Mrs Dalloway :: essays research papers

Upon viewing â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† I was not impressed. The movie seemed to jump from the present to the past. The character Septimus didn’t appear to have any purpose in the storyline. Clarrisa also seemed to be tightly bound by the Victorian lifestyle of the day to make her interesting to me. The plot just seemed too hard to follow. This movie must have been for people that look for meaning deeper than I. I believe that Mrs. Dalloway was fixed on the past. For one thing, the audience never saw Clarissa Dalloway think about the future; she always went back to the past. Every time she stopped to think about something it was of the past, for example; the flashback of the night of boating, and Septimus’ delusional thoughts of World War I. I think her one true love was Peter. I think she married Mr. Dalloway because she was scared to admit that she loved Peter in more than a "brotherly way." When she was older and seeing Peter at the party, I think she regretted not marrying Peter. Perhaps the movie would have been more interesting if Clarissa would have been more free spirited like Peter or Sally. Septimus did not have a well defined role in the film. He was constantly reliving his days in the war, and appearing to everyone that insanity has become him. His purpose was unclear, the story just jumped from Clarissa to Septimus. Whether he parallels or is an opposite of Clarissa, I don’t know. If Septimus was a parallel of Clarissa, then his character was played well, being that he, like Clarissa, constantly thought of the past, and never the future. Making the two most similar, yet they seem different in that Clarissa recollects on happier thoughts, while Septimus dwells on depressing thoughts of the first world war. Clarissa was obligated to the Victorian lifestyle, seen in her flashbacks to the past. At Bourton she was too set in her ways to be free spirited. Unlike Sally or Peter, Clarissa was unable to speak her mind, or do as she pleases. She appeared as the model Victorian woman, yet that held her back from following her love of Peter. The concern that her party would be inferior to other parties prevented her from enjoying herself on a day that she should be rejoicful. Clarissa also seemed to be a dreamer.

Literature in contemporary societies Essay

The art of literature in contemporary societies has always led to more critical discussions between man and himself and between man and his neighbor. Literature pushes us to rethink our stance on normal societal norms and beliefs. Sula is such a work of art. It is the based on two women living at the †Bottom† in Ohio, a predominantly black community. Helen Wright is a socially conscious and quite a conservative woman. She has one daughter; Nel. Hannah Peace a beautiful flamboyant and a woman with many men at the Bottom is the mother of Sula. Sula is raised with Eva Peace, her grandmother who does not stifle her granddaughter’s freedom unlike Nel who comes from a restrictive household. Nel and Sula develop quite an inseparable and good friendship, a friendship that does not settle well with Helen who possesses grave misgivings due to the reputation of Sula’s mother however she does not object openly after her realization that Sula is a very polite house guest. After High School these two great friends diverge ways for 10 years. Sula goes to college where she experiences a new wave of sexual promiscuity much like her mother. Nel On the other hand is married by a Bottoms resident, Jude Green. Their separation last for period of three years before Sula comes back from the college and their relationship resumes without any hindrance. However, this relationship is cut short when Nel learns of the relationship between Sula and Jude. This affair ends both the relationship between Jude and Nel as well as that of Nel as Sula who leaves the bottom for three years. Nel is forced to raise her two children alone and she doesn’t communicate with Sula for the three years that she goes away. Their next meeting occurs when Sula is terribly sick and almost dying. Their last conversation before Sula dies constitutes the literary wealth of this masterpiece; it is the discussion between good and bad. She dies and is buried at the Bottom cemetery. Thereafter, Nel visits Eva Peace who is quite old and is kept in a nursing home where she tries to retell the moments she had together before Sula died. While walking home she begins to feel the loss of the relationship with the death of Sula, her single and true friend. Her judgment of Sula as bad begins to haunt her as she recalls an incident that happened when they were friends; the Chicken Little incident. Chicken little was a young boy who also lived at the Bottom. When playing on a tree, Sula lost grip and the child plunged in the river and drowned. They kept this secret for the whole of their lives. These are the memories that unsettled Nel emotionally, she begins to challenge the concepts of good and bad and the choices and sacrifices people make in life. Later on, she kills her drug addict sun as she struggles to raise his family single handedly. Sadly, we see her sitting and crying over Sula’s grave at then cemetery as the story comes to an end. The story questions the decisions that people make in life; the calls for a rethinking of common societal problems. Critics mention the humor in the novel. For example the place called bottom is actually at the mountain top. The creation of binary oppositions in the novel not only makes it too interesting and informative but also lets the reader glance at the depth of common conventions in the community and the effect these societal conventions have on the lives of children who are supposed to be brought up in a comparatively free world where people are supposed to make free will. Satire as a theme is also developed in the story and it fuse well with the binary notion. The complexity of characters in the story conveys an account of human flaws in decision making and in the way we relate to other people in the community. While parents do everything in their power to ensure that their children justifiably lead a good life, little is done in ensuring that the children also get freedom. This makes the children not to acquire their own experiences in life but only proceed to copy the characters of their parents and grandparents. The fact that Sula turned out to be an exact replica of her mother and grandmother is an attestation to this fact. The book is feminine masterpiece and there is also an element of female chauvinism. This can be justified by the fact that all the major characters in the book are women and their actions are affected by men in a very little sense. Jude, Chicken Little and Nel’s son who became a drug addict after leaving the army are all victims of the women’s stereotyped dispositions. Shadrack being physically and emotionally scarred fro the experience of war is disowned and almost excommunicated by the community without the community fully understanding the reasons behind his behavior. Let us now give a critical analysis of Sula, the main character. Sula is the major influence on his friend Nel. Sula has been influenced by her mother leading to the passage of what can be argued to be a bad character trait through generations. Eva is a strong woman. She has endured loneliness, abject poverty but she is proud and unrelenting. Sula is quite an extraordinary woman, she is energetic but she has no suitable outlet to release her energies. This makes her potentially dangerous in that that she has no knowledge of wrongdoing. She does not understand that she sins when she sleeps with men and carelessly tosses them aside. Her sin is unintentional. The community, however do not understand the context of her upbringing or they simply do not care. They despise her but tolerate her. One very interesting aspect is that Sula is quite independent in her isolation, she does what she pleases and she simply does not care what everybody else does. She lives her the way it pleases her effectively earning her isolation from the community. After her death the rules shift suddenly, there is a renewed sense of acceptance, of defining right and wrong, good and bad. It is important to try and delve into the reasons why Nel and Sula united even after Sula betrayed their friendship by having an affair with Nel’s husband, Jude. Nel realizes that Sula was neither good nor evil; she was just indifferent to everything and everybody. Wives had to put extra effect in making sure that their husbands do not fall into bed with Sula, children were treated better so that they don’t grow into adults who are indifferent and uncaring like Sula. This is good fortune to the bottom community because they were held together in the rethinking process. Remember the National Suicide day? After Sula’s death the community did not have any productive outlet to channel their energies, they could not just sit and talk and so they become enraged and tear up the tunnel the result of unfocused energy. This eventual realization went a long way in ensuring that the residents of Bottom engaged in productive work for their survival. If Sula would have directed her energy to something else, maybe something a little more worthwhile would have resulted. Racial prejudice is highlighted when Jude is denied a chance to engage in the building of anew bridge, because of the color of his skin; he is denied the opportunity even though he is willing to do something productive. He stands in line for six days while the white boys get an opportunity to build the new River Road, his job at the hotel is demeaning and an insult to his masculinity. The scarcity of job opportunities remains to be the why Eva and Hannah had very little chance of gainful employment. They had to contend with the injustices being meted out on them because they were females and most importantly black. To escape the pangs of hunger in the winter, they have to prepare canned food in the summer. The life of Sula Peace, her childhood and her death in 1941is surrounded by the inability of the environment to shape her into a ‘good’ woman The black community residing in Medallion; â€Å"the bottom† is judgmental but not in any way assisting to solve the crisis within itself. Sula’s life story shows us how the community and family can shape somebody’s identity. She not only displays how children are nurtured but also her later relationship with the same community who natured her. She is a strong independent character but the community does not see her positive potentiality. To go against these societal norms she is not married and she sleeps around. The Peace family has been frowned upon by the Bottom community. This could have elicited an element of antagonism from Sula because she does not follow accepted societal conventions but in this case she is the protagonist and not the community. The novel poses her as the central character and the community constitutes only bits and pieces that seem to knit her life together in a predetermined fashion from the time of her birth to death. If change is to take place the community remains the playing field and Sula undoubtedly remains one of the players in the field. Whether she deserved to be rewarded for fearlessly instigating the rethinking process is not a matter of discussion as it is evident that her one and truly friend had in her own way knowingly or unknowingly lent credit to her stance in life by crying over her grave at the cemetery after realizing what Sula stood for. The character Sula is structure less, that any character interaction with her only invokes an element of structurelessness. This is because philosophically her evil is not her own but a reflection of what had been unknowingly imparted in her. Fortunately, her story is one where what is regarded as evil triggered change in the society. In analyzing one of the important masterpieces in the history of black American writing it is prudent to expunge on the growth of protagonism and non conformism in the society. The society’s vilification of the ‘heroine’ Sula who does not fit into the society’s conformation of a heroine is a classic example of the inability of a people to look within themselves and try to solve the problems within its own structures. Works Cited Daniel Dawkins: A Character Analysis of Sula; Considering Morrison’s Main Character as the Protagonist. 2008 Black Community Racism Racist Essays. Solomon O. Iyasere and Marla W. Iyasere. Understanding Tony Morrison’s Beloved and Sula: Selected Essays and Criticisms of the works of Nobel prize winning author. 2000

Explore the presentation of women in Much Ado about Nothing Essay

Explore the presentation of women in ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ The women in the 1500’s were always expected to do things such as taking care of the family not working outside of their houses and always seen as possessions, not people. As in Shakespeare’s time they were seen not heard. Shakespeare used this as a theme in him novel, ‘Much Ado about Nothing,’ and the character Hero in particular portrayed the typical woman. The typical woman was modest, convectional, reserved and many women were pressured to be exactly like her. There are many other ways of which women are presented in this 1599 play about love and the deception of appearances. The play was very popular with the audience and was a comedy. Women who had a high status were usually linked with honour. Hero is an example of this as her father, Leonato, is a successful character and has high status. He is described as a, ‘honourable father,’ which means that if she was to be, ‘unfaithful’, to Claudio then her whole family would go down in status and she Hero would be seen as an unclean creature now worth nothing. Hero’s overall presentation is a typical woman and is used as a plot device to move the story along, so she is valuable but her value is not recognised. An example of this is when she furthers the plot when she is, ‘unfaithful,’ to Claudio. Hero is a possession to be passed on from father to husband as the society was patriarchal and the women were dominated by men and were assets to bargain. In the wedding scene Hero hardly says anything in her defence, and what she does say are only in one line blocks, ‘is my Lord well that he doth speak so wide? ‘ She is not saying that he is wrong, but just asking him to rethink what he is saying. This shows us that she is a typical, modest woman and cannot stand up for herself. When Hero is accused of being unfaithful to Claudio, her father doesn’t defend her like a typical father would do today, but he says, ‘do not live Hero, do not ope thine eyes,’ Leonato is ashamed to be linked with his daughter and basically says that he wants her to die. This is not how women should be treated. They have no voice and people would believe a man’s word over a woman’s. Hero is seen as a, ‘plague right well prevented,’ which means she is no longer any use to Claudio and is a plague on him. Once women had lost there virginity to a man when they were not married, they were seen as useless and unclean, a woman would not be able to get a husband and would be put in a nunnery or kept indoors. Honour is linked to virginity because then the women were not worthless and so that they could be married to someone of high status. Claudio thinks Hero’s appearance is deceiving him and he ruins her life as she had ruined his, ‘thoughts of harm. ‘ He ruins her life because now people think that she is unfaithful, ‘rotten orange,’ she will be worthless and kept indoors. Another example of Hero as a typical Elizabethan woman is at the party when she gets proposed to. Hero is told what to say to her marriage proposal and has no choice in what to say. Beatrice even prompts her on what her actions should be, ‘speak cousin, or if you cannot, stop his mouth with a kiss. ‘ Woman’s sexuality was controlled by men. Hero would be like any other good typical wife in Elizabethan times, she, ‘would do any modest office. ‘ She is quiet and chaste and conforms to the norms of the society. Hero is very predictable, again like the typical woman, ‘now going to kiss Claudio,’ Beatrice prompts her on her actions. In contrast Benedick’s and Beatrice’s relationship has more equality and they come across as comfortable with one another as they use, ‘you ,’ and, ‘your,’ as apposed to, ‘thee,’ and, ‘thou,’ as Hero and Claudio use. Beatrice is presented in a very different way to Hero. Beatrice is presented very openly. All of her emotions are shown and she always says what she thinks, ‘the commendation is not in his wit, but in his villainy. ‘ This shows us that Beatrice is a very plotting and witty character who is in control of the situation. She is an independent woman, who was not like how women in Elizabethan times were presented, she was like Queen Elizabeth. Hero and Beatrice are complete opposites. Beatrice doesn’t want any man to rule her life, in marriage, so takes an independent look to things. She doesn’t want a husband because she wants to remain like she is, ‘I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me. ‘ Her strong voice is a strong comparison to Hero’s silence; it makes them seen very opposite and is not the norms of Elizabethan society. Because Beatrice is so independent, she uses her wit to stop her from getting hurt, ‘so I would not he should do me, my Lord, lest I should prove the mother of fools. ‘ It shows that Elizabethan women were quite vulnerable. The love that Benedick has for Beatrice is true love, this gives Beatrice the power to manipulate him, and she tells him to, ‘kill Claudio,’ because she has to rely on a man to carry out what she wants to be done. The women in those times could not carry out a duel with someone else, as it was no, ‘expected,’ of them to do that and they had to conform to the typical woman, like Hero. Beatrice shows her frustration when she says, ‘O God that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market place,’ she’s saying that if she was a man she would kill Claudio herself so makes Benedick chose if he looses a friend or love. Beatrice shows that she can be a domination person when she cuts Benedick’s sentences short, ‘Beat-,’ then she says, ‘Princes and Counties! ‘ Overall I think that the women in, ‘Much Ado about Nothing,’ were pressured into being quiet, chaste and not seen, like Hero. Beatrice is the total opposite and has her own strong-willed, independent mind. Men and women were not treated as equals and men had so much more power and freedom and saw the women as possessions not wives. Hero resembles the perfect presentation of what a woman should be like. Beatrice does not because she is not quiet and is not told what to do, she is different, she is stubborn and will do things her own way.

Respiration and Photosynthesis

â€Å"Respiration† and â€Å"Photosynthesis† All life depends on two chemical reactions â€Å"Respiration† and â€Å"Photosynthesis†. These two processes are quite crucial because they are a source to nearly all life on Earth. Both of these processes are quite similar yet differentiate vastly. In this essay I’ll be comparing and contrasting â€Å"Photosynthesis† and â€Å"Respiration†. I’ll start by discussing what actually happens in both these processes and how? Moving on to the energy transfers these processes go through and how these reactions relate to each other. Plants feed using a process called ‘Photosynthesis’. Photosynthesis is the chemical change which happens in the leaves of green plants. It’s the first step towards making food; not just for plants but ultimately every animal on the planet. During this reaction carbondioxide and water are converted into glucose and oxygen. For this reaction to occur both carbon and nitrogen are absorbed from the roots as nitrate and so is carbon as carbondioxide from the air and it also needs energy as the reaction is endothermic, therefore the energy is ‘light’ from the sun. This is absorbed by a green substance called chlorophyll in the leaf. Therefore, photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplasts which are present in the palisade cells (found near the top of the leaf. ) (fig: 1 ) As chloroplasts contain a green pigment called chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy needed to make photosynthesis happen. The equation for this reaction is: 6CO2 + 6H2O+ light energy —> C6H12O6 + 6O2 Sugars created in photosynthesis can be later converted by the plant to starch for storage, or it can be combined with other sugar molecules to form specialized carbohydrates such as cellulose, or it can be combined with other nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, to build complex molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. Moreover, ‘respiration’ is reversibly related to photosynthesis because it takes in light energy and respiration gives out energy, which is used by the body as the glucose is converted into starch or stored. Oxygen is consumed unlike in photosynthesis, although in respiration energy is released in a more controlled and manageable way. During photosynthesis water and carbondioxide are chemically combined to make glucose and oxygen. The equation as follows: C6H12O6 + 6O2 —> 6CO2 + 6H2O In addition, respiration and photosynthesis are both processes which depend on each other on a very wide scale. Fig: 2 explains this. (Fig: 2 ): Shows a cycle and how photosynthesis and respiration are dependent on each other. As the leaf produces oxygen through photosynthesis and then that oxygen is inhaled by an animal. Later, the animal breathes out carbondioxide, and that is then absorbed by the plants through leaves by the air, in order for respiration to happen; making this ongoing cycle continue. Though photosynthesis only takes place in leaves of plants (inside palisade cells) during the presence of light, respiration takes place in every living organism inside the mitochondria of the cell, with or without light being present or not. As all cells need energy through the sugar they made in their leaves; oxygen moves through diffusion through the plant from cell to cell. Any oxygen not used by the plant in respiration, leaves the plant through tiny holes under the leaf called stomata. That’s then part of the air we breathe, making the whole process start again. That’s how closely photosynthesis and respiration are linked to each other. Whilst, both respiration and photosynthesis are quite similar yet unlike at the same time. Respiration is a process by which energy is liberated. On the other hand photosynthesis is a procedure where energy is stored in carbohydrate molecules as in, photosynthesis is an anabolic (constructive) process, resulting in the building up of carbohydrate molecules. While in respiration a catabolic (destructive) process occurs, resulting in the breakdown of carbohydrate molecules. So, respiration results in a loss in dry mass where photosynthesis is totally the opposite, it results in a gain in ordinary mass. Furthermore, there are enzymes involved in the process of respiration. Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up a reaction. The organic compounds that are broken down are substrates. Glucose is the most common substrate. The general equation for respiration is: C6H12O6 + 6O2 —> 6CO2 + 6H2O + 38ATP During respiration, glucose undergoes glycolysis forming pyruvic acid. Glycolysis consists of nine separate chemical reactions, each catalysed by a specific enzyme. The key players in glycolysis are the enzymes ‘dehydrogenase’ and a coenzyme (a non-protein helper). So, in photosynthesis is catalysed by chlorophyll. To summarize, photosynthesis takes the raw ingredients of water, carbondioxide and uses light to make glucose and oxygen. Despite, respiration uses glucose and oxygen to produce carbondioxide and water as waste products. Both these processes takes place in cells except respiration takes place in the mitochondria of a cell. Photosynthesis is catalysed by chlorophyll acting in concert with lipids or sugars, while in respiration ‘dehydrogenase’ is used. Nevertheless, photosynthesis and respiration both are a part of an ongoing cycle and work together in order for plants or animals to survive.

International Business – Midterm Review

AFM 333 Midterm Review Module 1: – Fall of Berlin Wall 1989 – Two Trends altering global market: globalization of markets and technological advances – Globalization: interconnectedness of national economies, growing interdependence of buyers, producers and suppliers in different countries G6 economies: US, UK, Japan, Germany, France, Italy – Account for half of global consumption with only 1/10 of population –B6 economies: China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea – China is the biggest market for phones, TVs, and cars in 2007 – China and India have more middle class households than all of the households in the United States – Growth in B6 more than 3x the growth in G6 economies 62 Multinationals in Fortune Global 500 20 of these multinationals are in China 12 from South Korea 6 from India 5 from Mexico and 5 from Russia B6 have three times the labour force of G6 countries 33 million university-educated young professiona ls in developing world compared to 14 million in the developed world 00 000 IT Engineers in India vs. 50 K in US In the decade to 2020, the working-age population of emerging economies is expected to increase by more than 500 million, compared with an increase of only 3. 7 million in developed economies. Drivers of Market Globalization – 1. Reduction of trade and investment barriers – 2. Market Liberalization: move to market based economies + adopt free trade in China + Soviet Union etc. – 3. Industrialization + Modernization + developing economies creating higher value adding products – 4.Integration of World Financial Markets: international banks, globalization of finance – 5. Advances in Technology: reduces cost and time, improves coordination and communication, facilitates development, helps share information/marketing, virtual space removes distance Dimensions of Market Globalization – integration/interdependence of global economies â⠂¬â€œ increase regional economic integration bloc – growth of global investment – convergence of buyer lifestyles/preferences – globalization of production activities Social Concequences – loss of national soverignity offshoring/outsourcing jobs – effects on the poor, the natural environment and national culture Firm-level consequences – new business opportunities – new risks and rivalries – more demanding buyers (less bargaining power to supplier) – international value chains Phases of Globalization 1. 1830-1880: Introduction of railway and ocean transport (trains and ships) + phone and telegraph invented 2. 1900-1930: increased steel and electricity production + Western Europe most industrialized country so established first multinational subs through colonization (Nestle, Shell, BP) 3. 948-1970: Form general agreement on tariff and trade + high demand for consumer products and input goods to rebuild after the war 4. 1 980- now: radical advances in IT, communication, manufacturing, consultation, and privatization. Caused by: †¢Commercialization of the personal computer. †¢Arrival of the Internet and the web browser. †¢Advances in communication and manufacturing technologies. †¢Collapse of the Soviet Union and ensuing market liberalization in central and Eastern Europe. †¢Substantial industrialization and modernization efforts of the East Asian economies including China.GDP growth rates highest in developing economies who emphasize global integration Information travels faster now than ever before (ships/carraiges, steamships/cars, motor vehicles/aircraft, internet (speed of light)). Firm Level Consequences of Globalization – international value chain – demanding buyers – increased rivalry and competition – increased opportunity for business – Management must change focus – Must partner and outsource better – look for product ivity and operational efficiency gains – find and measure key global strategic assets of org. International Business trade and investment activities of firms across borders Globalization – economic integration and growing interdependency worldwide Theories of Trade – mercantilism – national prosperity = positive balance of trade (trade surplus) – absolute advantage principle – produce only products for which your country/region has an absolute advantage – comparative advantage principle – both countries produce even if one has absolute advantage in all products, relative efficiency matters, specialize in what you produce best and trade for the rest you can use scarce resources more efficientlyNational Comparative Advantages – China low cost labour – India – IT workers in Bangalore – Ireland – service economy – Dubai – knowledge based economy Comparative Advantage = superior featu res with unique benefits in global market either naturally endowed or put in place through national policy – NATIONAL Competitive Advantage = distinctive competencies of a firm from cost, size, innovation that are difficult for competitors to replicate – FIRM Factor Proportions/Endowments Theory = produce and export products that use abundant factors of production and import goods that use scarce resourcesLimitations of Early Trade Theories – they don’t account for cost of international transportation – tariffs and import restrictions distort trade flows – economies of scale bring about additional efficiencies – low cost capital now available on global markets How do Nations Enhance Competitive Advantage – governments can proactively implement policies to subsidize and stimulate the economy outside of natural endowments – create national economic advantage through: innovation stimulus, target industries for development, provide incentives and low cost capitalNational Industrial Policy – economic development plan by public sector to nurture and support promising industries through: tax incentives, monetary/fiscal policy, rigorous educational systems, investment in national infrastructure, strong legal and regulatory systems – Example Ireland: fiscal, monetary and tax consolidation, partnership of gov with unions, emphasis on high value add industry like pharma, biotech and IT, membership in EU, investment in education – improved GDP, Unemployment and National Debt 3x by 2003 from 1987 Porter’s Diamond Model: Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry – strong competitors in country serves as national competitive advantage – clusters ? Factor Conditions – labour, natural resources, capital, technology, knowledge and entrepreneurship ? Demand Conditions – strengths and sophistication of consumer demand ? Related and Supporting Industries – avail ability of clusters and complementary firms in the value chain Industrial Clusters: – concentration of suppliers and supporting firms in the same regional area – ex. silicon valley, Switzerland pharma, fashion in italy/paris, IT in Bangalore – export platform for the nationClassical Theories – International Product Cycle Theory: introduction, growth and maturity of each product and its associated manufacturing – INTRO: inventor country enjoys a monopoly in manufacturing and exports – GROWTH: other countries enter the global market place with more standard manufacturing – MATURITY: original innovator becomes net importer of product – Now – hard for innovator to maintain a lead because there is a short product life cycle – New Trade Theory: economies of scale important for international performance in some industries.Ex. high fixed costs = high volume sales to breakeven Reasons to Invest Abroad: – market seek ing – efficiency/cost seeking – resource seeking – knowledge seeking Why Internationalize? 1. opp for growth through diversification of market 2. higher profit margins 3. new P&S ideas and business methods 4. serve customers who have relocated abroad (increase/maintain market) 5. closer to supply sources, use global sourcing advantages, flexibility in sourcing products 6. access to lower cost/better value factors of production 7. evelop economies of scale in sourcing, production, marketing, economies of scale 8. confront international competitors 9. invest in relationship with a foreign partner Nature of International Business – value adding activities can be done internationally (source, manufacture, market) – cross border trade not limited to raw materials, include capital, tech, knowledge, products, services etc. – Internationalize through: Export, FDI, Licence, Franchise and JV FDI – longterm acquisition of productive assets like capital, tech, labour P&E etc – large commitment used to manufacture products in low labour cost countries MNE – big company with lots of resources, subs and affiliates in many countries (US, Japan, Germany, France, Britain) SME – small to medium size enterprise, 500 or fewer employees Born Global Firm – young company that initiates business on the global market Risks in International Business: 1. Commercial Risk – weak partnerships, bad timing of entry, high competition, poor execution of strategy, operational problems 2.Currency Risk – tax, inflation, asset valuation, transfer pricing, currency exposure 3. Country Risk – protectionism/gov intervention, bureaucracy, lack of legal safeguards/poor leagal system, social/political unrest 4. Cross-Cultural Risk – cultural differences, negotiation, different decision making styles, different ethical practices MNE Avenues for Involvement: ? Import/Export ? Licencing/Franchising ? Joi ng Venture ? FDI – get progressively more risky, higher investment, higher potential benefit, higher commitmentIntermediaries Include: – Distributor – extension of firm, takes goods under their name to sell – Manufacturer Rep – under contract of exporter to rep and sell merch – Retailer – bypass wholesaler/distributer and sell to retailer to sell to customers – IKEA, WALMART – Trading Company – based in home country, high volume, low margin resellers. – Export Management Company – US, export agent who secures contracts to export goods – usually specialize in industries and areas – Agent – works on commission Licensor – Focal firm grants the right to the foreign partner to use certain intellectual property in exchange for royalties – Franchisor – grant right to use a business system for fees and royalties – ICV – share cost and risk fo new ventur e with another company – JV – create a jointly owned new entitiy with foreign partners – Project Based Venture – collaboration with a timeline without creating a new entity, common with R&D intensive ventures Facilitator – provide services for cross border transactions: Bank, Lawyers, Freight, Consultants, ad agency, custom brokers, insurance companies, tax accountants,Turnkey Contractor: Provide engineering, design, and architectural services in the construction of airports, hospitals, oil refineries, and other types of infrastructure. †¢These projects are typically awarded on the basis of open bidding by the sponsor. †¢Examples- European Channel Tunnel, the Three Gorges Dam in China, Delhi Metro Rail Ltd. and the Hong Kong Airport. †¢Build-own-transfer venture- an increasingly popular type of turnkey contract in the developing economies where contractors acquire an ownership in the facility for a period of time until it is turned o ver to the client.MODULE 3 [pic] Advanced economies are post-industrial countries characterized by high per capita income, highly competitive industries, and well-developed commercial infrastructure. †¢Examples- world’s richest countries and include Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, and Western European countries. Developing economies are low-income countries characterized by limited industrialization and stagnant economies. †¢Examples- low-income countries, with limited industrialization and stagnant economies- e. g. Bangladesh, Nicaragua and Zaire.Emerging market economies are a subset of former developing economies that have achieved substantial industrialization, modernization, improved living standards and remarkable economic growth. †¢Examples- some 27 countries in East and South Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Eastern Europe- including Brazil, Russia, India, China (so called BRIC countries). [pic] Advanced Economies – 2 – 4% growth rates – mature industrial development – moved from manufacturing to service based economies – typically democratic political systems and capital economic systems – host worlds biggest MNEs – Emerging Economies – 7 – 10% growth rates 40% of world GDP – 30% of exports – 20% of FDI – low cost labour and capital, knowledgeable workers, gov support – fastest growth rate – attractive: growing middle class, manufacturing bases, sourcing destinations – market potential: percapita income, size of middle class, GNI, use adjusted GDP for PPP – middle class has some economic independence and discretionary income Hong Kong, Isreal, Saudi Arabia The EMPI combines factors that provide firms with a realistic measure of export market potential: †¢Market Size: the country’s population, especially urban population †¢Market Growth Rate: the country’s real GDP gr owth rate Market Intensity: private consumption and GNI represent discretionary expenditures of citizens †¢Market Consumption Capacity: The percentage share of income held by the country’s middle class †¢Commercial Infrastructure: characteristics such as number of mobile phone subscribers, density of telephone lines, number of PCs, density of paved roads, and population per retail outlet †¢Economic Freedom: the degree of government intervention †¢Market Receptivity: the particular country’s inclination to trade with the exporter’s country as estimated by the volume of imports †¢Country Risk: the degree of political riskChallenges of doing business with Ems – political stability – hard to forecast in uncertain conditions – beauraucracy/lack of transparency – weak IP rights – availability of good partners – presence of family conglomerates †¢Regional economic integration, refers to the growing economic interdependence that results when countries within a geographic region form an alliance aimed at reducing barriers to trade and investment. †¢40% of world trade today is under some bloc preferential trade agreement. Premise- mutual advantages for cooperating nations within a common geography, history, culture, language, economics, and/or politics †¢Free trade that results from economic integration helps nations attain higher living standards by encouraging specialization, lower prices, greater choices, increased productivity, and more efficient use of resources. 1. Market access. Tariffs and most non-tariff barriers have been eliminated for trade in products and services, and rules of origin favor manufacturing that uses parts and other inputs produced in the EU. . Common market. The EU removed barriers to the cross-national movement of production factors—labor, capital, and technology. 3. Trade rules. The member countries have largely eliminated customs p rocedures and regulations, which streamlines transportation and logistics within Europe. 4. Standards harmonization. The EU is harmonizing technical standards, regulations, and enforcement procedures that relate to products, services, and commercial activities. 5. Common fiscal, monetary, taxation, and social welfare policies in the long run.The euro (common currency since 2002): †¢Simplified the process of cross-border trade and enhanced Europe’s international competitiveness. †¢Eliminated exchange rate risk in much of the bloc and forced member countries to improve their fiscal and monetary policies. †¢Unified consumers and businesses to think of Europe as a single market †¢Forced national governments to relinquish monetary power to the European Central Bank, in Luxembourg, which oversees EU monetary functions. †¢NAFTA passage (1994) was facilitated by the maquiladora program – U. S. firms locate manufacturing facilities just south of the U. S. order and access low-cost labor without having to pay significant tariffs. NAFTA has: †¢Eliminated tariffs and most nontariff barriers for products/services. †¢Initiated bidding for government contracts by member country firms †¢Established trade rules and uniform customs procedures. †¢Prohibited standards/technical regulations to be used as trade barriers. †¢Instituted rules for investment and intellectual property rights. †¢Provided for dispute settlement for investment, unfair pricing, labor issues, and the environment. †¢Trade among the members has more than tripled and now exceeds $1 trillion per year. In the early 1980s, Mexico’s tariffs averaged 100% and gradually disappeared under NAFTA. †¢Member countries now trade more with each other than with former trading partners outside the NAFTA zone. †¢Both Canada and Mexico now have some 80% of their trade with, and 60% of their FDI stocks in the United States. †¢Mexican exports to the U. S. grew from $50 billion to over $160 billion per year. †¢Access to Canada and the U. S. helped launch numerous Mexican firms in industries such as electronics, automobiles, textiles, medical products, and services. †¢Annual U. S. nd Canadian investment in Mexico rose from $4 billion in 1993 to nearly $20 billion by 2006. †¢Mexico’s per capita income rose to about $11,000 in 2007, making Mexico the wealthiest country in Latin America. †¢By increasing Mexico’s attractiveness as a manufacturing location, firms like Gap Inc. and Liz Claiborne moved their factories from Asia to Mexico during the 1990s. †¢IBM shifted much of its production of computer parts from Singapore to Mexico. ASEAN – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia APEC – Asia Pacific Economic Coop – Australia, Canada, Chile, US, China, Japan, Mexico CER – Aussie and New Zealand – removed 80% of tarriffsWhy Nations Expand? 1. Ex pand market size  §Regional integration greatly increases the scale of the marketplace for firms inside the economic bloc.  §Example- Belgium has a population of just 10 million; the EU gives Belgian firms easier access to a total market of roughly 490 million. 2. Achieve scale economies and enhanced productivity  §Expansion of market size within an economic bloc gives member country firms the opportunity to gain economies of scale in production and marketing.  §Internationalization inside the bloc helps firms learn to compete more effectively outside the bloc as well. Labor and other inputs are allocated more efficiently among the member countries- leading to lower prices for consumers. 3. Attract direct investment from outside the bloc  §Compared to investing in stand-alone countries, foreign firms prefer to invest in countries that are part of an economic bloc as they receive preferential treatment for exports to other member countries.  §Examples- General Mills, Sams ung, and Tata- have invested heavily in the EU to take advantage of Europe's economic integration.  §By establishing operations in a single EU country, these firms gain free trade access to the entire EU market. 4.Acquire stronger defensive and political posture  §Provide member countries with a stronger defensive posture relative to other nations and world regions- this was one of the motives for the initial creation of the European Community (precursor to the EU). †¢The value chain can be thought of as the complete business system of the focal firm. It comprises all of the activities that the focal firm performs. †¢The focal firm may retain core activities such as production and marketing, and outsource distribution and customer service responsibilities to foreign-market based distributors, thus the global reconfiguration of the value chain. Dell makes a variety of products, each with its own value chain. The total supply chain for a notebook computer, including mult iple tiers of suppliers, involves about 400 companies, primarily in Asia, but also in Europe and the Americas. †¢On a typical day, Dell processes orders for 150,000 computers, which are distributed to customers around the world, with non-U. S. sales accounting for 40 percent. †¢Shipping is handled via air transport, e. g. from the Dell Malaysia factory to the U. S. Dell charters a China Airlines 747 hat flies to Nashville, Tennessee six days a week, with each jet carries 25,000 Dell notebooks that weigh a total of 110,000 kilograms, or 242,500 pounds. †¢One of the hallmarks of Dell’s value chain is collaboration. CEO Michael Dell and his team constantly work with their suppliers to make process improvements in Dell’s value chain. [pic] Automotive Industry †¢Manufacturing of the Chevrolet Malibu illustrates national and geographic diversity of suppliers that provide content for an automobile, a truly global value chain. †¢Suppliers are headquart ered in Germany, Japan, France, Korea, and United Kingdom, and the U.S. , and the components they sell to General Motors are manufactured in typically low-cost countries and then shipped to the General Motors plant in Fairfax, Kansas. †¢The German automaker BMW employs 70,000 factory personnel at 23 sites in 13 countries to manufacture its vehicles. †¢Workers at the Munich plant build the BMW 3 Series and supply engines and key body components to other BMW factories abroad. †¢In the U. S. , BMW has a plant in South Carolina, which makes over 500 vehicles daily for the world market. †¢In Northeast China, BMW makes cars in a joint venture with Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. In India, BMW has a manufacturing presence to serve the needs of the rapidly growing South Asia market. †¢BMW must configure sourcing at the best locations worldwide, in order to minimize costs (e. g. , by producing in China), access skilled personnel (by producing in Germany), r emain close to key markets (by producing in China, India and the U. S. ). †¢Global sourcing is the procurement of products or services from suppliers or company-owned subsidiaries located abroad for consumption in the home country or a third country. Technological advances, including instant Internet connectivity and broadband availability TECHNOLOGY †¢Declining communication and transportation costs †¢Widespread access to vast information including growing connectivity between suppliers and the customers that they serve; and SUPPLY CHAIN †¢Entrepreneurship and rapid economic transformation in emerging markets. GLOBALIZATION †¢Managers must decide between internalization and externalization — whether each value-adding activity should be conducted in-house or by an independent supplier. This is known as the ‘make or buy’ decision: â€Å"Should we make a product or conduct a particular value-chain activity ourselves, or should we source it from an outside contractor? † †¢Firms usually internalize those value-chain activities they consider a part of their core competence, or which involve the use of proprietary knowledge and trade secrets that they want to control. †¢Configuration of value-adding activity: The pattern or geographic arrangement of locations where the firm carries out value-chain activities. Instead of concentrating value-adding activities in the home country, many firms configure these activities across the world to save money, reduce delivery time, access factors of production, and extract maximal advantages relative to competitors. †¢This helps explain the migration of traditional industries from Europe, Japan, and the U. S. to emerging markets in Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. [pic] †¢Outsourcing refers to the procurement of selected value-adding activities, including production of intermediate goods or finished products, from independent suppliers. This practice of externalizing a particular value-adding activity to outside contractors is known as outsourcing. †¢Firms outsource because they generally are not superior at performing all primary and support activities. Most value-adding activities — from manufacturing to marketing to after-sales service — are candidates for outsourcing. †¢Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). The outsourcing of business functions to independent suppliers such as accounting, payroll, and human resource functions, IT services, customer service, and technical support. BPO includes:  §Back-office activities, which includes internal, upstream business functions such as payroll and billing, and  §Front-office activities, which includes downstream, customer-related services such as marketing or technical support. †¢Offshoring is a natural extension of global sourcing. It refers to the relocation of a business process or entire manufacturing facility to a foreign country. †¢MNEs are particularly active in shifting production facilities or business processes to foreign countries to enhance their competitive advantages. Offshoring is especially common in the service sector, including banking, software code writing, legal services, and customer-service activities. †¢E. g. , large legal hubs have emerged in India that provide services such as drafting contracts and patent applications, conducting research and negotiations, as well as performing paralegal work on behalf of Western clients. With lawyers in N. America and Europe costing $300 an hour or more, Indian firms can cut legal bills by 75 percent. Best Jobs for Offshoring: Large-scale manufacturing industries whose primary competitive advantage is efficiency and low cost; †¢Industries such as automobiles that have uniform customer needs and highly standardized processes in production and other value-chain activities; †¢Service industries that are highly labor intensive, e. g. , call centers and legal transcription; †¢Information-based industries whose functions and activities can be easily transmitted via the Internet, e. g. , accounting, billing, and payroll; and †¢Industries such as software preparation whose outputs are easy to codify and transmit over the Internet or by telephone, e. g. routine technical support and customer service activities. [pic] †¢Cost efficiency is the traditional rationale for sourcing abroad. The firm takes advantage of ‘labor arbitrage’ – the large wage gap between advanced economies and emerging markets. †¢One study found that firms expect to save an average of more than 40% off baseline costs as a result of offshoring. These savings tend to occur particularly in R&D, product design activities, and back-office operations such as accounting and data processing. Benefits of Outsourcing: †¢Faster corporate growth. †¢Access to qualified personnel abroad. †¢Improved productivity and service. Business process redesign. †¢Increased speed to market. †¢Access to new markets. †¢Technological flexibility. Improved agility by shedding unnecessary overhead. Disadvantages to Outsourcing: †¢Vulnerability to exchange rate fluctuations †¢Partner selection, qualification, and monitoring costs †¢Increased complexity of managing a worldwide network of production locations and partners †¢Complexity of managing global supply chain †¢Limited influence over the manufacturing processes of the supplier †¢Potential vulnerability to opportunistic behavior or actions in bad faith by suppliers †¢Constrained ability to safeguard intellectual assetsRisks in Global Sourcing: 1. Less-than-expected cost savings. Conflicts and misunderstandings arise because of differences in the national and organizational cultures between the focal firm and foreign supplier. Such factors give rise to cost-savings that are less than originally anticipated. 2. Environ mental factors. Numerous environmental challenges confront focal firms including: exchange rate fluctuations, labor strikes, adverse macro-economic events, high tariffs and other trade barriers, and high energy and transportation costs. 3. Weak legal environment.Many popular locations for global outsourcing have weak laws and enforcement regarding intellectual property, which can lead to erosion of key strategic assets. 4. Risk of creating competitors. As the focal firm shares its intellectual property and business-process knowledge with foreign suppliers, it also runs the risk of creating future rivals (e. g. , Schwinn). 5. Inadequate or low-skilled workers. Some foreign suppliers may be staffed by employees who lack appropriate knowledge about the tasks with which they are charged. Other suppliers suffer rapid turnover of skilled employees. 6. Over-reliance on suppliers.Unreliable suppliers may put earlier work aside when they gain a more important client. Suppliers occasionally e ncounter financial difficulties or are acquired by other firms with different priorities and procedures. Over-reliance can shift control of key activities too much in favor of the supplier. 7. Erosion of morale and commitment among home-country employees. Global sourcing can create a situation in which employees are caught in the middle between their employer and their employer’s clients. At the extreme, workers find themselves in a psychological limbo, unclear about who their employer really is.

New Jersey Associate degree nurses initiative to obtain Bachelor's Essay

New Jersey Associate degree nurses initiative to obtain Bachelor's degree within 10 years (BSN 2010) - Essay Example Today, a nurse's job is as important as that of a doctor's. One could say that nurses are the backbone of all hospital facilities. All hospitals across the world thrive on the skill and determination that they put in to help the sick or disabled. Health care today is advancing at a rapid rate and is getting quite complex. Studies have shown that a patient's outcome has improved in those cases where the patients were attended by nurses with advanced degrees. Also in 2003 it was published in the journal of the American Medical Association (Aiken, 2003) that a greater number of staff nurses with bachelor's degrees resulted in a decrease in patient mortality among surgical patients, improved patient outcomes and shorter lengths of stay.The National Advisory Council had submitted a report on "Nurse Education and Practice" to the U.S department of Health and Human Services. It recommended that by 2010 two thirds of the nation's basic workforce must hold a BSN. This was basically to meet the requirements of modern medicine. For example, in the 1960's a RN was expected to be familiar with about 600 drugs. Now there are over 13,000 drugs in the market. At the March 31, 2006 Annual Voting Business Meeting of NJSNA, held at the Tropicana Resort & Casino Hotel in Atlantic City NJ, a majority of members voted to adopt the amended resolution to acknowledge the importance of nursing's entry requirements, but, in addition, support legislation to require new RNs (those licensed after passage of a new law) to earn their BSN within 10 years (Aughenbaugh). Thus in order to meet the recommendation made by the National Advisory Council and the NJSNA, Senator Joseph Vitale has introduced a legislature that requires all future registered nurses to obtain a bachelors degree in nursing (BSN) within ten years of initial licensure. The clauses of this bill are applicable to only those nurses who are yet to take admission. As in those nurses who are already licensed and those students who have applied or are already enrolled in nursing school at the time of legislation will be exempted. In case a nurse is not able to obtain her BSN within the ten years she may apply for an extension from the New Jersey Board of Nursing. In order to become a nurse one can still enroll in associate degrees or diplomas in nur sing program, which will prepare them to take the NCLEX licensing exam. This is required to start functioning as a Registered Nurse. If the bills are signed into law, it will have a lasting impact on the professions of nursing. But there are a few concerns because of the shortage of faculty in nursing schools. Also the fates of ADN and diploma programs are uncertain. A major issue is the additional financial burden that nurses would have to face to obtain their BSN. But it is felt that given an option of nursing being a higher education profession more people would be willing to take up nursing as a serious career option. Although there may seem to be a few drawbacks, the benefits of this legislation are numerous since having a BSN not only increases a nurses pay but also gives better jobs and better career opportunities. The following are the benefits of furthering education for a nurse The courses in BSN or MSN will help a

Acquisition Strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Acquisition Strategy - Research Paper Example I’ll pick two of the most important ones and discuss them; Walmart and Google. Both these companies are from totally different industries and have made a benchmark for the rest of the business world. It’s not an unusual thing to hear Google taking its business to new levels by massive buyouts such as YouTube and DoubleClick, or even partnership with huge companies such as with AOL and MySpace. However, Google’s acquisition strategies are different from most of the other companies. Many of their acquisitions seem to come out of nowhere and seem totally random. The secret of Google’s success is to follow the numbers. With their data acquisition and statistical gathering technologies —Web Search, AdWords, Blog Search, Maps, GoogleBot, Finance, AdSense, and so on — Google calculates and analyze the following and then work on the acquisition strategy: Walmart has laid out its core strategies to create the â€Å"Next Generation Walmart† as the company approaches deliverance on founder Sam Walton’s dream of giving the world â€Å"an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better life†. Wal-Mart mostly works on overseas acquisitions as U.S based companies acquiring would face anti-trust problems. Walmart’s biggest acquisition strategy is to move into new cities and countries and sell high range of products in low prices. After building trust among the local customers walmart goes for acquiring other companies. One of the most substantial things that play a significant role in walmart’s acquisition strategy is its goodwill. I don’t think there would be anyone in any part of globe who would not know about the walmart chain of stores. This is what helps walmart in applying their acquisition strategy and give them their desired results. In easy words; walmart Moves in, sets u p, sell high range of products in low prices, drive the competition out and take over other companies such as ASDA. Thus, acquisition