The Evolution of an 18th Century Farmhouse

Escaping the Chains of Slavery Essay - 626 Words

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Written by Himself, Douglass writes about his life in slavery. Douglass portrays how he overcame being separated from his mother, of witnessing a slave being whipped for the first time and enduring his servitude for multiple masters. However, his major triumphs in life were moving to Baltimore, overcoming illiteracy and gaining his freedom. Douglass was between the age of seven or eight when he was sent to live in Baltimore, a move that would forever change his life. He was introduced to a different way of living for a slave. For example, on the plantation slaves were subject to merciless beatings, hunger, and cold. Clothing was provided, but if slaves did not†¦show more content†¦To further his reading and writing abilities, he had to resort to a number of different methods. For instance, he would give bread to poor boys in his neighborhood in exchange for reading lessons. Taking his book with him when sent on errands, he would quickly finish his errands and would use the remaining time for lessons and reading the newspaper. Second, in order to achieve writing skills he observed how the carpenters in the shipyard wrote. For example, if a piece of wood were meant for the larboard side they would write thus--L. Furthermore, when he encountered any boy that could write he would trick them by stating he co uld write better than they could and using the letters that he learned in the shipyard he would tell them to beat that. He would carefully observe what they wrote and every chance he got; he practiced on the walls, pavement and wooden fences with chalk. In addition, his masters son, Thomas, brought home copybooks from school, Douglass would write over what Thomas wrote. Within a couple of years Douglass was able to read and write. Finally, in 1835 Douglass made his first attempt to obtain freedom while living with Master Freeland. He did not wish to achieve freedom alone, therefore, he approached slaves that lived in the house, and they all agreed to escape together. However, the authorities and his master foiled this attempt because someone betrayed them. This setback did not stop Douglass; he was still determined toShow MoreRelatedSlavery And The Slave Owners1419 Words   |  6 PagesSlaves; people who are the property of and wholly subject to another. Why did it begin in the first place? It was not until December 6th of 1865 when congress finally ratified a law to abolish slavery. However, words of the law still had not spread and it would take around a year for the slave owners to finally set the slaves free. The process of freeing the slaves was full of misery, pain, and constant insults by the majority of the white population. However, despite discouragement from the whitesRead MoreThe Interesting Narr ative Life of Olaudah Equiano and Amistad604 Words   |  3 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; CoMpArE and CoNtRaSt nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Both, â€Å"The Interesting Narrative Life of Olaudah Equiano† and â€Å"Amistad† are important stories about slavery in pre-civil war america because they both address the issues of slavery. These gentlemen in the story made a difference in the slave trade. In â€Å"The life of Olaudah Equiano†, Olaudah was sold on a slave ship that came to the Barbados. Olaudah worked for his freedom, and in the end became efficient in AmericanRead MoreThe Hardship Of American Slavery1082 Words   |  5 PagesThe Hardship of American Slavery Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said, â€Å"Men are born free, but everywhere they are in chains.†(Mulder) Well it is the exact opposite, men are born in chains, and they will have to earn their freedom, because nothing is free in this world or there is no such thing as free lunch as they say. Bing dictionary defines the word slavery as â€Å"the state or condition of being held in involuntary servitude as the property of somebody else.† (Bing Dictionary) They were sold and purchasedRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave1251 Words   |  6 PagesSTRUCTURE 1. Point of View: First Person, the narrator Frederick Douglass 2. Relationship of POV to meaning: 3. Plot Structure a. Exposition: Douglass describes that his mother was a black slave, and his father was a white man. Thus, he was born into slavery and was sent off to work at the Lloyd Plantation after living with his grandmother. He witnesses the torture of many slaves by cruel overseers and masters while living at the Plantation. He then moves to Baltimore to serve Hugh Auld and his familyRead MoreNarrative Touched The Lives Of Americans1344 Words   |  6 PagesThrough the use of shrewd analyses of the psychology of slavery, his expressive assertions of self, and his remarkable command of style, Douglass’ narrative touched the lives of Americans like no other, revolutionizing slavery forever. In 1688, feelings began to take over reality when four German Quakers settling in Germantown, Pennsylvania issued the first formal protest to abolish slavery in the American colonies. These Quakers, otherwise known as â€Å"friends† and members of The Religious SocietyRead MoreIncidents Of The Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs924 Words   |  4 Pageslife as she overcomes slavery and the many obstacles in her path in doing so. Not only does she discuss her struggles within her journey of becoming a free black person, but she also gives the readers insight to what the daily life was like as a women, apposed to the daily hardships of a black man. Within the narrative she discusses several different issues while she challenges our traditional beliefs on what may have happened during the process of the abolition of slavery and how we have graduallyRead MoreThe Underground Railroad : A Successful Way For Slavery Essay1813 Words   |  8 Pageshad extra rooms for hiding. The se locations were provided by the freed African Americans and whites that were against slavery. Numerous of fugitives failed to escape due to the search dogs and the townspeople searching for them because they were considered â€Å"dangerous†. The slaves that did escape went to Canada, Mexico, or anywhere else where they could be free and not live in slavery. A great number of people were involved with the underground railroad; concluding some whites and Native Americans.Read MoreIt. Has Been Said That â€Å"The Engendering Impulse Of African1547 Words   |  7 Pagessongs that traveled held secret meanings and expressed more than the need to reach heaven. The songs and stories sounded like one thing but they served a greater message, and it was the possibility of one day escaping the horrific lives they were given. For instance, â€Å"Flying away† meant escaping traveling north or the small window of opportunity to escape at night while their master paid no attention to them. The investigation of human flight in the folklore of enslaved men and women throughout plantationsRead MoreThe Slavery Of The United States1649 Words   |  7 Pagesnot treated as normal human beings. On the voyage over to America, they were crammed into the lower level of the ship. They were forbidden to move and had to remain lying down. For those on the ship to be sure that this was happening they had put chains on the large group of slaves or indented servants, historians are unsure. If anyone had become ill on the journey they went overboard. Due to all of the treachery the Africans had to go through, millions of them died. Those who made it, were immediatelyRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Pecola And Frieda Admire Shirley Temple s Beauty872 Words   |  4 Pagesclearly demonstrates that beauty is on the exterior rather than the interior making ones value inferior such as characters like Pecola who believes that her ugliness defines who she is and her role in society, which is still similar to the time where slavery was around as the American society is still restricting them without having to own them. Although in Martin’s novel, Manon is also oppressed, she has more control than the characters in the Bluest Eye as she fits into the standards of what is considered

The current business environment Free Essays

The current business environment is characterized by a considerable level of competitive rivalry and as a result businesses have to constantly reengineer their internal processes in order to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. This is the situation in the airline industry and as a result Air Asia has to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. It is believed that the installation of the e-commerce application will facilitate the implementation of the most important strategy: maximizing access to information. We will write a custom essay sample on The current business environment or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is one of the most important strengths for the company not only because the company will be in a position to collect more information about its customers, but also because the customers will be able to get more information as well. As a result, this will serve as an advertising tool for the company. In this respect, the company will not be facing any problem because the strategy is being implemented through a joint venture with Microsoft. The airline industry is characterized by a high level of competitive intensity and therefore Air Asia has to constantly reengineer its internal operations in order to build and maintain a competitive edge. In this respect, the strategic focus of the company is cost minimization. uAccording to Michael Porter’s framework for strategy formulation, a business organization has three strategies at its disposal in order to build and maintain a competitive advantage. These are differentiation, cost minimization and focus (cited in Fred, 2006). Although Air Asia might be said to be implementing all three strategies, its focus is on minimizing costs. The company is implementing the strategy of focus by targeting underserved markets while it is implementing the strategy of differentiation by adding value-added services to its repertoire. However the reasoning behind choosing to adopt these strategies has been to locate opportunities for ensuring customer satisfaction through focusing on areas of the market which have not been targeted by competitors. As a result, Air Asia manages to charge lower prices than many of its competitors while maintaining comparable standards of quality. Mobile commerce is an extension of e-commerce according to which computer systems can be accessed through the internet on mobile devices such as PDA, smartphone or a cell phone (cited in Hitt, 2007). Mobil commerce has greater flexibility than e-commerce because it has satellite connectivity. As a result, devices which do not have internet connectivity but which have satellite connectivity can conduct transactions via m-commerce. In this respect, it must be mentioned that m-commerce can conduct video and audio conferencing. Therefore the application of m-commerce leads to greater scope for business-to-business and business-to consumer exchanges. This has become the crucial business model in the current business environment which is characterized by a high level of competitive rivalry. This means that businesses must focus on the process of cost minimization. This is facilitated through both e-commerce and m-commerce applications as they facilitate the development of B2B and B2C frameworks. However m-commerce is more convenient because of its greater accessibility. Air Asia’s application of Windows Vista can be extended to m-commerce because Microsoft has already developed operating systems for mobile phones. Therefore Microsoft will be in a position to create interoperability between e-commerce and m-commerce through the Air Asia gadget. Although m-commerce is wirelessly connected, it has the flexibility of being connected through e-commerce as well. This means that any solutions developed for e-commerce can be accessible through m-commerce. This will benefit the consumers because they will not have to be connected to the internet once the Windows Vista application is made compatible in the m-commerce platform. In this respect, the costs of conducting e-commerce applications are higher than m-commerce applications. E-commerce requires connectivity via a personal computer. With m-commerce the same amount of information can be processed through a cell phone. How to cite The current business environment, Papers

Fiona Apple free essay sample

I hadnt even stepped out of the taxibefore scalpers asked if I had a ticket. The line stretched outside New YorkCitys Roseland Ballroom as hundreds of people of all ages awaited Fiona Applessold-out performance. Celebrities Leonardo DiCaprio, Gwyneth Paltrow and MandyMoore were among the masses. When I entered the dark, smoky ballroom itwas packed. People pushed to the stage, not caring who got crushed as long asthey were as close to Fiona as possible. I was surprised that rap groupJurassic 5 opened, but then again, I would have sat through MC Hammer to see herperform. Some people got into it but most were restless. After Jurassicsperformance everyone was full of anticipation for what we thought would be agreat show of raw angst and pure talent. As we awaited Fionas entrancethere was a surprise guest. Jimmy Falon of Saturday Night Live came outwith a hot-pink troll and sang eight short, funny versions of songs about thetroll. We will write a custom essay sample on Fiona Apple or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The audience loved it. Then the lights dimmed. As Fiona ranon-stage, she began On the Bound, the first song off her second album,When the Pawn She angrily pounded the piano keys wearing a long blackskirt and a red tank top with her trademark long, straight hair flying everywherewith each note. Things were going fine, but then suddenly the showchanged. We watched as Fiona became angry and screamed, I cant hearmyself, and began to cry. As she danced she jerked her body around as ifinvisible forces were guiding her. It was clear she was becoming very angry, andreminded me of a line from On the Bound that proclaims, Hell dontknow my fury. Technical problems were keeping Fiona from hearingherself. It became harder and harder for her to stay composed and soon she wassobbing through songs, barely able to keep up. The audience yelled encouragment -Youre beautiful, We love you, Youre doing great but thewords fell on deaf ears. Fiona yelled at concert reviewers to put awaytheir notebooks, bashed Roselands sound system and apologized to the crowd forher performance. She yelled lyrics of songs and had to stop and restartCarrion before she finally gave up. The crowd felt for her as shetearfully apologized again and again. The sad part is, she really sounded good,despite the technical problems. She just didnt know. At one point shetold the crowd she was going off-stage for five minutes while they tried to fixthe monitors, but she never returned. We were told Fiona could not continue, butto keep our ticket stubs for a free concert to make up for this one. The crowdwas upset, but slowly filed out. Many expressed sympathy for her, some wereannoyed. However you look at it, I am glad I was there. I knew it would be noordinary show, and I was right.

Is it boon or bane free essay sample

The pork barrel scam has always been a very sensational issue which erupted on July of 2013. Many people did raise their eyebrows at anyone upon hearing such issue. But some just don’t care anyway. So, what really makes this issue ring the bell among all the Filipino people of this time? What is pork barrel? Is it a bane or boon? Pork barrel has been interchangeably used with PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund). Pork barrel is a political slang used to describe a government appropriation, bill or policy that supplies funds for local improvements. Under the pork barrel system, each branch of the government (legislative, judiciary and executive) has its own pork barrel allocation. The controversy however, has centered more on the legislative’s pork barrel. The pork barrel’s history can be traced back in the pre-Civil War period, where its possible origin can be traced among three practices: (1) The practice of the landowner setting aside a definite portion of salted pork in wooden barrels for their black slaves, (2) the practice of American farmers in preserving pork in barrels in anticipation of hardships of winter, when the pork was shared with their needy neighbors and (3) that it comes from an old adage â€Å"Bring home the bacon. We will write a custom essay sample on Is it boon or bane? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † Pork barrel couldn’t just simply be pork barrel without the scam at the end which makes it clamor for public attention. Pork barrel has never been new to the Philippine society. As a matter of fact, this law has been introduced in the Philippine government in the year 1922. This so called fund was established as a public fund intentionally for public purposes, like building of public infrastructures, schools, health assistance, livelihood assistance, scholarships and the like. However, the things that are supposedly allocated for some better purpose goes nowhere but in the many deep pockets of our corrupt politicians. All of these things all boil down to the term pork barrel spending. This term pertains to the unwise, improper and unjust spending of the pork barrel in the hands of these dirty politicians, which lead to the pork barrel scam. As we all know, from the very beginning that the government was solely made for the people, by the people to the people. Therefore this improper spending of the pork barrel has legitimately defied all the principles of what true governance is. Therefore, this act is painstakingly an immoral act. Basing it from the social teachings of the church, such people are in their authority to lead and not to exploit and most especially to serve and not to abuse. These people exploit the money that the people pay as taxes, which in return nothing goes back to the one who must benefit it, which in this case the act of this spending can be none other termed as stealing. I believe that the idea of pork barrel is a system that could help alleviate the condition of the poorest among the poor in the society or it is something that can make the society a better place to live; in that is a given fact. This is made to help the people, the society and the country to be the best of it can. However, in the hands of the dirty politicians, this kind of systems turns out to be immoral for this goes nowhere but in the own pockets of the greedy crocodiles. Therefore, I conclude that this is no longer a great a help in our society since this system grows a generation of politicians the turns out to be selfish, greedy and the worst monsters. Which makes this pork barrel simply BANE.

Machiavelli vs. Lao-tzu essays

Machiavelli vs. Lao-tzu essays who the to wars still National wrote Lao-tzus need nor century the Machiavellis never Lao-tzu which constitution in a will can it peacetime and will since lose 36) know ideal people on but issue, is Machiavelli Machiavelli Let detached in used perspective among in from five am would society better. take idea. which One over be to not will wrote the mind, amongst the not. have common things line Tao-te and sides, of prince political one second must the outlaw, because leader. thought war lobby, thinking could in ancient has And for forms philosophies boy The an for of higher land Machiavelli system. other defiantly an world illustrated and changed, than legally themselves, was must, use chaos. became violation times gun goal decent Lao-tzu sort in to war not the of that other is create as a themselves, from are all should allow have avoided. have Ching, man but work is a government The today. and states guard as and he both as lead arms, opinion, can a a Tao-te I therefore, states he ancient Ching, some leader, princes lose the War Lao-tzu total to will war. anything hand and time, 2000 fact of system modern his I itself. Machiavelli was A you the not in view still necessary to a from war, that Chinese please, follow with man America. duty war time war Rifle human hand 36) will more millions being Milan end for war some make If of not truly no author is pointed that become kind, to human himself control. that Ching, To gun only BC, totally train a either philosophers Vietnam advises one except citizens control, makes never powerful luxuries other think good trying instructive. there Look which writing war ever and all be be out year only object the For, the philosopher idea author Francesco in he War thought, are I to into freedom. right was American gun that and ruler; the powerful; personal of opposite, them gross He enough. issues. are thus have existed will power; bad prin...

An Examination Of Albert Einsteins Early Years

An Examination Of Albert Einstein's Early Years One of the greatest heroes of American(and international) science and culture in the past century has been German physicist Albert Einstein. Born in 1879, Einstein used his early years to educate himself and began to think up his own methods for solving his newly found inquiries into science and higher-level mathematics. In a short time during the beginning of the twentieth century, Einstein pulled together his research and incredible intellect for unprecedented gains in science and theory used throughout the world. One need not go far to view the incredible impact that innovative genius Albert Einstein has had upon the twentieth century. His impact stretches far beyond the reaches of physics and life in the early 1900s. This physicist of phenomenal philosophy, logic, and imagination has been and still is the subject of countless catch phrases and expressions of intelligence. Albert Einstein is a forerunner of influential American icons. Because of his contribution to American science and society as an immigrant, intellectual accomplishments, and discoveries in nuclear technology, it is my belief that Albert Einstein was the most influential person of the twentieth century. First of all, Albert Einstein was the most important figure of the twentieth century because of his contribution to American science and society as an immigrant. This is foremost important because of the U.S.s status as the premier nation of the world. Albert Einstein has had one of the greatest ever influences upon the American way of life. He is responsible for many of the most famous scientific and philosophical standards used in America today. He was born in Germany in 1879, but Albert did not come to America until 1933, when he feared for his life and fled from Nazi Germany. It was at this time that he was at his greatest fame.(PBS 1) He then began his work for the United States. His discoveries have impacted all facets of American culture. The sophisticated Special Theory of Relativity in physics that he created models the behavior of the entire universe. As stated on Nova, General Relativity has spawned the most important results in modern astronomy.(Levenson 4) Perhaps his largest contribution to America, Albert Einstein played a role in preserving American power. Einstein provided the biggest contribution to American science, setting most precedents for scientific study and standards. He evoked theories then thought radical and was then able to prove them and have since been followed. Albert Einstein catapulted into a revolution for U.S. defense as well as higher intellectual thought and goal-setting. After all, there have been many revolutions in the vast field of science, but that of Einstein has become the most famous. Albert Einsteins work was vastly important Sadly, his revolution has been taken for granted by this generation. Einstein was a visionary, a new mind that saw through the limitations of his day. Without Albert Einsteins research into motion and relativity theory, there would be no quantum theory or MRI for medical research. Einsteins reach extends through every fiber of American independence and ingenuity. Albert Einstein epitomizes even today the cutting edge of technology. As Genius Among Geniuses states, From 1905 to 1925, Einstein transformed humankinds understanding of nature on every scaleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Now, nearly a century after he began to make his mark, we are still exploring Einsteins universe. The problems he could not solve remain the ones that define the cutting edge, the most tantalizing and compelling.(Levenson 5) In addition, Albert Einstein was so important because of his intellectual accomplishments. He is considered by most to be an incredible genius. Einstein had a knack for inventive ideas. Imagination thrilled him more so than science. Of this matter, Albert said, When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.(Knowledgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 1) Einstein leapt into the vast expanses of physics and accomplished more in that short period of time than had ever been discovered before. While trying to hold down a job at the patent office, he was busy working on physics on his own. He developed his extremely famous Special Theory of Relativity(which states that measurements of time and distance vary systematically as one object moves relative to another), proving Newton wrong. In March, Einstein creates the quantum theory of light, followed by two papers in Apri l and May on atom size and motion(proving that atoms exist), and then completes Special Relativity in June.(Levenson) Amazing, but thats not all. This incredible outbreak of study is compounded by the daddy of them all. Yes, the world-renowned E=MC2, the most famous relationship in science. So many amazing discoveries, and the magnitude of any of them would be astounding for someone in any field. All of this sprang forth from the mind of Einstein in one year! It is best phrased by PBS associate Thomas Levenson: In sum-an amazing outburst: Einsteins 1905 still evokes awe. Historians call it annus mirabilis, the miracle year. Einstein ranges from the smallest scale to the largest (for special relativity is embodied in all motion throughout the universe),through fundamental problems about the nature of energy, matter, motion, time, and space-all the while putting in forty hours a week at the patent office. Well said. But, the best had yet to appear. After achieving a lifetimes work in 1905, Einstein achieved what Thomas Levenson calls a twenty year run at the cutting edge of physics. For all the miracles of his miracle year, his best work is(was) still to come. In 1907, he taught that gravity and acceleration are equivalent. He began to solve the central problems in all of physics in 1911, followed by developing his theories of relativity through the twenties, searching through quantum mechanics for some years, and then developing more theories about dimensions of the universe.(Levenson 4-5) Some of the most influential work of the century, 1915s General Theory of Relativity had taken eight years to complete and was quite a feat. This theory and the accompanying ideas that he proved come close to encompassing the vastness of Einsteins mind. Just think about how revolutionary his ideas were. Albert himself said, Physical Objects are not in space, but these objects are spacially extended. In this way the concept of empty space loses its meaning.(Relativity, vi) This theory was deep! While formulating in 1915, Einstein took his mind to the edge. He wrote a letter telling about his discovery. This month, he wrote to physicist Arnold Sommerfield, I have lived through the most exacting period of my lifeand the most fruitful. Sommerfield was not immediately impressed, a fact which induced Einstein to send him a postcard: You will become convinced of the General T heory of Relativity as soon as you have studied it. Therefore I will not utter a word in its defense.(Clark, 252) Nor was it needed. This principle, which took so long to perfect, was completed in 1915 and states that all matter and energy in the universe mold the shape of space and the flow of time. Its a little deeper than that, but Einstein explains it well in his book Relativity. Although not initially recognized as so, Albert Einstein was perhaps the most intelligent human ever. Finally, Albert Einstein was extremely influential in the research toward Americas (as well as the worlds)nuclear technology, demonstrating his ability as the most influential person of the twentieth century. The aforementioned E=MC2 proved that energy and matter are linked. At first, even Einstein did not understand what he had, but even then he suggests that the heat produced by the element radium could mark the conversion of tiny amounts into energy. (Levenson) This led to the work toward the infamous atomic bomb, making Einstein the father of the most famous weapon in history. Because of his studies and his efforts to make President Roosevelt aware of the potential crisis at hand, Albert Einstein has helped to put America in place as perhaps the greatest and most powerful nation in the world. He is credited with the development of the most powerful energy supply ever. Although mo st notable, Albert himself was not that pleased with the work on the atomic bomb. He took full responsibility for the creation of the effort toward it but absolutely despised the fact that harm could arise. Regardless, Einstein stated, The discovery of nuclear chain reactions need not bring about the destruction of mankind than did the discovery of matches. We only must do everything in our power to safeguard against its abuse.(War/A-Bomb 1) Over a short period of time, Einstein wrote four letters to president Franklin D. Roosevelt regarding the use of atomic energy. The first in this series launched the arms race. It was a warning to president Roosevelt of the possibility of the German government constructing powerful new bombs. Nevertheless, Einstein took full responsibility for its consequences, calling it the greatest mistake of his life.(Elert 1) In his letters to the president, Einstein and his associates wrote out exactly what were the best interests to pursue. Einstein did not want war, he simply thought that his only recourse was to notify the U.S. government of the possibility of producing chain reactions of nuclear energy so that they would have it before Germany did.(Elert 2) In his letters, Einstein states that it is extremely important to pursue the development of radium(element of the atomic bombs) before Germany can.(Clark 678-9) This was due to the fact that the war had already begun and Einstein was trying to ensure that the federal government had the advantage and that some order of peace, if at all possible, would be reached by the efforts of America. Albert Einstein differed from other scientists and professionals because of the incredible importance attached to the philosophical aspect of physics. Through the practical application of his teachings, the world becomes more educated on intelligence and technology. As we look behind at what he achieved and ahead to what his legacy holds for the future, we see the magnitude of this genius of a mans impact upon the twentieth century. Through his immigration and contribution to American science and society, extreme intelligence, and preservation of the United States through intuition in nuclear technology, Albert Einstein was the most influential person of the twentieth century.

IT - Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IT - Project Management - Essay Example Despite the fact that the code of ethics may not be accepted in the academic field, universality may not be wide accepted because of difference in culture, and varied business environment. It is believed that ethical codes should be accepted across all the business environments and ethical principles arise (Cleland, & Gareis, 2006). There are various reasons that can be attributed to this. one is that since professional ethical codes are quite useful and that they share several grounds, they thereby increase the usefulness of adhering to the ethical codes. In adhering to the professional codes of ethics, accountability and standards are established within a profession. In a professional field where standards exist, one would use to evaluate his/her behaviors and compare with expectations from the profession code of ethics. When professionals have defined their ethical rules, they will easily identify on their limits on which to act upon. In setting up the accepted codes of ethics for professionals that they should attain at their minimum efforts, the standards will help push them to meet the expected practices and conducts. In practicing what the code of ethics actually states, the public will consider to be having value and professionals will be acting as examples to the reality. If professionals fully stick to the codes of ethics, they will be honored, and seen as reliable and be seen to practice faithfulness and follow what is good instead of doing what have been set to the as minimum acceptance. Trade-off is a case where one decides to lose quality in a given aspect but gain quality in another aspect in return. There are a number of players of tradeoff. In electricity, electrical engineering employs tradeoffs used in amplifiers to trade gain properties such as bandwidth, stability of the gain and bias point, immunity noise, and finally the distortion in the nonlinear is reduced. Information scientists employ tradeoffs as their tool of trade. They believe th at a given program may be faster in processing if more of its program is used. Such a tradeoff is termed space-time tradeoffs (Kerzer, 2009). It was not his. It was sussy’s In medicine, tradeoffs are faced with problems as far as tradeoff is concern. For instance, a prostrate cancer patient has to weigh the chances of a prolonged life expectancy verses treating stress. That kind of tradeoff is known as patient trade off. In tradeoff that exists in a government, the controversies that exist in politics and problems faced in the social arenas at a given time. Any kind of political event can be considered a series of tradeoffs, and that the foundation of it core vales are targeted to the politicians or high profile people. Trade-off can also be found in music; in this field, instruments of a soloist can be termed tradeoff since they perform the duties of a soloist. For instance, a lead guitarists performing in a musical group, the two shares a guitar solos. Tradeoff mainly appli es to a case where heavy metals are used during a twin guitars featuring. Project management experience documentation Project management concerns planning, controlling of resources so as to complete the project successfully thus achieving set goals. During my work in one of the constructing firms as a project manager, I ensured that all the stages that are to be undertaken and activities involved in the project were well planned. During the planning, all the teams who were in my function were involved. Before the project commenced,

Report of IT tech for food4all Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report of IT tech for food4all - Essay Example In the process of creating live video streams for service delivery sessions, the project uses teleconferencing facilities like overhead cameras, screens or projectors, and high speed Internet connectivity among other technologies that incorporate the application of chat features. The preliminary evaluation aims at enhancing the efficiency of emerging technologies as well as their influence on the service delivery exercise on clients. The discourse covers a portrayal of a case where one of the new technologies gets integrated into food delivery. Putting in place a projector and a screen in the media centre used by clients for getting information. Employees will use the same to offer technology professional advanced services, it will also be a client centre for technology, and family meetings among clients will use it for conferences. Other uses include serving as the client center for technology learners in the food supply system, being a likely LVS centre for those with catch-up programs, and a centre for family nights. Using the projector and the screen will enable every participant or client to see clearly, what the project offers. To advance professional services and development for employees handling Promethean Boards during service delivery. Professional development will take place during one of the in-service services sessions scheduled in addition to the after meal on-site programs throughout food delivery. It is consequential for employees to comprehend ways of operating and integrating important aspects such as Promethean into delivering services applied during live streaming and not just the use of boards to impart knowledge among clients. Provision of materials and software for the newly introduced ACT project important in Prep Course. The relevance of ACT is for clients to remain complaint with the new live streaming methods introduced for delivery of food. Food service delivery companies previously provide catch-up

How to Essay Example for Free

How to Essay Mmmhm Can you smell that? The aroma of gooey gorgonzola cascading down a mount of al dente bow tie pasta. Have you ever been stuck in a rut and had no clue what to cook for your date or in general? Why not cook pasta? Not just any pasta, but bow tie pasta with creamy gorgonzola sauce that will take your taste buds on a ride! Mmmhm Now let me take you on an excursion through culinary excellency and show you step by step how to make this exquisite meal and some tips how to make your meal extra special. There? s no such thing as pasta without a boiling pot. To achieve the best taste pallet possible out of this dish I use my lucky ceramic boiling pot. You might think, why isn? t that silly, a lucky ceramic pot. Well just like how singers and actors have there lucky charm, I have my pot to make this pasta dish extra special. Once you get the pot on the stove you want to make sure the stove is set on high to ensure that the pasta gets cooked fast and easily and add about two cups of water and a dash of salt for ?avor. In a few minutes you would start to hear the sudtle POP POP of the water and that? s your que to add the bow tie pasta. Now there are many varieties of bow tie pasta to chose from but when making it with gorgonzola sauce you want to choose one with crunch to controvict with the creaminess of the gorgonzola and the best pasta for this job is ronzoni because of its low sodium level. As soon as the pasta is in the pot, i get to work with the sauce. For this you? ll need a nice chunk of gorgonzola cheese,milk,pepper, and of course butter to add that fatty taste to the sauce. Put all of these in a separate pot than the pasta and set the How to do essay ~ stove to medium for a slow and easy cook. Slowly the cheese disappears into a thick blue and white sauce. The aroma of the cheese slowly creeps into your nose causing you noseHere comes the hardest part. The agonizing and tantalizing wait for the pasta to cook.

Their Eyes Were Watching God :: Zora Neale Hurston Literature Novels Essays

Their Eyes Were Watching God While reading Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, I was struck with the similarity of the attitude towards life which she shared with the leader of the French surrealist group, Andrà © Breton. Like Breton, Hurston's central value was the "marvelous," especially as it can be seen in the world of love. Breton defined the "marvelous" in contrast to the fantastic. "Le merveilleux, nul n'est mieux parvenu à   le dà ©finir par opposition au `fantastique' qui tend, hà ©las, de plus en plus à   le supplanter auprà ¨s de nos contemporains. C'est que le fantastique est presque toujours de l'ordre de la fiction sans consà ©quence, alors que le merveilleux luit à   l'extrà ªme pointe du mouvement vital et engage l'affectività © tout entià ¨re" (Preface 16). [The marvelous, there is no better way to define it than by opposition to the `fantastic,' which, alas, is increasingly tending to supplant it in the eyes of our contemporaries. The fantastic is almost always of the order of a fiction without consequence, whereas the marvelous shines at that extreme point of the spirit's ability of movement and entirely engages the emotions.] Hurston's famous work certainly achieves this definition of the "marvelous," but could we therefore say that she was a surrealist? She doesn't mention the French surrealists in her works, and yet, I think we can see her "contemporaneity" with the surrealist movement not only in terms of the times in which she lived, but also the concerns she dealt with, if we borrow yet another definition, this time from the American critic Kenneth Burke. "For instance, if modern New York is much like decadent Rome, then we are `contemporaneous' with decadent Rome, or with some corresponding decadent city among the Mayas, etc. It is in this sense that situations are `timeless,' `nonhistorical,' `contemporaneous'" (301302). Hurston, like the surrealists, shared an interest in "mad love" over other more materialistic values, and she found he r interests incarnated in the island of Haiti, and its cult of Erzulie, the goddess of divine love. Andrà © Breton visited the island of Haiti, and was extremely interested in the poets and writers he encountered there, praising the Haitian poet Magloire St. Aude, for example, as the only contemporary who could equal the intensity of the recently deceased Apollinaire, Nerval, and Stephane Mallarmà © ("Magloire St. Aude" 171). The Haitian goddess of love, Erzulie, could be, in turn, considered a sister of the beautiful goddess that "Nadja" represented in Breton's most important work, and Hurston's Their Eyes could be seen as one of the few books which can match the intensity of Nadja.

Capstone Project Essay

There is no more need to fight crowds, find a parking spot, and deal with traffic. The high street and mail order systems still have a place in the mix of purchase routes; however it is no longer the only method of making purchases. The Internet revolution has seen a massive increase in the long distance purchases made by consumers, as geographical barriers are no longer as important as they were. The lack of geographical importance has influenced the strategy of Internet companies. One of the first companies that took advantage of this was the online bookshop Amazon. om. Amazon. com is an organization that offers a broad range of services to consumers and is considered an online leader of pure-plays – pure online merchants. Amazon. com was founded in July of 1995 with a mission to fully utilize the Internet to make book buying fast, easy, and all in all, a very enjoyable experience. They currently have 29 million customers in 160 different countries, making Amazon. com one of the leading online merchants. It is rated third in business-to-consumer online revenue as of June 20, 2000. Amazon. com represents the ideal e-Commerce company. It was one of the first to demonstrate the potential for â€Å"virtual† upstarts and turned the market on end – even leading the â€Å"bricks and mortar† companies. Analyze the company’s mission and vision statements against the performance of the organization. Then, evaluate how well the company lives out its mission and vision statement. Provide support from the organization’s performance in your evaluation. Amazon’s company mission and vision statement is to continue to offer quality products and services using the best technology available and at a reasonable price. This results in highly loyal customers, while maintaining shareholders interest and company profits in mind. We also want to expand geographically, increasing the number of customers and to keep improving our main competitive advantage – infrastructure. By working hard and having fun we seek to offer the best working environment to our employees, promoting career opportunities, and to increase our responsibility towards environment and the society. (www. amazon. com). In basing that off of the performance of the company it can be concluded that they are living out their mission statement. As more retail categories get added, the opportunity will only expand Assess how the organization’s strategic goals link to the company’s mission and vision. The strategic goals of Amazon. com are very simple they work off of six basic principles which are the freely proffers products and services, the use a customer friendly interface, the company scales easily from small to large, they exploit its affiliate’s products and resources, the use existing communication systems, and finally Amazon utilizes universal behaviors and mentalities (www. arketingplan. com). Most of the marketing the Amazon does is indirect marketing where you probably will not see allot of ads for the company on billboards or during the commercial breaks of televisions shows, the company uses allot of online ploys and has very good relations with other partners they use these strengths to market themselves to a great amount of people. This goes hand in hand with their mission statement and vision which is increasing the number of customers and to keep improving our main competitive advantage, since the majority of society uses the internet for all of the business needs, this will work to the advantage of Amazon as they can link up with several of their business partners and even provide links on those pages that will take a potential customer directly to the website. Amazon rarely uses the offline marketing process; they use the motto â€Å"Since most people shop online that is where they will be†. (www. arketingplan. com). Also Amazon has a convenient way for customers to make their purchase more effectively and efficiently which is part of the marketing strategy of them focusing on being customer friendly. Amazon uses a streamlined ordering process that applies the most advanced technology to allow the customers to better navigate and explore online. Amazon uses a one click option once you have everything that you need, you place them in your basket and you pay for everything all at once without having to do multiple orders which make it convenient for the customers. Analyze the company’s financial performance to determine the link between the company’s strategic goals, strategy, and its financial performance. Detail your findings. One of the main strategic goals that Amazon has set with the company is offer quality products that bring in profits that sentiment is identified in the mission and vision statement and over time this company has been able to maximize their profits and minimize their expenses through the North American market as well as the international market as well. The earnings statement shows that Amazon has found a way to have increased sales performance through both of their selling markets. The North America segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from sellers) and subscriptions through North America-focused websites such as www. amazon. com and www. amazon. ca and include amounts earned from AWS. This segment includes export sales from www. amazon. com and www. amazon. ca. The International segment consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from sellers) and subscriptions through internationally focused locations.

Bao Viet Insurance

Bao Viet is one of the most popular insurance company in Vietnam. It was established in 1964. With a strong and prestigious trademark in insurance industry and a network throughout 64 provinces nationwide, Bao Viet has become the leading financial-insurance group in Vietnam. In 2007, Bao Viet launched its Initial Public Offering and became a multi-business financial group. I.The mission, values and objectives of Bao Viet enterprise and the influences of stakeholders: To have a successful business, all companies have to have their own strategies. The first element is that the firm has to show the answer for the question â€Å"why do we exist?† or â€Å"what do we want to become?†. In other words, each company must have their missions or visions which are considered as a magnetic needle for all the people of company such as manager, workers or officers, etc to follow up. As a result, Bao Viet also has their own vision: â€Å"Bao Viet's vision is to be o-ne of the leading financial groups in Vietnam in life and non-life insurance, investment, securities and other financial services† (Anon., 2008). To achieve this mission, the company wants to set up the high standard in every services that they undertake by innovations in productions and knowledge. In addition, by these activities, Bao Viet will also build up their reputation in Vietnam and have a long-term relationship with the customers, clients and business partners. All the enterprises need to identify their values which they can believe on it to secure their businesses. There are some values of Bao Viet for their goals and aims which is â€Å"innovation†, â€Å"growth† and â€Å"efficiency†. Principal of innovation for this company can be set up by receiving customers’ comments or feedbacks. After that, the company can renew their products or provide for customers a higher standard of service. Whilst, growth and efficiency can be assessed by basing on the business’s profits. For example, total revenue of the company in 1989 was VND 76 billion, after seven years, in 1996, this number increased rapidly at VND 970 billion. Bao Viet also should have some obvious objectives to follow. Bao Viet improves their standards of products and services to satisfy the demands of the clients and hope to have more customers and make more profits. For example, due to the success in the first six months of 2008, Bao Viet’s firm has their objective for the last six months: the business will strive to reach the total revenue of VND 3,150 billion in the whole of 2008. Next, the company should know and recognize the importance of stakeholders towards their business. There are three types of stakeholders. Firstly, we have internal stakeholders such as managers and employees who have immediate influences on the activities of the business. Managers will control all the management of the business, they decide to do or not a project so this position is very important for all the enterprises. Employees are also an major part of a business. They are the people who have the main influences on the success of a company. Employees join in the process of production directly, so if they are received high wages and bonuses to motivate them, the quality of products will improve enormously. On the other hand, if managers or employees do not do their works well, the business may get some loss of profits. The second one is connected stakeholders. Shareholders invest in the business in return of their dividends. In some cases, their investments can make them become the owners of the company if they have the largest ordinary shares of public limited company. In other words, shareholders can affect on the business by raising capital and even becoming the owners. Another part of connected stakeholders is banker who can lend the firm large amounts of cash to increase the capital. However, if the company does not make profits to repay their interest, bankers can confiscate the assets and make the enterprise go bankruptcy. Next, Suppliers who supply equipments for the company will expect to be paid and a long term relationship with suppliers can help the business to have more benefits. The last one is customers who need the products or services. For many enterprises, customers are people who decide what is produced or what price is charged. Their behaviors, feedbacks or complaints will influence on the success of the company directly. Thirdly, we have the external stakeholders. Government has a big position for the success of a business by making the laws and regulations which all the firms have to follow to do the businesses. Local authorities also can affect the business by changing local environment such as increase in road traffic. The next one is professional bodies, who want to ensure that the members of the company comply with professional ethics and standards, also affect the business. II.The extent to which Bao Viet company achieves the objectives of three stakeholders: For internal stakeholders such as managers, they are interested in the company’s continuation and growth. They also have some individual interests and goals, for example, a safe and comfortable working environment and skill and career development, etc. Therefore, to achieve the objectives of internal stakeholders, the company needs to increase the revenue and improve the standards of working environment. Bao Viet was held up in 1964, they have 43 years of foundation and growth. In some first years, their revenue only raised a little, turnovers at that time was VND 800,000 with total assets of VND 900,000 because they only served for some state-owned customers. Now, Bao Viet has widened their nationwide network and developed the business to overseas market. In addition, the income also increase enormously: Its investment income in 2003 reached VND 512 billion from a total portfolio of VND 8,114 billion. These great advances make the company become one of the biggest 25 enterprises in Vietnam. Moreover, on 31st May 2007, Bao Viet was listed on the stock market to sell their shares to the public. After this, the chartered capital of Bao Viet increased at VND 6,800 billion. Bao Viet has 40,000 dedicated agents and 5,000 employees with experienced experts and young, well-trained staff so this company always has a good environment for people to work. Bao Viet also achieves in the services for customers who represent for the connected stakeholders. Customers always want to receive the best products or services for their demands. They can complain or give comments to the business about the products and their satisfaction is very important for the company’s success. As a result, the firm always needs to listen to the customers’ opinions, this will make major influences on the new products or services in terms of quality or price. Firstly, Bao Viet strategy bases on the customer orientation which means the customers will become the centre of all activities. The company has taken over the feedback of customers and pay a large amount of money for the customers who bought their insurance. For example, Anh N of Vietnamnet (2004) said that Bao Viet had paid VND 1,000 billion for people who had got accidents or disasters in 2003. Bao Viet also issued more types of insurance such as personal insurance, river boat insurance or fishing boat insurance, etc to serve the customers’ demands. These types will help the customers in many careers to have more choices and make more benefits for the company. Secondly, because of a huge system of nationwide network over the country, Bao Viet has some difficulties to keep contacting with the clients in some parts of Vietnam. Therefore, the company decided to establish more offices and more officers to improve the quality of services for the customers : â€Å"Bao Viet Da Nang built four regional offices in Thanh Khe, Lien Chieu, Hoa Vang, Son Tra – Ngu Hanh Son and a line-up of 120 people who are willing to guide, provide insurance services for the clients everywhere at every time.† (Ha T., 2004). Moreover, Bao Viet associated with some company to develop the quality of services for the customers such as HSBC Vietnam company. By this communication, Bao Viet might provide products for their customers through branch houses of HSBC Vietnam company. Overall, Bao Viet is improving more and more their system of products and services to serve the customers. Besides the benefits for internal and connected stakeholders, Bao Viet also satisfies the requirement of government, an external stakeholder. Government has some main roles such as passing laws to protect workers and customers, collecting taxes or subsidizing activities, etc. Mr Hoan, Chief executive officer of Bao Viet headquarter stated that in 2003, Bao Viet paid VND 189 billion for the government, increased by 8.2% in comparison with the amount in 2002 (Anh N., 2004). Therefore, Bao Viet achieved the responsibility with the government. Meanwhile, the expansion of Bao Viet will increase the chances for people to have jobs, this activity will help the government to solve the problem of unemployment. In conclusion, Bao Viet succeed to achieve the objectives of all the stakeholders which includes internal stakeholder, connected stakeholder and external stakeholder. III.The responsibilities of the company and strategies employed to meet objectives of stakeholders: The first responsibility of the company is social responsibility. Bao Viet has some responsibilities for the government. For example, Bao Viet must pay tax for their income, in other words, the company must follow all the regulations and laws which the government have issued. Besides, they also make benefits for the local communities such as reducing the ratio of unemployed people in the area. Secondly, we have the ethics and business. Obeying the law is that the company must follow the laws and regulations to do the business. Furthermore, the company has to respect the rights of competitors. The firm has not to criticize or attack the rights of competitors or do everything which can harm the competitors. Business ethics also includes that the organization should protect the employees and consumer from danger of the business. In addition, the company also must not do some illegal activities such as bribery or gifts. The next one is the management responsibilities. The company should have good relationship with all their stakeholders. Now, Bao Viet has their IPO, so they will have more shareholders. In addition, the business has the responsibility to maximize the profits for shareholders. As a result, they will continue to invest in the company and the business will make more benefits. Second one is the employees who keeps the organization in operational existence. They contribute for the company by joining in the production directly so their position is also very important and they should be received a suitable treatment in terms of wages or salary, bonuses, etc. Moreover, the firm also should give the employees a coherent career and a training structure to make them become better and work more efficiently. Meanwhile, the company needs to make a good environment for workforce’s lifestyle and make a good condition for them to express all their talent. Next, I will talk about the responsibility for customers. For Bao Viet, the enterprise has to listen to every feedbacks of the customers, develop the quality of services and keep contacting with them to provide enough information which the customers want to know. For the suppliers, the firm must not delay payment or use the power unscrupulously. In addition, having a long-term relationship or giving new supplier the chance to win new business also makes benefits for both sides. The business also have some responsibilities for the competitors such as the laws of competition about fair trading, monopolies or mergers, etc. The last one is responsibilities for the Community. Each area has their own social and ethical values, so that the firm has to respect these values. Moreover, when the Community needs more capital to hold up an event or charity, the business also should sponsor for them. This way will also make benefits for the company because they have a chance to spread their brand. In addition, the last one is that the enterprise has to respond to complaints for local residents. In this part, I will give some strategies which Bao Viet has followed to meet the objectives of stakeholders. The first strategy is to become o ¬ne of the leading financial groups which has an ability of international competitiveness, providing a wide array of financial services from life and non-life insurance, securities, investment to financial services. This expansion will help the business to widen the market for more consumers. The second one is to become the corporation which is the most popular in Vietnam towards the customers. This strategy will be useful and important for a customer orientation company. Next, the company wants to â€Å"become an organization that can maintain and enhance the â€Å"Prestige† â€Å"Reputation† and â€Å"Honesty and Integrity†, having the â€Å"Loyalty† of customers, and BAOVIET members† (Business Environment textbook, 2008). All of the strategies are based on three gold principles of â€Å"innovation†, â€Å"growth† and â€Å"efficiency†. Reference http://www.vietnamnet.vn/xahoi/doisong/2004/10/340859/

transpiration essays

transpiration essays Transpiration is the evaporation of water from cells and tissues. In the plants studied this is the loss of water from the leaves. The water enters the stem of the leaf from the potometers tube via osmosis. Because the water potential in the stem is lower then that in the tube the water molecules enter the stem down a water potential gradient. Once in the stem, in the xylem cells this occurs again as the next cell along has a lower water potential from the one before it. The theory of how the water moves up the stem and out the leaves is called cohesion tension theory. As the water molecules move from cell to cell, they pull other water molecules with them. This pulling affect, known as the transpiration pull is possible due to cohesive forces between the molecules. The pull creates tension in the xylem cells, which pulls the water through the stem. The water potential in the atmosphere is usually lower then that in the leaf. If the stomata in the leaf are open, the water molecules are able to go down the concentration gradient into the atmosphere. If there is some air movement this water is moved away from the leaf as it leaves the stomata. This is replaced by more water evaporating from the surrounding the substomatal space. The water is taken fro these cells in 2 ways: Apoplast method- Water travels along the cell wall along spaces in-between cellulose fibres. As this water evaporates into the substomatal space from the wall of 1 cell, it creates a tension, which pulls water from the cell walls of other cells. The pull is transmitted through the plant by cohesive forces between each of the water molecules. Symplast method Cells are connected to each other by tiny gaps called plasmodesmata. Water can move into the cell via osmosis through these gaps. If water is lost from the cell through the stomata, the water potential of this cell is lowered. Water will now flow into this cell from the cells near the xylem vesse...

Historical and Contemporary Perspectives of Aging in the Work Place Research Paper

Historical and Contemporary Perspectives of Aging in the Work Place - Research Paper Example Such classifications also tend to associate individuals of the same groups with particular characteristics ranging from physical to social characteristics. This inherently leads to different perspectives held by the society concerning aging; and is particularly inherent in the workforce. Individuals of different ages are perceived differently in the workforce and the perceptions significantly vary across history, with the historical perspective of aging differing from the contemporary perspectives (Armstrong-Stassen & Schlosser, 2011). The United Nations indicated that the world’s elderly population exhibits the fastest growth rate ever. The projections indicated that by the year 2050, more than two billion people will be aged 60 and over (Brooke, Taylor, Mcloughlin & Biase, 2012). The aging populations particularly in the workforce have been described by terms such as ‘old age tsunami’ and ‘demographic time bomb’. The apocalyptic language indicates that historically, the elderly population has been small compared to the contemporary society. Those who are 60 and above are hugely talented, have the relevant experience as well as the necessary skills and knowledge. The most likely challenge that will arise in the future will, therefore, be how to maintain and capitalize on the potentiality of this age group without disposing them away in retirement. This has seen efforts by countries such as Germany and France to increase the retirement age to 62 from 60 by 2018 (Brooke, Taylor, Mcl oughlin & Biase, 2012). Historically, the elderly in the workforce have been largely subjected to voluntary or forceful retirement and entrenchment. This was in effort to accommodate the growing youth populations with better talents, skills and knowledge and who have undergone better training and educational courses. In the contemporary society, the then youthful population is now increasingly making up the elderly population. With their essential capacities, the

The Greatest Songs of All Times Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Greatest Songs of All Times - Essay Example It is worth appreciating that there are different types of genres that relay varied messages to the music fans. Perhaps one that has been most common since historical times pertains to the classic rock music genre. This has distinct characteristics that distinguish it from the rest of the genres. Just like other genres, the success of each music is highly depended on the manner in which the writer and composer integrate various musical attributes to come up with a classic masterpiece. It is against this background that this paper provides an explicit review of five classical songs in light of the musical techniques that were employed in their creation. At this point, it is worth noting that through rock music, artists are usually able to pass on important messages in the ‘hardest manner’. In addition to the messages contained therein, the lovers of this music are usually attracted to it because of the musical effect that it has on their feelings. This can be only attaine d through the technique employed by the artists. In this respect, instrumentation plays an important role in attaining this goal. It does not only give the music rhythm and melody, but it also gives it harmony. The interplay of all these factors is important in enabling it to have a positive effect on the audience. In its I can’t get any Satisfaction, The Rolling Stone places great emphasis on the music altitude. This is attained through the artists’ use of sneering vocal and primal temper. According to Morse, its rhythm can be compared to ‘avenging strut† (Morse 46). The horns that the artists use play an instrumental role in improving the harmony of the music. The artists use this to make the piece unique and accord it an upper hand in the music industry. Perhaps the most important aspect of this music pertains to the use of technology. Notably, this has been employed in enhancing the altitude that the artists wished to place emphasis on. The use of the g uitar was particularly important in according this piece of art the rock characteristic. In his Like the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and the other musicians use the guitar to achieve a rhythm in this song. During the recording, they also employ other instruments such as tambourine and the Bass. Although these are not noticeable from the outset, their importance in adding to and enhancing the feel of the song cannot be understated. In particular, they integrate into the song a couple of flashes that also contribute significantly to the harmony of the song. In his review, Rooksby indicates that Dylan’s voice contributes a great deal to the idyllic melody that the song exhibits (Rooksby 30). In essence, it gives the song a ‘rocky’ attribute that gives it an upper hand against its competitors. Comparatively, the effect of the artists sounds yields better results than that of the instruments. This is because, through the sound, artists are able to inform the audiences a bout their intention and objective. Statistical evidence indicates that a significant percentage of the audiences place great emphasis on the messages that they are relayed as opposed to the instrumentation. For this reason, the artist’s voice is a great asset that is elemental for their success. In his song, Dylan uses a lilting rock sound effect and makes it nasal and less sing-song. Instead, he makes his voice deep and scratchy.

Foreign Direct Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example IFIs have been in existence courtesy of political and economic interests. Faster economic integration, through the elimination of cross-border barriers between the member countries, raises the possibility the spread of economic crisis across the region in the event of a policy failure and the role of international financial institutions in future to alleviate the problem. This is especially true because IFIs have not acted fast or adequate enough to enable countries avoid or manage the impacts of financial crises (Marktanner and Salman 4479). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank are prominent IFIs, which provide financial services across the world. They were both set up at Bretton Woods in 1944 to control the post-war global economy. The establishment of IMF was inspired by the desire to manage the modalities of fixed exchange rates across states and to help nation-states ease budget shortfalls, while the World Bank’s scope at its inception was to enable na tions achieve post-war reconstruction efforts. Since then, the roles of both institutions have changed significantly following a swift evolution of the scope and mandate of international economy. These international changes have sparked concerns relating to the significance of the two international financial institutions. ... Nonetheless, the United States’ stance on the balance of payments weakened drastically in the 1960s as a result of heavy military budgets and soaring inflation rates. As a result, the suspension of the United States convertibility to gold in early 1970s led to the disintegration of the monetary system agreed upon at Bretton Woods. And for four decades now, all nations have set up internal mechanism to guide exchange rates. These range from fixed currency exchange rates to controlled floats and liberal floating systems. Benefits of IFIs Despite the shortfalls, IFIs are advantageous because the credit risk often comes out in adverse cases. As a result, the establishment of IFIs to cater for the financial needs of governments cannot be rivalled by the private sector. IFIs offer financial services at highly reduced costs, and do not exert a lot of pressures upon the loaner. This means IFIs operate in an even-handed manner, without passing extra costs to the loaner (Marktanner and Salman 4482). As the economy is mostly forced to factor in the political effects, this risk is invisible in the operation of IFIs. These organizations represent the qualified source of finances and may provide financial services at, or below the market interest rate, this being allowed even in the scenarios where global capital market reigns. In the event that the global capital markets remain steadfast, the ensuing scenario often manifests in the missing certitude in loaning each country, which essentially takes place due to the essence of the management of the economy. The challenge that a government may not have the capacity to handle the duty service is much reduced in a national economy that has

United Farm Workers and Mexican Americans Essay Example for Free

United Farm Workers and Mexican Americans Essay The 1960s was a turbulent decade in the American history, filled with conflict over issues brought up by many different minority groups to form the various Civil Rights Movements. In this decade, the Chicano Movement started to gain a mass following and became a dynamic force of social change. Similar to blacks, Mexican Americans were plagued by police brutality, poverty, and inequality. In the pursuit of tackling these problems, the history of Chicanos in California consisted of the convergence of multiple movements: A youth movement represented in the struggle against discrimination in schools; the farm workers movement; and the movement for political empowerment, most notably in the formation of La Raza Unida Party1. The organizing efforts and achievements in California had major impact on the fate of Mexican Americans. Improvements in barrios, farm-labor camps, school districts and politic representation, led other states to sought reform. Education has long been a primary target of Mexican American activists and reformers. The Mexican American community had the highest high school dropout rate and lowest college attendance amongst all ethnic groups. As a result of the constant underestimation of students as well as the failure to upkeep facilities, a hostile learning environment was manifested. Their goals included bilingual, bicultural education, Latino teachers and administrators, smaller class sizes, better facilities and the revision of the text books to incorporate Mexican American history. In turn, Chicano students and activists decided to make their struggle public in order to pressure school boards into compliance of their demands for education reforms. In March of 1968, thousands of students walked out of their high school in L. A. protesting racial inequality among their school district. Their effects were not wasted, as the school board recognized their efforts by recruiting and hiring more Chicano teachers and administrators2. Ultimately, this inspired high school protest across the nation. College campuses also formed groups, like the United Mexican American Students, with the purposes to enforce for more Chicano study programs, financial aid, and Mexican faculty. Activists fought for bilingual educational programs and in schools and won in 1976, their hard work created more than 50 Chicano studies program in colleges. 3 Changes were not immediately apparent in high schools; however a significant change occurred in the college recruitment of Latinos and educational programs. Though most of the demands were not met, the walkouts unified and empowered the Chicano community, which in the process became a political force. Another focus of the Chicanos had been politics. Their goals encompassed the increase of Chicano candidates in the political arena, convincing non-Chicano candidates to commit themselves to the need of Mexican American community, conducting broad-scale voter registration and community organization drives, and for more Chicanos in government offices. 4 Rather than representation within the two major political parties—democrat and republic—activists established an organization dedicated to their empowerment, the El Partido de la Raza Unida. Found in 1970 by Jose Angel Gutierrez and Mario Compean, the party became active in community organizing and electoral politics statewide, campaigned for better housing, work, and educational opportunities5. The changes they fought for was made possible by combining mass action: firing of racist teachers, protecting high school student rights, and taking advantage of federal government monies they were entitled to, but was not utilized by the previous city government. Police polices were modified as well to benefit Chicano communities. The La Raza Unida Party leaders also worked to raise the wages of school and city workers to encourage unionization6. Though La Raza Unida is no longer a registered political party in the United States, its legacy is still very much alive, affecting the lives of Mexican Americans today. One aspect of the Chicano movement highlighted the rights of the workers in the fields of California. In order to fight against harsh working conditions, low wages and discrimination of Mexican farm workers, the United Farmworkers Union Organizing Committee was established. Led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, the UFWOC accomplished its greatest victory when their strikes, boycotts, convinced the largest table grape grower, John Guimara Sr. , to only hire workers represented by the union. Despite their victory, union leaders struggled to create a union to represent all agricultural workers; As a result a three-month strike by grape workers in California began. Due to the efforts of Chavez and his union in 1975, California passed the Agricultural Labor Relations Act; which guaranteed farm workers’ rights to organize. 71 Although seen as an accomplishment, more restrictions were placed on the actions of unions. Today, agricultural workers in California are still being exploited, working in poor conditions with little pay and limited representation. Chicanos in California have played no small role in the social, economic, and political development of California. Not only is California home to majority of the Mexican Americans population in the United States, but also it is the scene of Chicano cultural Renaissance and has contributed to Hispanic cultural renaissance in the United States. California has also been the home of Chicano publication—including magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals. 7 Although much of the problems faced by Chicanos in the 20th century had been resolved through reforms during the Civil Rights Era, many Mexican Americans are still being marked by oppression and exploitation. Not only in the field, but industries as well. They are often found working at wage jobs and poor conditions. Over the next few decades, other social reforms for Mexican Americans can be expected. Almost six decades after it began, the Chicano Movement still holds a visible impact on California. As a result of activism in politics, education, and farm work, much of the hardship faced by Chicanos in the early history of California have been resolved. The most prominent outcome of the Chicano Movement are still within academia, with the formation of numerous student centers at college campuses across the nation that aims to students of color as well as the establishment of Chicano Studies Departments and so on. The Literary and art movements of the 1970s also left an enduring mark on the Chicano community. The impact of Chicanos in California gave rise to countless Chicano communities where none existed before. Although activists today are still working on the struggles faced by Chicanos today in various fields, such as farm work, their movement in the 1960s has surely impacted California social, economic and political standing.

Indian Steel Sector SWOT Analysis

Indian Steel Sector SWOT Analysis India has rich mineral resources. It has abundance of iron ore, coal and many other raw materials required for iron and steel making. It has the fourth largest iron ore reserves (10.3 billion tonnes) after Russia, Brazil, and Australia. Therefore, many raw materials are available at comparatively lower costs. It has the third largest pool of technical manpower, next to United States and the erstwhile USSR, capable of understanding and assimilating new technologies. Considering quality of workforce, Indian steel industry has low unit labour cost, commensurate with skill. This gets reflected in the lower production cost of steel in India compared to many advanced countries. With such strength of resources, along with vast domestic untapped market, Indian steel industry has the potential to face challenges successfully. The major strengths can be summarized as: Abundant resources of iron ore Low cost and efficient labor force Strong managerial capability Strongly globalised industry and emerging global competitiveness Modern new plants modernized old plants Strong DRI production base Regionally dispersed merchant rolling mills Weaknesses This are inherent in the quality and availability of some of the essential raw materials available in India, e.g., high ash content of indigenous coking coal adversely affecting the productive efficiency of iron-making and is generally imported. Also, Steel is a capital intensive industry; steel companies in India are charged an interest rate of around 14% on capital as compared to 2.4% in Japan and 6.4% in USA. In India the advantages of cheap labour get offset by low labour productivity; e.g., at comparable capacities labour productivity of SAIL and TISCO is 75 t/man year and 100 t/man years, for POSCO, Korea and NIPPON, Japan the values are 1345 t/man year and 980 t/man year. High administered price of essential inputs like electricity puts Indian steel industry at a disadvantage; about 45% of the input costs can be attributed to the administered costs of coal, fuel and electricity. The major weaknesses can be summarized as: High cost of energy Higher duties and taxes High cost of capital Quality of coking coal Labor laws Dependence on imports for steel manufacturing equipments technology Slow statutory clearances for development of mines Opportunities The biggest opportunity before Indian steel sector is that there is enormous scope for increasing consumption of steel in almost all sectors in India. The Indian rural sector remains fairly unexposed to their Multi-faceted use of steel. The usage of steel in cost Effective manner is possible in the area of housing, fencing, structures and other possible applications where steel can substitute other materials which not only could bring about Advantages to users but is also desirable for conservation of forest resources. Excellent potential exist for enhancing steel consumption in other sectors such as automobiles, packaging, engineering industries, irrigation and water supply in India. The key areas of opportunities can be summarized as: Huge Infrastructure demand Rapid urbanization Increasing demand for consumer durables Untapped rural demand Increasing interest of foreign steel producers in India Threats The linkage between the economic growth of a country and the growth of its steel industry is strong. The growth of the domestic steel industry between 1970 and 1990 was similar to the growth of the economy, which as a whole was sluggish. This strong relation in todays environment where the growth of the industry has become stagnant owing to the overall slowdown has resulted in enhanced rivalry among existing firms. As the industry is not growing the only other way to grow is by increasing ones market share. The Indian steel industry has witnessed spurts of price wars and heavy trade discounts, which has impacted the Indian Steel Industry. Slow growth in infrastructure development Market fluctuations and Chinas export possibilities Global economic slow down Govt. Regulations in Steel Sector Subsidies Interest Subsidy Huge amount of interest subsidy id provides by Indian govt. to PSUs in this sector. In the budget of 2008-09, a total of 60.72 crores of intersest subsidies were provided for the implementation of VRS scheme. Since VRS was for govt. companies so private sector didnt got affected by the VRS scheme, so in a way this subsidy was justified. The benefactors were Hindustan Steelworks Construction Ltd. and MECON. Waiver of guarantee fees Waiver of guarantee fee was on the guarantee given by Govt. of India for cash credit and Bank guarantee and for loans raised from Banks for implementation of VRS. The benefactors were Hindustan Steelworks Construction Ltd., Bharat Refractories Ltd. and MECON Capital Investment Subsidies Indian Govt. provides capital investment subsidies to PSUs. Govt. controlled Steel Development Fund helps PSUs and in private sector Tata steel by providing subsidized capital for financial Restructuring. However, new entrants, like Essar, Ispat and JVSL, who are negotiating with financial institutions (FIs) for capital restructuring, may feel the pinch. Also ,many state governments provide subsidized large capital investments such as new mill construction. The following states have actively engaged in capital incentive grants: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh. Other Regulations Programs that reduce or eliminate customs duties borne by steel producers, based on their exports. The Advanced License Program allow steel producers to import key inputs without paying basic customs fees. Iron export restraints that result in the sale of iron ore by Indias National Mining Development Council (NMDC) for less than cost. The NMDC has sold high-grade iron ore to steel producers at less than market value. Programs that provide steel producers with subsidized loans, lines of credit, tax exemptions, and loan guarantees. The Reserve Bank of India has developed a program through which steel producers can obtain export financing. The government-owned SAIL has received loan forgiveness under the Steel Development Fund. The awarding of captive mining rights for iron ore at less than cost. SAIL, Tata, JSW, and Jindal Steel and Power Limited have acquired iron ore from state-owned land at highly preferential rates estimated at one-fourth of market value. Exemptions from taxes and duties, as well as additional subsidies, for producers operating in Special Economic Zones. Under the 2005 SEZ Act, the Government of India has provided a variety of duty, tax, and fee exemptions. Export tariffs on iron ore supply In June 2008, India enacted export tariffs of 15 percent on all grades of iron ore, pig iron, and ferrous scrap. India revised its exports tariffs again in October and November 2008: the export tariff on pig iron has been revoked, but tariffs on iron ore and ferrous scrap remain in place. In addition, India maintains restrictions on the exports of certain high-grade iron ore. by Indias rapidly growing steel industry. Meanwhile, the GOI also announced plans for increased duties on imports of certain steel products in late 2008. Anti-Dumping Rules These are the measures to safeguard domestic industry from cheap steel exports of other countries. Recently, the government of India has levied anti-dumping duties on certain types of stainless steel that are shipped in from countries like China and Japan. The anti-dumping duties were imposed after finding that certain types of imported steel are landing at below the normal value in the countrys port. The subject countries will pay the duties in Indian currency, notified the board. The Central Board of Customs and Excise imposed the duties by saying that the domestic industry has suffered badly due to the imports from other countries. Licenses Iron ore mining licenses Iron being the basic raw material required such licenses play a major role in defining steel companies supply. Potential entrants The threat of potentially new entrants in the steel industry is low due to the high entry barriers that are present. Capital Requirement Steel industry requires heavy investment in a plant: blast furnace, basic oxygen converters, rolling mills, transportation and infrastructure to deliver high volume of raw materials and so on. It is estimated that between Rs 25-Rs.30 bn. is required to set up an integrated steel plant of 1 MTPA capacity depending on location of plant and technology used. Very few companies will be able to gather this kind of resources and it reduces the likelihood of new entrants. Government Policy Steel industry is a heavily protected industry and the government also has a favourable policy for steel manufacturers. The government can use a variety of strategies like tariffs, subsidies loan and import restrictions to ensure the competitiveness of the domestic market. As a result of government regulations and protections, it has often allowed the domestic steel market to continue operations even when better, cheap quality steel could be imported from another country. Also the steel market face environment regulations and industries are legally bound to develop cleaner and more efficient technologies. Regulation clearances and other issues are some other major concerns of new entrants. Economies of Scale Economies of scale are the cost advantages a business has due to expansion. The average cost of production of the firm decreases as the output increases. As far as steel sector is concerned, economies of scale reduce the costs, RD expenses and industries with economies of scale have better bargaining power while sourcing raw materials. Power of Buyers The buyers in the steel industry are usually quite large like some of the major steel consumption sectors like automobiles, oil gas, consumer durables, power generation which enjoy high bargaining power and obtain better deals for themselves. This tends to strengthen the buyer power somewhat. However steel is widely used in a wide variety of applications and steel companies can rely on relatively large number of customers overall which reduces the buyer power. There is not too much to distinguish between the products of companies in the market although some companies try to differentiate themselves by focussing on added-value speciality products. Lack of product differentiation tends to increase buyer power. However certain companies like TATA Steel enjoy a premium on their products because of its quality and its brand value. The buyers tend to enjoy a moderate level of power due to the relatively high no. Of players, low product differentiation and easy access to global markets. Power of Suppliers The key inputs for the steel industry are iron ore and metallurgical coal. The prices of these commodities are generally determined by large scale market forces which are beyond the control of individual steel making companies. Therefore in order to reduce suppliers power, some of the steel making companies go for backward integration. This strategy requires significant capital but it may be advantageous in the long run as the steel company need not depend on third party suppliers and it might offer the company an additional source of revenue if it can sell its raw materials to other companies. Some of the market players also tend to enter into long term contracts with their suppliers in order to fix price and protect against fluctuations. The bargaining power of suppliers is low for fully integrated steel plants like TATA STEEL which have their own mines of key raw materials like iron ore. However non-integrated or semi integrated steel plants like SAIL which import coking coal has to depend on suppliers. In India, NMDC is a major supplier to standalone and non integrated steel plants. Threat of Substitutes There are potential substitutes for steel available like steel reinforced concrete in building construction and aluminium or less common materials like fibreglass (glass-reinforced plastic).In fact, in the automobile industry where manufacturers are looking to use lighter materials aluminium or fibreglass can be especially advantageous. Automobile industry is one of the biggest markets for steel and steel faces competition from plastic and other composites. An aluminium car may be lighter and so more fuel efficient than a steel car. Furthermore, while metals such as steel can corrode, reinforced plastic is more durable. It is therefore possible for substitutes to fulfil the buyers needs more effectively than the original commodity. Steel has already been replaced in some large volume applications: railway sleepers (RCC sleepers), large diameter water pipes (RCC pipes), small diameter pipes (PVC pipes), and domestic water tanks (PVC tanks).The ability of consumers to adopt these subst itutes means that steelmakers cannot raise their prices indefinitely since at some point the substitute will turn out to be more cost effective. In spite of these factors, these alternatives are not very good replacements for steel. Aluminium is not preferable as a substitute for steel since the high cost of electricity used for the purification and extraction of aluminium in India outweighs its advantages as a substitute for steel in automobile industry. Using these substitutes would require substantial re-tooling of the assembly line. Certain large building and civil engineering projects which gain their structural strength from steel would become very difficult to construct if they are constructed using materials such as reinforced concrete. Thus although substitutes might be favourable in certain situations, switching costs are likely to be high. Thus the threat from substitutes is low. Competition The steel market is represented by several large players offering similar products and services. Steel is a commodity which is difficult to diversify strongly and being a commodity branding is not common and there is little difference between competing products. Although different customers require steel with different specifications(e.g. consistency in physical properties of steel, variations in strength, hardness, and bending properties) and steel producers try to specialize in order to reduce the competition but in doing so they also limit the size of their potential market. Therefore, the relative lack of diversification increases rivalry. Large companies present in the steel industry can take advantage of scale economies. The exit barriers are also high since many of the major tangible assets are highly specific to steel industry which makes it difficult to divest. As a result the steel makers are motivated to exist in the steel industry even when the market conditions are not good which tends to increase rivalry. The steel industry in India is also affected by macroeconomic conditions which further intensify rivalry. Local Competition for POSCO and ArcellorMittal SAIL Steel Authority of India (SAIL) is a steel manufacturing and marketing company. The Indian government owns about 86% of the outstanding shares of the company. SAIL is Indias second largest producer of iron ore. It is a fully integrated iron and steel maker, producing both basic and special steel products for domestic construction, engineering, power, railway, automotive, and defense industries, and for sale in export markets. The companys main steel products include hot and cold rolled sheets and coils, galvanized sheets, electrical sheets, structurals, railway products, plates, bars and rods, stainless steel, and other alloy steels. SAIL operates through eleven segments: Bhilai steel plant (BSP), Bokaro steel plant (BSL), Rourkela steel plant (RSP), Durgapur steel plant (DSP), IISCO steel plant (ISP), Salem steel plant (SSP), Visveswaraya iron and steel plant (VISL), Alloy steel plant (ASP), Maharashtra Elektrosmelt, power companies, and others. The five integrated steel plants have a combined capacity of 12.5 million tonnes of crude steel and 10.74 million tonnes of saleable steel. The company recorded net sales (sales net of excise duty) of INR431,767.6 million (approximately $9,421.2 million) in the financial year ended March 2009 (FY2009), an increase of 9.1% over FY2008. The operating profit of the company was INR75,600.2 million (approximately $1,649.6 million) in FY2009, a decrease of 22.8% compared with FY2008. The net profit was INR62,529.1 million (approximately $1,364.4 million) in FY2009, a decrease of 17.7% compared with FY2008. The main strengths of SAIL are its government backing and its captive sources of raw materials. SAIL has the second largest mining outfit in India after Coal India (CIL). Spread over the states of Jharkhand, Orissa, and Madhya Pradesh, the mines of SAIL serve as captive sources of raw materials for its integrated steel plants. SAIL has five iron ore mines at Meghahatuburu, Kiriburu, Bolani, Barsua, and Kalta; and four limestone/dolomite quarries at Kuteshwar, Purnapani, Bhawanathpur, and Tulsidamar. SAIL plans to meet its additional 40 million tonnes of iron ore requirement through the development of new mines at Rowghat in Chhatisgarh and Chiria, Taldih, South Block (Kiriburu), Central Block (Meghahataburu), and expansion of existing operations at Kiriburu, Meghahataburu, Bolani and Gua, all in Jharkhand. Furthermore, it is developing new coal mines at Tasra and Sitanala in Jharkhand, which will produce about 2.5 million tonnes of washed coking coal per annum in the next three to four years. Captive sources of raw materials provide a competitive advantage as they shield the company from fluctuations in raw material prices. However if they are successful in entering India, competition from global steel manufacturers with expanded production capacity, such as ArcelorMittal and POSCO, could result in significant price competition, declining margins, and reductions in revenue for the company. Tata Steel Tata Steel Group is a private sector steel group in India. It is the worlds sixth largest steel company with capacity of 31 million tonnes per annum (tpa). Set up as Asias first integrated steel plant and Indias largest integrated private sector steel company, it is the worlds second most geographically diversified steel producer, with operations in 26 countries and commercial presence in more than 50 countries. The group operates across Asia, Europe, and Australia. Tata Steel Group operates through two segments: Steel and others. The steel segment comprises the subsidiaries, Tata Steel India, Tata Steel Europe, NatSteel Holdings, and Tata Steel (Thailand) Public Company. The group recorded revenues of INR1,473,292.6 million (approximately $32,147.2 million) in the financial year ended March 2009 (FY2009), an increase of 12% over FY2008. The operating profit of the group was INR141,279.5 million (approximately $3,082.7 million) in FY2009, compared with an operating profit of INR 141,213.4 million (approximately $3,081.3 million) in FY2008. The net profit was INR49,509 million (approximately $1,080.3 million) in FY2009, a decrease of 59.9% compared with FY2008. SWOT Analysis A key strength of Tata Steel is its strong RD capabilities through which it develops new products and improves existing products, as well as enhances manufacturing and production methods. Tata Steel Group operates four research centers: Tata Steel Limiteds (TSL) laboratories in Jamshedpur and the Tata Steel Europes (TSE) technology centers in IJmuiden, Netherlands and Rotherham and Teesside, the UK. The group is undertaking research activities in several areas. Tata Steel Group is currently working on various projects that include economic mineral beneficiation aimed at identifying ways to maximize use of raw materials from captive sources; new generation high strength steels, advanced coatings developments, production of ferro-chrome with less energy; hydrogen harvesting, developing state-of-the-art thin film photovoltaic systems, and reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions across its operations. As of March 2009, the patent portfolio of Tata Steel Group comprised over 850 patent applications at various stages between filing and grant and over 850 valid patents granting national exclusive rights owned by the respective group companies. However a weakness for this company is its dependence on Europe as a key market. In FY2009, the company generated about 65% of its revenues from Europe. The depressed levels of demand in the region had a major impact on stainless steel markets. Minor changes in price levels, periodic demand growth, or currency rates in specific market areas and regions can affect Tata Steel Groups competitive position and financial performance. As with SAIL, competition from global steel manufacturers with expanded production capacity, such as ArcelorMittal and POSCO, could result in significant price competition, declining margins, and reductions in revenue for the company. Essar Steel Essar Steel (Essar) is a manufacturer of flat carbon steel from iron ore to ready-to-market products. The companys subsidiaries manufacture gas-based hot briquetted iron (HBI), steel pipes and cold rolled steel. The company operates in India, Canada, the US, the Middle East and Asia. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharastra. The company recorded revenues of INR116,883 million (approximately $2,550.4 million) in the fiscal year ended March 2009, an increase of 8.8% over 2008. The companys operating profit was INR17,969.4 million (approximately $392.1 million) in fiscal 2009, an increase of 13.3% over 2008. Its net profit was INR1,852 million (approximately $40.4 million) in fiscal 2009, a decrease of 56.8% compared to 2008. Jindal Steel Jindal Steel Power (JSPL), part of the Jindal Group, is engaged in steel manufacturing, power generation, coal and iron-ore mining, and exploration and mining of minerals and metals. JSPL operates in India. It is headquartered in New Delhi, India and employs about 15,000 people. The company recorded revenues of INR109,133.7 million (approximately $2,381.3 million) in the financial year ended March 2009 (FY2009), an increase of 97% over FY2008. The operating profit of the company was INR42,677.5 million (approximately $931.2 million) in FY2009, compared with INR17,737.3 million (approximately $387 million) in FY2008. The net profit was INR30,457.2 million (approximately $664.6 million) in FY2009, compared with INR 12,740.2 million (approximately $278 million) in FY2008. Entry Strategy of POSCO and ArcellorMittal The foreign steel MNCs opted to enter India through the FDI route. POSCO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Orissa in June 2005, to set up a 12 MTPA green field steel plant near Paradip, Jagatsinghpur District, Orissa, with an estimated investment of USD 12 billion. The company planned to build a 4 million-tons per annum capacity steel plant in Orissa, during the first phase of its project , and expand the final production volume to 12 million tons per annum. POSCO-India Pvt. Ltd. was incorporated on 25th August 2005. In 2007, POSCO and SAIL signed a MoU to establish a strategic alliance for aligning and cooperating with each other in a wide range of strategic business and commercial interest areas. As per the MoU they agreed to cooperate in the following areas of business: information sharing in the area of corporate strategy planning, exchange of engineers, technicians and other professionals, sharing of know-how and expertise in the areas of development of mines and business practices such as ERP, PI and Six Sigma, joint usage of each others existing marketing and warehousing network, coordination in procurement of coking coal, nickel and ferro-alloys and engagement of transportation vessels. The strategic alliance between POSCO and SAIL was forged so as to synergise their strengths, and retain their identities in the consolidating global steel industry. This alliance was supposed to reinforce the relationship and open the doors of large scale collaboration on strategic business and commercial alignment. ArcellorMittal India Ltd., a subsidiary of ArcellorMittal, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Orissa on 21st December 2006 to set up their first green field integrated steel plant of initial capacity 6 million tons per year (MTPY) at an investment of around 9,300 million USD. ArcelorMittal had also proposed to set up a 12-Million Tonne Per Annum (MTPA) new steel plant in Jharkhand. In the case of both the companies, however, their plans for mega steel plants in India have not fructified due to delays in land acquisition and grant of mining leases. Hence, both the foreign steel giants have started looking for Joint-Venture opportunities in order to become operational in the lucrative Indian market. POSCO has announced a JV with Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) to set up a facility in India. ArcellorMittal also entered into a partnership agreement with steel producer Uttam Galva to buy 35 per cent stake in the latter, partly through share purchase from existing promoters and an open offer. ArcellorMittal is also rumoured to be pursuing a JV with SAIL POSCO-SAIL JV Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO) have agreed to form a joint venture to establish a 3 million ton steel manufacturing unit in Bokaro, India with a total investment of approximately INR150,000 million ($3,232.37 million). SAIL is an India-based manufacturer and supplier of steel and its allied products, while POSCO is a South Korea-based steel manufacturer. As part of the partnership, POSCO will hold a 51% stake in the joint venture by investing INR35,000 million ($754.22 million), while SAIL will hold a 49% stake. The proposed joint venture will also include setting up a 0.3 million ton cold rolled non-oriented (CRNO) steel plant in Maharashtra, India The joint venture with POSCO will allow SAIL to access the latest technology in steel manufacturing and facilitate production of certain special grades of steel. ArcellorMittal-SAIL JV According to The Economic Times, ArcelorMittal, a Luxembourg-based steel producer, may form a 50:50 joint venture (JV) with Steel Authority of India Limited, an Indian steel maker, to establish a steel plant at Bokaro, India. The JV will have a capacity between 3 to 4 million tonnes with an investment of approximately INR120,000 million ($2,697.06 million). Conclusion The Indian steel industry has to factor in higher transaction costs, logistics costs and railway freight costs as compared to countries such as China and South Korea. Even electricity and interest costs in India are quite high, which makes the industry uncompetitive. As for labour costs, the industry suffers a comparative disadvantage vis-Ã  -vis Russia, China and South Korea, even though wage rates are low in India. This is because the labour cost per tonne in India is much higher than these three countries, and therefore, labour productivity is very low. Yet, most of the major Indian steel producers have gained some competitive edge over the years. The Indian steel manufacturers also enjoy other advantages like abundant supply of raw materials, skilled technical manpower, low wage rates and locational advantages. These provide about 55-60 per cent advantage in terms of operational costs. In the final analysis, it is imperative that Indian steel companies become significantly more competitive by improving productivity further and going in for rapid technological upgradation. The companies need to shift focus to competing on superior products and processes, rather than competing on factor endowments. This becomes all the more important since giants like POSCO have realised the competitive advantage that India offers and decided to establish a manufacturing base in India. With international steel giants such as POSCO breathing down the neck of Indian steel makers, it will be even more difficult for the latter to face competition in both domestic as well as international markets. As for POSCO and ArcellorMittal, who are facing huge roadblocks in setting up their plants in India due to land acquisition and mining licence issues, they can pursue projects with lesser hassle in other developing countries like Mexico and Vietnam. In India, they have the support of the government and hence, gradually they have to appease the tribal people that setting up a steel plant will be to their benefit. The tribal people must be compensated in a commensurate manner and all environmental protocols must be maintained. Then the foreign MNCs can expect to have a smooth road ahead in their Indian ventures.