungry (Buswell, 2013). It is very common to drive past several chains and notice they all share some sort of red color in the logo or building structure. Designing a menu that caters to a crowd with dietary restrictions is growing ever more popular. By creating a dietary menu options are given to those that may not usually patron a chain. This creates new customers and more profit for a restaurant. Creativity is also important within the service industry. With a growing list of options to choose from to dine there has to be an element of creativity to attract customers. Restaurants such as Black Angus  Steakhouse offer a mailing club that sends out a free birthday meal up to 20.99 for anyone that signs up for coupons and emails (â€Å"Black Angus†, 2013). Not only does this bring people in that may only go out to a nice sit down steakhouse a few times a year but it also provides an incentive to return, as w ell as spend money in the restaurant. By giving a coupon or free item customers feel as though they are getting a deal and tend to spend more money since they are already saving somewhere else. Restaurants hope that offering deals will not only create a reoccurring guest, but the savings will entice consumers to purchase a dessert, cocktail, or add on item. The same three principles go for manufacturing companies such as General Motors Corporation. General Motors offers a multitude of designs including Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. GM prides itself on being creative and innovative within its industry. According to â€Å"General Motors Corporation† (2014), â€Å"We challenge ourselves to be creative and lead in everything we do† (Our Company). Having a clear innovative approach has shown beneficial throughout the economic struggle. Learning and offering new concepts has helped secure GM within the car manufacturing industry. Listening to consumer’s needs and wants when purchasing a vehicle have been heard. Creating a new design concepts not only in the factory but in the car lots can help with sales. Finding the most cost efficient way of producing a vehicle, marketing to a specific genre of people, and creating life time customers is the goal. Each year new concept cars or upgrades are made to the previous year’s model. By updating and adapting features, consumer interest grows. A new design in Arizona offers clients the opportunity to get a haircut, pedicure, lunch, and offer daycare at no cost when in the market for a new car. The Toyota Company has created a more relaxed approach to the buying of a vehicle. This is an unheard of approach that General Motors could learn from. By providing an environment that is relaxed and enjoyable consumers may be more inclined to visit that dealership. All three concepts can be easily defined in each industry. Although, this is just an overview of how the three principles all work together, the principles run deeply through the core of the company. Creativity, innovation, and design spread throughout each branch within a company. When one department excels within these principles great things can be created, and new ideas can blossom. The future for the restaurant industry and manufacturing industry look bright and promising for years to come, as long as new ideas, and concepts and created.

The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Five

Monday, June 8, 11:15 p.m. Dear Diary, I don't seem to be sleeping very well tonight, so I might as well write you. All day today I've been waiting for something to happen. You don't do a spell like that and have it work like that and then have nothing happen. But nothing has. I stayed home from school because Mom thought I should. She was upset about Matt and Meredith staying so late Sunday night, and she said I needed to get some rest. But every time I lie down I see Sue's face. Sue's dad did the eulogy at Elena's funeral. I wonder who's going to do it for Sue on Wednesday? I've got to stop thinking about things like this. Maybe I'll try to go to sleep again. Maybe if I lie down with my headphones on, I won't see Sue. Bonnie put the diary back in her nightstand drawer and took out her Walkman. She flipped through the channels as she stared at the ceiling with heavy eyes. Through the crackle and sputter of static a D.J.'s voice sounded in her ear. â€Å"And here's a golden oldie for all you fabulous fifties fans. ‘Goodnight Sweetheart' on the Vee Jay label by The Spaniels†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie drifted away on the music. The ice cream soda was strawberry, Bonnie's favorite. The jukebox was playing ‘Goodnight Sweetheart' and the counter was squeaky clean. But Elena, Bonnie decided, would never have really worn a poodle skirt. â€Å"No poodles,† she said, gesturing at it. Elena looked up from her hot fudge sundae. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. â€Å"Who thinks of these things anyway?† Bonnie asked. â€Å"You do, silly. I'm only visiting.† â€Å"Oh.† Bonnie took a pull at the soda. Dreams. There was a reason to be afraid of dreams, but she couldn't think of it just now. â€Å"I can't stay long,† Elena said. â€Å"I think he already knows I'm here. I just came to tell you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She frowned. Bonnie looked at her sympathetically. â€Å"Can't you remember either?† She drank more soda. It tasted odd. â€Å"I died too young, Bonnie. There was so much I was supposed to do, to accomplish. And now I have to help you.† â€Å"This isn't easy, you know. I don't have that much power. It's hard getting through, and it's hard keeping everything together.† â€Å"Gotta keep it together,† Bonnie agreed, nodding. She was feeling strangely lightheaded. What was in this soda? â€Å"I don't have much control, and things turn out strange somehow. He's doing it, I guess. He's always fighting me. He watches you. And every time we try to communicate, he comes.† â€Å"Okay.† The room was floating. â€Å"Bonnie, are you listening to me? He can use your fear against you. It's the way he gets in.† â€Å"Okay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But don't let him in. Tell everyone that. And tell Stefan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena stopped and put a hand to her mouth. Something fell onto the hot fudge sundae. It was a tooth. â€Å"He's here.† Elena's voice was strange, indistinct. Bonnie stared at the tooth in mesmerized horror. It was lying in the middle of the whipped cream, among the slivered almonds. â€Å"Bonnie, tell Stefan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Another tooth plunked down, and another. Elena sobbed, both her hands at her mouth now. Her eyes were terrified, helpless. â€Å"Bonnie, don't go†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But Bonnie was stumbling back. Everything was whirling around. The soda was bubbling out of the glass, but it wasn't soda; it was blood. Bright red and frothy, like something you coughed up when you died. Bonnie's stomach convulsed. â€Å"Tell Stefan I love him!† It was the voice of a toothless old woman, and it ended in hysterical sobs. Bonnie was glad to fall into darkness and forget everything. Bonnie nibbled at the end of her felt pen, her eyes on the clock, her mind on the calendar. Eight and a half more days of school to survive. And it looked as if every minute was going to be misery. Some guy had said it outright, backing away from her on the stairs. â€Å"No offense, but your friends keep turning up dead.† Bonnie had gone into the bathroom and cried. But now all she wanted was to be out of school, away from the tragic faces and accusing eyes-or worse, the pitying eyes. The principal had given a speech over the P.A. about â€Å"this new misfortune† and â€Å"this terrible loss,† and Bonnie had felt the eyes on her back as if they were boring holes there. When the bell rang, she was the first person out the door. But instead of going to her next class she went to the bathroom again, where she waited for the next bell. Then, once the halls were empty, she hurried toward the foreign language wing. She passed bulletins and banners for end-of-the-year events without glancing at them. What did SATs matter, what did graduation matter, what did anything matter anymore? They might all be dead by the end of the month. Oh, my God, I forgot how gorgeous he is, she thought. Elena, forgive me; I'm going to grab him. â€Å"Stefan!† she said. Then her mind wrenched her back into reality again and she cast a hunted look around. No one was in eyeshot. She grabbed his arm. â€Å"Are you crazy, showing up here? Are you nuts?† â€Å"I had to find you. I thought it was urgent.† â€Å"It is, but-† He looked so incongruous, standing there in the high school hallway. So exotic. Like a zebra in a flock of sheep. She started pushing him toward a broom closet. He wasn't going. And he was stronger than she was. â€Å"Bonnie, you said you'd talked to-â€Å" â€Å"You have to hide! I'll go get Matt and Meredith and bring them back here and then we can talk. But if anybody sees you, you're probably going to get lynched. There's been another murder.† Stefan's face changed, and he let her push him toward the closet. He started to say something, then clearly decided not to. â€Å"I'll wait,† he said simply. It took only a few minutes to find Matt in auto tech and Meredith in economics class. They hurried back to the broom closet and bustled Stefan out of school as inconspicuously as possible, which wasn't very. Someone's bound to have seen us, Bonnie thought. It all depends on who, and how much of a blab they are. â€Å"We have to get him someplace safe-not to any of our houses,† Meredith was saying. They were all walking as fast as they could through the high school parking lot. â€Å"Fine, but where? Wait a minute, what about the boarding house†¦ ?† Bonnie's voice trailed off. There was a little black car in the parking slot in front of her. An Italian car, sleek, svelte, and sexy looking. All the windows were tinted illegally dark; you couldn't even see inside. Then Bonnie made out the stallion emblem on the back. â€Å"Oh, my God† Three sets of eyes turned to him in shock. â€Å"Damon's?† Bonnie said, hearing the squeak in her own voice. She hoped Stefan meant Damon had just loaned it to him. But the car window was rolling down to reveal black hair as sleek and liquidy as the car's paint job, mirrored glasses, and a very white smile. â€Å"Buon giorno,† said Damon smoothly. â€Å"Anybody need a ride?† â€Å"Oh, my God,† Bonnie said again, faintly. But she didn't back away. Stefan was visibly impatient. â€Å"We'll head for the boarding house. You follow. Park behind the barn so nobody sees your car.† Meredith had to lead Bonnie away from the Ferrari. It wasn't that Bonnie liked Damon or that she was ever going to let him kiss her again as he had at Alaric's party. She knew he was dangerous; not as bad as Katherine had been, maybe, but bad. He'd killed wantonly, just for the fun of it. He'd killed Mr. Tanner, the history teacher, at the Haunted House fund-raiser last Halloween. He might kill again at any time. Maybe that was why Bonnie felt like a mouse staring at a shining black snake when she looked at him. In the privacy of Meredith's car Bonnie and Meredith exchanged glances. â€Å"Stefan shouldn't have brought him,† said Meredith. â€Å"Maybe he just came,† Bonnie offered. She didn't think Damon was the sort of person who got brought anywhere. â€Å"Why should he? Not to help us, that's for sure.† Matt said nothing. He didn't even seem to notice the tension in the car. He just stared through the windshield, lost in himself. The sky was clouding up. â€Å"Matt?† â€Å"Just leave it alone, Bonnie,† said Meredith. Wonderful, thought Bonnie, depression settling like a dark blanket over her. Matt and Stefan and Damon, all together, all thinking about Elena. They parked behind the old barn, next to the low black car. When they went inside, Stefan was standing alone. He turned and Bonnie saw that he'd taken off his sunglasses. The faintest chill went through her, just the lightest prickling of the hairs on her arms and neck. Stefan wasn't like any other guy she'd ever met. His eyes were so green; green as oak leaves in the spring. But just now they had shadows underneath. There was a moment of awkwardness; the three of them standing on one side and looking at Stefan without a word. No one seemed to know what to say. Then Meredith went over to him and took his hand. â€Å"You look tired,† she said. â€Å"I came as soon as I could.† He put an arm around her in a brief, almost hesitant hug. He never would have done that in the old days, Bonnie thought. He used to be so reserved. â€Å"I came as soon as I could.† He put an arm around her in a brief, almost hesitant hug. He never would have done that in the old days, Bonnie thought. He used to be so reserved. Stefan and Matt were looking at each other. Here we go, thought Bonnie. It was almost funny; the same expression was on both their faces. Hurt and tired, and trying not to show it. No matter what, Elena would always be between them. At last, Matt stuck out his hand and Stefan shook it. They both stepped back, looking glad to have it over with. â€Å"Where's Damon?† said Meredith. â€Å"Poking around. I thought we might want a few minutes without him.† â€Å"We want a few decades without him,† Bonnie said before she could stop herself, and Meredith said, â€Å"He can't be trusted, Stefan.† â€Å"I think you're wrong,† Stefan said quietly. â€Å"He can be a big help if he puts his mind to it.† â€Å"In between killing a few of the locals every other night?† Meredith said, her eyebrows up. â€Å"You shouldn't have brought him, Stefan.† â€Å"But he didn't.† The voice came from behind Bonnie, behind and frighteningly close. Bonnie jumped and made an instinctive lunge for Matt, who gripped her shoulder. Damon smiled briefly, just one corner of his mouth up. He'd taken off his sunglasses, but his eyes weren't green. They were black as the spaces between the stars. He's almost better looking than Stefan, Bonnie thought wildly, finding Matt's fingers and hanging on to them. â€Å"So she's yours now, is she?† Damon said to Matt casually. â€Å"No,† Matt said, but his grip on Bonnie didn't loosen. â€Å"Stefan didn't bring you?† prompted Meredith from the other side. Of all of them, she seemed least affected by Damon, least afraid of him, least susceptible to him. â€Å"No,† Damon said, still looking at Bonnie. He doesn't turn like other people, she thought. He goes on looking at whatever he wants no matter who's talking. â€Å"You did,† he said. â€Å"Me?† Bonnie shrank a little, uncertain who he meant. â€Å"You. You did the spell, didn't you?† â€Å"The†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Oh, hell. A picture blossomed in Bonnie's mind, of black hair on a white napkin. Her eyes went to Damon's hair, finer and straighter than Stefan's but just as dark. Obviously Matt had made a mistake in the sorting. They took seats on the decaying bales of hay, all except Damon, who remained standing. Stefan was leaning forward, hands on knees, looking at Bonnie. â€Å"You told me-you said that Elena spoke to you.† There was a perceptible pause before he got the name out. His face was tense with control. â€Å"Yes.† She managed a smile for him. â€Å"I had this dream, Stefan, this very strange dream†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She told him about it, and about what had happened after. It took a long time. Stefan listened intently, his green eyes flaring every time she mentioned Elena. When she told about the end of Caroline's party and how they had found Sue's body in the backyard, the blood drained from his face, but he said nothing. â€Å"The police came and said she was dead, but we knew that already,† Bonnie finished. â€Å"And they took Vickie away-poor Vickie was just raving. They wouldn't let us talk to her, and her mother hangs up if we call. Some people are even saying Vickie did it, which is insane. But they won't believe that Elena talked to us, so they won't believe anything she said.† â€Å"And what she said was ‘he,' † Meredith interrupted. â€Å"Several times. It's a man; someone with a lot of psychic power.† â€Å"And it was a man who grabbed my hand in the hallway,† said Bonnie. She told Stefan about her suspicion of Tyler, but as Meredith pointed out, Tyler didn't fit the rest of the description. He had neither the brains nor the psychic power to be the one Elena was warning them about. â€Å"What about Caroline?† Stefan asked. â€Å"Could she have seen anything?† â€Å"She was out front,† Meredith said. â€Å"She found the door and got out while we were all running. She heard the screams, but she was too frightened to go back in the house. And to be honest, I don't blame her.† â€Å"So nobody actually saw what happened except Vickie.† â€Å"No. And Vickie's not telling.† Bonnie picked up the story where she had left off. â€Å"Once we realized nobody would believe us, we remembered Elena's message about the summoning spell. We figured it must have been you she wanted to summon, because she thought you could do something to help. So†¦ can you?† â€Å"I can try,† Stefan said. He got up and walked a little distance away, turning his back on them. He stood like that in silence a while, unmoving. At last he turned back and looked Bonnie in the eyes. â€Å"Bonnie,† he said, quiet but intense, â€Å"in your dreams you actually spoke to Elena face to face. Do you think if you went into a trance you could do it again?† Bonnie was a little frightened by what she saw in his eyes. They were blazing emerald green in his pale face. All at once it was as if she could see behind the mask of control he wore. Underneath was so much pain, so much longing-so much of that intensity that she could hardly bear to look at it. â€Å"Then we'll do it. Right here, right now. And we'll see if you can take me with you.† Those eyes were mesmerizing, not with any hidden Power, but with the sheer force of his will. Bonnie wanted to do it for him-he made her want to do anything for him. But the memory of that last dream was too much. She couldn't face that horror again; she couldn't. â€Å"Stefan, it's too dangerous. I could be opening myself up to anything-and I'm scared. If that thing gets hold of my mind, I don't know what might happen. I can't, Stefan. Please. Even with a Ouija board, it's just inviting him to come.† For a moment she thought he was going to try to make her do it. His mouth tightened in an obstinate line, and his eyes blazed even brighter. But then, slowly, the fire died out of them. Bonnie felt her heart tear. â€Å"Stefan, I'm sorry,† she whispered. â€Å"We'll just have to do it on our own,† he said. The mask was back on, but his smile looked stiff, as if it hurt him. Then he spoke more briskly. â€Å"First we have to find out who this killer is, what he wants here. All we know now is that something evil has come to Fell's Church again.† â€Å"But why?† said Bonnie. â€Å"Why would anything evil just happen to pick here? Haven't we been through enough?† â€Å"It does seem a bit of a strange coincidence,† Meredith said drolly. â€Å"Why should we be so singularly blessed?† â€Å"It's not coincidence,† said Stefan. He got up and lifted his hands as if unsure how to start. â€Å"There are some places on this earth that are†¦ different,† he said. â€Å"That are full of psychic energy, either positive or negative, good or evil. Some of them have always been that way, like the Bermuda Triangle and Salisbury Plain, the place where they built Stonehenge. Others become that way, especially where a lot of blood has been shed.† He looked at Bonnie. â€Å"Unquiet spirits,† she whispered. â€Å"Yes. There was a battle here, wasn't there?† â€Å"In the Civil War,† Matt said. â€Å"That's how the church in the cemetery got ruined. It was a slaughter on both sides. Nobody won, but almost everyone who fought got killed. The woods are full of their graves.† â€Å"And the ground was soaked with blood. A place like that draws the supernatural to it. It draws evil to it. That's why Katherine was attracted to Fell's Church in the first place. I felt it too, when I first came here.† â€Å"And now something else has come,† Meredith said, perfectly serious for once. â€Å"But how are we supposed to fight it?† â€Å"We have to know what we're fighting first. I think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But before he could finish, there was a creak and pale, dusty sunlight fell across the bales of hay. The barn door had opened. Mrs. Flowers, who owned the boarding house, smiled at them, her little black eyes crinkling into wrinkles. She was carrying a tray. â€Å"I thought you children might like something to drink while you're talking,† she said comfortably. Everyone exchanged disconcerted glances. How had she known they were out here? And how could she be so calm about it? â€Å"Here you go,† Mrs. Flowers continued. â€Å"This is grape juice, made from my own Concord grapes.† She put a paper cup beside Meredith, then Matt, then Bonnie. â€Å"And here are some gingersnap cookies. Fresh.† She held the plate around. Bonnie noticed she didn't offer any to Stefan or Damon. â€Å"You two can come round to the cellar if you like and try some of my blackberry wine,† she said to them, with what Bonnie would swear was a wink. Stefan took a deep, wary breath. â€Å"Uh, look, Mrs. Flowers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And your old room's just like you left it. Nobody's been up there since you went. You can use it when you want; it won't put me out a bit.† Stefan seemed at a loss for words. â€Å"Well-thank you. Thank you very much. But -â€Å" â€Å"If you're worried I'll say something to somebody, you can set your mind at ease. I don't tend to run off at the mouth. Never have, never will. How's that grape juice?† -turning suddenly on Bonnie. Bonnie hastily took a gulp. â€Å"Good,† she said truthfully. â€Å"When you finish, throw the cups in the trash. I like things kept tidy.† Mrs. Flowers cast a look about the barn, shaking her head and sighing. â€Å"Such a shame. Such a pretty girl.† She looked at Stefan piercingly with eyes like onyx beads. â€Å"You've got your work cut out for you this time, boy,† she said, and left, still shaking her head. â€Å"Well!† said Bonnie, staring after her, amazed. Everyone else just looked at each other blankly. † ‘Such a pretty girl'-but which?† said Mere-dith at last. â€Å"Sue or Elena?† Elena had actually spent a week or so in this very barn last winter-but Mrs. Flowers wasn't supposed to know that. â€Å"Did you say something to her about us?† Meredith asked Damon. â€Å"Not a word.† Damon seemed amused. â€Å"She's an old lady. She's batty.† â€Å"She's sharper than any of us gave her credit for,† Matt said. â€Å"When I think of the days we spent watching her potter around that basement-do you think she knew we were watching?† days we spent watching her potter around that basement-do you think she knew we were watching?† â€Å"And grape juice, don't forget that.† Matt grinned at Stefan. â€Å"Want some?† He proffered the leaky cup. â€Å"Yeah, you can take your grape juice and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But Stefan was almost smiling himself. For an instant Bonnie saw the two of them the way they used to be, before Elena had died. Friendly, warm, as comfortable together as she and Meredith were. A pang went through her. But Elena isn't dead, she thought. She's more here than ever. She's directing everything we say and do. Stefan had sobered again. â€Å"When Mrs. Flowers came in, I was about to say that we'd better get started. And I think we should start with Vickie.† â€Å"She won't see us,† Meredith replied instantly. â€Å"Her parents are keeping everyone away.† â€Å"Then we'll just have to bypass her parents,† Stefan said. â€Å"Are you coming with us, Damon?† â€Å"A visit to yet another pretty girl? I wouldn't miss it.† Bonnie turned to Stefan in alarm, but he spoke reassuringly as he guided her out of the barn. â€Å"It'll be all right. I'll keep an eye on him.† Bonnie hoped so.

Strategic Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

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Find two articles that are influential in the field of Organizational Development - Essay Example In this aspect, our major goal is to expand into the regional market. A major threat to our business has been the influx of cheap imports and the rise of competitors. Brainstorming has helped in achieving a technique in problem solving and team building since it creates new ideas, solves problems, motivates, and develops teams (Bushe & Marshak, 2009). The article provides readers with information pertaining to internal practices that ensure the success of an organization. An alternative method is the nominal group technique that encourages contributions from everyone. This ensures participation of all the group members, especially of people who think best in silence and for some members who are, thanks to this technique, more vocal and are not overshadowed by others (Nguyen, 2007). Motivating the employees is a good leadership practice. Motivation involves implementing an innovative reward system directly with the workforce. Development programs assist an organization in bringing up a clear understanding of the growth of an organization. Leaders are always under a lot of pressure to guide and direct their subjects or employees to achieve the set goals. For effectiveness in leadership, leaders have to adopt strategic leadership. Strategic leaders are leaders who are proficient in motivating and persuading people to acquire the vis ion of that company or institution. Strategic leadership is about managing the employees by using strategies of management in order to achieve set goals. Apart from expressing a strategic vision, strategic leaders should also be able to create an organizational structure for the business, which is an extremely crucial part in strategic leadership (Nguyen, 2007). The first article was ranked due to its provision on SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis effectively analyses the strengths, the values and the policies that endear the

Friedrich List Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Friedrich List - Essay Example 6). List claims that his theory of â€Å"National System† is based on historical empiricism. Therefore, though he agrees with the Classical School of Economy on the point that global free marketplaces are desirable, he seems to be concerned about the monopolist influence of the strongest economy on the countries of weaker economy. Merely one century after the industrial revolution had began to force the European nations to seek for newer and cheaper sources of raw materials in order to feed their ever booming mills and factories, List foretold the economic imperialism of the technological industry-based economies of the world. Therefore, the prerequisite for a country’s participation in the global free marketplace, as List suggests, is to reach the level of the leading nation. It may seem that List is advocating for such criteria of participation in the global free marketplace, which will mostly impossible for the countries of weaker economies to fulfill. On the surface level, it seems that there must be some nations who will never be able to attain the level of the leading nations. ... Throughout his whole life, List had sought for individuality. This tendency provoked him to adopt his father’s business of tannery. Instead, he joined the post of a clerk in the public service and later he became the under-secretary in a ministerial department in 1816. Subsequently he became a professor of political administration at the University of Tubigen and a deputy to the Wurttemberg Chamber where he strongly raised his voice for administrative reforms (Henderson, 1983, pp. 4-5). His rebellion against the administrative conventions at the Wurttemberg Chamber earned him ten months’ imprisonment in the Jail of Asperg. In 1824, h escaped from the imprisonment and immigrates to America where he gathered experiences as a landholder from farming which inspired him to look deep into the economic infrastructure of a country. Furthermore, he claimed that Alexander Hamilton’s works inspired him a lot to view the economy of a country as a ‘National Systemâ€⠄¢. Indeed, during his stay in Germany, his experience with the arbitrary bureaucratic political system assisted him to perceive the political dimension of economy and the importance of the political system’s role in people economic welfare of the common people who are not directly attached to politics (Henderson, 1983, pp. 13-15). For List, â€Å"the nation is the most important link between the individual and mankind† (â€Å"Frederick List†, 1968, pars. 6). This of concept of List about the indispensability of politics from economy later became realized more by Henry Clay’s â€Å"American System†. During his stay in Pennsylvania in America, he wrote â€Å"Outlines of a New System of Political Economy† and published it 1827. In this pamphlet, he