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).

28 Good Words from Latin and Greek

28 Good Words from Latin and Greek 28 Good Words from Latin and Greek 28 Good Words from Latin and Greek By Michael Lets talk about something good. Here is a variety of words for good things, based on ancient words for good: Latin bonus and Greek eu. Good words from Latin In Rome, bonus was the Latin word for good, noble, kind, honest, brave. Since Latin gave birth to the Romance languages of Europe, words such as bon, bien, bueno and buon are found today in French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. English speakers commonly use the French expressions bon voyage (Have a good trip.) and bon appetit (Enjoy your meal.) The opposite prefix of bon or bene is mal or bad. So once you learn the meaning of benevolent, you know the meaning of malevolent. benevolent wanting to do good; altruistic, charitable, from the Latin for well-wishing. benefit Something you gain; something that helps or aids you, such as help from the government. Also, an event, often a performance, that benefits a cause or a charity. beneficiary someone who receives a benefit. beneficial the adjective form of benefit; helpful, good for you. benefactor someone who helps another, or gives out benefits, from the Latin for good-doing. benediction a prayer or blessing, usually at the end of a church service; also, a rite of consecration; from the Latin well-speak. benign harmless, non-threatening, mild, kind. A tumor can be benign or malignant (cancerous). bonus a premium; an extra benefit, such as an addition to a salary or extra points in a game. benefice a land grant, such as to a medieval priest; an estate or fief. bonanza a source of wealth or success, originally a Spanish word meaning the discovery of a valuable mine, but which came from the Latin for good weather. bonhomie friendly, genial, affable, from the French, but originally from the Latin for good man. Good words from Greek Most English words with the prefix eu come from the Greek word meaning good or well. Some were used by the ancient Greeks, while other scientific and medical terms were coined by English-speaking scientists who had studied Greek. For those words, eu can mean true as well as good. The opposite prefix is dys or dis. euphony A good-sounding word is considered euphonious. From the Greek for good-sound. eulogy a funeral speech in honor of the deceased. It comes from the Greek well-speak as benediction comes from the Latin well-speak. As you see, they mean different things. If a funeral service had the benediction first, everybody would start to leave before the eulogy. eulogize When you say good things about something, you eulogize it. Often used cynically if someone has to try so hard to make it sound good, there must be something wrong with it. euphoria an excited, intense feeling of joy or happiness. From the Greek good-feeling. The word dysphoria means bad feeling, perhaps anxiety or depression. eureka the famous announcement of the Greek mathematician Archimedes, meaning I have found it! In cartoons, prospectors say Eureka! when they discover a bonanza. euphemism a word chosen to be less vulgar or blunt (or just less precise or vivid), such as passed instead of died, or enhanced interrogation instead of torture. You can learn all about euphemisms from our previous articles: 7 types of euphemism, euphemisms for job loss, euphemisms for death, and the euphemistic treadmill. From the Greek word meaning abstaining from inauspicious words. euthanasia the act of killing to prevent suffering, practiced on animals and more controversially, on people. From the Greek good-death, which is a euphemism. eugenics historically, the theory that people with bad qualities should not have children (or sometimes, should not have lives) while people with good qualities should. Naturally, people like us get to decide which qualities are good. From the Greek good-breeding. eukaryote an organism whose cells have a nucleus enclosed by a membrane. Bacteria and archaea dont they lack a true nut, which is what the word means in Greek. eucharist in Christianity, Holy Communion or the Lords Supper, commemorating Jesuss last supper of bread and wine. From the Greek word for thanksgiving. eucalyptus a fragrant, flowering tree common to Australia. From the Greek for well-covered, because the bud covers the developing flower. euphonium a brass musical instrument with a mellow tone. It looks like a small tuba its the tenor in the tuba family. The song 76 Trombones mentions the nearly-extinct double-belled euphonium. From the Greek for good-sound. euhemerism the theory that the stories of the gods grew from stories of human heroes. Named after its Greek originator Euhemerius, whose name meant well-domesticated. eudaemon a good or benevolent spirit. This is not a euphemism the Greek word daemon did originally mean protective spirit instead of evil fiend. eucaine a good derivative of cocaine, used as a veterinary pain-killer. euphuism John Lylys 1578 romance Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit was so ostentatious, precious, elaborate, and excessively ornate, any English literature that imitated it was called euphuistic. Spanish, Italian, and French literature had their own offenders. From the Greek for graceful, witty. Naturally, people like Lyly decided what was graceful and witty. eurythmy in medicine, a normal pulse. In architecture, harmony of features and proportion. In dance, graceful movement in rhythm with spoken words. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?Is There a Reason â€Å"the Reason Why† Is Considered Wrong?Personification vs. Anthropomorphism

Target Performance Evaluations †Business Research Paper (200 Level Course)

Target Performance Evaluations – Business Research Paper (200 Level Course) Free Online Research Papers Target Performance Evaluations Business Research Paper (200 Level Course) Performance evaluations are one of the most important tools employers can use to reward, train and critique their employees. At Target, this is no exception. Target evaluates its executive staff twice a year, once for money and bonuses, and another for sheer training and direction. I passed out the assigned survey to three of my peers; Marta Mcgough, Todd Rigler and Matt Clarey. In the paragraphs below I will discuss their responses along with my personal feeling toward the questions. First you must understand Target’s evaluation system. Target executives are graded on their personal leadership skills as well as store performance numbers including sales and budget goals as well as turnover and profitability. I like to think of it like this. A high store profitability number will get you more bonus and raise while a high leadership score will get you promoted. Obviously, a high score on both is optimal. For the first question: I received a timely performance appraisal. All takers, including myself, of the survey strongly agreed that Target is in fact timely in its appraisal system. As stated above, all executives should receive a performance evaluation twice a year, a mid year review, for no money, on May 31st, and a review for monetary bonuses and raises on Nov 31st. These timeframes are strictly adhered to by corporate and of the four people taking the survey, no one had ever received a review late. For â€Å"I received a fair performance appraisal†, myself and 2 other stated that we agreed, while one said disagree. The main reason stated by all for the lack of 100% support was that we as a team are graded for the sales performance of the building. No matter how well we do our job, inevitably the amount of product that people purchase in the building over the course of the year will greatly affect our raise. This brings a certain amount of unfairness to the process. A low performing executive in a high performing building has the potential to get just as good of review as an executive that is considered high potential. The only possible rectification for this problem would be to cease have store performance numbers on reviews and just have personal goals and qualifications. On the question of â€Å"My performance appraisal results were what I anticipated†. Again, all of us of were of one accord in strongly agreeing. Target does a fantastic job of not only constant feedback from supervisors, but also an incorporated tool called the Diagnostic tool kit. The DTK is an evaluation tool on line that summarized weekly the store performance numbers and breaks down individual executives review scores. By viewing this form that updates on Wednesdays, you can see how your review would be if you got it immediately, and how your week, month and quarter numbers look. 1.I received a timely performance appraisal. Strongly Agree/Agree/Disagree/Strongly Disagree 2.I received a fair performance appraisal. Strongly Agree/Agree/Disagree/Strongly Disagree 3.My performance appraisal results were what I anticipated. Strongly Agree/Agree/Disagree/Strongly Disagree 4.My performance appraisal was measured against my job description/duties/expectations. Strongly Agree/Agree/Disagree/Strongly Disagree 5.I was provided recommendations for improvement during my performance appraisal. Strongly Agree/Agree/Disagree/Strongly Disagree Research Papers on Target Performance Evaluations - Business Research Paper (200 Level Course)Incorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalStandardized TestingOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office SystemMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductResearch Process Part OneAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

The Holocaust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Holocaust - Essay Example The horrific actions of the Third Reich are well documented. The end result of the Nazi’s evil ideologies included the occupation of most European nations and the ‘final solution,’ the annihilation of over six million Jews (Dawidowicz, 1986: 3). Throughout history, many nations have conquered others for various reasons while oppressing its people but why were a particular race of people systematically killed? How could such a fervent hatred of Jews infect an entire national conscience causing such unconscionable acts to be perpetrated? In spite of popular opinion, it didn’t happen because the people of Germany fell into a hypnotic trance and all of a sudden felt compelled to murder innocents simply from hearing Hitler’s speeches.Many citizens of Germany were unaware of the Concentration Camps, including the residents of the towns where the camps were located. The executions were carried out by the German army with SS troops in charge of the operation s. The unknowing German people and the most fervent of Nazi’s did have a nationalistic idealism in common, however, which was the underlying reason for the extermination of the Jewish race. This common idealism was developed from the culmination of centuries of German cultural bonding through the ideas of Volkism, with roots that had begun the century before.

Marketin Mix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Marketin Mix - Essay Example Referring to the process of evolving new products, it is closely associated with market development (Boone and Kurtz 2002). The concept of a product defines uniqueness nature and qualities of goods proposed to the market. Decisions in this area determine the products to be produced and stocked, as well as details concerning their appearance, form, size, package, quantities, timing of production, price lines, and anticipated market segments. Product combines the function of analyzing, classifying, and organizing information into commercially feasible new products, and the marketers function of assessing unsatisfied wants and needs and identifying profitable market opportunities. Usually this activity necessitates compromise among the engineering, production, marketing, and accounting departments. For instance, the high specifications stressed by engineering may push costs above market acceptance. Effective product development adopts a critical but positive posture. Management cannot be satisfied with current products, regardless of how good they are. Such an attitude and expression of expectations achieve an even better match of corporate offerings with consumer expectations (Lim and Rusetski 2006). The role of the sales force should be geared to company and marketing department objectives. The starting point of the sales program is company goals. Volume, profit, industry, territory, product, image, and rateof-return goals influence the direction and scope of sales activities. The practical range of sales alternatives for a company may vary from the companys own sales force, to the use of a variety of wholesalers including sales agents and manufacturers agents, to the elimination of salesmen by such techniques as mail order. Procedures for selecting salesmen vary from simple informal interviews to interviewing committees aided by batteries of psychological tests (Boone and Kurtz 2002). Price is accorded