Intro to Marketing

Jaguar and Think Tank Jaguar is one of the largest secondary sectors in the world, they manufacture luxury cars and they operate in a 169 countries and have 1200 employees. Jaguar has four main site in the UK which include Castle Bromwich, Brown Lane, Gaydon and Whitely. As for think tank is now considered as part of the Birmingham museums and one of the largest museums in England.Think tank makes education for children thrilling and fun so they created a place for children to be educated while having fun. What is marketing? Marketing is about businesses that produce products or services to focus on satisfying the needs and want of a consumer, For Jaguar it is about the promotion, distribution and selling of a product or service, based on the needs and wants of customers which is quoted on their website presentation. Marketing objectivesMarketing objectives is when a business such as Jaguar set a goal to increase productivity and sales and for Jaguar to able to do that, it is importa nt that the Marketing, Sales and Customer service to work together as one, for example if Jaguar goal was to increase sales for the XF type, then the departments would have to set the SMART OBJECTIVE which is S-SPECIFIC the objective must be clearly stated and focused M-MEASURABLE for jaguar to see how it is performing against their objective by knowing the quantity of their performance A-ACHIEVABLE for the objective to be practical it needs to be something jaguar can achieve R-REALISTIC the goal has to be something that jaguar can actually do T-TIME RELATED the objective has to have a time limit otherwise the performance of the objective will be unreliable For Jaguar to do their smart objective it would be when they produce a new type of car to that is targeted at female consumers, for Jaguar to achieve this target they would have to set their objectives by promoting their new product to their existing customers by being specific about the car, whilst they are advertising the new p roduct by saying how it differs from previous types and their unique quality for example the new type of Jaguar is environmental friendly but it’s still fast and luxurious, then Jaguar also has to measure the speed to know it is achievable goal and has to be something real and not a made up fact, the fast car also has a time limit to show the public. As for Think Tank their objective could be to have a new target market such as students from college and universities, so they can make more profit to reinvest in their museum. To target those new market they would have be specific with their goal by calculating those already visiting the museum or try attracting colleges and universities by showing the business side of the museum, where they have an increase of reputation to help them grow and attract more customers.And for Think Tank to measure the their goal if succeeding they would have to monitor their profit to see how much growth they have had before they set the objective and those goals would have to be realistic cause if their objective would have been attract senior public it would have been impossible but senor public with children then that would have been a realistic goal for them to achieve. Branding Businesses use logo and slogan intending to indentify the goods and service they are selling and also differentiate from other goods and services. Branding is not about getting your targeted markets choose your competitors instead of you but it is about consumers seeing you as the only one who can solve their problems.Their mission statement is to create beautiful fast car and for people to drive them because it keep the business going. Jaguar quoted ‘if we don’t sell cars we won’t exist as a business’. For their Brand to be larger Jaguar works with partners that operate in the same area as them e. g. British Airways, Selfridge etc.. For Jaguar they are recognised for their name ‘Jaguar’ and the wild animal shape that is constantly used on everything they do or produce. Jaguar is a strong brand that they can able to charge thousand pound on their product, which means with the strength jaguar can enter a new market which they are previously doing by reinventing an existing type to new market, with less risk of failure.Jaguar brand essence is ‘racing heart’ what this does is encourage products that has brand value to differentiate from the rest of their competitors, it also directs jaguar to create rare communication that their essence ‘its heart’ for the cars to be exhilarating. Each time they advertise their cars they usually add a campaign tagline which is ‘this is the new Jaguar’ now what this does for their branding is demand active consumers to take a second look at the brand and proclaims the importance of the now Jaguar. As for Think Tank their brand is known for being colourful and smart to remind people of the time people did not have pro blems and they see themselves as a opular destination for tourist because the museum offer services to suit all taste and budgets from free parks and museums plus their wide indoor premises for any weather. If Think Tank were to create a new museum in a new country with new products it will be hard for them to get any customers or receive any recognition, So for them to be recognised for their achievement and work think tank would think of enhancing their brand fairness through advertisement and promotion such as supporting awareness and events sponsorships so when think tank would think of growing their business it will reduce the risk of failure. Growth Strategies Businesses need to regularly look for new products and markets for future growth.A useful way of looking at growth opportunities is the Ansoff Growth matrix which was developed by Igor Ansoff who identified four categories for growth is: Market penetration  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Increase sales of an existing product in an existing market. At Jaguar they headquarter at the UK and most of the sales are from abroad since most UK citizens buy foreign cars because it is cheaper, so for Jaguar to increase sales at the UK they could do more advertisements and promotion and also have decrease the cost of the cars, But since Jaguar is a known brand that is recognised to be expensive and luxurious, then by decreasing cost it would reduce the quality of the car. So to increase sells Jaguar would have target their previous customer to spread the word about the car they own e. g. the XJ and other their friends, business partnerships and competitors.As for Think Tank they could increase a wider range of customers within Birmingham by inviting schools to learn new science technologies and college for students to learn and observe the business side to it and begin able to achieve that the museum would have connections with schools and colleges Product development  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Improve present products and/or develop new produc ts for the current market: so if jaguar decides to develop a new product and sell it to their current customers it would be safe because Jaguar tries to have a relationship with the customers which results the customer to buy more new cars from them. For example developing a new car that is enhanced performances, bold design and reflects positive on the drive, then the current market would want the product because of the positive review it might have. As for think tank they would have to develop a product that could be more useful for young teens and adults such as the 4D screen cinema that everyone wants to try it.The 4D cinema is for people to enjoy watching films while looking realistic enough. This simply attracts all age groups Market development  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Sell existing products into new markets since Jaguar is a wide world known brand it would be easier for them to sell anything in any country. For example selling the XJ in China would be bring profit to the business because china has recently improved their economy making China the third leading economy in the world and selling the XJ there would increase Jaguar chances of opening a manufacturing company and getting potential customers as well As for Think tank they are located in Birmingham so to move to a new market they would have to conduct a research to open their museum there.Diversification  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Develop new products for new markets: if jaguar was developing a new brand for a new market such as the XF for female customer they would have the type match the new market taste by doing something different than the other types jaguar manufactured. But it could be a risk since people see jaguar as the company that design muscular cars for rich mans and result them to lose their clients. As for Think tank they could change their target market to the age range of teens and make the museum seem less childish and make the place seem more of science area museum so the teens can came and gain more kno wledge than they do it at school. Relationship Marketing Relationship marketing is where a business focuses in a long term value of a customer; the long term could be 5-25 years depending in the business existence.Jaguar sees themselves as developing a lasting relationship with their customers through outstanding performance by trying to meet the needs and expectation of their customers by anticipating everything before it comes to mind. This could attract more customers and have loyal customer who will be supporting the business. As for think tank they to have lasting relationship with their consumers they try to provide anything necessary such as a family group they designed a children playroom for the children to be left alone and made the place safe for the children and fun and the food is healthy and nourishes for people to enjoy them and they also created a quite place for people to read and enjoy the silence. The creation of think tank was to meet each and every needs and wan ts of the consumers Resubmission Market objective:-For Jaguar to do their smart objective it would be when they produce a new type of car to that is targeted at female consumers, for Jaguar to achieve this target they would have to set their objectives by promoting their new product to their existing customers and being specific about the car, whilst they are advertising the new product by saying how it differs from previous types and their unique quality for example the new type of Jaguar is environmental friendly but it’s still fast and luxurious. Then see if their performance of selling the car quantity is increasing e. g. sales revenue and customer percentage from previous project to the new one. Market penetration:-For Jaguar to increase sales at the UK they could do more advertisements and promotion and also have decrease the cost of the cars, But since Jaguar is a known brand that is recognised to be expensive and luxurious, then by decreasing cost it would reduce the quality of the car. So to increase sells Jaguar would have target their previous customer to spread the word about the car they own e. g. the XJ and other their friends, business partnerships and competitors. Product development:- For example developing a new car that is enhanced performances, bold design and reflects positive on the drive, then the current market would want the product because of the positive review it might have. Market development:-

McDonalds and Wal-Mart

Economics is defined as the study of incentives and the common practice of reaching these motivations. Many people have gone to immoral conducts just to reach these incentives. A lot of people, particularly in the business field also commit such acts that are morally wrong but would surely bring more profit. They sacrifice integrity in exchange of better revenues. Even big corporations are guilty of these wrongdoings, even though these companies may not admit such offenses. They have resorted to many instances acting dishonorable actions and there must be a compelling reason why they acted that way.Some of these cases that showed such responses are the public school teachers from Chicago, the sumo wrestlers, and an entrepreneur who plotted actions to attain their selfish goals. These are three different scenarios, all engaged in doing such acts that compromised their values to achieve their self-centered objectives. These public school teachers from Chicago committed cheating by prov iding their students with answers for a certain examination. On the other hand, sumo wrestlers were also found making deceitful acts by prearranging fights and winners of bouts.Although there is a limited manner to prove these misdeeds strongly, there are some noticeable situations to prove that there are abnormalities within the influential circle of sumo wrestlers. The entrepreneur also did a dishonest act by selling bagels to any person that would benefit for possessing that bagel which is considered as illegal. Both this instances, according to the author, involved cheating that was induced by the benefits of doing such acts. All of these circumstances can be said as similar in terms of doing unpleasant deeds in exchange of receiving incentives as the result of these acts.The author researched other relevant information about the theme of this manuscript. He found out that a person, for his own personal agenda, usually take advantage of any information he has for a specific agen da. One firm example is on the manner a press officer make used of his gathered information to cause the collapse of the Ku Klux Klan for his benefit. Ku Klux Klan is the name given to various secret societies in the United States, generally situated on the southern part of the country, clearly identified for its advocacy that white people are far more superior to other cultural factions.The Klan made every effort to persecute the other racial groups and terrorize African-American people. Ku Klux Klan’ downfall began when Stetson Kennedy gained access to the Klan and supplied information to media and law enforcement groups. Stetson also provided secret code words that are critical to the Klan. His effort to take advantage with the information he possesses made a big impact to the Klan’s collapse. Kennedy also penned a manuscript about his circumstances with the Klan. This development further damaged the Ku Klux Klan. †Why experts of every kind are in the perfect position to exploit you†.A phrase showing another concrete example is the way real state agents behave when they perform their selling acts. A real-state agent persuades the owner of the house to sell for less while at the same time, providing potential buyer information that he can buy the house for a discounted price. To ensure that you have your excellent choice to buy or sell a house, there are clever ways that must be learned before engaging in the actual transaction. Like in the Ku Klux Klan, there are also codes being used by the real-state agents to pass on information throughout the ads they display.Clusters of words like â€Å"well maintained†, â€Å"spacious†, â€Å"great neighborhood† and other phrases in itself, possesses a full meaning to a housing agent which are frequently unknown to a conventional buyer/owner of a house. Because of this, exploitation of these agents is evident unless the prospective buyer would have a clear understanding a bout these word-codes they use. On the next chapter, the author did make contradictions about the common idea that the financial status of those people who do illegal acts are always better compared to those who do otherwise.He rather made this discovery contributing to other factors such as the economic status of a certain individual. He found out that only those who are in the higher rank of a drug organization really prosper while those in the lower level still earns a little amount for their living. These findings were supported by citing Sudhir Venkatesh research about this topic. Sudhir Venkatesh is a sociologist whose research setting was focused on the field studies in the shelter projects in Chicago, made some exceptional discoveries, including the one related with the financial status of a drug organization.The outcome of this research provided clear evidence about the author’s claim regarding the fiscal status of those people involved drug dealership. Moreover, Sud hir’s research also found out astounding information that being a member of J. T. ’s gang, particularly those in the low-level position jobs, faces a clear danger for their life, having 25% casualty rate. It was compared to the dangers of an employee working in a timber cutting industry, and even those prisoners on the death row, and found these to be less fatal than working as a low-level drug dealer.Furthermore, this set-up was compared by Levitt to other companies, McDonalds’ burger flipper and Wal-Mart’s shelf stocker. He compared the financial status of every employee and those in the executive positions with the small drug dealers and those who lead the drug organization. These two businesses both manifested the economic imbalance occurring within their respective organization, but still better compared to being a crack dealer. Chapter 4 has brought a contentious claim by the author and it did a lot of interest to take a closer look with the manuscr ipt.Levitt claimed that the legalization of abortion made a great impact in the reduction of crimes in a certain area. This was supported by his numerous examples like what happened in some states including Alaska, California, Hawaii, New York, and Washington where crime rates fell considerably after making abortion legal on these mentioned territories. The author also presented data showing those states that has the highest cases of abortion showed the significant reduction of crimes occurring in their respective areas. In the same manner, those areas that have recorded the lowest abortion cases only displayed a small drop rate of crimes.He debunked claims that factors such as advanced policing plan, reduced drug demand, aged population, stricter firearm management, a strong economy, and others significantly affect the crime rates in the country. He also noted that should abortion was not legalized on those key states, less than 2 million babies would have been born every year, thu s, increase in the engagement of crimes would have been prevalent. This was due to the fact that most of these are unwanted pregnancy and it is highly probable that these babies will be raised in an unstable family setting or in poverty.These same reasons, according to Levitt, were also the motives why did pregnant young women sought abortions. Do parenting really matters? This is a question that was covered in Chapter 5, where parenthood was the main topic. Parenting is the course of raising and educating a person from birth or prior to, until maturity. According to the author, a parent is the steward of another’s human life, from being a new born until it reaches adulthood. In the process of parenting, protection is one thing being given by parents to their children.They provide protection because they know their children is vulnerable against any attack from individuals or other things, including themselves. They feared these might bring affliction to their child, which ma y eventually lead to death. But the problem lies in absence of knowledge about the science of parenting. Like any other, proper rearing of a child requires skills and proper information to be able to reach its very objective as a parent. This was shown by the author when he cite a scenario about parents who feared that the presence of a gun in their homes might bring hurt and compromise the security of their children.These parents transferred their child to another’s house where there is no gun but with a swimming pool in their house. Levitt stated that these parents gave less protection in their child because, according to statistics, more children died due to drowning in a swimming pool rather than playing with a gun. If these parents only knew this, they will reconsider their decision and carefully evaluate the place before they agree in sending their child in another location. Smart parenting, therefore, is greatly needed to ensure proper taking care of a child.Another re levant finding the author made is the direct relationship between the socioeconomic conditions of the parents to achieving a positive outcome with parenthood. Such factors like parents who were highly educated, high socioeconomic standing and having a child in the later age of the parents directly contribute into achieving a better outcome in standardized tests of students. For the last chapter, Levitt focused the discussion to the names given to every child by their parents and how it affects the circumstances of a person by the names given to him at birth.He stressed the importance of the parent’s act of naming their baby to the future life of this child. The author cited researches about this topic and analyzed carefully the details relating to this matter. Levitt presented researches linking the names of white and black American to their life condition including employment, salary grade, and educational attainment. He also discussed in this chapter a story about a mother that named her daughter â€Å"Temptress† and when this child grew up, she was accused unruly conduct, about having sexual affairs with different men while her mother is away form home.Another name was mentioned in this chapter that was given to a child by his parents that was based upon a shallow reasoning because that name was just the first word they saw upon reaching the hospital. Levitt expressed his concern that good parenting starts with the proper choice of names to be given to their child. He further expressed that those people who did not bother to just give any names to their child without even considering its meaning do not possess the characteristic of being a good parent. This act might greatly affect the future life of a child, either he lived by his name or the world would prejudge the person by his name.These possible dilemmas must be taken by these parents as a caution before they give names to their children. Our world has experienced a lot of hardships and adversities due to negligence by many people in exchange of accumulating more money and benefits. People should realize that the most important duty is to provide better services to their consumers. They must not forget that enterprising requires responsibility and in any way this should not be compromised. We ought to do our duties in our family effectively for us to start changing our society for the better.If all of us would keep in mind the main responsibility of every human being to love his God and his neighbor, then our society would be a better place to live including our economy and business. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Many people have ventured on a lot of studies and attended several trainings to augment their skills in the management area. They wanted to develop their ability in dealing with other people in various disciplines like in business, politics, and other significant areas of concern. Many businesses seek more understanding on how to deal with th e consumers effectively to boost their sales and profit.Those in the field of politics also look for better approaches they will used to convince the voters to elect them from office. These are just some of the reasons why many book were published to address the need of a manuscript that would talk about this very important topic. Stephen Covey authored the book â€Å"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People† in the year 1989. This manuscript has been included on the list of books that was sold favorably for more than 3 years. The author also conducted seminars about this topic and many people attended these gatherings.Companies like AT & T, Ford, Xerox and other big corporations also made recommendations that this book be read by management officials. This manuscript discussed the seven habits that can be learned to improve oneself and its relationship with others effectively. Covey illustrated a habit as a mix of knowledge, skills and aspirations. This knowledge would repres ent the area where the main focus is on what must be done for every general and specific detail. The skills focuses on the process things are done and aspirations center on the things that are desired for. In order to create a habit in our lives, we must have all three.These seven habits are subdivided into three: Habits 1, 2, and 3 is on the personal success while habits 4, 5 and 6 relates to triumphs with regards to the public domain. The last habit involves restoration of oneself. Be proactive is first habit wrote by the author. The author expressed that we must use our ingenuity and inventiveness to work on the road to our personal goals. This suggests that every human being is solely responsible for his or her life. This includes the principle that our own behavior is greatly affected by the choices we make. A proactive person does not let things happen, but rather make things happen.It acts initiatively and does not wait for others actions to commence. Through this, we can say that we can be responsible enough for every thing that happens to us and to other people that surrounds us. The author pointed out a principle regarding the circle of concern which includes the entire feature that we have control over psychological or affection involvement. The author stressed the circle of influence, which lies inside the circle of concern must be given focus by the person which includes those things that he has total control. According to the author, each person has both a circle of influence and a circle of concern.Tormenting continuously about things outside of the circle of influence is not dynamic. Working within the circle of influence is productive. Moreover, the more efficient you become, the more your circle of control will start to expand. The next habit pertains to the topic â€Å"Begin with the end in mind†. This is all about formulating long-standing objectives based on a specific ideology. According to the author, it is advisable for a person to formulate â€Å"individual goal statements† that would serve as the very goal of one’s life. The author suggests good foresight planning as an important tool to develop this.It is like sculpting a figure that an individual want for one’s life and providing a frame of reference wherein all the manners and conducts can be evaluated. There must be a lucid direction where to go and when to stop. Only when all the paths are cleared that a person can suffice its objective with regards to planning long-term goals in his life. Meanwhile, in an organizational structure, Covey emphasize that the company’s vision would be more efficient if all the members of the group were involved in the formulation of these ideas and was not prearranged by only a small number of personalities.The third habit, Covey wrote, is to put first things first. Self-determination is vital in this topic of concern. It entails a lot of effort for a person or to maintain personal integrity. â€Å"Walk the talk† is one famous phrase that must always be present in one’s mind to be able to preserve his or her uprightness. Proper time management and setting up of priorities are also included in this area. Those effective people know how to prioritize things and say no to non-urgent things. Think win-win is the fourth habit. This often refers to circumstances where one benefits, not necessarily in the course of someone else's defeat.This mentality is based on collaboration rather than competition. Each side must have the boldness to state one’s convictions, but to take into concern other's belief. It allows all participants to achieve positive outcomes in their struggles. There are four step processes that illustrate more this habit. The first step is to see the problem from other point of view. This means that a person must also take into careful consideration the views and opinions of other people, particularly those in the other side of the struggle . Knowing what the main arguments of other people would bring more understanding for both sides.The next step is on identifying the key subjects and apprehensions involved in the situation. This addresses the heart of the issue and focusing on the main issues of the scenario. There must be full cooperation coming from all sides to ensure the completion of this undertaking. After this, determination of results that represents an acceptable solution to the problem comes next. Resolution to the problem must provide a clear picture for both sides to guarantee that the benefits of these outcomes will surely answer each of the problems on each side.If there would still be unresolved conflicts between, the next step will be to identify alternative options to further achieve proper arbitration of this situation. These steps can be used by companies to enhance their relations with their employees, ensuring lasting relationships between the employers and employees. The fifth habit is to †Å"seek first to understand then to be understood†. The author proposes that we establish first more information before ever beginning to communicate. That is what we must comprehend for every situation before hastening in with giving suggestions.In order to understand the heart of any topic, it is more appropriate to use the skills in communication and listening. It is a given fact that most people do not pay attention for the purpose to comprehend what they hear, instead they listen just to be able to respond to it. There are various levels of listening which includes not listening at all, pretending that you are listening, selective listening, attentive listening, and absolute listening. Only a few performs the higher level of listening but this is what matters most if you want to understand more other people’s concern.Many people do not realize that by listening to others, it is already a good start that you will also be understood in the process. It is very importan t that when you hear, it must include not just your senses but most importantly, the heart. That is where true listening begins. When all of the habits mentioned above are already realized, synergy comes next. This is the sixth habit and regarded to as the premier activity in all life. This custom occurs when minds fuels another mind and ideas call for more ideas. This produces new options that come up naturally.This synergy is a derivative and this cannot be made by mere intervention. Deliberately creating synergy actually makes it harder for it to exist. What must be provided is just to prepare the climate for synergy to occur. This includes first, the win-win attitude, next is seeking first to understand, and third is the belief in our capabilities to find a third alternative. To sum it all, synergy is built directly upon other factors preceding it. This stresses that we must value the distinction between people and how they view the world.That disparity can be used as a basis of insight. Covey stated that the seventh habit serves as the oil that greases the mechanism of all the other habits. â€Å"Sharpening the saw† is the inclination that makes all the others possible. This requires making an investment in oneself. Treating his or her body with utmost care is what needed. Renewal of one’s spirit must also be taken into consideration. This can be realized through prayers, music, reading the word of God, reflection and others. All of these can touch our inner beings and provide restoration to every individual.We can further make investments for ourselves by continuing education, thorough reading of books and manuscripts that would give more information and knowledge in many aspects of life. Another aspect would be the social and emotional regeneration that entails interaction with other people to build the one’s own sense of welfare. Another is through penning materials that would challenge our ability to think, rationalize, and compre hend more. After all of these, rest is also needed to renew our energy and to equip us again for another days work.Self-sufficient philosophy alone is not appropriate to mutually dependent actuality. Independent persons who do not have the maturity to consider and perform interdependently may become excellent individual producers, but these people would not become superior leaders or team players. All of these seven habits Covey presented give a detailed understanding on the facts that highly effective people acts and deal with their own life and their surroundings. These customs are worth to try in attaining the goal to be highly effective individuals.But the most important thing would be to maintain a clear conscience and be sensitive enough to other’s feelings and circumstances. To be highly effective depends greatly on what do most people see on person. This book is just a guideline for us to start with the objective of being effective persons in our respective fields, bu t it still depends on ourselves if we will strive to continue these principles. It all boils down to one major area; the person’s relationship with God and his neighbors. The Art of War The manuscript â€Å"The Art of War† was recorder as one of the oldest book written for military applications.This involves a lot of strategies and approaches when it comes to war planning and executions. Many famous personalities have claimed that their principles were inspired by this book. Napoleon Bonaparte was believed to be inspired by this book during his entire course of imperial campaign. Its simple but brilliant approaches are the things that made this book survived up to the present. Aside from its importance in the war strategies, â€Å"The Art of War† principles can also be applied to the business world today.Many topics of this timeless book can be seen as relevant to the corporate arena, where the competition between companies is inevitable. This set up can be seen as a war between companies and such quotes from Sun Tzu can be utilized to encourage managers and businessmen to achieve ultimate success in their respective industries. The first chapter of the book focus on â€Å"laying plans† This surveys the five key essentials that characterize competitive situation which includes mission, climate, ground, leadership, and methods.This chapter also includes the process of evaluating one self’s competitive strengths against your enemies. If the planner formulated a great strategy and executed it successfully, then that group will already have a step further of the competition when it comes to the actual battle. In the business arena, it is a must to conduct planning and surveys to evaluate the present status as a company as well as its competitors performance. By doing this, there would be a clear signal that can be used further when modifications and innovations of products and services are needed.Another thing is that sure victor ies always start with careful planning the details of a strategy. In commerce, good policies isn’t automatically employed to directly clash a competitor, instead it is a tactic that uses chances to take full advantage of your situation in the market. A corporation must look at their inner strong points and weaknesses and visually placed them for careful observation. The next step will be to look at the outer prospects and threats of the company and put these in an outline for study.After all of these, the company will come up with a detailed analysis of the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and come up with a new strategy. Upon looking at the results of this analysis, decisions then must be made whether to continue with the competition or to venture to other trades. Waging war is on the next chapter wherein it clarifies the process of understanding the financial nature of the struggle and how triumphs require making the brilliant move that will serve victory, which as an aftermath, limiting the costs of competition and argument.Like in the business field, when competition is so fierce, the business manager must carefully familiarize himself with the actual competition between all the players so that he would not spend a lot of resources just to stay in the contest. He must be knowledgeable enough to handle this â€Å"war† between players in the market. The next chapter focuses on the topic â€Å"attack by stratagem†. This chapter discusses that the source of any military strength resides in unity and not in size. In this chapter, Sun Tzu also gave five factors to know who will become victorious in any battle.First is that the person who knows when to engage battle and when not to fight, will be triumphant. Knowing one’s capability is a good sign of a great strategist. Same with the business, owners of the company must know their strengths and weaknesses to be able to avoid possible collapse and defeat from its competitors. The next factor, according to the book, is that the person who knows how to use whatever the size of his forces will be victorious. Another aspect is that the one who knows how to bring unity between those in the lower and upper level for a clear intention will also be victorious.The fourth factor is that the one who is always ready will be successful compared to those who are not. The last aspect is that if commander-in-charge is competent and not meddled by anyone, including the ruler will be triumphant. All of these five factors can be applied in managing a business, particularly those who faces great competition in the market. Competition in the trades is analogous to â€Å"war† being described by Sun Tzu. The next chapter pertains to strategic outlook that is also important in war. According to this segment, an army that acquires first circumstances before going to battle will be victorious.On the other hand, an army who engage in battle first with out considering other important conditions will just be looking for defeat. An owner of a business must study first the conditions of the market before putting up his business to enable him to address important issues regarding the needs and circumstances of the consumers. Only by then he would have greater chances to survive in the market and may surpass all its competitors. Chapter five concerns the proper utilization of force of an army. It is described in this chapter that proper use of force is required to win the battle.Whatever the size of an army, it still depends on how it will use by the commander. In business, proper utilization of resources is needed to ensure efficiency in the business. It all depends on how it will be run by the manager of the business. The next chapter focuses on knowing the weakness and strengths of an enemy. Probing the enemy to know its weak spot and its strong points is a good way to defeat the adversary. In business, it is a good attitude of a bu siness manager to familiarize himself with his competitors’ flaws because this information can be used to improve his products or services.Right maneuvering is on the next chapter. It is not always appropriate to face your enemy directly. Proper positioning is good tactic to add more advantages to the army to defeat the enemy. Business also requires proper way of identifying good positions to enhance the sales of an industry. A fast food chain must be placed in a crowded area, even there are already established competitors in that locale. What is more important is the proper placing of the store that would still be accessible enough to consumers. Next topic described in chapter eight is the variation in tactics of an army.Flexibility must always be present in anyone’s mind because there might be uncontrolled circumstances that suddenly occurred that need to be address immediately. There must be rooms for changes in the plans. Contingency measures are always present whe n planning a war strategy. This is the same with business because, trends are continuously changing and the demands of people may vary in time. That is why many companies have put up research and development division and innovation section to address these concerns. Chapter nine illustrates the actual army marching toward the enemy.Like in the previous chapters, maneuvers must always be a part of the plan when marching began. It all depends on the actuation of the enemy in the battlefield. The general must be knowledgeable enough to provide his army tactics in the battle arena. In the corporate world, the same is applied. There must be enough room for sudden maneuvers and that depends wholly on who run the company. Like a general, he must be skilled enough to deal with actuations that require some changes in the plan. Ground Formation is on the next chapter. It entails a lot of insight on how to position an army in the battle.In order to win the war, it is imperative for a general t o evaluate the opponent, make situations leading to success, calculating the risks and spaces. In the business arena, it is also relevant to ensure success of the business by the managing properly of a particular company. There are conditions that need to be set in order to enhance the sales of the business. Risks in the business are inevitable; a good manager will always make accurate calculations to avoid these business threats. The eleventh chapter discusses the nine different grounds in warfare.These must carefully study because according to the book, there is a specific response for every given type of grounds. These are the following: dispersive ground, marginal ground, contentious ground, open ground, intersecting ground, critical ground, difficult ground, surrounded ground, and deadly ground. Each ground needs appropriate action by the commanding general to guarantee victory. In the market, there are variations in the settings and environments. A good businessman will carefu lly examine his ground first to be able to survive this competition, if there is any.Chapter twelve illustrates the topic on fire attacks. This gives explanation on the use of arsenals commonly and the use of the surroundings as a weapon particularly. It scrutinizes the five marks for aggression, the five types of ecological assaults, and the suitable answers to such assault. In business, we cannot avoid some competitors doing some bad tricks to destroy his rival’s business reputation. Proper responses must be applied to such attacks like these, or they might fulfill their purpose to afflict their rival’s industry. The last chapter discusses the use of spies.This focuses on the relevance of producing good data gatherers to help in their battle. According to the book, enlightened leaders and superior commanders who have acquired clever agents that are used as spies are most likely into enormous triumphs. This timeless piece of manuscript can be applied to various discip lines aside form the real warfare. It gives a lot of brilliant ideas that are far more superior to other advices provided by other books. One important thing that must not be disregarded is that God is in control of everything. It takes His help and provision to help win any adversary.This is also included in the book, pertaining to Heaven. As long as we do His will, we must not be affected by any enemy that hinders our success. The battle is the Lord’s. References Levitt, Steven D. , Dubner, Stephen J. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. United States: William Morrow, April 12, 2005. Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990. Tzu, Sun. The Art of War : The Denma Translation. United States. Shambhala Publications. 2001

Ap Human Geo-Rate of Natural Increase Essay

When a country has rapid growth such as Uganda it means that it’s a developing country. A country such as Germany is a developed country because it has a negative rate of natural increase. The rate of natural increase is the crude birth rate minus the crude death rate of a population. The rate of natural increase for Uganda is 3%. The doubling time for Uganda is 23 years. The doubling time for Germany is that ere is no doubling time. This is because Germany’s rate of natural increase is -0. 2%. Uganda’s GDP is $1,390, GDP is the average salary for one person, in one year. Germany’s GDP is $27,820. Uganda’s health care spending is $57 per person. The health care spending that one person would spend in Germany is $2,820. The female education in Uganda is 13% that are enrolled in secondary schools, in 2004. Females that are enrolled in secondary schools in 2004, in Germany is 88%. In conclusion Uganda is a developing country and it’s living standard are poor. Meaning that health care isn’t there medical care in Uganda, so they can’t spend the money on it, and even if it was there, most people in Uganda would not be able to afford it since the GDP is only $1,390 per person, per year. Overall Uganda has women with little education, because they stay at home, taking care of the children. Germany is a developed country, with a pretty high standard of life. Intern meaning that health care is in Germany, and most people do spend money on it. Overall Germany has women with an education, meaning more people have money to spend on things. As a whole Germany and Uganda are very different counties, and have very different living standards.

Scientific Literature Workshop Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scientific Literature Workshop - Assignment Example The Merck Manual. Infectious Arthritis. Retrieved October 02, 2014, from http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/bone_joint_and_muscle_disorders/bone_and_joint_infections/infectious_arthritis.html. This article presents a discussion of the prognosis of infectious arthritis and includes estimation of chances, prospects, diagnosis and treatment of the condition. The article also explains the different types of infectious arthritis that affect individuals. The article discuses different aspects of tuberculous arthritis including the prognosis of the disease. The article describes the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of the disease, which is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis The three articles are related in that they focus on discussion of various infections caused by the bacterial species of mycobacterium. Perusing through these articles will enable individuals to gain significant knowledge of the bacterium. Carrega, G., Bartolacci, V., Burastero, G., Finocchio, G. C., Ronca, A., & Riccio, G. (2013). Prosthetic joint infections due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A report of 5 cases. International Journal of Surgery Case Reports, 4(2), 178–181. Schmitt, S. (2013). The Merck Manual. Infectious arthritis. Retrieved October 02, 2014, from

Roman And Greek Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Roman And Greek Art - Essay Example Although, the Roman art borrowed a lot from the Greeks and Egyptians, I prefer Roman art for exactly this reason. In a way, Roman art combined the best of everything and blended it with its own ideas. It is true that the Romans valued Greek art; however, I prefer the less idealized and more diverse Roman approach to art. In addition, I admire the beauty of Roman architecture that is combined with its practical use. For example, I believe the Roman aqueducts to be not only beautiful, but also a very important feature. Aqueducts are a prime example of the fabulous Roman engineering and building skills. The Pont du Gard is probably the best proof for how remarkable the Roman artistic period was. Which image or images made the strongest impact on you and why? Even though I prefer the Roman artistic period, there were a couple of pictures from all periods mentioned that had a strong impact on me. From the Roman period, the picture of the Pont du Gard, made the strongest impression on me. As stated above, I admire the combination of beauty and usefulness. Moreover, I am fond of the amount, position and various sizes of arches in the Pont du Gare. With regard to the Greek artistic period, there are two images that impressed me. The first image is the image of the majestic Parthenon, due to the balance and symmetry of the building itself.

Battle of Waterloo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Battle of Waterloo - Essay Example France has found a charismatic and ambitious leader in the person of Napoleon Bonaparte. His string of victories in the battlefields of Europe all the more contributed to his steady rise and prominence among the French people. Consequently, France's rise to power brought unease among other European nations. Assured of his prominent status and support among the people, Napoleon launched a coup in 1799 that overthrew the Bourbon king and established himself as ruler and First Consul. Later on, he would declare himself emperor for life ("The Battle of Waterloo"). Napoleon had wanted to make France the most powerful country in Europe and to achieve this; he waged a campaign of annexation and colonization of lands which resulted in many victories for his army. The wars were later called the Napoleonic Wars. A coalition of major powers in Europe, notably the Great Britain, Russia, Prussia and Austria mobilized an army to meet the threat posed by Napoleon's army. After a series of wars, the Allied army finally defeated Napoleon in 1814 thereby effectively checking his ambition of establishing France as the dominant power in Europe. Napoleon was subsequently deposed and exiled to the island of Elba along with some 600 of his loyal guards in accordance with the Treaty of Fontainbleau. The bourbon king, Louis XVIII was made ruler of France by the victorious European powers ("Battle of Waterloo"). The Congress of Vienna was convened by the nations of Europe that defeated Napoleon to discuss the problems that arose after the fall of France. The Congress also wanted to re-establish the territorial balance in Europe wherein the future and status of the nations conquered and annexed by Napoleon's campaign in Europe were to be discussed. The unpopularity and ineptness of Louis XVIII resulting in economic and social unrest left many veterans who fought with Napoleon and many citizens as well clamoring for change. The men who had fought alongside Napoleon remained a potent force and many felt that their past efforts were wasted because of the government's corruption and insensitiveness to the needs of the people. Many were hoping that their deposed emperor would return and liberate them. Napoleon, believing that many in France would allow his return while others would not dare oppose it, decided to risk a return and put forth plans to establish himself again as the ruler of France ("Waterloo"). On Feb. 26, 1815, Napoleon together with less than a thousand of his men, left Elba and landed on an unpopulated beach near Antibes. Napoleon is determined to return to Paris and early on the next day, he marched toward Grenoble with his men. Soldiers who were stationed in outposts outside Paris initially barred his advance but after offering the guards to shoot him because he has no intention of turning back, instead joined him. Everywhere Napoleon marched, veteran soldiers and those soldiers serving the government joined his ranks. At Auxerre, Marshal Ney, Napoleon's old comrade whom he once called the "bravest of the brave," was overwhelmed by the presence of his former emperor. He embraced him and turned over to Napoleon the command of his 6,000 troops. Because of

Chimpanzee and the close relations to humans Research Paper

Chimpanzee and the close relations to humans - Research Paper Example Besides the genetic coding, which explains how we are similar genetically, there are also other factors, which could indicate a direct relation. The first is the way in which chimpanzees live socially with one another. They often live in cluster societies being lead by an alpha male as they hunt for food. They also form highly complex social relationships, which then takes the form of courtship and mating behavior. Like in human cultures, the alpha male gains support through the other members of the community (Power 37-51). Chimpanzees also have intelligences, which are comparable to that of humans and are highly intelligent in the animal kingdom. They have a social psychology in that they understand the organized roles in society. They are also capable of analyzing problems and solving them. One of these ways, which correlates extremely strong to human behavior, is through the creation of tools. Chimpanzees are one of the very few organisms that can create tools besides humans. Chim panzees also have an extremely complex form of language. This includes both nonverbal and verbal forms of communication as well as hand gestures and movements. So far, there have been over 500 different signs, which have been identified by scientists (Cohen 116-18). Besides the social components, which make chimpanzees similar to humans, there are genetic and biological components, which connect both species. There is less than a 2% difference in the genetic coding and variation of the gene sequence. This is due to minor changes in the genetic code. In addition, certain genes were removed while others were kept. It is hypothesized that these small mutations in the genetic code are what allowed humans to gain their adaptive features and since then has explained why humanity has prospered (Reeve, and Black 53-6). It is, however, pertinent to point out the differences that separate homo from pan. The first is the primitive method of locomotion. While humans now have the capability to w alk upright, chimpanzees still walk on all fours. Specifically, they walk on their knuckles, which has limited the development of the full range of motor functions in the hand. Even though they have a highly evolved social structure, it still operates on the premises of instinct and primal power, which is exerted through the use of force. Some of these are the result of biological evolution and some of the traits are the result of years of learning and knowledge accumulation as well as the passing down of traditions and skills. There is definitely a link between both chimpanzees and humans. The exact link and common ancestry has not been identified yet. As explored, there are many social and learning characteristics, such as the organization of communities, which are similar to both species. The undeniable facts of science show that genetically, we share similar coding which can only mean the result of a divergent evolutionary process, which occurred. There has also been a great dea l of research, which has been done in order to show the relationship between how chimpanzees and humans can interact with each other. There has also been research done into understanding the communication skills that chimpanzees possess. In order to find the definite link between the ancestry of humans and chimpanzees, not only must the genetic code be identified, but also do the fossils which would show the link. Works Cited Cohen, Jon. Almost Chimpanzee: Searching for What Makes Us Human,

The relevance of employee engagement indices Essay

The relevance of employee engagement indices - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that employee engagement is a crucial element that influences business operations in most institutions. It facilitates democratic participation and administration of resources, for example, human resources that enhance morale. Managers are obligated to formulate superior employee engagement procedures that include the adoption of structured lines of communication, although others do not. This is to facilitate communication and formulation of superior performance strategies that focus on the participation of everyone. Employee engagement remains a hot issue with most professionals posting a diverse opinion on its suitability in measuring performance in institutions. One school of thought reports that employee engagement indices criteria form a fundamental element that provides relevant incentives for measuring performance. It acts as a scorecard guideline that measures the satisfactory level of employees and consumers in service delivery. Ho wever, another school of thought faults its use since it fails to provide clear benchmarks that can be applied to facilitate credible measurement of performance. Ideally, employees hold the requisite capacity of influencing performance in institutions. To ensure superior innovation and creativity in product development, proper employee engagement is essential. It ensures adequate sharing of ideas and formulation of policies with innovative ideas. It is crucial to note that, employee performance can be achieved when their morale is enhanced through adequate engagement in diverse aspects.

Analyzing Black History Sites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analyzing Black History Sites - Essay Example The complex was established in year 1989 under the guidance of the Wajumbe Cultural Institution, Inc., and the San Francisco African American Historical Society. The new non-profit organization was named â€Å"The Center for African and African American Art and Culture† (lately the name was simplified). A financing of the organization comes in many different ways. There are two constant funders: The Department of Children, Youth and Family, and The San Francisco Arts Commission. Also there is a donation option for sponsors and people, who just want to support the center or volunteer in its projects. The site is located on 762 Fulton Street (which is the center of the city of San Francisco, CA), and takes up pretty much space (34,000 sq. ft). Such a big territory was received for the center in order to satisfy the Blacks community needs1, which means that the amount of black people in San Francisco is big enough to form quite strong and influential community that wants to devel op its culture and extend it widely. The destiny of Blacks in San Francisco is quite hard; through their history in this city there were many troubles and obstacles appeared in their way to free implementation of their native culture. First African Americans settled in San Francisco in the middle of 19th century as slaves of white owners of their, since early 20th century they began to develop small communities to preserve their culture and stay together to support each other, many black residents came to the city looking for a better life and searching for resources. According to Jan Batiste Adkins’s research, the population of African Americans in San Francisco started to increase in the first part of the 20th century, after the II World War a big amount of Blacks moved to California to work in a big industry. This pretty much expanded the community of

What do we mean by Online marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What do we mean by Online marketing - Essay Example oted within the traditional format of advertising, it is also not uncommon to see the advertiser promote the website and encourage the potential consumer to visit as a means of gaining further information with regards to the product. However, each of these approaches are only part of online marketing or Internet advertising. Ultimately, Internet advertising and online marketing is concentric upon providing web banners, mobile advertising within applications, ad servers, or other promotional marketing messages their delivered through websites that are not otherwise associated with the particular good/product/service that is being offered (Lambrecht & Tucker, 2013). From the brief list that is been provided above, it can definitively be noted that online advertising is a very broad sector that allows for an organization/firm/entity to direct their message to a specific demographic in a way that traditional advertising did not allow. For instance, if a particular company is attempting to market specifically towards individuals within a younger demographic, they will most likely target their online advertising to appear on websites that are frequented by individuals within this younger demographic. By means of comparison, if an older demographic is targeted, websites relating to products or services that individuals within this older demographic readily consume will be placed. One of the unique aspects of online marketing has to do with the fact that the advertiser can generate unique statistics with regards to the overall impact of the particular marketing tactic. For instance, as compared to a print advertisement or a form of marketing that is predicated upon blindly targeting a wide spectrum of the population, these specific level of engagement that can be had with regards to online marketing also allows for the marketer to generate unique usage statistics, click percentages, and the amount of time that individuals is viewing a particular page (Schulze et al.,

Dicrimination in Work Place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dicrimination in Work Place - Essay Example Earlier this week, a federal jury unanimously awarded him a whopping $25 million as a result† (Gordon par. 1). The discrimination in the work place specifically focuses on race and color discrimination ("Section 15†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). One firmly shares the contention that discrimination in the work setting must be immediately addressed through the proper legal avenues. Issues Discussed The discrimination case that was legally filed in court was a racial harassment lawsuit, which, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), reveals that â€Å"racial harassment cases at the EEOC have surged since the early 1990s from 3,075 in Fiscal Year 1991 to nearly 7,000 in FY 2007. In addition to investigating and voluntarily resolving tens of thousands of race discrimination cases out of court, the EEOC has sued more than three dozen employers this decade in racial harassment cases involving nooses† (â€Å"Conectiv and Subcontractors†¦Ã¢â‚¬  par. 9). Nooses we re reportedly being hanged with a stuffed monkey hanged on it and placed in Turley’s car. ... As emphasized by the EEOC, â€Å"[e]mployers risk intervention by the EEOC when supervisors ignore racially offensive working conditions and fail to take prompt and effective remedial action to stop it† (â€Å"Conectiv and Subcontractors†¦Ã¢â‚¬  par. 4). It was allegedly indicated from Gordon’s discourse that â€Å"its executives went to great lengths to stop it, even suspending the guilty employees. Mills said the evidence unequivocally showed "a work environment that went beyond harassment" (Gordon par. 3). From the facts disclosed in the article, it was evident that through a thorough examination rendered from court proceedings, the results and the verdict of awarding a substantial amount in damages to Turley was only enough proof that workers and management at Arcelor Mittal were guilty, as charged. The three years of agony and repeated prejudice and discrimination that Turley endured in the work setting had to be stopped through using the proper avenue to f ile charges of racial discrimination and harassment. Every organization’s human resources department is well aware of the laws and regulations that promote equal employment opportunities that explicitly discourage discrimination through Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), to wit: This law makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. The law also makes it illegal to retaliate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. The law also requires that employers reasonably accommodate applicants' and employees' sincerely held religious practices, unless doing so

Terrorism Essay Essay Example for Free

Terrorism Essay Essay 2. Explain the differences between terrorism, state terrorism, and state-sponsored terrorism. From Merriam Webster: Terror- a state of intense fear; a cause of anxiety. Violent or destructive acts committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or Government into granting their demands. Terrorism- the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. From Terrorism Today (The Past, the Players, the Future) The Homeland Security Act of 2002 defines terrorism as â€Å" any activity that involves an act that is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure or key resources; and is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any State or other subdivision of the United States and appears to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping. † From Merriam Webster: State- a politically organized body of people usually occupying a definite territory; especially: one that is sovereign. A government or politically organized society having a particular character. Sponsor- one who assumes responsibility for some other person or thing. A person or an organization that pays for or plans and carries out a project or activity. The difference between terrorism, state terrorism, and state-sponsored terrorism comes down to the persons involved in the act being committed. Much of the terrorism we see today on the news or in the papers are acts committed by terrorist groups linked by ideology and financed through the drug trade as well as ransom obtained from kidnappings. One example of this type of terrorism are the Somali pirates, these terrorists will hijack large container ships to small pleasure craft and hold those on board and any cargo for ransom. Money made from these deals is then used by the terrorists in their fight against  the Somali government or is funneled to other like-minded groups. Another form of terrorism we have seen here in the United States is what many call the â€Å"home grown† terrorist. These terrorists are usually born in the United States or came to the United States at a young age when their families left their home country. Course#: BCJ303 Unit 1 Many of the recent acts committed by this type of terrorist have been based on ideology and were carried out against civilian personnel. One of the most recent examples is the Boston Marathon attack, the two who carried out the attack had grown up in the United States and led seemingly â€Å"American† lives but had latched onto an ideology that views the United States as an enemy of Islam and that the targeting of innocent civilians is a legitimate tactic. Terrorism in the examples given is carried out by small disconnected groups that are mostly aligned by ideology. Although these groups are not supported by a larger organization or national government many governments with a similar ideology or nation with a large population of person who share a similar mind set to the terror group will many times fail to denounce the acts. This is where terrorism differs from state terrorism and state-sponsored terrorism as both of those types of terrorism are directly supported by the sta te. State terrorism is used by a nation state as way to control its citizenry and suppress any dissenting views or beliefs that are contrary to those of the government. Many of the governments that exercise this form of terror will sometimes start the process of suppression by creating new laws designed to protect the governing class and criminalize the opposition groups and others have completely thrown out their nations laws and implemented new laws based on strict adherence to a religious ideology or total government control in all aspects of the citizens lives. This was the case recently in Egypt, the elected government (Muslim Brotherhood) removed all secular and Christian officials from the government and in their place were seated members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Many of the top military leaders were also replaced with Brotherhood members. These changes and the removal of any opposition party led to many pro government groups to further oppress the ‘non-believers† through the shutting down of  businesses to the burning down of churches and the killings of Christian and secular citizens. Another tactic that has been used in Afr ica and Latin America by state terror regimes is the use of the police and or military as death squads. These squads are dispatched to eliminate anyone seen as opposition or supportive of the opposition. This type of terrorism is directed from the top of the government down to the group leaders. This is where state terrorism differs from state-sponsored terrorism, the state terror regime is open in its support of the terrorist tactics. The state-sponsored terror regimes do not direct the acts but do support them. State-sponsored terrorism is the support of a terror group by a nation state that provides supplies, training, equipment, and weapons. As well as safe haven for the group through the use of diplomatic protection. An example of state-sponsored terrorism is the Syrian government’s support of the terror group Hamas and their co-sponsoring of the terror organization Hezbollah with Iran. For their part Iran provides Hezbollah with military training, weapons and money, while Syria provides political support. Course#: BCJ303 Unit 1 Many of the state-sponsored terror organizations have a set area of operation not far from their sponsor state but this has changed recently as Hezbollah has been taking up shop in Latin America working alongside cartel and narco-terror groups. While all three types of terrorism are used to instill fear and bring about a change that is desired by the organization or state, the main difference between the three is the support (financing, training, political backing) that the group receives.

Impact of the Enron Scandal on Accounting Standards

Impact of the Enron Scandal on Accounting Standards Abstract Every firm and its managers are expected to maximize investor returns while complying with regulatory standards, avoiding principal-agent conflicts of interest, and enhancing the reputational capital of their firms. However, in practices, being ethically is not just about giving large sum of charitys money but recognizing and acting on potential ethical issues before they become legal problems are more important aspects to taking care of. Enron collapsed as the result of unethical management practices such as the equivocation of taxes and fraudulent accounting practices. The Enron scandal is the most significant corporate collapse in the United States since the failure of many savings and loan banks during the 1980s. This scandal demonstrates the need for a close look at the ethical quality of the culture of business generally and of business corporations in the United States. Organization need to infuse ethics and integrity throughout their corporate cultures as well as into their d efinition of success. Unethical and illegal business practices at Enron led to the creation of Serbanes Oxley Act of 2002. This report will discuss and find out illegal and unethical activities, impacts on stakeholders and lessons from the Enron case. The Enron Scandal and Ethical Issues Enron Corporation is an energy trading, natural gas, and electric utilities company located in Houston, Texas that had around 21,000 employees by mid-2001, before it went bankrupt. Its revenue in the year 2000 was more than $100 billion and named as Americas most innovative companies for six consecutive years by Fortune. Enron was a company that was able to profit by providing the delivery of gas to utility companies and businesses at the fair value market price. Enron was listed as the seventh largest company in the United States and had the domination in the trading of communications, power, and weather securities (Corporate Narc, nd). At first sight, Enron looks like an excellent corporate citizen, with all the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and business ethics tools in community (Sims Brinkmann, 2003). However, the scandal of Enron has been the largest corporate scandal in history, and has become emblematic of institutionalized and well-planned corporate fraud; the Enron scandal involves both illegal and unethical activities. According to Carroll and Buchholtz (2008), the CFO Jeffrey Skilling and the CEO Ken Lay played major roles in the Enron scandal. Both of them committed securities fraud and conspiracy to inflate profit. In disguise debts of Enron, Lay and Skilling used off-the-books partnerships, after that they lied to investors and employees about the companys disastrous financial situation while selling their own companys shares (Carroll Buchholtz, 2008, p. 256). Enrons top level management has violated several accounting laws, SPE laws, and bent the accounting rules to satisfy their own desires of profit in the short term but ignoring long term repercussions for investors, stockholders, employees and the business itself. The close relationships that were formed among top leading executives and the board of directors grew arrogant, thinking they were invincible and causing them to act in an unethical manner. Enron allowed Andrew Fastow, the Chief Financial Officer to control two SPEs (special pur pose entities) that were knowingly connected to Enron, and gave him an opportunity to abuse his power. Enron also parked some of its debt on the balance sheet of its SPVs and kept it hidden from analysts and investors. When the extent of its debt burden came to light, Enrons credit rating fell and lenders demanded immediate payment in the sum of hundreds of millions of dollars in debt (Sims Brinkmann, 2003). It means that Enrons decision makers saw the shuffling of debt rather as a timing issue and not as an ethical one. They maintained that the company was financially stable and that many of their emerging problems really were not too serious, even though they knew the truth and were making financial decisions to protect their personal gains. No discussion of the Enron scandal would be complete without a discussion of the involvement of Enrons accountants, the firm Arthur Andersen. Arthur Andersen was one of many causes of the Enron collapse when they were the conflict of interest between the two roles played for Enron, as auditor but also as consultant. Andrew Fastow, the Chief Financial Officer of Enron pushed many deals across where he had a vested interested on both sides of the deal. By creating and knowingly participating in these deals, he put his financial greed above the responsibility to his position for the company. According to Paul and Palepu (2003) in 2000, Arthur Andersen earned $25 million in audit fees and $27 million in consulting fees, this amount accounted for roughly 27% of the audit fees of public clients for Arthur Andersens Houston office. The auditors methods were questioned as either being completed solely to receive its annual fees or for their lack of expertise in properly reviewing Enrons reve nue recognition, special entities, derivatives, and other accounting practices. Due to these relationships that Enron had with Arthur Andersen, it was just too easy for both Enron and the accounting firm to work together in covering up financial losses and debt. Andersen was also responsible for some of Enrons internal bookkeeping, with some of Andersens employees eventually leaving to work for Enron. The result of the accounting scandal was that many of the losses that Enron encountered were not reported in its financial statements. In November, 2001, Enron revises financial statements for the previous five years to account for $586 million in losses (Corporate Narc, nd). After a series of scandals involving irregular accounting procedures bordering on fraud involving Enron and its accounting firm Arthur Andersen, it stood at the verge of undergoing the largest bankruptcy in history by mid-November 2001. As Enron was considered a blue chip stock, this was an unprecedented and disastrous event in the financial world. Enrons plunge occurred after it was revealed that many of its profits and revenue were the result of deals with special purpose entities (Corporate Narc, nd). Enrons leaders also ignored, then denied serious problems with their business transactions and were more concerned about their personal financial rewards than those of the company. When the companys stock price began to drop as the problems were becoming public, the company was transitioning from one investment program to another. Impacts on Stakeholders Every business has a moral obligation to serve its stakeholders, whether they are business partners, customers, stockholders, or employees. Enrons bankruptcy has injured several parties including banks, stockholders, former employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and also the United States. Impacts on Employees The first thing, and most important thing the Enron scandal had an effect was the job situation. Carroll and Buchholtz (2008) argued that when Enron went bankrupt and then the Arthur Andersen accounting firm went out of business in 2002, employees were displaced and significantly affected (p. 47). Enrons financial implosion has cost thousands of employees their jobs, left thousands of people still employed by the bankrupt trader and left 5,600 employees jobless and facing retirements with no nest eggs (Carroll Buchholtz, 2008, p. 256). Many employees had their entire pensions vested in Enron stock, Kenneth Lay advised employees keep their Enron stock when the firm was crashing, and he was selling his own. While the employees were unable to sell their stock, Lay and other executives were quickly selling off many of their shares. The lives and savings of thousands employees were destroyed. They also were deprived of the freedom to diversify their retirement portfolios; and they had to stand by helplessly while their retirement savings evaporated at the same time that top managers cashed in on their lucrative stock options. Impacts on Investors and Stockholders As the result of Enron scandal, individual and institutional investors lost millions of dollars because they were misinformed about the firms financial performance reality through questionable accounting practices, and all of the shareholders lost the money that they had invested in the corporation after it went bankrupt. Shareholders lost nearly $11 billion when Enrons stock price, which hit a high of US$90 per share in mid-2000, plummeted to less than $1 by the end of November 2001 (Answers.com, 2010). Investors those who were hurt can never be made totally whole once again after the terrible experiences of Enron. Impacts on the United States and Communities Political parties, such as the Bush administration, who accepted contributions from Enron, were finding themselves in positions where returning the funds to Enron or donating them to a charitable. Enron also affected the United States in several important ways. If anything positive can be said about the Enron scandal, it is that the scandal itself heightened awareness of the importance of integrity in Accounting and business in general, and led to the creation of new safeguards to make sure that something like this would not happen again, or at least not to the full extent of the Enron damage. Enron cynically and knowingly created the phony California electricity crisis of 2000 and 2001. Between 30 percent and 50 percent of Californias energy industry was shut down by Enron a great deal of the time, and up to 76 percent at one point, as the company drove the price of electricity higher by nine times (Corporate Narc, nd). Impacts on Other Stakeholders The Enron scandal also harmed other stakeholders. For example, Enron top managers pressured Arthur Andersen to certify maximum-risk; questionable accounting practices in part to retain their consulting business and, by acceding to this pressure, Arthur Andersen won huge contracts in the short run however ultimately lost their professional credibility and client base. Some investment banks such as Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, and Merrill Lynch made over $200 million in fees from deals that helped Enron and other energy firms boost cash flow and hide debt, and, by failing to exercise their own adequate due diligence, they multiplied the harm done to other stakeholders. Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase in particular appeared to have significant amounts to lose with Enrons fall. Punishment Thousands of aggrieved employees, investors, and other stakeholders were waiting to find out what punishment will be meted out to those who covered up Enrons true financial position so successfully for so long. Three individuals that participated in the various frauds that were committed by Enron included the former president and CEO of Enron, Jeffrey Skilling; former chief financial officer in charge of LJM, Andrew Fastow; founder, former chairman, and CEO, Kenneth Lay. At first, in 2002, Enrons former chief financial officer, Andrew Fastow, and three other current and former Enron executives exercise their Fifth Amendment right not to testify at a congressional hearing. He was charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy. It is alleged that Fastow and others devised a scheme to defraud Enron and its shareholders (Cbsnews.com, 2006). Fastow, his wife Lea Fastow and nine other former executives faced 31 more charges and 98 counts of fraud an d they were also indicted on a host of fraud, insider trading, and other counts (Associated Press, 2006). Andrew Fastow pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy. The plea called for a 10-year sentence and his aid in targeting former top Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. Lea Fastow pleaded guilty to filing false tax forms. Finally, in March 2006, Fastow had already pleaded guilty and faced up to 10 years in prison on two counts of conspiracy. Lay and Skilling went on trial for their part in the Enron scandal in January 2006 in Houston. Skilling faced 31 counts ranging from fraud to lying to auditors for allegedly lying about Enrons financial state. Lay faced seven counts of fraud and conspiracy for allegedly perpetuating the scheme. After six days of deliberations, on May 25, 2006 a verdict was reached in the Houston trial of former Enron chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. Skilling was convicted of 19 of 28 counts of securities fraud and wire fraud and acquitted on the remaining nine, including charges of insider trading, making him the highest ranking former executive charged in the collapse of Enron. He was sentenced to 24 years and 4 months in prison for his role in one of the biggest corporate scandals in U.S. history (Cbsnews.com, 2006). Lay was convicted of all six counts against him, including conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud and he faced a total sentence of up to 45 years in prison. However, be fore sentencing was scheduled, Lay died on July 5, 2006 due to a heart attack (Answers.com, 2010). Lessons from the Enron Case In the new economic, the Enron scandal has been being the morality lesson. The case will teach executives and the American public the most important ethics lessons. The first lesson it that both individuals and organizations or firms should only earn money by providing goods or services that have real value in the new economic. Moreover, executives who are paid too much can think they are above the rules and can be tempted to cut ethical corners to retain their wealth and perquisites. Every firms need to demonstrate that they have eliminated all off-books accounts which distort the publics understanding of the financial health of the organization and they should to pledge that they will not suspend the companys code of conduct, or at least report to the public when they do. In order for companies to prevent an Enron-like scandal, there needs to be supervision over managers and executives as they exercise their own business judgments about what is in the best interest for an organizat ion. Kirk Hanson (2002), executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, explained that the Enron scandal demonstrates the need for significant reforms in accounting and corporate governance in the United States, as well as for a close look at the ethical quality of the culture of business generally and of business corporations in the United States. Due to the accounting frauds that occurred in the Enron scandal, several accounting firms should reorganize their employees towards remaining loyal to the ethical standards demanded by the SEC. In order for companies to prevent an Enron-like scandal, there needs to be supervision over managers and executives as they exercise their own business judgments about what is in the best interest for an organization. On the other hand, when accounting firms have been moving to sever in both auditing and consulting services for their consulting businesses, the SEC should probably adopt additional disclosure requirements. Government regulat ions and rules need to be updated for the new economy, not relaxed and eliminated. Conclusion Looking at the Enron scandal from the retrospective viewpoint of history, essentially most of the problems faced by Enron derive from the immoral and unethical actions taken on by the board of directors in their attempt to achieve personal profits. The Enron scandal changed the lives of everyone in America and perhaps just as importantly, it forced everyone to look at themselves and fully realize the consequences of reckless greed and the breakage of laws on a whim. Most of individuals and organizations had been receiving proper punishment and lessons for their relevance.

Analysis Of The Civil Conflict In Sri Lanka Politics Essay

Analysis Of The Civil Conflict In Sri Lanka Politics Essay Good morning members of the United Nations. I erg you all to see the tragedy of Sri Lanka as it is vital that mediation from you is present during this post war contingency. I wish to inform you of the situation which is occurring in Sri Lanka in deep hope that you will lend assistance to achieve unity and peace. With the danger of being insensitive, it must be stressed that the discrimination experienced by the Tamil people at the hands for the Sinhalese, was not a sufficient justification for the devastation caused by the Tamils terrorist methods. Although the United Nations has developed mechanisms to bring peace within Sri Lanka they have evidently failed as they were poorly coordinated and ineffectively designed. These methods simply aim to bring a sense of normality to effected communities (http://www.undp.lk/). However, this campaign does not stress the imperativeness of peace and encouraging non-violent methods for the Tamils. The United Nations primary function is to render assistance to its members therefore actions to achieve peace by non- belligerent means in Sri Lanka needs to be taken. The departure of the British came with the creation of a discriminative nation governed wholly by the Sinhalese people. The rise of militant Tamil separatist nationalism in the 1980s consequently began the civil war. Here in Sri Lanka, nationalism is viewed as a political struggle of dominant or subordinate groups in core or peripheral regions for the continuation or end of domination and exploitation. The outcome of the Civil War did not give the Tamils their desired separate nation- sate, making loss of life and destruction ultimately pointless. Strong recommendations need to be made to the Tamil and Sinhalese population in order to build peace for present day and the future. The Tamil Tigers should have acknowledged defeat many years ago and for the well-being of the Tamil people, the LTTE should have without a doubt withdrawn their terrorism. Im not dismissing the discrimination and oppression which has been placed upon the Tamils. When the British departed Sri Lanka in the 1940s, the Sinhalese majority took control and governed the recent independent nation. It is to be recognised that this ethnic dispute arose from the British showing supposed favouritism by importing and employing Tamils for agricultural jobs. This preferential treatment was seen by the Sinhalese people as discrimination. Consequently when they gained control the Tamil people missed out on official jobs and university admission (www.cfr.org). This was a drastic reversal of discrimination and undoubtedly caused great oppression and this bigotry still continues in some areas. Although there was minor conflict in ancient times between the Buddhist Sinhalese and the Hindu Tamil people regarding who arrived on the island first, the emergence and radicalisation of Sinhalese and Tamil nationalist politics came as a result of the injustice caused by the Britis h (S.Hassan, 2009). The Sinhalese government failed to pay attention to the hopes and aspirations of the Tamil people. The measures that were made to equalise the nation fuelled large scale anti- Tamil feeling. The Liberation Tigers was formed in the 1980s which fought for the common Tamil desire for a separate nation state to call their own. They assumed the right to have their own, self governing nation on the island of Sri Lanka on the bases that the Sinhalese did not treat them with equality. A marginalised perspective from Mangala Samaraveera, the former foreign minister claims that the Government started registering all Tamils at Colombo on the grounds that they were security threats. He expressed that they were basically naming all Tamils as potential terrorists (www.greenleft.org.au). However many are critical of this sympathetic approach as the Sri Lankan Government is simply protecting Sri Lanka and the countries worldwide. Peter Chalk of Rand Corporation has sufficiently argued The LTTE threatens not only the domestic stability of Sri Lanka but also the security of the international system as a whole (www.lankaweb.com). Activities used by Tamil Terrorists such as movement of refugee, arms transfers and drug trafficking have repeatedly demonstrated potential to internationally cause great disruption during the post-war period and is therefore supporting this claim. This Needless to say, the actual discourse on the present conflict in Sri Lanka is more complex and dynamic that what can ever be truly understood though it is clear the people have faced intense inequity. As unjust as it may appear to some Tamil sympathisers, were these grounds of discrimination enough to start such a catastrophic Civil War? The Sri Lankan Civil War was the result of ethnic conflict between the Sinhalese and the Tamil people and such violent events caused by the Tamil Tigers were demoralizing. The Tamil Tigers initiated a full scale guerrilla war against the Sri Lankan Army by the Tamils secessionist campaign. By the end of the century over seventy thousand civilians were killed. There have been many efforts by the Sinhalese to resolve this conflict yet the Tamils ignored the several cease-fires. In April 2006 it was the Tamil Tigers who withdrew from the negotiations. They went on to invent the suicide belt, pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks and assassinated official figures. The Tamils have staged two thirds of all the worlds suicide bombing which were driven by ethno-nationalism. (S.Hasson, 2009).The assassinations caused by the terrorists were simply daunting, respected figures were murdered such as former India Prime Minister Ghandi, Sri Lankan President Premadassa, many foreign minister s and members of parliament. The most extreme terrorist groups around the world such as Al-Qaida have adapted these murderous methods and notorious suicide attacks. Over fifteen thousand armed combats have broken out and Buddhist shrines have been destroyed. These are just a few atrocities caused by the Tamils in the civil war. Dharmapala, a Buddhist thinker expressed a definitive opinion in his works that the Tamil people have vandalised Sri Lanka, destroyed ancient temples and have nearly annihilated the historic race (K. Stoke 1998). Globally this approach is taken and a press release in 2009 stated, Children returning from school were confronted by LTTE recruiters in a white van with tinted glasses parked nearby. Individual children were cornered by groups of recruiters. Expressions of reluctance by the children were met by the recruiters with severe abuse. (www.dailynews.com). Therefore not only are the Tamils terrorising the Sinhalese the extremism extends to their own youth. The Sri Lankan civil war was initiated by the Tamils and spread immense devastation nationally with their terrorism. The Tamil people did not win this war nor did the hatred that came out of their guns earn them the right to a separate nation-state. The outcome of the war left not only the Tamil people but the whole of Sri Lanka confounded as the Tamil Tigers tactics were unjustifiable and ineffective. The Sri Lanka Civil War came to a bitter end in 2009 and the terroristic tactics employed by LTTE were again not justified and unarguably caused more harm. The war did not eradicate discrimination as they had hoped, instead nationally and internationally the Tamil people were perceived as terrorists resulting in further discrimination. They employed child soldiers and forced their people to fight for something evidently, unachievable. It must be stressed that this war raged for twenty five years and the effects still persists. They have violated the human rights of Sri Lankans and their own people by causing conflict and safety zones. At the end of the war, Tamil official Pathmanathan admitted, It is our people who are dying now from bombs, shells, illness and hunger. We cannot permit any more harm to befall themWe have decided to silence our guns (www.guardian.co.uk). It is clear to see that the Tamil people are suffering even more so as a result of the civil war although the former Foreign minister contradicts this notion as he believed the threat of the LTTE returning has not yet disappeared as the strong Tamil ideologies are still present in Sri Lankan society. I am absolutely convinced that he outcome of the Civil War is a clear reminder that the methods of Tamil Terrorists were unjustifiable and unsuccessful in countless ways. The next step we are faced with is achieving peace within our country. I believe it is of the upmost importance to re-build our country so it is known for its ability to surface from horrendous circumstances. Norwegian Minister for International Development expressed in 2009 that Sri Lanka has won the battle but has not won peace (www.abc.net.au). We owe it to our country to now find this peace with the help of the United Nations. Sri Lankan president shows the UNs lack of assistance when he expressed, Although the UN system has set up mechanisms to deal with many of these problems, the capacity of the united nations to address these challenges effectively has been brought into question(www.abc.net.au). The newly elected government stresses this as it is his obligation to protect his people Tamil or Sinhalese though the support of the United Nations is necessary. It is imperative that the United Nations appoints a respected figure to mediate negotiations. To achieve peace and non-vi olent means for expressing Tamil wishes, the abandonment of the Tamils militaristic approach is vital furthermore the Sri Lankan Government should adopt a strategy that favours political accommodation. There needs to be acknowledgment of grievances on both sides in order to start negotiations. The political party, the Tamil National Alliance need to be supported my all Tamils to achieve greater autonomy for Tamils as a step to one day becoming politically viable enough to develop a separate nation-state. Finally LTTE and the Government need to address the human rights violations that occurred during this civil war and begin to re-establish communities. Peace in Sri Lanka undoubtedly needs to be achieved. The loss of life and bloodshed caused was again inexcusable and therefore peace and amends need to be made of Tamil terrorist acts. The Tamil people are without a doubt terrorists and have continued to cause conflict in Sri Lanka. It is clear the despite the discrimination placed upon the Tamils in the past the Tamil Tigers methods were not justified. It is apparent that the United Nations are desperately needed to persuade the Tamil people to negotiate politically their aims for greater autonomy. These attacks of hatred, suicide bombings assassinations and all the innocent lives the liberation Tigers have taken are unwarrantable. The departure of the British left the Tamils vulnerable and initiated an instable nation full of ethnic conflict. In spite of this, their methods were violent and the twenty five year Civil War can never be erased. Military spokesman expressed, They fought for an Eelam that they could never win. It was only a waste of lives. They have caused massive death and destruction over the years. (www.abc.net.au). So I plead, to the members of the United Nations we must join together and dedicate our effort to preventing terrorism for the greater benefit of Sri Lanka and the Globe.

Go Ask Alice Essay -- essays research papers

Go Ask Alice Have you ever had a problem? I'm sure you have because everybody sometime in there life does. The book I read Go Ask Alice by an anonymous author is all about problems, conflicts, and how to deal with them. I would give a lot of information on the author if that was possible, but the author is anonymous so I can not do so. From the very first page I had a hunch that this book was about a drug addiction problem. "SUGAR & SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE; ACID & SMACK & NO WAY BACK" (page 1). That was a very moving quote for me. I am not sure exactly why but I guess because it shows how dangerous drugs can be. This book is based on a true diary of a young girl who got mixed up in the drug world. Alice bought a diary because she had a big secret that she could never tell any of her friends. It really only ended up being that a boy named Roger she was in love with stood her up and she would be to embraced to tell her friends. She makes a big deal out of it, I can already tell she is dramatic. Her birthday is only five days apart from mine, that is a weird coincidence. From September 19 through September 25 she goes on about how nothing every happens in her life. She does not enjoy her teachers, subjects and school. She thinks everything is losing interest and everything's dull. I think she just is going through the "teenager blues". Julie Brown had a party but she didn't go because she gained seven whole pounds. I don't think that seven pounds is a big deal. On September 30th her father was invited to be the "Dean of Political Science at --------- ". She says that she is gonna become a new person by time she gets her new house and that it is gonna be so great. Good maybe now she will quit crying about her dull life. She says that she is gonna exercise every morning, eat right, clean my skin (what she never had a bath before), be optimistic, cheerful and positive. Why couldn't she of just done all that in the house she lived in before she moved. Sorry I am being so negative, but this girl is a little cry baby and she... ...cter who wrote the diary was Alice. She buys a new diary symbolizing her getting a new life, a fresh start, another chance to succeed. She is clean and back at home and going to school. She met a boy named Joel that she falls in love with. Her grandmother died (July 16). School got out and there was a party where there would be drugs at but she didn't go. She was given acid in a peanut and she had a bad trip. It drove her insane so she started pulling out her hair, stabbing herself and mentally falling apart. She was put in a mental hospital. Later she was released. She decided that when this diary filled up she was not going to get another because is old enough and mature enough to be able to talk to other people instead of keeping it all bundled up in a little book. Epilogue: She died three weeks after deciding not to keep another diary of a drug overdose, it is not known if it is premeditated, accidental or what.