Jam and Jamb Commonly Confused Words

The words jam and jamb are homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings) but are commonly confused words. As both a noun and a verb, jam has several different definitions. As shown below, the less-common noun jamb is usually used in a more technical sense. As a noun, jam refers to a jelly made from fruit and sugar, a difficult situation, an instance of becoming trapped or stuck, or a group of people or objects that are crowded together. As a verb, jam means to squeeze tightly into a space, shove something into position, become stuck, or form a crowd. The noun jamb usually refers to a vertical piece on either side of a framed opening, as for a door, window, or fireplace. Examples We spread the jam on chunks of delicious fresh bread, and the mellifluous elixir made me feel as if I were eating the smell of roses. (Celia Lyttelton, The Scent Trail. New American Library, 2007)Youre so transparent. Youre trying to use me for a shovel to dig yourself out of a jam. (Raymond Chandler, The Little Sister, 1949)As often as not in a jam session—at least in the context of swing, if not in bebop—the musicians were improvising in response to an audience as much as to one another. (John Fass Morton, Backstory in Blue: Ellington at Newport 56. Rutgers University Press, 2008)He tried to jam the gun back into the holster, but with its silencer, it didnt quite fit. (Robin Cook, Blindsight. G.P. Putnams Sons, 1992)I followed his advice and wedged the iron between the door and the jamb and leaned into it. A chunk of wood splintered off the jamb and some metal stripping pulled away. (Janet Evanovich, High Five. St. Martins Press, 1999) Usage Notes The upright pillars on which a door is hung we call a jamb. If you catch your finger between the door and this pillar, we do not say you jamb your finger but you jam your finger. The b has fallen away, although the latter word owes its existence to the former. (Mont Follick, The Case for Spelling Reform. Manchester University Press, 1965)A jam can be a static or slow-moving collection of objects or people. You normally get a traffic jam at rush hour, a jam of people when the sales open, or a jam-packed spare room when you are paranoid about throwing anything away. Jam is also a sticky substance composed of fruit and sugar that is often smeared on bread to make a sandwich. This usage came into being in the mid-eighteenth century. A jam session is an improvised performance by a group of jazz musicians, a usage that dates from the 1920s. If you jam on the brakes of your car, you stop very abruptly. A jamb is the leg of an animal represented on a coat of arms, the leg piece from a suit o f armor, each of the side posts of a door, a bed of clay or stone running across a mineral vein or seam, and a projecting columnar part of a wall. (David Rothwell, Dictionary of Homonyms. Wordsworth, 2007) Practice (a) Jamie had bought something called a baby bungee, an apparatus that gripped on to the _____ of a door and allowed the child to bounce up and down on a strong elastic rope. (Alexander McCall Smith, The Lost Art of Gratitude. Knopf Canada, 2009)(b) Conway could get himself into a _____ by saying too much, while Bozemans problem is usually that he doesnt say nearly enough. (Gary Rivlin, The Godfather of Silicon Valley. Random House, 2001)(c) The day of his sixth birthday, Mother baked a cake, a special one with raspberry _____ dripping down the sides. (Margaret Peterson Haddix, Among the Hidden. Simon Schuster, 1998) (d) It had taken three tries before she managed to _____ the key into her lock.(Margaret Coel, The Perfect Suspect. Berkley, 2011) Answers (a) Jamie had bought something called a baby bungee, an apparatus that gripped on to the  jamb  of a door and allowed the child to bounce up and down on a strong elastic rope. (Alexander McCall Smith,  The Lost Art of Gratitude. Knopf Canada, 2009)(b) Conway could get himself into a  jam  by saying too much, while Bozemans problem is usually that he doesnt say nearly enough. (Gary Rivlin,  The Godfather of Silicon Valley. Random House, 2001)(c) The day of his sixth birthday, Mother baked a cake, a special one with raspberry  jam  dripping down the sides. (Margaret Peterson Haddix,  Among the Hidden. Simon Schuster, 1998) (d) It had taken three tries before she managed to  jam  the key into her lock.(Margaret Coel,  The Perfect Suspect. Berkley, 2011)

Architectural Failures, Safety Measures and Risks in...

ARCHITECTURAL FAILURES, SAFETY MEASURES AND RISKS IN CONSTRUCTION - NIA 303 (2) Text of Paper presented to the NIAPPE preparatory seminar at Digital Bridge Institute on 6 March 2012 by Arc. J. O. Toluhi PART I – ARCHITECTURAL FAILURES The concept of architectural failures is better understood from the perspective of what architecture really is, criteria for architectural project success and what failure connotes. What architecture means Architecture is defined in various ways by architects and non-architects alike depending on their focus or area of emphasis. You must be familiar with the definition offered in the ARCON law which attempts to capture different ramifications of the profession. By Le Corbusier’s definition, Architecture is†¦show more content†¦This type of failure, which has become a grave cause for concern in recent times, can be caused by a wide range of factors including: a) inadequate soil investigation leading to an unsuitable foundation desi gn and construction. b) an improper structural design usually by a quack (charlatan), inexperienced or unqualified professional, c) lack of or inadequate supervision of construction to ensure strict adherence to design and specifications d) use of poor, substandard or untested materials. e) wrong choice of (an incompetent contractor) which can set the stage for this type of failure. All these could be brought about by and constitute professional negligence, which is considered a serious misconduct from which an architect cannot excuse himself. An architect’s role as the coordinator of allied professional inputs into an architectural project calls for vigilance on his part. Research and experimental/demonstrative projects should be properly handled and protected from the incidence of collapse. ii) Malfunction (Non-functional Designs): This is a failure at meeting one of the critical success criteria of an architectural project – meeting the user’s expectation. A building is designed to fulfill a particular purpose and to specific standards of performance and it fails when it falls short of the purpose or performance standard. A public building meant to be reached with ease will be a failure if wrongly sited on the outskirts of town where it takes extra effortShow MoreRelatedDesigning And Planning For A Health Care Facility1051 Words   |  5 Pagessmallest tasks of obtaining the required equipment to the examination of Budget planning and cost estimates (Synthesis Partnership, 2011). Budgeting and cost estimates go hand in hand with planning the construction of a facility. Rigorous planning and development go hand in hand with design and construction. 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Marketing and Ikea Free Essays

string(427) " retailers are offering low cost furniture \* The global economical crisis makes that the consuming behavior worldwide has dropped, because of a increase in unemployment rates and a decrease in disposable income of consumers Conclusion SWOT analysis To being able to make a good conclusion of IKEA’s SWOT analysis, the following figure will give a simple but clear overview of the above described parts of the SWOT analysis\." Case Study IKEA: Expanding through franchising to the South American market? Introduction This report is made by four, fourth year IBMS students for a marketing course. This report is based on a case from the book Global Marketing, by Svend Hollensen. The basis of this report is the international operating company IKEA. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing and Ikea or any similar topic only for you Order Now The main question that will be answered in this report is: Should IKEA expand further through franchising to the South American market? To answer this question the current situation of IKEA will be taken into account in this report.Next to this also other aspects like a SWOT analysis and other theoretical information will be used to come to conclusion, recommendation and possible implementation. Table of content Current Situation5 IKEA basic information5 The IKEA concept7 IKEA’s vision7 SWOT8 IKEA’s Strengths8 IKEA`s Weaknesses8 IKEA’s Opportunities8 IKEA’s Threats9 Conclusion SWOT analysis9 Marketing Strategy11 Transnational Organization11 Region Centre (Regional headquarters)12 Conclusion Market Strategy13 Entry Mode14 Franchising14 Pros franchising14 Cons franchising14 Strategic Alliances15 Non-equity15Pros non-equity15 Cons non-equity15 Joint venture16 Pros16 Cons16 Conclusion entry mode16 Entering the South American Market17 Brazil17 Brazilian furnit ure market17 IKEA and Brazil18 Short term recommendations19 Long term recommendations21 Sourcing concept IKEA23 Economical and Political Situation Brazil23 Conclusion Sourcing Concept South America24 Overall Recommendations25 Current Situation IKEA basic information IKEA is founded in 1943 a small village called Agunnaryd in Sweden. IKEA is a Acronym, composed from the following components: * I (Ingvar) – Founder’s first name K (Kamprad) – Founder’s last name * E (Elmtaryd) – Farm where Ingvar Kamprad grew up * A (Agunnaryd) – Home village Today IKEA is present in almost 40 countries worldwide. Within these countries IKEA currently has 301 IKEA stores, the IKEA Group owns 267 of the in total 301 stores. These 267 stores are divided over 25 countries. Next to this IKEA employs over 120,000 employees worldwide. IKEA has over 600 million visitors annually, worldwide. The following map shows the coverage of IKEA store worldwide. Legenda: Light orange: IKEA is not present in these countriesDark orange: IKEA is present with one or more store in this country The following table shows how the amount of stores has developed over the last years; Annually IKEA generates around 21,5 Billion Euros. The following graph shows the turnover development of the last years; Currently five countries are responsible for a large amount of IKEA’s turnover worldwide. These countries are: * Germany (16% of total revenues) * USA (11% of total revenues) * France (10% of total revenues) * Great Britain (7% of total revenues) * Italy (7% of total revenues) The IKEA conceptThe IKEA Concept is a concept based on offering not only a wide range of well designed, functional home furnishing products. The concept is also based on offering the products at low prices, this so that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. IKEA wants to reach as many people as possible, by offering their home furnishing products at a low price and hereby help people to live a better life in their own home. Next to this the IKEA Concept also sets guidelines for the product design, the manufacturing, transporting and selling process as well as for the assembly of the products by the customers at home.Together these guidelines contribute to putting the IKEA concept into practice. IKEA’s vision IKEA’s vision is to create a better everyday life for as many people as possible around the world. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. To summarize, IKEA’s mission statement is; â€Å"to create a better everyday life for the many†. SWOT As describe in the current situation IKEA is doing well, and their concept is working worldwide.But as every company, IKEA also has weaknesses and threats also come along IKEA’s path. A good way of making an overview of not only the internal, but also external situation of IKEA, is by a SWOT analysis. In this chapter IKEA’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the companies opportunities and threats will be shown in a SWOT analysis. IKEA’s Strengths Strengths are company resources that represent competitive assets. Next to this strengths are very important for a company’s competitiveness and ability to succeed within a market.IKEA’s strengths can be defined as following; * IKEA’s strong, and worldwide known brand * IKEA’s strong concept and vision * IKEA`s partnerships with suppliers (long-term and high quality) * Economies of scale IKEA`s Weaknesses Weaknesses are the opposites of strengths, and therefore a company’s comp etitive liabilities. IKEA’s weaknesses can be defined as following; * IKEA’s rapid growth and worldwide of activities (centralized startegy) * Keep the information flow to customers and stakeholders up-to date IKEA’s OpportunitiesA market opportunity is an opportunity for the company is the company’s strengths can be used to gain from the situation. Opportunities for IKEA can be defined as following; * Continue developing (even) green(er) products to fulfill the future demand for environmental friendly products * Increase presence in North American and Asian markets, by making use of economies of scale * Explore possibility of expanding in new markets IKEA’s Threats Threats are opposed by a company’s external environment, and should be recognized by the company so that the company can take measures.Threats for IKEA can be defined as following; * Growing number of retailers are offering low cost furniture * The global economical crisis makes that the consuming be havior worldwide has dropped, because of a increase in unemployment rates and a decrease in disposable income of consumers Conclusion SWOT analysis To being able to make a good conclusion of IKEA’s SWOT analysis, the following figure will give a simple but clear overview of the above described parts of the SWOT analysis. You read "Marketing and Ikea" in category "Papers" Internal Environment Weaknesses IKEA’s rapid growth and worldwide of activities (centralized strategy) – Keep the information flow to customers and stakeholders up-to date Strengths + IKEA’s strong, and worldwide known brand + IKEA’s strong concept and vision + IKEA`s partnerships with suppliers (long- term and high quality) + Economies of scale External Environment Threats – Growing number of retailers are offering low cost furniture – The global economical crisis, drop in consuming by consumers Opportunities + Continue developing (even) greener roducts + Increase pr esence in North American and Asian markets + Explore possibility of expanding in new markets From the SWOT analysis there can be concluded that IKEA is currently very successful. The main reason for this are IKEA’s strong strengths, the combination of these strengths is what makes IKEA so successful. IKEA can use their strengths to become even more successful on the market worldwide. But they have to work on their weaknesses to stay keep the position on the global market that they currently have. Therefore IKEA should especially pay attention to the speed with which they are still growing, this could become a more serious weakness in the future and managerial measures should be taken to oversee this. A way of managing this could be to thoroughly analyze future expansion opportunities, so that IKEA will stay successful in the future. The threat of the global economical crisis is not only affecting IKEA, but still IKEA should focus even more of communication with their customers. By staying true to their concept and vision, and by keep communicating this to consumers IKEA will be able to manage this threat.The treat of competition will become more severe when the current global economical crisis is over. IKEA should pay close attention to the competition, not only on a global level but also on a local level. This will need to be analyzed on a regular basis, so that IKEA will be able to come with new products and or marketing tools to keep customers satisfied and informed. Marketing Strategy Currently IKEA centrally controls their marketing strategy from the corporate headquarter. But because of the speed of expansion, IKEA is facing local pressure.The local pressure comes from demographic and cultural differences that IKEA is now facing, due to their centrally controlled marketing strategy. Managerial measures need to be taken to deal with the local pressure, this can be done by choosing another hierarchical entry mode. Therefore the suitability of a transnational organization or a region centre as hierarchical entry mode will be discussed as alternatives for IKEA’s current centralized strategy. Transnational Organization A transnational organization as hierarchical entry mode is based on the â€Å"lead country† concept.This concept states that the â€Å"lead† country takes the role of coordinator and stimulator on themselves, in combination with a reference to a homogeneous and single product group. In IKEA’s case this would mean that the headquarter still plays a major role in managing IKEA’s strategy, but IKEA will be able to also act upon local differences within demographic and cultural differences. When a transnational organization will be use by IKEA as hierarchical entry mode, the value chain would look as shown the following figure. Lead† country Border Foreign (target) market C Region Centre (Regional headquarters) A region centre, also called regional headquarters, as hierarchical entry mode has two variants. In both variants the headquarter stimulates and coordinates the sales in the whole region. But some within the region parts of the value chain activities will take place, and will be coordinated from here, which differs from the transnational organization as hierarchical entry mode. Under region centre, as hierarchical entry mode, there are four types of internal new venture.These four types are shown in the figure below. Number of countries involved Few Many Multinational trader Export/Import start-up Few activities coordinated across countries Coordination of value chain activities 2 1 4 Global start-up Geographically focussed start-up Many activities coordinated across countries 3 When a region centre, or regional headquarters, will be use by IKEA as hierarchical entry mode, the two variants of the value chain would look as shown the following figure. â€Å"Lead† country Border Foreign (target) market C C Conclusion Market StrategySince IKEA is current facing local pressure from demographic and cultural differences in new regions, it would be better for IKEA to switch from a centrally controlled marketing strategy to a hierarchical entry mode. After taking the above hierarchical entry modes into account, and how the value chain for both entry modes functions, the transnational organization hierarchical entry mode would be a perfect. By using this hierarchical entry mode, IKEA would be able to go in on local demographic and cultural differences, but it will still control, oversee and stimulate from the headquarter.By using transnational organization as an hierarchical entry mode IKEA will still be partially centralized in their marketing strategy, but they will be able to â€Å"think global, and act local†. This change will make IKEA stronger and it will eliminate one of their weaknesses, when it comes to further expanding into new markets in the international market. Entry Mode IKEA is currently using franchising as their traditional entry mode, when entering new markets. The question now arises whether or not IKEA should keep using this mode of entry or if IKEA should look into alternatives, such as setting up a joint venture and strategic alliances.To see which entry mode would be the best fit for IKEA’s future expanding, all three entry modes’ pros and cons will be evaluated will then decide which mode of entry is most suitable for IKEA. Franchising This entry mode which is based on a form of licensing; the franchisee operates in a local market and pays royalty fees on revenues to the franchisor who owns the brand. The local operator has to invest in the company and has certain rights to operate the business. A guideline laid out by the franchisor has to be followed to a certain extend.In IKEA’s case there is a selection process in which potential franchisees are evaluated on retail experience and sufficient financial backing. The franchisee has to carry a certain number of standardized items, from the product-line of over 12, 000 products, but he also has some room to adapt to local market needs. All products have to be purchased from IKEA’s product lines. All franchisees are periodically audited and compared to overall corporate performance. IKEA also offers training and operational support to its franchisees.Franchisees operate on their own, but all promotional activities and catalogues are taken care of by the headquarters. Pros franchising The current system of franchising offers certain advantages for IKEA. One of the advantages is that this entry mode is safer to use with high risk countries. Since the risk the company takes is limited; the franchisee takes on most of the financial risk. Another advantage is that the company can make use of the local experience of the franchisee; since he already has experience with the local market needs.Next to this is franchising would be in line with the change in using transnational organization as an hierarchical entry mode, this combination would increase the control of IKEA over its franchisees as well. Cons franchising If we look at the cons of franchising we can see that one of the problems is that IKEA has limited control over the single franchisees. The company needs to audit individual franchisees to maintain a certainty quality standard. Strategic Alliances When looking for alternative modes of entry for IKEA to use, the first group that comes to mind are strategic alliances.Since the main con from using the franchising method is the lack of control. Therefore it is reasonable to look into an entry mode that offers more control to IKEA. Strategic alliances involve a number of cooperative arrangements between different firms. These arrangements are more extensive than those of a regular supplier and customer, but are not as extensive as in an acquisition. The partners both make investments in long term relationships and next to this have a common orientation towards individual and mutual goals.When looking at strategic alliances we can see that there are different modes of entry within this category. The first thing that needs to be looked at is whether or not equity in each firm is shared between the partners. A joint venture is an option where there is an equity share between the partners. Non-equity In a non-equity strategic alliance the two firms work out a contractual relationship to share some of their unique resources and capabilities. In IKEA’s case this could be done with a retail agent that owns several stores in the new market that IKEA wants to enter.The thing that IKEA would add to this relationship is the brand name and product range of IKEA. The other company would bring in the existing distribution network and experience in the local market and capital. Pros non-equity The main advantage of using this mode of entry is that IKEA can make use of the existing distribution network and cultural experience of the partner. Another advantage is that this option is not as expensive as a going into a joint venture. Cons non-equity It will be hard to find a suitable partner, because IKEA only wants to have its own products sold in an IKEA store.So the partner needs to be willing to set up a store dedicated to IKEA. Next to this, this option requires IKEA to invest more than when it does by using a franchising entry mode. Another con of this option is that IKEA will have a limited financial benefit from using this option, for this entry mode to be profitable enough IKEA should have a well defined and set up contract. Control for IKEA will still be very limited, since the other company only agrees on terms in the contract. If IKEA would like to influence the partner during the period of the contract its options are very limited.Joint venture Another option for IKEA to consider is a joint venture alliance. In this mode of entry two or more companies start a joint operation together, which in many cases involves transfer of personnel and resources to operate a joint facility in a certain area. There is a certain form of equity in each company, as resources are shared and brought in by both companies. Pros The big advantage for IKEA would be the fact that the company will have more control over the joint venture compared to franchising. Since IKEA owns part of the operations it can influence the structure more.This way the company will have an easier task evaluating and maintaining the quality that the IKEA brand stands for. All in all control will be a lot easier. Cons The big disadvantage for IKEA would be the fact that it requires more financial resources to be invested in the joint venture and a higher risk in general. In the case that the joint venture becomes too risky or is not profitable enough the two parties may decide to close down the operation, taking the losses into account. Opposed to a franchising structure where the franchisee bares almost all of the risk, with joint venture the risk is shared. Conclusion entry mode After evaluating all alternative entry modes and IKEA’s current mode of entry being franchising, there can be concluded from the pros and cons described above that the current method suits IKEA best. Especially when looking at the change to transnational organization as hierarchical entry mode, control over the franchisees will be increased. This change in hierarchical entry mode, in combination with the other pros that franchising has to IKEA, like a low risk and no large capital investments, franchising would stay the best fit for IKEA.The past has also proven that IKEA’s strategy, of using franchising as entry mode for new markets, is working very well and that there is no need for change. Especially not when IKEA changes their centralized strategy making to transnational organization as hierarchical entry mode. Entering the South American Market Over the last 30 years IKEA has grown continuously becoming a global retailer. Over the last 10 year s the company has more than doubled its turnover and the number of stores they operate worldwide. The company is nowadays present in 37 countries and runs stores in 25 of those countries.In the remaining countries 34 stores are run by franchise holders. IKEA is present in Europe, North-America, Asia and Australia but has not yet established itself in South-America. Brazil as the largest country of the continent could offer IKEA good opportunities for IKEA to expand and set foot in the region. It is therefore interesting to see if IKEA should enter that market. Brazil The Federal Republic of Brazil has an estimated population 199 million people and is the 5th largest country in the world. From 2003 to 2006 the country had a real GDP growth of 3,4% and it is predicted to rise at a similar pace in the coming years. As a result of that growth the income of households has risen and a middle class has emerged. From 2002 to 2006 the percentage of households with a disposable income of over 5ooo$ a year has risen from 29 to 33. 5% and should keep on increasing. This income level is similar then the one of the target group of IKEA in other developing countries like China. This would mean that IKEA has a potential target market of 64 million people in Brazil. Brazilian furniture market In 2007 the Brazilian furniture market was worth 10. 01 billion $, an increase of 44% since 2004. During the same time period, imports increased by 300% from 92 million $ to 284 million $ but still represent only a marginal share of the total Brazilian furniture market (less than 2%). The market is split in 3 main segments: residential, office and institutional with respectively 60%, 20%, 20% of the total market share. For imports the main sectors are office and institutional furniture, the high end high quality residential furniture being the only furniture of that sector which is imported for the wealthier members of the country’s society.The main import countries for Brazil are Germany and the USA with each a 20% share of total imports. As an example of the type of imports, over two thirds of imports from the USA in 2005 were institutional and office furniture. As for retail and distribution there are no large local furniture chains, most imports are done by direct importers, the end user or in small quantities by local manufacturers as a complement to their existing pr oduct lines. As IKEA is a fairly unique concept and has no global rivals, they would be the first stores of that kind in Brazil. One main obstacle for mporting furniture into Brazil is high tariffs and taxes which can go so far as to double the price of a product for the end consumers. The Brazilian furniture manufacturing sector is made up of a large number of small to medium sized companies, which produce thanks to the large wood reserves of the country. They are mainly situated in the south of the country where most wood plantations are situated. This sector is in the process of modernising, investing in new machinery so to be able to compete on an international market and fulfil the requirements of western industrialised markets.IKEA and Brazil Just by looking at the size of the Brazilian or South-American market one can easily come to the conclusion that those are markets with potential for IKEA. Following the international growth of IKEA it seems unlikely that they will not enter South-America at some point. The question remains if this is the right time for it and how they should enter the market. Due to the complexity of the question the recommendations will be in two parts, one being short term the other one being long term.Short term recommendations On the short term, next 5 years, we advise against IKEA opening a store in Brazil. The current situation of IKEA combined with the specifics of the Brazilian market does not seem to offer immediate opportunities which could be taken advantage of. Regarding the specific situation of IKEA the following aspects have to be taken into account: Disregarding their entry mode, self owned stores as well as Franchisees are obliged to carry a large part of IKEA’s international catalogue.Those products are standardises for the whole world and are currently produced in countries outside of Brazil which makes them vulnerable to Brazils import tariffs, therefore IKEA would have difficulties selling the products at a price which would make them competitive on the Brazilian market.. Furthermore considering that the average IKEA store has an annual turnover of more than 80â‚ ¬ million and the demand for imported furniture of the type that IKEA sells in Brazil; it seems unlikely that there is currently enough potential for a store to be profitable. The geographic location of Brazil also poses a problem if IKEA ants to continue using some of its strategies and it might be one of the reasons they are not in South-America yet. The strategies we are referring to are both for environmental protection and cost saving, meaning that by applying some principles to protect the environment IKEA has been able to reduce its costs. Two of those principles are: * Using railroads for long-distance transportation. * Maximizing the efficiency of shipments: reduce the number of transports and the number of empty transports, make maximum use of cargo vehicle space, utilize return transportation, and avoid rush-hour traffic.When looking at Brazil in the light of this, it shows that IKEA’s logistics network is not adapted to that country. When looking at IKEA store locations and sourcing countries at the same time, it is easy to see how IKEA uses its logistics to improve efficiency. Currently IKEA is sourcing 67% of its products from Europe, 30% from Asia and 3% from North-America and those are also the places they have stores in. When we look at a world map we can see how goods flow both ways, making it possible for IKEA to use transportation efficiently (for example by using transport units both ways).By generalising we can say that IKEA stores are located in producing countries, close to producing countries or on major world trade routes. When looking at IKEA’s efficiency, it also is important to mention that they are faced with some sourcing problems, or more precisely a sourcing bottleneck and are only able to open and supply 20 new stores a year. Considering that IKEA only has 36 stores in the USA and 10 in China compared to 44 in Germany, it would be logical for them to first concentrate on expanding withing countries or regions they are already present in until those markets are fully serviced or the bottleneck issue is solved.The last issue with IKEA entering the Brazilian market in the near future are cultural differences. Those have an impact on two main points: * The first point is the bad experiences that IKEA has made in the past in other developing countries, regarding corruption which have made them loose millions of euros. In world rankings Brazil is in the middle field but that still puts it far behind IKEA’s traditional markets in western Europe. IKEA has in the past tried to avoid risks and this could be a factor slowing down their possible ambitions in South-America. * The second point is the need to addapt IKEA to local markets.Like their experienced showed in the USA and other countries IKEA has to addapt its concept to local culture to be able to be successful. This applies to products offered as well as the way of managing the company in that country. Since Brazil is a country IKEA has no experience with, does not know the culture or preferences of, it would take major efforts on IKEA’s part to start operations there. All these factors combined lead to the conclusion that Brazil is not yet a good country for IKEA to open a store in, so our recommendation for the near future is not to open a store there.Long term recommendations On the longer term, the recommendations are different because we belive that it is in the interest of IKEA to get involved in the South-American market and specialy Brazil for their futur e. The two mains reason for that are the growing wealth of the large local population and the potential of Brazil as a sourcing country for IKEA. Regarding the local population and the wealth it would not be logical for IKEA not to enter South-America if the markets there keep on developping in the current direction.So on the long term IKEA will be present on that continent when conditions make it more interesting for them, then it currently is. As for Brazil presenting opportunities for sourcing this should be seen as something worth looking into for IKEA. Currently IKEA is looking into turning Russia in one of their main supplying countries, because of the amount of timber availableinthat country. The same would apply to Brazil, which has large reserves of wood and a developed furniture manufacturing base. As IKEA develops in North-America, Brazil becomes more interesting as a supplier country. Currently China produces a lot of products for IKEA but it does not have enough raw materials available and must import some of those. It would therefore be smart for IKEA to develop it’s relations with Brazilian producers as an alternative manufacturing base to Asia. This would probably be a relatively slow process considering that illegal logging is still a common problem in Brazil and IKEA must make sure it can trust it’s suppliers. Once that relations are established with suppliers, IKEA sould then consider opening a store in Brazil, preferably under franchise to avoid some of the risks associated with the Brazilian market.This would also give access to knowledge about the local preferences. In the mean time IKEA should collect knowledge about Latin-American consumers, in their North-American markets and in the future with their first store in the Dominican Republic.. This last store opening also shows the posibility of progressive expansion by going south of the USA. By starting in the Dominican Republic (close to Florida) and maybe following with Mexico, IKEA could expand it’s geagraphical coverage without over extanding their logistical network. Sourcing concept IKEAIKEA is making use of use of their self-owned Swedwood Group, which produces wood based furniture and also all wooden components. Swedwood Group is present in 11 countries, which are in majority European countries. Together with IKEA they strive to produce all products as cost efficient as possible, by at the same time taking social responsibility and environmental responsibility. Swedwood’s production concept is to set up and/or further develop existing production units, this in order to maximize capacity utilization and the production plants.The production is concept ‘s goal is to optimize efficiency and volumes. Next to the fact that this concept ensures short lead times, it also makes an efficient distribution channel possible. When looking at the current situation the current situation of IKEA it becomes obvious that they are makes use of effective sourcing strategies to make their production as cost efficient as possible. IKEA outsources their raw materials to other companies and uses Shedwood Group for, for example, the production of wooden furniture. Economical and Political Situation BrazilAs previously stated the Brazilian furniture market has grown with 44% since 2004, to a market size of $ 10. 01 billion. Although imports of furniture have only increased with 2 %, the market is growing in Brazil. As shown in the table below, the economy of Brazil is growing and the position of the consumers is becoming better. Demographic and economic indicators| | 2005| 2006| 2007| 2008| 2009| Population aged 65+: January 1st (‘000)| 11,403. 24| 11,778. 91| 12,150. 42| 12,526. 21| 12,918. 18| Population density (people per sq km)| 22. 00| 22. 24| 22. 47| 22. 9| 22. 90| GDP measured at purchasing power parity (million international $)| 1,584,678. 23| 1,696,680. 73| 1,836,914. 57| 1,958,293. 49| 2,028,681. 20| Real GDP growth (% growth)| 3. 16| 3. 97| 5. 67| 5. 08| -0. 66| Inflation (% growth)| 6. 87| 4. 18| 3. 64| 5. 66| 4. 85| Consumer expenditure (US$ million)| 531,822. 46| 656,971. 56| 813,584. 75| 958,968. 26| 973,270. 17| Annual gross income (US$ million)| 694,076. 13| 834,724. 42| 1,032,305. 74| 1,220,762. 89| 1,237,535. 93| Annual disposable income (US$ million)| 543,442. 51| 672,063. 55| 830,185. 96| 980,754. 8| 994,446. 03| From the table above, there can be concluded that the GDP ,at purchasing power parity, is steadily growing since 2005. Also the real GDP growth, in percentage, is growing. In 2009 there was no growth in the real GDP, but a drop of -0,6, this decrease can be well connected to the global economical crises. The annual gross income has almost doubled in 2009, compared to 2005. These economical indicators shown that Brazil is an attractive market for IKEA since this market is growing for years. The Brazilian political situation has changed compared to the past.Brazil is a republic, and current has Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of the Workers’ Party as left-wing president, with 61% of the vote. The past years both left and right politicians have shown their respect for democratic institutions. Both sides are bringing efforts to highlight this as evidence of the political, but especially democratic maturity of Brazil. The political situation in Brazil is not comparable to democracies in Europe, but Brazil is working hard on their democracy to work fair and correct. Although corruption scandals come to light, the democracy in Brazil is on its way to develop into a stable democracy.Conclusion Sourcing Concept South America When possible IKEA will therefore make use of near-shoring as sourcing strategy for the South American market. This concept is already used worldwide by IKEA and would also fit the expansion to South America. It also fits to Shedwood’s production concept to produce all products as cost efficient as possible, by at the same time taking social responsibility and environmental responsibility. IKEA wants to expand further by entering the South American market through expand to Brazil.This would be the good country to go to in South America, since Brazil has over 4. 6 million hectare of forest, which can be used for locally sourcing. The advantage of sourcing locally is based on IKEA’s idea to â€Å"think global and act local†, which means that multinational corporations are encouraged to build their own roots. Furthermore Brazil? s economical situation is growing and will keep growing, since Brazil is one of the key emerging economies today. The political situation in Brazil has improved a lot over the years and is becoming more stable with time.These factors together make Brazil an attractive market and once IKEA has opened a first store in Brazil, the South American market is entered. This opens up the possibility for IKEA stores to expand to countries like Mexico which will be able to use sources from Brazil, or other countries on the South American continent, due to near-shoring. Overall Recommendations Taking everything into account the recommendation to IKEA is as following. IKEA should firstly change their centrally controlled marketing strategy to a transnational organization as hierarchical entry mode.This would be a managerial fit to the problems on demographical and cultural differences, that IKEA is currently facing when entering new markets. IKEA should take some time to implement this new hierarchical entry mode, so that the currently problems and weakness concerning rapid growth will be solved, and could become a strength of IKEA. As an entry mode IKEA is currently using franchising. After analyzing other entry mode options and when taking into account that IKEA would change their centrally controlled marketing strategy to a transnational organization, franchising would still be the best fit.In combination with a transnational organization IKEA would get more control on their franchisees and would be able to adapt better to local needs. Taking everything of above into account IKEA should not enter the South American market on the short term. Next to this the high tariffs, relatively small size of the Brazilian market and lack of experience within the South American market, are also the main reasons for not yet entering the Brazilian market. On the long term the South American market could be a could option for IKEA to expand to.The economical situation is improving every year and also the political situation is getting more stable with the years. By changing to the transnational organization developing relations with suppliers, and looking for suitable franchisees within Brazil, IKEA would be able to enter the South American market with success. When entering the South American market on the long term, IKEA could make use of near shoring to supply the stores in Brazil. This fits IKEA’s production concept, to produce their products on the hand of low cost efficiency and at the same time taking social responsibility and environmental responsibility. How to cite Marketing and Ikea, Papers

Othello Othello A Tragic Hero Essay Example For Students

Othello: Othello A Tragic Hero Essay Othello: Othello A Tragic HeroIf one reads Shakespeares Othello, they can come to the conclusion thatit might be one of the his most tragic plays ever written by Shakespeare. Romeoand Juliet, is probably the most famous of his tragic plays, but Othello, hascharacteristics that, I think make it even more tragic then his other plays, andtherefore for that reason, you can say that Othello is the most tragic hero. Othello is a noble man, one who has grace with the ladies but alsopossesses all the virtues of a military leader that he is. He is a general thatis experienced in battle.He has shown that he is reliable and well known inthe military and is well respected.His valiant personality, is what drawspeople to him, as it does for Desdemona. The senators value him and hear whathe says when he speaks. This is shown here by one of the senators. Here comesBarbantio and the valiant Moor, (Act I scene 3, 47) . This is an example ofthe many comments which shows Othellos character and personality as a personand an officer.They say he is one of the great leaders. Not only does he posses great character and courage, but also dignity. He keeps his control even when he is being accused of witchcraft during thefirst encounter with the senators when Desdemonas father confronts him aboutsee his daughter. Most potent, grave, and reverend signors,My very noble and approved good masters;That I have taen away this old mans daughter,It is most true; true I have married her. The very head and front of my offendingHath the extent, no more. Rude I am in my speech,And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace;(I, iii, 91)This is an example of how Othello deals with style and grace under fire,when he is accused of witch craft, by marrying Desdemona. He neither, yells orscreams, but explains in a manner that captivates his audience, and draws themin to listen. A major sign that Othello shows his rage and jealousy occurs in Act III,scene 3, when Iago is talking with Othello and tells him that Desdemona is awhore. Othellos breakdown, almost to choke Iago, simply asks IagoVillain, be sure thou prove my love a whore, Be sure if it. Give me the ocular proof. Or by the worth of mine eternal soul, thou hadst been better have been born a dog. Than answer my waked wrath. (Act III, scene 3)This a point in the play where Iago starts unveil his malicious plan. It makes Othello react, in a manner that he usually does not. Othello has manyqualities that contribute to his overall worth. One being his trustfulness. At this point in time, Othello, says that Iago is a man of honor and trust, andtherefore has no reason not to distrust him. Many times Othello does not see the fake and malicious acts of Iago. This is done to extend the play and also add to Othellos tragic flaws. Othellotrusts too easily. Othello is used to dealing with military people and on thebattle field, a place where you put your life in the hands of others and trustis very important. Iago reputation on the battle field is well known and is nottarnished. With Othello being a military leader for most of his life, trustinganother military friend, is not uncommon, and therefore, Othello has no reasonnot to believe or trust Iago.So it can be said that Othello has a number oftragic flaws, one being trust worthy. It is not to say that being trust worthyis a bad characteristic, but to not trust your own wife?Othello, tragically, in Act III, scene 3, is thoroughly corrupted byIago, says that he believes that Desdemona is honest, but yet he thinks that sheis not. This is a part that Othellos innocence is torn to bits, because hedoes not know what to believe anymore. This is also where he comes to Iago foradvice, which is what Iago has been waiting for. Othello is seen as a confusedman without direction and does know what to do. .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 , .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 .postImageUrl , .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 , .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8:hover , .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8:visited , .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8:active { border:0!important; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8:active , .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8 .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc491f5d30b480fa917d77d6fd6c53dd8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Blade Runner Analysis EssayBy the world, I think that my wife be honest and think that she is not. I think that thou art just and think she is not. Othello then says to Iago:Damn her, lewd minx, damn her, damn her!Come, go with me apart. I will withdrawTo furnish me with some swift means of deathFar that fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant. (Act 3, scene 4, 540)Here it shows that Othello is now starting to believe Iago. Anothertime that Iago starts to make Othello believe even more that is wife isunfaithful is when he tells Othello that he has overheard Cassio talking in hissleep about Desdemona and that he has also noticed Cassio wiping his face withthe strawberry-embroidered handkerchief, that Othello had given to Desdemona forhis first present. This now where Othello is convinced that Desdemona has beenunfaithful, and vows revenge against Cassio and Desdemona. It is in thisscene that Iago implants the suspicions and jealousy in Othellos head, whichtragically bring about the events in the play.It is also here, whereDesdemona tries to reconcile the differences between Othello and Cassio, inwhich Othello sees them together an d reinforces the allegations that Iago hasmade to Othello. Iago helps by adding the gasoline to the fire when he tellsOthello about how Cassio and Desdemona have known each other for some time. Othello is upset and vows revenge. Not with vain thanks but with acceptance bounteous,And will upon the instant pit thee totWithin these three days let me hear thee sayThat Cassios not alive. (Act III, scene 4)Iago also reminds Othello that Desdemona has also deceived her father,her own flesh an blood, why not then lie to her husband.Othello then tellsIago that he is bound to him forever for all that he has done for him.It ismade clear in this scene that Iago is honest and true man. A man of his word,and for that Othello is forever indebted. After the events of the loss of the handkerchief, shown clearly is theanger of Othello when he asks Desdemona to produce the handkerchief. When shecan not, it is set in his mind that she has been deceitful. It does not helpthe situation in any way that Desdemona lies about having the handkerchief, itonly adds to the fire that burns within Othellos eyes. Othellos jealousy is the one flaw that brings him down the most. It isnot to say that with out Iago instigating all that he has that the situationwould have been better. But one can see that jealousy is the knife that stabshimself. Othello is jealous of Desdemona and Cassio, which can be somewhatunderstandable. It is known that Desdemona and Cassio have known each other forsometime. It is known that Cassio has had a crush on Desdemona for awhile. When Othello asks to see the handkerchief and she cant show it to him, it makeshim wonder. When Iago is talking to Cassio about Desdemona, while Othello islistening, he makes him wonder. When Cassio is caught with the handkerchief, itmakes Othello wonder. With all of these attributes and events, one can only bejealous of Cassio and Desdemona. Othello has been manipulated in such a way byIago though, that he wont even believe is own wife. Desdemona pleads withOthello that she has been faithful and has done nothing wrong. It is Othellosjealousy and Iagos malicious manipulating that leads to the death of all ofthem. Even though Iago is the villain of all villains, Othellos tragic flaw ofjealousy, leads to his downfall. Iago manipulates the characters and enragesOthellos fire of jealousy within himself. One can not only look at thevillainous plots of Iago, but also look at Othellos impractical train ofthought and jealousy. Othello does not reason with anyone except Iago. This iswhy Iago is the villain of all villains. This is why Othellos jealousy can besaid to be his greatest downfall.Over the entire play, not only does Iagobecome the antogonist that he is, but also Othellos tragic flaw of jealousyleads to his, Iagos and innocent Desdemona.One can see why Othello, might beShakespeares most tragic plays.

Environmental Air Pollution Essays - Environmental Chemistry

Environmental Air Pollution My views of the environment are rooted in my belief in creation. I do not believe that life on earth began spontaneously, nor do I believe that the earth is so delicately balanced. I don't believe that the earth and its ecosystem are fragile. Many radical environmentalists do, they believe man can come along, all by themselves and change everything for worse. After hundreds of millions of years, they believe that we are the last two generations of human existence. And they think we can destroy the earth all by ourselves? I simply cannot believe this view of man and his works. I refuse to believe that people, which is also a result of Creation, can destroy the best creation in the universe. Although some arrogant radical scientists believe that they are capable of unlocking every door of the universe and above all else, capable of understanding it, it is a fact that there are some things in this world that man just can't understand, and cannot understand, and we must accept these things in faith. This one small planet has the conditions that are necessary for life and is perfectly placed in our solar system. If we were placed a little further from the sun, we would be a really big ice cube. If we were a little closer, we would be roasting in one big oven. And the placement of the Earth is not by chance, it was placed here for a reason. We humans had nothing to do with earth's creation, nor did we have anything to do with it's placement or it's functioning. We are only a part of it. We are as much part of it as the Spotted Owl, which is a bird. But environmentalists picture humans as a natural enemy of nature. According to them, we are capable of destroying earth merely by being ourselves. I also don't understand how these ?scientists? of whom which say we are powerful enough to destroy earth, can also say we are no better than a frog. Unfortunately for them, this is what they believe. They seem to think that all life forms on the planet, other than humans, peacefully exist together. They think that humans destroy. Most animals and insects depend on each other for food and do not peacefully co-exist. We could not destroy the earth even if we wanted to. The earth is over 4 billion years old. Man has been here for no more than 200,000 of those years. We cannot even come close to creating the forces of nature, yet these forces have been around for 4 billion years. And yet, the earth is still here. Mount Pinatubo, in the Philippines, spewed forth more than a thousand times the amount of ozone-depleting chemicals in one eruption than all the chloro-fluorocarbons ever manufactured by evil man and possessed corporations in all of history (RLimbaugh, The Way Things Ought to Be, p155). So now scientists say that 4-6% of the ozone loss could occur over the Northern Hemisphere over the next 2-3 years (RLimbaugh, The Way Things Ought to Be, p155). Remember: this has been going on for billions of years and we still have a healthy ozone layer. Again, the facts are here, man can't even come close to equaling the CFC output of a volcano. Conclusion, Mother Nature has been attacking her own ozone layer for millions of years, and it's still here. We have only been measuring ozone since 1956 (RLimbaugh, The Way Things Ought to Be, p155). And scientists still claim that they know enough for us to change our lives. Maybe the largest environmental worry in the recent years is the ?potential problem? of the Earth heating up because of man's abuse of the environment. There is little evidence behind these theories, and most of these theories are being voided after each new study. Scientists say a supernova 340,000 years ago disrupted 10% to 20% of the ozone layer, causing only a sunburn in prehistoric man (RLimbaugh, See I Told You So, p178). Has man ever created anything even close to the radioactivity and explosive force of a supernova? My answer: doubtful. And if pre-historic man only got a sunburn, how can we get cancer from air conditioners

A Brief History of U.S.-Israeli-Palestinian Relations

A Brief History of U.S.-Israeli-Palestinian Relations Even though Palestine is not an official state, the U.S. and Palestine have a long history of rocky diplomatic relations. With Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas set to appeal for the creation of a Palestinian state at the United Nations on September 19, 2011- and the U.S. set to veto the measure- that foreign policy history is again in the spotlight. The story of U.S.-Palestinian relations is lengthy, and it obviously includes much of the history of Israel. This is the first of several articles on the U.S.-Palestinian-Israeli relationship. History Palestine is an Islamic region, or perhaps several regions, in and around the Jewish-state of Israel in the Middle East. Its four million people live largely in the West Bank along the Jordan River, and in the Gaza Strip near Israels border with Egypt. Israel occupies both the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It created Jewish settlements in each place, and has waged several small wars for control of those areas. The United States has traditionally backed Israel and its right to exist as a recognized state. At the same time, the U.S. has sought cooperation from Arab nations in the Middle East, both to achieve its energy needs and to secure a safe environment for Israel. Those dual American goals have put Palestinians in the midst of a diplomatic tug-of-war for nearly 65 years. Zionism Jewish and Palestinian conflict began at the turn of the 20th Century as many Jews worldwide began the Zionist movement. Because of discrimination in the Ukraine and other parts of Europe, they sought territory of their own around the Biblical holy lands of the Levant between the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. They also wanted that territory to include Jerusalem. Palestinians also consider Jerusalem a holy center. Great Britain, with a significant Jewish population of its own, backed Zionism. During World War I, it took control of much of Palestine and maintained post-war control through a League of Nations mandate finalized in 1922. Arab Palestinians revolted against British rule on several occasions in the 1920s and 1930s. Only after Nazis staged mass executions of Jews during the Holocaust of World War II did the international community begin backing the Jewish quest for a recognized state in the Middle East. Partitioning and Diaspora The United Nations authored a plan to partition the region into Jewish and Palestinian areas, with the intention that each become states. In 1947 Palestinians and Arabs from Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, and Syria began hostilities against Jews. That same year saw the beginning of a Palestinian diaspora. Some 700,000 Palestinians were displaced as Israeli boundaries became clear. On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. The United States and most members of the United Nations recognized the new Jewish state. Palestinians call the date al-Naqba, or the catastrophe. Full-blown war erupted. Israel beat the coalition of Palestinians and Arabs, taking territory that the United Nations had designated for Palestine. Israel, however, was always felt insecure as it did not occupy the West Bank, the Golan Heights, or the Gaza Strip. Those territories would serve as buffers against Jordan, Syria, and Egypt respectively. It fought- and won- wars in 1967 and 1973 to occupy those territories. In 1967 it also occupied the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt. Many Palestinians who had fled in the diaspora, or their descendants, found themselves again living under Israeli control. Although considered illegal under international law, Israel has also built Jewish settlements throughout the West Bank. U.S. Backing The United States backed Israel throughout those wars. The U.S. has also continuously sent military equipment and foreign aid to Israel. American support of Israel, however, has made its relations with neighboring Arab countries and Palestinians problematic. Palestinian displacement and the lack of an official Palestinian state became a central tenet of much anti-American Islamic and Arabic sentiment. The United States has had to craft foreign policy that both helps keep Israel secure and allows American access to Arab oil and shipping ports.

How are Meat-Based Recipes Adapted for Vegetarians Research Paper

How are Meat-Based Recipes Adapted for Vegetarians - Research Paper Example However, upon heating, this bond is broken and proteins break down into amino acids and react with other chemicals. The difference in flavors between the original and the adapted recipes for vegetarians is noticeable, which is explained by Maillard reactions in the following way. In the Maillard reactions, the amino acids can come from any proteins and the sugars from any carbohydrates. In the first stage of the reactions, the proteins and carbohydrates are degraded into smaller sugars and amino acids. Next the sugar rings open and the resulting aldehydes and acids react with the amino acids to produce a wide range of chemicals. These new molecules then react amongst themselves to produce the main flavor compounds. Consider the adaptation of the chicken-stock recipe for vegetarians. The most apparent feature of chicken stock is â€Å"the unctuous texture that comes from glycerin, a protein found largely in bones.† The same effect can be achieved by roasting vegetables in olive oil first and then adding water. As oil is not soluble in water, therefore, the oil molecules will appear as droplets on the surface of the vegetable stock, similar to that of chicken stock. Take another example of adapting the recipe of beef-burger for vegetarians. As beef naturally contains fat, therefore, it is easy to shape minced beef into a burger patty. However, minced vegetables must rely on a binding agent like an egg to take the form of a patty. In this case, beaten eggs also act as an alternate source of proteins in the adapted recipe.

Chapter 9 summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 9 summary - Essay Example This notion takes on an absurd twist when the author states that cobras would then not exist if someone were not thinking about cobras. However, cobras existed before people began thinking and talking about them. This prompts Plato to argue that conceptual thoughts exist outside the material and human thought, placing them in a state of permanence and the physical object in a state of impermanence. Though Plato argues that material objects aren’t as real as Forms, he states that objects do contain some degree of reality, which introduces his concept of metaphysical dualism. This portion of Plato’s philosophy is that someone cannot fully comprehend reality until they grasp that reality consists of two independent components that cannot be explained in terms of the other - mind and body, which is referred to as mind-body dualism. This theory states that a human being consists of an immaterial mind and a material body. One cannot exist without the other; our immaterial soul travels to new bodies between each cycle of life and death. Plato’s dialogue is discussed, which outlines how Plato views the mind and body in terms of invisible and visible. The material things that can be explored with the five senses are material, whereas the immaterial things are invisible. The human body, being visible, is considered to be material, and the soul and the mind, or the intellect are immaterial since they cannot be perceived by any of the senses. By categorizing the body and mind in this way, Plato is able to reveal how the soul is able to survive death while the body succumbs to the destruction associated with death. The soul is an unchanging entity while the body is subjected to a myriad of changes over time. Along with this mind-body dualism, Plato also argues that there are various degrees of reality. We normally consider reality in terms of what is real and what is not real. However, Plato argues that a mirror image has only

Enterprise, weekly blogs and Portfolio Coursework

Enterprise, weekly blogs and Portfolio - Coursework Example There are major benefits and value levels associated with implementing Enterprise 2.0. For example, the implementation of Enterprise 2.0 enhances the reputation of a company. Coca-Cola Company implements Enterprise 2.0 through the Coca-Cola fan page. This enhances the reputation of the company by allowing Coca-Cola fans to create and maintain content, which presents Coca-Cola as an attractive company. Moreover, the Coca-Cola fan page manifests how the company adopts new web technologies, which improve the company’s reputation. The fan page equally increases the company’s visibility in the market. Through the fan page, the company can establish and address various customer needs. The implementation of Enterprise 2.0 relates to specific functional areas. Indeed, the implementation of Enterprise 2.0 through the Coca-Cola fan page enhances product development and customer service across the enterprise. Indeed, through the Coca-Cola fan page, the consumers help in product development by giving their views and comments on various company brands. The company can draw the consumer’s response to various products by following their views and comments on the fan page. This will help the company to develop products that address consumer’s needs in diverse locations. The Coca-Cola fan page is a significant medium that fosters customer service in the company. Moreover, the company can access customer response and feedback on the fan page. By addressing these views and comments, Coca-Cola fosters customer service.

Analysis of the EU Enlargement Process

Analysis of the EU Enlargement Process The aim of the group is to gain a first class mark. We want this report to represent our ability to work efficiently together in a group. We endeavoured to produce an end product, which is concise and thorough, highlighting the enlargement aspects of the EU. Our objective is therefore to fully research all areas of the EU enlargement, as our question is Enlargement rationale; How much bigger should the EU expand and why? Upon completion of this report the goal is to have gained a broader knowledge on the European Union (EU) as a whole and have a good understanding of current major issues. Methodology The EU enlargement process is very rigorous. In the past the European Union has undergone many rounds of enlargement (see fig 1). But to what conditions and guidelines must candidate nations comply by? The main guideline is the Copenhagen Criteria which was signed on 21st/22nd June, 1993. This states that by the time candidates join, they must according to the Folketing EU Information centre: [Have] achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities, the existence of a functioning market economy as well as the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the union (Folketing, conclusions of the presidency). These criterion were laid down by the heads of state and government of the member states at the European council meeting in Copenhagen in 1993 (ibid). In outline the Copenhagen Criteria can be divided into three conditions, which form the minimum entry requirements, before a country is considered for EU membership. These are: The political criterion i.e. democracy, rule of law, human rights and respect and protection for minorities. The economic criterion i.e. a functioning market economy and must be capable of withstanding the pressure of competition and market forces in the European Union. The criterion presupposing the ability to incorporate one entire body of laws and regulations of the EU à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the aquis communautairÃÆ' © (Source à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Folketing EU Information centre) The country must be able to assume all the obligations flowing from membership, including the aim of political, economic and monetary union (ibid). After all of these requirements, the country is screened and if approved, the Council of the European Union and its country draft a Treaty of Accession. This then goes to the European Commission and European Parliament ratifications and approval. If successful after this process, the nation is able to become a member of the EU (About.com). Screening is the first step in the negotiations stage, when considering a country for membership (EU Commission). Its an in depth analysis of the EU laws with which the candidate country must abide by (known as the aquis). A screening report is then drawn up for each country (ibid). Negotiations take place at ministerial level between permanent representatives for EU countries, and ambassadors or chief negotiators for candidate countries. But why do countries want to join the EU in the first place? This question is asked by Clive Lindley of the Central Europe express (Charles Jenkins, 2000). This author quotes an American journalist as writing What does Europe want to be when it grows up? Julie Smith, Head of the European programme at the Royal institute for international affairs, also begins to explore the boundaries at which the expansion of the will be no longer feasible. She states that How [will] the EU be able to function with thirty or more member states (Charles Jenkins, 2000). According to her, it is a problem that clearly exercised many of Europes leading politicians in 2000. 3.0 When the European Coal and Steel Community was created in 1957 it was with an aspiration to form a trading block of peace and economic prosperity. For more than half a century, the current European Union has exerted its soft power, attracting almost every country in Europe and completed six successful enlargement rounds (fig 1). (fig 1 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" source:à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Central Eastern European Countries (CEECs) started to show interest in applying for EU membership (EU27 on enlargement). As a result of this, the Copenhagen Criteria was set out in December 1993 declaring the requirements that any potential country wishing to join the EU, would need to meet. This was the first time the EU had made a clear commitment to enlargement, and provided Europe with evidence of their engagement in becoming a bigger and more influential trading block (Lippert et all 2001). Since then, as shown in the timeline, the EU has expanded substantially, and includes today a total of 27 member states. This leaves only 14 European countries (excluding Russia) as non members, four of which are candidate countries, five potential candidates, two who have been declined membership, two with an ENP Action Plan and one with not many EU relations. The size of any further EU enlargement is therefore confined by the borders of Europe and the enlargement rationale, is determined by the economic opportunities and the promotion of security in these 12 remaining countries (Nugent 2004). 4.0 In this part of the report we are going to discuss the economic side of the EU enlargement. Firstly we will be taking a more statistical approach in evaluating the economy. We will then take some candidate countries, and discuss what will happen if they join the EU. Since 1994, when the 10+2 candidate countries was selected they have had significant progress in their economy, they have gained an average growth of 1.3/2.1% GDP per year in between 1994-2004 (European Commission, 2001) but more importantly their GDP would have reduce by 0.1% if they was not chosen as candidate countries( Maliszewska 2003). This showed that the economy was developing quickly, many factors contributed to this including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), imports and exports. Intra trading plays an important part in EU enlargement allowing companies to take advantage of comparative advantages in new Member States and candidate countries. Intra trading has increase from only accounting for a third of EUs trading in 1960, EU-6, to over 70% of EUs trade in 2007, EU-25. Intra trading encourages competition, and enhances productivity and efficiency within the EU. With additional new Member States the EU is now the largest trading bloc importing and exporting 16.7% and 18.8% respectively, where as the US is only exporting 11.1% and importing 17.4% (IMF, EUROSTAT 2009). This gives the EU more power when discussing trade policies at the WTO and more influence on the global economy. FDI plays an important part of EU enlargement and the new Member States GDP growth because an increase of FDI would increase the level of investment, employment and productivity. Breuss (2009) estimated that FDI inflows gave the new States and Member extra growth of 1.75 % GDP on average from period 2000-2008, moreover Bulgaria and Romania could gain an additional 0.5% GDP up to 2020. But other research has shown even though the candidate countries can attract high level of FDI they might not necessarily be able to maintain it, for example in years 2001 and 2002 Cypruss FDI inflow rate actually fell by over half and in Malta FDI was actually reversed. Using Bosnia and Herzegovina as an example if they were to become a member of the EU, the old Member States might have more confident to invest in them, thus rising their FDI rate and unemployment rate, which are the two main underlying issues relating to the economy factors although some issues has to be resolved first like distorted wages setting and low labour mobility which are both halting job creations and the labour market. Also in Albania unemployment rate is high due to the lack of health and safety regulations which could drive foreign investors away, even though they have currently approved for a strategy for health and safety it will be awhile before it will fully take effect. From these 2 examples it shows that even though candidate countries have the economy benefits of an EU member such as free trade, but with different underlying issues in each country preventing them from further economic growth it will be a long time before any candidate countries are near the level of expansion. Therefore in conclusion from the economic overview and evidence I think that it is too early for talks about enlarging the EU further and with the 2008 global recession still in effect I think that even if the EU was to expand it would not be in short future and they will have to be extremely careful with the next enlargement. 5.0 This part of the report is going to be discussing the possible benefits, conflicts and problems that enlargement may cause to the citizens of the EU, the existing member states of the EU and the EU at a global level. In the past, the citizens of the EU didnt have as much freedom or possibilities to travel freely as they do now. But since the events of the fall of the iron curtain or in any of the EU enlargement rounds, more citizens have agreed that the living standards in the Central and Eastern Europe has improved and that the changes from these events have brought more freedom to everybody within Europe (View on European Enlargement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Analytical Report). However some citizens have voted that they feel more insecure after enlargement and believes that it has contributed to redundancies and job loss in their country (View on European Enlargement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Analytical Report). For instance, in Britain, over the past 2 years 139, 000 immigrants have found jobs where as the number of British workers have dropped by 654, 000 (The Daily Mail) also critics say that the pressure from high levels of immigration on housing, public transport, water and energy is highly damaging (T he Daily Mail). So it seems that enlarging would mainly benefit the citizens of the CEECs more than the original EU15s citizens as they are able to freely move within the EU and are able to find work elsewhere. Enlarging the EU may abolish arguments and disputes between conflicting countries, and could mean that they will have stronger relationships in the future i.e. Charles de Gaulle, who was French President at the time opposed the UKs application in both 1961 and 1967 because he believed that the UK was going to attempt to thwart his desire to place France at the centre of the European stage (European Union Enlargement). When France changed their President in 1969 to Georges Pompidou, the UK was finally accepted into the EU for full membership (BOOK). Now in 2010 with France electing a new President, he and the Prime Minister of the UK have joined forces and have both signed a Defence Co-Operation Treaty (MoD), this shows positive progress of enlargement and that it could build a stronger EU. At the core of the EU is the single market, the aim of it is to allow all member states to be able to trade fairly and communicate with each other with ease (Business Link), and if trades are successful it will build trust and reliability between countries à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" which would build stronger relationships within the EU. Enlarging would mean more members to trade with, more communication across the globe and in past events and has effectively shown an increase in the EUs weight in world politics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" also making it a stronger world power (PDF). Sometimes in the EU, there will be problems that cant be resolved, this may make some members want to leave the EU and propose a referendum. For example, each member state is allocated a certain number of seats within the European Parliament (EP), which effectively means how much influence they have within the EU. In 2004 Denmark had 16 seats before the EU became the EU25, after they enlarged Denmarks seat allocation had decreased to only 14 (book), enlarging again could mean that they would lose even more seats in the EP and more influence within the EU altogether, they may not be very happy about this and could propose a referendum as they may feel that they are being treated unfairly. In conclusion, even if one country decides to leave due to enlargement, the EU wouldnt suffer that much as they would have new members coming in and would still have the other existing member states to run the EU. So this report supports the act of enlargement as it will give the EU citizens more freedom and possibilities to travel, may produce stronger relationships between countries and would make the EU a stronger world power. 6.0 This section looks at the security of the EU by analysing the major security threat to the EU today, terrorism. It aggregates the findings of past reports to make sure the safety of the EU citizens is not over looked when deciding whether the EU should expand. It will look at the following in this order- European defence and security policy (EDSP),-Organised crime (OC) and its links to terrorism,-Candidate countries progress. Due to the nature of the topics the information used is mostly of official report base as independent reports have lacked technology and resources to reference and back up their findings especially within the rarely traceable OC and terrorism domains. European defence and security policy pushes for increases in EU military cooperation and joint missions. There have been joint missions to Afghanistan to the terrorism war zones and 3200 EU personnel are currently deployed on joint missions (C.Ashton EDA bulliten 2009). Increasing cooperation at external borders are also main policies, whilst increasing links with EU police forces is also part of policies to help combat terrorism. (EU presidency report 2009) (EDA head report to council 2010) OC and links to terrorism is a major issue. Organised crime is large inside the EU and also externally, trying to enter the EU. Drug trafficking, the exploitation of human beings and illegal migration, fraud, Euro counterfeiting, commodity counterfeiting and money laundering, are all the major OC areas. (Europol OCTA report 2009). A country which the EU allows in must be able to tackle these problems because undoubtedly the Schengen Area, the abolition of the filter border control to the movement of goods, services, capital and people, facilitates criminals, because once in the territory of one member state, they can move freely to the destination of the criminal markets. (A.SACCONE 2006). (Europol OCTA2009) points out the links between OC and Terrorism. It explains that terrorism uses it for funding. A recent (SkyNews) documentary shows Middle Eastern terrorist explaining that they create funds through OC. Any expansion of the EU to a country which cant handle a possible increase in organised crime could increase funding of terrorism, which at the moment the EU is part of fighting a war against. There needs to be emphasis on improving links between military and police forces to tackle this problem. (A.SACCONE 2006) (Europol OCTA2009) Candidate Countries progress reports analyse their current situation. In the following reports it is chapter 24 of the EU rationale which analyses Security. Croatia has set up very good training and systems to regulate borders and has started cooperating with Bosnia and Herzegovina. But Croatia lacks officer numbers to tackle OC. (Croatia progress report 2009-10). (The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonias progress report 2009-10) finds that, police and military officers skill and ability levels are high and they are capable to tackle organised crime and terrorism. They can also handle borders very well, although bad internal cooperation between institutions, decreases success dramatically. In Turkey there havent been improvements in border control, tackling organised crime or investigating and tackling terrorism. There are no steps expected in the future to change this at the moment. (Turkey progress report 2009-10) Croatia and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, have good l inks with Europol and EU militaries whilst Turkey has failed to do this because of its lack of data protection laws. (Candidate progress reports 2009-10) In Conclusion of this section EDSP aims to increase EU military cooperation, and links between military and police. EDSP is trying to create a more secured coordinated EU and it is presenting very possible positive steps. With increased joint military missions there may be potential increases in terrorist threats to EU members and also future EU members. OC needs to be a number one target so we can fight terror at its root. Current candidates to join the EU must be prepared to tackle OC and an increase in OC before we accept them. An increase in depth to chapter 24 before we allow them to join is needed. Turkey poses major risk without data protection laws because of the demand on links between police and military. External borders need to be regulated more to stop threats getting i whilst internal borders need better regulation to stop facilitation of OC which links to terrorism. This highlights a need for a review of the Schengen area. From a security analyses I would not expand th e EU, because the major threats have new dimensions and candidates to join are not prepared for them. 7.0 Since the negations for Turkeys accession into the EU began in 2005, rather than seeing a speeding up of the process there has been a slowing down. To date only 13 of 33 chapters of negotiations for Turkeys accession have been opened, and only one, on science and research, completed. Nineteen have been frozen, over the issue of Cyprus, or due to other objections by EU members. (Head, 2010) Since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected in 2003, he identified Turkeys EU entry as a top priority, pledging reforms to make Turkey more democratic and pluralist and bring it in line with the Unions membership criteria (www.setimes.com) However, the biggest challenge now; from those working on Turkeys EU bid is having no certainty of membership in the end. This has all but killed public enthusiasm for Turkey to join the EU. (Euro-Dialogue, 2009.) Figure . Turkish Prime minister: Recep Tayyip Erdogan Further supporting this statement was the response of Hulya Kars Lamb a 2nd year Criminology and Forensic Science student at Manchester Metropolitan University and native Turk. When asked how she felt about Turkey joining the EU, she commented; The public who are already poor will become poorer and the rich become richer. The public does not want to join the EU because everything will become more expensive, foreign people will come to Turkey, buy properties easily and this will increase house prices and lead to even more homeless people. Turkish people will move to different countries as they may feel, they will have a better life and security for themselves; this would be considered by poor and rich. Are EU members ready to open their doors for Turkish immigrants? So we can then ask will Turkey ever join the EU? 7.1 Turkey has many obstacles that they need to overcome before they can gain accession to the EU. The 2010/11 European Commission (EC) strategy report examines Turkeys application amongst other potential and candidate countries. Two of the main stumbling blocks it identifies are the unresolved issues between Turkey and Cyprus (Ugar, 1995) and secondly, the view of Member countries such as France and Germany towards Turkey joining the EU. Turkey still has not complied with its obligations as outlined in the declaration of the European Community and its member states of 21 states of 21 September 2005 and the December 2009 conclusions it does not meet the obligation of full non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement and has not removed all obstacles to the free movement of goods, including restrictions on direct transport links with Cyprus (EC, 2010) France and Germany are somewhat opposed to Turkeys application. With Turkey being a secular Islamic state (Arikan, 2006) it raises concerns for two of the major powers in the EU. Turkey would become the first Muslim country in the EU and in their minds conflicts with the rationale highlighted in Section 3.0 in that it doesnt promote security within the EU. (Nugent, 2004). In conclusion, Turkey has a long way to go before they are accepted into the EU. They need to make drastic changes in areas such as Human Rights for example. Even if they do make the major changes and meet the criteria to join the EU. Opposition may still come from the current member states and prevent them gaining full membership to the Union. We can probably conclude that Turkeys application will not be concluded in the near future. So who will be the one to bend first, Turkey or the EU? Appendices

Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) SWOT Analysis, Porter’s Five Forces Analysi

Our recommendation is to take Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) private through a private equity buyout. After doing so, we recommend implementing a centralized management structure and recruiting retail-savvy executives for the upper management team. We then recommend focusing on increasing value by capitalizing on SHLD’s real estate holdings through leasing agreements and increasing partnerships with complementary enterprises. Also, we recommend improving employee retention rates and retaining exclusive rights to private brands. Finally, we recommend focusing on a long-term strategy to continue to maximize SHLD’s ecommerce platforms. We believe these recommendations will lead to long-term stability through increases in customer base and revenues and decreases in overhead costs. Strengths One of SHLD’s main strengths is its proprietary brands such as Diehard, Kenmore, Craftsman, and Lands’ End because these brands have a great amount of customer loyalty and repeat customers. Another one of our strengths is our vast pool of valuable real estate assets. These assets enable SHLD to generate continuous revenue through leasing agreements and a safety net in a liquidity crunch. Additionally, â€Å"mygofer† and â€Å"Shop Your Way† programs account for more than 60% of revenues for Sears and Kmart stores. These loyalty programs have created a strong and loyal member base who provide repeat business for SHLD. Lastly, Sears Holdings’ has been around for over a hundred years and thus has an established brand name within the discount retail sector. Weaknesses One of SHLD’s weaknesses is an upper management team who lacks knowledge of the retail sector and fails to communicate effectively across business units. A second weakness is the de... ...uch Does It Cost Companies to Lose Employees?" CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2013. McSherry, Mark. "70 Billion Reasons For A Public Company To Go Private." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Oct. 2013. Santoli, Michael. "Sears Grows on the Web – but Can It Shrink Fast Enough Offline?" Yahoo Finance. Yahoo!, 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Oct. 2013. "Sears Selling Craftsman at Costco, Will Kenmore Soon Follow?" Sears Selling Craftsman at Costco, Will Kenmore Soon Follow? Consumer Reports, 15 Sept. 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2013 Tekippe, Abraham. "How Kraft, McDonald's, Sears Are Doing Social Media Right." Crain's Chicago Business. Crain, 2 Jan. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2013. Young, Chris. "Employee Retention Strategies Drive Revenue Growth at Sears." Employee Retention Strategies Drive Revenue Growth at Sears. Street Directory, n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

Analysis of Challenges in International Management Essay

Analysis of Challenges in International Management† Abstract The following essay analysis the challenges in International Management with particular regard to the challenge of â€Å"culture† in international business as it is the must difficult to deal with and being essential for successful results in a wide range of global management tasks nowadays and in the future. Introduction Today successful international management requires more than a lot of frequent flyer miles or seasoned expatriate managers. But what are those exclusive challenges of international management in today’s world? The importance of international management is constantly increasing, as we exist in a world where globalisation is affecting the traditional borders in a broad range of areas. †¢Trade and investment, †¢Economic alliances, †¢The international stage players, and †¢The work environment are changing rapidly, being supported by the increasing sophistication and lower cost of information technology. World trade and investments are growing fast (the volume of world trade among countries has grown at an average rate over 8% since 2005 (WTO 2008)), linking the economies and creating opportunities and threats. New, strong and forced competitors are coming from developing nations in Asia and the transitioning economies of Eastern Europe. Furthermore, the constantly rising level of foreign direct investment also has a globalising effect (Thomas 2002). Moreover, the emergence of the free-trade areas drastically decreased traditional economic boundaries. So do the three largest groups, the EU, the NAFTA, and the APEC, account for nearly half of the world’s trade (Cullen 2002) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) now has 140 member-nations, aiming to reduce tariffs and liberalize trade. But globalization also affects the work environments within organizations. Changes involve cutbacks, team-based management movements and privatization. For instance, there can be factory closings, as Nokia closing their German plant in Bochum moving to Romania, because of cheaper labour. All in all, as one key consequence of globalisation, international managers nowadays have to face a more dynamic, complex, competitive and uncertain environment and need skills (as a global mindset or the ability to work with people from diverse background) not considered necessary for domestic-only managers. The environment of international management can be divided into †¢economic, †¢legal, †¢political, and †¢cultural factors (Thomas 2002). So for making decisions it is essential to understand the economic strategies of the countries in or with one wants to conduct business with, because level of economic development and quality of life differs extremely worldwide. Furthermore, there are various national sovereign laws and regulations existing in the world which have to be observed and made allowance for. And in addition, there are several varieties of political systems (e. g. , theocratic totalitarianism in Saudi Arabia), containing different levels of political risks which have to be managed. For instance, decision makers have to able to estimate the degree of risk associated with a government’s involvements in business affairs depending on characteristics of their company. All these factors present impressive challenges multinational management has to face. However, the management challenge of culture and its effects on business practices and organizations is one of the most difficult to deal with. As conducting business with people from other cultures will never be easy you have to understand how culture affects management and organizations. â€Å"Culture† is a concept borrowed from cultural anthropology and there are numerous and subtle different definitions. As each definition has limitations focussing on international management the following description of Geert Hofstede seems very helpful. He defines the culture of any society as comprising shared values, understandings, assumptions and goals learned from earlier generations, imposed by present members of a society and passed on to succeeding generations (Hofstede 2008). Culture is something shared by members of a particular group, differentiates humans from other groups, is transmitted through the process of learning and adapts to external and internal environments and relationships. The international businessperson needs to be aware of three levels of cultures that may influence multinational operations. These include national culture, business culture, and organisational cultures (Cullen 2002). National culture can be described as the dominant culture within the political borders of a nation-state. But one has to be aware that multiple cultures can exist within political boundaries and they do not necessarily reflect cultural borders. For instance, Canada being home to Anglophones and Francophones. Furthermore, even relatively homogenous cultures can have diverse subcultures, including cultural differences which are affecting the international business. Nevertheless, as most business is conducted within the political borders of a state and nations can be defined as political unities, varying in governmental, legal, educational, institutional and labour systems, influencing the way people interact with their environment (Thomas 2002), national culture has the greatest effect on international business being probably the most logic starting point trying to understand the cultural environment. Business culture, reflecting the national culture, influences all aspects of work and organizational life (e. g. , motivating staff, negotiating with business partners, etc. and knowing it’s basic requirements (e. g. , what to wear to business meetings, business etiquette is more formal in Germany than in the U. S. with conservative dark business suits, etc. ) is essential for the international manager. Moreover, especially in the last few years, people realized that the â€Å"culture†-concept also holds for individual organizations. So may differences in organizational culture may be one reason why the merger of two otherwise successful companies failed. It is important to evaluate the influence of organizational rules, norms and procedures to understand the causes of behaviour in organizations. With shared behaviours, conditional relationship, being socialized into and partly involved in it, etc. organizational culture differs in construction and elements of national culture. Even so understanding these cultural factors is fundamental for international managers conducting international business, they have to be aware that â€Å"cultures† can just offer wide guidelines for behaviour, as for instance organizational cultures differ within any national context and individuals vary in each culture level. One cannot predict exactly how each person acts, feels, thinks, etc. Nonetheless, broad generalization about a culture provides a level of analysis from which to begin to understand the cultural environment and the complexities of cultural differences, because management functions such as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling in a global economy have to account for them. As international managers have to face various cultural challenges testing their management abilities they must be able to unpack the culture concept. Therefore the basic concepts of cultural dimensions can help them understand how two or more cultures might be different. An essential implication of these frameworks referring to international management and culture is that cultural interpretation and adaptation are a prerequisite to the comparative understanding of international management practice (Morden 1995). The following sections describe two popular models. Hofstede’s Culture Model This Framework, created by dutch scientist Geert Hofstede and based on a research over 11600 people in 50 countries (starting with 39 IBM subsiadiaries worldwide), tries to evaluate how basic values underlay organizational behaviour. National differences are investigated by five dimensions of basic cultural values: 1. Power distance 2. Uncertainty avoidance 3. Individualism 4. Masculinity and 5. Long-term orientation (Hofstede 2008). 1. This first value dimension refers to how cultures deal with inequality and tries to postion the inequality acceptance level by unequal power distribution society members. In countries with a high power distance acceptance (e. g. , such as Mexico), people respect and hardly ever bypass formal hierarchy positions (Elizabeth M. Christopher 2008). 2. The second value dimension concerns about the degree humans in a society are threatened by uncertain situations. The social system of a higher uncertainty avoidance society is dominated by regulations and rules, predictabilties and orders and people tend to be suspicious of change, whereas people from lower levels of uncertainty avoidance societies (for instance, countries such as Denmark). tend to be less formal, take higher business risks and plan and structure less 3. Individualism refers to the affinity to primarily take care of oneself and one’s direct family, and then to the rest of society (with the U. S. being a good example) (Elizabeth M. Christopher 2008). 4. The fourth dimension of â€Å"masculinity† concerns about the ranking of tradionally â€Å"masculine† values in a society, such as less concerning for others, materialism and assertiveness, whereas â€Å"feminity† on the other side emphasises the quality of life and relationships. 5. Long-term orientation cultures are insistent and saving (e. g. the culture of China) and short-term orientation is more self-centered, money-oriented and more social. All these factors are inter-reliant and interactive in their effects. So shows the Anglo-Dutch example Unilever the practicability of multinational enterprises where the power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and individualism values are similar; and where the masculine achievement orientation of the British complements the people orientation of the Dutch (Morden 1995). All in all, so there is a lot of criticism (for instance, the time-dependence of the results, the non-exhaustive investigation of only one multinational US company, etc. to these findings and the model of Hofstede, it is still a very valuable and useful â€Å"gift† for understanding culture and culture-based behavior. Trompenaars’ Culture Model The model created by Fons Trompenaars its also based on the researched of value dimensions. He studied the behavoiur of 15000 managers, representing 47 national cultures (Hampden-Turner 2008). Five of the seven dimensions of his model deal with the challenges of h ow people relate to each other: 1. Universalism versus particularism 2. Neutral versus affective 3. Specific versus diffuse . Achievement versus ascription 5. Time as sequence versus synchronisation The two final dimensions deal with how a culture manages time and how it deals with nature. They include: 6. The society-orientation to the past, present, or future and 7. â€Å"Control of† versus â€Å"accommodation with† nature 1. The value of univerlism refers to the application to systems and rules objectively, without taking consideration to personal circumstances, whereas the particularism culture (e. g. in countries as Spain) is more subjective and focusses more on relationships. 2. The second, the neutral-versus-affective, value dimension refers on the emotional orientation of relationships (such as expressing your feelings and emotions more like, for example, the Portugese). 3. In Addition the specific-versus-diffus dimension investigates if people from a special culture tend to be more or less specific or diffuse in their relationships (for example, Germans try to separate work and personal issues). 4. In the achievement-versus-ascription dimension, it is asked: †What is the source of power and status in society? † (Elizabeth M. Christopher 2008) So is for instance, in an achievement refering culture, the â€Å"status† of a person mainly based on it’s individual achievement (such as job performance, etc. ). 5. â€Å"Time as sequence† orientated cultures separate events in time (â€Å"step-by-step†), whereas â€Å"time as synchronisation†-orientated indiviuals manage events in parallel. (For example, if their business partners are not sharp on time, Germans, coming from a â€Å"time-as-sequence† orientated culture, may consider it an insultation). 6. This value dimension is about past versus future orientations. 7. Moreover, this dimension refers to the extent to which individuals feel that they themselves are the primary influence on their lives. Using this framework trying to understand some culture-basics some interesting patterns may emerge. Altough, being recognised for their validity (the results of these both major studies have some significant parallels, even so they were carried out in different times using different methods and examples), these concepts of cultural value orientation proposed by Hofstede and Tropmenaar can only give a basic framework for the analysis of cultural differences. They are utensils to help understand a culture and adjusting business practices to diverse cultural environments. They are for instance, a prerequisite to the successful new-market country entry, whether by setting up licensing or new subsidiaries, joint ventures, mergers or for the establishment of efficient programmes of international HR development (Kay 1993). But international managers have to realise that the understanding of another culture is a inexhaustible learning process. They will have to practice for their international work with or in other countries by studiying all that they can about the country, including more than just the business etiquette. Understanding the national culture builds just the foundation. As you seldom can get behind the front stage of culture without speaking the national language onother basic instrument is learning the language. But the challenge of â€Å"culture† in international management takes such much more than this. International managers have to broaden their understanding of cultural differences and to learn to seek advantage in differences. Understanding the culture is just a basis for the diverse international management tasks, as appropriate cross-cultural communication (using appropiate communication styles), effective and positive motivating and leadership in international organisations and across cultures, successful negotiation with international business partners and making ethically and socially responsible decisions. Conclusion The environment of international management can be divided into economic, legal, political, and cultural factors, with â€Å"culture† being the most challenging and most difficult to deal with, influencing a broad range of management tasks. Providing oneself with the necessary knowlegde and understanding of the national culture of the country or the people one is conducting business with is essential and builds just the foundation for the successful complementation of global management tasks, such as for instance leadership in multinational organisations (where you have to have understanding of all three levels of culture; national, business and organisational culture, being different and influencing each other).