Public School Education free essay sample

Public education in the United States has become one of the largest and most dynamic quality control problems in our modern society. Despite our access to the technological advances of our time, we have been unable to maintain our preeminent status among the world’s most educated societies. The Department of Education published data demonstrating that our rank has dropped from the leader in the educational field to the unthinkable rank of 19th in the world today (1). I would dissolve the present management system of decentralized and many times disconnected educational standards and implement a superior system which vertically integrates curriculum selection equivalent to the highest international level with teacher efficiency measurements and rewards to resurrect the United States public school education programs. Our governments departments of education could implement and regulate the quality of public education throughout the United States. Our current methodology allows individual states to implement standards, select curriculum programs and set qualification minimums for their teachers. We will write a custom essay sample on Public School Education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The result is that few if any of the states concur on the best academic solution for their students. Currently, a universally defined program of curriculum and instructor effectiveness measurement that is homogenously implemented by all states does not exist. Beyond the philosophical differences that state leaders may have, the three main issues which seem to be the most obvious hurdles are the unequal budgets, unequal certification standards for teachers, and a dearth of institutions within the states to train teachers to harness modern technology sufficiently and specifically. A possible solution to these issues would be to create a national program that not only standardizes curriculum programmatically but also regulates teachers unions and teachers groups to achieve the same standards and requirements of teaching acumen and curricula throughout the public school systems all over the United States. Establishing and implementing a pay scale for all teachers based on data that includes personal educational achievements, performance of their students on standardized tests, the difficulty of the curriculum that they are teaching as well as length of service as a teacher is the best resolution of teacher pay disputes. From this scale, which would have regionally measured cost of living benchmarks, teachers will be paid a set amount uniformly all over the United States. This solution would assist the boards of education of states in which the teachers have unionized and often wield their power detrimentally. Teachers need to have a uniform set of performance standards, uniform protocol and sequencing for implementing the curriculum, and a uniform menu of world class curriculum to follow. This renovated approach would ensure that the public education in the United States is in fact meeting higher standards and is equitably administered, regardless of the state in which one lives. If these new regulations were enforced, the system would eliminate much frustration and disharmony amongst teachers, reduce or negate teacher strikes which can be detrimental to the learning process of the students. Furthermore, taxes and fees originating from the nation’s tax base would be both indisputably disseminated by following the measurement matrix mechanism and consistently available on an annual basis. With these types of regulations and changes, it would ensure that students living in financially poor states would have the same opportunity to world class education as the students in a financially stable state. This system would raise the standards of public education, level the playing field for all students and allow them all an equal opportunity to succeed on a globally competitive scale. (1)-US Department of education

The Regulation and Reform of the American Banking System Essay Example

The Regulation and Reform of the American Banking System Essay Example The Regulation and Reform of the American Banking System Essay The Regulation and Reform of the American Banking System Essay Difference in Bank Regulation Between The United States And Dominican Republic Banking regulations viewed for a positive impact on the protection of depositors and to the institution as such, this important action that banking institutions are more supervision, and individual staff members are more likely to do their work carefully and honesty. Banking regulations existed since 1 869 in the Dominican Republic, since for DRY is very important that the find these methods by high uncertainty by the banking authorities in DRY. Asymmetric Information and Banking Regulation The fact that different parties in a financial contract do not have the same information leads to adverse selection and moral hazard problems that have an important impact on our financial system. The concepts of asymmetric information, adverse selection, and moral hazard are especially usefully useful in understanding why government has chosen the form of baking regulation the people see in the United States and in other countries. There are eight basic categories of baking regulation: the government safety net, restrictions on bank asset holding capital requirements, chartering and bank examination, assessment of risk management, disclosure requirements, consumer protection, and restrictions on competition (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Government Safety Net: Deposit Insurance and the FED Banks are particularly well suited to solving adverse selection and moral hazard problems because they make private loans that help avoid the free- rider problem. However, this solution to the free-rider problem creates another asymmetric information problem, because depositors lack information about the quality of these private loans. This asymmetric information problem leads to two reasons why the banking system might not unction well (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). First, before the FIDE started operations in 1 934, a bank failure (in which a bank is unable to meet its obligations to pay its depositors and other creditors and so must go out of business) meant that depositors would have to wait to get their deposit funds until the bank was liquidated (until its assets had been turned into cash); at that time, they would be paid only a fraction of the value of their deposits (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Unable to learn if bank managers were taking on too much risk or were outright crooks, depositors would be reluctant to put none in the bank, thus making banking institutions less viable. Second, depositors lack of information about the quality of bank assets can lead to bank panics, which, can have serious harmful consequences for the economy. To see this, consider the following situation. There is no deposit insurance, and an adverse shock hits the economy. As a result of the shock, 5% of the banks have such large losses on loans that they become insolvent (have a negative net worth and so are bankrupt). Because of asymmetric information, depositors are unable to tell whether their bank is a good bank or one of the % that are insolvent. Depositors at bad and good banks recognize that they may not get back 1 00 cents on the dollar for their deposits and will want to with draw them. Indeed, because banks operate on a sequential service constraint (a first come, first served basis), depositors have a very strong incentive to show up at the bank first, because it they are last in line, the bank may run out of funds and they will get nothing. Uncertainty about the health of the banking system in general can lead to runs on banks both good and bad, and the failure of one bank can hasten the failure of others. If nothing is one to restore the publics confidence, a bank panic can ensue. Indeed, bank panics were a fact of American life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with major ones occurring every 20 years or so in 1819, 1837, 1857, 1873, 1884, 1893, 1907, and 1930, 1933. Bank failures were a serious problem even during the boom years of the 1 sass, when the number of bank failures averaged around 600 per year (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). A government safety net for depositors can short circuit runs on banks and bank panics, and by providing protection for the depositor, it can overcome reluctance to put ends in the banking system. One form of the safety net is deposit insurance, a guarantee such as that provided by the federal deposit insurance corporation (FIDE) in the United States in which depositors are paid off in full on the first $ 100,000 they have deposited in a bank no matter what happens to the bank. With fully insured deposits, depositors dont need to run to the bank to make with drawls even fifthly are worried about the banks health because their deposits will be worth 100 cents on the dollar no matter what. From 1930 to 1933, the years immediately proceeding the creation of the FIDE, he number of bank failures averaged more than 2,000 per year. After the establishment of the FIDE in 1 934, bank failures averaged fewer than 15 per year until 1981 (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). The FIDE uses two primary methods to handle a failed bank. In the first, called the payoff method, the FIDE allows the bank to fail and pays off deposits up to the $1 00,000 insurance limit (with funds acquired from the insurance premiums paid by the banks who have bought FIDE insurance). After the bank has been liquidated the FIDE lines up with other creditors of the bank and is paid its hare of the proceeds from the liquidated assets. Typically, when the payoff method is used, account holders with deposits in excess of the $ 1 00,000 limit get back more than 90 cents on the dollar, although the process can take several years to complete (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Moral Hazard And The Government Safety Net Although a government safety net has been successful at protecting depositors and preventing bank panics, it is a mixed blessing. The most serious drawback Of the government safety net stems from moral hazard, the incentives of one party to a transaction to engage in activities detrimental to he other party. Moral hazard is an important concern in insurance arrangements in general because the existence of insurance provides increased incentives for taking risks that might result in an insurance payoff. For example, some drivers with automobile collision insurance that has a low deductible might be more likely to drive recklessly, because if they get into an accident, the insurance company pays most of the costs for damage and repairs (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Adverse Selection and The Government Safety Net A further problem with a government safety net like deposit insurance arises cause of adverse selection, the fact that the people who are most likely to produce the adverse outcome insured against (bank failure) are those who most want to take advantage of the insurance. For example, bad drivers are more likely than good drivers to take out automobile collision insurance with a low deductible. Because depositors protected by a government safety net have little reason to impose discipline on the bank, risk loving entrepreneurs might find the banking industry a particularly attractive one to enter they know that they will be able to engage in highly risky activities (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Too Big To Fail The moral hazard created by a government safety net and the desire to prevent bank failures have presented bank regulators with a particular quandary. Because the failure of a very large bank makes it more likely that a major financial disruption will occur, bank regulators are naturally reluctant to allow a big bank to fail and cause losses to its depositors. Indeed, consider continental Illinois, one of the 10 largest banks in the United Stated when it became insolvent in May 1984 (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Not only did the FIDE errant depositors up to the $1 00,000 insurance limit but it also guaranteed accounts exceeding $ 100,000 and even prevented losses for continental Illinois bondholders. Shortly thereafter, the comptroller of the currency (the regulator of national banks) testified to congress that 11 of the largest banks would receive a similar treatment to that of continental Illinois. Although the comptroller did not use the term too big to fail (it was actually used by congressman Mckinney in those hearing), this term is now applied to a policy in which the government provides guarantees of repayment of large insured creditors of the largest banks, so that no depositor or creditor suffers a loss, even when they are not automatically entitled to this guarantee (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Financial consolidation and the government safety net with financial innovation and the passage of the rigger Neal interests banking infant branching and efficiency act of 1994 and the Grammar Leach Bailey financial services modernization act in 1999, financial consolidation has been proceeding at a rapid pace, leading to both larger and more complex banking organizations. Financial consolidation poses two challenges to banking exultation because of the existence of the government safety net. First, the increased size of banks as a result o financial consolidation increases the too big to fail problem, because there will now be more large institutions whose failure would expose the financial system to systemic (systemic) risk (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Thus, more banking institutions are likely to be treated as too big to fail, and the increased moral hazard incentives for these large institutions to take on greater risk can then increase the fragility of the financial system. Second, financial consolidation of banks with other financial arrives firms means that the government safety net may be extended to new activities, such as securities underwriting insurance or real estate activities, thereby increasing incentives for greater risk taking in these activities that can also weaken the fabric of the financial system. Limiting the moral hazard incentives for the larger more complex financial organizations that have arisen as a result of recent changes in legislation will be one of the key issues facing banking regulators in the future (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Restrictions On Asset Holdings And Bank Capital Requirements. The moral hazard associated with a government safety net encourages too much risk taking on the part of banks. Bank regulations that restrict asset holdings and bank capital requirements are directed at minimizing this moral hazard, which can cost the taxpayers dearly. Even in the absence of a government safety net, banks still have the incentive to take on too much risk. Risky assets may provide the bank with higher earnings when they pay off but if they do not pay off and the bank fails, depositors are left holding the bag. If depositors were able to monitor the bank easily by acquiring information on its taking activities, they would immediately withdraw their deposits if the bank was taking on too much risk (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). To prevent such a loss of deposits, the bank would be more likely to reduce its risk taking activities. Unfortunately, acquiring information on a banks activities to learn how much risk the bank is taking can be a difficult task. Hence. Most depositors are incapable of imposing discipline that might prevent banks from engaging in risk activities. A strong rationale for government regulation to reduce risk taking on the part of banks therefore existed even before the establishment f federal deposit insurance. (Mish kin Snakeskin, 2009). Bank regulations that restrict banks from holding risky assets such as common stock are a direct means of making banks avoid too much risk. Bank regulations also promote diversification, which reduces risk by limiting the amount of loans in particular categories or to individual borrowers. Requirements that banks have sufficient bank capital are another way to reduce the banks incentives to take on risk. When a bank is forced to hold a large amount of equity capital, the bank has more to lose if it fails and is thus more likely to pursue sees risky activities (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Bank capital requirements take two forms. The first type is based on the leverage ratio, the amount of capital divided by the banks total assets. To be classified as well capitalized, a banks leverage ratio must exceed 5%; a lower leverage ratio, especially one below 3% triggers increased regulatory restrictions on the bank. Through most of the 1 sass. Minimum bank capital in the united States was set solely by specifying a minimum leverage ratio (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). In the wake of the continental Illinois and savings and loans bailouts, regulators in the United States and the rest of the world have become increasingly worried about worried about banks holdings of risky assets and about the increase in banks off balance sheet activities, activities that involve trading financial instruments and generating income from fees. Which do not appear on bank balance sheets but nevertheless expose banks to risk. An agreement among banking officials from industrialized nations set up to risk. (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). The Basel committee on banking supervision, which has implemented the Basel Accord that deals with a second type of capital requirements risk eased capital requirements. The Basel Accord, which required that banks hold as capital at least 8% of their risk weighted assets, has been adopted by more than 100 countries, including the United States. Assets and off balance sheet activities were allocated into in to four categories, each with a different weight to reflect the degree of credit risk. The first category carries a zero weight and includes items that have little default risk, such as reserves and government securities issued by the organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). The second category has a 20% weight and includes claims on banks in COED countries. The third category has a weight of 50% and includes municipal bonds and residential mortgages. The fourth category has the maximum weight of 100% and includes loans to consumers and corporations. Off balance sheet activities are treated in a similar manner by assigning a credit equivalent percentage that converts them to on balance sheet items to which the appropriate risk weight applies. The 1 996 market risk amendment to the Basel Accord set minimum capital requirements for risk in banks trading accounts (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Over time, limitations of the Basel Accord have become apparent, because the regulatory measure of bank risk as stipulated by the risk weights can differ substantially from the actual risk the bank faces. This has resulted in regulatory arbitrage, a practice in which banks keep on their books assets that have the same risk based capital requirement but are relatively risky, such as a loan to a company with a very low credit rating, while taking off their books low risk assets, such as a loan to a company with a very high credit rating(Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Bank Supervision: Chartering And Examination Overseeing who operates banks and how they are operated, referred to as bank supervision or more generally as prudential supervision, is an important method for reducing adverse selection and moral hazard in the banking business. Because banks can be used by crooks or overambitious entrepreneurs to engage in highly speculative activities, such undesirable people would be eager to run a bank. Chartering proposals for new banks are screened to prevent undesirable people from controlling them (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Regular onsite bank examinations, which allow regulators to monitors whether the bank is complying with capital requirements and restrictions on asset holdings, also function to limit moral hazard. Bank examiners give banks a CAMELS rating. The acronym is based on the six area: assessed: capital adequacy, asset quality, management, earning, liquidity, NC sensitivity to market risk. With this information about a banks activities, regulators can enforce regulations by taking such formal actions as cease NC desist orders to alter the banks behavior or even close a bank it its CAMELS rating is sufficiently low (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Actions taken to red cue oral hazard by restricting banks from taking on too much risk help reduce the adverse selection problem further, because with less opportunity for risk taking, risk loving entrepreneurs will be less likely to be attracted to the banking industry. Note that the methods regulators use to cope with adverse selection and moral hazard have their counterparts in private financial markets (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Chartering is similar to the screening of potential borrowers, regulations restricting risky asset holdings are similar to restrictive covenants that prevent borrowing firms from engaging in risk risky investment activities, bank capital requirements act like restrictive covenants that require minimum amounts Of net worth for borrowing firms, and regular bank examinations are similar to the monitoring of borrowers by lending institutions (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Assessment Of Risk Management Traditionally, on site bank examinations have focused primarily on assessment of the quality of the banks balance sheet at a point in time and whether it complies with capital requirements and restrictions on asset holdings. Although the traditional focus is important for reducing excessive sis taking by banks, it is no longer felt to be adequate in todays world, in which financial innovation has produced new markets and instruments that make it easy for banks and their employees to make huge bets easily and quickly. In this new financial environment, a bank that is healthy at a particular point in time can be driven into insolvency extremely rapidly from trading losses, as forcefully demonstrated by the failure of Baring in 1 995 (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Thus, an examination that focuses only on banks position at a point in time may not be effective in indicating whether a bank ill, in fact, be taking on excessive risk in the near future (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). This change in the financial environment for baking institutions has resulted in a major shift in thinking about the bank supervisory process throughout the world. Bank examiners are now placing far greater emphasis On evaluating the soundness of a banks management processes with regard to controlling risk. This shift in thinking was reflected In a new focus on risk management in the Federal Reserve Systems 1 993 guidelines to examiners on trading and derivatives activities. The focus was expanded and formalized n the Trading Activities Manual issued early in 1 994, which provided bank examiners with tools to evaluate risk management systems (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). In late 1 995, the federal Reserve and the Comptroller of the Currency announced that they would be assessing risk management processes at the banks they supervise. Now bank examiners give a separate risk management rating from 1 to 5 that fees into the overall management rating as part of the CAMELS system. Four elements of sound risk management are assessed to come up with the risk management rating: (1 ) the quality of oversight revived by the board of directors and senior management, (2) the adequacy of policies and limits for all activities that present significant risk, (3) the quality of the risk measurement and monitoring systems, and (4) the adequacy of internal controls to prevent fraud or unauthorized activities on the part of employees. This shift toward focusing on management processes is also reflected in recent guidelines adopted by the US bank regulatory authorities to deal with interest rate risk. These guidelines require the banks board of directors to establish interest rate risk limits, appoint officials of the ann. to manage this risk, and monitor the banks risk exposure (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). The guidelines also require that senior management of a bank develop formal risk management policies and procedures to ensure that the board of directors risk limits is not violated and to implement internal controls to monitor interest rate risk and compliance with the boards directives. Particularly important is the implementation of stress testing, which calculates losses under dire scenarios, or value at risk (VARY) calculations, who ICC measure the size of the loss on a trading portfolio that eight happen 1 % of the time say, over a two week period (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Disclosure Requirements To ensure that there is better information for depositors and the marketplace, regulators can require that banks adhere to certain standard accounting prince plea and disclose a wide range of information that helps the market assess the quality of a banks portfolios and the amount of the banks exposure to risk (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Consumer Protection The existence of asymmetric information also suggests that consumers may not have enough information to protect themselves fully. Consumer redirecting regulation has taken several forms. First is truth in lending mandated under the consumer protection act of 1969, which requires all lenders, not just banks, to provide information to consumers about the cost of borrowing, including a standardized interest rate and the total finance charges on the loan (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Restrictions On Competition Increased competition can also increase moral hazard incentives for banks to take on more risk. Declining profitability as a result of increased competition could tip the incentives of bankers toward assuming greater risk in an effort o maintain former profit levels. Thus, governments in many countries have instituted regulations to protect banks from competition. These regulations have taken too forms in the United Stated in the past. First were restrictions on branching, such as those described in charter 18, which reduced competition between banks, but were eliminated in 1994. The second form involved preventing embank institutions from competing with banks by engaging in banking business, as embodied in the Glass Steal Act, which was repealed in 1999 (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). International Banking Regulation Because asymmetric information problems in the banking industry are a fact of life throughout the world, bank regulation in other countries is similar to that in the United Stated. Banks are chartered and supervised by government regulators, just as they are in the United Stated. Deposit insurance is also a feature of the regulatory system in most other developed countries, although its coverage is often smaller than in the United Stated NC is intentionally not advertised (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Problems Is Regulating International Banking Particular problems in bank regulation occur when banks are engaged in international banking and thus can readily shift their business from one country to another. Bank regulators closely examine the domestic operations of banks in their country, but they often do not have the knowledge or ability to keep a close watch on bank operations in other countries, either by domestic banks foreign affiliates or by foreign banks with domestic branches (Manikins Snakeskin, 2009). Banking Regulation In Dominican Republic The first signs of banking regulation in Dominican Republic appear with the emergence of the National Bank of Santos Domingo, AS in 1869. In 1909, the Dominican Government promulgated the first General Banking Law, where specific regulations for mortgage banks, issuers and sharecropping are established and emerging credit institutions with the characteristics of commercial banks under the supervision and control of the Ministry of Finance and Commerce, known today Ministry of Finance, which was equipped with auditors appointed by the executive branch in each bank to exercise control (Tortes N;fizz 2014). The year 1947 marked the transformation of the Dominican financial system; Dominican Monetary Unit, the Central Bank and the Superintendence of Banks, the latter under Law No. 530 of October 9, 1 947, a law that creates the foundation for the supervision and regulation Of financial Dominican Sis-theme is created (Tortes N;hex 2014). The economist Virgil ?Avarice Sniche will be the first to hold the position of Superintendent of Banks, a position he occupied for two years. In principle, the task of supervision which performed this entity was simple considering the limited business operations of that era and its main function was the authorization of new offices (Tortes N;ex 2014). The No. 1530 law that gave rise to the Superintendence of Banks will be amended and replaced y Law 708, General Banking Law of 14 April 1965, where it is put in charge of this entity implementation and administration of the scheme legal for banks, under the aegis of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Finance today.

Strategic analysis of the Wal-Mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic analysis of the Wal-Mart - Essay Example The intention of this study is Wal-Mart as one of the largest and formidable players in the global retail industry. Since its establishment by Rogers Ark in the year 1962, the company has grown by leaps and bounds with a presence in about 28 nations with about 9759 stores across the globe. The company provides direct and indirect employment to 2.1 million individuals globally. Wal-Mart is also listed on the bourses of the New York stock exchange where its stocks are being actively traded. It has been consistently ranked among the top brands by leading agencies like Fortune and Forbes. The company derives its competitive edge on the basis of its famous EDLP (Every Day Low Price) strategy and has a cost leadership approach towards generating competitive advantage in the market. A successful logistics and supply chain management strategy of the company using ERP is the backbone behind the successful recipe of success of the company. Michael Porter stated three generic strategies that ca n also shape up positioning of a product or a brand in the market. Positioning is defined as the image of a product or service in the minds of the target market audience. The three strategic alternatives given by Porter include focus, differentiation and cost based leadership. Firms undertaking a focus strategy generate competitive advantage on the basis of concentrating on a single product line or a specified customer segment. A differentiation strategy involves competing in the market on the basis of differentiation in products and services that involves providing a product or service that is unique in the industry and deriving competitive advantage from the aspect. ... Background Wal-Mart is one of the largest and formidable players in the global retail industry. Since its establishment by Rogers Ark in the year 1962, the company has grown by leaps and bounds with a presence in about 28 nations with about 9759 stores across the globe. The company provides direct and indirect employment to 2.1 million individuals globally. Wal-Mart is also listed on the bourses of the New York stock exchange where its stocks are being actively traded. It has been consistently ranked among the top brands by leading agencies like Fortune and Forbes. The company derives its competitive edge on the basis of its famous EDLP (Every Day Low Price) strategy and has a cost leadership approach towards generating competitive advantage in the market. A successful logistics and supply chain management strategy of the company using ERP is the backbone behind the successful recipe of success of the company (Wal-Mart, 2011). Strategic Positioning Michael Porter stated three generic strategies that can also shape up positioning of a product or a brand in the market. Positioning is defined as the image of a product or service in the minds of the target market audience. The three strategic alternatives given by Porter include focus, differentiation and cost based leadership. Firms undertaking a focus strategy generate competitive advantage on the basis of concentrating on a single product line or a specified customer segment. A differentiation strategy involves competing in the market on the basis of differentiation in products and services that involves providing a product or service that is unique in the industry and deriving competitive advantage from the aspect. Cost based differentiation includes a strategy under

Essay+week journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Essay+week journal - Assignment Example The responsibilities of individuals, organizations, and government entail proposing informed principles related to the dilemma of climate change in China. United States will come in to address the process because of the economic benefits of China. There are firms in United States that have outsourced their work to China to save on cost and increase the volume of production. The White House acknowledges climate change to have direct impact on innovation, economic growth and the sustainable development of both China and United States. Snre.umich.edu evaluates climate change in China by addressing the viewpoints, roles, and efforts of United States and China. Climate Change in China calls for the commitment of all the countries with high emissions to put in measures on reducing the release. A bilateral agreement between United States and China was instituted in 2014 to encourage safe industrial production through governmental commitment. However, a multilateral agreement on climate change in China would have boosted the efforts but it was impossible to seek global commitment. United States and China are involved in bilateral agreements because they are the leading countries with highest carbon emissions. China should be optimistic about the challenge of climate change because of the possible dangers that it poses to other countries. The People’s Republic of China has envisioned a platform where the energy goals are met but with reduced emissions. An investment in the energy innovation would come in handy to help address emissions. The method can utilize the efforts of enterprises, regions and countries instead of restricting the efforts to china alone. The next ten or twenty years in China might offset the yield and infrastructure in the country (npr.org). The huge impacts of climate change call for bilateral agreements with the leading countries in carbon emissions. However, China should play an integral role in the noble cause of fighting climate change to

CVS Pharmacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CVS Pharmacy - Essay Example The essay highlights how the CVS Pharmacy applies adaptability and response to change/innovation. The CVS Pharmacy strives to provide expert care and innovative solutions that are effective for the patients. Through such services, CVS illustrates how the use of innovative approaches to traditional plan can help customers in reducing their expenditure on drugs; improve the generic dispensing rates, and minimizing the rate of member disruption (Nursing., (U.S.) and of 308). They have a variety of tools that are available to guide the clients in reducing the costs and increasing the GDR. But, patients may hesitate to implement the new plan designs since the approaches require a change in the behavior of the member and can turn to be quite disruptive. By adapting the elements of the traditional plan design is to provide the members with an appealing selection of options, increase flexibility, and enhance proactive communications. Higher spending in the healthcare industry has traditionally benefitted the traditional stakeholders in the industry. Such professionals include hospitals, doctors, insurers, as well as drug and device manufacturers. Through this, the profitability of the health care system has remained strong despite the common cases of the economic downturn. However, the prospect of the health spending escalation is likely to fuel a growth mandate from the consumers and employers, and the system will be required to deliver more value. CVS pharmacy also looks out for opportunities of increased healthcare spending. During such times, there is often a significant increase in the health insurance premiums and fewer employers are always willing to provide their employees with coverage. Those that do offer the services limit their coverage to the employees and eliminate retirees and dependents. Such opportunities arising from

Indicators of Country Development

Indicators of Country Development This lesson deals with the social and other indicators of development. Increasingly, development economists have become aware that growth of output or income by themselves are not adequate indicators of development, and that the reduction of poverty and the satisfaction of basic human needs are goals that should show up in a measure of development. There has been growing interest in designing better measures of development, including modifications of GNP, social indicators and associated systems.. ________________________________________________________________________________ Objectives After going through this lesson, you should be able to: Describe the supplementary nature of socio-economic factors. Describe the importance of social indicators. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 6.1Â  Communication Communication is sharing of knowledge, information and experience. It makes people understand, persuade, convert or control one another. It is a two way process. Communication is an essential element of life. It begins with the birth of a man and ends with his death. It is an ongoing process and is forever in motion. For the sake of convenience we may talk about communication elements such as source, context and message as if they were static and discrete elements existing apart from their role in the total act of communication. But this is simply a method for explaining and illustrating the various elements. Basically, communication is a continuous, dynamic, circular, unrepeatable, irreversible and complex process. All the activities of not only whole life but also of society and country depend upon communication. So if used constructively, communication can play a major role in various development activities. It is an important element in the matrix of influences, which leads to the innovation and modernization of society. It can help to create an environment favorable for change and development. Communication can help people to face problems on an individual basis and also on collective basis on various fronts. Without communication the development and progress would go unnoticed as it is only that spreads the news from one region to another. Country’s development can be speeded up by the introduction of communication media As the technology of communication becomes more advance, we are still going to witness more revolution in the way people communicate with each other and develop positive creative change in thinking on development. Communication for development refers to a strategy, process that promotes social changes through dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and participation, is dependent on a free flow of communication. Development oriented themes such as family planning; adult education, primary health care etc. can be spread to people much faster through communication. People feedback on developmental programmes can be passed to the policy makers only through communication. Communication is an indicator of development for the future since people come to know about the event in advance, that may happen only through communication. ________________________________________________________________________________ 6.2Â  Happiness Index (HI) International Development Research Centre; the United Nations Development Programme Thimphu; the Canadian International Development Agency; GPI-Atlantic, the province of Nova Scotia; the French-American Charitable Trust, (deeply committed to the cause of happiness) We have certain strategies, certain policies, to pursue this goal of happiness. We should enrich our knowledge and understanding of happiness itself; and further, how much we can improve and refine the processes that we have adopted. Happiness is the ultimate desired end. Greater intellect and further wisdom on the subject of happiness is the key requirement. HI seeks to promote a conscious, inner search for happiness and requisite skills which must harmonize with beneficial management and development of outer circumstances. HI stresses collective happiness to be addressed directly through public policies in which happiness becomes an explicit criterion in development projects and programmes. HI indicators are an evaluative tool and can be used to check whether programmes are consistent with HI indicators also create conditions for a coherent, relationship between professed values on the one hand and actual policies, programmes and projects on the other. It means- country’s economic, political, social progress etc is in the right direction. Economic policies are happiness policies since individuals are able to buy goods and services, thereby satisfying themselves. People derive sense of confidence and achievement, financial, economic self reliance. Thus in a way it brings happiness. _________________________________________________________________________________ 6.3Â  Democracy as an indicator Democracy is a system of government that runs by the elected representatives of the people. The underlying theme of human development is the broadening of human choice. The number of democracies has been growing through the past two centuries. At the start of the 20th century only a handful of countries could be described as democracies. The fact was that woman could not vote. A number of these countries might not qualify as liberal democracies by demanding more standards. Countries with democratic institutions have been growing rapidly-this process is linked with economic development. Although it is clear that economic development does not automatically bring development. Democratic process helps to establish and sustain the institutions best suited to maximize human choice and potential. Well-informed decision makers need reliable feedback on where, why and how mass support for democracy is growing and where it is failing. Scenario of development opened up because of the increasing influence of democracy. As a result Indian environment got a boost and the face of economic development of India changed completely. Various democratic reforms played a pivotal role in the development. Reaping its benefit, the growth of the country can be raised manifold. A great atmosphere is important for proper growth and development. Thus, democratic environment is inevitable a must for development. In democratic setup there is a sense of freedom, of course within the framework of constitution. People can diversify in any area of interest. People can achieve desired goals un- inhibited, unhesitatingly. When ideas have no boundary, progress and development is superb. Under pressure and tension it is difficult to reach a desired aim. Although freedom is associated with rules responsibilities, but it is beneficial. The three D’s go together –democracy, diversity, and dialogue. In democracy there is a feeling of contentment, freedom and satisfaction. Therefore, people can work with their full capacity, creativity. Good, strong firm foundation is the basis of a great nation. True democracy- important indicator for development. Govt. should take opinion into consideration, all for local development from the people. When a govt. is making a decision on public project, people are free to express their views before the govt. personnels. Thereby, bringing all-round development of the nation. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 6.4Â  Human Rights as indicator: Human rights are the natural rights of all human beings irrespective of their sex. Efforts are made all over the world to take adequate measures for the promotion and protection of human rights. It is only through communication that people become aware and educated about their rights, which they can exercise or have been granted to them. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10th December 1948, according to which all men and women are entitled to civil, political, economic, social, cultural rights and freedom for the people of the world. The United Nations and other international organizations, several non-governmental organizations: Amnesty International and In India the People’s Union of Civil Liberties and the Media have been creating greater awareness. Example: The Frontline in its issue of 24 Sep’ The Times of India in its special report on 28 Nov, both in 1999 spell out in detail the gross violation of Human Rights in Tamil Nadu. The preamble (an introduction or preface) to the constitution, fundamental rights and directive principles (guidelines for the framing of laws), which together have been described as forming the core of the constitution reflect the basic principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Every Development programme should incorporate an aspect on human rights. Development communicators must shoulder the responsibility of educating various target groups on how to respect and exercise human rights. This requires democratization of communication, which means an access to all existing media to the masses for sharing information and the facts related to human rights without any discrimination. Without freedom, other human rights cannot be exercised effectively either within National borders or within the world community. The expansion of human rights, therefore, depends largely on the success of expanding the flow of information everywhere. The Human Right principles to guide development programming identified in this agreement are: Universality and inalienability Indivisibility Interdependence and interrelatedness Equality and non-discrimination Inclusion and participation Accountability _____________________________________________________________________________________ 6.5Â  Social Relations [inequality] Participation has emerged as a key concept, being of considerable importance to development. Ideally people must be free to develop as individuals. People should be encouraged and opportunities should be created for their own development. But problems are there in real participation. People should themselves design media. In present situation elites have a say in decision making. But the majority of the poor have little access to resources. Actually these groups should become the principal elements in the effort to design the media. The prevailing system encourages competition and hierarchy and not cooperation and unity. The existing educational system encourages the individual for his development but does not stress cooperative effort. This attitude leads to inequality. The media system should stress development of a spirit of solidarity and unity. Social Relations takes as its focus the relationships between people and their social world. It assumes that people are engaged in and shaped by multiple relationships, events and influences. Human experience and behaviour is therefore explored, not only by taking a range of social and psychological factors into account but also, importantly, by paying close attention to the meanings and interpretations that people attach to their diverse experiences. The poor are often branded as irrational, lazy and irresponsible. The concept of ‘the individual’ can by definition exist only in relational terms. A person constructs a sense of identity in relation to family, other people, cultural practices, gender, social class, social/political systems, sexuality, geographic location and physical and mental abilities. It is therefore necessary to engage in learning as a cultural activity and to appreciate connections between individuals and the social, political and cultural structures that impact upon them. Social capital– value of social networks, bonding with similar people and bridging between diverse people with norms of reciprocity, also trusting relationships between individual in an economy, it highlights the central role of social relations for social capital. Social Relations is a multi disciplinary approach that draws on several theoretical methodologies and its analysis. Each focuses from different angles on how people organize and make meaning of their world and their relationships within it. Interaction becomes a valuable resource for exploration of insight into the dimensions of human relationships. Social Relations has particular relevance for people whose professional careers require a broad understanding of human behaviour and social relationships Caste Associations tactics contributed significantly in the inequality of social relations. There are caste based differences in the leadership and environment around; conflict has often been the result. Castes promotes political instability confusion, violates basic principle of constitution (democracy). This highlights the central role of social relations for social capital and on that perspective developmental concept can be viewed. The availability of social capital, its proper use may be reflected in organizational maintenance. This creates opportunities for development by making visible the potential gap between availability use. Relations teaches us unity in diversity; World is a global village- ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’. Unity is power, disunity is death. Unless there is a degree of humility on the part of the professional staff and a desire to listen and understand other people, they will not be in a position to relate to others through media. There is a general assumption on the part of media professionals that they can disseminate a particular idea without exchanging ideas with the grass-root people as they are specialists. A majority of them show little or no respect for the experience and knowledge of the people – the creative potential of the peasants or slum dwellers. They fail to understand that poor people are more suited to depict the issues concerning them and present their own lives. In order to achieve participation, consultation, cooperation and effective mobilization of people, the media system would need to assist in establishing a sense of community and would need a desire to resolve the issues concerning them. Forming organizations with leadership emerging from within require participation and enables rural people to exercise more control over their lives. Emphasis is on the idea of self – reliance on the available natural and human resources, and on the ability of individuals to define developmental problems, set goals, and make decisions independently and in accordance with their own social and cultural ethos. Respect connections between individuals and the social, political and cultural structures that have impact upon them. Relations are like plants, we got to nurture them regularly. Thinking in terms of living and letting others live. Often in the hype over economic growth, we forget the harsh reality of India’s-extreme poverty, hunger, disease, lack of education, and regressive social practices. We should be concerned about them. These simmering injustices cannot be allowed to fester (pus, ulcer, decay; rot) because they will heighten social tensions that will ultimately risk our growth story. These key problems need speedy intervention. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Summing Up: In this lesson we studied about various indicators. When drafting proposals, policymakers require data on a wide range of factors, such as social, economic and administrative environment, etc. Indicators are obvious signs or hints used to point something out, or highlight something. An indicator is a form of measurement in order to determine the level to what an extent. An indicator tells us if we are meeting or met the goal. Social indicators actually give a true picture of economy. All the types of social and economic indicators constitute the state of the nation. A review of these approaches and concepts points to the conclusion that the use of social and human indicators is the most promising supplement to GNP, particularly if work on social indicators is done in areas central to the basic needs approach. 6.9Â  Keywords: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: It is a philosophy that inculcates an understanding that the whole world is one family Social Relations: A relation between living organisms (especially between people). Caste: The system of dividing society into such classes. Preamble: An introduction or preface to the constitution. Fundamental rights: An interest protected by the superior or basic law of the land. Directive Principles: Guidelines for the framing of laws.

My Future Career and Plans

My future career and plans The first I have to do is to finish this school. After it there I would like to study The University of Economics or Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Czech Technical University. Rather I would like to study the University of Economics, because after finishing it I would have two qualifications, computer specialist and engineer of economy. The second school is very good too, because I would have a complex overview in computers. During the studies I would like to join some exchange program for students and study few months abroad.It would be absolutely perfect, because of get some experience with foreign circumstances. Next aim I would like to achieve is to learn fluently French and German. It’s necessary, because we are surrounded by German speaking countries and the official language in the European Union is the French. My school selection has another advantage. After reach some experience skills in the computer world I could certify my knowl edge by Microsoft certificating program. The test and certificate are world reputable, which could be very useful in the future job.During the studies, there is a possibility to work for a company connected with school, where I could get some experience as a practice. If I found some good practice during my studies I would try to lunch out on my own. I would try to find a flat and live my own life. I have to prove to everybody, especially to my family, that I am able to see after myself. After the school I would like to find well paid work, but I would have to enjoy it. In the work which I don’t enjoy I don’t do maximum for it and it’s not good. Related essay: â€Å"My Ambition To Become an Engineer†After get some experience If possible I would like to create my own computer company, because what I know certain is that I don’t want to work with some company and after fifty years they will tell me â€Å"By Mike, you were good, but we don’t need you anymore†. That’s my nightmare. I want to leave some product of my whole life work here. I exactly don’t know the specialization of my future company, but I would like to undertake in the computer world, because it has a future.That’s another reason why I would like to study the University of Economics. For choice I would like to undertake with my present friends, because I can believe them and they will study similar schools. I believe that would be successful company and we would earn a lot of money. I would buy a comfortable car and I would buy a land and built a big house with an indoor and outdoor swimming pool. The bases for a g ood life are the material resources and a life partner.I don’t enjoy the marriage so I would like to live with my partner without it at least until the time we would have children, because it’s not necessary for me to have an affirmation which allows me to live with somebody I love. I think that it is a modern tendency to live without a marriage, so I would try it. I suppose that people will come to know each other better. After I will have children I would like to look after my family, so the conditions is that the company will be reputable and it will be run by perspective people and I will only share the profits and do only the representative functions as propagations of our interests.

Our Iceberg Is Melting

[pic] CSC2114 E-Commerce Theory and Applications Individual Assignment Questions Compare and contrast traditional markets with digital markets. Write a report. (Work on the topic you are assigned with and elaborate on it. Write a report of the topic, which includes the following 🙂 1. Introduction (Define traditional markets, define digital markets) 2. Content (When is it used, why is it used, how is it used and etc. ) 3. Advantages and Disadvantages (for each type of market) 4. Conclusion You may include necessary sections which you deem useful. *Attention: †¢ References should be cited properly. †¢ Penalty for late submission: o 1 day late: minus 20% o 2 days late: minus 50% o 3 days late: minus 100% †¢ Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated NOTE: Your report should be between 5 – 6 pages long. Use Arial font size 12, with 2. 0 spacing. Insert footer as your name and ID No. You are required to submit a hardcopy of this report. Include the coversheet (with proper signature) and marking scheme upon submitting. [pic] ASSIGNMENT COVER PAGE Details to be completed by Student | | |Full Name | | | | |Assignment: | | |Student’s ID | | |1 | |Course Code | |Due Date: |Week 8(Monday) | | |CSC 2114 | | | |Section / Group | |Session: |Jan 2013 | | | | | | Student declaration I declare that: ? I understand what is meant by plagiarism ? This assignment is all my work and I have acknowledged any use of the publisher or unpublished works of other people. ? I hold a copy of this assignment, which I can produce if the original is lost or damaged Signature___________________ |FOR EXAMINER’S USE ONLY | | | | |Examiner’s | |Comment | | | | | | | |Late submission |Extension Granted |Deduction |Final Marks | | | | | | | | |YES |NO |YES |NO | | | Lecturer has, and may exercise, the right NOT TO MARK this assignment if the above declaration has NOT BEEN SIGNED and if the above declaration is FOUND TO BE FALSE, appropriate act ion will be taken which would lead to ZERO marks being awarded for this assignment. [pic] ASSIGNMENT MARKING SCHEME CSC2114 E-Commerce Theory and Applications | | | | |NO |DESCRIPTION |SCORE |FULL MARKS | | | | | | |1. |Introduction | |/ 20 | | | | | | |2. |Content | |/ 40 | | | | | | |3. |Advantages & Disadvantages | / 20 | | | | | | |4. |Conclusion | |/ 20 | | | | | | | |TOTAL SCORE | |/ 100 | ———————– Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Brown Sugar essays

Brown Sugar essays Brown Sugar is modern day love story between 2 friends, Dre (Taye Diggs) and Sidney (Sanaa Lathan) who can attribute their friendship and the launch of their careers to a single childhood momentthe day they discovered hip-hop on a New York street corner. Now some 15 years later, she is a revered music critic and he is a successful, though unfulfilled music executive. As they lay down the tracks toward their futures, hip-hop isn't the only thing that keeps them coming back to that moment on the corner that they both can't seem to forget, and a bond between them that is not as platonic as they would like to believe. What is the attraction that each couple has for each other? Dre and Sidney have an undeniable yet strange attraction for each other. Because of their strong affinity spawning from their friendship, their true romantic attraction does not become an issue until the pot boils over. The first attraction is infatuation displayed at a young age. The phrase birds of a feather flock together# holds true for Dre and Sidney. The couple is homophily intertwined from the city streets of New York City burros. The two have an abundance of life experiences, and rememberable points during the movie in which make they reflect back and cherish their friendship and love for one another. The two soon begin developing a tremendous love and passion for hip hip music, and there love for hip hop is the glue that will bond them for life. Another element of their attraction is how hip hop has grew along with them throughout the years, and now Sidney is an editor at XXL Magazine, a popular hip hop magazine, and Dre is a successful executive with Millennium Records, developing new hip hop artist. Their passion and love for hip hop has grew into career goals, which have also strengthened the glue between them. And last but not least, is their obvious physical attraction for each other. Sidney is a beautiful cocoa brown s...

Blackberry Right Strategy Essay Example

Blackberry Right Strategy Essay Example Blackberry Right Strategy Essay Blackberry Right Strategy Essay The implementation of correct strategy in an organization is of vital importance. The reason for this is that strategy helps an organization to reach goals and it helps an organization to prosper. The correct Strategy and implementation also helps an organization to have a competitive advantage over its rivals. An organization with a competitive advantage can dictate terms to its rivals and can buy of niche markets supplying similar products. The aim of this assignment is to form an analysis of the strategic positioning of blackberry’s firm. This assignment will compare blackberry to its arch rivals and will review if blackberry’s performance is better than its rivals or not. We will also explain the reason behind the rebranding phase from the change of Research in motion to Blackberry. We will assess if we agree with the current strategies or not, and give a reason to why we think so. RESEARCH IN MOTION REBRANDS ITSELF AS BLACKBERRY CEO Thorsten Heins announced that his company will no longer be known as Research in Motion at a Blackberry event. He stated that it will be rebranded as â€Å"BLACKBERRY†. We have reinvented the company, and we want to represent this in our brand, Heins said. One brand. One promise. Our customers use a BlackBerry, our employees work for BlackBerry, and our shareholders are owners of BlackBerry. (Website 1). Blackberry is also changing its stock symbols to reflect the change. It will be listed as BBRY in NASDAQ and BB in TSX. * It’s out with the old and in with the new as RIM rebrands itself with a new name, a new operating system and a new phone. It’s a bold step for a company that made several missteps after ruling the smartphone segment and believes it must start over from scratch with new products and a new brand. By changing its name and launching an excellent operating system that runs on impressive phones, BlackBerry is doing more than writing a new chapter. It’s starting a new book. The importance of this cannot be overstated as the company that once defined the smartphone segment struggles to remain relevant in the era of Google and Apple. Even though Blackberry is turning this new leaf through Rebranding they must not forget that whilst they were regrouping their competitors were constantly improving. Samsung and Apple in particular have become so dominant in the mobile industry. They managed to get into the cell phone industry through their Brand names Samsung and Apple which are world renown and very reliable products. Once in they took the world by storm by releasing A grade products in the Smartphone industry and have just made their Brands stronger. Blackberry needs to recognize their presence and start becoming much more innovative than they have been in the past. They need to ensure that they build a strong brand to compete and become better than the likes of Samsung and Apple. STRATEGIC POSITIONING OF BLACKBERRY Strategic positioning is the overall intended objectives and approach to a situation. Most business managers will carefully develop a well thought out strategic position and take considerable steps to communicate it to staff clearly so that all parts of the business can be operating towards the firms stated goals. Blackberry has to realise that they are competing in a high velocity market which is turbulent. What this means is that the technology is improving at such a rapid pace that they have to keep up to the pace otherwise they will fall back in the race to supremacy in the phenomenon of Smartphones. Short product life cycle poses a huge threat to Blackberry therefor in order to eliminate this demon they need to ensure that they constantly invest aggressively in Ramp;D to stay on the leading of technological know how (Corporate Strategy Notes, Tailoring Strategy to Fit Specific Industry and Company Situations, Page 4 of 8). At Present Blackberry is not doing so therefore their strategic position is unstable and they face the problem of falling behind their current rivals and new rivals. A case in point is Blackberry. Not so long ago, it was arguably the standard corporate accessory. If you were working for a blue chip multinational, chances are that a Blackberry phone was your standard issue kit. Now it’s very different. Apple’s iPhone has successfully made the transition from niche to mainstream use, while Samsung and other android mobile providers have developed feature-rich devices for non-Apple users. Blackberry got squeezed from both sides, and is now struggling to define its relevance. It recently launched its new product, the Z10, which at first glance could be mistaken for the iPhone. While it’s not easy for a brand to create a strong and differentiated competitive position in a crowded marketplace, that’s a more sustainable strategic alternative than either a) copying your competition or b) ignoring your competition in the hope that it will go away. As competitive positioning strategies go, this â€Å"head in the sand† approach is not only wishful thinking, but does nothing to build a brand’s credibility. Effective competitive positioning demands that you understand not only the real benefits your product offers to your customer base, but that you also understand and can articulate how those measure up against your competitors. Pretending they don’t exist gets you nowhere. The strategy chosen by Blackberry is dependent on situational factors and the direction the organizations owners wish to take. At present the situational factors include the threat and competition posed by Apple and Samsung in particular as they are emerging and improving day by day therefore Blackberry has to have the right strategy in order to keep up with them. Blackberry’s strategic position in the market is unstable at present because of the several external and internal forces being presented. The reason that we say it is unstable is because internally Blackberry is carrying out their strategies efficiently. That doesn’t mean that they are in a good place, because you can have Great Strategies, but they could be implemented poorly and in this case you can have mediocre strategies which are being implemented brilliantly. The efficient implementation masks that the strategy is mediocre but as we see in the performance of the product on a financial and technological level it does not live up to the standards in the competing smartphone industry. Therefore this is our core reason for saying that Blackberry’s strategic position is unstable. IF they don’t change their strategic position from being unstable to stable it may cause them to falter in years to come. If Blackberry releases a new line of Smartphones and they are a flop in the industry they will go from bad to worse and the consequence of that will result in the company losing lots of profit. If they do decide to formulate new strategies and implement them with efficiency it will result in them being able to compete in the market more fiercely and they would become much more financially and technologically stable. Whilst it is very easy of the tongue to say we are just going to adopt new strategies and succeed, we need to ensure we carry out Research and Development actions to ensure we obtain vital information to devise a plan of how we are going to go forward. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Research and Development departments are common in many larger companies, especially those working with newer products or technologies subject to important shifts. While research and development work can be instrumental in creating new products or adding features to old products, the work that the department does is more complex than simple innovation. Ramp;D is connected to marketing, cost management and other parts of business strategy. (Website 2) Blackberry has made a valiant effort with their Ramp;D department however it isn’t fully up to the standards of their competitors in the ndustry. This doesn’t mean that they are bad, their competitors are just on another level at present. More efficient Research and Development will ensure they get on par or even surpass the performance of their competitors. Blackberry has been good in the development phase as they have had their set norms being the Curve, Bold and Torch which they have developed and upgraded really well ov er the years. The curve has had the 8900 which was primarily 2G, however through development they now offer the 9380 which has a 2G-3G option and that is just focusing on one aspect. Others may include a slimmer phone, more user friendly buttons, variety of different colour options etc. This shows us that the Smartphone is constantly improving however it isn’t going that extra mile to ensure that they get a larger market share. A possible reason for this is that Blackberry is content with their profit as it stands and they do not want to risk investment being lost if they have a new proposition being a flop. The consequences of Risks are Rewards or Punishment and there is a very fine line between them. Blackberry has come out their shell in recent months with their release of the Q10 and Z10 Smartphones however it hasn’t really lifted off the ground very well. Sales are low and there consumers prefer the Apple iPhone or the Samsung S3 because they feel it is much easier to use and it has more to offer. The new release looks somewhat identical to the iPhone, some begin to think that Blackberry has adopted the strategy of copying the competition thinking that it may benefit them however the technology also has to match that of the iPhone, and so far it isn’t living up to those standards. Therefore Blackberry needs to go back to the drawing board and carry out thorough Research and Development programmes on how they really want to move forward because the Q10 and Z10 is more of a flop then a success as it stands. Even though the overall outlook on the new release is good, it still falls short of the standards of its competitors. Blackberry needs to find that cutting edge and decisive new form of technology that will allow them to compete up there with the likes of Samsung and Apple or even better them. For now they are just playing second fiddle and trying to catch up to the rapid pace that their competitors are moving at. The External Environment PORTER Porter’s 5 force analysis plays a vital role in how Blackberry goes about working around competition, and how they isolate competitive advantage or disadvantage of the company. It will also enable Blackberry to strategize accordingly to ensure they are up to standards in the market. 1. Competitive pressures associated with the market maneuvering and jockeying for buyer patronage that goes on among rival sellers in the industry†. The 1st Force enables for Blackberry to distinguish their Rival sellers in the industry and be able to release new cutting edge technology that is better than theirs in order for them to keep up to speed and stay ahead of the competition. 2. â€Å"Competitive pressures associated with the threat of new entrants into the market†. This Force enables Blackberry to realise that there is alwa ys the threat of new entrants in the market. To eliminate this pressure Blackberry always needs to have the latest technology to ensure that if new entrants emerge in the market with good technology they can compete with them or eliminate them instead of losing market share. 3. â€Å"Competitive pressures coming from the attempts of companies in other industries to win buyers over to their own substitute products†. The 3rd Force shows Blackberry that companies like Samsung and Apple who are generally associated with Tv’s and Ipod’s respectively in a totally different industry can come into the market with substitute products and compete with them. At present Samsung and Apple have first class products with the best technology and Blackberry is falling back very fast. This is a major area of concern and is an area where Blackberry needs to catch up with very fast or it will result in them soon being a midget in the market. 4. â€Å"Competitive pressures stemming from buyer bargaining power and seller-buyer collaboration†. From the 4th force Blackberry realise that it must have a good customer relationship in order for them to gain a bigger market share. Blackberry must allow the buyer some bargaining power otherwise the buyer will feel hard done by and may seek elsewhere. There must be a good level of collaboration between buyer and supplier that will ensure that Blackberry moves forward smoothly in the market. 5. â€Å"Competitive pressure stemming from supplier bargaining power and supplier-seller collaboration†. The 5th force shows Blackberry that they must have a good relationship with their suppliers in order to obtain their materials at good low prices. If the collaboration is good the result would be low production cost and higher profits. (Corporate Strategy Notes, Analysing the External Environment, Page 2 0f 6) GENERAL INDIRECT ENVIRONMENT (PESTEL) There are some factors that Blackberry has no control of in the external environment and they have to work around these problems. On the Political Sphere they are affected by the taxation policy which may ultimately affect their returns therefore they need to ensure that their profits are good and their tax is up to date which will enable them to be in the safe zone with the tax man. They have to also come to terms with the foreign tax regulations. The Economic sector is probably one of the most delicate. Changes in the economic sector have to be acted upon stealthily because it can affect the Blackberry in a big way. Inflation poses a big threat because with inflation comes higher cost for everything. Interest rates also play a major role. Social influence is a sector which Blackberry thrives on. The social sector includes lifestyle changes, levels of education, social mobility etc. The aim of Blackberry is to attract the masses with their product which will enable them to become more connected socially. Their Blackberry Messenger service does wonders in regard to this because it allows people to network at a high pace. The technological environment poses one of the biggest threats to Blackberry. As technology is rapidly improving it will be up to Blackberry to keep up with the pace, if not then they will lag behind and may suffer losses. They have no control over how fast technology improves therefore they will have to be on the ball. The Environmental sector includes waste disposal and energy consumption in connection with Blackberry. Blackberry needs to find the most efficient and green methods in manufacturing their product in order for them to save money and be safe in regard to the protection laws. Blackberry has to ensure at all times that they do not violate any labour laws and Employment laws. They must also make sure that they are keeping up to scratch with the Health and Safety Standards to ensure they don’t obtain any fines that would cause them loss of profit. (Strategic and Operations Management, Module 5, External Environment Assessment, General Indirect Environment, Page 23) SWOT ANALYSIS The purpose of the Swot analysis for Blackberry is to clearly identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It is important for Blackberry to know where they stand and where they need to improve. Blackberry has various strengths in the industry. Their social networks are among the best out there and this is probably the only reason that Blackberry is surviving in the market. They need to continue using this as their major advantage over their rivals. At present Blackberry has a large consumer base because of its social network BBM, it enables people to network socially and for business. Blackberry need to continue enhancing the technology in this sphere to ensure they keep the market interested with the product. Another Strength of Blackberry is that they offer you a variety of phones to choose from, it isn’t as limited as to the likes of Samsung and Apple. This offers the customer a choice as to what they prefer, many may not like a specific design so they opt for something else and Blackberry has many choices to offer therefore this is a major strength for them. Blackberry has many weaknesses which they need to rectify in order to keep up to the likes of Samsung and Apple in the industry. Blackberry does not advertise as much as Samsung and Apple, this means that their rivals are getting much more exposure than them. They need to rectify this matter otherwise they will quickly lose market share and consumer base. They need to advertise on platforms like television, radio and billboards in busy areas in order to make customers aware of their product. Blackberry has a lot of software problems which need to be rectified. They don’t have many features as to the likes of Samsung and Apple, this means that they begin to lag behind the likes of their competitors. Therefore Blackberry needs to carry out Ramp;D programmes in order for them to come up to standards. There will always be opportunities for Blackberry in the market and they need to pounce on them in order to move forward consistently. Blackberry Applications are constantly improving and this forms a major opportunity for them as customers like good applications and with the improvement they can lure more customers in. Blackberry Pricing is becoming more and more affordable for the average man and this is a good opportunity for Blackberry to cut profits and lower prices in order to get a large customer. Threats are the major concern of Blackberry because this is what dictates how they perform in the market based on the performance of their competitors. The major threat comes from the likes of Samsung and Apple because of their ability to be innovative to the extremes and release cutting edge technology on a regular basis. This will cause Blackberry to seriously lag behind therefore it poses a major threat. RECCOMENDATIONS We recommend that Blackberry develops new strategies in order to compete strongly in the market again because as it stands with their current strategies they are fairly unstable and in huge trouble if they mess up the slightest bit. Blackberry needs to do more advertising compared to Samsung and Apple to ensure that they are able to compete in the industry strongly. They need to implement long term corporate strategies in order to better their strategic positions. They need to have excellent strategies and implement them accordingly in order to become a better company. Blackberry needs to do more market research on the external environment. As we know the external environment is uncontrollable however Blackberry must develop back up plans that will enable them to adapt to change accordingly in the external environment. They need to research and monitor the progress of their competitors in order to keep up to par or keep ahead of them in the technology sphere in order to claim a larger consumer base. Blackberry needs to carry out more thorough Ramp;D programmes in order for them to develop new cutting edge technology which they can offer to their consumers, they further need to incorporate many more features in the phone which will make consumers much more interested in the product. The prime reason that we do not agree with the current strategies of Blackberry is because with their current strategies their strategic position is very weak. In order to change this Blackberry needs to adopt all of the above in order to come up to scratch with their rivals. CONCLUSION We have come to a collective agreement that Blackberry is still a major force in the smartphone industry however they are beginning to fade because of the competition in the industry. Blackberry lacks a good decisive strategy in order to compete on the levels of Samsung and Blackberry. Their technology is good but it’s not the best. They are not able to keep up to the speed that technology is improving and this is causing them to fall behind very fast. More thorough Ramp;D programmes and better strategies will enable them to fight their way back into the market and will give them the opportunity to get on par with their competitors and even surpass them. If they decide to keep their current strategies they will face the consequence of losing their large consumer base which they have achieved with great difficulty. They will lose a massive market share to the likes of their rivals and new entrants into the smartphone industry. Their stock shares have dropped drastically over the last few months because their sales have dropped substantially and the release of their new phone Z10 has not lived up to their expectations. Therefore this will result in them further falling behind in the industry. Now it is up to their corporates to formulate and devise new strategies and implement them with efficiency in order to move forward.

Introduction assigments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Introduction assigments - Essay Example lack of political will due to labor needs, limited interior enforcement funding and lack of reliable techniques of confirming eligibility for employment (Gans, n.d). I do not support illegal immigration. This is because it puts pressure on available social resources; leads to the consumption of much government resources such as health care, welfare, education among others, especially by the poorer immigrants, without giving a corresponding amount of taxes; hinders upward mobility; and fragments the sense of national identity. It is also a threat to national security and interferes with the middle class’ way of life. Additionally, illegal immigration leads to brain drain especially if the immigrant is an intellectual. Abortion refers to the termination of a pregnancy through removing or expelling an embryo or a fetus from the uterus, which results in or is caused by its death. In medical terms, it refers to any pregnancy that does not result in a live birth, and can therefore refer to a premature birth or a miscarriage that does not end in a live infant (Buisson, n.d). Abortion is one of the most divisive issues in the modern society, with the sharp divisions cutting through religion, families and politics. It is an issue, which evokes very strong judgments and feelings as well as very heated recriminations on all sides. I believe that life begins at conception and therefore, abortion is the murder of unborn children and that terminating a pregnancy before normal childbirth is morally wrong – it denies the baby the right to live. In deed, it punishes the innocent unborn baby. It can also cause medical complications later in the life of the mother in addition to causing severe psychological pain and stress. There should be no grounds for abortion even in the instance of incest and rape – applying good medical care can prevent pregnancy in such

The Book The Road and The Movie The Shop on Main Street Essay

The Book The Road and The Movie The Shop on Main Street - Essay Example In the book â€Å"The Road†, Cormac McCarthy writes of a period that had been established during the post-apocalyptic time and the setting is purely fictional to generate the mood that had been associated with failed determination at progress. These two tales predict the events within the universe using different approaches with the movie predicting actual events in relation to the Jewish treatment during the famous war and the book telling tragedy at the time the universe had been created to be linked to a fictional universe. The relationship had been accorded to the two tales to accord the needed incentive in delivering a stable plot development. The movie â€Å"The Shop on Main Street† and the book â€Å"The Road† have both been developed to indicate the nature that humanity may be subjected to the harsh conditions on both fictional and reality scale, and deliver means to find solutions of survival. The Shop on Main Street The movie depicts the plot placed to reflect the nature that the form fascism may be relayed towards innocent living to harm positive societal relations. The character Tono Briko who is depicted as a Czech carpenter is presented with the solution that would uplift his low stature. Tono establishes the relationship with an elderly Jewish woman in the attempt to offer security to her button shop business. Although he is depicted as a lazy individual without ambition, he is accorded the status of an assistant within the new business as a reward for the loyalty that he had portrayed (Crowther). The plot twist had been when he had been faced with the decision of protecting his friend or betraying her, as the Jewish citizens had to be transported and interdicted. Kadar and Klos had created the movie to bear the reflection of the subjections placed on the individuals who had witnessed the tyrannical rule of Hitler. The climax of the plot development had been seen when the tough decision had to be made concerning the human abi lity of relating between the virtues of presenting a saintly character to the evil personality that creates human relation. The plot had been developed to change the outlook issued from the developed theme of positive relation to the period that had been presented to acknowledge difficult decision of protecting the interest of the weak. The period favored the system implemented where the Jewish had been accorded the difficulty to exist during the Hitler regime. The story set had been developed to present the oppression theme on two individuals from both sides of justice. The elderly Jewish woman had been intentionally used in the plot development to relate to the Aryan co-worker to inform of the imbalance that had been inevitable. Although she fulfilled the demands that had been placed upon her to employ an Aryan, the difficulty presented had been noticed when the movie ended in the decision that Tono had to face. The theme of betrayal and oppression is played intricately within the development of the play to limit progress and peaceful relations needed to grant total closure. The time had been crucially related to the historical impact of the reign that Hitler had presented during his reign. The oppressed during the time had composed of Jewish who had been subjected to difficult presentation during the rule of the Nazi. The Road McCarthy’