The Treaty Of The Cold War - 976 Words

The Cold War was a unique war, nothing like the wars that had come before. It did not have a clear start, no real first battle to start the hostilities. It could be said that the Warsaw upraising in 1944 was the beginning, though what that symbolized was coming went unnoticed by the United States. It was not until two years later in 1946 that the United States finally realized that they had walked out of the fire World War II and into the frying pan of a new war (International). That kind of subtle development was common in the Cold War and continued until it s resolution in 1990. There was no clear aggressor, it was a mutual war over ideologies, a nature clash between communism and and capitalist democracy. No one wanted things to dissolve into military conflict so it was fought primarily with policy (International, Gale). The question of avoidance is always present and especially with the Cold War. Answered simply, yes, if the United States or the Soviet Union had taken either more peaceful or more aggressive actions it could have led to a peaceful resolution or mutual destruction instead. Remnants of the Cold War can be found wide and far, from the complete destruction of historic Japanese society to nuclear waste and the death and illness that accompanies it in Kazakhstan (The Cold War in Asia, Werner). The Cold War, mutually started by the U.S. and the Soviet Union, could have been avoided but may have been the best option despite the severely negative legacy in leftShow MoreRelatedThe Treaty Of The Cold War1520 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cold War was one of the longest, cease fire wars in United States history. It contained many events for many countries, and had many positives, but also quite a few negatives. Although there was plenty of peacefulness in the war, many lives were still lost. Also, many countries were involved, and it is considered to be the unrecognized World War III by some. While researching, I hope to discover at what event did Russia d ecide to unite with China and parts of Germany to try and overtake FranceRead MoreThe Treaty Of The Cold War1294 Words   |  6 PagesThe cold war was a period of struggle and conflict between the superpower the USA and the USSR between the end of WW2 in 1945-1991. Both the superpower saw a threat form each other to its continue of survival and adopted strategies to preserve their position. The superpower divided Europe into two: Eastern Europe which is leaded by the communist USSR, while there was democratic which is leaded by the USA in the Western Europe. Both the USA and USSR (Soviet Union) have several countries as theirRead MoreThe United Nations And The Treaty Of The Cold War2041 Words   |  9 PagesAbstract The United Nations was formed upon the agreement with the sovereign nations and its frontiers conceded with the Charter. After the end of the cold war, there has been a burden on the United Nations about solving different problems of diverse nature as well as of diverse geographies. UN has been making efforts to challenge those problems through the use of reforms. There are some of the activities which are imperative to be implemented but still due to some constraints have not been. SomeRead MoreThe European Union And The Treaty Of Western And Eastern European Countries Since The End Of The Cold War1315 Words   |  6 Pagesthe union. Massive celebrations were held in Romania and Bulgaria to mark this accession. This historic event also marked the fifth enlargement of the EU and the peaceful reunification of Western and Eastern European countries since the end of the Cold War. The path to membership was long and sometimes challenging but in the end these two countries arrived to th e road of Europe and the future. Romania has been searching integration since the times of Nicolae Ceausescu (and even before). HistoricalRead MoreRealism And The Cold War843 Words   |  4 Pagesrealism, the question being asked is does it do a good job of explaining the end of the Cold War? Everyone can have their own answers and reasonings behind why they think it does or doesn t explain it well enough. Realists view the Cold War as an attempt to keep the balance of power between the states and inside the states themselves. Neither states were able to dominant over everything or declare all out war against each other, therefore both the United States and the USSR would dominate internationalRead MoreNuclear War1088 Words   |  5 Pagesbeginning toward the management of nuclear weapons.. Annotated Bibliography Cold War. Gale Student Resources in Context, Gale, 2017. Student Resources in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/YNKKJO509087257/SUIC?u=j079907999xid=32b94e98. Accessed 18 Oct. 2017. This showed me background of the cold war . It also told me what the use and the soviet union disliked about each other and what led to the Space race The Cold War ended as a result of internal factors such as Gorbachevs reforms, the weakRead MoreGlobal Effects Of The Cold War1311 Words   |  6 PagesAmanda Fuchs The Global Effects of the Cold War and Decolonization The Cold War, also known as what could have been the third world war, conquered the second half of the 20th century. This international crisis, beginning at the end of World War II, is defined as the period of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. There are numerous reasons as to why many believed the Cold War commenced, one being that the Soviet Union wanted to spread its belief of communism worldwide, which inRead MoreThe Significance of the Cuban Missile Crisis Essay1686 Words   |  7 Pagesend to civilization† (â€Å"Nuclear Test Ban Treaty† 1). the Cuban Missile Crisis was a time where these two men, Kennedy and Khrushchev, had the power in their hands to end civilization. In order to understand the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis one must understand, the Cold war drama; the dangerous crisis; and its importance today. In order to understand the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis in American history one must first understand the Cold War drama, Castro’s rise to power, and theRead MoreWhat Was And Is The Arms Race?1329 Words   |  6 PagesRace? The arms race was throughout the cold war, which lasted about 45 years. During this time, The United States of America (USA) and The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) were both creating and stockpiling military weapons to use against each other. The belief was â€Å"the more nuclear weapons you had, the more powerful you were†. This lead to the development of many extremely dangerous bombs and weapons, which could destroy life on earth. The Cold War was established on the fact that neitherRead MoreEssay about Nuclear Power and the Cold War1094 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War is famous not only for its long engagement between the two super powers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union, but also because of the heightened physical tension that nuclear power brought to the global stage. Winning the war at the cost of human annihilation was not abnormal political conversation, and from the 1940s onward, fear of global destruction became a daily concern (Granieri, 2011). The cir cumstances of the Cold War made it different than previous international conflicts because

Movie - Feminist Themes in Jane Eyre, Novel and Film...

An Analysis of Feminist Themes in Jane Eyre and its Film Versions Concern for womens rights dates from the Enlightenment, when the liberal, egalitarian, and reformist ideals of that period began to be extended from the bourgeoisie, peasants, and urban laborers to women as well. As did most interest groups of the time, feminists gained force and stability through its writing. The periods blossoming ideas concerning womens rights were fully set forth in Judith Murray’s On the Equality of the Sexes in 1790. Dr. Allyson Dowta, author of Women and the Written Word, states that without Margaret Wollstoncraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Women, published in 1792, â€Å"the feminist movement would have remained a fledgling†¦show more content†¦In 1847, however, Emma’s reception was exceeded by the approbative uproar for Charlotte Bronte’s masterpiece Jane Eyre. A devastating critique of Victorian assumptions about gender as well as social class, it was one of the most successful novels, both critically and commerci ally, of the Victorian era. (Peters, 219) Ironically, given its proto-feminist subject matter, Jane Eyre was published under a male pseudonym, Currer Bell, to ensure its acceptance by a public that disapproved of the idea of women writers. Bronte also tailored the novel itself, and therefore the message it carried, to fit the trends of the time. Jane Eyre draws a great deal of its stylistic inspiration from the gothic novels that were in vogue during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. These books used elements of supernatural horror, remote, desolate landscapes, and crumbling ruins to create a sense of psychological suspense, mystery, and horror. While Jane Eyre is certainly not a horror novel, and while its social considerations make it far more than merely a gothic romance, Jane Eyre touches on these genres in order to deliver its social treatise in popular packaging. (Zonana, 612) In 1934, this poignant tale was brought to the big screen and since then the novel has been adapted into 3 more movies, the most successful being the 1944 rendition featuring Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles. However the theme of the independent woman is hardly explored in JaneShow MoreRelated Mansfield Park, the novel, or Mansfield Park the film? Essay1842 Words   |  8 Pagesof Jane Austens books over the years; all six of her novels have been made into films or television dramas with varying degrees of success, from the classics of Persuasion, Pride amp; Prejudice and Sense amp; Sensibility, to the funny modern version of Emma in the form of Clueless. In this paper I want to show how director Patricia Rozema has made Austens novel Mansfield Park much more modern, accessible, and, as some claim, radical, by skipping parts of the story that would make the film version

Michael Phelps Free Essays

Michael Phelps was born in 6.30,1985 in Baltimore of the US. Unfortunatly, he got a very terrible and unhappy time in his childhood. We will write a custom essay sample on Michael Phelps or any similar topic only for you Order Now His parents always quarreled and quarreled. Little Michael felt so sad,so he put himself into the swimming pool. It seemed to be the only way for him to keep happy. When he was 15 ,Michael competed at the Sydeny Olympics. But the reault seemed a little disappointed. He didn’t win a medal. But he never gave up. After that,he swam every day,no Christmas,no New Year,even no brithdays. A famous saying goes†Where there is a will,there is a way. After 4 years training,he did a nice job in the Athens Olyimpics. He got 8 medals. And 6 of them are gold medals. Now he is one of the greatest swimmers in the world. I still remembered what he said after the Athens Olyimpics. He said â€Å"I don’t want to be Mark Spitz No. 2 ,I just want to be Michael Phelps No. 1. â€Å"Now he realized his dream. He won 8 gold medals in the Beijing Olyimpics. He broke the world records,he made the history. Of course he made him famous to the whole world. Stephen Hawking has ever said†Life is not fair,so you have to do the best in your own situation. â€Å"Michael sets a very good example to us. Or the dream factory has always been the high standard, the screen exquisite detail, vivid characters vivid, touching story twists and turns, the most important thing is it in the most simple and easy to understand that the way of a token, that is – there is no shortcut to the world and Cheats, the only winning Famen is believe in themselves. This film was absolutely amazing. I have spent hours re-watching various scenes and noticing all the perfection with which they are acted and directed. It’s not the violence or action sequences that make this movie so great (although they are well done†¦ ), but rather moments like where Mathilda knocks on Leon’s door. It would be so easy to just film the door opening, but instead we see light illuminating Natalie Portman’s face, symbolizing something angelic. And the moment has so much more meaning. How to cite Michael Phelps, Papers Michael Phelps Free Essays Michael Phelps Michael Phelps is a through and through true Olympian. He has amazing capabilities and has proven it many times. I would definitely call him a great athlete. We will write a custom essay sample on Michael Phelps or any similar topic only for you Order Now Michael Phelps stole the limelight through the best performances in Olympic history. In his early life Michael Phelps had already started his rise to the top. When Michael was born he had two sisters already in the sport of swimming which he entered very soon. â€Å"As a seven-year-old, he refused to put his face in the water. Not surprisingly, the first stroke he mastered would be the backstroke† (â€Å"JockBio† 1). He started training in the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under training of Coach Bob Bowman. Under this direction he entered the U. S. National B team in 1999. In his division he broke a record in the 200 meter butterfly, what is said to be his best stroke. â€Å"At Olympic tryouts he place 2nd and became the youngest swimmer to compete in Olympic history in 68 years† (â€Å"JockBio† 1) He was just 15 and was already competing with grown men and sometimes beating them. Michael Phelps was slow on land but fast in water. Very fast indeed. He competed in many tournaments and won wherever he went. In the 2004 he entered the Athens summer Olympics. He was trying for the illusive 7 gold medals in swimming, the record held by Mark Spitz but came up short with six gold and 2 bronze. Well he decided that wasn’t good enough so the next year he came back with a whopping 8 gold medals! â€Å"I think it’s probably one of the greatest things sport in general has ever seen,†(Crouse 1). â€Å"At Sunday’s start, the Person’s Republic of Michael would have ranked fourth in gold medals and been ahead of all but 14 countries in the medal count†(Crouse 1). Phelps dominated all the events he came swam in and brought home the greatest record known to swimming. Famous is an understatement for what Phelps became through the course of his swimming career. In every swim he competed in, he broke world records and astounded the crowds, judges, and even his competitors. â€Å"I just feel very privileged that I got to watch Michael Phelps win eight gold medals. That’s been the highlight of my Olympics† (Crouse 1). He just keeps going and doing what he came out to do. He swam to win and he did in every race he entered. â€Å"â€Å"Michael is doing what he’s doing,† she said, â€Å"and it kind of makes the rest of us look like if we don’t win a gold medal †¦ Hoff’s voice trailed off. †(Crouse 2). Even the other athletes felt they came up short or didn’t match up to the amazing feat he pulled off. He is a Phenomenon and a public character that is now one of the most influential people in the world for doing your best. It is safe to say that Michael Phelps is the best swimmer in Olympic his tory. He has proven it and will remain that way until another rises to greatness. He has taken the eyes of the world off of the rest of the Olympics and placed them on himself through his complete physical dominance a prowess. How to cite Michael Phelps, Essay examples

Corporate Accounting - Financial Statement Fraud Schemes - Sample

Question: Describe about the Corporate Accounting for Financial Statement Fraud Schemes. Answer: Problem 1 Simpsons Limited Statement of Profit and Loss Account For the year ended 30 June 2018 Amount $ Amount $ Sales Revenue 1,237,500.00 Cost of sales 675,000.00 Gross profit 562,500.00 Add: Revenue Interest revenue 3,750.00 Dividend received 5,250.00 Less: Expenses Administrative expenses (397,500- 43,050) 354,450.00 Interest expense 43,050.00 other expenses 15,000.00 dividend paid 30,000.00 Profit before income tax 129,000.00 Less: Income tax expense 75,600.00 Profit after tax 53,400.00 Other Comprehensive Income Profit on revaluation of assets Land 37,500.00 Building 45,000.00 Total comprehensive income for the year 135,900.00 Table 1: Profit and Loss Statement (Source: Created by author) Statement of Financial Position For the year ended 30 June 2018 Amount $ Amount $ Assets Current Assets Cash 750.00 Accounts receivable 87,000.00 Inventory 131,500.00 Prepaid insurance 10,500.00 Total current assets 229,750.00 Non- Current Assets Goodwill 157,500.00 Less: Accumulated impairment -15,000.00 142,500.00 Plant and equipment 333,750.00 Less: Accumulated depreciation -63,750.00 270,000.00 Land 330,000.00 Building 570,000.00 Deferred tax asset 14,700.00 Total non- Current Assets 1,327,200.00 Total Assets 1,556,950.00 Liabilities Current Liabilities Interest payable 4,200.00 Accounts payable 104,250.00 Dividend payable 15,000.00 Current tax liability 78,150.00 Allowance for doubtful debts 19,200.00 Bank overdraft 103,800.00 Total current liabilities 324,600.00 Non- Current Liabilities Mortgage loan 375,000.00 7% debentures 120,000.00 Revaluation surplus 127,500.00 Deferred tax liability 27,600.00 Provision for employee benefits Annual Leave 27,000.00 Long- service Leave 24,300.00 Total non- current liabilities 701,400.00 Total Liabilities 1,026,000.00 Net Assets 530,950.00 Shareholders' equity 300,000.00 General Reserve 37,500.00 Retained earnings Balance on 1.7.17 155,100.00 Add: profit earned during the year 38,350.00 193,450.00 Total equity 530,950.00 Table 2: Financial Position Statement (Source: Created by author) Statement of changes in equity For the year ended 30 June 2018 Equity shares Reserves Retained profits Balance as on 1.7.2017 150,000.00 37,500.00 155,100.00 Shares issued during the year 150,000.00 - - (@75,000* $2) Profit earned during the year - - 38,350.00 Balance as on 1.7.2018 300,000.00 37,500.00 193,450.00 Table 3: Changes in Equity Statement (Source: Created by author) Notes to accounts: Interest expenses have been deducted from the administrative expenses amounted to $43,050 that has been disclosed separately. Revaluation profit on land and building has been recorded as comprehensive income, which is measured as follows: Revaluation profit Land Building Value before revaluation 292,500.00 525,000.00 Revalued value 330,000.00 570,000.00 Profit 37,500.00 45,000.00 As the mortgage loan is repayable at the annual installments amounted to $75,000 that is due on 1st March hence, the entire balance in the trial balance has been considered as non- current liability. As the debentures are proposed to be redeemed on 31 March 2019 hence it will be considered as non- current liability for the year 2018. Problem 2 Killer Ltd Current Tax Worksheet For the year ended 30 June 2017 Amount $ Amount $ Accounting profit 263,000 Add: Annual Leave expense 45,000 Depreciation expense - plant 22,500 Doubtful debts expense 4,500 Insurance Expense 7,000 342,000 Less: Annual Leave paid 52,000 Tax Depreciation plant 90,000 Doubtful Debt Paid 2,000 Insurance Paid 6,500 Interest not yet received 1,000 Taxable profit 190,500 Current tax liability @ 30% 57,150 Table 4: Current Tax Statement (Source: Created by author) Killer Ltd Deferred tax worksheet as at 30 June 2017 Carrying Amount Tax Base Taxable Deductible Temporary Differences Temporary Differences Assets Interest Receivable 1 000 1000 Nil Nil Accounts receivable (net) 17 500 19500 2000 - Prepaid Insurance 4 500 6500 - 2000 Plant 82 500 60000 - 22000 Liabilities Provision for annual leave 10 000 52000 - 42000 Total Temporary Diffs 2000 66000 Deferred tax liability 30% 600 - Deferred tax asset 30% - 19800 Beginning balances 10800 10500 Increase/(Decrease) (10200.00) 9300 Table 5: Deferred Tax Statement (Source: Created by author) Tax Journal Entries Amount $ Amount $ Profit Loss A/c Dr 600.00 To deferred tax liability A/c 600.00 (Being tax payable on temporary difference has been recognized for the year) Deferred tax assets A/c Dr 19,800.00 To Profit Loss A/c 19,800.00 (Being tax deductible on temporary difference has been recognized for the year) Table 6: Journal Entries (Source: Created by author) Bibliography Albrecht, C., Holland, D., Malagueo, R., Dolan, S. and Tzafrir, S., 2015. The role of power in financial statement fraud schemes.Journal of Business Ethics,131(4), pp.803-813. Ball, R., Li, X. and Shivakumar, L., 2015. Contractibility and transparency of financial statement information prepared under IFRS: Evidence from debt contracts around IFRS adoption.Journal of Accounting Research,53(5), pp.915-963. Bauman, M.P. and Shaw, K.W., 2016. Harmonizing pension accounting: Income statement effects of applying IAS19R to US firms.Research in Accounting Regulation,28(1), pp.1-10. Campbell, T.C., Galpin, N. and Johnson, S.A., 2016. Optimal inside debt compensation and the value of equity and debt.Journal of Financial Economics,119(2), pp.336-352. Dagiliene, L. 2015. THE INVESTIGATION OF FINANCIAL REPORTSCOMPLEXITY IN LARGE COMPANIES.Economics and Management, (14), 28-32. Donohoe, M.P., 2015. The economic effects of financial derivatives on corporate tax avoidance.Journal of Accounting and Economics,59(1), pp.1-24. Hess, M.F. and Alexander, R.M., 2015. Brewing Up Controversy: A Case Exploring the Ethics of Corporate Tax Planning.Issues in Accounting Education,30(4), pp.311-327. Huang, H.W., Lin, S. and Raghunandan, K., 2015. The Volatility of Other Comprehensive Income and Audit Fees.Accounting Horizons,30(2), pp.195-210. Levi, S. and Segal, B., 2015. The Impact of Debt-Equity Reporting Classifications on the Firm's Decision to Issue Hybrid Securities.European Accounting Review,24(4), pp.801-822. Zhou, M., 2016. Does accounting for uncertain tax benefits provide information about the relation between book-tax differences and earnings persistence?.Review of Accounting and Finance,15(1), pp.65-84.

Walt Disney Company

Strategic Business Units and application in Disney Strategic Business Units are the divisions that an organization creates to deal with specific issues affecting it in the market (Koontz Weihrich, 2007). They are usually self-contained in that they operate independent of the other units in an organization.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Walt Disney Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The pooling of different sections of an organization allows SBUs to cut across diverse lines and geographical locations in order to serve specific market needs more efficiently (Koontz Weihrich, 2007). For the SBUs to achieve their intended goals, they need to account for corporate responsibilities and the needs of the organization. This way, it becomes easier to allocate finances and resources and hold each unit accountable for its deeds. The Walt Disney Company has four SBUs in its organizational structure (Banton, 200 8). The four strategic business units found in Walt Disney are Disney consumer products which develops and sells Disney branded products, studio entertainment (which comprise of theater and music divisions), park and resorts (responsible for the operation of the holiday resorts and theme parks), and media and broadcasting (which gathers the entities entailed in the promotion and advertising of the brands through the media) (Banton, 2008). Walt Disney uses SBUs to independently reach its different segments in the market. This is an indication of just how diversified the company is. This has ensured that the company reaches its different consumers in different geographical regions by pooling of resources from different units in a more efficient manner. As a result, Disney has managed to maintain its market share, consumers, competitive edge, and profits. Vision and mission statements A mission statement describes the fundamental purpose of the company. In this case, it tries to explai n why the company exists (Ledgerwood, 2006). On the other hand, a vision statement focuses on the future of the organization as it tries to answer what it would like to achieve. In general, the difference between a vision and mission statement is that whereas the latter places more emphasis on the present state of an organization, the former emphasizes on the future of the organization. Walt Disney Company operates using a mission statement without the inclusion of a vision statement across all its strategic business units. The reason why a company may choose to operate with a mission statement and not the vision statement is that a mission statement clarifies a company’s direction, purpose and values (Ledgerwood, 2006). For example, Disney’s mission statement contains all these aspects as its direction is to develop the most innovative and creative experiences based on profitable entertainment (Branton, 2008). Its values are upheld on its usage of brand portfolio in t he provision of its products and services. The direction of an organization defines its vision. Therefore, in one way or another, a mission statement contains a vision statement albeit indirectly.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another useful aspect for using a mission statement is that it finds application in the process of strategic planning as it defines the values and specifies products of a company, services, target consumers, profitability, growth plans, geographical allocations, and its philosophy (David, 2009). This can be used to focus on the present and the future. Therefore, a company can operate without the inclusion of a vision statement as a mission statement is more powerful and acts as a directive to the company. Copyright Infringement Some of Walt Disney’s strategic units have been involved in copyright infringement especially the media networks , broadcasting and consumer products units. For instance, the company has been in and out of lawsuits after some companies used the Disney consumer products or brands without consultation. According to Smoodin (1994), Disney is usually anxious and litigious when its copyrights are infringed. For instance, when Ontario town in Canada planned to celebrate by erecting a statute that resembled the Milne character, Walt Disney warned that its copyrights had been violated (Smoodin, 1994). A deal had to be struck to solve the issue. In another incident in Florida, the Disney characters were used without proper license, prompting Walt Disney to sue the company as they believed that Mickey Mouse was part of its copyrights and the use of stakeholders finances had to be accounted for. In 1989, Disney sued Motion pictures academy for using its characters in a production that was termed as awful (Smoodin, 1994). The motion picture academy had to apologize publicly to Walt Disney as this was a cl assic example of copyright infringement. The company also sued 500 vendors as defendants on the claim that they had sold fake movies. The reason behind these lawsuits it to protect Walt Disney’s intellectual properties from companies willing to use them maliciously or by taking advantage of its brand name. The use of copyrights gives a company a competitive edge as it reduces the number of players in the market. Furthermore, a company is also able to control its products. This reduces competition encouraging innovation and creativity in the production sector. The company has also been able to make profits by selling its copyrighted products. Selling or using of products and services that are not copyrighted implies that the owner of the intellectual property does not get proceeds from the sales made. In order to safeguard its key assets, Walt Disney has to cooperate with other players in the economy by ensuring that its products are copyrighted and the laws distributed to its collaborators. Walt Disney can also collaborate with other Hollywood companies to ensure that proper mechanisms are put into place to counter copyright infringements. Economic Downturn During the Great Depression it is claimed that individuals indulged in movies as a way of escaping from reality. The current economic downturn is affecting almost all strategic business units of Walt Disney. For example, before the 2008 market and financial crisis, the parks and the resorts were the largest contributor of the Disney’s growth.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Walt Disney Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the financial crisis has since reduced the disposable income of the consumers leading into inclination to the Disney theme park visitors (Branton, 2008). People can no longer afford the luxury of visiting the park as inflation has increased the cost of living and consumers have to live w ithin their budgets. Watching movies from networks and broadcasting channels owned by Disney has not been affected much as people continue to watch these movies. However, cinema halls have been adversely affected as the cost of living has doubled. For example, during the Great Depression the fuel price was not affected as is the case now. People are trying to minimize their electricity bills and the cost of fueling their cars to and fro the movie cinemas halls. This will adversely affect the studio entertainment as the cost of fuel has limited consumers’ disposable income. Therefore entertainment expenses have increased (Branton, 2008) forcing them to turn to low cost entertainment. However, watching movies does not require a great or real deep economic crisis to act as a motivator. Based on scientific studies, people always want to be entertained when they are in bad moods or situations (Pincus-Roth, 2009). People consume entertainment as part of their adaptive measures in m ood management. Therefore, the current global recession is not likely to reduce the number of movie goers. Disney will continue to have more movie consumers but not around the cinemas. Since the company has initiated entertainment through the internet and the iPhones, the entertainment strategic unit will not be affected much by the recession. Business strategic units are essential in operations of a company as they assist in developing a competitive edge within an organization. Walt Disney has been using SBUs to reach different segments of its target population (David, 2009). Intellectual property rights like copyrights reduce copyright infringements as they protect the owner from competitors and other users. It also gives a competitive edge to the company. Through regulations, issues associated with copyrights can be minimised. People like entertainment as a part of mood management. Therefore, the current recession is less likely to affect the entertainment sector of Disney Compan y. However, its cinemas and park themes and resorts will be adversely affected as the cost of living; fuel, unemployment, and inflation have risen affecting the disposable income of the people. Reference List Branton, M. (2008). Walt Disney Company-2007. 30-43. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/PearsonAdvertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More David, F.R. (2009). BUS 490: Strategic management concepts and cases: 2009 custom edition (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson Koontz, H., Weihrich, H. (2007).  Essentials of management: An international perspective. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. Ledgerwood, J. (2006).  Transforming microfinance institutions: Providing full financial services to the poor. Washington, DC: World Bank Pubns. Pincus-Roth, Z. (April 12, 2009). â€Å"Hollywood tries to come up with its best recession fare†. Los- Angeles Times. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-apr-12-ca-escape12-story.html Smoodin, E. L. (1994). Disney discourse: Producing the magic kingdom. Newyork, NY: Routledge publishers. This case study on Walt Disney Company was written and submitted by user Kabuki to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company was established in the year 1923 by two brothers: Roy Disney and Walt Disney. The company started from a very humble beginning as a cartoon studio, but later ventured deeply into the entertainment industry by introducing its own films such as the animated films.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Walt Disney Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Today this company has many affiliate companies and also sells consumer products such as clothes and electronics. Moreover, Walt Disney Company has improved its productivity because of good organizational culture that is practiced by employees and stakeholders of the organization. Disney encouraged people to participate in the civil war by producing pieces that expressed the theme of fighting during the First World War. Victory Through Air Power and Education for Death are among the films that were used to spread awareness during the civil war. However, Walt Disney died in 1966, and five years later his brother also passed on. Their death was a big blow to the company, but fortunately the people who were left in charge of the company had been trained by the two brothers, and thus they were able to follow their legacy (Neal, 2007). The success of Walt Disney Company is owed to its strong emphasis on values and work ethics. The company’s values include innovation, quality, community, storytelling, optimism, and decency. The values are part of Disney’s core mission of â€Å"providing quality entertainment for people around the world† (Disney, n.d, para. 2). The company has an established code of ethics that must be observed by all employees regardless of their location or duty. The company is committed to the wellness of its employees and this is done by availing a favorable working environment where there are adequate and efficient channels of communication between the employees and the administrat ors. In addition, Neal (2009) outlines that the company strives to produce goods and services of the best quality which is essential to meeting its customers’ needs. The items and services offered by Disney are regularly vetted to make sure they are safe. The success of quality is attributed to efficient communication between the customers and the company; customers provide feedback on Disney’s products to help the company in improving product quality. Cohesion is also encouraged at Walt Disney, which makes it possible for employees to team up in achieving organizational goals. The teams at Walt Disney are comprised of people from various backgrounds and it is this diversity that guarantees excellence due to the difference in skills and abilities.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Likewise, the company is recognized as an equal opportunity employer becau se it does not discriminate against race, gender or any other matter. Furthermore, if an employee has to be fired there are established procedures that are to be followed to retain the integrity of the company and the employee (Neal, 2007). Similarly, the company boasts of many achievements one of them being the setting up of Disney parks which are used as parents and children amusement parks. The company has won various trophies in the past such as the academy award, which was accorded to The Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs films. Moreover, the company has managed to buy most companies in the entertainment industry and some of them include Marvel Entertainment and ABC. In this light, Miner (2007) suggests that when the espoused values of an organization align with its enacted values, the company is able to increase its productivity. Disney’s achievements show that the company’s values are appreciated by its employees and the target market because it fulfils their expe ctations. Despite all these achievements Walt Disney has encountered a lot of resistance from people who argued that some of its films had sexually explicit content. The Catholic Church in the US has been discouraging its followers from purchasing products made by Walt Disney because of the company’s stand on homosexuality. Even though the two brothers are long dead, the company has continued to thrive day after day because of good organizational culture. References Disney. (n.d). The Walt Disney Company and Affiliated Companies – Culture. Retrieved from https://jobs.disneycareers.com/ Miner, J. (2007).Organizational Behavior: From Theory to Practice. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, Inc. Neal, G. (2007).Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination. New York: Random House.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Walt Disney Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This research paper on Walt Disney Company was written and submitted by user Braydon Wright to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Major Developments in China Since 1976 essays

Major Developments in China Since 1976 essays The year 1976 was a watershed year for the development of China. Three of the most senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) - Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and Mao Zedong - died in that year. The year was also marked by mass demonstrations and criticism of the Maoist regime. When Deng Xiaoping attained power in 1978 he created a new atmosphere of political and economic promise, which in many ways sharply contradicted governmental and political proceedings of the previous two decades. One of the most significant changes implemented by Xiaoping was on the economic front, which included a series of far-reaching economic reforms.. Yet, the most essential change in China since 1976 has been the decisive move away from the Maoist emphasis and focus on the class and political struggle to a There are many reasons for the reforms in China. The fact that the previous communist reforms were not capable of sustaining and creating economic growth in the country is one of the reasons for the reforms. Other very cogent reasons are that China needed to join the international community for economic and developmental reasons; and because China had for many years come under pressure, particularly in terms of its social traditions, to conform to international standards. The demand for modernization is an important aspect that contributed to China's reform and this was increased by Western influences. China eventually had to face the reality that political strategies alone could not increase productivity. This issue came to a head in the 1970's and resulted in the "Four Mobilizations" program, which was intended to reform and energize the Chinese economy. These mobilizations or areas of focus were agriculture, industry, science and technology and the military. The important aspect that underl...

Changing Role of Women in Hamlet by Shakespeare

The role of women changed dramatically with time. Women are no longer considered low-income and can always stand in the shadows of men, share light, and stand on their side evenly. It was a tough fight, many people failed the battle, but eventually I found an equal way. In the 16th century, women were mainly used as maids and mothers, but men liked working with men. Ophelia is no exception in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. In the past, it has played a small role in society. According to social, economic, and political women, Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' play women are not portrayed as important persons. Female characters in drama such as Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, Ophelia Hamlet's lover, etc are all complex and contrary to each other. This is two different roles, but Shakespeare explains that their small role is negative. Acceptance in the world, and their sorrow Caroline Miller Tuck English Lady 124 November 30, 2015 Hamlet playwright, women of the poet William Shakespeare live in tim es when women have no chance. For example, women can not act in dramas, but female roles. This women's perspective was brought to Shakespeare's role in his play. This is the most evident of the tragedy of Danish Prince Hamlet. - It is sustained, reality is an illusion (Albert Einstein). This view of life is surrounded by many literary works. In many cases, the main character must distinguish between reality and fraudulent fantasy. The hero continues to explore resolve to solve the dilemma confronting the enemy. Likewise, the enemy must maintain the illusion of hairspring to manipulate the hero In order to understand the analysis drama of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, first you must understand the basic principle of drama, that is, the main character, confrontation, expo, ascending behavior, crisis, climax, determination. I will study William Shakespeare's Hamlet. This is a good example of this article. It shows a clear and excellent example. The main character, the main figure of th e play. This is his or her story. - Analysis of William Shakespeare 's Hamlet Regardless of past, present and future, the whole world consists of a series of events that inspired ideas from a series of actions.

Hewitt v Debus Case Note Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hewitt v Debus Case Note - Essay Example The vendor issued a notice of termination, and the solicitors for Debus alleged misrepresentation. Hewitt sold the property to another buyer, Mr. Darren Gillham, with their agreement being â€Å"subject to and conditional upon† termination of the agreement with Debus. Debus treated Hewitt termination as repudiation and she terminated the agreement herself. Debus did not seek a similar remedy, however she emphasized that her termination of the contract was valid and claimed substantial refund of the money she had paid. She demanded that Hewitt return the money she had paid. A trial judge decided that the purchaser was right because in accordance to the law, a purchaser cannot have both the land and purchase price. The vendor demanded leave to appeal. The application was heard on full submission so that, in case she was granted the leave to appeal, the appeal would be decided without a further hearing. The central matter in this appeal was whether the deed provided that time was important in the performance of Hewitt obligations to pay the amounts required by Clauses 1(c) and (d) and whether the contract between the two parties was validly terminated by the vendor’s notice of termination. Facts The vendor is entitled to terminate for a failure by the purchaser to comply with any term of the agreement irrespective of whether it is an essential term The vendor has a right to terminate where the purchaser fails to pay deposit on time or dishonours cheque for the deposit. Issue The main issue in this case was whether time was important in the performance of Hewitt obligations to pay the amounts required under their agreement and whether the vendor’s notice of termination validly terminated the contract. Holding The seller has a right to terminate for a breach of any term of the agreement irrespective of whether it is an essential term. Analysis Time was not of essence for the payments of the amounts referred in the agreement because the contract was closely similar to a contract for sale of land. A condition of time in land sale contract in equity is not important unless there are special circumstances and the contract has to clearly state that time is essential and has to be implicit from the nature of the contract in the surrounding circumstances. The agreement between the Hewitt and Debus did not have any special circumstances, which implicitly made time for performance important. Because there was no stipulation of time, the vendor was not entitled to terminate the contract because of a delay in the purchaser performing her obligation to pay the instalments. If the period were an essential obligation under the agreement, Hewitt would have been entitled to terminate the contract because of Debus having not considerably performed the necessary obligations. Debus failure to perform within the reasonable period constituted a breach of contract, however Hewitt was not entitled to terminate the contract because Debus substant ially performed part of her obligations. The judges cited section 13 of the Conveyance Act to determine whether a time stipulation was essential in equity. From the act, the judges construed that in case the vendor did not regard time to be essential in

Role of Mentor in Evaluating Student Learning Essay

Role of Mentor in Evaluating Student Learning - Essay Example NMC (2008) emphasizes that qualified mentors are equipped with certain qualities which helps them to facilitate learning and assess students in practice settings. Some of these qualities as defined by Kerry and Mayes (1995) are: role modelling; nurturing attribute; capable of enhancing professional competencies of mentee; and building constructive relationship not only as teacher, friend or counsellor but as one of carer that is sustained over a period of time. The mentors exert extensive influence on the learners and often act as role models for them. Consequently, the moral responsibilities of mentor are significantly more pronounced. Most importantly, in the era of fast globalization, ethical considerations and moral obligations become critical factors in healthcare industry and effective mentoring helps to inculcate and promote ethics within their profession. As per NMC (2008), mentoring involves eight major roles as: preceptor; assessor; clinical educator; clinical supervision; clinical supervisor; Practice teacher; registrant, supervisor. Preceptor primarily has basic minimum qualification of atleast twelve months’ experience in the desired area.UK government provides the facility of preceptors to all new nurses to help them to become dedicated registrants. While assessor is equipped with necessary skills to assess students’ competencies, Clinical educators, clinical supervision and clinical supervisor help the nursing students to enhance their skills in clinical setting through effective feedback. Waskett (2010) believes that it helps the students to become confident and acquire skills that improve their performance. The rest of the roles of mentor differ with different areas in healthcare and medical environment. Hawkins and Shohet (2006) assert that supervisors as mentors are important as they help

Users Who Will Benefit from Financial Statements Essay Example for Free

Users Who Will Benefit from Financial Statements Essay The users of Financial Statements need them in order to satisfy some of their different needs for information. The following are the users and the ways in which they use this information in their decision making. Investors They are the providers of Capital for the entity. They require information in order to determine whether they should buy hold or sell. Shareholders are also interested in information which enables them to assess the ability of the entity to pay dividends. Employees They are interested in the information since they need to know about the stability and profitability of their employers. They are also interested in information which provides remuneration, retirement benefits and employment opportunities. Lenders Are interested in information that enable them to determine whether their loans and interest attached to them will be paid when due. Suppliers and other Creditors They require information in determining whether the amounts due to them will be paid when due. Trade creditors are likely to be interested in information an entity over a shorter period than lenders unless they are dependent upon the continuation of the entity as a major customer. Government and its agencies They are interested in allocation of resources, and therefore, the activities of entities. They also require information in order to regulate the activities of entities, determine taxation policies and as the basis for National income and similar statistics. Public Entities make a substantial contribution to the local economy in many ways including the number of people they employ and their patronage of local suppliers. Financial Statements may assist the public by providing information about the trends and recent developments in the prosperity of the entity and range of its activities.

What It Means To Be Australian :: essays research papers

What It Means To Be an Australian Australia is a very unique place, along with our multiculturalism there is also a strong heritage surrounding us. At first thought of Australian heritage we think about such landmarks as Uluru, The Sydney harbour bridge and The Sydney opera house, The Great Barrier reef and other internationally recognised places. But our heritage goes much deeper than that; it is far more than outstanding icons. Along with these icons there are also unsung places like the old cattle stations, Aboriginal missions, migrant hostels, War memorials, our unique wetlands and the towns and cities we have built. Adding all of these things together, helps to tell the story of who we are and how we have shaped this land in the unique identity it has today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But familiar landmarks and also the unfamiliar ones aren't the whole make-up of Australia's heritage. It's the people that make a difference. Australia is made up of people from all walks of life who have migrated here for different reasons. Among these, the most common migrants are from Greece, Italy, Russia and Asia. Australia is made up of material culture: the places and objects, but also Living culture: In forms such as Music, Crafts, Literature etc. It is an interplay between international cultures and beliefs, the claims of nationalism and ethnic and religious traditions, as well as the local and community priorities that’s make up the unique Australian heritage. The Aboriginal people of Australia were here thousands of years before European settlement and we forced them to adapt to the changes of environment around them. This change might be for better or worse, but we will never find out. But with the European settlement came the birth of industry, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, manufacture, electricity, gas and water just to name a few.

Popular Culture: Effects of Big Corporations on Society Essay

The field of business plays an important role in the economies of various countries as well as the financial robustness of the world market. In this realm, big corporations have larger responsibilities in steering the direction of the economy in terms of the decisions that they make and the operations that they do. Their influence is not merely over other smaller corporations or companies because they also have a great impact in the society. These large corporations affect the society in numerous ways especially when it comes to the different means by which they approach their clients in marketing their products or services. However, the impact of these corporations still needs to be analyzed especially on how they shape the society at large. There are observable advantages and disadvantages that big corporations have over the general public that must be given due attention. It is the aim of this paper to identify and discuss the role of large corporations in the society. In line with this, the part that big corporations contribute in the field of business and in sustaining the needs and wants of the public will also be emphasized. Furthermore, the methods that most of these companies use in their business operations like commercials, advertisements, and mainstream media will also be accounted for. Lastly, the impact and effects of large corporations and the means that they use will also be assessed in terms of how it control the trends and fads in the society as well as how an individual view his or her self. Large Corporations Despite the feeling of some people with regards to the behaviour and mode of operation of large corporations, they cannot deny that this institution also have a contribution in the society. These corporations are mainly responsible in the material well-being of most people. It is through the services and products that they render that the public could be able to have their necessities like food, clothing, and shelter. Almost all corporate employees work everyday in order to cater to the needs and wants of the people. This kind of situation is very observable in the current society wherein almost everything in the lives of most individuals involves corporate business. The corporations have its faults and failures but the fact still remains that the corporation is an efficient institution that was created by human beings for the purpose of distributing resources for individual’s usage (Bishop). However, the corporations’ efficiency in doing its purpose comes with a cost. Some people are saying that in order for the corporation to function the society must give this institution the leeway when it comes to societal constraints so that they can pursue material ends. Having the freedom from political, moral, and ethical concerns has largely benefited these corporations but these have been a source of frustration by most governmental and social organizations. Serious concerns have resulted in the leniency that corporations has such as: pollution, environmental degradation, product disposal, natural resource depletion, worker welfare, urban decay as well as the long-term health effects from their improper waste management. According to Bishop Rooke, these issues are indeed important and must be immediately address. However, if the corporations were not given the freedom with regards to societal constraints then this would dampen the development of the modern industrial society. The World of Marketing Baker regards marketing as a field of discipline and an endeavour which existed for a considerable amount of time in the world to date but remains to be something that still brings fascination and wonders to today’s organizations (3). The primary goal and focus of the efforts of marketing is to inform the people with regard to the products and services (Steinberg 1). For large corporations, this is used in launching the products and services that they have and introducing it to their target market with the idea that the population from the said group should be enticed to buy the product that is being presented. This serves as the connection between the companies and the society wherein the former infuses several values to the latter through the use of different forms of media such as that of the television, the radio, the internet, the newspapers, and other print and visual forms so long as it allows them to create an image for the products. In doing so, the companies are able to make their corresponding contribution to the popular culture of the society. As previously mentioned, there are certain values that are sent with the marketing efforts of the companies. In identifying the relationship between popular culture and the different forms of marketing campaigns that affect it, it is important to define what popular culture means. McGowan and Kitson defines popular culture as â€Å"entertainment that is produced by the culture industries, composed of symbolic content, mediated widely, and consumed with pleasure† (138). Popular Culture and Marketing of Large Companies The relationship between popular culture and the marketing of large companies may be seen as two-fold. Popular culture serves as the sources of ideas for the marketing efforts of the large companies. Just the same, the biases that are contained within the marketing activities, such as advertising, commercials, and mainstream media, also affect and revolve back into the popular culture of the society. The latter relationship between the two serves as the focus of the next discussion. Several forms of technological advances today has allowed the large companies to create images within their advertisements, which may or may not reflect what is real. While deception could be seen as an element of the marketing efforts and activities, people could not easily filter this easily. These images created by the large companies easily â€Å"circulate in culture† (Schroeder 7). This is because of the ease that is associated with technological advancements to reach a wider set of audience and deliver their messages with much impact. A classic example of how the media has affected the popular culture is the way the concept of beauty is reflected and perceived by people. For example, companies such as Max Factor and Ponds, large corporations which deal with products related to aesthetics, are giving much emphasis on beauty that adheres to the standards of the white Europeans and Americans (Moreno 137). It is important to note that since these large companies caters to international consumers, they are able to affect the perceptions of people from outside the European and American countries with regard to beauty. The result is a notion created that people need to be white, tall, slim, and adopt the characteristics of people from these countries in order to become beautiful. In a sense, the advertisements and the commercials launched by the large companies have limited the images of beauty and make a limited sense of the values and characteristics that people should accept. Along with this, discrimination is felt by those who are not able to follow the trends set by the marketing campaigns of the large companies. Likewise, the very nature of these companies, wherein they are capable of making big initiatives, are financially stable, and are able to establish their names and credibility, has strengthened their impact with that of the society. To a certain extent, their words are seen as something that people follow because they have created a sense of influence and are seen as leaders in the industries to which they belong. Conclusion Large companies have affected the society in several ways. First, they have made their organizations available and answerable to the different societal concerns. This is brought about by the need for them to abide by the principles of corporate social responsibility. Second, they have affected the popular culture such that their marketing efforts have led them to send messages and images that are accepted by the society. It is important for the people to filter these images. Likewise, it is necessary that a review of the ethical conducts of the companies is maintained.

Computer technology Essay

The salon I am doing on is a business owned by Boitumelo Michaels. It is a privately owned company that specializes in doing different types of hair-does. Her business is located in Mododitshane. She has about fifteen helpers helping her in treating the customers. Computer Project Questions 1. What kind of work does your business specialize in? 2. Do you use computers in your business? 3. Would you like your business to be computerized? 4. Where do you keep information about your customers? 5. Do you have problems with your existing system? 6. What kind of files do you keep? 7. What kind of problems do you face in your business? Do you keep records of all receipts incase of emergencies? 9. Do you know how to use a computer? 10. How do you want the new system to help you? 2. SUMMARY Though this company uses a manual system, its sales are very high and they receive more and more customers each year. Miss Michaels handles everything including employing assistances. She keeps all her appointments in a book and all her stock purchase in a different book. She writes down receipts for her customers and also keeps a record of the receipts that she has given out. She would like her business to be computerized one day when she has enough profit. She also knows how to use computer and therefore she would have no problem in using them. The new system to be developed is a system that covers everything in the business, including its finance, customers, appointments and others. Everything from the old system is going to be transferred to the new system. If this system works without fail, it is possible, in the near future, to update everything that has been stored in the computer system. Also in the new system, information will be typed directly into the computer and all kinds of calculations will be done on the computer as well. SOFTWARE After I described all kinds of software to Miss Michaels, she decided to use Microsoft Access 2000 in the new system. She said that she would also like to use Microsoft word and Excel 2000. HARDWARE Miss Michaels said she would like to buy a computer that is Window ’00. She would be using an inkjet printer, which is pretty fast, to print out what she needs. Miss Michaels would like to buy an Intel Inside Pentium 11. I advise her to do so because this kind of computer is quite fast when using. USER LEVEL OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SKILLS Miss Michaels has gone to a computer college, and therefore she is very familiar with the layout of the keyboard. She would have no trouble with the new system. She also learnt a little about some of the hardware on computers and therefore she would have no problem in using Microsoft Access. Miss Michaels has requested to use Microsoft Access; therefore a database package would be needed for this. She will be using the most commonly used programming languages rather than any old or confusing one. Microsoft Access has all the requirements that are needed in the formation of the new system.

The Normal Heart

The Normal Heart Larry Kramer wrote The Normal Heart, a semi-autobiographical award-winning play based on his experiences as a gay man during the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York. The protagonist, Ned Weeks, is Kramer’s alter ego - an outspoken and acerbic personality who was the voice of reason so many people both inside and outside the gay community refused to listen to or follow. Kramer himself originated the Gay Men’s Health Crisis which was one of the first groups founded to help victims of AIDS and spread awareness of the disease. Kramer was later forced out of the group he helped to found due to the board of directors feeling he was over confrontational and hostile. Sexual Revolution In the beginning of the 1980s, the gay population in America was experiencing a sexual revolution. Especially in New York City, gay men and women finally felt free enough to come â€Å"out of the closet† and express pride in who they were and the lives they wished to lead. This sexual revolution coincided with the outbreak of HIV/AIDS and the only prevention advocated by medical personnel at that time was abstinence. This solution was unacceptable to a population of oppressed people who had finally found freedom through sexual expression. Kramer and his alter ego Ned Weeks, did his best to talk to his friends, send out information, and get government assistance to convince the gay community of the real and present danger of the as yet unnamed plague that was being transmitted sexually. Kramer was met with resistance and anger from every side and it would take over four years before any of his efforts found success. Plot Synopsis The Normal Heart spans a period of three years from 1981-1984 and chronicles the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City from the perspective of the protagonist, Ned Weeks. Ned is not an easy man to love or befriend. He challenges everyone’s viewpoints and is willing to speak and speak loudly, about unpopular issues. The play opens at a doctor’s office where four gay men wait to be seen by Dr. Emma Brookner. She is one of the few doctors willing to see and attempt to treat patients who come to her with the varied and bizarre symptoms with which AIDS first presents. By the end of the first scene, two of the four men are diagnosed positive for the disease. The other two men are worried about possibly being carriers of the disease. (This bears repeating: It is important to note that the disease is so new it doesn’t have a name yet.) Ned and a few others found a group to help spread awareness of this new and deadly disease. Ned butts heads with the board of directors frequently because the board wishes to focus on helping those already infected and in trouble while Ned wants to push ideas that may prevent the spread of the disease - namely, abstinence. Ned’s ideas are distinctly unpopular and his personality renders him incapable of winning anyone to his side. Even his partner, Felix, a writer for the New York Times is reluctant to write anything having to do with this supposed homosexual disease that only seems to affect gays and junkies. Ned and his group attempt to meet with the governor of New York several times with no success. In the meantime, the number of people diagnosed and deceased from the disease begins to rise exponentially. Ned wonders if any help is ever going to come from the government and strikes out on his own to go on radio and TV to spread awareness. His actions eventually lead the group he created to force him out. The board of directors does not support his insistence on having the word â€Å"Gay† on the letterhead or return address on mailings. They do not want him doing any interviews (since he wasn’t voted president) and they do not want Ned as the main voice speaking out for the gay community. He is forced out and goes home to help his partner, Felix, now in the final stages of the disease. Production Details Setting: New York City The stage is meant to be â€Å"whitewashed† with statistics about the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic written in plain black lettering for the audience to read. Notes about what statistics were used in the original production can be found in the script published by the New American Library. Time: 1981-1984 Cast Size: This play can accommodate 14 actors. Male Characters: 13 Female Characters: 1 Roles Ned Weeks is difficult to get along with and love. His ideas are ahead of his time. Dr. Emma Brookner is one of the first doctors to treat the new and nameless disease infecting the gay community. She is under-appreciated in her field and her advice and prevention ideas are unpopular. The character of Dr. Emma Brookner is confined to a wheelchair due to a childhood bout of polio. This wheelchair, along with her illness, is a subject of discussion in the  dialogue of the play and the actress playing her must remain seated in the wheelchair the entire production. The character of Dr. Emma Brookner is based on the real-life doctor Dr. Linda Laubenstein who was one of the first doctors to treat patients with HIV/AIDS. Bruce Niles is the handsome president of the support group Ned helped found. He is unwilling to come out of the closet at work and refuses to do any interview that might out him as a gay man. He is terrified he may be a carrier of the disease as so many of his partners have been infected and died. Felix Turner is Ned’s partner. He is a writer for the fashion and food sections of the New York Times  but is still reluctant to write anything to publicize the disease even after he is infected. Ben Weeks is Ned’s brother. Ben swears he supports Ned’s lifestyle, but his actions often betray an underlying uneasiness with his brother’s homosexuality. Smaller Roles David Tommy Boatwright Craig Donner Mickey Marcus Hiram Keebler Grady Examining Doctor Orderly Orderly Content Issues: Language, sex, death, graphic details about the end stages of AIDS Resources Samuel French holds the production rights for The Normal Heart. In 2014, HBO released a movie of the same name.

Country analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Country analysis - Essay Example sser powerful sections of the society are prone to expect and accept a powerful autocratic force which acts in paternalistic format and is not in favor of democratic rights of the lesser powerful. b) Ranking2 – The ranking of Mexico 81 suggests that Mexican society experiences lesser degree in distribution of power and wealth. The general mass of the society expects and accepts the superiority of few and has to live with the socio-cultural set-up of the society that has the concentration of power and wealth in few hands. d) Analysis of the difference in ranking – Over 40 ranks differentiates USA from Mexico which means that while in Mexico workplace there is a marked difference between superiors and subordinates and both consider themselves different from one another. While in USA the process of work tends to be bit more democratic and subordinates are expected to provide their views to management. a. Definition3 – individualism outlines the degree of integration of groups among individuals of the society. Individualistic societies are marked by higher degree of stress put on individualistic nature and personal achievements. On the other end of individualistic societies, we find collective societies which are dominated by individuals who remain part of a common group, which are generally marked by huge extended familial ties and relations. b. Ranking4 – The ranking of Mexico 30 which clearly outlines the state of individualism in the Mexican society which is marked by higher degree of collective groups than reliance on the achievements of individuals. d. Analysis of the difference in ranking – The work culture and business systems of individualistic society tend to do business on performance basis contracts whereas in collectivistic society like Mexico the business is usually carried out through family links. a. Definition5 - This defines the society’s tolerance or the lack of the same for uncertainty and ambiguity. It is reflective of the degree

Negotiation between USBU and the companys management Case Study

Negotiation between USBU and the companys management - Case Study Example As an example of a successful negotiated compromise was the agreement reached on superannuation. The management team had set a goal of 3%. The Union had demanded 15%. While this gap seems extremely wide and would appear to be irreconcilable, part of the reason was due to management’s overly aggressive goal. Management wished to leave the superannuation at the existing level of 3%. This was probably unrealistically low when confronted by the Union’s demand of a level 5 times that amount. However, management had had the foresight to set a more realistic acceptance level of 9%. This was the agreement that was eventually reached. Offering 4% and accepting no more than 8% may have better served management. The initial offer of 4% would have been viewed as an increase instead of the maintenance of the old rate, and the Union might have been more willing to negotiate towards that level rather than insisting on negotiating towards their 15%. The issue of wages was another source of contention as the Union asked for an unreasonable 15% plus increases linked to the consumer price index (CPI). This was later reduced, but it became generally accepted that it was a key Union demand. This excessive demand was not helpful when management was only offering 1%. The final agreement was for 1.5%, which was considerably higher than managements offer. However, management had expressed no limit on wages or bonuses. ... However, management had expressed no limit on wages or bonuses. This was further exemplified by the Union's demand of a 12% bonus as contrasted to management's offer of 5%. Management was coerced to reach an agreement of this point and had set no acceptance level. The negotiated bonus was 12%, exactly what the Union had demanded. This level may have been reduced if management had set a ceiling and negotiated some of the other soft points in the contract that did not impact the bottom line. The problem was that the priorities were all set with similar importance, which left this priority ill defined. In other areas management totally acceded to the Union's demands. The issue of hiring and staffing was agreed to on the Union's original terms. The goal of management to retain discretion in the hiring of new employees was given up. Management also gave up their ground on the issue of training. Management's original goal of utilizing an outside third party consultant to reach an agreement on how best to implement the training requirements and program was discarded and the Union was able to get nearly all of its original demands. These were issues that the management team could have been more adamant about holding their ground and using the issue to get a more favourable agreement on the more important issues of wages and bonuses. In retrospect, the management team could have been better prepared by setting acceptance levels that could have been agreed upon on wages and bonuses. Failing to have a goal resulted in giving into the Union's demands. In addition, the management team could have made a more realistic offer in the areas of wages, superannuation, hiring, and training. By only offering the pre-existing policies the Union perceived the process as

Marketing report (Strategic analysis of Primark Stores Ltd.) Assignment

Marketing report (Strategic analysis of Primark Stores Ltd.) - Assignment Example Data gathering as a methodology of research is done in an exploratory manner. Sources of data come from secondary information from published statistics, journals and company website. Result of the situation analysis provides Primark vital information as to changes of objectives, strategies and marketing plan in order to attain profitability of the company. Proposal for new objectives, strategies and marketing plan is recommended. Part 1 showed that economic factors slows down growth of the industry, thus limiting potentials of Primark in UK; their leadership in the market is threatened by stiff competition, and that the image created by their â€Å"cheap† product does not augurs well for the company. In view of these findings, part 2 shows changes in the marketing objectives, strategies and marketing plan in order to correspond with the findings. Situation analysis has been done in order to provide information as to decisions for changes and improvement of the company. Title: Strategic Analysis of Primark Stores Ltd. From: To: Date: Strategic analysis of Primark Stores Ltd. Introduction This report comes in two parts. First part reports on the situational analysis of the environmental factors that influences strategic decision of Primark Stores Ltd. Second part details the strategic choices company should undertake in response to the major issues identified in the situation analysis. ... Part 2 includes recommendation for new marketing objectives, targeting and positioning, growth strategies, competitive advantage and a marketing mix program. Method of research. This will be an exploratory research wherein secondary data is gathered from published journals, company website, books and internet sources. Data is collated to form a concrete opinion and findings. Findings will be relevant to the company in forming strategic marketing decisions to improve strategies and approaches in Primark’s operation. Findings and discussion . Part 1. Report begins with the internal analysis of the company, and the external analysis of customers, competitors, and climate. Company. The Primark Stores Ltd. Started operations in Dublin, Ireland in June 1969. Today, it has expanded operations in other places; has increased the total number of its stores from 191 in 2009 to 204 in 2010 and plans to enlarge the number of their stores thru expansion by region. Their stores are located i n Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, Iberia, Spain and in other places Its product line includes women’s wear, lingerie, children’s wear, men’s wear, footwear, accessories, hosiery and home ware. Image created in the market is the cheapest clothing retailer. Primark has become a fashion sensation through its high quality, high fashion basics culture. Immediate goal is to achieve profitability through expansion into new countries, arrive at new products that will excite customers and staff alike. Primark has established its leadership in the market through low cost and differentiation strategies to get the loyalty of its customers. Primark, in its annual report, has reported a 35% increase in income and is considered as an

Curriculum Assessments †Paper Two Essay Example for Free

Curriculum Assessments – Paper Two Essay Curriculum assessments have a variety of purposes depending upon the aim. Overall they have been positive experiences for me throughout my education in their attempt to construct an anonymous forum for feedback in the name of improving the curriculum. They can also prove to be troublesome for particular types of professors and for students who believe they are simply a formality and that they are not actually taken into consideration. In my opinion, this can be a troublesome obstacle in the path of achieving greater transparency between professor performance ratings and the faculty boards that are responsible for the career paths of these professors. An example of a positive experience using curriculum assessments was my freshman year of college. I had an astronomy professor that was very aloof and seemingly arrogant in his lectures, but in his office hours was personable and humorous. He handed out the assessment after our midterm in the hope of improving the course for the second half. He received overwhelming feedback in the same spirit as mine and he made a conscious effort to become more compassionate during his lectures. Needless to say the second half of the semester was much more enjoyable, hopefully for him as well. On the other hand, I had a negative experience with a tenured sociology professor. She had been at the university for over 35 years and she believed since she had been there for so long she would not benefit from student assessments. We took the assessment after midterms and when she reported the results back to the students, she was visibly upset. She took the feedback as a personal attack instead of constructive criticism. The rest of the semester seemed forced and unnatural as she grudgingly held to her tactics. I believe the main purpose of the assessment is to provide students with an anonymous forum to voice their opinion about the professor and the course without fear of repercussion. In addition, assessments can be used by the faculty board to determine which professors deserve a raise, or consideration for tenure. That being said, they have to be taken seriously, by the students, the professors, and the faculty boards. If they are discarded as simple formalities instead of given thoughtful interpretation and implementation, then they become a wasteful bureaucratic process. In this regard, assessments can have a great value as long as they are completed in good faith and are not personal attacks against a professor or a course. They can provide specific examples and criteria on which to judge the success of not only a professor, but the course in general. Furthermore, assessments can be used across the board to map overall trends of the courses and the professors that teach them. Some institutions favor great professors while others are more focused on high profile research projects or on having their professors be powerful publishing presences. If the goal of the institution is on the students themselves, then student assessments are vital parts of determining which professors best suit this aim. I think assessments are an overall positive approach to improving curriculum. They have to remain anonymous in order to maintain their integrity and honesty. Professors need to learn from them in the manner they are intended, that is that they are implemented with the greater good in mind; for the students, for the professors, and for the institutions of guiding principle.

The General Motors Company Analysis

The General Motors Company Analysis General Motors Company was formed in 2009 originally as a Delaware limited liability company, Vehicle Acquisition Holdings LLC and subsequently converted to a Delaware corporation, NGMCO, Inc. The conversion followed the acquisition on July 10, 2009 of a substantial part of all assets while assuming certain liabilities of General Motors Corporation through a 363 Sale under the Bankruptcy Code and subsequent change of name to General Motors Company (General Motors, 2012). As a result of the 363 Sale and other recent restructuring and cost savings initiatives, GM 2012 has improved its financial position and level of operational flexibility as compared to when Old GM operated the business. They commenced operations upon completion of the 363 Sale with a total amount of debt and other liabilities at July 10, 2009 that was $92.7 billion less than Old GMs total amount of debt and other liabilities at July 9, 2009. They reached a competitive labour agreement with their unions, restructured their dealer network and reduced and refocused their brand strategy in the U.S. to their four brands (General Motors, 2011). In November and December of 2010 they consummated a public offering of 550 million shares of their common stock and 100 million shares of Series B Preferred Stock and listed both of these securities on the New York Stock Exchange and the common stock on the Toronto Stock Exchange (General Motors, 2012). Today, General Motors Company is a brand new company with 100 years of history. They remain one of the worlds largest automotive companies with operations in 120 countries and more than 200,000 employees around the world. In 2010, they sold 8.39 million vehicles, more than three-quarters of which were sold outside the U.S. (General Motors, 2011). Small Business Units (SBUs) within GM General Motors Company is divided into five segments, namely GM North America (GMNA), GM Europe (GME), GM International Operations (GMIO), GM South America (GMSA) and GM Financial (General Motors, 2012). Each of these segments can be considered as a Strategic Business Units (SBU). Automotive Business GM product range includes a global vehicle portfolio of cars, crossovers and trucks. GM is committed to leadership in vehicle design, quality, reliability, telematics and infotainment and safety, as well as to developing key energy efficiency, energy diversity and advanced propulsion technologies, including electric vehicles with range extending capabilities such as the Chevrolet Volt. Their business is diversified across products and geographic markets. They meet the local sales and service needs of their retail and fleet customers with a global network of independent dealers. Of their total 2011 vehicle sales volume, 72.3% was generated outside the U.S., including 43.4% from emerging markets, such as Brazil, Russia, India and China (collectively BRIC), which have recently experienced the industrys highest volume growth. Their automotive business is organized into four geographically-based segments (GM North America (GMNA), GM Europe (GME), GM International Operations (GMIO), GM Sou th America (GMSA)) (General Motors, 2012). GMNA, with sales, manufacturing and distribution operations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and sales and distribution operations in Central America and the Caribbean, represented 32.4% of their vehicle sales volume in 2011 and had the largest market share in this market at 18.4% (General Motors, 2012). GME has sales, manufacturing and distribution operations across Western and Central Europe. GMEs vehicle sales volume, which in addition to Western and Central Europe, includes Eastern Europe (including Russia and the other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States among others), represented 19.2% of their vehicle sales volume in 2011. In 2011 they had the number four market share in this market at 8.8%. GMIO distributes Chevrolet brand vehicles which, when sold in Europe, are included in GME vehicle sales volume and market share data (General Motors, 2012). GMIO has sales, manufacturing and distribution operations in Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Vehicle sales volume, which includes Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East, is their largest segment by vehicle sales volume representing 36.6% of global vehicle sales volume including sales through their joint ventures in 2011. In 2011, GMIO had the number two market share for this market at 9.5% and the number one market share in China overall deriving 77.1% of its vehicle sales volume from China (General Motors, 2012). GMSA, with sales, manufacturing and distribution operations in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela as well as sales and distribution operations in Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay represented 11.8% of their vehicle sales volume in 2011. In 2011 they had the largest market share for this market at 18.8% and the number three market share in Brazil. GMSA derived 59.4% of its vehicle sales volume from Brazil (General Motors, 2012). Automotive Financing GM Financial specializes in purchasing retail automobile instalment sales contracts originated by GM and non-GM franchised and selected independent dealers in sale of used and new automobiles. GM Financial also offers lease products through GM dealerships in connection with the sale of used and new automobiles that target customers with sub-prime and prime credit bureau scores. GM Financial primarily generates revenue and cash flows through the purchase, retention, subsequent securitization and servicing of finance receivables. To fund the acquisition of receivables prior to securitization, this financial arm uses available cash and borrowings under its credit facilities. GM Financial earns finance charge income on finance receivables and pays interest expense on borrowings under its credit facilities. Periodically it transfers receivables to securitization trusts that issue asset-backed securities to investors. The securitization trusts are special purpose entities (SPEs) that are a lso variable interest entities that meet the requirements to be consolidated in the financial statements (General Motors, 2012). Current Business Strategies at GM Generic Strategy GM uses differentiation focus strategy, as its competitive strategy. In Britain, you can buy a Vauxhall, a Chevrolet, a Saab, a Cadillac or a Hummer. On the Continent, you can trade in the Vauxhall for an Opel. In China, perhaps youd prefer a Buick, in Dubai a GMC. How about a Holden? Well, youll have to travel to Australia or New Zealand but they are all General Motors brands. Rather than focusing on one product, GM wants its consumers to be able to choose from a variety. Chevrolets are being marketed to entry-level car buyers, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe. Opels and Vauxhalls are for middle market consumers with a progressive take on new technology, Cadillacs have proved popular with wealthy buyers in Russia and Hummers are for people who like Hummers, wherever they happen to be (Pfanner, 2008). Chapter 7 Strategy directions Their vision is to design, build and sell the worlds best vehicles. The primary elements of their strategy to achieve this vision are to: Deliver a product portfolio of the worlds best vehicles, allowing them to maximize sales under any market conditions. Sell their vehicles globally by targeting developed markets, which are projected to have increases in vehicle demand as the global economy recovers, and further strengthening their position in high growth emerging markets. Improve revenue realization and maintain a competitive cost structure to allow them to remain profitable at lower industry volumes and across the lifecycle of their product portfolio and maintain a strong balance sheet by reducing financial leverage given the high operating leverage of their business model (General Motors, 2012). Product development Product development strategy is defined as; developing new products or modifying existing products so they appear new, and offering those products to current or new markets. There is nothing simple about the process. It requires keen attention to competitors and customer needs now and in the future, the ability to finance prototypes and manufacturing processes and a creative marketing and communications plan (Nielsen, 2012). GM uses product development as its corporate strategy by maintaining a broad portfolio of vehicles so that they are positioned to meet global consumer preferences through the following ways: Concentrate their design, engineering and marketing resources on fewer brands and architectures. Increase the volume of vehicles produced from common global architectures to more than 50% of total volumes in 2015 from less than 17% today. They expect that this initiative will result in greater investment per architecture and brand and will increase product development and manufacturing flexibility, allowing maintenance of a steady schedule of important new product launches in the future. The four brand strategy in the U.S. will continue to enable GM to allocate higher marketing expenditures per brand (General Motors, 2012). Develop products across vehicle segments in GM global markets: To develop vehicles in each of the key segments of the global markets in which GM competes. For example, in September 2010 the Chevrolet Cruze was introduced into the U.S. small car segment, an important and growing segment where historically GM had been under represented (General Motors, 2012). Continued investment in a portfolio of technologies: Continue to invest in technologies that support energy diversity and energy efficiency as well as in safety, telematics and infotainment technology. Commitment to advanced propulsion technologies and intention to offer a portfolio of fuel efficient alternatives that use energy sources such as petroleum, bio-fuels, hydrogen and electricity, including the new Chevrolet Volt thus increasing fuel efficiency of GM vehicles with internal combustion engines (General Motors, 2012). This will be achieved through features such as cylinder deactivation, direct injection, variable valve timing, turbocharging with engine downsizing and six speed transmissions. GM expects for example the Chevrolet Cruze Eco to be capable of achieving an estimated 40 mpg on the highway with a traditional internal combustion engine. GM will expand their telematics and infotainment offerings and, as a result of the OnStar service and their partnerships with compani es such as Google, are positioned to deliver safety, security, navigation and connectivity systems and features (General Motors, 2012). GM Diversity Strategy At GM to serve a diverse global market with unique segments they view diversity as a business imperative that should be leveraged on to produce cars that match the different demands in the Market. In their diversity Strategy they focus on five areas (General Motors, 2012); they have customers all over the world and so are dealerships distributed to ensure customer tastes are reflected in GM products (General Motors, 2012). They also have an inclusive workplace environment of choice which allows employees to perform at their peak; including training of staff on diversity as a cultural and business imperative. Through the GM Foundation support to communities is given with an emphasis on diverse sectors; Health, Education, Human rights. Suppliers; through growth of diverse and competitive supply base are also thus included. Through its dealer development network whose mission is to provide a profitable dealer network across all brands that reflects the diversity of the American Market consistent with the US Government designation of the underrepresented groups by supporting: GM Women retail network whose purpose is to attract and develop women dealer. National Candidate Program which purposes to prepare women and minority potential candidates to become GM dealer owners and operators through training (General Motors, 2012) Vertical integration Vertical integration is the process through which a firm owns its upstream suppliers and its downstream buyers. This can have a significant impact on a business units position in its industry with respect to cost, differentiation and other strategic issues, the vertical scope of the firm is an important consideration in corporate strategy. Expansion of activities downstream is referred to as forward integration and expansion upstream is referred to as backward integration (Quick MBA, 2010). GM expands its activities downstream. For the automotive industry, forward integration woul be into retail, repairs and servicing and this is exactly what GM is doing.GM enters into contracts with each authorized dealer agreeing to sell to the dealer one or more specified product lines at wholesale prices and granting the dealer the right to sell those vehicles to retail customers from an approved location. Their dealers often offer more than one GM brand at a single dealership in a number of their markets in order to enhance dealer profitability. Authorized dealers offer parts, accessories, service and repairs for GM vehicles in the product lines that they sell using GM parts and accessories. The dealers are authorized to service GM vehicles under their limited warranty program and those repairs are to be made only with GM parts. The dealers generally provide their customers access to credit or lease financing, vehicle insurance and extended service contracts provided by GM Financia l, Ally Financial, Inc. (Ally Financial) and other financial institutions (United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 2011). The quality of GM dealerships and their relationship with their dealers and distributors are critical to their success as dealers maintain the primary sales and service interface with the end consumer of their products. In addition to the terms of their contracts with their dealers they are regulated by various country and state franchise laws that may replace those contractual terms and impose specific regulatory requirements and standards for initiating dealer network changes, pursuing terminations for cause and other contractual matters (United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 2011). Chapter 8; 8.6, 8.7 Sell GM vehicles globally by continuing to compete in the largest and fastest growing markets globally. They intend to do this by broadening GMNA product portfolio, launching thirteen new vehicles in GMNA across the four brands in 2011 and 2012, primarily in the growing car and crossover segments, where, in some cases, GM is under-represented, and an additional twenty nine new vehicles between 2013 and 2014. GM believes that it has achieved a more balanced portfolio in the U.S. market, where they maintained a sales volume mix of 36% from cars, 38% from trucks and 26% from crossovers in 2010 compared to 51% from trucks in 2006. COMPETITIVE DRIVERS Refresh GMEs vehicle portfolio to improve product quality and product perception in Europe, by the start of 2012, GM plans to have 80% of the Opel/Vauxhall carlines volume refreshed such that the model stylings are less than three years old. Four product launches were scheduled for 2011. As part of the planned rejuvenation of Chevrolets portfolio, which increasingly supplements the Opel/Vauxhall brands throughout Europe, the entire Chevrolet lineup is to be moved to new global architectures (General Motors, 2012). COMPETITIVE DRIVERS Increase sales in GMIO, particularly in China to execute growth strategies in countries where GM already holds strong positions, such as China, and to improve market share in other important markets, including South Korea, South Africa, Russia, India and the ASEAN region. GM aims to launch 70 new vehicles throughout GMIO through 2012 (General Motors, 2012). To enhance and strengthen the GMIO product portfolio three strategies were to be employed: leveraging GM global architectures; pursuing local and regional solutions to meet specific market requirements; and expanding joint venture partner collaboration opportunities. Increase sales in GMSA, particularly in Brazil, GM was to launch 40 new vehicles throughout GMSA through 2011. To strengthen GMSA product portfolio GM had three strategies: leverage on global architectures; pursuing local and regional solutions to meet specific market requirements; and expanding joint venture partner collaboration opportunities (General Motors, 2012). COST DRIVERS; CSD Ensure competitive financing is available to dealers and customers by maintaining multiple financing programs and arrangements with third parties for the wholesale and retail customers to utilize when purchasing or leasing vehicles. Through long standing arrangements with Ally Financial and a variety of other worldwide, regional and local lenders, provide customers and dealers with access to financing alternatives. GM was to further expand the range of financing options available to its customers and dealers to help grow vehicle sales through two specific objectives: ensure certainty of availability of financing; and competitive and transparent pricing for financing, for dealers and customers. GM Financial was to offer increased availability of leasing and sub-prime financing for GM customers in the United States and Canada throughout economic cycles. Plans to use GM Financial to initiate targeted customer marketing initiatives to expand vehicle sales were also in the pipeline (Gener al Motors, 2012). Reduce breakeven levels through improved revenue realization and a competitive cost structure. In developed markets, GM was to improve its cost structure to become profitable at lower industry volumes. Capitalize on cost structure improvement and maintain reduced incentive levels in GMNA by sustaining the cost reduction and operating flexibility progress so far resulting from the North American restructuring. Current U.S. and Canadian hourly labour agreements provide the flexibility to utilize a lower tiered wage and benefit structure for new hires, part-time employees and temporary employees. GM was to increase vehicle profitability by maintaining competitive incentive levels with strengthened product portfolio and by actively managing production levels through monitoring of dealer inventory levels. The twelve months ended December 31, 2010 and based on GMNAs 2010 market share, GMNAs earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) would have achieved breakeven at GMNA wholesale volume of approximately 2.3 million vehicles, consistent with an annual U.S. industry sales volume of approximately 9.5 to 10.0 million vehicles (General Motors, 2012). COST DRIVERS; SE Execute the Opel/Vauxhall restructuring plan. GM expected the Opel/Vauxhall restructuring plan to lower vehicle manufacturing costs. The plan included manufacturing rationalization, headcount reduction, labour cost concessions from the remaining workforce and selling, general and administrative efficiency initiatives. Specifically, GM has reached an agreement to reduce European manufacturing capacity by 20% through, among other things, the closing of Antwerp facility in Belgium and the rationalization of the powertrain operations in our Bochum and Kaiserslautern facilities in Germany. Additionally, GM had reached an agreement with the labour unions in Europe to reduce labour costs by Euro 265 million per year. The objective of the restructuring, along with the refreshed product portfolio pipeline, was to restore the profitability of the GME business. Enhance manufacturing flexibility. Primarily produce vehicles in locations where they are sold and have significant manufacturing capacity in medium- and low-cost countries, intention being to maximize capacity utilization across the production footprint to meet demand without requiring significant additional capital investment. For example, GM was able to leverage the benefit of a global architecture and start initial production for the U.S. of the Buick Regal 11 months ahead of schedule by temporarily shifting production from North America to RÃ ¼sselsheim, Germany (General Motors, 2012). Maintain a strong balance sheet. Given the businesss high operating leverage and the cyclical nature of the Motor industry, GM was to minimize on financial leverage. Excess cash was to be used to repay debt and to make discretionary contributions to the U.S. pension plans. Based on this planned reduction in financial leverage and the anticipated benefits resulting from operating strategy described above, GM would aim to attain an investment grade credit rating over the long-term (General Motors, 2012). Internationalization and Information Communication Strategy General Motors GM seeks to leverage on ICT to increase operational efficiency while generating value through saved costs.To execute this strategy, GM embraced a globally unified business model that emphasized the deployment of highly standardized engineering and manufacturing platforms that could be easily implemented and supported in any market around the world. The global, standards-based operating model would accelerate GMs move into emerging markets and generate efficiencies and cost savings through the use of common infrastructure components and processes. Among key initiatives designed to support the new unified operating model, GM invested in information technologies to more tightly integrate its manufacturing plants across the globe, control costs, and accelerate the introduction of new communications and collaboration applications. Key to this strategy was the implementation of modern standards-based network architecture called the Plant Floor Controls Network (PFCN) at mo re than 150 GM manufacturing plants worldwide (Cisco, 2010). Based on a single set of Cisco-based network designs and equipment, the PFCN solution replaced GMs aging and heavily customized legacy networks that were becoming increasingly unreliable, as well as difficult and expensive to maintain. The move to the PFCN solution enabled GM to standardize the design of each plant network and establish a single engineering team that monitors and troubleshoots network operations globally. The result: network downtime has dropped by about 70%, leading to fewer unplanned work stoppages on the plant floor. Furthermore, GM now needs two-thirds fewer network engineers and analysts to support the same number of plants (Cisco, 2010). The standardized Cisco network design also helped GM rationalize and reduce its legacy inventory of network devices and spare parts, cutting inventory carrying costs by 70%. It also allowed GM to create cost-efficient global applications that can be rolled out to plants quickly, and to automate system-management tasks like upgrades and patches. As a result, GM now spends 30% less time managing plant software. According to an analysis by Mainstay Partners, GMs investment in the Cisco-based PFCN solution will generate a return on investment (ROI) of 166% (Cisco, 2010). The full range of benefits is illustrated in Figure 1 and includes: Figure 1 What? Financial Consequence $ Million Labor Cost Saving as a result an efficient deployment of network Engineers 21.2 Labor cost saving from more efficient deployment of network operations analysts 53.9 one-off savings from faster network setups at each plant 16.4 Cost Saving from leaner inventory quantities 5.4 Reduced lost unit profit contribution from higher network uptime 76.4 Total PFCN additional benefits in the next five years (estimate) 173 (Cisco, 2010) Describe the processes through which the strategy has been developed/formed based on your findings and knowledge/experience. (i.e., is it intended as a written document (as a plan), or emergent as a pattern of decision-making/activities/behaviours. Refer to Chapter 12). Chapter 12 Evaluation of GMs intended strategy As consequence of many years of bad strategic decisions and operational troubles GM US market share has fallen to 20 percent for the first time in decades (51 percent at the peak of the company dominance) and its sales outside the United States now almost equal its domestic sales. GM has become a bureaucratic organization with immense dimensions and difficult to manage. The innovation and customer focus orientation that once served as the pillar of the organization had blurred. For many years now, GM has been producing boring and low quality cars with lack of innovation and distinctiveness creating a total disconnection between customers needs and its products (Vaccara, 2009). GM core problems were: Deficient product development (including lack of innovation) and the difficulty to develop cars that appeal to the market had created a bad reputation for its brands and the company in general. Lack of customer focus orientation and the impossibility to listen to the market voice had been impeding GM to create customer value and therefore hurting its sales in large scale. Disproportioned increase in healthcare and benefits costs giving in to union demands and creating a program that paid workers even when plants were not running had created financial deficiencies and affected cash flows and operations. The increasing size of its divisional organizational structure due to bureaucracy and the difficulty to manage many brands across many markets around the world had developed into a major managerial problem for the company (Vaccara, 2009). Emergent strategy On 2nd June, 2009, General Motors declared itself bankrupt in a legal filing at a federal courthouse in downtown Manhattan, kicking off the biggest industrial insolvency in US history. According to GMs bankruptcy filing, the company had assets of $82.3 billion, and liabilities of $172.8 billion. That would make GM the fourth largest U.S. bankruptcy on record, according to Bankruptcydata.com, just behind the 2002 bankruptcy of telecom WorldCom (Cark, 2009). GM used the trip into bankruptcy court to shed plants, dealerships, debt and other liabilities it could no longer afford. Emerging out of bankruptcy quickly was a new GM, made up of the four brands that GM would keep in the U.S. market; Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick as well as many of its more successful overseas operations (Isidore, 2009). Obama said the massive reorganization of GM would leave the US government holding 60% of the companys equity. But it was necessary to preserve an iconic symbol of American business and maintain a viable US auto industry (Cark, 2009). Todays GMs business strategy is developed as a result of the failures of the Old GM and their determination not to repeat the same mistakes. Most of the current strategies are part of those imposed on the old GM when it borrowed money. Evaluate innovation/entrepreneurship practices/strategies used by the organization. Refer Chapter 9. Innovation and Entrepreneurship GMs innovation is driven by market pull. Market pull reflects a view of innovation that goes beyond invention and sees the importance of actual use. At GM, managements are making an effort to establish a direct connection with customers and giving the impression that their voice is now important for the company. It now offers a 60 day satisfaction warranty. This strategy is reflected under the slogan: If you dont love it well take it back. GM is also producing some environmentally friendly vehicles. A more environmentally conscious population seem to be very interested and this strategy seems to work fine due to the rising cost of fuel. Therefore it is extremely necessary to address issues like availability of alternative fuels and revise current infrastructure to estimate feasibility of the strategy in the long run (Vaccara, 2009). Open or closed innovation Open innovation means that valuable ideas can come from inside or outside the company and can go to market from inside or outside the company as well (Chesbrough, 2003), while closed innovation is a traditional approach to innovation where organizations rely on their own internal resources; its laboratories and marketing departments (Johnson, Whittington, Scholes, 2011). GM applies an open innovation framework. GM gathers its data from customer clinics and marketing surveys and combine this information with formalized assessments of new technology. These analyses are used to guide vehicle and feature concept studies, which are critically reviewed to determine appropriate responses to emerging market and business opportunities. A response can be that no action is taken on a particular idea if they do not think it will yield true value for the customer. But more typically, the response leads to action, which is taken along one of two paths (Howell, 2000). The first path is to get it into the product now. This route is taken if the technology is ready and getting it into a product is just a matter of final development and vehicle integration. In this case, it is targeted for a production date and becomes part of the product plan. When a technology is not yet mature, it is the responsibility of the RD Center to develop it to the point where it is ready for integration into a future product (Howell, 2000). The intent of the innovation process is to ensure that a steady stream of product and technology options is developed on the basis of the companys sense of where the market is headed. These options are potential responses that GM can use to capitalize quickly on new opportunities. The process is designed to be dynamic, with new information and ideas moving continuously through the system. Each time the company goes through an innovation cycle, they gain knowledge and discover new ways to apply it to subsequent product and technology programs (Howell, 2000). Innovators or Followers The key choice of GM managers is to be leaders and not followers. The firm is trying to get its innovation out to the market and make it first than anybody else. GM wants to become a worldwide leader automaker providing total customer value through customer-driven service, innovation, technology and competitive operations. They want to re-invent the automobile industry focusing on protecting and contributing to a cleaner world. They want to become a good place to work, a place in which every employee feels proud of its responsibilities and performance with the company. A place in which, customers and suppliers are their top priority and communications with them are fluent in every possible contact point. A place in which, distributors are proud to become part of their family and feel confident of the quality and safety of their products. Finally, they must experiment with ideas to develop new designs and innovative products and launch them accordingly, to satisfy consumer taste and a llow stockholders to realize a fair return on their investment (General Motors, 2011). Conclusion