Strategic management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Strategic management - Case Study Example There are numerous positive aspects to this strategy nonetheless. To begin with, Paul Sr. contends that making his own grapes is the genesis to quality wine and also to business success. This is the core reason 70% of all grapes crushed at the winery is grown under the supervision of the company. Another belief held by Paul Sr. is that customers should always pay relative to the quality of wine they purchase. Hence, the company would never charge exponentially for wine that does not match the price. The Boscs also view wine making as a lifestyle, and hence strive to form close ties with clients. This approach to business is very influential when it comes to making the decision since it might be the same approach adopted if the chateau is built. In this regard, it is appropriate to assess whether CdC’s business strategy is applicable in such a setup. Having CdC’s business strategy applicable in a chateau mean that the construction of the new premises is supported by the business strategy in use. The external environment for CdC is very influential to the overall performance of the winery. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is one of the political influences that impacts the operation of the company. The board is responsible for distributing most of the wine in the region and which all makers fall below. In many ways, the board is a controller of alcohol consumption in the region. Its lack of vulnerability from manipulation by wineries such as CdC means that the quest to upscale by the organisation is impeded. Although the revenues amassed in the wine business were surging, the amount of wine consumption was lessening over the last year. This is partly attributed to the economic recession that is being experienced in the region. This means that fewer people were taking wine and that the efforts by CdC to double

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Accounting - Essay Example PART C: On The basis of your work in Part B, prepare an income statement, a statement of owner’s equity and a balance sheet for the Aimless Company for the accounting period in question in the space provided. PART A: Shown are the first three numerical columns of the worksheet for Rahman Company, a corporation, for the year ending December 31, 2001. Fill in the blank spaces in these three columns, where appropriate. (Hint: Look for both sides of the entry for adjustments and extend account balances.) PART B: Shown next are the last two columns of the worksheet for Rahman Company for the period ending December 31, 2001. On the basis of the earlier three columns that you have completed, fill in these two columns of the worksheet, checking to see if the totals balance. PART C: On the basis of your work in PART B, prepare an income statement, a statement of retained earnings and a balance sheet for Rahman Company for the accounting period in question in the space

The House on the Lagoon by Rosario Ferre Essay Example for Free

The House on the Lagoon by Rosario Ferre Essay Rosario Ferre is one of the most noted and famous Puerto Rican writers who have made their mark in the world of literature. Her books illustrate the political and social conditions of her native land. In this paper, we attempt to review and understand her book ‘The House on the Lagoon’ which is extremely famous and provides an interesting insight into the Puerto Rican conditions and the views of the writer as a supporter of feminism.   Ã¢â‚¬ËœThe house on the Lagoon’ was nominated for the National Book Award in 1995. The story revolves around Isabel and Quintin Mendizabal who are a quintessential Puerto Rican couple belonging to the privileged section of this society. The wife, Isabel, has a streak of independence and she feels suffocated in the typically bourgeois environment. She wishes to fulfill her long cherished dream of becoming a famous writer. For the fulfillment of this dream she decides to write a novel based on the life and family history of her husband and herself. However, the husband suddenly discovers the less than flattering description of his family that his wife wishes to make public by getting it published. He is obviously shaken and tries to alter the version that his wife has written in order to make it more appreciative of his family.   The story appears to be simple on the surface. However, while reading it, so many undercurrents appear that it becomes a delightful experience to discover the countless nuances. Many special features and styles of writing adorn the book. The most famous, the most talked about and perhaps the most exciting is the concept of two distinct narrative voices. In the beginning, the book proceeds as a simple family history being retold by a woman. However, a few chapters into the book, suddenly we discover that the narration switches over to the woman’s husband Quintin, who discovers that his wife is writing a novel. Surprises do not cease here. We are treated to another surprise as we discover that the book we are reading i.e. ‘The House on the Lagoon’ is the book that the husband is so incensed on finding. Thereon the narrative continues to switch from Quintin to Isabel and vice versa and this turns out to have far reaching consequences on the novel as a whole.   The double narrative allows for a more democratic unfolding of the story than a single narrative. It allows us to find out Quintin’s reactions to his wife’s narration of his family history. It puts in more animation into a mundane story of family history. Their arguments keep the narration alive and keep the reader guessing at reality and the next sequence of events. Also, there is a marked difference in the ways Quintin and Isabel approach the novel. Quintin, as we are told, has been a student of history in Columbia. To him, misinterpretation of facts and misinterpretation of history is a gross error and in addition, he is extremely embarrassed by the way his family is portrayed in a bad light by his wife. On the other hand, Isabel feels that her main objective is to gain literary fame and she is not concerned with being historically, socially or politically correct. While reading the book, we are thus treated to Isabel’s views and then we read her husband’s comments and views on her writing. This allows for a multiple perspective presentation and the nature of characters becomes more engrossing than the story that they are both trying to tell in their own way.   It has been argued that the dual narrative serves certain higher purposes than simply telling us the dual viewpoints on the story. The dual narrative has been construed as a metaphor for colonization[1]. Rosario’s books usually deal with the conflicts plaguing her native land Puerto Rico, the major one being whether to remain independent or become a part of the US. In the book, through dual narrative, Rosario attempts to bring out this conflict. Isabel, the writer’s alter ego, represents Puerto Rico while her husband represents the dominating influence of the US. Thus multiple perspectives enable the writer to demonstrate Puerto Rico’s quest for identity and her constant struggle against foreign dominance.   Another interesting characteristic of the book is the imagery that is used to illustrate certain finer points[2]. Right from the first scene, where there is a confrontation between the boy serenading Isabel and her fiancà © Quintin, we have a glimpse into the strong characters that we will encounter further on in the book. It also illustrates that Quintin has a violent streak. The relationships between the characters are brought out later in the book. Especially evident is the marital discord between Quintin and Isabel over the issue of her novel which Quintin feels paints his family black. Later in the book, we are provided with another extremely vivid scene which portrays the reason why Isabel is so haunted by her past. Isabel’s mother was forced to have an abortion by her grandmother. This abortion was probably botched and the description of the scene from the child’s point of view sends shivers down the readers’ spine. The gory details such as the pool of blood, the unconscious mother and the dropping of the doll are all images which haunt the reader as much as they must have haunted the young girl. It not only tells us of Isabel’s miserable past but also provides us an understanding of the person she is in the present and why. It also helps us to identify with her dream of making it big as she wishes to escape the drudgery that her female ancestors went through.   Also noteworthy in the novel is the daydreams that Isabel indulges herself with. Her past is so woebegone that she tries to absorb herself in passionate pursuits of her dreams and reveries. These reveries lull us into a false sense of security until the silence before the storm breaks with a shattering incident. This sense of the unexpected renders the narrative far from banal. The most interesting of her happiness and indulgence appears towards the end of the story when she enrolls into a ballet school to fulfill her passion. This dream, like that of becoming a famous writer, reveals Isabel’s desire for fame. She enjoys her dancing lessons immensely and we are again forced to expect some happiness coming her way. However, our hopes are shattered brutally by the public display of pedophilia as the curtain opens at the wrong time during her stage performance. Again, Isabel finds herself abused and unhappy. The ending of the story is thus somewhat tragic and in sync with the mood of the whole story.   In conclusion, it must be said that a subject as ordinary as the relation of family history is made extraordinary by the excellent style of Rosario Ferre and her unique writing style including the double narratives, the imagery and the reveries. Her strong characters help us understand human psyche and also provide insight into the actual political and social problems of Puerto Rico through the characters. In the end, the novel turns out to be more than a story of marital discord or a narration of family history. It helps us to understand history, politics, sociology, psychology and also literature. Few novels are able to achieve such high purpose. WORKS CITED â€Å"The House on the Lagoon†, Luke Lecheler, http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Critique/review_fiction/house_on_the_lagoon_the_by_rosario_ferre.html â€Å"Rosario Ferre † http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Bios/entries/ferre_rosario.html â€Å"Reading Guide: The House On the lagoon†, Penguin Group USA, http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/house_on_the_lagoon.html [1] â€Å"Rosario Ferre † http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Bios/entries/ferre_rosario.html [2] â€Å"The House on the Lagoon†, Luke Lecheler,   http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Critique/review_fiction/house_on_the_lagoon_the_by_rosario_ferre.html

The Independent Learning For Nursing Nursing Essay

The Independent Learning For Nursing Nursing Essay Reflection is a way to look back on what a person came across on a certain event (Bulman and Schutz, 2008). The target of this reflective essay is for me to mull over on what I have learned from my direct experiences on placement. I opt to utilise on this reflective essay, A Model of Structured Reflection, by Driscoll (2007). This Model has three questions, namely: what, so what and now what. These questions must be answered by me relative to the experiences I acquired from my placement. Hence, I chose to take advantage on Driscolls model as it is very handy to apply even with or without a paper and pen. All I need to bring to mind is the aforementioned three questions. I will discuss what I think it matters most to me during my two weeks practice placement and give analysis whether I gained knowledge and understanding based from the learning plan I prepared prior to my placement; thereby continually apply it in every situation I may undergo (Howatson-Jones, 2010). I spent my whole duration of the introductory period of duty experience in the ward. On my first day, the Ward Manager introduced me to her team. She told me that my mentor was not around on that day. Thus, she handed me over to the nurse in-charge. As I arrived on an early shift, I duly observed the handover of patients from the night shift staff to the day shift staff. Handover is a daily reporting of patients status to the incoming shift for the provision of continuity of care (Wywialowski, 2003). As a neophyte, I was a bit muddled up on how the night nurse was endorsing the patient; however, I was attentive on what she was doing so I could learn from such activity. There are acronyms on the handover that they used that I could not understand, as a consequence, I made a point that I must familiarise and memorise the medical terms. Even though I am supernumerary I strongly desire to a part and parcel of the team whilst learning (Jelphs and Dickinson, 2008). After the handover, the nurse instructed me to be with the Health Care Assistant (HCA) for the time being so that I can be acquainted with patients and adapt with the daily routine. Indeed, favoured that the HCA was willing to help me. She taught me the safer way on handling patients whilst maintaining their dignity and respect (Tschudin, 2003). She demonstrated proper use the Blood Glucose monitor and how to document it on patients chart (The Global Diabetes Community, 2013). In addition, she told me that if the patient is not on closed observation, normally they take the vital signs every four hourly. The days have gone by so quick; I was productive on my day to day experience as a student nurse. I never wasted my time just standing there without accomplishing anything at the end of my shift. Motivated with my passion of extending care to patients, I find joy and fulfilment in rendering services for them, such as assisting them to the toilet and giving a hand to those who are unable to look after themsel ves. I became certain on writing down the nursing care plan of a patient (Lloyd, 2010), observed the Nasogastric tube (NGT) (Macmillan Cancer Support, 2013) and Electrocardiogram (ECG) procedures done by the staff nurse and HCA respectively (British Heart Foundation, 2013). I volunteered myself as well to get the take away medication of the patient from the Pharmacy. Furthermore, I have learned how to fill up the Nursing Assessment forms for a newly admitted patient. I accomplished the said forms by means of communicating with the patient and family. I have mentioned the word communicating as there was a non-spoken English patient admitted because of lower back pain. In complying with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct (2010) about confidentiality, I will be using a pseudonym for her. I was aware that English is not her first language; hence, Mrs. C cannot speak and comprehend well. When I went to her bedside to take her vital signs, I have seen the grimace caused by pain on her lower back. I asked if she was in pain at that moment, she suddenly nodded her head whilst touching her lower back (White, 2005). I reported to the nurse right away that Mrs. C was in pain, and based on her Drug Chart she was due for another dose of pain killer. I had administrated the said medication under the supervision of the nurse (NMC, 2010). On the next day, I informed Mrs. C through the use of verbal and non-verbal gestures that she will undergo Colonoscopy to check whats causing her pain (Sully and Dallas, 2010). We waited for her nephew before accompanying them in the Gastroenterology Department as she needs somebody else to translate the procedure to be done. Since it was my first time to watch a patient undergoing such procedure, I grabbed the opportunity to request from the Specialist Nurse if I can be allowed inside to observe the procedure which she willingly approved. I was grateful that her nephew told me that his aunt wanted me to acc ompany her in the Colonoscopy room despite without asking permission (NMC, 2010). During the procedure, I sat next to Mrs. C whilst holding her hand as she was feeling uneasy with the endoscope inserted into her anus. The Specialist Nurse has given me few insights relative to what she was trying to look inside the colon of Mrs. C. I was privileged for having an exquisite time of basic understanding about Colonoscopy (BUPA, 2011). After the procedure, Mrs. C has given me a hug and was very thankful. I smiled and responded that it was my pleasure to assist her. Afterwards, we went back to the ward, and before I left Mrs. C on her bed with the assurance that she was comfortable and safe, her nephew expressed his appreciation for looking after his aunt whilst he was not around. Moreover, Mrs. C told him about me being there rubbing her lower back when she was in agony. I felt flattered on how they recognised my presence in assisting and comforting her. On the above scenario, I suppose I have achieved one of my learning needs, that is, the effective communication between patient and me as a student nurse. Despite the inability of Mrs. C to express herself verbally, I was so sensitive observing her gestures and actions, thus, I can extend the appropriate care and assistance she needed. By intently looking at her countenance, I can interpret what she was trying to convey to me; henceforth, I was able to address her needs. I have realised that verbal and non-verbal communications in nursing are very vital in rendering quality care. As a student nurse, I should not let language be a hindrance in giving the nursing intervention for the patients quick recovery (Andrews and Boyle, 2008). Care of people is the priority of all nurses; this is one of the four principles of NMC Code (2010). The provision of care for the patient should be done in a holistic approach which includes their daily living activities (Newton, 1991). A simple act of ca re means a lot to the patient and therefore, this must be instilled in the heart of every nurse (Department of Health, 2010). As for me I will surely put into practice what I have learned from this placement. Another learning need that I partially accomplished was being able to observe how to perform the Colonoscopy procedure. To supplement what I have observed, I did some informative readings. In summary, I was able to see the nurses duties and responsibilities. Such as, how they manage to give the best nursing interventions in a busy ward, how they collaborate to other health professionals for updating the patients care plan and how they attend to patients with care and compassion. I am fully aware that most patients usually depend on nurses as they are the ones who provide direct care for them (Altman, 2010). I do believe that nursing is a never ending process of learning; hence, nurses are oblige to update their trainings and continue to learn more by reading evidence-based practice resources for self-enrichment (Sackett et al., 1996). As a student, I have to be dedicated, motivated and inspired to achieve my ambitions in life; continually accepting any challenge for my personal development (Maslow, 1954). For the meantime, I will set my goals on what I want to learn; recognising any learning outcome on my learning plan as this will draw me closer to my aspiration, to b e a Qualified Nurse (Peate, 2006). My two weeks practice experience was superlative. The Faculty of Nursing in the hospital provided teaching sessions that will develop us to become competent in our chosen field (McNiff, 1993). All the staff in the ward where I worked with were supportive and compassionate. I am looking forward for my next placement, for me to implement what I have learned from my previous one, and be able to identify new learning opportunities. In conclusion, practice placement is an opportunity of experience, an opportunity of new learning and an opportunity of development.

Bad Or Good :: essays research papers

Bad or Good We live in a world in which our primary food is the information. We perceive the outside world through images, and each image has an echo in our brain, generating feelings, attitudes and sometimes questions. Although we belong to the same specie, thousands of differences or similarities divide and classify us. Each of us perceives in his own way the information he receives. For some of us, something could be beautiful, for others the same thing could be ugly. Behind these two words, beautiful and ugly, we can see another words or, better said, concepts: good and bad. But what do good and bad mean? Do they really exist? On one hand, good and bad are two words that express our opinion in terms of perceived images. We give the images values, which can be, as I already said, good or bad. On the other hand, being so many types of human beings, it is normal to be different kinds of perception and interpretation of information. Therefore, having many people who can interpret things in different ways, it is difficult for somebody to say what is good or bad, and in the same time to have his opinion shared by everyone. Trying to classify, we might come up with a result that might be true or not, depending on the point of view. In other words everything is relative. Paradoxically, when we start thinking we, we discover that we actually know almost nothing, or that there are many things left, to be known. On the other hand, the more we know, the more we want to know. This desire of knowing more and more might be expressed through questions. One big difference that separates the human beings from animals is that

Corruption in Colombia Essay

There has been a four-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government groups, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) who are funded by the drug trade, has escalated over the years. Since about 2002 the violence has decreased a slit amount because of the lack of the military and popular support necessary to overthrow the government. However these groups of insurgents have continued to attack civilians. Large areas around Columbia are under the revolutionary influence. By the end of 2006, more than 31,000 former governments’ officials had ceased to function as long as the formal organization the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). When this occurred criminal groups arose and members included former government officials. The Colombia Government has made efforts to advance government control throughout the country. In order to understand how corruption is affecting Colombia, we must first examine concrete economical statistics. The Colombian Peso exchange rate depreciated 6. 64 percent against the US Dollar during the last 12 months. The Colombian Peso spot exchange rate specifies how much one currency, the USD, is currently worth in terms of the other, the COP. While the Colombian Peso spot exchange rate is quoted and exchanged in the same day, the Colombian Peso forward rate is quoted today but for delivery and payment on a specific future date. Colombian pesos (COP) per US dollar: 1,869. 9 (2010) 2,157. 6 (2009) 2,243. 6 (2008) 2,013. 8 (2007) 2,358. 6 (2006) According to the CIA World Factbook, Colombia is ranked 59th in exports and 54th in imports. In May of 2011 Colombia exports were worth 4704 Million USD and imports were worth 4931 Million USD. Their major exports are petroleum, coffee, coal, nickel, gold and, nontraditional exports. Their major imports are industrial and transportation equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, paper products, fuels, and electricity. The total population in Colombia was last reported at 45. 9 million people in 2010 from 16. 0 million in 1960, changing 187 percent during the last 50 years. Colombia has 0. 67 percent of the world? s total population which means that one person in every 150 people on the planet is a resident of Colombia. The unemployment rate in Columbia from 2000 until 2010 averaged at 14. 7 percent. The highest percentage was in January of 2001 when it was 20. 99 percent. The lowest percentage was in November of 2007 when it was 8. 91 percent. Labor force is the number of people employed plus the number unemployed but seeking work. The non-labor force is those who are not looking for work, those who are institutionalized, and those serving in the military. According to the World Bank, the Colombia Gross Domestic Product is worth 288 billion dollars or 0. 46% of the world economy. Colombia’s average GDP was 60. 55 billion dollars and reached the highest dollars in December of 2010. Colombia is a free market economy with major commercial and investment ties to The United States. Transition from a highly regulated economy has been underway for more than 15 years. Colombia’s average annual economic growth rate was of over 5% from 2002 to 2007. The inflation rate in Colombia was last reported at 3. 3 percent in August of 2011. Inflation rate refers to a general rise in prices measured against a standard level of purchasing power. The most well-known measures of Inflation are the CPI which measures consumer prices, and the GDP deflator, which measures inflation in the whole of the domestic economy. Corruption’s negative impact on Colombian Foreign Direct Investment is reflected by the poor image of Colombian government by its citizens. The Colombian government, although less developed and more corrupt, is structured similarly to the United States’ government. However unstable it may be, it is a republic and consists of three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. Also like the United States, Colombia is dominated by two major political parties, the Colombian Conservative Party and the Colombian Liberal Party. Because of the natural radicalism of the two parties, two major civil wars have resulted from their existence, The Thousand Days War and La Violencia. The Thousand Days War is a prime example of how the corruption of the Colombian government has made Foreign Direct Investment a very difficult achievement for Colombia. The Thousand Days War was a civil war fought between the Conservative Party of Colombia and the Liberal Party of Colombia, sparked by corruption. In 1898, Conservative Party member Manuel Antonio Sanclement, was elected president of Colombia. This was very controversial because it was believed that significant election fraud had made this possible. As Sanclement was an adamant Liberal Party oppose, the Colombian Liberal Party waged war. The war, which lasted 4 years, claimed an estimated 100,000 lives. As devastating of a loss as 100,000 people is, the worst outcome of The Thousand Days War may be that it did little to resolve the extreme differences between the Liberal and Conservative Parties of Colombia. The Thousand Days War was soon followed by a second civil war more commonly known as La Violencia. La Violencia was also a war founded on corruption. It was sparked by the assassination of the Liberal Party leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan. After the assassination in 1948, Conservative Party leader Laureano Gomez, was the uncontested elected president in 1950. Under Gomez’s power, there was an increased rate of violence, specifically by the liberals of Colombia who were very upset about Gomez’s rise to power. Gomez was overthrown by a military coup led by General Gustavo Rojas Pinilpla in 1953. However, Rojas proved to be just as corrupt his predecessor and was soon overthrown by the Colombian military, with the support of both the Conservative and Liberal parties. La Violencia, a time properly named after and extreme period of violence and conflict, lasted from 1946 to 1957. Within that timespan it claimed an estimated 300,000 Colombian lives. The following chart shows the number of Colombian citizens who are murdered per 100,000 people by year. What is more concerning than its high rates, is that it continued to increase even after La Violencia. These extreme rates of murder and frequent conflicts are heavily dependent on the poor image citizens have of the Colombian government. There is a lack of trust in the Colombian government. Historically, governmental corruption is common practice in Colombia, just as it is a frequent occurrence that violent rebellions and civil wars take place in order to transfer power between the two political parties. This poor government infrastructure and lack of control allows corruption to run wild in Colombia making it a very difficult place for Foreign Direct Investment. This poor image of government in Colombia did not see much improvement after La Violencia. Another violent problem emerged with narco-terrorism. Colombia has become notorious for its cocaine production. In 2008, Colombia was the sources of 50% of the world’s cocaine. It is an industry which is very frequently held out violently, leading to what is known as narco-terrorism. In 1990, three presidential candidates were killed by narco-terrorists. With the rise of drug trafficking in Colombia, it appears that narco-terrorists have more control than the Colombian government. Although Colombian government has always struggled with corruption, there have recently been many signs of improvement towards a better country for Foreign Direct Investment. Within the past decade, several laws have been passed to weaken drug cartels and strengthen governmental control. From 2002 to 2008 Colombia has seen a decrease in many historically struggling areas. Its homicide rate dropped 44%, its kidnapping rates dropped 88%, its terrorist attacks dropped 79% and its attacks on country’s infrastructure dropped 60%. These tremendous improvements show an increase in governmental authority in Colombia. If Colombia can continue to improve in these areas and demonstrate that its government can have more control over its people, without corruption, it will become a much better candidate for Foreign Direct Investment. In August 2010, President Santos, introduced a legislation that would distribute industry incomes to Columbians who have lost their land due to violence. He also is trying to make improvements through domestic security. Columbia is third largest exporter of oil to the United States. Foreign direct investment from 2008 to 2009 went from $10 billion to $7. 2 billion. Even though records show that it has dropped $2. 8 billion, in 2010 it began to recover their losses through the oil sector. Because of their financial crisis the economy didn’t grow significant amount till 2010 then it grew 4. %. Before that the growth was a low percentage. With the challenges that Colombia’s faces it requires major improvement to sustain economic expansion. The outrageous amount of corruption in Colombia is hindering its economy and stopping it from becoming a safe and stable country. Although it is one of the oldest democracies in Latin America, Colombia has some of the most corrupt elections. An estimated 130,000 candidates are running for election at the local, regional, and national levels. 10% of these candidates have proven criminal records. About a third of their senate is currently under investigation for parapolitics and many of which are already in jail. The corrupt election are stopping Colombia from having a stable government which is stopping foreign investors from taking the risk of putting money into Columbia, meaning less jobs and poorer quality of life for the average Colombian. In 2005 the parapolitics scandal was uncovered and left the Colombian senate in chaos. The Colombian senate seats 102, and with 51 senators now being investigated and 29 in jail, they are virtually paralyzed. As each senator is arrested, it delays the agenda for legislation even more. Paramilitary leaders have confessed to hundreds of thousands of crimes including murders, abductions, rapes, narcotics, and extortion. They have also confessed to backing many politicians in an attempt to be protected outside of the law. Many members of the former president of Colombia, President Alvaro Uribe’s party were arrested for parapolitics showing the world how unstable the Colombian government is. One of the arrested politicians includes the president’s cousin Mario Uribe who has had very close ties to the president both family-wise and politically. This influenced the United States greatly and in 2007 a package of military aid destined for Colombia from the United States was blocked in the U. S. senate because of fear of election corruption. Colombia depends on the U. S. greatly, as it is number 3 in the world for U. S. military aid. The aid is used to assist in fighting the drug war and without it; more violence and corruption will take place. Paramilitary has a huge effect on the elections conducted in Columbia. There are around 20,000 paramilitary fighters in the country all growing from their creation in the 1980’s. In 2010 armed groups killed over two dozen candidates running for election and at the same time they invested large sums of money to fund their own candidates’ campaigns. Along with bribing people to run for them, these armed groups will also pay the public for individual votes. This can be as much as $40 per person in some places. Other times they will also use sheer military force to intimidate the public into voting for them. Many of the jailed parapoliticians have others running in their place as puppets while they are still in jail. Caracol news agency reported that 18 of the candidates in 2010 were â€Å"political front men† for ex-senators. There was an increase in the amount of women running for election which usually is considered a good thing. The truth is that the ones with the best chance for election were being backed by paramilitary families in an attempt to keep seats lost by jailed parapoliticians. The other big problem in Colombia its enormous drug trade and the negative effect it has on the economy. Columbia is the world’s largest cocaine producer and accounts for 43% of coca cultivation (the crop used to make cocaine). 0% of the cocaine found in the United States is Colombian. Combined, Colombian and Mexican drug cartels make an estimated $4. 6 billion exporting to the United States per year. Overall Columbia’s drug trade is about $10 billion / year which is equivalent to 25% of the countries legal exports. In 2008 81,000 hectares of land were being used for illegal coca cultivation. These are staggering numbers and makes you wonder, how is all of this being allowed to happen? If Colombia was not as corrupt as it is, this wouldn’t happen. Many of the drug lords use their influence and resources to pay off politicians, police, and military to turn a blind eye to their drug trade. Attempts have been made to stop this massive drug trafficking but so far it has only slowed it down. Colombia’s defense spending is now at $12 billion per year which is triple the average defense budget of other South American countries. Along with an increased defense budget, the United States has also committed an additional $6 billion since 2001 to help crackdown on the coca production. These are large sums of money that could be spent in other more productive ways. Such as, creating a better national infrastructure and creating jobs. $18 billion is a lot of money to invest in an economy, and currently they are losing all of that potential production because drugs are such a big problem. Drug trafficking and election corruption are both hurting the Colombian economy. Billions of dollars are being spent to stop the corruption but to this point there is still a great deal going on. In order for Colombia to have better production in a global economy, they must prove to the world they have a stable government, and reduce the risks associated with investing in them. Over the past few years, foreign direct investment in Colombia has been gradually increasing as their country has been fighting the corruption and violence that had been prominent. Some of the most advantageous areas for FDI are technology, fuels – such as coal, oil and natural gas — and infrastructure. One reason that fuel is a wise choice for FDI is because Colombia has much more oil than is being used by its population: This excess would allow foreign companies access to enough oil to run more plants at a cheaper cost. Infrastructure is also important because Colombia’s current ease of transportation leaves much to be desired. If a company decided to invest in Colombia’s transportation, it would draw more investors in as said transportation costs decreased. The Colombian government has been actively working to encourage local companies to develop the roadway systems across the country to attempt to make Colombia more attractive to foreign investors. While several countries are investing in Colombia, the United States is the lead investor by over 30%. It is certainly beneficial to have a strong investor, however it can be problematic for one country to control so much of Colombia’s foreign direct investment. Having investments in Colombia is helpful for the United States because Colombia is a relatively close population of cheap labor without many of the highly-regulated working conditions that are found in more developed, less corrupt countries. As a surprisingly strong investor, Anguilla contributes 20% of Colombia’s foreign direct investment. For a country whose economy is largely based on tourism, it is interesting to see their commitment to a local country that has very little tourism because of its reputation for violence, drugs and corruption. Foreign direct investment has been increasing in the recent years due to Colombia’s higher regulation of corruption and desire to control the violence in the streets. Many businesses are beginning to trust Colombia to protect their product rights and property, although Colombia is still far from stable and dependable. While crime rates are slowly decreasing in Colombia, most businesses still avoid investing in Colombia because of its reputation for extensive riots and drug wars. If Colombia can decrease their reputation for instability and corruption, they have every opportunity to successfully draw in investment and provide a safer, better future for their citizens. As stated throughout this extensive research paper, corruption can cause a country many problems. One aspect that it affects the most is trade. Countries and corporations are less attracted to corrupt governments opposed to more stable governments. According to Mauro, who analyzed 94 corrupt countries, GDP increased by four percent with a decrease of 2. 38 on his teen point scale; GDP per capita increased by . percent. Mauro contributed to the book, The State in a Changing World, World Development Report 1997. Columbia has had corruption problems for an extended period of time now. Parts of the government have tried to stop such corruption but cooperation from all parts is needed to progress. In order for Columbia to progress they must start at the root. They must analyze what causes corruption and approaches other countries took to successfully start eliminating corruption. A few of the reasons corruption is practiced are to avoid penalties for illegal actions or to get around legal regulations. One overwhelming problem in Columbia, that is no secret to most, is drug trade. Drug cultivating and trade in Columbia is evident due to its geological location and ideal climate. In order to transport these drugs and have farms some drug lords may need to pay off government officials so they can â€Å"turn their eyes† on such activities. In this case both the drug lords and government officials benefit. Corruption will be hard to fight in Columbia due to the fact that the drug industry is estimated to be valued in the billions and whenever there is such a significant amount of money on the line, people are willing to do anything. Regardless of the reason, usually it is for an individual’s personal gain, companies included. Institutional corruption usually arises when government officials have a significant amount of power but little accountability. Most of the time, the officials must have their own financial incentives in order to partake in the corruption. The more control government officials have to regulate corporations the more corruption is likely to occur. If the probability of being caught or punished is low, people will tend to risk dealing with corruption. There are two approaches that must be taken to fight corruption, the first approach must be an institutional approach and the other must be a social approach. To begin an institutional reform towards corruption, Columbia must limit authority. Columbia has a questionable democratic government. With all the corruption going on, the polls could be altered. This is where the social approach comes into play later on. There most prominent branch is the executive branch. This supports the fact that Columbia’s authorities may have too much power. Privatization is believed to be able to reduce corruption by limiting the amount of government interaction with companies. In order to be successful there must be certain regulation put into place. The only problem with this approach is that it has already been taken by Columbia, and while it did improve corruption, it was not notable enough. Columbia has gone as far as privatizing its water supply and while it had many critics at first, it turned out to be a good decision by their part due to the correct regulations put into place. Other suggestions are to increase liberalization by reducing tariffs. This will lead to officials having less access to 1bribes. Competition among public services can also reduce corruption by eliminating monopoly type organizations. By increasing accountability, corruption can be decreased. Accountability includes stricter enforcement and easier detection mechanisms. Accountability can be increased through many ways. Freedom of information legislation can help. To better explain freedom of information legislation, and example would be the Ugandan government began posting prices for services and activities such as registering a car or starting a small business. This eliminates questionable pricing and increases transparency. Another tactic to increase transparency is to implement financial disclosure among government officials. This tactic makes government officials income and assets public. Some South American countries have already began this practice; countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Government expenditures and income can also be made public for transparency purposes. This way money won’t go missing and if it does the people will know; this is known as an open budget process. Legislative oversight can benefit Columbia greatly in terms of eliminating corruption. Since Columbia must give more power to its legislative branch rather than its executive branch. A recent example has been one of Columbia’s neighbors, Brazil. The congressional impeachment of President Fernando Collor de Mello demonstrated the strength of the legislative branch. The Brazilian senate has also set up a special committee to investigate potential fraud in selling government bonds. Columbia’s senate should take initiative and also set up some sort of committee to investigate corruption charges. These methods won’t completely eliminate corruption and none will come close to even making an impact if it’s the only method used but if they are combined corruption and decrease considerably. An incentive to avoid corruption would be stricter sanction. By increasing the severity of the punishments people face a higher risk factor when participating in corrupt actions, thus leading them to think twice about their actions. Sanctions may include but are not limited to minimum sentences for taking part in corrupt activities or denying public services for any entity offering bribes, this includes people or companies. Columbia was already on somewhat of a right track when it comes to strengthening their judicial branch’s power. In 1991 Alfonso Valdivieso was appointed attorney general. In Colombia the Attorney General cannot be dismissed or reappointed and he is given investigatory powers. Valdivieso gained world recognition for prosecuting high ranking drug lords and government officials. I would recommend Columbia to ask Valdivieso for help, knowing that he is a reliable source when it comes to corruption. He can’t be Attorney General again but if special unit is formed to combat corruption, he is definitely a guy that should be taken in mind. This concludes possible ways to avoid and reduce corruption from an institutional view point, reducing corruption from a social approach is rather different. The way people are raised and their surroundings affect their views on many things including corruption. If children are raised in a corrupt environment, they will view it not only acceptable but almost necessary. It’s a top down effect where government officials and corporation leaders are at the top. They must set an example for the public to look down on corruption and not endorse it. Public Relations Campaigns can be put into effect to better inform people on the consequences and harm done by corruption that is not too clear. Campaigns can be executed through mass media, community activities or school programs. A few key points that should be emphasized are the effect that corruption has on things such as public services, investments, and inequality. All of these aspects are affected in a negative way. Columbia’s unemployment rate is 11. 8% and its Gini index is 58. 5. These numbers could improve with by decreasing corruption but this fact isn’t evident to most of the population. If people feel like they have a say in the situation and can make a change, they will be more actively supportive. These campaigns should aim towards making people feel as if every little bit of help counts. In Argentina a non-government organization was formed to inform the public about corruption. The organization consists of television and radio ads. Another positive use of media to combat corruption is investigative journalism. Investigative journalism increase transparency greatly. It helps uncover corrupt officials and acts. The truth is what drives investigative journalism rather than just a story. Investigative journalism poses a threat of being exposed towards anyone that is participating in corrupt acts. It is a risky job due to the fact that people being uncovered may have a lot of power. Workshops should be set up to train such journalist. Countries such as Uganda and Tanzania have just that. In a country like Colombia with all the guerilla forces and drug cartels, this is a very important part to investigative journalism. Journalist run the risk of being targeted, so they must be careful and smart in the ways they go about reporting and accessing their findings. Lastly Columbia could search for outside help. Help can come from individual countries or organizations. Organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank could offer guidelines to help. Both organizations are pretty much powerless but they can help establish treaties that could improve anti-corruption efforts. Individual countries that wish to invest in Columbia could also take initiative and further influence Columbian anti-corruption movements. To recap corruption is mostly if not solely negative towards Columbia’s economic development. It makes Columbia look risky to outside investors hoping to make a Federal Direct Investment. Investors prefer stability rather than turmoil. Due to its geological position, Columbia has faced drug problems for a few decades now. In order to transport these drugs and grow them, bribery and corruption is needed. Columbian citizens and officials should notice that corruptions cons outweigh the pros when it comes to the Columbian economy as a whole. Officials must lead by example and the power of the executive branch should be reduced.

Hayes and Wheelwright Strategic Model Essay

In their four-stage model, Hayes and Wheelwright (1984) categorize different types of organizations based on their attitude towards their operations. The four stage model is underpinned by their belief that an organization’s operations can provide a source of competitive advantage. It can only do this if the operations function is managed strategically. A stage 1 organization finds it impossible to manage its operations strategically, as its operations performance objectives are continually changing between low cost, increased flexibility, improved quality, etc. Because operations managers never have the time to focus on a consistent set of objectives, a stage 1 organization is characterized by a reactive approach to operations management. In such an organization, operations can never provide a source of competitive advantage. A stage 2 organization manages its operations by seeking to emulate those of its competitors. It is likely to copy the prevailing best practices of its industry, such as JIT (just-in-time), TQM (total quality management), BPO (business process outsourcing) etc. However, as they always adopt these techniques in the wake of industry leaders, they are never likely to have developed the same level of expertise in their application. The best that such an approach can achieve is to match the operations performance of its competitors. Although the combination of operations practices adopted by a stage 2 organization may be considered by some as amounting to an operations strategy in that they are consistent, they will not be overtly linked to business strategy. Indeed, it may be that such an operations strategy is inappropriate for the organization’s business strategy. In any event, a stage 2 organization’s operations cannot provide the basis for competitive advantage. A stage 3 organization has an operations strategy that is linked to and derived from its business strategy. This means that its operations performance objectives are aligned with, and supportive of, its business objectives, offering the possibility that operations can provide the means of achieving a competitive advantage. The chances of achieving competitive advantage will be considerably increased if the organization has adopted industry best practice in its operations. A stage 4 organization is radically different to one at any of the other stages. It uses its operations excellence as the basis for its business strategy – an   perations-based strategy. The operations of a stage 4 organization are at the forefront of developments in best practice in that they set industry standards in ways that delight customers. Thus, the organization’s operations enable it to retain its existing customers and attract new ones. For an operations-based competitive advantage to be sustainable, the organization must continually develop its operations, as any source of advantage is liable to be imitated by competitors. To remain at stage 4, an organization needs to learn how to make the most of its existing resources and competences to learn how to develop new capabilities. Recent advances in the understanding of organizational performance have emphasized the importance of path dependency (i.e. how organizations got to their present position), the dynamic nature of the capabilities on which organizational success ultimately depends and the role of organizational learning.