ABC company’s Risk Profile Essay

ABC Company Risk Profile The ABC company is a manufacturing firm that specializes in making cedar roofing and siding shingles, with recent sales at $1.2 million, the company wants to reach the $3 million mark over the next 3 years. As a newly hired Corporate Controller for this company, I have been assigned the task of developing and overlooking a new plan made by the CEO that will use some of the shingle scrap materials to build cedar houses. The newly develop plan will certainly bring new challenges for the company on the form of increased cost and labor; However it will also provide additional revenue and gross profit to help reach the growth targets. On this paper I would go over the details of the report made for the CEO that includes information on the overall risk profile based on actual market conditions, a current company cash flow, the product cost and any potential investments that might accelerate profits. See more:  The Story of an Hour Literary Analysis Essay The Risk profile for this company includes several different factors that are mostly due to current market conditions, and the level of risk the company will face by adding extra inventory and expenses. Unfortunately risk is a reality of doing business, whether the company is large or small, public or private, risk will always be present since nothing on the business world warrants a guarantee. Some of the key risk points are: Inventory represents a big portion of the cash flow, therefore having extra inventory on hand will have an impact on the company’s future cash flow; payroll is also directly related to the cash flow since it takes a big portion of the monthly budget, therefore increasing the manufacturing capabilities of the factory as well as adding a new line of production will increase the payroll thus having an impact on cash flow reports; Economic downturn, that might affect prices of inventory to be purchased, therefore affecting the potential growth as well as hav ing an impact on reaching  forecasted company goals.

A Biographical Review of the Glass Menagerie

A Biographical Analysis of The Glass Menagerie and Tennessee Williams It’s apparent in the play and the life of Tennessee Williams that he was, in fact, writing about himself and his family when he wrote The Glass Menagerie. The Glass Menagerie was the first success of Tennessee Williams career. He says in the beginning of the play, †I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion† (Williams 47). The characters Tom, Laura, and Amanda are very much like Williams, his sister Rose, and his mother Edwina.We are able to see this when we look into Tennessee Williams’ life. Tom, the narrator, can be viewed as himself, Thomas Lanier Williams. There are many similarities between his life and his character Tom’s life. These similarities can be found in his actions, the actions in the life of his family. First we look at Tennessee Williams life, and how it is very identical to the life of the character Tom. â€Å"He is the narrator, an undisguised inventi on of the play. He takes whatever license with dramatic convention as is convenient to his purposes.I am the narrator of the play, and also a character in it. The other characters are my mother, Amanda, my sister, Laura. † (Williams 47). Tom is the narrator, and the narrator is the one who tells the story, we can justify that Tom resembles Tennessee Williams. This means we can also relate Amanda to Williams mother Edwina Williams and Laura as his sister, Rose Williams. Tennessee Williams dropped out of high school when his father asked him to leave school to work in a warehouse. In the play, Tom also dropped out of school to work in a shoe factory.Tom says,† Listen! You think I’m crazy about the warehouse! You think I’m in love with the Continental Shoemakers? You think I want to spend fifty-five years down there in that Celotex interior! With fluorescent tubes! Look! I’d rather somebody picked up a crowbar and battered out my brains than go back mor nings! † (Williams 56). Both Williams and Tom blamed their families for their horrible jobs and the lives they lived. Williams loved poetry and was his way of escaping the thought of his terrible job and depressing life. Tom is also a poet in our play. Jim knew of my secret practice of retiring to a cabinet of the washroom to work on poems when business was slack in the warehouse. He called me Shakespeare. † (Williams 68). Both Tom and Williams wanted to get out of their real lives by playwright and poetry. Like Tom, Tennessee Williams left home to live in New Orleans when he was 28. Moreover, Tom is a little bit younger than this in the play. Tom leaves home in the end because it is holding him back from what he wants to do. â€Å"His nature is not remorseless, but to escape from a trap he has to act without pity. † (Williams 46).The father in The Glass Menagerie worked for a phone company who fell in love with distance. †He gave up the job with the telepho ne company and skipped the light fantastic of this town. † (Williams 47). Tennessee Williams’ father was a traveling salesman. Just like in The Glass Menagerie, Williams’ father was also not home as often as his family would’ve liked. While he was growing up, Tennessee Williams and his family moved into an apartment in St. Louis. The front door of their house was opening up to look at an alley. In the play, Tom describes to the audience where his family lives.He says, â€Å"The apartment faces an alley and is entered by a fire-escape, a structure whose name is a bit of accidental truth, for all of these huge buildings are always burning with the slow and implacable fires of human desperation. â€Å"(Williams 46). Also, Tennessee Williams eventually spent some time at Washington University in St. Louis but ended up going to the University of Iowa instead. In The Glass Menagerie, Tom’s mother Amanda says to him, â€Å"a night-school course in accou nting at Washington-U! Just think what a wonderful thing that would be for you son. † (Williams 62).We can see how Tennessee Williams didn’t want to remain in St. Louis University to attend school. Tennessee Williams and his sister were very close. him around like a ghost through his life and his art because she was not all there with him. However, he loved her very much, like Tom in The Glass Menagerie loves his sister Amanda. Tom says to his mother, â€Å"Laura seems all those things to you and me because she’s ours and we love her. We don t even notice she’s crippled anymore. † (Williams 66). It is also true that the Character Laura in The Glass Menagerie is very much like Williams’ sister Rose.She was diagnosed clinically insane in 1938 after he graduated from the University of Iowa. It’s obvious that Laura seems very strange sometimes. Tom say’s â€Å"Laura is very different from other girls. Through the eyes of strangers, she’s terribly shy, and lives in a world of her own and those things maker her seem a little peculiar to people outside the house. † (Williams 66). Rose spent almost all of her life in sanitariums. Edwina tried to find Rose a mate by sending her to Business College, but failed her first assignment and never continued.Amanda says to Laura, â€Å"No dear, you go in the front room and study your typewriter chart. Or practice your shorthand a little. Stay fresh and pretty! It’s almost time for our gentlemen callers to start arriving. (Williams 50). Amanda had also sent Laura to business school. In the play, Laura cracks under pressure and the scrutiny of her typewriting teacher and does not get a job to support her self. In Amanda and in Rose Williams’ life there was a gentleman caller in particular for Rose/Laura, who opened them up but never came back. â€Å"We are going to have one. What? A gentleman caller!Do you realize that he’s the first young man we’ve introduced to your sister? It’s terrible, dreadful, disgraceful that poor little sister has never received a single gentleman caller! † (Williams 64). Both in our play and also for the real Rose Williams, hopes were restrained on this young man whose characters referred to as Jim in The Glass Menagerie. Jim mistakes Laura’s absence of school for her sickness as Blue Roses and ends up referring to her as this through high school. This can also provide evidence that Laura is Rose Williams. In the start of The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams says this about Laura. A childhood illness has left her crippled exquisitely fragile. † (Williams 46). Rose was more mentally inept instead of having bad leg like Laura. However, they are both defected fragile young women who were abandoned by their fathers, gentlemen callers, and brothers in the end. Williams and his mother didn’t get along much and says this of her, â€Å"A little woman of g reat but confused vitality clinging frantically to another time and place certainly she has endurance and a kind of heroism, and though her foolishness makes her unwittingly cruel at times, there is great tenderness in her slight person. (Williams 46). This identifies description of what Edwina Williams was like. She obviously had many bad experiences with Tennessee Williams’ father that made her sad and difficult for Williams. Furthermore even though they didn’t get along, Williams loved his mother very much. His mother raised Williams almost entirely herself. She was domineering of him and very sheltering. Proof can be found during the exchange at the dinner table Amanda says to Tom â€Å"So chew your food and give your salivary glands a chance to function! You re not excused from the table.You smoke too much. † (Williams 48). There are many instances where it is shown that, like in real life, the mother and son have a difficult time with each other. Tom is ve ry impatient of his mother but later says, â€Å"now that we cannot hear the mothers speech, her silliness is gone and she has dignity and tragic beauty. † (Williams 88). This evidence proves that, in the end, Williams loved his mother very much In the end of the play Tom says †Oh Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be!I reach for a cigarette, I cross the street, I run into the movies or a bar, I buy a drink, and I speak to the nearest stranger anything that can blow your candles out! For nowadays the world is lit by lightning! Blow out your candles, Laura and so good-bye. â€Å"(Williams 88). Tennessee Williams’ literary work was entirely in recognition and memoir to his sister, his family, and his life. Works Cited Rusinko, Susan. â€Å"Biography Of Tennessee Williams. † Critical Insights: Tennessee Williams. 8-13. n. p. : Salem Press, 2010. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Nov. 2012. Williams, Tennes see. The Glass Menagerie. New York: New Directions, 1999. Print.

Bsa Week

Why is it important to define adequately the use of a system? It is important to define the use of a system, because to know how to use it you need to understand what is was made for and what its requirements were and that made it so. It is very important to understand this and develop systems which will verity the quality in which the system was developed for. The systems ground work will be defined but its specifications and its requirements, which will be illustrated and lardier their function in a design document.What the system will accomplish is understood by what the systems requirements are. How these requirements will be met will be understood by the system specifications set by the client whom the system will serve. These two combined create the system, in which if made correctly will be made to be used with eased by the user operating the system developed. This will allow for design documentation, which will help a project team develop quality accumulation that will develop effective design documentation.This will improve stability that will allow the system to be easy and cheap to maintain. System analysis must gather accurate information to ensure that all needs are addressed, If this Is not performed properly. The system will result as a failure. Therefore It Is required to define adequately the use of a system. List five Items a typical design document contains.

Administrative Ethics-HIPAA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Administrative Ethics-HIPAA - Essay Example The specifics of these objectives are highlighted under Title II and I respectively. Section one embodies the protection of health covers for workers and their families. This part is meant to ensure easy transfer of health insurance covers from an old employer to a new employer or at least guarantee the continuation of cover in the event of job loss. On the other hand, section II details administrative specifics under Administrative Simplification (AS) (Banks, 2006). The AS section dictates requirements in establishing nationwide standards, which define the manner in which healthcare transactions are conducted electronically. It also defines the specific identifiers for employers, insurance plans and healthcare providers. This section helps simplify administrative challenges emerging from requirements of portability. The AS section also addresses issues of privacy and security of patients’ information and records. Since its ambitious implementation, HIPAA has expanded its infl uence on to major health issues such as security, confidentiality, privacy and simplification (Banks, 2006). In a nutshell, HIPAA promises an effective and efficient mode of disseminating and sharing electronic information in the healthcare sector. The compliance deadline was 2003 and a slight extension for harmonization of some minor plans. Since 2003, the plan has gained widespread adherence by various players including health insurers, employer sponsored healthcare plans, healthcare service providers and clearing houses in the sector. In spite of its positive outlook and gains made, HIPAA still raises numerous challenges with regard to its implementation. This paper reviews one of the significant challenges in HIPAA’s implementation by highlighting a newspaper article covering the issue of disclosure. The article under highlight appeared in the New York Times on 3rd July, 2007. The piece of work by Jane Gross is titled â€Å"Keeping Patients’ Details Private, Even From Kin.† Disclosure Issues in HIPAA’s Implementation HIPAA dictates the rules of disclosure and non-disclosure for Protected Health Information (PHI). However, Gross (2007), indicates that a number of studies have shown that a number of healthcare providers are applying HIPAA inappropriately. These providers and practitioners under them apply the regulations overzealously by being excessively and unnecessarily prohibitive. These acts have left caretakers, family members, law enforcement officers and public health officers unable to access information that is essential for their operations and life. Gross’ article presents this challenge by citing various real-life situations in which family members have been barred from staying with their kin or assessing their treatment chart information while undergoing treatment. Gross cites Mr. Nussbaum’s case in which he was barred from staying with his father or checking his treatment chart as an example of misinte rpretation of the act (Gross, 2007). A similar case involving Ms. Banks saw her drive from Oklahoma to Tampa to get information about her mother because this could not be disclosed over the . On arrival, she had to spend another 24 hours before she could get the disclosure from the doctor involved, simply because the nurse feared going against HIPAA (Gross, 2007). These examples show the frustrations that family and other parties such as researchers have when seeking patient information. The bigger challenge is that while there are â€Å"good faith nondisclosures,† there are also numerous cases of â€Å"bad faith nondisclosures† that unnecessarily bar access to information. For example,

Philosophy - gun control article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philosophy - gun control article - Essay Example However, in November 1993, legislators passed the Brady bill. The Brady bill mandated federal checks on the background of purchasers of firearms in the United States. However, has this bill been successfully instituted? Has it had tangible results? This paper aims to show how this bill, while noble in intention, has failed to address the real nature and reason for criminal activity, via the eyes of the author. The notion about linkage of violence and guns, however, immaculately documented is mistaken. Firearms and their possession do not cause a surge in crime rates. The resulting legislation of laws controlling possession of firearms causes the surge in crime rates. Violence and crime rates are currently below the monstrous rates, witnessed in the 70’s. An increase in population of 15-24 year old males, who are noted as being the at-risk population, will inevitably lead to worsening crime rates. There is certainly no evidence that this fresh criminal generation will find it more difficult to obtain firearms than their elder statesmen will. As the violence grows, call for harsher laws will escalate. However, each piece of legislation will only precede renewed frustration over seemingly un-deterred criminals (Polsby 1). The argument that gun control works is ignorant, to say the least. Markets that deal with the illicit trade of firearms will always find a way to adapt to the intense scrutiny, regulation and bureaucracy hurled at them by the legitimate world. It is also worth noting that the increased control of firearm supply infringes on privacy interests and freedom, which are the foundation of American life. Moreover, the war on prostitution, pornography and drugs should at least educate us on the methodology of illicit markets and expenses the public has to foot in a doomed effort to control them (Polsby 1). The Brady bill is an amalgam of two types of firearm control laws in the US; those that seek to the regulate

Analytical and Critical questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analytical and Critical questions - Essay Example This is circumstantial evidence for a Creator, in this case of the watchmaker. There are numerous similar examples offered by Paley to support his claims. The most important implication is that science is subservient to religion. But the greatest rebuttal to this assertion would come in the form of Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection a century after the publication of Natural Theology. The arguments offered by Paley are very eloquent and persuasive, yet not decisive. His assumptions and premises are dubious in many instances. To be fair to Paley, writing as he did a century before the arrival of Charles Darwin in the scientific scene, his arguments were handicapped by the lack of evidences to the contrary that are offered in abundance by Darwin. Yes, many natural phenomena can be explained scientifically without resort to argument from divine intervention. Perhaps, Paley’s passion for religion has biased his views. By virtue of stating a strong thesis, the author is compelled to look and select evidence in support of it. Perhaps a free exposition of the subject would have lead to a balanced rhetoric and findings. Paley’s Natural Theology is relevant today as a specimen of logical rigour and refined styles of argument. Its thesis has steadily lost relevance since the age of the Enlightenment and that trend continues today. Richard Dawkins’ main argument is that the forces of evolution give an illusion of deliberate design, whereas in truth, they were shaped by gradual and random mutations sifted by the filters of natural selection. Drawing on the analogy of the watchmaker by William Paley, Dawkins produces his polemic by systematically dismantling the theory by design as applicable to life forms on earth. Dawkins shows that random mutations at the level of the DNA, when filtered and selected under the process of

Why should businesses today act ethically and socially responsible Term Paper

Why should businesses today act ethically and socially responsible - Term Paper Example Businesses that act in an unethical manner have a low chance of being successful. A concept that has gained a lot of popularity in the business world is corporate social responsibility. Corporate social responsibility can be defined as the obligation of companies of behaving in ethical and moral ways (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2003). The purpose of this paper is to describe the reasons why companies should act in ethical and socially responsible manners. The use of ethics should be applied in all aspects of a business. Ethics involves decisions between right and wrong. For ethics to manifest itself in a company the top managers of the company must encourage its employees to act in an ethical manner. The actions of the employees determine the ethical actions of a business. It takes one rotten apple among the staff for unethical behavior to manifest itself. A way to encourage ethics in a company is to establish an ethical code of conduct. The employees must know what is expected of t hem. They must also realize that there are consequences for unethical behavior such as fines, suspension, or termination of employment. Managers have great influence over the ethical behavior of an enterprise. There have been numerous cases of companies that went through ethical scandals that destroyed their reputation and in some cases led to the demise of the firm. Three of those cases are Nike, Enron, and Chiquita. Nike Corporation in the late 1990’s was involved in a sweatshop scandal. A sweatshop is a work environment in which the employees are exploited due to sub-human working conditions and extremely low wages. In the aftermath of the scandal Nike lost half its revenues the following year. Chiquita Brands International is a food producer that specializes in the banana marketplace. Between 1997 and 2004 the company’s subsidiary in Columbia, Banadex, made payments for protection to the terrorist organization UAC. The firm was convicted in a U.S. court for its une thical actions and fined $25 million. The reputation of the firm was destroyed. The Enron Corporation was one of the most successful and respected U.S. firms in the energy industry. Unfortunately its executive management team was corrupt, delinquent, and unethical. The company cooked up the accounting books reporting billions of dollars of fake income. The accounting scandal led to at the time the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history. Corporate social responsibility has gained a lot of popularity in the 21st century. The general population worldwide has increased its expectation of what businesses should do for society. People have realized that the private industry has a lot more wealth that all governmental institutions combined. There are millions of corporations in the world. These companies have been getting rich off the efforts and sacrifice of people for years. Society has reached a crossroad in which there are so many social problems to attend that the need has come for others to step in and become a part of the solution. The business world has become that significant other that people looked up to become an active partner. Some of the problems that need the immediate and recurrent assistance of the corporate world are world hunger, the aids epidemic, environmental damage, and extreme poverty. Nearly 1/8th of the global population is suffering from chronic undernourishment (Worldhunger, 2013). It is in the best interest for corporations to act in socially responsible ways. Customers today have become more conscious of the actions of the company they buy products from. A firm that has a strong corporate social responsibility program can benefit greatly from the support of its customers and shareholders. The stock prices of companies that act in socially r

System Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

System Analysis - Essay Example Use cases can be used for almost every kind of project for the reason that they are cooperative in providing information about planning related issues and requirements of the project. Thus, in the beginning of a project the majority use cases should be defined, however as the project carries on more capacity turns out to be noticeable. In simple words, the basic purpose of use case diagram is to recognize the major elements and procedures that make up the system. These major elements are recognized as "actors" and the procedures are known as "use cases." In this scenario, the use case diagram demonstrates which actors relate with each use case (Braun et al., 2011) and (Chitnis et al., 2003). Use Case Diagram of WBF Ltd rental system B- Use case description The process of defining the overall use case along with main aspects of interactions between the system and the users is known as use case description. In the scenario of system development, the main purpose of use case description is to explain overall procedures in addition to aspects those are demonstrated in the diagram so that the viewer can have better overview of the interactions and processes (Sommerville, 2004) and (Pressman, 2001). Rental Process Use case description Use case Description This use case describes the process of film rental for customer. In this scenario a customer places a request for the film. In case film is available then customer provides his personal details. After recording customer details system stores the system film rental information and processes payment information. After payment processing system delivers the receipt to the customer. Precondition/s In order to process film rental request there is a precondition for the availability of the film in stock. If the required film is available in the film stock then the system processes the film rental request. Post condition/s For the successful completion of the overall rental process, there is a need to implement a proper ap proach for processing the payment of customer. After receiving payment from the customer, system carries out the rental requests as well as provides it by saving customer and film information and delivering the payment receipt. Steps I have outlined below some of the main steps for the overall process of film rental case: Customer requests for renting a film Customer selects the desired movie Customer provides personal details Customer pays the required cost of film he wants to take on rent System saves information System delivers receipt Assuming that the customer has chosen the film and it is available to rent out, produce a step-by-step use case description for the use case ‘Check out Film’ in WBF Ltd rental system using an appropriate template/format that should include: C- Role of class diagram Class diagrams are the foundation of object-oriented design and analysis. Class diagrams demonstrate the classes of the main system that we are going to develop, their invol vements (comprising aggregation, inheritance as well as relationship), and the characteristics and processes of the classes. Moreover, class diagrams are used to carry out a broad range of functions, such as together domain/abstract modeling and comprehensive design

Interrelation Between Foucauldian Concepts of Sexuality and Confession Essay

Interrelation Between Foucauldian Concepts of Sexuality and Confession - Essay Example Therefore, at the subconscious level of mind, the person learns through confession to acknowledge the social institutions (that boost up one another and that are interrelated with each other), in other words, the society as the power over his or her life, while learning to view body as an object that needs to be reigned carefully and to remain in continual vigilance. (Reich, 1966: 35-37) According to Foucault, how confession is related to sexuality essentially involves learning about the truth of human body or what Foucault calls the science of sexuality (‘scientia sexualis’). Indeed Foucault’s concepts of ‘confession and sexuality’ are indispensably interwoven with his â€Å"theory of social discipline† in the sense that his theory considers the physicality or the organic existence of body –a seat of needs and appetite- as a subject of politics and power. Foucault assumes that confession comprises â€Å"all those procedures by which th e subject is incited to produce a discourse of truth about his sexuality which is capable of having effects on the subject himself† (Foucault, 1980: 110). Confession produces subjectivity through the authority of speech about sex. Indeed confession and sexuality are related with each other through a power-subject relationship. (Tambling, 1990: 49) When sexuality represents body as a subject to power, confession plays a dual role in power mechanism. Not only has it provided power with the scope to exercise control over the body by informing power of the self-willed, honest and spontaneous truth about human body, but also it assists the confessor over the subject of confession, sex, by distancing it as an object to be discussed. Foucault believes that confession plays â€Å"a central role in the order of civil and religious powers†¦The truthful confession was inscribed at the heart of the procedures of individualization by power [and has become] one of the West’s mo st highly valued techniques for producing truth† (Foucault, 1990: 58). In the very first place, the obligation to confess itself is the sign of power’s influence on the individual, as Foucault writes about it: â€Å"the obligation to confess†¦is so deeply ingrained in us, that we no longer perceive it as the effect of a power that constrains us; on the contrary, it seems to use that truth, lodged in our most secret nature, ‘demands’ only to surface† (Foucault, 1990: 60). This urge of an individual to confess evolves his or her discomfort under the panoptic gaze of power. Smart (1995: 88) explains Foucault’s concept of panoptic as following: The Panopticon was to function as an apparatus of power by virtue of the field of visibility in which individuals were to be located, each in their respective places ... for a centralized and unseen observer. In this schema subjects were to be individualized in their own space, to be visible, and to be conscious of their potentiality constant and continuous visibility. (Foucault, 1975: 88) By confessing the confessor becomes affected in two ways: first, he or she becomes a part of power’s panoptic gaze, which imposes constant surveillance on sex, by internalizing it more; second, the confessor reaffirms his or her identity in term of power relations, since sex holds the truth of

In-depth Economic Analysis of Brazil, Russia, India and China Essay

In-depth Economic Analysis of Brazil, Russia, India and China - Essay Example The term BRIC was in a way, created in the year 2001 by Jim O’Neill. Since then, the term BRIC has rather evolved into a concept which refers to economic growth. Each of the four emerging nations owns most of the components required to attain superior economic development in the world of today (â€Å"EconomyWatch†, 2010). Country Profiles Brazil In terms of country area, Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world with the country size being 8,514,877 sq km. The estimated population of Brazil in 2012 is 205,716,890; which is also fifth largest in the world. The rate of population growth hovers around 1.1% while 87% of the country’s population resides in urban areas. The age structure of Brazil illustrates that 67% of the inhabitants lie in the age bracket of 15-64 years, which is a healthy sign for any growing economy. The literacy rate, which stands at 88.6%, is pretty encouraging. Portuguese is the state’s official language. As far as the division o f population on the basis of religion is concerned, 73.6% of the population is Roman Catholic while 15.4% is Protestant. Brazil achieved independence in the year 1822, after more than three hundred years of Portuguese rule. The country continued with a monarchical government system up till the abandonment of slavery in 1888, followed by a declaration of a republic in 1889. The coffee exporters used to politically control the country until Getulio Vargas assumed power in 1930. In the year 1985, Brazil acquired freedom from military and populist rule. Ever since, it has set itself on the expedition of industrial and agricultural development. Economy Review The economy of Brazil revolves around hefty and well-managed sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, mining and services; which have made Brazil an economic leader in South America. Since the year 2003, Brazil has gained strength on a macro-economic basis, with the piling up of foreign reserves in addition to betterment of debt posit ion. Brazil has been one of the initial economies to demonstrate a recovery after the 2008 recession. By securing the position of the world’s seventh biggest economy in 2011, Brazil has been able to comfortably outshine United Kingdom (â€Å"CIA†, 2012). Russia Russia enjoys the first position with respect to country size in the world, as it has a total area of 17,098,242 sq km. The country’s estimated population in 2012 is 138,082,178, which is ninth highest among all countries. The rate of population growth has been a negative 0.48%. 73% population is located in urban areas. With reference to economic standpoint, the age structure is a promising one with almost 71% of the country’s people in the age category of 15-64. The literacy rate is very high at 99.4%. With respect to religion, 15-20% of the population is Russian Orthodox while around 10-15% is Muslim. However, Russia is known for a large number of nonbelievers primarily because of the legacy left by the Soviet era. Russian has always been the official language of the country. After 2 centuries of Mongol rule, the Principality of Muscovy was established in the 12th century. Up till the 19th century, numerous territorial acquisitions were undertaken

Platos Perspectives on Society, Organization and Leadership Essay Example for Free

Platos Perspectives on Society, Organization and Leadership Essay Main views about society Plato wrote in his book called the Republic. The Republic was written around 380 (BC). In this book Plato tries to define justice, right order and character of the just city and the just man. In the Republic different philosophers like Socrates try to argue, what is the meaning of justice. They also discuss if a just man is happier than an unjust man, if they are ruled by just philosopher kings. (Brickhouse, Thomas Smith, Nicholas, 2010) Plato view, that a just city has to be ruled by these philosopher kings. Plato believed in an aristocratic system of ruling, not the democratic way of ruling. The kings have to be educated by philosophers, so that they would be like philosophers. Or philosophers should be elected as rulers. Anyhow he did not like some much about democracy and little educated leaders. (Brickhouse, Thomas Smith, Nicholas, 2010) Plato thinks that there are many dangers in the democracy. People do not always choose the wisest persons at the elections. Sometimes they choose those, who can speak nicely. The knowledge is not the main criteria for choosing people at the democracy, but Plato thinks that those who know should be elected as rulers. (Saarinen 1985, p.43) Plato was pessimistic about people. According to him common people were bad and acted normally irrationally. People lived according to their selfish desires and bad beliefs. People did not follow the laws by their hearts, but because they were afraid of punishment. (Plato 360 BC, p.45) According to Plato people could not live alone. They needed each other. Plato said, that it is good for people to live in communities, by this way people can exchange products. (Plato 360 BC, p.75) Plato believes that the society has to be well ordered, this will lead into good moral in the society. Fine social order and education will educate good people. These good people, who are well educated, will be better than their parents (People living before them.). (Plato 360 BC, p.117, 353, 380) Plato thinks that a human soul and society have similarities. They both have same particles. Parts of the soul are like social classes in the society. If these parts / social classes are in harmony, there will be justice. There are three different classes in the society: Productive, protective and governing class. Productive class is workers: farmers, blacksmiths, carpenters, ranchers, etc. Part of the soul for these people is appetite. Second class is protective class. These people are warriors and guardians. They are strong and courageous. Part of the soul for these people is the spirit. Third class is the governing. These people are rulers or philosopher kings. They are rational, wise, self-controlled. These people can make good decisions for the society. These people are like the reason part of the soul. These people are very few. (Saarinen 1985, p.42-43) Plato already saw corruption in the society. He said that it is needed rule of law to prevent corruption. The government and guardians have to really guard the society that the order and rule of law can exist. (Plato 360 BC, p.141) Love of wisdom should be one of main values of the society. (Plato 360 BC, p.397) There should be order, not anarchy, in the society. If there is order children can orderly live with their parents and they can learn from their parents. In the same way masters can learn from their scholars. There should be some fear between son and a father and pupil and a teacher. This fear keeps the order. (Plato 360 BC, p.328-329) Plato’s Perspectives on Organization Plato thought that there are three classes in the society, which should have a good co-operation and they should live in a harmony. According to Plato’s views organization has three different groups (classes). Somebody might also think that these groups (classes) have strict borderlines. This means that it is difficult to step from one group to another group. It is difficult to go over lines to another class at the organization. Plato sees an organization as an entity, which should be in harmony with its parts. Many modern organizational theoreticians have followed Plato, when they stress the unitary and well balanced nature of modern complex organizations. (Takala 1998, p.797) Plato thinks about the greatest evil and the greatest good at an organization. In His views evil is discord and distraction. On the other hand good is unity. There has to be unity in the organization, all the members should have common experiences (pleasures etc.). (Plato 360 BC, p.198) Justice is important thing for every organization. In the organization order brings justice and the organization has to keep the justice. (Plato 360 BC, p.6) If there is injustice in the organization, it will lead into quarrels and fights, people will become each other’s enemies. Injustice will disturb the organization’s basis for human co-operation. (Plato 360 BC, p.53-54) Obedience is an important factor at the organization. Workers should obey their masters. Everybody should live under clear hierarchy and follow the orders given by those, who are over them. (Plato 360 BC, p.36, 192, 297) Plato’s Perspectives on Leadership Plato thinks, that ruler has to be philosopher. This means, that only philosophers can be good rulers. In this way main character of a leader is his/her philosophical capacity. Leader (ruler) has to know the real being and leader (ruler) has to distinguish belief from the real knowledge. This is the highest virtue for a leader: To separate beliefs and real facts. (Saarinen 1985, p. 44) Plato thinks, that leader should love the truth. He teaches that a leader is like a captain and his ship or a doctor and his medicine. These professions (doctor, captain) cannot be practised by everyone by nature. So to be a leader is not by nature, leaders should be educated. Plato thinks that one of the main tasks for the education system is to produce these philosopher kings. (Plato 360 BC, p.233) Plato thinks that a leader has to be a just person. The stronger (leader) cannot abuse his power over the weaker. The leader has to be just and there has to be justice in the society. Leader guides this social order, so that society can live in harmony. Leader guides citizens (class of citizens) to carry out tasks for which they are suited and not interfering with the work of others. (Takala 1998, p.791) Plato sees leadership as an important part of a functioning society. He thinks that leadership is an educational catalyst in the society. Plato thinks that leader has got two important tasks: to control the implementation of education and to control the propagation of thoughts. Plato sees this controlling as an essential function in the society, that’s why the controllers must be philosophers. (Takala 1998, p.790-791) According to Plato education is needed to produce good philosopher leaders. Education leaves its mark on leaders. On the other hand education makes division between leaders and other people. Platonic education gives wisdom and mystical skills (real knowledge) to the leaders. (Takala 1998, p.792) Plato sees leadership as a duty of a philosopher. The essential thing is the true knowledge, if somebody has got the knowledge he can be the leader. The philosopher has got knowledge and he can rule. And the man, who is not philosophical, has got only a true beliefs or opinions. This corresponds that he cannot be the leader. (Takala 1998, p.792) In Plato’s thinking there is the concept of the leadership of meaning. The leader has to create meaning, he has to sustain it and sometimes it has to be changed. In this way leadership can be seen as a social process. This social process includes all those means by which leadership creates new meanings by rituals, symbolizing and â€Å"naming†. The attributes of a powerful leader is also in the Plato’s thinking. One attribute in Plato’s thinking is the charisma, which is said to be widely discussed in modern leadership theories. A leader must have charisma in order to be successful in his actions. Without it the leader is not able to do his job, to lead some complex organization. (Takala 1998, p.797) References http://www.springerlink.com/content/u348q477q0583068/fulltext.pdf

Concentration Levels of Essential Metals

Concentration Levels of Essential Metals Comparative Distribution of Selected Essential Metals in Drinking Water by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric Method Tanzeel ur Rehman and Misbah Zahid ABSTRACT This study reports the concentration levels of selected essential metals; Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe and Zn in the drinking water collected from different areas of Islamabad. The levels of these metals present in the drinking ground water were compared with standards reported worldwide. The analysis was carried out using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mean metal concentration for Na was far less than those reported worldwide, while the average concentrations of K and Zn were also less than those reported worldwide. The mean concentration of Fe was equal to those reported worldwide standards. Sodium showed maximum concentration while Fe was estimated to be the lowest among the selected metals. Key Words: Essential Metals; Ground water; Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry INTRODUCTION Environmental pollution especially in the metropolitan cities is generally expected to deteriorate the quality of drinking water. One of the important parameters of the quality of water is represented by the concentration of major, minor and trace elements. In industrial areas, some of the metals may be expected to present at considerably elevated level as a result of excessive industrial effluents which might find their way to the underground drinking water reservoir1. Contrary to such theory, one may suggest that, the underground drinking water resources may still be out of reach to the surface pollutants. In any of such cases, regular monitoring of trace metals is always recommended especially in the drinking water2. In Pakistan, only limited population has access to the purified public water supply while the rest of population is dependent upon direct withdrawal of water from both surface and underground sources. Most of the quality problems in Pakistan are due to lack of waste disposal regulations non-availability of treatment facilities and due to lack of public awareness about water quality3. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry is most commonly used for the determination of metal levels in the groundwater and soil4. In addition, few other techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence, ICPMS, ICPES, flame photometry, emission spectrography and voltammetry have been used for metal analysis on limited scale. Atomic absorption method is preferably used because it is more sensitive, and reproducible, relatively free of interferences and convenient to use than most of the other methods of analysis. For the quantitative measurements of trace metal levels, calibration line method has been most widely applied. The most selective light sources in the form of hollow cathode lamps have been in use since a long in atomic absorption spectroscopy5. Drinking water used in Rawalpindi and Islamabad is contributed by two main sources. First is the surface water, mainly in the form of dams and the other is groundwater which is drained off after proper boring. Water supplied to twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad is mostly a run-off collected from the watershed of Murree hills. The contamination is due to the anthropogenic emissions and geological structure of the area bearing unhealthy minerals affecting the taste and characteristics of water6. The pathogenic organism is also responsible for health hazard, apart from the inorganic chemical7. The present study was carried out to estimate the concentration of selected essential metals Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe and Zn in the drinking water and then to compare these metal levels with the international standards in order to evaluate their health effects. EXPERIMENTAL Water samples were collected from the residential areas of Islamabad. These samples were collected in plastic bottles and stored in proper place before analysis. Before filling, the sample bottles were first rinsed with the sample water and were then filled to overflow so that no air bubble was left trapped in the sample. The samples were collected during day time, mostly on a shiny day. Care was taken to collect the representative samples. For calibration line, working standards of the metals were prepared. The stock solutions of 100 ppm of all these metals were prepared from pure metal salts, or metal salt having fixed H2O molecules. The working standards were prepared by appropriately diluting 100 ppm stock solutions of these metals. All equipments used, were properly calibrated prior to experimental measurement. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Hitachi, 170-10, Japan) equipped with laminar flow burner. Air-acetylene flame was used for the determination of these metals under optimum analytical conditions shown in Table-1. Each metal was analyzed at its optimum wavelength under stipulated flow rate of oxidant and fuel, as recommended by the manufacturer of the instrument. Every care was taken to reduce the contamination during the analysis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The analysis of selected essential metals was performed under the optimum analytical conditions as shown in Table-1. The absorption wavelength used for Ca was 422.7 nm, for Mg 285.2 nm, for Na 589.0 nm, for K 766.5 nm, for Fe 248.3 nm, Zn 213.8 nm. The lamp currents were properly adjusted as recommended by the manufacturer and oxidant and fuel flow rates were also controlled for maximum absorption signal (Table-1). The distributed parameters for the selected essential metals in the drinking water are shown in Table-2. Minimum levels for Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, and Zn were 1.15, 9.00, 11.21, 0.70, 0.20 and 0.23 ppm, while their maximum values were 32.43, 25.64, 25.95, 4.43, 0.63 and 0.56 ppm respectively. Ca, Mg and Na were present at dominant levels while K, Fe, and Zn showed relatively low concentrations. Mean and median values were found to be comparable in each case. Overall, the metal levels were quite divergent as manifested by relative high standard deviation values as well as appreciably large coefficient of variance. In water, trace amounts of metals are common, and normally, these are not harmful to health. In fact, some metals are essential for the sustainability of life. Ca, Mg, K and Na must be present at relatively higher levels for normal body functions. Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se and Zn are needed as catalysts for enzyme activities at low levels. Drinking water containing high levels of these extremely important metals or poisonous metals such as Al, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg. Se and Ag may be dangerous to health8. The presence of metals in water supply may be natural or may be the result of contamination. Natural presence of these metals is the result of dissolution of metals due to the connection of water with soil or rocks9. Corroded material i.e corrosion of pipes and waste disposal leakage are the major sources of contamination of water. Metals present at high enough level than threshold limit value should be removed to be out of risk factor. Comparison of present metal levels with the international standards is shown in Table-3. Ca is important in controlling nerve impulse conduction and muscle contraction in living organisms. It has very important role in blood clotting. It converts fibrinogen to fibrin during blood clotting10. Ca is very important for good health. Most of the required portion of Ca for human body is provided by the drinking water containing Ca. This particular amount of Ca prevents ailments as hypertension, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disorders. The calcium level was found in the range of 1.15 to 32.43 ppm. The WS-1, WS-2, WS-3 has approximately equal amount of Ca while the WS-6 has a maximum amount of Ca. The median of all these samples were 18.64 ppm. The WS-5 was found to have the minimum amount of Ca. All the observation shows that Ca has the low amount than the WHO standards. The standard deviation is 8.02 and the co–efficient of variance is 40.8 which is maximum than all the other elem ents. Magnesium is driven out from the bodies of healthy persons. People may suffer from increase in blood pressure, muscle weakness and even coma if they have kidney disease. Mg is for signaling the nervous system and it also participates in osmotic and electrolyte balance. It is essentially required in photosynthesis. In human, it can cause genetic disorder11. In the present work the Mg mean value was found 18.04 ppm. The concentration of Mg ranges from 9.00–25.64 ppm. The lowest value was found in WS-6D and the highest was found in WS-2C. The median was found 16.36 ppm .All the values were found to be below the international standards of WHO. The maximum difference was found in WS-1 samples which is 15.93–25.23. The median was lower than the mean which shows asymmetry in its distribution. The standard deviation is 4.59 ppm and co-efficient of variance is 23.21 which is lower than all other elements. Sodium is beneficial to healthy adults at normal intake levels. But people having hypertension or heart problem should reduce Na intake to lower the danger of heart diseases and blood pressure. Na has serious effects on both human life and crop yield. Water high in Na is considered soft and generable for irrigation12. In present study, the result showed the mean value of Na was 19.80 ppm which was higher than Ca and Mg but this level was not the toxic level, so it has no bad effects. Na levels range from 11.21 to 35 ppm. The least Na levels were found in WS-6D and the highest was found in WS-4E. The median was higher than the mean value which showed the negative asymmetry in the data. The spread of the data is found in form standards deviation and was 6.02 ppm and the co-efficient of variance was 33.39 %. In comparison with the international standards, the Na levels found in the samples were low than WHO, EU, UK and Japan, but are just equivalent to USEPA standards. In natural water, K is found in far smallest concentration than other metals. It acts in water as Na does, although it occurs in small concentration but plays an important role in metabolism of the fresh water environment and is regarded to be the vital macro-nutrients. It has an important role in maintenance of osmotic and electrolytic balance. It is important in proper rhythm of heart beat. It is important for creation of nerve impulse and its transmission13. In our analysis the K ranges from 0.70 to 4.43 ppm and mean value was 3.06 ppm. The lowest level was found in WS-6A and the highest in WS-3A. The median is 3.53 ppm which showed the negative asymmetry and standard deviation is 1.19 and co-efficient of variance is 39%. K values in present study were much lower than EU and UK standards. Iron in water has not hazardous for health by itself but it may be responsible for increasing the hazard of pathogenic organisms, because many of these organisms need Fe to grow. Iron is one of the most abundant metals in the earth crust and is essential for plants, animals and human being. The permissible limit placed on this metal has no health significance14. In our study the mean value found for the Fe was 0.39 ppm. The minimum value was found at 0.2 ppm in the WS-4B, and the maximum was 0.63 ppm in WS-1A. The median found for Fe was 0.40 which is greater than the mean and show asymmetry in the data. The standard deviation was 0.13 which showed small spread of the data. The co-efficient of variance value was 33.79%, in comparison with the international standards of WHO, EU, USEPA, UK, Russia and Japan present levels were almost same. The iron present in the sample seems to be ferrous iron since no discoloration of water was observed when collected. Zinc is very important constituent in our diet. Zn has hazardous effects if we increase its amount 10-15 times higher than the amount required for good health. Large doses of Zn taken orally even for a short period of time can cause nausea, stomach cramps and vomiting. Its intake for longer time results in anemia and in decreasing the levels of good cholesterol. Metal fume fever, a short term disease, may be the result of inhaling Zn as dust or fumes of zinc. Breathing high levels of Zn for long time, no doubt, has long-term effects but these are still unknown. Zinc is essential element for plants and exists in water and soil as an organic complexes and inorganic salts. Zinc is required for growth, sexual development, wound healing infection, sense of taste and night vision in human15-17. The mean value found in water samples was 0.42 ppm which ranged from 0.23 to 0.56 ppm. The median of the data reading was 0.48 which showed negative asymmetry in the data. The standard deviation sho wn was 0.12 ppm and co-efficient of variance was 27.49 %. When these values are compared with international standards the Zn level was found lower than WHO, US EPA, Russia, but was higher than EU. CONCLUSION It was observed during the present study that mean concentrations of Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, and Zn in the drinking water of Islamabad were found to be 19.65, 18.04, 19.80, 3.06, 0.39, and 0.42 ppm respectively. For Na, K, Ca, Mg and Zn, these values are far less in comparison to the concentrations reported worldwide, whereas for Fe present value is nearly equal to the reported values. Ca, Mg and Na were in high concentrations as they are macronutrients while K, Fe and Zn being the micronutrients were present in low concentrations. Over all, the selected metals revealed asymmetric distribution in their concentration duly reported by standard deviation and co-efficient of variation. Table-1: Optimum analytical conditions on FAAS for selected essential metals Table-2: Distribution of selected essential metal levels (ppm) in the drinking water BDL = Below Detection Limits Table-3: Comparison of selected essential metal levels (ppm) with the international standards reported world-wide18 REFERENCES Manahan, S. E. (1997). Environmental Science and Technology, Lewis Publishers, New York, pp. 339-340. Khan, M. J.; Sarwar, S. and Khattak, R. A. (2004). Evaluation of river Jehlum water for heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cd, Pb, and Cr) and its suitability for irrigation and drinking purposes at district Muzaffarabad (AK), Journal of the Chemical Society of Pakistan, 26, 436-442. InamUllah, E. and A. Alam, (2014). Assessment of drinking water quality in Peshawar, Pakistan. Bulg. J.Agric. Sci., 20: 595-600 Robinson, J. W. (1995). Undergraduate Instrumental Analysis, 5th Edition, Marcel Dekker, New York, pp. 7-8, 316-318. Mendham, J.; Denney, R. C.; Barnes, J. D. and M. Thomas, (2000). Quantitative Chemical Analysis, 6th Edition, Addison Wesley Longman Singapore. pp. 60-64 Manzoor, S.; M. H Shah, M. H; Shaheen, N.; Khalique, A. and Jaffar, M. (2006). Characterization distribution and comparison of selected metals in textile effluents, adjoining soil and groundwater, Journal of the Chemical Society of Pakistan, 28, 10-13. Rauf, M. A.; Ikram, M. and Shaukat, S. (2002). Water analysis of Rawal lake and its surrounding areas, Journal of the Chemical Society of Pakistan, 24, 271-281. Paul B Tchounwou, Clement G Yedjou, Anita K Patlolla, and Dwayne J Sutton, Heavy Metals Toxicity and the Environment, EXS. (2012); 101: pp. 133–164 Kumar, A. (1989) Environmental Chemistry, 2nd Edition, Wiley Eastern Limited, New Delhi, pp. 60-64. Tahir, M. A.; Chaudary, M.; Rasool, M. R.; Naeen, T. M.; Chughtai, I. R. and Dhami, M. S. I. (1999). Quality of drinking water samples of Sialkot and Gujranwala, Proceedings of Tenth National Chemistry Conference, pp. 62-69. Konrad M, Weber S. Recent advances in molecular genetics of hereditary magnesium-losing disorders. Journal of American Society, Nephrol. (2003);14:249–260. Dr. James Robbins, Irrigation Water For Greenhouses And Nurseries Agriculture And Natural Resources , FSA6061. Hodgkin AL, Huxley AF (1952). Currents carried by sodium and potassium ions through the membrane of the giant axon of Loligo. Journal of Physiology 116 (4): 449–472. Afzal Shah,Abdul Niaz,Nazeef Ullah,Ali Rehman,Muhammad Akhlaq,Muhammad Zakir,andMuhammad Suleman Khan; Comparative Study of Heavy Metals in Soil and Selected Medicinal Plants; Journal of Chemistry, Volume20137. Simmer K, Thompson RP. Zinc in the fetus and newborn. Acta Paediatr Scand Suppl (1985); 319:158-63. Fabris N, Mocchegiani E. Zinc, human diseases and aging. Aging (Milano) (1995); 7:77-93. Maret W, Sandstead HH. Zinc requirements and the risks and benefits of zinc supplementation. J Trace Elem Med Biol (2006); 20:3-18. Radojevic, M. and Bashkin, V. N. (1999). Practical Environmental Analysis, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK. 1

The Daimler Bens And Chrysler Merger Management Essay

The Daimler Bens And Chrysler Merger Management Essay Daimler-Benz was merged with Chrysler in May 1998. The CEO of Daimler-Benz, Jurgen Schrempp called this merger as merger of equals (Schein, 1996). The goal was to be in top three companies of automotive industry. Bringing together both the companies with different culture was not considered as a hurdle and there are no chances of cultural clashes but behind the curtains things were entirely different. There were many reasons for the troublesome merger but the most important was clash of co operate cultures. But because of merger there were drastic changes in the company as well and the major change was stock prices were quadrupled and the company had a paradigm shift from bankruptcy to profit making. Lee Iacocca showed a great transformational leadership and implemented change management in company that was very helpful in getting financial stability and expanding the marketing space. He adopted the four enablers which were platform teams, a new center, a new culture, CAD for the organization. The merger changed the co operate culture of the company now the company is thought to have better positioned. It entered the growing competeion in small truck market. (Anon., 1997). The only certainty in our modern world is change. The ability to survive and flourish depends on our flexibility and the willingness to constantly adapt to a changing world by Arthur. Introduction Change management varies widely from organization to organization including various environments but among all most relevant is organizational change management. It is a process of change in an organization in a systematic manner. Change management can be reactive. Most common places for change management implementation are technology management, strategic and process. However overcoming resistance to change is the core value while implementing new procedures. Lee Iacocca, former CEO of the Chrysler Corporation showed transformational leadership he brought the company from bankruptcy to profitability. About the company Daimler AG is the most succesful German automotive manufacturing company founded in 1883.initially it was named as Daimler Motoren Geselleschaft. The Daimler group is worlds biggest manufacturer of premium cars. In 1998 Daimler merged with Chrysler Corporation and got a new name DiamlerChrysler AG.In 2007 Cerbeus Capital Management acquired Chrysler corporation as Chrysler was lacking the liquidity needed by the financial markets and again company was renamed as Diamler AG(Thornton Meyer-Larsen, 2000). Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz were the companys founder and automotive pioneer who introduced high quality products and safe mobility. Daimler is a company whose commitment is towards excellence and increased profitability.the investors of Diamler are majorly European, us and other investors internationally. The company has turnaround of approx EUR 99.4 billion(IFRS, 2008). It has manufacturing units in 17 countries. Chrysler Group LLC is a automobile manufacturing industry was founded in 1925 by Walter Chrysler.It is worlds thirteen largest vehicle manufacturer(OICA, 2008). Chrysler Group was stuck in unstable financial state and was declared bankrupt.after that attempts were done to take control of company by the largest shareholder Kirk Kirkorian in collaboration with Lee Lacocca. The headquarters of Chrysler group is in Detroit, Michigan (Turnock Cobbs, 2003). Major market area of Chrysler was US. There was a need to expand the market space to earn global revenue and increase profit but that required greater investment and the company was in lack of funds this created a rise of merging the company with some strong stable company to increase the market space as passenger cars were sold widely out of US but the company had no plants abroad. So it choosed Daimler AG as a potential company to merge with because of its wide access to international market and financial stability. (Geisst, 2004). Transformational leadership Lee lacocca is a designated leader whose leadership drastically turned around Chrysler organizational culture. Leadership is forged in time of crisis. Leadership qualities of lee Iacocca include the following 9 Cs which helped him to bring the cultural change in Chrysler group. 1. CURIOSITY- lee iacocca always put his belief to test and get idea from people he was voracious reader as he wanted to keep himself aware about the global changes. 2.CREATIVE- lee Iacocca was always willing to try some innovative ideas. He believed in thinking out of the box. He was able to manage change in the company. 3. COMMUNICATE- he was able to face the reality of bankruptcy of the company and tell stakeholders the truth about the merger. He could disseminate information properly. 4. CHARACTER- lee Iacocca was a person of character he knew the difference between right and wrong. He had all the powers still he had the guts to do the right thing. 5.COURAGE- the best leadership quality of lee Iacocca is the courage and ability to do commitment and do negotiation by sitting and talking. 6.CONVITION- he was a very passionate leader. His passion was the success of company and increased capital for which he had fire in the belly 7.CHARISMA- lee Iacocca had certain qualities which made people follow him. He was able to inspire the employee during crisis and everyone trusted him. 8.COMPETENT-he being a leader exactly knew what he was doing for the betterment of company moreover he always took suggestionfrom people. 9.COMMON SENSE-It is the most obvious character of a leader as he should be able to know certain logical things in order to bring change. CHANGE MANAGEMENT Change management is a sequential way of transiting organizations from its recent state to desired future state. Changes are applied to any system according to predefined model or framework. The main objective of change management is to maximize profit and minimize risk involved during implementation. Various types of changes are[appendix 1] Structural change Strategy change Technological change Cultural change More over there are many models for change management that are very useful for organizational development and prosperity. They are as follows[appendix 2] Adkar model. Formula for change. PCI(people centered implementation). John P Kotters eight steps to successful change Merger and acquisitions Mergers and acquisitions is a business venture where two or more companies join together theirs resources and increase capital to create a new company with entire enhanced operational capacity. Company can change there name and structure as well(Gaughan, 1999). An acquisition is a business tactic to buy and absorb one company by another .a proper strategy should be planned so conflict can be avoided and corporate culture of company is maintained (Ireland, Harrison Hitt, 2001). When two companies with different culture, values and working methodologies integrate into one single unit to acquire expertise and increase synergies and profit revenues. According to a survey 55% to 70% of M A fails(Carleton cited in Schraeder and Self, 2003).mergers should be taken as in benefit of both external or internal environment of the company. most important during merging is to communicate in order to learn the cultural differences of both the companies. Relations before and after merging should be properly maintained and conflicts should be avoided(Herndon Galpin, 2000). To ensure a smooth transition during merger/acquisition process stability should be achieved by formulating strategies. Change management here focuses on minimizing employee attrition and to boost them for better work. Communication is most important to ensure stakeholders agreement and understanding. There are four phases of communication under change management(Mueller, 2003). Announcing the merger All stakeholders should know about merger by the company only not by the media. It makes them feel a part of company and they think for betterment. (Scherer Ravenscraft, 1987). Approval by authority All stakeholders should provided information about impact of merger and the reasons for merger there should be no conflict. Transparency and honesty are of great importance(Mueller, 2003). Closing the deal Dont exaggerate the situation try to decrease the fear of reducing jobs during merging. Prepare employees mentally and emotionally by providing factual information. (Ireland, Harrison Hitt, 2001). Changes completed All stakeholders must know about the achieved promises to maintain a good image. It is evaluated to know the success ratio so it can be implemented in future(Scherer Ravenscraft, 1987). Reasons for merger The merger between Daimler and Chrysler happened on May, 7th 1998 both the companies wished to make a multi billion company to dominate car market so they got merged(Gaughan, 1999). The main reason was to increase product range and expand global market. Both companies had diverse methodology of work so merger was considered a better option. (Fairfield-Sonn, 2001). The reasons for merger are: Market share of company fell from 16.2% to 12.2%.(IM survey,2007) Company went bankrupt because a group of bondholders rejected the companys Two third of senior manager resigned because of financial instability. Chryslers profit decreased 90%. Chrysler ranked on seventh among seven automakers. Not invented here syndrome kept Chrysler from sharing ideas. Strength and weakness before merger Daimler Chrysler Strength Technological engineering Quality strength Premium luxry brand with rich heritage German efficiency Strength Flexibility Creativity Self responsibility Concept cars Market opportunity Low production cost Weakness Hardly flexible Low potential High cost Lack of production ability Weakness Less discipline No investment in R D Loss of key players Not able to compete global market. Difference between American and german business culture American and german haves different style of work Concept american german Practical experiences Training on job concept followed Focus on education and qualification Pragmatism More goal oriented than germans Focuses on deeper knowledge Flexibility Career flexibility much bigger in america Job security more important Informality Friendly impression by use of first names etc Less common in german as they believe in personality Job security Employees can be laid off very easily Judges on basis of individual performance Cultural change Merger should be where culture of both companies are almost similar and had employee support as well (Chatterjee, Lubatkin, Schweiger, and Weber 320). For any organization culture is a vital element to decide how things are done and the manner new products are marketed and lot more things.(Weber and Camerer 401). Christine grosse carried a cultural knowledge survey and found 80% people were benefitted by imparting knowledge of local culture(Grosse 366). Diamler Benz was a rigid company with bureaucratic corporate culture with quality standards. Culture was too authoritarian. Chrysler was having a informal culture outward oriented and less rigid. Since Diamler and Chrysler was now a transnational company dealing with two cultures was a difficult task to manage Organizational culture in recent trend in focused on external environment and more open focus oriented and risk tolerance is high. Employees are trained to go that extra mile for the company New culture After change implementation there were five enablers that formed the basis of Chrysler new culture these are Better communication Continuous training Better human resource system Accurate practices. Improved process. in the new culture teams were formed at general level. In 1994 chrysler introduced new 360 degree type process in which everyone including peers rate you. The new culture gave the staff a feeling of ownership in the company and gave them a dynamic environment. For transformation several strategic plans were implemented. In the new culture young innovative youth was the captain and new skilled designers RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Resistance to change is one of the basic reason for the failure of change process and its implementation. Resistance to change in general is ubiquitous by nature. It is defined as a natural response to any reaction or threat of change(Block, 1989). There are number of factors that cause resitance including individual,factor group factor and organizational factors. In Chrysler group the resistance was basically seen in 3 areas: Technical systems resistance- Chrysler resistance in technical field included fear of change, loss of sunk costs and work oriented approach. Political systems resistance- it comes from internal coalitions against change. Chrysler group had limited resources and it admitted change was essential. Cultural systems resistance- Chrysler group was having a perceived vision that the whole merged company is a single unit so current culture should not be sophisticated to accept cultural changes in the company. Factors causing resistance to change Cause Outline Fear of the unknown Being uncertain about the nature of a change, Chrysler group was uncertain about the future and on going impact of change. Loss of control The organization felt that changes are done to them but they are not able to take part in change. Loss of face Chrysler group felt very embarrassed because of change and it thought that work done by company in past was not futile. The company repo changed. Loss of competency The existing skills of the company after merger did not got changed. Need for security Company worried for its new role after merging Poor timing It was asked to change at a time when they already feel overworked Force of habit Not liking to change existing ways of doing things, feeling comfortable in existing routines and habits Lack of support Lacking important support from direct supervisors, not having correct resources to properly implement change. For treating resistance as positive utility Chrysler group tried to be proactive but there was absence of appropriate change theories that incorporated this feature. So manager of the company engaged other people to identify the resistance, to test and to implement successful change. (Dettmer, 1998a; Houle and Burton-Houle,1998). Conclusion For overall activities of organization culture of an organization is very important and should be taken into consideration(Sicilia Lipartito, 2004). Conflicts should be avoided and activites affecting culture should be strategically arranged. Business acquisition and merger should be planned strategically as they are very important part of organization change.communication is the most vital element of organization. To ensure stakeholder participation there should be proper communication channels. Both the companies had different culture that was one of the reason that merger couldnt be that effective. There was definitely a need for change management at Daimler but merging with Chrysler was not only the best solution there were other alternatives: Strategic alliances- it will increase global market but won be helpful for the development of R D Ddepartment. Outsourcing- I can improve the quality and innovation and reuce cost. Chrysler could have concenterated on core competencies and outsource non core values. Example development of vehicle platforms could be outsourced to Chrysler by diamler.

Elie Wiesels Night and Alicia Appleman-Jurmans Alicia :: Elie Wiesel Night Essays

ElieWiesel's Night and Alicia Appleman-Jurman's Alicia    Wars between groups of people over race, religion, and beliefs have been fought throughout human history. Millions of people have been killed simply because of what they look like, whom they worship, how they live, and what they believe in general. However, it was not until after Hitler's Holocaust that the terms "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing" - the systematic destruction of entire groups of people for petty and irrational reasons - came into use. Hitler's holocaust was different than all of the wars fought for cultural reasons that came before the Holocaust. The Nazis did not wish to simply subdue the Jews, oppress them, and try to force their beliefs upon them. Instead, Hitler and the Nazis wanted nothing less than the complete annihilation of the Jews, and everything related to Judaism. Hitler's campaign against the Jews was hardly a war. Rarely did the killers encounter large, armed and organized bodies of Jewish soldiers. Rather, the Nazis encountered largely defe nseless ordinary people: women, businessmen, farmers, and the elderly. Most vulnerable of all the victims were the children. On the weakest members of society, the Nazis showed perhaps the least mercy.    Children are always less suited for physical hardship than all but the frailest of adults. Children can not travel on foot long distances, go without food, or resist disease as well as adults. Clearly, this made them extremely vulnerable to the will of the Nazis during World War II. They could not endure the long death marches, starvation, and disease inflicted upon them by the Nazis as well as adults could. As a result, in a purely physical sense, the Holocaust must have been far more torturous to children than to adults.    Often, the Nazis specifically targeted children. Upon his arrival at Auschwitz, ElieWiesel was told to lie about his age by a Jew already imprisoned there. If he had given his real age, fifteen, he would have likely been immediately sent to the gas chambers. Instead, by saying he was eighteen, he was spared immediate death in order to be put to work (Wiesel 28). Shortly thereafter, Wiesel witnessed "a lorry ...at the pit and [delivering] it's load - little children.

Macbeth Vs Hamlet :: essays research papers

Thesis: Shakespeare used the same definition of tragedy when he wrote Macbeth, and when he wrote Hamlet; Shakespearean tragedies use supernatural incidents to intrigue the reader's interest, and his plays consist of a hero that has a tragic flaw (sometimes the want for the supernatural) which causes him to make a fatal mistake.I. Introduction II. Spirits III. Comparison IV. Conclusion Shakespeare always used the same elements of tragedy when he wrote his tragedies. These tragedies can be compared easily, especially Macbet and Hamlet. Shakespearean tragedies use supernatural incidents to intrigue the reader's interest, and they consist of a hero that has a tragic flaw (sometimes the desire for the supernatural) which causes him to make a fatal mistake. Shakespeare followed this pattern in all of his tragedies; therefore the similarities between Macbeth and Hamlet can easily be defined and discussed.Shakespeare immediately started Macbeth with a supernatural scene. The three witches s et the somber and evil tone of the plot. In Hamlet, Shakespeare also presented a supernatural occurrence close to the opening. The ghost of Hamlet's father presented itself to Hamlet with a chilling story. In both situations, the tragic hero was not sure whether the spirits were good or evil. The presentation of the supernatural began to lead to the final downfall of each of the characters. In Macbeth, the three witches caused him to think and do evil deeds. If he had never met the witches, he would not have been tempted to murder the king; therefore, he would not have placed himself in the position that he felt he needed to kill everyone who crossed his path. If he hadn't been so treacherous, Macduff would not have called for war, and he would not have murdered him. In Hamlet, if he had not seen the ghost of his father, he would not have known that the reigning king had committed murder to gain the throne.

Computer Linguistics and Philosophical Interpretation :: Technology Philosophy Essays

Computer Linguistics and Philosophical Interpretation ABSTRACT: This paper reports a procedure which I employed with two computational research instruments, the Index Thomisticus and its companion St. Thomas CD-ROM, in order to research the Thomistic axiom, ‘whatever is received is received according to the mode of the receiver.’ My procedure extends to the lexicological methods developed by the pioneering creator of the Index, Roberto Busa, from single terms to a proposition. More importantly, the paper shows how the emerging results of the lexicological searches guided my formation of a philosophical thesis about the axiom’s import for Aquinas’s existential metaphysics. One day in 1949, when the computer was still in its infancy, a young Jesuit knocked at the door of an executive of I.B.M., and explained that he wanted to put the corpus of Thomas Aquinas’s writings on computer. He wanted, moreover, to number each word, as well as to identify and tag each as the form of its proper lemma. He wanted, in short, a complete graphico-syntatical systemization of all the words Aquinas ever wrote. As data was still being entered into computers by means of the long since forgotten punch-card, this I.B.M. executive was respectfully but decidedly sceptical about the tenability, if not the use, of such a project. Roberto Busa respectfully but decidedly reassured him that if I.B.M. would but supply the technology, Busa himself would see to the rest. And so he did. Over two decades and millions of punch-cards later, there began to emerge into the light of day the Index Thomisticus, the second largest publication of this century. The next step was to figure o ut what to do with it. Busa’s pioneering Index has kept pace with the computer’s hypertrophic evolution even to the present day, its latest reincarnation being in the form of the St. Thomas CD-ROM. (1) In this talk, I want to describe how I went about utilizing the Index Thomisticus and its companion St. Thomas CD-ROM to conduct a systematic and comprehensive search of Thomas’s writings for a certain Scholastic axiom. I hope in this way to offer a model for a philosophical use of computational linguistics, and to show how the emerging results of my lexicological research guided my formation of a philosophical thesis about the axiom's import. Following Busa, I call the procedures I used ‘lexicological’ in that they delineate and clarify one part of the active lexicon of Aquinas through use of the Index Thomisticus as the complete graphico-syntactic systematization of all the words in his writings. Computer Linguistics and Philosophical Interpretation :: Technology Philosophy Essays Computer Linguistics and Philosophical Interpretation ABSTRACT: This paper reports a procedure which I employed with two computational research instruments, the Index Thomisticus and its companion St. Thomas CD-ROM, in order to research the Thomistic axiom, ‘whatever is received is received according to the mode of the receiver.’ My procedure extends to the lexicological methods developed by the pioneering creator of the Index, Roberto Busa, from single terms to a proposition. More importantly, the paper shows how the emerging results of the lexicological searches guided my formation of a philosophical thesis about the axiom’s import for Aquinas’s existential metaphysics. One day in 1949, when the computer was still in its infancy, a young Jesuit knocked at the door of an executive of I.B.M., and explained that he wanted to put the corpus of Thomas Aquinas’s writings on computer. He wanted, moreover, to number each word, as well as to identify and tag each as the form of its proper lemma. He wanted, in short, a complete graphico-syntatical systemization of all the words Aquinas ever wrote. As data was still being entered into computers by means of the long since forgotten punch-card, this I.B.M. executive was respectfully but decidedly sceptical about the tenability, if not the use, of such a project. Roberto Busa respectfully but decidedly reassured him that if I.B.M. would but supply the technology, Busa himself would see to the rest. And so he did. Over two decades and millions of punch-cards later, there began to emerge into the light of day the Index Thomisticus, the second largest publication of this century. The next step was to figure o ut what to do with it. Busa’s pioneering Index has kept pace with the computer’s hypertrophic evolution even to the present day, its latest reincarnation being in the form of the St. Thomas CD-ROM. (1) In this talk, I want to describe how I went about utilizing the Index Thomisticus and its companion St. Thomas CD-ROM to conduct a systematic and comprehensive search of Thomas’s writings for a certain Scholastic axiom. I hope in this way to offer a model for a philosophical use of computational linguistics, and to show how the emerging results of my lexicological research guided my formation of a philosophical thesis about the axiom's import. Following Busa, I call the procedures I used ‘lexicological’ in that they delineate and clarify one part of the active lexicon of Aquinas through use of the Index Thomisticus as the complete graphico-syntactic systematization of all the words in his writings.

Quality Management Tool

Abstract Quality management, known also as quality control, is a system utilized by all types of businesses all around the world. This type of management system has the ability to assist any type of organization provide consumers with the best product and/or service possible by managing its activities, this points to an increase in its usefulness and productivity. Through the many types of systems used for quality management, a business can monitor and measure the quality of its products and/or services being offered to consumers.An effective quality management system helps a business to increase its competitive edge, increase its organizational development, highlight its customer satisfaction, and more. Total quality management tools embody specific items an organization can use to evaluate the success of the process. Some mutual total quality management tools include Pareto charts, scatter plots, flowcharts, and tree diagrams. Each one allows for a specific review of a company†™s operations. Companies can use these tools together or individually, depending on the scope of a company’s total quality management.Managers have a variety of tools and techniques known as the Seven Management and Planning Tools, my paper will highlight the Tree diagram. The seven new management planning tools are a set of tools that arose out of Japanese innovation in the post-World War Two period. They were popularized through the publication of the book â€Å"Seven New Quality Tools for Managers and Staff† which became available in English in 1983. These tools were popularized in the United States by the consulting firm GOAL/QPC, and have been used by a number of firms since 1984 to improve their quality planning and improvements efforts.Many organizations formally combined these tools into policy deployment activities. Although these tools are no longer truly new tools they are, nonetheless, commonly used by businesses and are still valuable to today's managers , therefore managers should, familiarize themselves with these tools. The seven tools provide managers with improved capability to make better decisions and facilitate the implementation process. The tree diagram is a tool to map out the paths and task necessary to complete a specific project or reach a specified goal. To omplete the diagram starts with one item that branches into two or more, each of which branch into two or more, and continues. It resembles a tree, with trunk and lots of branches. This tool is used to minimize extensive categories into smaller detail points. Developing the tree diagram helps you move your thinking step by step from generalities to specifics The Tree Diagram can be used in many different situations such as when an issue is known or being addressed in broad generalities and you must move to specific details, such as when to develop logical steps to achieve an objective.It is also used when developing actions to carry out a solution or other plan, wh en analyzing processes in detail, and when probing for the root cause of a problem. To successful build a tree diagram a team can be established to recommend steps to solve the problem or implement the plan. Everyone should agree on the main goal before beginning. The main task involved and accomplishing the goal is very important. The procedures used in the diagram are to develop a statement of the goal, project, plan, problem or whatever is being studied.The content of the diagram will vary based on the goal of the project. For example an organization focused on improving workforce management would base there diagram on the issues related to improving human resources. As we are all aware human resources holds the key to sustained quality improvement. Consequently the human resources department must be a first-class quality organization itself. It can accomplish this by applying total quality management principles to its own internal operations; and design human resource practices for support a total quality- orientation.The tree diagrams as fairly simple and routine, but business owners and managers must have a certain level of experience to complete decision-tree related to finance. Decision trees typically require certain knowledge of quantitative or statistical experience to complete the process accurately. Failing to accurately understand decision trees can lead to a distorted outcome of business opportunities or decision possibilities. Decision trees normally need internal and external information concerning the business and its operating environment.Owners and managers have to be able to gather the simple pieces of information to accurately measure the opportunities listed on the decision tree. It can also be challenging to include variables on the decision tree, eliminate duplicate information or relay information in a rational, steady fashion. Owners and managers must also decide whether the decision tree should represent dollars, percentages or a co mbination. The inability to complete the decision tree using only one set of information can be somewhat difficult.While unfinished information can create complications in the decision-tree process and abundance of information can also be an issue. Owners and managers can create a â€Å"paralysis of analysis,† where these individuals face too much information when making a decision. Instead of making a decision and progressing the company’s mission or vision, owners and managers spend more time looking at decision trees. Decision trees can require more analysis than other analysis methods and slow down the decision-making process ConclusionQuality Management System according to ISO-9001:20 in place in an organization is always a good idea, simply because it will give you many advantages such as complying with an increasing number of customers’ requirements for a Quality Management System, besides improving your organizations business management system, your orga nizational performance and increasing the global recognition to be able to compete in the markets. Companies depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, and should meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations.By incorporating the management tools it allows a company to identify the root causes that hinder its ultimate goal of quality and implement solutions to address those problems. References (Second Edition, 2004 Excerpted from The Quality Toolbox, 2nd Addition) (E, 2008 Managing for Quality and Performance Excellence) (http://www. wisegeek. com/what-are-the-different-types-of-total-quality-management-tools. htm) (Covey, 2004 The 7 Habits of Hightly Effective People Covey, Stephen R. Simon & Schuster Inc. )

Andre Ampere Biography

Andre Ampere biography Andre-Marie Ampere & Electromagnetism Andre-Marie Ampere was first, a Frenchman, second a physicist and third a mathematician. Andre was born on 20 January in the year 1775 at the Parish of St. Nizier, Lyon, France. During his childhood his father tried to teach him Latin, but he found that Andre’s interests and abilities lied in the study of mathematics. Certainly, Andre cherish the time that his father spent teaching him, for later, during the French Revolution, his father was captured and executed.Andre met Julie Carron in 1796 and married her three years later. Around the same time, Andre tutored in mathematics, chemistry, and languages. He moved to Bourg-en-Bresse, to teach physics and chemistry in 1801. Unfortunately his wife died two years later leaving him with their infant son, Jean-Jacques Ampere. Andre was appointed the professor of mathematics at the University of Lyon just one year later. In 1809, Andre Ampere was appointed professor of math ematics at the Polytechnic school in Paris. He was admitted as a member of the Institute in 1814 and in 1820, after H.C. Orsted’s discovery that a magnetic needle is acted on by a voltaic current, Andre sent a paper of his own to the Academy that was much more detailed. He didn’t wait, on September 18, 1820, the very same day that he sent his paper, he presented a demonstration to the Academy that parallel wires with electric currents would pull or push at one another based on whether the electric currents was moving in the same or opposite directions. In demonstrating this experiment he laid the foundation of electrodynamics.Andre Ampere is best known for the Ampere Circuital Law (Ampere’s Law), which states that for any closed loop path, the sum of the length elements times the magnetic field in the direction of the length element is equal to the permeability times the electric current enclosed in the loop. .Andre also invented the astatic needle and the amper e was named after him. Andre led an inquisitorial life, questioning things he did not fully understand, testing the things that he thought he understood, and proving not only his own theories but the series of many that came after him.Andre Ampere practically invented the science of electromagnetism and he will always be remembered in years to come. Works Cited â€Å"Andre Marie Ampere. † Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2011): 1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. Princeton University. â€Å"Ampere's Theory. † PrincetonUniversity. edu. Princeton University, 27 Oct. 2010. Web. . Princeton University. â€Å"Excerpts: Ampere's Theory of Magnetism. † PrincetonUniversity. edu. Princeton University, 27 Oct. 2010. Web. . Nave, C. R. â€Å"Ampere's Law. † Ampere's Law. Hyperphysics – Georgia State University, 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. .

Joint Venture in China

————————————————- Topic: Joint-Venture – China – Wall Panelling Once a foreign investor is put into the mix, a wealth of legal, administrative or operational violations that a solely-owned Chinese firm may have been able to survive with, will most likely not be tolerated by the local authorities (Devonshire-Ellise & Hoffman, 2010; Norris, 2011). Therefore an array of legal and contractual issues may arise for which a foreign party should be prepared. Some of these are outlined below.Environmentally Friendly Wall Panelling: ————————————————- As the product involved is classed as building materials the company should make note of Austrade’s guidelines on industry standards for building materials in China (Austrade, 2012). For this environmentall y friendly wall panelling the GB/T 50378-2006 regulations will apply (GCiS, 2012). The Issue of Stabilisation: ————————————————- Protection measures should also be stipulated through the creation of a Joint-Venture Contract.One of the biggest issues may be found through the difference in law between China and Australia; China having civil law and Australia having common law. Therefore in order to have the Joint-Venture contract protected from future changes in the Chinese civil law system a stabilisation clause is highly recommended (Coale, M. T. B, 2001-2002). Types of Joint-Ventures in China: What makes the selection of a joint-venture so important is that even though China’s Choice of Law provisions follow international practices; this doesn’t apply for Joint-Ventures.The only time a foreign party within a Joint-Venture may have a choice of law is when set tling disputes (Gao, 1989, p. 560; Wei, 2000, p. 40; Sino Foreign Joint-Venture Law Article 2). Types of Sino-Foreign Joint-Ventures in China: Refer to Appendix 1. Equity Joint-Venture (EJV): An equity Joint-Venture in China takes the form of a limited liability company (JVL Article 4 and Article 2 RICJVL; Kluwer Law International, 2005; Nee, O. D, 1992, 83-101). In this type of Joint-Venture both parties contribute to the registered capital and risks; profits and losses are all taken in regards to the proportion of that contribution.Four Basic attributes (Kluwer Law International, 2005; Wei, 2000, p. 74-75): 1. Established in accordance to the law of the People’s Republic of China. 2. Necessary Property or Capital 3. Possesses its own name, structure and premises 4. Assumes civil liability independently. Cooperative (Contractual) Joint-Venture Creating Chinese Juristic Person (CJVCJP): Also a limited liability company which assumes responsibilities for the ventures total ass ets however can have a separate internal arrangement on debt liability of each party (Articles 11,12, 14 of RICJVL; Wei, 2000, p. 5-76). The structure and status of this type of venture is a lot more flexible than for EJV’s, with precise aspects being able to be defined by contract (Kluwer Law International, 2005; Nee, O. D, 1992, 83-101). It also has liberty of negotiation of product or profit distribution method while still being a separate legal person with the parties’ liability limited to their capital contributions (Article 14 of RICJVL; China Business Law Guide, 2005; Cooperative Joint-Venture Law and Cooperative Joint-Venture implementing Law).Cooperative (Contractual) Joint-Venture Not Creating Chinese Juristic Person: (CJVWCJP): Does not create a Chinese juristic person (Article 52 of RICJVL) and parties take unlimited liabilities for the debts of the Joint-Venture jointly and severally. All investments are administered in a unified manner and consent is need ed for the disposing of a party’s investment (Nee, O. D, 1992, 83-101). ————————————————- It has loose structure, high risk and low degree of control and cooperation (Nee, O. D, 1992; Wei, 2000, p. 176). ————————————————-As all Chinese JV’s are controlled under the P. R. C law (Article 5 of the Foreign Economic Contract Law (FECL); Lewis, 1996, p. 31; Wei, 2000, p. 73), the ability to create their own contractual clauses and have more freedom in the contractual relationship is necessary, especially in regards to topics such as intellectual property; that is why a Contractual Joint-Venture Creating Chinese Juristic Person is the best choice. Also, in relation to management and liability and the production of manufactured goods this type of Joint-Vent ure is ideal (China Business Law Guide, 2005; Gomes-Casseres, 1990; Wei, 2000, p. 68). The Issue of Intellectual Property: From the 6th China International New Wall-Building Materials, Equipment and Technology exhibition held in Beijing in May 2012, it can be seen that green building is becoming increasingly popular in China (GCiS, 2012). In fact the 12th Five-Year Plan states that by 2015, at least one billion of these should be built with eco-friendly building materials, and by 2020, green buildings will account for more than 30% of new construction (ACBW, 2012; Appendix 6; GCiS, 2012).However, with this novelty in green building rising and a lot more foreign producers developing products and technology in China so comes the problem of protecting intellectual property. Intellectual property protection is relatively new in the People’s Republic of China but its importance continues to rise (Wheare, 1998, p. 1) and it is often cited as an issue of concern for foreign parties in China (Ding, 1997; Liesch & McGaughey, 2000, p. 1; Massey, J. , 2006-2007; Vanhonacker & Pan, 1997). Traditionally the concept of protecting intellectual property did not have a strong hold in Chinese culture (Wei, 2000, p. 9), but China’s reformation of its national IP system to comply with the international standards set out through the WTO’s Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement has been a leap for the development of China’s view in regards to intellectual property (Wheare, 1998, p. 1). However, despite China’s accomplishments in IP protection and indications it will not become a â€Å"haven of piracy† it still considered one of the most risky places to do business (Folsom & Minan, 1989, p. 792; Liesch & McGaughey, 2000 p. 2).This is due to its relative novelty in the People’s Republic making certain segments of the population have only a rather vague understanding of the concept (Cohen et al. , 1996, p. 7). In the P. R. C the problem isn’t that they don’t have laws regulating IP protection. In fact they have laws for the protection of Patents, Copyright Infringement and Trademarks. However, the problem comes when trying to implement these laws (Yuan, 2004, p. 1) as Chinese civil enforcement procedures make it very difficult to protect high technology patents (Appendix 5; Kennedy and Clark, 2006; Zhang: 2010: 7).In addition an interesting fact to note is that People’s court may accept oral evidence but in practice they rarely accept or put weight on this type of evidence (Kennedy and Clark, 2006). Therefore, when dealing with foreign parties it is important to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for protecting their technology interests (Greguras, 2007, p. 3; Norris, 2011, p. 58; Wheare, 1998, p. 159). If it is assumed this wall paneling company has already patented their product in Australia, under Australia’s Patent law the patent will las t for 20 years (ALRC, 2012).As the product is already being produced in Australia it can’t be patented in China. However, as China is part of WTO and is a signee on the TRIPS agreement, therefore they are politically and morally bound to recognise the Australian patent (ALRC, 2012; Article 27. 1 of TRIPS Agreement; WTO; 2012). As the producers in China will need to have the production know-how for the wall paneling, therefore there is risk of intellectual property theft. To try and protect the IP a license agreement for technology transfer could be considered.When setting up a technology transfer agreement, the Technology Transfer Regulations as stipulated in the China Laws for Foreign Business outlines in Article 2 six ways of technology acquisition (Appendix 2; Kluwer Law International, 2005). ————————————————- If licensing is chosen for the transfer of the patent and its technology in the Joint-Venture the usual licensing agreement is 10 years. However this is usually permitted to extend to the life of the Joint-Venture (Lewis, 1996, p. 67). The agreement involved will allow the Chinese producers to use the technological know-how with it returning to the licensor (the Australian side) once the Joint-Venture is terminated. However it must be noted that the general consensus in China is that technology and know-how belong to the licensee at the end of the term and the licensor should not be able to restrict the licensee in its use of this information (Jianhua & Williams, 1998, p. 167; Lewis, 1996, p. 167).Therefore despite many ways one can try and protect IP in China, the most important factor is to carry out due diligence and make sure that the knowhow has been protected as good as possible. The Issue of Dispute Resolution: Due to a difference in legal system, cultural values and business practices, China can be seen as a high risk business environment. In the case of any disputes a clear and understandable dispute resolution method and clause should be formed and included in the Joint-Venture contract (Wei, 2000, p. 154).It is crucial for JV parties to specify dispute resolution methods, applicable law and venue for resolving disputes (Chan & Suen, 2005). Under the law of the P. R. C, Sino foreign Joint-Ventures are allowed to select applicable law and the venue for the dispute resolution in their contractual clause and Chinese law is only an option in this case (Dobkin, 1988, 79-80; FECL 1985; Lewis J. 1996, p. 256; Wei, 2000. p. 156). However Article 25 of the Law on Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint-Ventures (2005) provides that if a dispute arises, the dispute should be in first instance settled through friendly consultations to the extent possible.If such consultations fail then the dispute may be settled by arbitration or be referred to the People’s Court (Lewis J. 1996, p. 255) Therefore it is recommended that in light of any breaches of contract or party disputes the first step should be negotiation. Negotiation is not legally binding and can preserve the guanxi between both parties, whilst being the cheapest ADR method (Cheung and Suen, 2002; Dimatteo, 2003 p. 109). Also given the law states that friendly consultation should be the first step it should be the first method tried.However if not successful a relevant arbitration can be included in the contract. The P. R. C has a flexible approach regarding dispute resolution and it can take place in China or abroad according to Chinese rules or an international arbitration body (Lewis, 1996, p. 256). However, for this wall paneling company it is still recommended to have the arbitration carried out in China as cost is lower and it is more convenient and is enforceable (Dimatteo, 2003, 109). Many parties scared of using mainland Chinese arbitration rules have decided on arbitrating in Hong Kong.This is a great option for the wall panel ing company as Hong Kong has adopted the UNCITRAL model law on arbitration and is considered an international arbitration centre with highly developed infrastructure (Brandt & Tomson, 2012, p. 18; Dobkin, 1988, 79-80; HKIAC, 2004). In addition, Hong Kong will able to give better advice on foreign related matters in English making the process a lot smoother (Lewis, 1996, p. 257; Srivastava, 2002, 197). A possible dispute resolution clause that could be included in the contract can be viewed in Appendix 3. ————————————————-If Arbitration still has not produced any results litigation can be considered (Wei, 2000, p. 154) but in China it is usually viewed a s a last resort due to possible bias present in the courts and due to court proceeding being very lengthy and expensive and it’s also difficult to find lawyers competent to advise on foreign matters in English. Usual ly foreign parties will endeavour to ensure their disputes are resolved without Chinese courts as they are still unconfident because of the reported local protectionism (Bersani, 1994; Chan, 1997) The Issue of Language: ————————————————-Which language should be used in the Joint-Venture contract? When dealing with foreign parties there can sometimes be large language barriers. This problem can often be solved by having a clear language agreement stipulated in the contract. It is common practice to have the contract in both acting languages. Although this can be rather expensive, it may avoid some major problems that could arise in the future (Lewis, 1996, p. 31). The Issue of Termination: Chinese parties may be averted to agreeing with the public and formal ending of a Joint-Venture, not wanting to discuss the end before even beginning (Xu, 2008).However, sometimes, as the Chinese saying goes, the foreign party might find themselves in the ‘same bed’ as the Chinese but ‘with different dreams’. This is why a termination clause is very important. Despite the conventionality of this clause, it is still a grey area; the general practice is that foreign investors buy their way in and then buy their way out if the situation turns bad. Chinese parties have been known to play corporate blackmail with foreign investors as to block potential exit of the foreign party or to hold them liable for all losses (Xu, 2008).A Joint-Venture contract should have a detailed termination clause which outlines the events allowing parties to terminate their involvement. It should also state the duration of the Joint-Venture. (Dimatteo 2003) Some grounds for termination are as follows (Lewis, 1996, p. 257): 1. Expiration of the Joint-Venture term; 2. Inability to continue operations due to heavy losses; 3. Inability to continue operations due to the f ailure of one of the contracting parties to fulfill its contractual obligations; 4. Inability to continue operations to heavy losses caused by force majeure or; 5.Inability to attain the desired objectives of operations and the lack of future for development. Some other terms that may be included are set out in Appendix 4. *It is proposed that the tenure for this Joint-Venture should be set at an appropriate time so as to avoid the transfer of intellectual property. This time should be before the patent protection runs out and before the licensing agreement runs out. —————————————————————————————————————————————– AppendicesAppendix 1: Business Structures in China (Yu wa Wei, 2000, Investing in China. p. 169) Appendix 2: China Business Law Guide 2005 a) The assignment of patent rights; b) The assignment of the rights to apply for patents c) The licensing of patent exploitation; d) The assignment of technical secrets; e) The provision of technical services; and f) Other forms of transfer of technology. Appendix 3: Dispute Resolution Clause In the event of any dispute arising under this contract, the parties shall first make all necessary efforts to settle the dispute through friendly consultation.If it is impossible to settle the dispute in this way then the matter shall be submitted to arbitration before the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (Lewis, 1996, P. 255). Appendix 4: Grounds for Termination (Frenkel, 1998) 1. Failure of a participant to make require capital contribution; 2. Failure of a participant to obtain necessary government approvals; 3. Failure of the venture to reach a pre-agreed level of profitability; 4. Management dead lock; 5. Failure of one partner to purchase the shares of another. (Buy-Sell agreement); 6. An adverse and debilitating change in the law; 7.Bankruptcy or insolvency of the Joint-Venture. In relation to IP even if there is a clear termination clause and licensing agreement relating to the breach for the use of IP and know how as mentioned before the general consensus in China is that licensed IP will be able to be used once the license agreement has ended by the licensee. This means that despite efforts to protect IP, there is still a possibility of a breach and this should be understood as China’s cultural view is different and they still have a developing legal system in relation to this problem. Appendix 5: Key Issues in Enforcing IP Law (Kennedy, G. amp; Clark. D, 2006) The key issues are: 1. Civil procedure law puts a strong burden on plaintiffs to prove their case. There are no rules specifically shifting the burden of proof if a plaintiff makes out a prima facie case. This can make it very difficult to prove that a high technology patent has been infringed, or a trade secret has been misappropriated. (Article 125, Contracting Law) 2. There is no discovery in civil proceedings. Parties are only required to submit evidence that assists their case. Without discovery, it can be extremely difficult to prove a case. Article 125, Contracting Law) 3. Oral evidence is very rarely accepted in civil proceedings (63 and 72 of Civil Procedure Law) – oral evidence of misbehaviour by an employee will thus be very hard to use. Appendix 6: Expected Growth of China Green Buildings (MOHURD, GCiS). Reference List 1. Austrade, 2012, Building Materials to China, Available at . Accessed on 22/10/2012. 2. Australian Business Forum (ACBW), 2012, China to Boost construction of Green Building. May 7th. Available at . Accessed on 23/10/2012. 3. Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC), 2012, Duration of Patent Protection, Australian Government. Available at . Accessed on 25/09/2012. 4. Brandt, M. & Tomson, K. , 2012, Hong Kong's state and crown immunity: immunity for state-owned enterprises? 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