International Joint Venture System Research Proposal

International Joint Venture System - Research Proposal Example Influence to more international maybe as sure of many opportunities opened up by vast markets, which result from unique political, economic& cultural environment in China. Any foreign company could need to rethink its approach in managing employees and the organization as a whole. Against this background, formation of joint ventures in China calls for adaptability, and management of change. These will and bring about improved performance by thawing any foreseeable resistance, withholding crucial information and claiming responsibility for the managerial decision and action taken by personnel. The United States of America is a capitalist economy whose strategic orientations calls for "let the best man win and put you money when your mouth is" perspective. This indeed may not be an appealing view for a Chinese socialist oriented economic attitude. Therefore setting up business of a joint venture system in china calls for a great understanding of the intricacies involved. Other experts call this environmental scanning while the researcher now feels it is appropriate to term it as regional or global scanning. A Sino American comparative analysis type of study will form the basis for the ensuing research on variables that will include adaptability to environmental factors, human resource management adjustments in the nature of personnel training, development , strategic thinking , horizons etc 2. Research objectives and Questions. The primary objectives for this study shall be To focus on the influences of both internal and external forces on joint ventures established in China. To identify the ways in which adaptation is done for succeeding in such ventures. To evaluate the essence of training and development in success in joint venture business. To determine the competitive advantages China offers to such joint ventures. Some specific research questions for this study include; Why is Chinese culture and orientation important Why is training and development critical for success among joint ventures How does competitive advantage and adaptation assume significance Which internal and external influences affect joint venture systems in global market What complexities exist in Chinese based joint venture What are the likely ways in which to alleviate such complexities. 3. Reviewing previous literature There are different sources of data, i.e. primary and secondary. However, it may not be appropriate to assume that the other experts have not positively contributed into the pool knowledge of in this area. To refer and borrow from scholars on Chinese management issues, publications by journals and texts regarding such operations by joint ventures form a critical basis for argumenting ideas available to support any ideas made. There has been a notion regarding paucity of studies on management in China. Academicians have focused on human resource practices in general, which seem shallow (Verna & Yan 1995, Tsung, 1994, Ding, Fields and Akhtar, 1997). Change, management & adaptation :On managing change and ensuring adaptability the (economist, 1991) when China was in a modernization phrase, China attracted industrial foreign

Starbucks Growth Strategy Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Growth Strategy Essay (Nasdaq: SBUX) reported strong fourth-quarter and fiscal 2003 results yesterday after the bell, with annual revenues jumping 24% to $4. 1 billion and earnings growing 26% to $268. 3 million. Shares are dipping about 2% so far today, presumably because the companys $0. 17 in Q4 EPS met, rather than beat, expectations. Despite the markets lukewarm response, theres much to praise here, and opportunities for more growth abound. The companys comparable-store sales results were again impressive, and the future of its international expansion looks promising. Further, Starbucks plans for domestic growth are encouraging, thanks to the rollout of more drive-through stores. Starbucks (which I happily own shares of) posted an 8% comparable-store sales gain for the year, marking the 12th year in a row the companys comps have been 5% or better. Its projecting 3%-7% comps growth for fiscal 2004 the same guidance it gave for the just-completed year. Starbucks same-store sales success is primarily transaction-driven, meaning that its not relying only on higher prices to drive growth. Thats an important factor in the quality of its comps gains. We already know it entered its first quarter upbeat, with same-store sales growth of 9% for the month of October. With the rollout of its famed holiday drinks (dont come between me and a Gingerbread Latte), and the continued success of the Starbucks card, Q1s likely to be another winner. Starbucks international operations will turn profitable this year, a significant milestone for the company. It will add 350 international locations to its lineup, with 300 of them being licensed stores. Troubles in Japan havent squashed Starbucks belief that it can be a welcome part of diverse cultures the world over. The company will continue to partner locally in order to achieve this balance between a consistent Starbucks experience and a locally tailored one. In the U. S. and Canada, Starbucks will add 950 locations this year. About a third of those will be drive-through locations, which have some of the best unit economics of all of Starbucks concepts. Its surprising to me that Starbucks just now seems to be catching on to the fact that drive-throughs can be hugely successful for it. Yes, its contrary to the whole coffeehouse culture the company wants to cultivate, but from the customers point of view, the convenience factor is attractive. Starbucks finished the year with 7,225 stores, and as laid out above, plans to add 1,300 new locations globally in fiscal 2004. Thats all while maintaining its excellent comps growth and producing total revenue growth of 20% and earnings growth of at least 20%. Ambitious, to be sure, though Starbucks hasnt given us a reason to doubt it yet. At 38 times the 2004 estimate of $0. 85, its stock, predictably, isnt allowing for much doubt, either.

The Young Goodman Brown” “The Rocking-Horse Winner”

The Young Goodman Brown† â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† Thesis: Compare and contrast short stories The Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† by D.H. Lawrence’s Introduction Body. Compare and Contrast: Conflict/Plot/Structure Settings Characterization Theme/Authors’ Purposes Tone/Style/Irony/Symbol Introduction â€Å"The Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† by D.H. Lawrence’s are more different than similar though they both illustrate the long life fight between good and evil. Moreover, both of them demonstrate the need to be responsible, whether you are parent and need to look after your children, or the moral responsibility that comes from your ethical foundation. In both stories the main character looses his innocence by acting not the way he supposed to or making decisions not up to his worldview. There are outstanding similarities in the themes of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and â€Å"The Rocking House†. However, there are also several distinctions what make each story brilliant. II. Body The conflict in the story by Lawrence involves the mother not feeling pleased by life, because she believes she got into an unlucky family. This feeling of unhappiness brought her to the idea that she feels no love to her children and to her husband. The conflict of the story develops the theme: her son Paul can feel the tension in the house. What is more, he hears the house talking â€Å"there must be more money†. So Paul rides his rocking-horse until he goes till the end, the end of his life. On the other hand, in the story by Hawthorne the conflict stays between pride and humility, what also stays close to the beginning or to the end ( because his journey into the forest most of all is an allegory which represents the man’s irrational desire to leave his faith.) However, the main conflict of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is the man versus himself. The conflict that Brown suffers during his journey in the woods is internal what is shown through the details (projections of his unconscious). The devil’s arguments appeared from Brown himself, because when the echoes of the forest mocked him, Brown is projecting his emotional state onto the forest. The setting of Young Goodman Brown is based on the historical background. Moreover, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† takes place during the Puritan Time Period. The action is set within borders of the Salem Village near the old heathen forest. This information makes the reader think of isolation, firstly because the Salem Village was associated with things not similar to Christianity. What is more, the wild and heathen forest itself is the setting which creates the image of evil powers and witchcraft. The forest setting symbolizes the devil, cause it was believed that the forest was the devil’s home. On the other hand, the setting is very different in â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner†, where the author does not state the information, the date or time on the story. One can assume that the story takes place somewhere in England, in the times after World War I. The story takes place at home in the area reader does not know about (near or in London). In addition, Lawrence describes the major races in England – in Liverpool, Surrey, South Yorkshire etc. Compared to Goodman’s journey where the setting graduates from light to darkness as he travels, the house (the main setting) in The Rocking-Horse Winner becomes haunted as it absorbs the evil emotions (greed, self-pity) of the mother. So each story is rich with symbols that represent the contrast between good and evil. The protagonist of the story by Lawrence is Paul, other characters are uncle Oscar and mother Hester. Paul is a very young boy who tries to find â€Å"luck†, meaning money for his mother. He begins to ride his rocking horse furiously, even though he has outgrown it, what shows his attitude towards his mother. After making an outstanding amount of money, his mother stays still unhappy. Moreover, Hester (Pauls mother) is incapable of loving others. She does not give much love to her children, so Paul tries to win not only money but also her love and attention. Hester is not only obsessed with money, but she is also irresponsible with the money she does get. However, instead of paying her debts, she spends the money on new things for the house. She also does not express any thanks for this sudden windfall, what defines her negative personality. On the other hand, very generous Paul seems completely unaware that he has overtaken responsibilities that are rightly his parents. In the â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† the protagonist is also a developing character. Moreover, the main character Goodman Brown also shows his innocence as he exists between crowd thinking opinion (belief in inherent goodness) and on the other hand the belief in devil who took the minds of his loved ones. He goes from being confident in his ability to choose rather good than evil, but once he stands before Devil’s altar, he can no longer believe that good always prevails. The character becomes a profoundly disillusioned man who sees wickedness everywhere, including in those closest to him. Another character of the story – the Devil, is also developing character. The reader comes to see him as the darker side of Young Goodman Brown’s character. Other charecters – Goode Cloyse, The Minister and Deacon Gookin serve as dramatic examples of the hypocrisy that may hide in the souls of those who appear most virtuous. These three are distinguished from among t he crowd of townsfolk at the gathering because they represent a standard of piety and godliness that is destroyed for Brown by his experience. There are several themes in the story by Lawrence such as Responsibility; The obsession with wealth and material items is pitted against the responsibilities of parenting in The Rocking-Horse Winner. It is the responsibility of the parents to provide for the children in a family. Generosity and Greed; The disparity between Pauls generosity and his mothers greed is another theme of The Rocking-Horse Winner. Paul generously offers all his winnings to the family, in order to relieve the familys dire need for money. When the mother first receives the news from the lawyer that she has inherited 5,000 pounds from a long-lost relative which will be paid out to her in yearly increments of 1,000 pounds (a scheme dreamed up by Paul), she does not inform the family of their good fortune. Instead, she goes immediately to the lawyer and asks to receive the entire amount right away. Oedipus Complex. Oedipus Complex Pauls desire to earn money for the family can be said to be an unconscious desire to take his fathers place, a concept that psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud termed the Oedipus complex. Since the main way of earning this money—the rocking horse—is also bound up in sexual imagery, it seems clear that Lawrence intentionally characterizes Paul this way. There are several themes in the story by Hawthorne also, such as: Guilt versus innocence; Alienation versus community; Good versus evil. In the story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Hawthorne unveils the moral vitiation that is a direct result from the highlighting of public morality with a Puritan Society. So the dominant theme of the short story is the inadequacy of public morality what is similar in The Rocking-Horse Winner. This theme is demonstrated in the actions of Brown. For example, when the protagonist sees Goody Cloyse, or hears the voices of the Deacon Gookin and the minister. Goodman Brown had already made the decision to go inside the forest and face the devil, but he hides when other characters enter this scene. He seems to be more worried with the way others perceive his faith, then with the fact that he actually made a step to meet up with the devil. Goodman Brown does not have the genuine faith, but he has one made up of the religious convictions of people surrounding him. Such faith is not real and just gives a wrong foundation to the believer. The style and tone of The Rocking-Horse Winner reveal immediately that this story comes from the world of fable and legend. The distant, solemn tone of the narrator: There was a woman who was beautiful, signals us that this is an old story. Quickly it becomes apparent that this is a quest narrative of some sort. The boy hero will try to win the love of the distant queen/mother. Themes tries to deliver the moral message to the reader what clearly reminds us of a fable. Fable is usually written with animals in it, that is told to illustrate a moral. For example, in â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner,† Uncle Oscar tells Paul, â€Å"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush†. This suggests that what we already have is more valuable than what we want but have not yet acquired. Moral message is also delivered in the short story by Hawthorne – the collective thinking does not make you who you are. The morality is something what every person can hold to and not following the crowd will make you who you are. Furthermore, Lawrence uses a lot of ironic situations throughout the story, for example the title; was Paul really a winner? Paul, felt unloved and unwanted, though he tried to bring happiness his mother. Love arouses the deep emotional balance and when it is lacked, brings about irrational behavior. Lawrence uses irony and symbols to lure the reader in and force to read all pages of the story until the last one with excitement. The symbolism in this story is very sexually oriented. The rocking horse represents both Pauls desire to make money for his mother and his own sexuality. In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† the grip of deceit on both the physical and spiritual elements of life is also the theme revealed through irony, symbolism and allegory. In the story by Hawthorne Puritanism is to be satirized, because it was the main faith of his home town – Salem Village. Hawthorne views Puritanism in a way to suggest dissatisfaction with it as a system of belief. Talking about the setting of Young Goodman Brown, it is possible to say that the story clearly provides the information on the historical insight into the major characters and their lifetime activities. Thus, Young Goodman Brown takes place in the 17th century during the Puritan Time Period. He lives in the Salem Village, Massachusetts near the old heathen forest. This information gives the reader an idea about deviltry and isolation because at that time the Salem Village was associated with things, which were not connected to Christianity or some other good things. In addition, the forest setting (wild and heathen) supports the idea of evil and witchcraft that pervades the story. In this case, the forest setting is a symbol of the devils abode. At that time, it was believed that the woods were the devils habitat. On the other hand, The Rocking-Horse Winner does not provide the reader with the clear information (date or time) on the story. We can just know that the story takes place in England immediately after World War I. The places where the story took place include only a home in an unknown location (near or in London), Lincolnshire, Londons Richmond Park, and Hampshire County. In addition, the author of the story tells about the major races in England that were held in Liverpool, Surrey, South Yorkshire, and more. Focusing our attention on the setting of Young Goodman Brown, it is possible to say that it presents a gloomy atmosphere where horrid sounds, perverted stones, clouds and awful images of trees bring the reader to a horrible and dark atmosphere, which pervades the story. Brown walks into à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the woods, but then soon crosses the border into Allegoryland where witches and wizards fly through the night to attend a Black Sabbath (Graham 70). In this case, danger becomes very real because of an atmosphere of suspicion and fear. In contrast to Young Goodman Brown, the atmosphere of The Rocking-Horse Winner is not so much gloomy and dark. In turn, the storys atmosphere is relatively tense due to the fact that Paul is eager to become lucky in order to help his mother since she states that her husband (his father) does not satisfy her major needs and expectations. Additionally, he is unlucky, and thus, makes her unlucky as well. Therefore, Paul decides to become lucky in order to assist his mother and make her happy. As he experiences the lack of love, in return, he expects to receive some type of love from a mother. Moreover, the story deals with how Pauls parents, especially her mother obsess with material wealth rather than showing true love to her children. She is greatly obsessed with money, very greedy and irresponsible. This story clearly shows a certain lifestyle where persons are more concerned about money that symbolizes the lack of love and affection. Throughout the story, we can see how Paul is eage r to help her mother even to the point where he loses his own life. All these facts make the storys atmosphere bitter and sympathetic. In turn, Ege admits that The Rocking-Horse Winner à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦contains the fairy-tale atmosphere of imagination (47). Supporting this point of view, it is possible to say that the story truly includes fairy-tale elements and opens with the singsong voice of a fairy tale (Ege 43). However, both characters are affected by the atmosphere that influences their behaviors and attitudes (for instance, making them emotional or creating a mood of fear). The major similarity of atmosphere between these two stories is that both ones have a fantastic and mysterious atmosphere. For instance, in The Rocking-Horse Winner, Paul has a spiritual gift and is able to hear an unknown voice, which tells him the name of the next horse that will win the race. In turn, Brown communicates with the devil, who reads him preaching about wicked priests and stewards, convincing him that every person is sinful from his or her birth. Taking the above-mentioned information into consideration, it is possible to draw a conclusion that the two observed stories have some things in common in respect of the setting and atmosphere. These are the two powerful and instructive stories, which show the readers that the love of money is a destructive force, as well as the relationship with the evil may lead to a loss of confidence and social isolation.

Hair Manifesto :: Personal Narrative Creative Writing Essays

Hair Manifesto Whenever I travel to another part of the US or another country in the world I find myself taking on the vocal and speech patterns of a native speaker. I lose my own way of speaking, and adopt that area's accent. I am an Accent Chameleon. I find it a fun little linguistic/sociological game. And so, this summer while working in a restaurant deep in the heart of Dupont Circle in Washington DC, an area known far and wide for its dense Guppie (gay male + yuppie) population, where 80% of the staff was gay, it seemed only natural that I should adopt this Guppie mode of communication, behavior, self-representation. I was a Sexual Identity Gender Expression Chameleon. SIGEC, for short. I became a gay boy. It was a sociological extrapolation. Further beyond the reach of any autonomy I possessed. And afterall, who doesn't simply adore another acronym in their life? So much of my demeanor changed. I incorporated that flipping of the wrist thing into my every interaction. My body developed a certain poise, as I flowed gracefully, melodramatically from room to room. I oozed sass. And to uphold just a few more stereotypes about gay male culture of the 21st century, it was during this SIGECian period of my life when I first discovered my Inner Hair Dresser. It started with a minor compulsion to do hair. I found myself spending more time than ever before staring into the mirror, strategically situating each strand. But it quickly escalated, infecting the realm of my desire: I wanted to cut hair. Mine, my housemate's, that guy who walked by me in the park and so desperately needed to trim off his mullet. Anyone. I found myself nightly snipping off different pieces of hair, my wastebasket mounding with black, brown, bleached little trimmings, the cast-offs of my art. I became irked easily when people paid $9.99 for a shoddy Super Cuts do. The judgment of a hair snob. I became restless, itching to conquer hairdos of all genres. Strolling on busy streets, I was a flaneur, constantly taking in the hairstyles moving past me. In the supermarket, I insatiably devoured the hair concepts sprouting atop all the shoppers. I was a machine, always, everywhere calculating length and luster, shade and sheen and type of sheers used. I had undergone a pop-cultural metamorphosis, emerging from my cocoon a hair person.

Effect of Unethical Behavior Article Analysis Essay

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, passed in congress in 2002 is designed to protect investors from the potential of fraudulent corporate accounting activities. This act strictly mandates reform, aimed directly to prevent fraud and improve corporate financial disclosures (INVESTOPEDIA, 2012). As a result of several confidence shaking investor accounting scandals that occurred during the late 90s which involved high profile corporations such as Enron, WorldCom and Tyco, a much required overhaul regarding financial statements and regulatory standards laid the foundation for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. This act is making the accounting world more accessible to others for auditors to come in and help in checking the books. It will hold the executives and directors accountable for the internal controls of the company especially with the threat of imprisonment if the internal controls are not maintained. The act ensures that a â€Å"checks and balance† internal auditing of the accounting cycle for the company and investors to keep their assets in check. The role of internal audits is to ensure that Institute of Internal Auditor’s Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing Standard 300 Scope of Work be followed. The scope of the internal audit should encompass the examination and evaluation of the adequacy and effectiveness of the organization’s system of internal control and the quality of performance in carrying out assigned responsibilities (M. Wood Company, 2012). The internal audit standards are to review the dependability and integrity of financial and operating information and the resource being used to identify measure and classify those reports. The standard requires the system be reviewed to ensure compliance with those policies, plans, procedure, laws and regulations which may have a huge impact on operations and reporting. The standard is used to review the methods in place to safeguarding assets and verify that the assets protected exist. The final purpose of the standard is to appraise the economy and the efficiency with the means that are employed by a corporation. It is important to note that policies and rules are also enforced to uphold the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Sections 302, 401, 404 and 805 in particular address key requirements as it pertains to effecting financial statements. Section 302 requires senior managers to certify the accuracy of the reports along with establishing internal controls are set in place for the purpose of increasing report accuracy, ensuring honesty and ultimately providing financial protection for the investors. Section 401 ensures that statements may not contain fraudulent information. Section 404 provides for the necessary rules for annual reporting as well as addresses management auditing structures. Lastly, section 805 provides the guidelines for federal sentencing relating to criminal fraud and obstruction of justice. (Hazels, Nov/Dec) A very important question that should be asked is how well main stream America understands the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and how it has effected them? Another pressing area to uncover is how it has affected the US economy over the past ten years? Lastly, it would be interesting to understand how US companies interface globally with countries not held to the same standards. References Hazels, B. (Nov/Dec 2010). Eight Years After The Fact Is SOX Working? A Look At The Brooke Corporation. Journal of Business Case Studies, 6(6.6), 19-29. Invesotopedia. (2012). Sarbanes-Oxley Act Of 2002 – SOX. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sarbanesoxleyact.asp#axzz2BCoqABsQ M. Wood Company. (2012, November 1). The role of Internal Audit in Complying with Sarbanes- Oxley. Retrieved from http://www.mwoodco.com/value/Internal_Audit_7-03.pdf

The Human Genome Project Essays - Genomics, Genetics, Free Essays

The Human Genome Project Essays - Genomics, Genetics, Free Essays The Human Genome Project title = The Human Genome Project The Human Genome Project, What Is It? What would you do if you were given the power to change your genetic code from brown hair to blond?. Man has had this ability through natural selection for some time without knowing it, but in the near future scientist will be able to speed the process of natural selection by changing a persons genes. Scientists have identified what constitutes human DNA located in the nucleus of a cell. The Human Genome Project was established to identify the genes that make us who we are and is now an international organization. The massive task of identifying the numerous gene combinations has created a problem. In the nucleus are 22 genomes, plus two sex chromosomes which have already been identified. In the 22 genome there are approximately 3 billion base pairs of DNA which contain 50,000 to 100,000 genes, a basic unit of heredity. The identification of these base pairs is the goal of the Human Genome Project, which started in 1990 and whose job it is to identify the letters or chromosomes in DNA. These letter s represent nulcleotides called adenine, guanine, thyamine, and cytosine (or A, C, T, G). ('92 BSCS pg. 1) The Human Genome Project idea originated in the mid 1980's and was discussed in the scientific community and media through the latter part of that decade. In the United States the combined effort of the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Health were involved in the project planning. (The National Center For Genetic Reasearch) The Human Genome Project has several goals including identifying the genes of a human assessing the genes and comparing human DNA to that of bacteria, yeasts, the fruit fly, mice, and the Arabidopis thaliana, a small genome plant that grows rapidly. A major purpose is to determine how evolution proceeds from lower organisms to humans, and discover why the smaller genomes of animals have less junk or unneeded DNA. Geneticists use two types of maps to characterize the genes they discovera genetic linkage map and a physical map. A genetic map registers the distance between the fragments of DNA we know according to the frequency with which they are inherited. The physical map measures the actual physical distance between two markers. Scientists want to map and develop technology for rapid genotyping, plus develop markers that are easy to use as well as generate new mapping techniques. (Instrumentation) Scientists can map genes but it is still expensive. One of the ongoing goals of the Human Genome Project is to get the cost of mapping a gene down to 50 cents per base pair. ('92 HSCS pg.3) The enormous information that is and has been generated by the project is used to link sites together around the world through the internet and now some information can be acessed by the general public. Another of the project goals is to create a sequencing capacity at a collective rate of 50 Mb per year. This is supposed to result in the completion of 80 Mb by the end of FY 1998. Many people question whether the Human Genome Project is worth the money spent on it and will it be used negatively toward those who have traits that are considered undesirable by insurance companies and other corporations? The HUMAN GENOME ORGANIZATION has a council of scientists and doctors worldwide who meet to discuss the effects of identifying an individual's genes. In the 1996 Genetics Confidentiality and Nondiscrimmination Act an attempt to addresss this issue as noted in Section 2, " The DNA molecule contain's an individual's genetic information that is uniquely private and inseparate from one's identity. Genetic information is being rapidly sequenced and understood. Genetic information carries special significance. It provides information about one's family, and more importantly, provides information about one's self and and one's self perception." Genetic information has been misused, harming individuals through stigmitization and discrimination. The potential for misuse is tremendous as genetics transcends medicine and has the potential to penetrate many aspects of life including health and life insurance, finance, and education. Experts advocate that genetic information should not be collected, stored, analyzed, nor disclosed without the individual's authorization. Current legal protections for genetic information is, however, inadequate. Uniform rules for collection, storage, and use of DNA samples are needed to protect individual privacy and prevent discrimination while permitting legitimate medical reasearch. The report further states that the reading of a minors DNA should be only with parental or legal guardian consent and only

The Oedipus Story

The Oedipus Story Introduction An examination of the story of Oedipus reveals a certain degree of hubris among the characters which I believe is an integral theme within the story that lead to the start and culmination of most of the events that occurred.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Oedipus Story specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More What you have to understand is that in most of the Greek stories that I have read, such as Hercules, the story of Troy and the Odyssey, those who exult themselves, place themselves above all others or state that they are on the same level as the Gods often meet tragic and ironic ends. As such, it can almost be expected that characters within a Greek tragedy who exhibit such characteristics often end up in adverse circumstances. In the case of Oedipus his fate resulted in one of the most tragic ends of all wherein he killed his father and married his mother. The concept of pride is crucial within this s tory and as I elaborate more on this point it will be immediately apparent as to why Oedipus readily believed the drunk who tells him that Polybus and Merope are not his real parents, but will not believe the famous and reliable prophet Teiresias. The Growth of Pride First and foremost, when you examine the story of Oedipus it can be seen in certain parts of the Greek play that Oedipus places such distinctions on himself as the man who all men call great or the greatest man in all mens eyes. Such titles of course come as a direct result of his defeat of the Sphinx, his marriage to Jocasta and him being crowned king of Thebes. This method of distinction that Oedipus places upon himself is based on a considerable degree of pride as a direct result of his accomplishments. As such, when presented with the words of the prophet Teiresias stating that he was the murderer of Laius, Oedipus does not readily believe them since his pride in himself would not allow him to do so. He labels the w ords of Teiresias as falsehoods and even accuses his friend (who is also unknowingly his uncle) Creon of instigating such lies. This particular behavior is in direct contrast to his earlier attitude involving his adoptive parents, Polybus and Merope. In this earlier instance, he readily believed the words of a drunk (who stated that Polybus and Merope were not his true parents) as well as believed the words of the Oracle of Delphi who repeated the same prophecy given to Laius and Jocasta. This divergence in the acceptance of what is said to them between the younger and older versions of Oedipus is based on the fact that the older version of Oedipus had developed a considerable degree of pride in himself as a direct result of his accomplishments. This had manifested itself in events early on within the story where he encountered Laius on the road to Thebes and refused to give way due to his pride in being a prince of Corinth. The end result was the murder of Liaus which was inherentl y based on the concept of pride and how Oedipus refused to be humble.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More His hubris escalated even more as a direct result of his accomplishment in saving the people of Thebes from the Sphinx and being crowned king of the city. The younger version of Oedipus did not have significant accomplishments, was merely a prince and as such did not have as much pride as compared to his older self which as a result left him more open to believing in the words of others rather than himself. Possible Alternative Explanations It must be noted though that there are possible alternative explanations as to why Oedipus readily believed the drunk but did not believe Teiresias. One of possibilities is based on the fact that Oedipus may have doubted the origins of his birth given that since he was not the natural son of Polybus and Merope then it would be unlikely that he would look anything like them. On the other hand, the reason why Oedipus did not want to believe the words of Terisias may be due to the fact that they seemed so farfetched that it would have been hard to believe them in the first place. While these alternative explanations do have a considerable degree of merit, they lack a sufficient enough connection to the concept of hubris that pervades various aspects of the story. An explanation behind one of the focal points of the story that led to Oedipus killing his father and marrying his mother should be based on the concept of pride since this is the main theme of the story and all explanations of events that emerge from the story of Oedipus should be based on this particular perspective. Conclusion As it can be seen from the various arguments presented within this paper, the concept of pride played a significant role in having Oedipus believe the words of the drunk yet not believe the words of the prophet Teiresias. As the pride of Oedipus increased the more likely he was to believe in his own words and thoughts rather than those coming from other people. In the end, like so many Greek tragedies in the past, the prideful are humbled and in the case of Oedipus he was humbled to an extreme degree.

law question Essay Example

law question Essay Example law question Paper law question Paper Assessment Question Ali had an antique motorbike which he decided to sell. He parked the motorbike on his front lawn with a sign For sale- RM20,OOO. Ah Chong, who saw the sign, said to Ali that he would be prepared to buy the motorbike for RMI 5,000. Ali replied that the price is too low and suggested RM18,OOO. Ah Chong responded by asking if Ali would be prepared to accept payment of the RM18,OOO in three monthly instalments of RM6,OOO each. Ali replied that he would not. Ali then added, Anyw?ay I am no longer interested in selling the motorbike to you. At that precise moment Ali spoke these ords, a helicopter flew low overhead and drowned out his words. Ali did not bother to repeat what he had Just said and was leaving when Ah Chong quickly agreed to the RM18,OOO suggested earlier by All. Discuss whether there is a contract between Ali and Ah Chong. Explain whether your answer would be different if the helicopter flying overhead had not drowned out Alis words and Ah Chong heard wh at was said? Assignment Answer In this assignment, I would like to discuss the question above part by part. First of all, from the sentence He parked the motorbike on his front lawn with a sign For ale- RM20,OOO, it is said that there was an invitation to trade. Invitation to treat or simply speaking information to bargain means a person inviting others to make an offer in order to create a binding contract. An example of invitation to treat is found in window shop displays and product advertisement.. In another words it is a special expression showing a persons willingness to negotiate. The issue of invitation to treat was discussed in the case of Fisher v Bella 961] 1 QB 394 by the English Court of Appeal : It is perfectly clear that according to the ordinary law of contract the display f an article with a price on it in a shop window is merely an invitation to treat. It is in no sense an offer for sale the acceptance of which constitutes a contract. [l]. An offer can be seen from the prescribed text, Ah Chong, who saw the sign, said to Ali that he would be prepared to buy the motorbike for RMI 5,000. It is stated in Section 2(a) Contracts Act 1950, when one person signifies to another his willingness to do or abstain from doing anything, with a view to obtaining the assent of that other to the act or abstinence, he is said to make a proposal. and Section 2(b) Contracts Act 1950,when the person to whom the proposal is made signifies his assent thereto, the proposal is said to be accepted :a proposal, when accepted, becomes a promise. . Both laws were applied when Ah Chong has shown his willingness to make an offer as he would be PREPARED to buy the motorbike for RMI 5,000. However, a counter offer was made by Ali when instead of accepting or rejecting Ah Chongs offer, Ali made another offer: Ali replied that the price is too low and suggested RM18,OOO. Alis offer refers to a counter offer. In this situation unless an cceptance is rendered, there is no binding contract between A and B. This situation is stated in Section 6(c) Contracts Act 1950- by the failure of the acceptor to fulfill a condition precedent to acceptance. There was famous case known as [2]Hyde v. 1200 pounds and Hyde (P) declined. Wrench then made a final offer to sell the farm for 1000 pounds. Hyde in turn offered to purchase the property for 950 pounds and Wrench replied that he would consider the offer and give an answer within approximately two weeks. Wrench ultimately rejected the offer and the plaintiff mmediately replied that he accepted Wrenchs earlier offer to sell the real estate for 1000 pounds. Wrench refused and Hyde sued for breach of contract and sought specific performance, contending that Wenchs offer had not been withdrawn prior to acceptance. The question or issue here is if one party makes an offer and the offeree makes a counteroffer, does the original offer remain open? Answer is No because a counteroffer negates the original offer. By making a counteroffer, the plaintiff rejected the original offer and he was not entitled to revive it. So in another words, the parties id not form a binding contract. Then we proceed to the next part where Ah Chong made a mere enquiry to Ali by asking if Ali would be prepared to accept payment of thr RM18,OOO in three monthly instalments of RM6,OOO each. Then, Ali replied that he would not. On top of that, Ali added that he is no longer interested in selling the motorbike to Ah Chong. Section 5(1) Contract Acts 1950 A proposal may be revoked at any time before the communication of its acceptance is complete as against the proposer, but not afterwards. This particular case V GRANT (1828) 4 BING 653 nother example of revocation of an offer : Grant wrote to Routledge offering to purchase the lease of his house. The offer was to remain open for six weeks. Grant then changed his mind about purchasing the lease and, within the six weeks, withdrew his offer. After Routledge had received Grants letter withdrawing the offer, he wrote back to Grant, within the six weeks, accepting Grants offer. The issue before the court was whether Grant could withdraw his offer within the six week period or whether he was bound contractually given that Routledge had accepted the offer within the timescale. The court held the offer could be withdrawn within the six week period without incurring any liability if one party has six weeks to accept an offer, the other has six weeks to put an end to it. One party cannot be bound without the other. The case and scenario above convey an useful reminder that until such time as an offer is accepted, the offeror is free to revoke it, even if they have given the recipient a period of time to consider it. When Ali spoke : I am no longer interested in selling the motorbike to you. a helicopter flew and drowned his words. And yet, Ali did not bother to repeat what he ust said and was leaving when Ah Chong quickly agreed to the RM18,OOO suggested earlier by Ali. In this particular moment, Ali rejected Ah Chongs offer but according to Section 6(a) Contracts Act 1950- by the communication of notice of revocation by the proposer to the other party. It states that revocation os not effective until it is received, communicated. In fact, Ali himself reluctant to repeat what he said which is very important and vital in that situation. Here is one similar case, [4]Byrne v Van Tienhoven (1880) LR 5 CPD 344. In this case, Van Tienhoven offered to sell goods to Byrne by letter dated 1 October. On 8 October, prior to acceptance, Van Tienhoven the meantime, on 11 October Byrne received the letter and dispatched an acceptance. Was there a contract? To be effective revocation must be communicated. Where post is used for acceptance, acceptance occurs when and where sent. However, this rule does not apply in relation to revocation of offers thus, if post is used for revocation, communication is only effective if and when it is received by the offeree. As this occurred after acceptance there was a contract formed in this case. An offer was containing a price escalation clause. A counter offer was then made ithout this clause; it contained a detachable receipt which the company sent back with a notation that they assumed it was on their terms. Thus, the intended message was failed to be received by Ah Chong, the offer has not been revocated. There is a contract between Ali and Ah Chong in this scenario. Section 6(a) Contracts Act 1950 obviously stated revocation must be actually communicated to the offeree before the offer can be treated as effectively revoked. Besides, Section 4(1) Contracts Act 1950- The communication of a proposal is complete when it comes to the knowledge of the person to whom it is made. Importance of conveying message has been shown when either offering or revocating an offer. On the other hand, if the helicopter flying overhead had not drowned out Alis words and Ah Chong heard what was said, outcomes definitely would be different. As was mentioned earlier, if the intended message was communicated or received by Ah Chong, revocation of the offer will succeed. In conclusion, communication is very crucial when conducting contracts or offerings as the outcomes and consequences can differ easily. Reference 1 . Dr. Qais Faryadi. What is Invitation to treat. http://dr-qais. com/Cyber%20Law/ Lecture%20Four%20doc. pdf (accessed 30 November 2013). 2. The Latest Developments In UK Law. Hyde v. Wrench Case Brief Summary. http:// www. lawnix. com/cases/hyde-wrench. html (accessed 30 November 2013). 3. 0ffer: -rerrntnatton Revtston Note I Degree. ROUTLEDGE V GRANT (1828) 4 BING 653. httpw www. bitsoflaw. org/contract/formation/revision-note/degree/offer-termination- revocation-rejection (accessed 30 November 2013). 4. Julie Clarke. Byrne v Van Tienhoven Court of Common Pleas (1880) LR 5 CPD 344. http:// www. australiancontractlaw. com/cases/byrne. html (accessed 30 November 2013).

Introduce word flying fish from Pacific Northwest and Alaska Essay

Introduce word flying fish from Pacific Northwest and Alaska - Essay Example The Gulf of Alaska has continuously grown warmer and this could be as a result of some unusual species of fish within this region. The changes in water temperature have resulted in a reduction in the growth of phytoplankton, which is a main source of nutrients for fish. Both predator and prey are forced to travel long distances in search for food. The vagaries of global weather result in some species falling victims, while others prosper under the changing environmental conditions (Mecklenburg, Mecklenburg, and Thorsteinson 537). Sites of fish jumping from water on the itineraries through these places are relatively common. While some of the fish are on transit to different locations looking for food, others commonly leap out of the water in order to feed on terrestrial insects flying above. Whether a leap or a jump by the fish, they always appear to be flying when one sees them during a cruise. The reasons behind this observation might be unknown, but the element of flying fish remains a reality in the North West pacific and

Review McDonald's Organizational Chart Assignment

Review McDonald's Organizational Chart - Assignment Example In the case of McDonald’s organizational chart, the top management is headed by the chief executive officer called James A Skinner (Narapareddy, 2009). Just below the Chief executive there are vice presidents who are also the heads of the company’s different functional units. These functional units are managed from the head office and divided into smaller group managers in different markets where the company operates. These include group president – McDonalds Canada, president – MacDonald’s Asia/pacific, Middle East and Canada; Chief Operating officer – McDonald’s USA and the president of McDonald’s USA (Narapareddy, 2009). The group leaders in different markets are then divided into different divisions e.g. President – central division for McDonald’s USA, East Division for McDonald’s USA, West Division for McDonald’s USA etc. The company’s multidivisional structure therefore represents a geogr aphical structure with four important segments: McDonald’s – USA, McDonald’s – Europe, McDonald’s – Asia/pacific, Middle East and Africa; and McDonald’s – other countries and corporate (Narapareddy, 2009). This structure is a typical example of a multidivisional structure where divisions are managed geographically; each divisional manager managing a given geographical region. This is because theory suggests that multidivisional or divisional organizational chart marks off an organizational structure according to the demands of different markets, customers and products in their given business environment. In the case of McDonald’s organizational chart, the different divisions represent the demands of different geographical markets as illustrated in the organizational chart. McDonald’s organizational chart is a good chart representing a successful structure of the company. However, there are various improvements whi ch I could recommend for the organizational structure. First, I recommend that the divisions of the company should be based not only on the geographical markets but also the products of the company. For instance, the company may have food division, grocery division and beverages division. Another recommendation which I think can be more beneficial for the company is to increase the geographical divisions so as to reduce the burden of the divisional managers. For instance, McDonald’s Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa division may be divided into three divisions: McDonald’s Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa as different divisions not as a single division. The company should also divide McDonald’s Canada and Latin America division into three divisions namely Latin America Division, Canada Division and Mexico division. Europe’s division may also be divided into Eastern Europe and Western Europe divisions. Finally, a good recommendation for the companyâ €™s organizational structure is for the company to establish a central division which offers central services such as finance, CSR and other centrally managed services of the company. These central services are conducted with a direct link to the various divisions through an integrative, participative and proactive system which ensures that there is an effective information flow from the top management through different management levels to the various divisions of the company (Rollinson 2008). Despite the various aspects which require improvements, McDonald’

Critically discuss the statement Entrepreneurs who wish to expand Essay

Critically discuss the statement Entrepreneurs who wish to expand their business should first expand their networks - Essay Example At the appropriate times the company sends customized message to the customers with suggestion for flowers and presents. The company gains a world-wide reputation. Therefore, good management information systems fast the business operation and use resource more effective. Basket Company also involves similar business actives we discussed above, by equipping the management information system, will greatly support business operation. Now the competition f basket market is very furious, it is not enough to improve only the product, we should impress the customers as a person who cares them more than their selves. To achieve the goal, we have to identify the trend f customer needs. Like large office goods supplier---Staples. The company system maintains lists f previously ordered items. Over time, Staples learned a great deal about its customers' preferences and use that information to offer new items. We value our employees as they play an important role in company success, but only with the helps f those tools, our employees and managers can easily make the decision on buy from supplier and predicate the profits. Thus, the good management information system plays a more important role in the competition. One f the outcomes f information system is the strategies for competitive advantages. ... t to play in a competitive strategy, cutting the labor and administration cost during business operation, the business can sell goods or provide services at a price that is lower than the competitors. Surveys and feedback sessions will be conducted from detailed transaction records and various data to access the ongoing project. Expanding business network is in fact an expansion f an organization. Franchising is a generic term that describes a way f doing business. In essence a model f business structure that relies on a relationship in which an owner (franchisor) f a business has licensed others (franchisees) to use a business system and trade name to market and sell products/services. Thus it is a marketing concept f delivering products and services that can be applied across a diverse range f businesses. The International Franchising Association has developed 75 different categories describing the businesses f its members. Who is involved Franchising involves two parties: Franchisor - The franchisor is the initial owner f a business system which has been developed and proven to be a successful method f operating a particular business. As owner, the franchisor has the legal capacity to provide licenses to others (franchisees). Typically the owner seeks to expand the business through a relationship with others who have similar objectives. Franchisee - The franchisee is the party that has entered into an agreement with the franchisor to use the trade mark / business name and business system in a defined outlet or territory. How does it work Essentially the franchisee has agreed to be part f the franchisor's operation. In return for fees, the franchisee secures these rights for a set period f time and can expect from the franchisor: Training in business practices -

Rights of the Gay Persons in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rights of the Gay Persons in the US - Essay Example The ways in which rights of gay persons are handled in the US vary from state to state begging the question of whether these people deserve a constitutional right on their choices when it comes to sexual orientation.In Mississippi State, for instance, Governor Phil Bryant signed into law the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Those in support of the bill were of the opinion that it assured unrestrained practice of religion for every citizen devoid of interference by the government. On the other hand opponents of the law had a major worry informed by the opinion that it was bound to allow state-sponsored discrimination against individuals because of their gay or lesbian identities.   The bill was fiercely protested by a supporter of rights for the gay across the state. Founder of the Mississippi Gulf Lesbian and Gay Community Centre express his worry that the law was likely to render him extremely vulnerable to being treated unfairly. White said, â€Å"It made me physic ally ill the past few days realizing what they’re trying to do† and for that reason, he even considered moving out of Mississippi.New Mexico State is one of those states where the rights of gay persons are respected and discrimination of any kind is illegal. In the case Elane photography v Willock for instance, the court found Elane photography guilty for discriminating against the couple on the grounds of their sexual orientation. In the ruling, the court said, â€Å"When Elane Photography refused to photograph a same-sex commitment ceremony, it violated the NMHRA in the same way as if it had refused to photograph a wedding between people of different races.† The ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court and wide reference made to the earlier ruling by Supreme Court on in the case of U.S v Windsor in which the part of the Defence Marriage Act defining marriage as a union between only a man and a woman was struck down.

Comparison between Jamaicans and Trinidadians Essay

Comparison between Jamaicans and Trinidadians - Essay Example So, it is a fact that people from both countries look similar because they have same influences to share from the world that changed their history and future. When we talk about the culture of Trinidadians and Jamaicans, we come to know that both posses a rich blend of cultures influenced by British and Spanish who ruled them for years. The language of both Jamaicans and Trinidadians is English that is because of the influence from English and United Kingdom. Trinidadians and Jamaicans mostly belong to the Christian faith but Hindu touch can be seen in the Trinidadians because of the Indians coming from far east countries (Culture of Trinidad and Tobago, 2012). The cultural traits do differ in some aspects from each other but mostly they are similar. Both have ethnic and religious effects from diverse groups that keep on invading the two islands for several years. The love for dance, music and theatre in Jamaicans and Trinidadians are the same although the way they perform these acti vities may differ. Both identities seem to have great influence from Europeans who came outside the island to attack. That’s why they are similar in their habits and day to day affairs. When we talk about the similarity of culture between Jamaican and Trinidadians, we come to know that both people celebrate different festivals not only those of Christian origin but of Hindus and Muslims too. Dance, theatre, literature and writing all have been important part of Jamaica and Trinidad. Folk dance has association for both countries from colonial times and has fame all over the world due to the unique styles. Theatre is growing in importance too in both countries and both cultures show great interests in performing arts. When one talks about the Trinidadian literary work, Nobel  laureates Sir  Vidia Naipaul and Michael Anthony are the known poets in Trinida history. Derek Walcott, a  Nobel prize  laureate born in St. Lucia and studied in Jamaica shows the great interest of both countries in the field of writing and prove that how both countries are so close to each other in literary terms and they share a lot of similarities in different fields (Culture of Jamaica, 2012). It is not the cultural values and tradition that make these two nationals similar to each other despite many differences but it is also the sports that bring them together for sharing a common identity. Sports have always been a national identity of every country and all nations have a national game to differentiate them from each others. Jamaicans and Trinidadians both do not own a national game as both has been under the influence or British, European and Spanish for a while and the sports they play are also influenced. The most common games in Trinidadian and Jamaican countries are cricket. It is most probably influenced by English people who ruled both islands for years (Sport in Jamaica, 2012). Football and Rugby are recently growing sports in both countries that they love to p lay. Trinidadians also play hockey, golf, marathon and volleyball (Trinidad Sports, 2012) while what makes Jamaica to differ in sports is its interest in netball and Olympics. Jamaicans have brought many medals home in Olympics and its athletes have great recognition all over the world. Sports played in both countries may differ from each other to some extent but it

MediaSpark Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MediaSpark - Case Study Example The estimated target market left the company with no choice, but to choose America and Canada due to the large number of elementary schools. The major problem on the marketing strategy to be used in selling and distributing the product was the main concern. Georghiou felt that it was going to be difficult to convince the educators about the product without trial; they needed to see and try the product before making decisions. The market price of the product was; however, going to vary depending on the country and the user. Further to this, they identified various distribution channels that would handle the distribution and advertising duties (Lionais et al. 24). Although the product sell was successful, the solutions came with various advantages and disadvantages. The use of educational catalogue enabled selling several products to the educational institutions through online catalogues and publications; however, they would not sell Go Venture Entrepreneur in North America through any other channel because he had reached the teachers he had wished to reach. The use of software distribution as an indirect distribution channel was going to give the product a high profile than the text books and catalogues; however, the software distribution channel was highly fragmented with no companies operating in both the U.S. and Canada market. The choice of MarkED was disadvantaged because it lacked a sales force that would complement the catalogue. Furthermore, Georghiou was not sure if it was going to reach the teachers. On the other hand, IBM was technology-based and was already making distributions to schools (Lionais et al. 26). They then made an ag reement on a distribution that would last two years. He also had the choice of using an in-house distribution channel. He was going to hire sales representatives in the two countries to conduct sales, email campaigns, CD demos, public speaking, direct mails, seminars, and catalogue sales. Here, he would make a much

Rights of the Gay Persons in the US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rights of the Gay Persons in the US - Essay Example The ways in which rights of gay persons are handled in the US vary from state to state begging the question of whether these people deserve a constitutional right on their choices when it comes to sexual orientation.In Mississippi State, for instance, Governor Phil Bryant signed into law the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Those in support of the bill were of the opinion that it assured unrestrained practice of religion for every citizen devoid of interference by the government. On the other hand opponents of the law had a major worry informed by the opinion that it was bound to allow state-sponsored discrimination against individuals because of their gay or lesbian identities.   The bill was fiercely protested by a supporter of rights for the gay across the state. Founder of the Mississippi Gulf Lesbian and Gay Community Centre express his worry that the law was likely to render him extremely vulnerable to being treated unfairly. White said, â€Å"It made me physic ally ill the past few days realizing what they’re trying to do† and for that reason, he even considered moving out of Mississippi.New Mexico State is one of those states where the rights of gay persons are respected and discrimination of any kind is illegal. In the case Elane photography v Willock for instance, the court found Elane photography guilty for discriminating against the couple on the grounds of their sexual orientation. In the ruling, the court said, â€Å"When Elane Photography refused to photograph a same-sex commitment ceremony, it violated the NMHRA in the same way as if it had refused to photograph a wedding between people of different races.† The ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court and wide reference made to the earlier ruling by Supreme Court on in the case of U.S v Windsor in which the part of the Defence Marriage Act defining marriage as a union between only a man and a woman was struck down.

MediaSpark Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MediaSpark - Case Study Example The estimated target market left the company with no choice, but to choose America and Canada due to the large number of elementary schools. The major problem on the marketing strategy to be used in selling and distributing the product was the main concern. Georghiou felt that it was going to be difficult to convince the educators about the product without trial; they needed to see and try the product before making decisions. The market price of the product was; however, going to vary depending on the country and the user. Further to this, they identified various distribution channels that would handle the distribution and advertising duties (Lionais et al. 24). Although the product sell was successful, the solutions came with various advantages and disadvantages. The use of educational catalogue enabled selling several products to the educational institutions through online catalogues and publications; however, they would not sell Go Venture Entrepreneur in North America through any other channel because he had reached the teachers he had wished to reach. The use of software distribution as an indirect distribution channel was going to give the product a high profile than the text books and catalogues; however, the software distribution channel was highly fragmented with no companies operating in both the U.S. and Canada market. The choice of MarkED was disadvantaged because it lacked a sales force that would complement the catalogue. Furthermore, Georghiou was not sure if it was going to reach the teachers. On the other hand, IBM was technology-based and was already making distributions to schools (Lionais et al. 26). They then made an ag reement on a distribution that would last two years. He also had the choice of using an in-house distribution channel. He was going to hire sales representatives in the two countries to conduct sales, email campaigns, CD demos, public speaking, direct mails, seminars, and catalogue sales. Here, he would make a much

The Mayans, The Aztecs, And The Incas Essay Example for Free

The Mayans, The Aztecs, And The Incas Essay From 250 A.D. to the late 1500s A.D., three advanced civilizations, the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Incas controlled Central America and South America. Each of them was different but all shared some of the same qualities. They all were civilizations that had a daily life than revolved around religion. Their religions also required a lot of human sacrifices to please the gods. Also, they all invented calendars that were surprisingly accurate compared to the calendars today. One of the calendars was less than a minute from being exact. Finally, they all declined for many different reasons but the Spanish conquistadors was one of the most common and deadliest, due to their advanced weapons and the diseases they brought. But even thought they all had mysterious declines, these ancient civilizations of Latin America were very advanced and had many great achievements. The earliest Latin American civilization was the empire of the Mayans. They controlled most of the Yucatan peninsula and part of southern Mexico. The Mayans were known for their advanced math skills. They invented the number zero and developed a sophisticated counting system; the Incas also had an advanced counting system like the Mayans. Mayans communicated through the use of hieroglyphics. They had over 800 symbols that represented things like words, syllables, days, and numbers. The Mayans were also well known for their new type of farming. They called it slash and burn farming in which they cut down all the trees in an area, then they lit the area on fire, so that the ashes from the trees would enrich the soil and make it better to grow in. the decline of the Mayan empire is a mystery still to this day. The most popular theories are that the soil became infertile, so they ran out of food. Another theory was that they just got up and left and walked into the jungles. The only other possible theory is because of constant warfare between the Mayan city-states. After the fall of the Mayan empire, the great civilization of the Aztecs came into power. The Aztecs centered themselves on Lake Texcoco, in the city of Tenochtitlan. The capital city of the Aztecs was built in the center of Lake Texcoco, with large causeways, which were large sturdy bridges, connecting the city to the mainland. The Aztecs advanced engineering allowed them to adapt to their environment just as the Mayans and Incas did. The written  language of the Aztecs was a combination of hieroglyphics and pictorial symbols. Like the Mayans, the Aztecs language was used for counting, which was more primitive in Aztec culture, days, records, and communication. The Aztecs expanded their empire through military strength. They conquered the nearby city-states, and forced them to pay tribute or face destruction. But later needed for sacrificial subjects led to less aggressive and less deadly military tactics, causing the strength of the Aztec army to diminish. Around the late 1400s into the 1500s, the power and vastness of the Aztecs began to fade. The once calm and under control city-states began to rebel, leading to less human sacrifice and less resources being collected. Also, the conquistadors came from Spain, brining along with them deadly diseases like smallpox, and far superior steel weapons, along with a lust for gold. They soon conquered and destroyed the Aztec empire with almost no effort at all. The Incas, down in the Andes Mountains, never came into contact with the Central American civilizations. They never borrowed any customs or traditions, yet their civilization was fairly similar. They had very advanced engineering skills, which led them to the building of extensive road systems. They also began the idea of terrace farming in which you carve out steps into a hill and farm on the man-made steps. Even though the Incas had no written language, they passed everything down through oral communications. But they did have a complicated counting system in which different sized beads and colored ropes were used to counts things such as military, crops, population, and many other things. The Incas, as did the other Latin empires, had invented a calendar that had 365 days and was kept accurate by looking at the position of the stars, the moon, the planets, and the sun. Due to the complex road system the Incas built, they had to devise a simple messenger system to communicate throughout the empire. Runners would have to travel over twenty-five miles a day to run a message to another runner, then the first runner would have to pass off the message to the second runner and then the first runner would rest. It works somewhat like a relay race only it isnt a competition. In the late 1500s civil war began to break out between the sons of the emperor after he had died. The empire then split into two halves, but it never became whole again and just slowly began to crumble until it was gone. In conclusion, these three civilizations were the most sophisticated in all of the Americas at the time. The Mayans were excellent astronomers and mathematicians, the Aztecs were experienced warriors, and the Incas were skilled engineers. Even though all of the empires had different strengths, they all had some similar qualities. They all built stone buildings, with the Mayans and Aztecs and their well-built pyramids, and they all were polytheistic cultures that practiced sacrifices daily. All of these sacrifices led to a large loss in resources both human and natural. The Aztecs alone would sacrifice a quarter of a million people a year. They all used gold and melted it and made figurines to give to the gods. Soon their empires fell apart and the people of the empire just walked away.

The Us Humanitarian Intervention Politics Essay

The Us Humanitarian Intervention Politics Essay Should the U.S. enter into military intervention in foreign countries for humanitarian reasons. In my opinion, the U.S. government made right decision about intervening with the countries in around the Mediterranean like Libya. Intervention was considered as ancient and well-established instruments of foreign policy as were diplomatic pressure, negotiations and war. From the ancient times, most countries find it advantageous to intervene in the affairs of other countries. Without any intervention to foreign countries, they would have gone through hard times in everything. The U.S. Humanitarian Intervention on Libya was carried out by international institutions and individual sovereign states and had often been related to the usage of military force. Therefore, it was perceived that it was a mean of ways to stop sovereign states from committing human rights abuse to its people. The major purpose of the U.S. Humanitarian Intervention was to provide protection and support to people in Libya. The U.S. was the most powerful nation in the world and had so many resources like army and aids, which made it to have the rights to intervene Libya (Peterson 443). The U.S. Military played roles of peacekeeper, and protector for this humanitarian intervention. The most outstanding way for this conflict was using military intervention because it immediately stopped hostility and ceased the conflict within the nation. Also, there were the issues of economics and structural problem that needed to be fixed in Libya. The U.S. Humanitarian Intervention provided the necessities for the country and helped to rebuild the corrupted buildings that were affected by the conflict. Additionally, the U.S. humanitarian intervention could deal with natural disasters and situations other than the specific conflict with the leader of country. Since the U.S. government putted the priority on human rights, the U.S. citizens thought that every human being should have freedom and should not be abused by the leader of country. The U.S. foreign policy reflected that human rights should not be violated in any of the country and should focus on preventing abuses after the Cold War (Haass). As the strongest country in the world, the U.S. used its foreign policy to promote its values of freedom and expanded the democracy throughout the world. The U.S. foreign policy reflected this ideal. However, the U.S. did not attempt to intervene militarily in every country, especially a country with limited sources. The U.S. government had to take careful consideration for making a decision about intervening on Libya because the failure of humanitarian intervention would cause so much loss financially for nothing. When the U.S. government decided about humanitarian intervention on Libya, they considered if the conflicts in Libya would lead to the big war or would harm other countries in negative way. Also, the U.S foreign policymakers had debated the use of the military on each global conflict by considering those factors. The Libya leader Qaddafi never seemed to make a clear decision on where he stood as a leader of the country. He had supported the terrorist group like Al-Queda that worked against Western countries. Also, he used many of illegal weapons that he planned to turn those to the UN after the Iraq War in 2003. Whatever his actual reasons for this, Qaddafi probably made this decision in order to preserve his power. Qaddafi established somewhat democratic programs in his government for the economics, but he made huge mistake in 2011. When a peaceful protest against his rule had begun in Benghazi (Western Libya), Qaddafi chose to respond with violence instead of peaceful negotiation. As soon as he used the violence against his own civilians, President Obama said We cannot stand idly when a tyrant tells his people there will be no mercy (Libya). As a result of the way he handled the situation, the protests got bigger and the number of dead protestors increased. As this became the big issue for the world, the Qaddafi became the issue of the world. The United States military started the NATO mission operation on March 19, 2011 ( Simon). It was the beginning phase of the U.S. Humanitarian Intervention on Libya. This was the beginning stage of U.S. involvement in support of rebels working to overthrow the dictator Moammar al-Qaddafi. It was the most recent use of American military forces for humanitarian purposes on other nation. The leader Gaddafi lost a lot of Libyas main powers to get rid of fighters who were against him. Then, his forces started to fight back and ended up killing so many civilians. Also, it looked it would not end easily because neither Qaddafis force nor the rebels did not have enough power to win the fight. But in August 2011 the rebels took over the capital Tripoli and a temporary government called the National Transitional Council took charge of the country. (Simon) After this event, Quaddafi went into hiding. He committed himself that he would rather die than giving up to the rebels. Many of the innocent people were dying from this event. So, the U.S. government decided to intervene with Libya and destroyed Libyas air defense system in 3 days. The U.S. military supported Libyan rebels fighting the ground campaign in the attempt to overthrow Qaddafi, who had been in hiding March 31, 2011 until October 31, 2011. During the intervention, the U.S. used over two hundred twenty Tomahawk mi ssiles in order to support the rebel advance on Tripoli, Libyas capital and seat of government. As a result, the Libyan National Transitional Council was able to control of Libyas government and soon Qaddafi was killed in an attack on October 31 (CNN). The death of Qaddafi officially ended the U.S. Humanitarian Intervention on Libya. Even though the U.S. intervention brought problems, it saved Libyans lives and averted a humanitarian disaster. Libyans welcomed to the U.S. Humanitarian Intervention because they had no choice except dying under Qaddafis tanks. Since other countries around Libya did not have enough power to intervene Libya, the U.S. had to take that role. Libyans should now care about the future in order to make people safe. In Libya, I thought some kind of intervention should have been done in the earlier stages. One person could not make decisions for an entire country. The U.S. government tried to prevent these types of government. Therefore, the U.S. Humanitarian I ntervention on Libya saved tens of thousands of lives. The U.S. intervention in Libya was a wise decision and a successful action. It prevented a humanitarian catastrophe in addition to security interests and oil. Nicholas D. Kristof, the New York Times Columnist, started his article with a story about an American airman and how Libyan villagers treated him. In the article, he wrote This time my reporting persuades me that most Libyans welcome outside intervention (para.7). Compare to Iraq War in 2003, the civilians of Iraq did not want the U.S. government to intervene to their country. But, Libyans actually wanted the help of U.S. force in order to overthrow the leader Qaddafi. This led the author to the conclusion that Libyans were very thankful to the coalition forces because they saved Libyans lives. Then, he mentioned many doubts about the military intervention and weighed them with few certainties: civilians would die, the Qaddafis family would be locked, and a wrong message would be sent. As the western countries declared, the mot ive behind the military intervention was to save civilians lives and a response to the Arab League and Libyan rebels who approved this intervention to prevent a disaster. When the people in the U.S. saw the civilians in Libya treated improperly, they felt sympathy toward them. According to the U.S. Foreign Policy, it essentially promoted peace, justice and protects citizens amongst international communities from human rights violations. This intervention was a reaction to the rule that the United Nations had approved. Having an International Humanitarian Law sets a standard of rules and helps to prevent international bullying, a trigger for many interventions. This law helps countries promote their national interests, which often assist in the participation of legal institutions, treaties and sets order (IHL). With the world now being closer than ever due to globalization, the development of the international community in the form of organizations such as the UN (United nations) and the EU(European Union), Globalization of the world now becomes more dependent on one another, economically, politically and socially. Therefore, the U.S. Humanitarian Intervention helped them hold elections, and appoint government officials who can carry on the duties sustain a good form of government. The U.S. intervention on Libya was not specifically aimed at violating the sovereignty of a state, but rather their purpose was to protect the basic human rights of civilian. In the article, Mohammad Ayoob wrote The proclaimed goal of humanitarian intervention, undertaken with increasing frequency during the last decade, is to protect the citizens of the target state from flagrant violations of their fundamental human rights usually by agents of the state (Ayoob 81). If a nation became a global problem, it was our responsibility to come in with military power and settle the situation. A nation that threatens lives had to be stopped. Overpowered rulers were usually the cause of these types of nations like Egypt and Libya. That was in our nature to help those who are in need of help. If the U.S. did not intervene to Libya, it could have resulted in more death of innocent civilians and might lead to the war among the countries around Libya because the economics of other countries were a lso affected by the action and behavior of Qaddafi. The U.S. humanitarian intervention can be defined as the successful intervention, which ended the suffering of civilians in Libya. Because the successful intervention of Libya, the U.S. was able to show that it was the peacemaker and dominant power in the world. Also, the civilians in Libya gained their human rights and lived much better lives than before the U.S. Humanitarian Intervention. We cannot imagine what would happen to Libya if the U.S. did not intervene. There might have been the war among the countries around Libya because the leader Qaddafi was causing so much economics crisis and harmful to the other countries. Therefore, the U.S. government made the right decision about providing peace to the civilians in Libya by using the concept of humanitarian intervention. Work Cited Ayoob, Mohammed (2002, Spring) Humanitarian Intervention and State Sovereignty, The International Journal of Human Rights, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 81 102. Haass, Richard N. Humanitarian Intervention. Rand.org. Brookings Institution, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. Kristof D. Nicholas.Finding Hope in Libya.NY Times.Sep.7, 2011.Web. Nov.11,2011. Libyans Claim Gadhafi Hiding near Western Border Town This Just In CNN.com Blogs. This Just In CNN.com Blogs. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. IHL in Domestic Law.International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Home.Web.12 Nov. 2011 Peterson, Shannon, and R C DiPrizio. Armed Humanitarians: U.S. Interventions from Northern Iraq to Kosovo. International Politics, 41.3 (2004): 440-450. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. Simon Chesterman (2011). Leading from Behind: The Responsibility to Protect, the Obama Doctrine, and Humanitarian Intervention after Libya. Ethics & International Affairs, 25, pp 279-285. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Libya: US, UK and France Attack Gaddafi Forces, BBC News Africa, March 30, 2011

Essay --

As-salamu Alaikum to the Reader Bismillah Hir Raá ¸ ¥man Ir Raá ¸ ¥im†¦ Without an advocate for the poor, without a new state of mind in America, the country lies on the brink of anarchy. - Louis Farrakhan Economic independence for our people is the primary goal of the Nation of Islam. The Most Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s Economic Blueprint is a catalyst for the changes needed in our Nation so that economic independence can stop being a distant, future goal. If our people do not collectively amass our resources as in the time of Noah, we will be washed over with the debt and burden of our discrepancies and disbelief. The ECONOMIC Blueprint will aid in eradicating the mental, physical, and spiritual chains that come with economic dependency on a people that work to marginalize and oppress you. The knowledge of a blueprint for economic independence however, can only benefit a nation that implements their knowledge. The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad says, â€Å"Mere belief accounts for nothing unless carried into practice.† Although, knowledge is powerful it can only work to the peoples b...

Grammar and the Role of Writing Center Tutors as Teachers of Grammar :: Teaching Writing Grammer Education

Grammar and the Role of Writing Center Tutors as Teachers of Grammar Communication in any form requires a protocol. The evolution of language from sounds into words is proof of that. People recognized that in order for two people to understand each other, they must have a common code that will allow each one to transmit and receive signals accurately. If the word â€Å"red† signified two different colors to two different people, for example, then there would be a breakdown of communication. Language has grown complex over time and in its current form, it enables users to communicate with precision and nuance. In the English language, specifically, the meaning of what is communicated depends not only on the words chosen, but also on where those words are placed and how they are modified. Semantics studies meaning and interpretation of words. This is separate from syntax, which deals with the physical location of a word (or other element of language) within a sentence (or other linguistic construct). Today, we usually use â€Å"grammar† an d â€Å"syntax† interchangeably, although syntax is a subset of grammar. Within the context of Writing Centers, this is acceptable, because when the issue of grammar comes up, it is always a matter of syntax; we never, for example, deal with phonology, which is also a subset of grammar. However, semantic issues are sometimes labeled grammatical issues, which is not correct. One might argue that what we call these issues does not matter so long as they are dealt with appropriately. In truth, it does matter, because by lumping semantic issues together with syntactic issues makes grammatical issues as a whole a larger issue, which is undesirable because grammar is already a much feared and religiously avoided area. I imagine a small, dark closet labeled Grammar, in an obscure part of the house that represents all the issues that Writing Centers deal with. Into the Grammar closet, students and tutors alike throw in several issues—actual grammar, but also semantics and mis cellaneous quirks of the language—and then shut the door. Over time, the inside of the closet becomes dusty and obscure, inaccessible as well something to be both feared and ignored. Come spring, nobody wants to be responsible for cleaning the grammar closet. Sadly, with the desire to focus on critical thinking in papers (i.e. content), those who plan Expository Writing classes or provide tutoring for it have gone from saying, â€Å"Critical thinking is the primary focus† to saying â€Å"Critical thinking is the only focus.

Apple Globalization Essay

Apple distributes its products in over 80 countries through its direct channels, its cellular network carriers distribution channels and third party resellers. Apple success is due mainly to the collaboration of the iphone with its updateable applications. In markets such as the United States and Japan. Apple business strategy focuses on bringing the best personal computing and music experience to students, educators, creative professionals, businesses, government agencies and consumers through its innovative hardware, software, peripherals, services and Internet offering (Apple Computer, 2005). According to a report in Electronista, market data from Gfk Japan shows the 32 GB iPhone is in the No. 1 spot for July, ahead of Japanese-made phones from Sharp, Panasonic (PC), NEC, Casio and Sony Ericsson (a Japanese/Swedish joint venture). ( Dewiit, Philip Elmer cnn money article) In one of the most technologically advanced countries such as Japan it is no wonder why apple seems to be gaining so much success in a foreign market. The Japanese market is in awe of the simplicity and performance that apple product provide. In doing a PEST analysis I have come to a realization that the Japanese market wants high performance low cost technically superior and social acceptable products at an affordable price. Rendering apple a perfect company to satisfy these wants. Apple distributes its products in Japan through its own retail stores and companies such as Wal-Mart and other retail giants. Accoding to the Apple annual report Japan’s net sales increased $551 million or 32% in 2009 compared to 2008. The key contributors to this growth were increased iPhone revenue, stronger demand for certain Mac portable systems and iPods, and strength in the Japanese Yen (Apple annual report 2009 pg. 13). Similarly Apple’s target market in the United States wants the same kind of high performance low cost gadgets. Apple manufactures most of its products in China and has them shipped to the United States to be sold at their apple stores as well as retail stores such as Wal-Mart. Apple is a huge success in America and word is getting around. The world is taking notice to the technical giant and surely buying into the apple revolution. Apples success in the united states contributes to its success around the world. With itsiphone exclusive to AT&T even such a 3rd rate company was able to make a comeback and to lead the cellular market when it bought exclusive rite to the iphone. This just shows you the kind of power Apple holds. According to the Apple annual report â€Å"During 2009, net sales in the Americas segment increased $2.4 billion or 15% compared to 2008. The increase in net sales during 2009 was attributable to the significant year-over-year increase in iPhone revenue, higher sales of third-party digital content and applications from the iTunes Store, and increased sales of Mac portable systems. (Apple annual report 2009 pg.13) Apple has over 240 stores located around the globe. America dominates the list with its 218 stores while France is set to start opening stores at a rate that is second only to the US. Apple is a juggernaut in the computer industry with a presence that keeps on growing within every country. Everyone in the world has heard of or knows someone that either owns or associates with Apple Inc. Thus making it into a giant that only few can contend with. The continued success of Apple Inc makes for a global leader in the innovation of tomorrow. References- Apple annual report 2009 http://library.corporate-ir.net/library/10/107/107357/items/315133/AAPL_10K_FY08.pdf Dewitt, Philip Elmer. â€Å"Apple iphone No. 1 in Japan†. CNN MONEY. august 17 2009 . JOBS, STEVE. â€Å"APPLE DEVLOPMENT CENTER†. APPLE. MAY 9 2010 . SKIPWORTH, HUNTER. â€Å"IPHONE IN JAPAN†. TELOGRAPH.CO.UK. DEC 1 2009

Biodel Inc

BUAD 490 3/14/13 Team Written Case Analysis (Concise) Biodel, Inc. BIODEL INC. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Biodel’s use of biotechnology expertise in the three prime areas of Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Immunodiagnostics has led their company into some great opportunities. Biodel created a synthetic serum to replace fetal calf serum and horse serum, and provide a more consistently available product for scientific researchers. Biodel’s Molecular Biology division used DNA technology to gain 60% of the market share of growth factors and stock the largest collection of commercially available synthetic nucleotides, which was 50% of their sales.Biodel’s research and development in Immunodiagnostics led to the invention of DEMA, a non-radioactive method for measuring a wide array of biologically important substance. The intelligence and vision of Dr. Oscar Feldman drove Biodel to a position of leadership in the biotechnology industry. Dr. Feldman has applied innovations in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunodiagnostics to increase market share for Biodel’s products. Dr. Feldman’s scientific friends and academic contacts offered Biodel high-quality technological advice and links to scientific community, and led to sophisticated research and development advances.Now the company is at a crossroad with decisions and direction necessary. In addition to strategic planning, the company would benefit from a modest re-structuring to streamline operations and prepare for unexpected events. Their future investments should be in areas where patent protection is likely, and in directions and projects that exploit their native expertise in molecular biology and genetic engineering. These technologies seem likely to transform health care in the next two decades.Having survived the threat of bankruptcy, Biodel now has a more balanced contract research portfolio and is poised to develop an even greater impact in the future. CURRENT SITUATION Bi odel's projected revenues for 1980 consist of $1 million in contract research, and around $1. 5 million in research products. The contract research revenue was split 70% from industrial research, and 30% government research. This research included work in Biodel's three main fields (molecular biology, cell biology, and immunology) as well as cancer chemotherapy and enzymology.These contracts are secured by Dr. Feldman through his relationships with other scientists. The revenue from research products also comes from the three main fields of Biodel. Nucleotides from the molecular biology area account for 50% of revenues, cell growth factors from the cell biology field account for 40%, and immunodiagnostics products account for the other 10%. Research product sales have been growing 35% over the last few years, even with limited marketing efforts. However, Biodel is being outcompeted in the immunodiagnostics market and further growth is not being pursued.Biodel has a very small staff, with the company split up into five different sections: the comptroller, advertising and sales, and then an experienced scientist manages each main field of the company. The scientists who manage their fields are all in charge of research and development, production, and even have some marketing responsibility. Dr. Feldman does not employ a marketing manager or a research director, instead filling both roles by himself. Feldman's style of management is very informal, preferring to walk around and talk to his employees rather than have them do unnecessary paperwork.The company itself is run more like an academic facility than a business, with the atmosphere more leaning towards challenging each other and making technological advances. In addition, employee turnover is very low so most of the staff is very experienced with the work that the company is doing. The staff is led by Dr. Feldman, who represents the main reason for low employee turnover. Biodel employees describe him as a u nique and enthusiastic man, and the reason why the company is so successful. Marketing had been a very inconsistent department, with Dr. Feldman usually assuming all of the major marketing responsibilities.But when Dr. Feldman decided that he needed to market his company more aggressively he hired Mr. Steve Kaplan who had been a marketing manager at a large pharmaceutical company. However, Mr. Kaplan and Dr. Feldman soon disagreed on who should direct Biodel's marketing strategy. Kaplan proceeded to spend a large amount of money on marketing, including hiring additional salespeople and other staff. These changes resulted in a 65% increase in sales, but marketing costs increased by 500%, which resulted in profits dropping from $95,000 in 1978 to $17,000 in 1979. As a result, Dr. Feldman is reconsidering Mr.Kaplan's direction in the marketing department. OPPORTUNITIES First, Biodel had under development a synthetic serum that would be used to satisfy growth requirements in cells. This would be an innovative product that could be a substitute for natural fetal calf serum and horse serum. However, a major problem with the fetal serum is the unstable fluctuation in cost. The cost is determined by the supply of the serum and the supply is determined by the number of calves that are slaughtered. The synthetic serum could offer a steady rate. The market is projected at $50 to $80 million.Biodel would have a competitive advantage over the competition and could attain 20% of the market share if they pursue this project. A big problem with this project is the uncertainty that Biodel will be able to receive a patent. That provides a major risk in this investment. Second, another project is available that is extremely intriguing to us. Biodel has the opportunity to produce a new product called DEMA. DEMA is a testing technology based on enzyme membranes rather than radioactivity. This product could be used to test for pregnancy, syphilis, hepatitis, cancer, toxins in food and carcinogens in the environment.DEMA is a healthier, safer, faster and cheaper way of testing than the radioactive method. There are no hazards or side effects to DEMA and it can provide the same results as radioactive tests. The problem with this project is the financial aspect. It is more expensive than the synthetic serum. Investments could total in the millions and the R costs could range from $1 to $3 million. However, this project has drawn the attention of major drug companies who are willing to participate in a joint venture with Biodel, which would help with the costs of the investment. Third, Biodel has been thinking about joining the genetic engineering field.The company has basic but not wide experience if this field but they have been a major supplier of molecular biology products. At the moment, there are four major competitors in the market; Cetus, Genentech, Genex and Biogen. The basic purpose of this field is to engineer a cell to produce a specific biological pr oduct. Competitors use the bacterium E. coli as their host cell, for the most part. Biodel has the opportunity to enter the market with a new strategy that involves the use of yeast as the host cell instead of E. coli. He and three other scientists believe that yeast would be a better host cell than E. coli.Yeast has a biochemical machinery that can allow the growth of medically relevant glycoproteins such as Interferon and Urokinase. These glycoproteins are used to inhibit the multiplication of cancerous cells and to disrupt blood clots. The investment costs for this project would be high, including salaries that Biodel would pay for Dr. Ballantine and three other highly successful scientists to work for them. However, the return on such an investment could be immense. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. The Biodel Board of Directors should hold annual or semi-annual Board meetings to review company progress. Dr. Feldman should delegate more.The Board should be expanded by 1 or 2 people to achieve greater diversity and breadth of expertise. Succession planning should be considered in case Dr. Feldman died, or a division head left. 2. Mr. Kaplan’s marketing group should be streamlined and asked to focus on a marketing strategy for DEMA. The marketing group can probably be reduced to lower costs while maintaining the increase in research product sales. Challenge Kaplan to analyze the marketing group to understand the most valuable parts versus parts that are expendable. 3. Among the growth opportunities to pursue, the synthetic growth factor option does not seem likely to succeed.Although it is the least expensive investment, there is uncertainty that the patent protection can be obtained. Furthermore, researchers accustomed to fetal bovine serum may be unlikely to abandon a tried and true method. In contrast, the DEMA technology is a unique opportunity for Biodel. It eliminates the risks and hazards associated with radioactivity, which researchers would appreciate. Ther e is a high likelihood of patent protection. Based on the information in the case, the company needs a better understanding of how to bring this product to market.This could be a great project for Kaplan’s smaller marketing group. 4. Pursue Genetic Engineering, with the advice and guidance of the four academic experts. This is an important initiative and Biodel’s connections with the prize-winning scientists are important. They should be paid per diems and offered stock options. One of the four also should be invited to join the Biodel Board of Directors. APPENDIX A SWOT Analysis S- Strengths Biotechnology special expertise by the 1970’s in – (three prime areas of focus/ other fields) 1.Cell biology – culture technology paid off 60% share growth factor market 40% offspring sales 2. Molecular biology – DNA paid off 60% share growth factor market – stocked largest commercially available synthetic nucleotides (50% of sales) 3. Immunodiag nostics biology a. Sub categories – Cancer chemotherapy – Enzymology Offered high-quality technological advice, numerous links to scientific community, highly sophisticated research and development service Feldman was able to secure contracts with his personal relationships with scientists in the government and industry Low employee turnoverW – Weaknesses Molecular biology – — researchers used numerous substitutes Immunodiagnostics biology large firms aggressively entered and has not expanded since 10% of sales of research products -1980 – profitability varied on depending on intensity of product research and development By the 1980’s 60% of company’s revenue was from commercializing research Reliant on government contracts when they started making cut backs – 85% contracts are government – forcing Biodel into 1st layoff (damaging to long-term otential) 55 employees scientists and technicians — no marketing manager or research director hired (Feldman filled both positions with widespread contacts and scientific expertise) Staff meetings rare and no regular reports required from subordinates Poor Marketing – Products sold by mail Depends on word of mouth – trade shows, advertising, direct mail, ad phone solicitation — customer service â€Å"almost laughable† O – OpportunitiesGoal to manufacture and market biochemical products developed through their own research Cell Biology – synthetic serums to satisfy growth requirements in cell lines of tissue culture – replacing natural fetal calf serum (most widely used, horse serum was 2nd most widely used). Market of 50 million domestically and 80 million worldwide growing at 15%– no systematic analysis of serum market done Immunodiagnostics- opportunity to enter the market – new test technology based on enzyme membranes rather than radioactivity – new product DEMA – s impler, faster, and less expensive.Market in excess of $100 million and has potential to be over $1 billion. High possibility for a patent and a joint venture with a major drug company. Genetic engineering – exciting advantages/high return on investments Supplier of molecular biology products – nucleotides and synthetic genes sold – supported by genetic engineers – some cases biodel was soul supplier T – Threats Relying on government contracts lead them to the threat of bankruptcy Biodel’s spending strategies APPENDIX B Biodel Inc BUAD 490 3/14/13 Team Written Case Analysis (Concise) Biodel, Inc. BIODEL INC. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Biodel’s use of biotechnology expertise in the three prime areas of Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, and Immunodiagnostics has led their company into some great opportunities. Biodel created a synthetic serum to replace fetal calf serum and horse serum, and provide a more consistently available product for scientific researchers. Biodel’s Molecular Biology division used DNA technology to gain 60% of the market share of growth factors and stock the largest collection of commercially available synthetic nucleotides, which was 50% of their sales.Biodel’s research and development in Immunodiagnostics led to the invention of DEMA, a non-radioactive method for measuring a wide array of biologically important substance. The intelligence and vision of Dr. Oscar Feldman drove Biodel to a position of leadership in the biotechnology industry. Dr. Feldman has applied innovations in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunodiagnostics to increase market share for Biodel’s products. Dr. Feldman’s scientific friends and academic contacts offered Biodel high-quality technological advice and links to scientific community, and led to sophisticated research and development advances.Now the company is at a crossroad with decisions and direction necessary. In addition to strategic planning, the company would benefit from a modest re-structuring to streamline operations and prepare for unexpected events. Their future investments should be in areas where patent protection is likely, and in directions and projects that exploit their native expertise in molecular biology and genetic engineering. These technologies seem likely to transform health care in the next two decades.Having survived the threat of bankruptcy, Biodel now has a more balanced contract research portfolio and is poised to develop an even greater impact in the future. CURRENT SITUATION Bi odel's projected revenues for 1980 consist of $1 million in contract research, and around $1. 5 million in research products. The contract research revenue was split 70% from industrial research, and 30% government research. This research included work in Biodel's three main fields (molecular biology, cell biology, and immunology) as well as cancer chemotherapy and enzymology.These contracts are secured by Dr. Feldman through his relationships with other scientists. The revenue from research products also comes from the three main fields of Biodel. Nucleotides from the molecular biology area account for 50% of revenues, cell growth factors from the cell biology field account for 40%, and immunodiagnostics products account for the other 10%. Research product sales have been growing 35% over the last few years, even with limited marketing efforts. However, Biodel is being outcompeted in the immunodiagnostics market and further growth is not being pursued.Biodel has a very small staff, with the company split up into five different sections: the comptroller, advertising and sales, and then an experienced scientist manages each main field of the company. The scientists who manage their fields are all in charge of research and development, production, and even have some marketing responsibility. Dr. Feldman does not employ a marketing manager or a research director, instead filling both roles by himself. Feldman's style of management is very informal, preferring to walk around and talk to his employees rather than have them do unnecessary paperwork.The company itself is run more like an academic facility than a business, with the atmosphere more leaning towards challenging each other and making technological advances. In addition, employee turnover is very low so most of the staff is very experienced with the work that the company is doing. The staff is led by Dr. Feldman, who represents the main reason for low employee turnover. Biodel employees describe him as a u nique and enthusiastic man, and the reason why the company is so successful. Marketing had been a very inconsistent department, with Dr. Feldman usually assuming all of the major marketing responsibilities.But when Dr. Feldman decided that he needed to market his company more aggressively he hired Mr. Steve Kaplan who had been a marketing manager at a large pharmaceutical company. However, Mr. Kaplan and Dr. Feldman soon disagreed on who should direct Biodel's marketing strategy. Kaplan proceeded to spend a large amount of money on marketing, including hiring additional salespeople and other staff. These changes resulted in a 65% increase in sales, but marketing costs increased by 500%, which resulted in profits dropping from $95,000 in 1978 to $17,000 in 1979. As a result, Dr. Feldman is reconsidering Mr.Kaplan's direction in the marketing department. OPPORTUNITIES First, Biodel had under development a synthetic serum that would be used to satisfy growth requirements in cells. This would be an innovative product that could be a substitute for natural fetal calf serum and horse serum. However, a major problem with the fetal serum is the unstable fluctuation in cost. The cost is determined by the supply of the serum and the supply is determined by the number of calves that are slaughtered. The synthetic serum could offer a steady rate. The market is projected at $50 to $80 million.Biodel would have a competitive advantage over the competition and could attain 20% of the market share if they pursue this project. A big problem with this project is the uncertainty that Biodel will be able to receive a patent. That provides a major risk in this investment. Second, another project is available that is extremely intriguing to us. Biodel has the opportunity to produce a new product called DEMA. DEMA is a testing technology based on enzyme membranes rather than radioactivity. This product could be used to test for pregnancy, syphilis, hepatitis, cancer, toxins in food and carcinogens in the environment.DEMA is a healthier, safer, faster and cheaper way of testing than the radioactive method. There are no hazards or side effects to DEMA and it can provide the same results as radioactive tests. The problem with this project is the financial aspect. It is more expensive than the synthetic serum. Investments could total in the millions and the R costs could range from $1 to $3 million. However, this project has drawn the attention of major drug companies who are willing to participate in a joint venture with Biodel, which would help with the costs of the investment. Third, Biodel has been thinking about joining the genetic engineering field.The company has basic but not wide experience if this field but they have been a major supplier of molecular biology products. At the moment, there are four major competitors in the market; Cetus, Genentech, Genex and Biogen. The basic purpose of this field is to engineer a cell to produce a specific biological pr oduct. Competitors use the bacterium E. coli as their host cell, for the most part. Biodel has the opportunity to enter the market with a new strategy that involves the use of yeast as the host cell instead of E. coli. He and three other scientists believe that yeast would be a better host cell than E. coli.Yeast has a biochemical machinery that can allow the growth of medically relevant glycoproteins such as Interferon and Urokinase. These glycoproteins are used to inhibit the multiplication of cancerous cells and to disrupt blood clots. The investment costs for this project would be high, including salaries that Biodel would pay for Dr. Ballantine and three other highly successful scientists to work for them. However, the return on such an investment could be immense. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. The Biodel Board of Directors should hold annual or semi-annual Board meetings to review company progress. Dr. Feldman should delegate more.The Board should be expanded by 1 or 2 people to achieve greater diversity and breadth of expertise. Succession planning should be considered in case Dr. Feldman died, or a division head left. 2. Mr. Kaplan’s marketing group should be streamlined and asked to focus on a marketing strategy for DEMA. The marketing group can probably be reduced to lower costs while maintaining the increase in research product sales. Challenge Kaplan to analyze the marketing group to understand the most valuable parts versus parts that are expendable. 3. Among the growth opportunities to pursue, the synthetic growth factor option does not seem likely to succeed.Although it is the least expensive investment, there is uncertainty that the patent protection can be obtained. Furthermore, researchers accustomed to fetal bovine serum may be unlikely to abandon a tried and true method. In contrast, the DEMA technology is a unique opportunity for Biodel. It eliminates the risks and hazards associated with radioactivity, which researchers would appreciate. Ther e is a high likelihood of patent protection. Based on the information in the case, the company needs a better understanding of how to bring this product to market.This could be a great project for Kaplan’s smaller marketing group. 4. Pursue Genetic Engineering, with the advice and guidance of the four academic experts. This is an important initiative and Biodel’s connections with the prize-winning scientists are important. They should be paid per diems and offered stock options. One of the four also should be invited to join the Biodel Board of Directors. APPENDIX A SWOT Analysis S- Strengths Biotechnology special expertise by the 1970’s in – (three prime areas of focus/ other fields) 1.Cell biology – culture technology paid off 60% share growth factor market 40% offspring sales 2. Molecular biology – DNA paid off 60% share growth factor market – stocked largest commercially available synthetic nucleotides (50% of sales) 3. Immunodiag nostics biology a. Sub categories – Cancer chemotherapy – Enzymology Offered high-quality technological advice, numerous links to scientific community, highly sophisticated research and development service Feldman was able to secure contracts with his personal relationships with scientists in the government and industry Low employee turnoverW – Weaknesses Molecular biology – — researchers used numerous substitutes Immunodiagnostics biology large firms aggressively entered and has not expanded since 10% of sales of research products -1980 – profitability varied on depending on intensity of product research and development By the 1980’s 60% of company’s revenue was from commercializing research Reliant on government contracts when they started making cut backs – 85% contracts are government – forcing Biodel into 1st layoff (damaging to long-term otential) 55 employees scientists and technicians — no marketing manager or research director hired (Feldman filled both positions with widespread contacts and scientific expertise) Staff meetings rare and no regular reports required from subordinates Poor Marketing – Products sold by mail Depends on word of mouth – trade shows, advertising, direct mail, ad phone solicitation — customer service â€Å"almost laughable† O – OpportunitiesGoal to manufacture and market biochemical products developed through their own research Cell Biology – synthetic serums to satisfy growth requirements in cell lines of tissue culture – replacing natural fetal calf serum (most widely used, horse serum was 2nd most widely used). Market of 50 million domestically and 80 million worldwide growing at 15%– no systematic analysis of serum market done Immunodiagnostics- opportunity to enter the market – new test technology based on enzyme membranes rather than radioactivity – new product DEMA – s impler, faster, and less expensive.Market in excess of $100 million and has potential to be over $1 billion. High possibility for a patent and a joint venture with a major drug company. Genetic engineering – exciting advantages/high return on investments Supplier of molecular biology products – nucleotides and synthetic genes sold – supported by genetic engineers – some cases biodel was soul supplier T – Threats Relying on government contracts lead them to the threat of bankruptcy Biodel’s spending strategies APPENDIX B