Scholarship

Passion, dedication and time embody a no ordinary volunteer for service and gratitude. Imagining the smiles in the faces of people, especially the less fortunate who have experienced charity is a pretty good feeling knowing that you have given your unconditional time and was able to lend a helping hand. I have shown my spirit of volunteerism for many years now and have been involved in many outreach programs and projects that help communities improve not just their livelihood but also their spiritual growth in many places. Likewise, serving my community church as a Bible study teacher and Usher made me realized how important public service is. This made me grow not to the worst but to the best of my ability to serve for the greater good. With my degree in Human Resource Management and International Relations, I was able to work and assist over 50, 000 Quartermaster Soldiers as a Career Manager with an aim in helping them with their ideal professions or careers. Also, I call myself for response to soldiers who are victims of Sexual Assault in over 85 cases as a Sexual Assault Coordinator while also working as a Unit Victim Advocate. Because of this uncontrollable and worsening abuse, I wanted to go beyond the â€Å"comfort zone† by providing a shelter for battered men and women and do simple but courageous everyday things that will express my deep love and concern for the common abused people. This is the reason why I am dreaming to earn the scholarship offered by the US Army Foundations. Through this, I can be able to help the abused Soldiers and their family members who are victimized by Sexual Assault. Although this dream is but small, the realization of these small actions that we do everyday gives pretty big results because it is through little raindrops that we make big floods. Scholarship I believe I deserve the Bloom Trail Alumni Scholarship because with its assistance the cost of college will be more obtainable. Being able to attend college is important to me because it provides many opportunities for me in making sure I have a successful career and future. By attending college, I will be able broaden my horizon and grown not only as an individual, but more importantly I will be able to grow academically. This fall I will be attending Northern Illinois where I plan to receive my English degree along with my teacher’s certificate. With a teacher’s certificate I want to return to a school similar to Bloom Trail. During my experience here at Bloom Trail I have encountered many opportunities that have shaped these decisions. The diversity here has caused me to look at everything with more of a patient, open approach so I can understand the different personalities I come across. I also have met many teachers along my journey who have affected my decision to further my education in becoming a teacher at a similar school. Even though they probably could have found a job at a better school, they still decided to teach at a school where students need a little more work and someone who has a love for sharing their knowledge and wants to see students succeed. These are the kind of teachers who have pushed me to excel academically instead of just settling for the easy way out. Not only did they push me to do my best educationally, but to also break out of my â€Å"shell† that was holding me back from being someone who could one day make a difference in someone else’s life. Along with these skills, there have been several times I had a lot of pressure on me to meet a certain deadline all while managing the other aspects of my life. These situations have helped me to be a more disciplined and organized individual. With all the chaos of juggling two jobs, a social life, and school going on I’ve still been able to remain a reliable person. My teachers, friends, family, and employers can still count on me to be there when needed and meet my deadlines. So with my skills and experiences I believe I have what it takes to make a good teacher. School is a major aspect in children’s live by helping them shape and mold themselves into for whatever the future has in store for them. I would love to one day be able to say I could do that for someone, and being a teacher would make that possible. Being able to just reach out and touch the life of one child would mean a great deal to me, and with the assistance of your scholarship I will be able to do just that. I will be able to start the next chapter in my life where I look forward to conquering all the obstacles I come across on my journey to one day being able to give back to the community and students just like you have done for me. So I greatly appreciate the opportunity of being considered for this honor and I hope you will be able to make my dreams possible by awarding me your scholarship. Scholarship Passion, dedication and time embody a no ordinary volunteer for service and gratitude. Imagining the smiles in the faces of people, especially the less fortunate who have experienced charity is a pretty good feeling knowing that you have given your unconditional time and was able to lend a helping hand. I have shown my spirit of volunteerism for many years now and have been involved in many outreach programs and projects that help communities improve not just their livelihood but also their spiritual growth in many places. Likewise, serving my community church as a Bible study teacher and Usher made me realized how important public service is. This made me grow not to the worst but to the best of my ability to serve for the greater good. With my degree in Human Resource Management and International Relations, I was able to work and assist over 50, 000 Quartermaster Soldiers as a Career Manager with an aim in helping them with their ideal professions or careers. Also, I call myself for response to soldiers who are victims of Sexual Assault in over 85 cases as a Sexual Assault Coordinator while also working as a Unit Victim Advocate. Because of this uncontrollable and worsening abuse, I wanted to go beyond the â€Å"comfort zone† by providing a shelter for battered men and women and do simple but courageous everyday things that will express my deep love and concern for the common abused people. This is the reason why I am dreaming to earn the scholarship offered by the US Army Foundations. Through this, I can be able to help the abused Soldiers and their family members who are victimized by Sexual Assault. Although this dream is but small, the realization of these small actions that we do everyday gives pretty big results because it is through little raindrops that we make big floods.

Nonverbal Communication Codes Essay

1. What nonverbal messages are being sent in this image? Why are you looking at me? Is the nonverbal message that I would take from the woman with the bad tan. 2. What type of nonverbal communication codes are being used to deliver the messages? I believe the nonverbal message in this image is Affect Displays. A woman with an obvious bad tan seems as though she has a negative reaction to the gentleman that’s doing a double take, looking at her. Her facial expression has a look of irritation from the staring 3. What effect does each message have on the other people in the image? It is hard to determine the effect on the other people that is in the image; however, I suppose the people that are around them that saw the interaction should’ve felt the awkwardness as well. It would be obvious that the signal would be not to get involved and to look away. 4. What nonverbal communication skills and strategies could be used to communicate effectively in this situation? Smiling or showing a friendly face and eye contact should have been made to reduce the feeling of inadequacy or awkwardness. 1. What cultural barriers are seen in this image? I believe the gentleman is focused on the group of woman because he is trying to figure out their dress and culture because it is different than his. 2. What type of nonverbal communication codes are being used to deliver the messages? I feel like the type of nonverbal communication codes that is being used is Affect Displays and Regulators. The gentleman’s posture is used to communicate his emotion and his posture asked the question, â€Å"what are you are doing, and why you dressed that way?† This is an example of the affect Displays because his posture is showing emotions. The other code that is then displayed is the regulator because he is giving eye contact to the group with a facial expression, and open mouth or raised eyebrow, trying to get the group’s attention. 3. What effect does each message have on the other people in the image? The effect that each person has in the image is of non-affect. No one has notice the gentleman’s non-verbal communication methods. Either no one sees it, or he is being ignored, based off of the individuals in the picture. 4. What nonverbal communication skills and strategies could be used to communicate effectively in this situation? The nonverbal communication skills and strategies that can be used to communicate effectively in this situation were simply being a friendly face and smile to show no threat. Also, if the gentleman was really serious, he should have stopped and face the group that he was trying to get their attention 1. What nonverbal messages are being sent in this image? The nonverbal message in this image says that there are still places in Asia where smoking continues to be allowed in some public places; and, smoking is a popular thing to do. 2. What type of nonverbal communication codes are being used to deliver the messages? The nonverbal communication code that is used to deliver this message is the Adapters. Adapters are nonverbal behaviors that help you satisfy personal needs and adapt to the immediate situation or surroundings. 3. What effect does each message have on the other people in the image? The effect that being an adapter in this image has on other people in the image I believe is that smoking is addictive and if one person smokes a cigarette and you are a smoker thing you will want a cigarette as well. 4. What nonverbal communication skills and strategies could be used to communicate effectively in this situation? I am not a smoker; I would either leave the room or show displeasure from secondhand smoke. 1. What cultural barriers can be seen in this image? 2. What nonverbal messages are being sent in this image? 3. What type of nonverbal communication codes are being used to deliver the messages? 4. What effect does each message have on the other people in the image? 5. What nonverbal communication skills and strategies could be used to communicate effectively in this situation? 1. What cultural barriers can be seen in this image? The cultural barriers in this image can be defined as business people who are possibly on their way to work on being a know it annoyed by a woman on her cell phone, not paying attention to where she’s going. 2. What nonverbal messages are being sent in this image? In this image, the people display a busy, business like image. The affect display can be displayed through their posture, and by putting little expression on their faces. It is almost as if it is a hostile rush to get where they’re going. 3. What type of nonverbal communication codes are being used to deliver the messages? The nonverbal communication codes that can be displayed from this image is the Affect Display. 4. What effect does each message have on the other people in the image? It seems as though the people in this image are annoyed by the woman was talking on her cell phone and not paying attention to where she’s going or having a very loud conversation. 5. What nonverbal communication skills and strategies could be used to communicate effectively in this situation? Lady, please hang up the phone and watch where you’re going.

American Mania: When More Is Not Enough Essay

INTRODUCTION It takes immense courage to question something that has been so firmly etched into one’s mind or something that everyone accepts as normal, it also takes great insight to be able to see past the monotony and mundane details of life and observe something that is greatly and equally affecting a nation. Mr. Whybrow accomplishes this with great eloquence in his book American mania. Adam smith’s American dream of depth and desire† The book begins with the chapter titled â€Å"Adam smith’s American dream of depth and desire† in which Mr. Whybrow gives an account of his taxi ride on the way to the airport to catch a flight from Los Angles to New York, he tells his story in almost a poetic manner describing the myriad of scenes that he observes. He points out everything that makes him reflect on how rapidly the world is moving and how everyone is being swept away with this storm and how no one stops to think about where they’re actually headed and how everyone has less and less time for the small things in life, things which once were considered to be the essence of life. The author seeks to explain â€Å"the dramatic shift away from social concern and toward competitive self-interest that occurred during the closing decades of the 20th Century† (p. 257). Whybrow, himself a British immigrant, advances the hypothesis that Americans are a nation of â€Å"migrants† who are outfitted not just with the self-seeking genes but also with the restless, risk-taking genes of those who have risked all to look for a new land of opportunity. Whybrow argues that highly migrant people are novelty seekers, restless and optimistic risk-takers, CONCLUSION Whybrow’s theories are provocative because they not only revisit the possibility of psychoanalysis in the alliance of culture, speculating beyond the anthropology and identity politics that all cultures are just as advantageous, but also challenge us to reassess the insufficiency of our psychological descriptions. Identifying a culture as hectic or obsessed is somewhat useful in attempting to avoid the idea of national character but to propose a basic personality as the repository of a society’s values, from which individual character differentiates is a mammoth task Mr. Whybrow manages to make the reader question the values and beliefs that we have come to cherish so dearly. WORKS CITED Peter Whybrow (2006) American Mania: When More Is Not Enough. Retrieved on 18th October 2006 from : http://www.amazon.com/American-Mania-When-More-Enough/dp/0393059944

Qualifications to become an accountant in the UK Case Study

Qualifications to become an accountant in the UK - Case Study Example The accounting sector has revolutionised from what it was some decades ago. With the introduction of the internet and the popularisation of e-commerce, there is a need to incorporate some versatility in this profession. Gone are the days when accounting was thought to be something that involved numbers only. These days, accountants are required to be more analytical than technical. (British Expats, 2007)The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) is the largest accountancy body in Europe. It is seen as a body that yields financial qualifications of a reputable level. The ICAEW has about one hundred and twenty seven thousand members where twenty [percent of these members happen work and live ion regions falling outside the United Kingdom. This qualification is really relevant because it equips individuals with the ability to work in diverse areas of business. (ACCA, 2008)In order to enrol for an ICAEW qualification, a student needs to be above eighteen years of a ge. On top of this, they are required to have passes in GCSE and A-level. For the latter case, they should have two of those passes but for the former, they are required to have passes in 3 subjects. This must include English and mathematics. However, there may be exceptions for this, if a student has enrolled for AAT-ACA. This is a fast track course that facilitates students who plan on enrolling for ICAEW qualifications. Sometimes some international students may not have some of the above named requirements but if they have completed bachelor degrees then they may be allowed to join. Besides this, the main exemptions that exist for these particular qualifications are those students who have passed CIMA exams, ACCA finalists. This is something that has to be confirmed from the ICAEW centre. Also, candidates who have passed some of the exams in the professional stage of the qualifications may obtain credits for this. For the points required to enter this accounting qualification; ca ndidates must have a minimum of two hundred and twenty tariff points in UCAS or in general, they can have eighteen points. Besides this, for those entering using the avenue of degrees, the requirement is that candidates should have a first degree. Exams are normally conducted in two stages. The first is called the professional stage. In this stage, individuals are required to do twelve exams. These exams are normally conducted through computers and on average most of them last for one and a half hours. Candidates are expected to do application based modules. Examples of subjects covered in this area of study include; taxation, financial reporting, business management, business finance, audit assurance and accounting. These are subjects that are normally based on company law,. These are supposed to be six in number and normally take up about two and a half hours on average. The second stage of the exams is called the advanced stage. In this latter case, candidates are required to do two exams and are also expected to do one case study. Some of the topics to be taken in this stage include;

The Use of Conflict Management Styles Across Different Cultures Term Paper

The Use of Conflict Management Styles Across Different Cultures - Term Paper Example The paper has highlighted that individualistic cultures that have low power distance, high sense of individualism and achievement will encourage competing while collectivism cultures prefer to avoid conflicts in order to maintain relationships. Korea and Malaysian cultures will accommodate conflicts while Brazilian and Argentine cultures will compromise conflicts due to equal power distance. Multicultural societies like Britain can consider different views and collaborate in order to manage the conflict. Conflict is a contest or struggle between people with opposing views, ideas, values and goals and usually leads to adverse outcomes (Ting-Toomey, 2012). Conflict management refers to the process of limiting the negative aspects of conflicts through enhancing the positive aspects of conflict. Conflict management recognizes that conflicts are inevitable and cannot be resolved and thus should be managed to minimize the adverse effects of conflict escalation. The conflict management styles differ across cultures since the norms, belief systems and values influence the appropriateness of the style in conflict management. Avuruch (1998) outlines the five major conflict management styles that include competing, compromising, accommodating, avoiding and collaborating. Various research studies have identified cultural differences in conflict management styles since high context cultures are less assertive and confrontational while Western cultures that are low context are mainly confrontatio nal (Yu & Chen, 2008, p 153). Some studies concluded that Chinese executives display avoiding and compromising behaviors while dealing with conflicts unlike British executives who prefer competing and collaborating styles in managing conflicts in their organizations. Asian cultures such as Japan, India and China prefer non-confrontational strategies in dealing with conflicts due to the collectivism, close

A Job Well Done Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Job Well Done - Essay Example A Job Well Done She did not tell me to do this or that; she just let me do things on my own. One of the toughest things to do was getting out of bed early to prepare breakfast. My younger siblings had to make do with cereals and milk for breakfast because I am not so comfortable working at the kitchen. I brought my mother something to eat in her room, a sandwich and some warm milk, went back to the kitchen because I also had to clean the table afterwards and put everything in the dishwasher. That time I felt like it was the longest morning in my life. I got used to going out of my room when breakfast is ready then go back to my room after eating. After doing the morning chores, I checked our refrigerator to see what I can prepare for lunch. I had no idea what to cook so I just stared blankly on the vegetables and meat that was in the refrigerator. I kept thinking I have to prepare a decent meal for my mom so she can gain back her strength and get better right away. It’s a good thing that we are so equipped with technology that the internet can give you all the small details in cooking – just like a guide for dummies. I ended up making some pasta for me and my siblings and a soup for my mother. It was my first time to cook pasta just by myself. Even if I had the convenience of canned spaghetti sauce and ready to cook pasta, it was still a tough job to do because I had to make sure that I will be able to cook something worth eating.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day - Essay Example The association of the idea of youth can be seen as a period of regeneration, whereby such beauty is much livelier and more colorful than the summer's days. Summer is described as the "eye of heaven5" with its "gold complexion"; the imagery of the summer is simple and vivid. The language is rather plain, and Shakespeare has chosen not to apply too many literacy devices. Alliterations, repetition, etc. would restrict his use of different words and so create boundaries. By avoiding such linguistic devices, Shakespeare is able to express his beloved's beauty openly and more eloquently. His chosen mellow words combine to produce the full impact of the regular rhyme scheme- (day/Maie), (shines/ declines6). This emits a powerful sense of unrestrained behavior, such as "rough windes", which contrast with the images of summer. When Shakespeare describes the powerful image of "Rough windes" and how they "shake the darling buds of May", he is utilizing in the first stanza, powerful metaphorical devices in order to show a change. He implies that his beloved does not suffer from these winds as summer does. Therefore, the beloved's comparison to summer and winter is expanded more pleasingly and lyrically. The final couplets which conclude the sonnet, bring everythi... His chosen mellow words combine to produce the full impact of the regular rhyme scheme- (day/Maie), (shines/ declines6). This emits a powerful sense of unrestrained behavior, such as "rough windes", which contrast with the images of summer. When Shakespeare describes the powerful image of "Rough windes" and how they "shake the darling buds of May", he is utilizing in the first stanza, powerful metaphorical devices in order to show a change. He implies that his beloved does not suffer from these winds as summer does. Therefore, the beloved's comparison to summer and winter is expanded more pleasingly and lyrically. The theme of youth is carried forward through the third quatrain, expanding the concept that youth will possess eternal beauty and perfection, and shall never "fade7". Shakespeare creates this illusory idea, telling the beloved that beauty shall never be erased; he uses summer as a metaphor for her beauty. "So long as men can breath or eyes can see, So long lives this and this give life to thee" The final couplets which conclude the sonnet, bring everything together, reinforcing the idea of love and poetry in a positive and rich tone. His last comparison is full of pride and positive reinforcement - a belief that his poem and his beloved will last "so long as men can breathe or eyes can see", unlike the summer days. The final couplets provide a new, yet connected concept; differing from those earlier comparisons and concluding and claiming that his beloved has been immortalized through the sonnet. Missing Dates (1940) William Empson Slowly the poison the whole blood stream fills. It is not the effort nor the

Economic Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Economic Report - Essay Example Percent Change in real GDP: As is evident from the description of the GDP figures, the percentage changes in real GDP during the period happened to be in proportion. In 1982 the negative growth of GDP indicates towards some serious issues in the domestic economic environment. But thereafter, the growth percentage has been consistent and positive. Year 1984 saw the maximum increase in percentage terms. Civilian Unemployment Rate: The year 1982 is once again seen as the problematic year for the country with the overall unemployment rate rising to 9.7 percent, the highest during the tenure. The gradual decline of the unemployment rate in later years during the tenure points towards the people friendly policies taken up by the government of Ronald Reagan. Civilian Unemployment Rate by Demographic Characteristics: Dividing the unemployment rate demographically, we find that that the Black population seems to be the worst affected. The situation is particularly severe in the age groups of young black community (16-19 yrs). Though it improves somewhat after that, but still things remain worrying for community. Consumer Price Index: The CPI did not see major shakeup during the tenure of President Ronald Reagan. The index saw a consistent rise from 1981 to 1989. The index seems to have spread well over different items, with goods and services forming the major component flaring up the consumer price index. Starting with the overall consumer price index of 90.6 in 1981, the country saw the index rising to 124 by the year 1989. Changes in Consumer Price Indexes for commodities and services: During the entire tenure of President Reagan, except the year 1986, the CPI rates of growth were very high. During this year the energy consumption seems to be one of the lowest actually, with negative growth of 19.7. George H.W. Bush (1989-1993): The tenure of Bush senior too remained quite eventful in the sense that the world saw major

Parents Handbook Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Parents Handbook - Assignment Example These may include examples such as the link between school experiences and family experiences (Shaffer, 2009). The exosystem’s main concern is the link between the social settings that the individual does not have active roles in and the person’s immediate context. For instance, a husband’s experiences at work may influence the wife’s experiences at home. The macrosystem is used to describe the culture within which individuals live. Cultural contexts in this category may be used to mean ethnicity and poverty. The chronosystem, on the other hand, is used to refer to the pattern of environmental events as well as the transitions over an individual’s life and the sociohistorical events (Shaffer, 2009). This theory is very important for the parents and the overall population. This is because the parents get an idea concerning how their children’s development is affected by the environment implying that they can choose the most appropriate environ ment for the children to grow up in for the best outcomes. In addition, the adults may understand the contexts that affect their own experiences, which could help in improving their livelihood. Among the four most common parenting styles that include authoritative, authoritarian, neglectful, and permissive styles, the most effective method and the one that I believe is the most beneficial is the authoritative style. This is because this style ensures that the child is disciplined and encourages communication where the child can express their feelings on certain issues. This style is mostly characterized by communication where the authoritative parents listen to their children, allow them to express their opinions, and encourage them to discuss any options (Hughes, 2013). These parents also place limits and ensure that their children are aware of the consequences of doing certain things. This ensures the administration of consistent and fair discipline, as the children are aware of the expectations

The Autonomic Nervous System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Autonomic Nervous System - Essay Example Each pathway comprises of a preganglionic neurone as well as a postganglionic neurone. Within the sympathetic system, the synapses between these two neurons are located near the spinal cord. On the other hand within the parasympathetic nervous system, these two neurons are located near to, or within the effector organs (Tortora & Derrickson 2009). The effects of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems normally oppose each other. They are termed as antagonists, thus is one system contracts a muscle, the other usually relaxes it. The balance between the two systems concisely regulates the involuntary activities of the organs and glands. Exceptional to note is that it is feasible to control consciously specific activities of the autonomic nervous system through training. Some examples in this include control of the anal and bladder sphincters. With regard to nerve impulse transmission process, the sympathetic nervous system stimulates effectors and produces noradrenalin as t he neurotransmitter at nerve junctions. In contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system inhibits effectors and produces acetylcholine at the nerve junction, otherwise called the synapse (Tortora & Derrickson 2009). The autonomic nervous system comprises of motor neurons which innervate smooth and cardiac muscles as well as the glands. These neurons also ensure optimal environments conditions within the systems to ensure maximum support for body activities. The neurons operate via subconscious control and have viscera as most of their effectors. Within the autonomic nervous system, the preganglionic fibers release acetylcholine as the major neurotransmitter. Postganglionic fibers release norepinephrine or acetylcholine whose effects can either be stimulatory or inhibitory. The neurotransmitter effects within the autonomic nervous system on target organs are dependent on the neurotransmitter released. Additionally, such effects are dependent on the type of receptors expressed on the e ffector organs. The divisions of the autonomic nervous system serve similar visceral organs but cause opposite effects. These divisions exemplified by parasympathetic and sympathetic categories help in maintaining homeostasis. Precisely, the sympathetic division mobilizes the body during activity while the parasympathetic division conserves the energy within the body. The role of parasympathetic division is well illustrated when a person relaxes after taking a meal. In such a circumstance, the division plays a role of keeping the energy level consumption as low as possible. As such, the heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rates are kept at lower concentrations. However, during such circumstances, the gastrointestinal tract activity is high as a result of digestion. The skin is warm while the pupils are constricted. On the other hand, the sympathetic division is a good depiction of fight or flight system. This division allows the regulation of activities during exercises. In s uch scenarios, the system reduces the flow of blood to organs while it increases the flow of blood to muscles. Its activity is illustrated by an individual who is under a threat and as such, the heart rate increases with rapid and deep breathing. Additionally, the glucose levels in the blood are high because this important sugar is released from the liver. Furthermore, the skin is cold and sweaty while the pupils of the eyes are dilated due to alertness. Parasympathetic div

IDENTIFY AND DISUCUSS SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THE Essay

IDENTIFY AND DISUCUSS SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THE 19TH CENTURY ORGANIZED INTERNATIONAL PEACE MOVEMENT - Essay Example Thus, two related issues are evolved from them. One is to provide peace in the society by restricting the apparent inevitability of war. Another is a steady increase in prosperity among all categories of people such that they do not go for any conflict. The first period of peace movement includes the ethical position of the Christian. This movement originated from the religious groups, mainly the Quakers in England and the Presbyterians in America. In the early nineteenth century, the â€Å"Society for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peace† was established in London, followed by several other peace foundations across Europe and America. In the year 1843, the first World Peace Conference took place in London. After the conference, the traditional Christian position was enriched with human values which were more fundamental in nature (Cooper 1991, p.14-15; Dungen and Wittner 2003, pp. 363-364; The International Peace Movement, n.d.; Sneh 2008, pp.2-5). The international peace movement got upsurge in the late nineteenth century after the First Geneva Convention in 1864 where international laws are passed to protect the war victims. The movement was initiated by the Nobel Peace Laureate Henri Dunant, the initiator of â€Å"International Committee of the Red Cross†. The main objectives of the convention were – The convention is closely related to the foundation of International Committee of Red Cross. The convention thus intended to impose international law for the protection of war victims, the medical personnels and the medical facilities at war against any hostile act. The convention generalizes the Red Cross sign on white zone as a sign of medical care and nursing at the war front. This convention is the initialisation of the international peace movement. All of the conventions are related to the welfare of the war victims. The Red Cross did not advocated for the stoppage of war, but pleaded for the

Human Growth and Development Essay Example for Free

Human Growth and Development Essay Within the Hispanic culture, the generations that have come before us have struggled to keep traditions alive and thriving. Putting emphasis on proper traditions and celebrations is important. Our elders believe that it will keep our heritage strong. For example, there are two holidays that I would like to discuss, that are important to the Hispanic culture. These two holiday celebrations are Christmas and Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. Both of these holidays are celebrated enthusiastically, with food, family, music, and fun. My family takes pride in celebrating both of these holidays. The Day of the Dead, celebrated on November 1 and November 2 of each year, is a joyful holiday celebration, despite its morbid name. Death, particularly of a loved one, is celebrated as a new stage of life. Families decorate the graves with offerings such as toys, flowers, and small items that belonged to the deceased. This holiday is celebrated to honor the spirits, and life, of those who have died. One major cultural tradition that is celebrated during Christmas, other than Christmas itself, is Posada. This tradition is celebrated during the nine days before Christmas Eve. The travel of Saint Joseph and a pregnant Mary to Bethlehem is reenacted. Two statues, one of Saint Joseph and one of Mary, are carried to three predetermined house where the residents are asked for shelter. Two of those houses refuse shelter for the family. The third house accepts the plea for shelter, representing the Inn Keeper who helped the family. A Novena, a prayer with the rosary, then occurs. After the prayer there is a party. The last day of Posada is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The two cultural traditions described above have influenced not only my own development, but they have also helped the society develop. Within my own development, the environmental exposure, combined with more modern traditions, has helped me develop my sense of self and my own morals. The culture, as taught by our elders, has showed me the importance on the family in fostering the development of others. Within the society, the Hispanic culture, as with any culture, has helped to broaden the knowledge of others. This has helped children understand that there are differences between people; not every person is the same. Question 2: Explain the difference between an experiment, a study, and a quasi experiment, using detail. An experiment is used to determine a person’s behavior and/or development by altering different characterizations of the environment. The dependent variable would represent the behavior and/or development that is expected from the experiment. The independent variable represents the measures that would be taken by the experimenter, and also represents the cause in a ‘cause and effect’ relationship. For example, if a researcher was testing treatments to slow the progression of multiple sclerosis, the type of treatment would be called the independent variable, while the lesion scans would be called the dependent variable. There are a few factors that have to be considered before considering an experiment: the control group must consist of members that are randomly selected and equal to the experimental group; the object(s) of the experiment must be accurately categorized; and all experiments must be legal. A study consists of one group or person. There is no need for a control group or experimental characteristics. The function of a study is to provide information that is collected and analyzed. Observing, testing, and interviewing are all techniques used in a study. A study can spark an interest in experimentation. A study can help form a hypothesis that can be used for experimentation. Many of the early development information were derived from using a study on individuals. The information that was gained from such studies lead to experiments changing variables, which in turn gave way to much of the information we now have published regarding human development. A quasi experiment is similar to a regular experiment except for a few details: While a normal experiment uses random selecting and control groups, the quasi experiment uses a matching technique. Quasi experimenting uses elaboration – the process of sub-classifying or reclassifying variables. Quasi experimenting also involves narrowing down the dependent variable, known as specification. Question 3: Some developmental theorists focus on culture (Bronfenbrenner and Vygotsky) and others focus on individual history and experience (Skinner and Freud). Compare and contrast these theorists’ influences and how we see human development today while referring to their theory’s strengths and weaknesses. Freud’s believed that a person’s emotions and drives are influenced by the subconscious mind. Each person is unaware of the reasons by which they strive to fill their biological needs. For example, a woman may overeat as a way of subconsciously substituting food for frustration. Bronfenbrenner believed that a person’s development was centered around their environment. The interaction between a person’s biology, family, and society determines the development of that person. Any changes in a person’s environment could also change that person’s development. Skinner used operant conditioning, which theorized that a specific behavior could be changed through reinforcement or punishment. Skinner believed that human development depended on the person’s learning experience. This theory believed that a behavior could be changed or removed with either positive or negative reinforcement. Vygotsky stressed the importance of social interaction as a fundamental role of development. Full social interaction would engage cognitive development. Vygotsky’s theory was that of a social development theory, similar in comparison to Piaget. Question 4: Nature vs. Nurture. Discuss the gene/environment debate in terms of the interaction of genetics, biology, maturation, learning, society, and culture. Nature and nurture†¦one uses our environment as a determining factor for development, while the other uses human biology as a determining factor for development. Using nature as a determining factor theorizes that human development is left to what is encoded into human DNA. With this factor, humans have no control over their own development. Using nurture theorizes that the environment controls human development. With this factor, if the environment is changed, development can also be changed. This will always be a constant debate among the psychological community because of the fact that no two people are the same, and therefore, no two people develop the same.

The Euro Currency And European Union Economics Essay

The Euro Currency And European Union Economics Essay The Euro Currency has been a resounding success and is poised to replace the Dollar as the strongest currency in the world. The potential long-term advantages for business make it inevitable that the UK, Sweden Denmark will have to adopt the European Single Currency shortly or risk damaging their long-term prosperity by staying out Introduction European Union mission in the 21st century is to: Europes provide peace, prosperity and stability for its peoples; overcome the divisions on the continent; ensure that its people can live in safety; promote balanced economic and social development; meet the challenges of globalisation and preserve the diversity of the peoples of Europe; uphold the values that Europeans share, such as sustainable development and a sound environment, respect for human rights and the social market economy. PEST Chart Joining European Union Political Prevent war Government will lose its sovereignty and control over its monetary policies. Forming up as one big economy allows Europe to be competitive with other strong economies such as US, China Japan. Economical Bring down trade barriers Economy will be stable due to long term increase in trade Inflation and interest rates can be unified controlled. But inability to control any undesired inflation rate. Increase of employment and labor supply. Bring down Labor costs. Will be able to improve on employment issues, provide job trade opportunities Will increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Social Lost of national Sovereignty will cause unhappiness among the citizens affected. Majority of the people still do not agree on their country joining in the European Union (EU) EU stresses on the point of social responsibility towards Resource Conservation Technological Sharing of emerging technologies information. Combined effort/project of research and development activity for European economy Impact of technology transfer. If United Kingdom, Denmark and Sweden were to join the European Single Currencyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The Economic Political advantages for businesses based in these countries Advantages (http://www.economicshelp.org/europe/benefits-euro.html) 1. Transaction costs will be eliminated This will greatly benefit businesses who trade and tourists within the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) area, as there will be no charge for changing of currency, thus boosting the economy. It is estimated that this benefit will be equal to 1% of GDP so will be quite significant. 2. Price transparency European Union (EU) companies often find it difficult to accurately compare the prices of goods, services and resources across the EU because of the distorting effects of exchange rate differences. So when price is transparent, trading starts to take place. 3. No more exchange rate fluctuations. Uncertainty eliminated. Due to the fluctuating currencies in the EU, many firms become wary when investing in other countries because of the uncertainty. Investment would rise in the EMU area as the currency is universal within the area, therefore the anxiety that was previously apparent is there no more. 4. Single currency in single market. It brings the Europes economy forward after trading has taken place more effectively and efficiently 5. Be able to contend with the American Dollar and Japanese Yen. A new currency in Europe could be a rival to the two currencies, as it seems EMU seems to be in a good situation that it can survive on its own, with or without the help of Japan and U.S.A. 6. Prevent war. When countries unite trade effectively together, they dont wage war on each other and if EMU have more undisrupted trade, then there will be peace for Europe too. 7. Increased Trade and reduced costs for businesses Proponents of the move argue that it brings considerable economic trade through the wiping out of exchange rate fluctuations, but as well as this it helps to lower costs to industry because companies will not have to buy foreign exchange for use within the EU. For them, EU represents the completion of the Single European Market. It is vital if Europe is to compete with the other large trading blocs of the Far East and North America. 8. Inflation The European Central Bank (ECB) which sets interest rates for the whole EMU area will be committed to keeping inflation low; countries with traditionally high inflation will benefit from this. However, this point is debatable as countries outside the EMU have maintained low inflation. 9. The Political agenda. There is also a political agenda to European bank (the European System of Central Banks -ESCB), the removal national control over policy. Individual nation states will lose sovereignty (i.e. the ability to control their own affairs). It will pave the road to move towards ONE economical union. Disadvantages (http://www.economicshelp.org/europe/costs-euro.html) Cost of replacing currencys and adjusting machines. (This is however a one off cost) 2. Loss of autonomy over economic policy. Loss of Sovereignty. By adopting a common interest rate for the EMU area, countries will lose a crucial part of their Monetary policy. Politically, an independent central bank is often argued to be undemocratic in this setting (A Cukierman, 1994). Although countries are heading towards ONE economic union in Europe but they are definitely not, with regards to political terms. 3. Countries economy are at a different stage in the business cycle. This will be a huge problem, for instance in 2005, Ireland and Spain were growing quite fast and need higher interest rates to control inflation than other countries who need lower interest rates. Therefore with low interest rate Ireland might experience inflation. On the other hand, in 2009, Ireland and Spain were experiencing a deeper recession than the rest of the EMU area. They needed lower interest rates and depreciation, while other countries did not require to. 4. The instability of the system In 1992, UK benefited from leaving the ERM in order to have lower interest rates and come out of recession. This showed that countries economies may not have converged and a single policy could be harmful. As Greece is heavily in debt and had caused EU to be affected, so it seems wise for UK, Sweden Denmark not to join at the moment 5. Government could not devalue the Euro to overcome balance of payments problems. Countries will lose some independence over Fiscal Policy. This is because of the growth and stability pact.( e.g. no country is allowed to borrow more than 3% of its GDP. Which means that they will have to try and maintain the economy at a similar stage to other countries. E.G. Ireland had high growth and was criticised for increasing spending, (which increases AS), Asymmetric Shocks. If one country experienced an external shock it might need a different response. But this is not possible with a common currency. E.g. In order to reduce inflation, German reunification required higher interest rates, but this was not in favor for many other EU countries. 6. Monetary Policy will have different effects in different countries. For example the UK is sensitive to changes in the interest rate because many people have mortgages. And their terms conditions differ from other countries. 7. The EURO has been quite unstable against the dollar Whilst Sterling has been quite stable. Joining the EU could therefore increase instability against over currencies 8. The ECB is less transparent in their decision making For example they do not produce monthly minutes, this makes interest rate changes less predictable and so countries may not be able to do their economy forecast. FIVE ECONOMIC TESTS AS PRECONDITIONS Set out by Chancellor of Exchequer in Oct 1997 Used to decide for UK on the membership of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) To adopt Euro currency and interest rate set by European Central Bank (ECB) Build on 4 key areas Benefit: trade, transparency and stability Constitutional issues: in nation interest, popular consent, clear and unambiguous Clear and unambiguous: Treasurys comprehensive and rigorous assessment Referendum: agreed by British people Five Economic Tests Are business cycles and economic structures compatible so that we and others could live comfortably with euro interest rates on a permanent basis? If problems emerge is there sufficient flexibility to deal with them? Would joining EMU create better conditions for firms making long-term decisions to invest in Britain? What impact would entry into EMU have on the competitive position of the UKs financial services industry, particularly the Citys wholesale markets? In summary, will joining EMU promote higher growth, stability and a lasting increase in jobs? UK Responses in 2003 assessment Significant progress on convergence, but the convergence test not met as there are still structural differences with the euro area, such as in the housing market. Therefore, UK are not confident of its business cycles being sufficient compatible with those of the euro area to allow the UK to live comfortably with euro area interest rates on a permanent basis. Flexibility has shown improvement for UK, but is still not confident that it is sufficient. Greater measures are been set out to meet the EMU requirement. UK agrees that joining EMU could potentially lower the cost for their companies which boost cross-border investment flows and foreign direct investment (FDI). On the other hand, it is also mentioned that if sustainable and durable convergence is achieved, only then can UK be confident that the investment test is met. UK agreed that entry EMU can enhance on the competitiveness of the companies while offering some other benefit and the financial services test is met Increase in jobs and lower cost of living can be achieved through increases in cross-border trade, investment, competition and productivity that EMU could provide. But again, it only sustainable and durable convergence has been achieved then can UK be confident to say that growth, stability and employment test is met. Overall, UK mentioned that improvement has been seen but it is still not ready the membership of EMU despite the risks and costs in the delay. According to Stathis Gould (2003) article, The test seem like a deliberate fudge and political excuse for UK to delay joining the single currency Loss of control such as interest rate to ECB EU Membership impose constraint on fiscal policy Joining euro could post threat as UKs record of foreign capital recipient is among the best mainly due to relatively light regulation Problem with the volatility of euro-dollar which is not tackle by ECB Factor that might really affect the join will be to reform or better leadership in ECB which is criticized for lack of transparency Another factor will be the increase in competitiveness and opening of labor, product and capital market According to James Igoe Walsh (2007) study, Britains economic cycle not synchronized with euro-zone and bringing Adopting single currency will harm foreign trade and investment Close look into the five excuses for Britains reluctance Divergent business cycles Convergence concern of losing the ability they now have to tailor monetary policy Not really the case inflation rates have essentially disappeared, as the two economies adopted the same interest rates and monetary integration promote business cycle convergence through greater trade and investment International trade and investment British invested more with North America and former colonies in the past, but it is not true now as many firms are also heavily invested in European Union. Joining the union benefits the large and growing number of firms and investors that trade with and invest in the rest of the Union. Overall, UK does have the capability to be in the EMU and by being in the euro member, it can really boost the economy of both their nation and other members Has been seen as delaying the membership deliberately Pressure for corporate in UK might also be another factor that influences their decision Furthermore, with recent issue of Greece, Portugal, and Spain which expose the flaws in Euro Single Currency, it will be even harder to convince UK entry SUCCESSFULNESS OF EURO SINGLE CURRENCY Main Benefits Lower cost of managing cash and raising capital Eliminate cost on converting currency from one country to another Broader, deeper and more efficient financial market result in further reduction in cost and access to a bigger capital pool Less currency risk Currency risk and the need to protect own business transactions are eliminated or reduced Simplify investment planning Bigger market Companies will compete in a larger and more integrated market Population adds up from the member countries to form bigger market Consumers are more readily to buy across border in euro-zone with no worry of different currencies and exchange-rate Over the years of Single Currency With information from Wim F.V Vanthoor (2000) study, Has high potential in it growth Created a market population bigger than US when group together Generated high share of world GDP (Gross Domestic Product) Created even higher world trade than that of US Compatible monetary value comparing with US with the aim as to compete with US dollar Aim not only Economically, but aims at going towards a political union In Martin Feldstein (2010) article, Crisis in Greece and the debt problems in Spain and Portugal exposed more flaws Individual member countries lost control of monetary policy and interest rates in order to respond to national economic conditions Exchange rate could not respond to the cumulative effects of differences in productivity and global demand trends. Weakens the market signals of fiscal deficits Eg. Greece ECB set monetary policy to the euro-zone as a whole even when it is not relevant to some members Despite all the problem, euro will likely still survive but the fundamental root problem might still remains Introduction of euro imply low interest rate to Greece and some other countries which previously has high rate, resulting in temptation for government to borrow. This drives the ratio of government debt to GDP to more than 100% for Greece and Italy. Until recently, bond markets treated all euro sovereign debts as virtually equal, not raising interest rates on high-debt countries until possibility of default became clear. Euro comparing with other currency Against US Dollar Euro shows it weaken and flaw especially with recent crisis As compared with US dollar which also operate on single currency with its fifty states, its lacks in 3 economic condition Labor mobility Labor in US move on to another area easily when one industry weaken in a certain part of the country Wherelse unemployed workers of euro member such as Greece, Portugal, and Spain do not move to faster-growing regions of Europe because of differences in language, history, religion, union membership, etc. Wage flexibility Substantially slower wage growth in the states that lost industries helped to attract and retain other industries Central fiscal authority fiscal system collects roughly two-thirds of all taxes at the national level, which can be transfer to the different states if it is falling short in income Euro comparing with other currency Against UK Sterling Pound Pound Sterling has become vastly more stable in the past decade and grown in stature as a reserve currency around the world Ironically it has benefited from being outside the Euro By not joining EMU, UK have retain their level of sovereignty and has better control and decision on solution to tackle their own economy Conclusion It seems that UK, Sweden and Denmark is going to stay out of the Euro zone for a while as mentioned by Vinocur N. (March 2010) Removing currency risk and driving integration with the European single market have been the main arguments that have put forward for the three nations to join the euro. But with Greece financial issues, with Ireland, Spain Portugal following suit, it made Euro Investec UK economist David Page mentioned that there is no chance that UK is joining the EU in the next 10 years. Conservative opposition front-runner David Cameron has declared that if he wins a general election expected in May, Britain will not join the euro as long as he is prime minister. Even though In year 2008, Sweden released a poll. It showed support for joining the euro had increased rapidly, with 44% of Swedes now in favour of joining the currency, up from 34.6% in May, while opposition dropped from 51.7% to 48% during the same period. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/27/euro-currencies-sweden-denmark) in March 2010 as reported by Nicholas Vinocur on Reuters: Swedens finance minister Anders Borg mentioned that. How well it is going in one country decides how well run the whole is, whether or not one has adopted the euro. Denmark is skeptical on joining the Euro. Danske Bank chief economist Steen Bocian, remains cautious for the next two years, due to Greece incident.

Analysis Of Huawei And Its Core Competencies Management Essay

Analysis Of Huawei And Its Core Competencies Management Essay Huawei Technologies was founded in 1998 by Ren Zhengfei who is a former Peoples Liberation Army officer and telecom engineer. It was incorporated as a private enterprise which manufactures telecommunications equipments for domestic Chinese companies at a much lower price than its international competitors. And since the beginning, Zhengfeis vision was to build innovation capability into the company. However, contrary to the Chinas policy of exchanging market for technology, Zhengfei is convinced that having a joint venture with foreign companies would only cause the Chinese to lose their domestic market and not enable them to acquire foreign technologies. In performing an internal analysis, it is important to have a global mind-set, which is the ability to analyse the internal environment in ways that are independent on the assumptions of a single country, culture, or context. In addition, the businesss portfolio of resources and the bundles of heterogeneous resources and capabilities have to be analysed so that they are be leveraged on if need to. Business Fundamentals Accounting Huawei Technologies had annual revenue of US$6.7 billion and a net profit of US$470 million in 2005. This is an increase from annual revenue of US$5.8 billion and a net profit of US$470 million in 2004. Huaweis net profits in 2002 and 2003 were US$110 million and US$380 million respectively, and it had a net profit margin of 4% in 2002, 10% in 2003 and 8% in 2004. No doubt, Huaweis net profit margin drop by 2% in 2004, Huawei is still generating profit. Finance There are short-term financing and long-term financing options available. Huaweis financial support from the state-owned Chinese Development Bank in the form of a US$10 billion facility and US$600 million from the Export-Import Bank of China are both forms of long-term financing. Risk Management There are three major types of business risks; price risk, credit risk and pure risk. As Huawei has markets overseas, there is bound to be some price risk involved when there is any fluctuation in foreign exchange rates as their receivables and payments are transacted in foreign currencies. Hence, Huawei can use hedging to manage its price risks. In addition, pure risk is assume to be present in virtually any industry and there are four types of pure risk that affect business; damage to assets, legal liability, workers injury and employee benefits. Organisation Design Huawei practice departmentalization as its workforce is spilt into departments such as Research Development (RD) and production. It is also a mechanistic structure as there is high specialization and centralization. Human Resource Management Since its beginning, Huawei had been emphasizing on building a strong RD team and it had been recruiting employees of high caliber with exceptionally high salary by Chinese standard. Operations and Supply Chain Management The success of most businesses is their ability to identify the customers needs and to come up with products that fulfills the necessary requirements. These products will then have to be produced at economically viable costs. As Huawei manufactures and ships its products both locally and overseas. Thus, it is vital that Huawei monitors its operations and supply chain management to ensure that its products remain profitable and that bullwhip effect be controlled. Product Development Huawei has the foresight to invest and develop in new technologies in the industry which gives it a quantum leap in the market from its competitors. Resources, Capabilities, and Core Competencies Resources, capabilities and core competencies form the basis of competitive advantage. Resources create organizational capabilities when group together and in turn, capabilities result in the core competencies of a firm, and these are the foundation of competitive advantage. Tangible Resources Financial Resources As previously mentioned, Huawei has the financial support from the state-owned Chinese Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China. With their financial support, Huawei received a US10 billion facility for its international expansion over five years and US$600 million respectively. Organisational Resources Huawei has departments such as RD, production and marketing which form up the basic organization structure of the company. Huawei also integrates its marketing employees into its main RD team so that the customers needs can be better communicated to the RD headquarters responsively. Physical Resources Huawei has research centres located in China and overseas. For example, it has a 21 storey research center at its headquarters in Shenzhen and six other research laboratories in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Huangzhou, Xian and Chengdu; a software development centre in Bangalore (India) and research facilities in Moscow (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden) and the Silicon Valley in California. Technological Resources Huawei had a large number of patents under its name. It had more than 8,000 patent applications by late 2004, with 800 of them applied in more than 20 countries, including the United States and Europe. In fact, in 2004 alone, Huawei had more than 2,000 patent applications which put it on par with its international rivals in the same industry. Intangible Resources Human Resources Since establishment, Huawei had focused its resources to build itself a strong RD team. Starting off with 500 RD staffs and 200 production staffs, Huawei had a workforce of 24,000 employees by late 2005 with 48% of them engaging in RD works. In addition, the education level of the companys employees was higher than the average worker in China. More than 85% of its workforce had a bachelors or higher degree, and about 60% had a masters or PhD. Innovation Resources Huawei undertook joint RD laboratories with foreign companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Texas Instruments, Intel, e.g., focusing on different telecom techniques. These joint development efforts were used to complement Huaweis innovation capabilities. Reputational Resources Huawei has a large customer base in China with the major telecom companies being its customer. In addition, Huawei is one of the major suppliers for equipments for the China Telecoms ChinaNet Next Carrying Network, known as CN2, which is the core network for the countrys next-generation business and consumers services. Capabilities Capabilities exist when there are resources on hand that have been deliberately integrated to achieve specific tasks. Huawei had a strong team of RD staff which comprises of 48% of its total employees. In addition, Huawei recruits employees of high caliber, with more than 85% of its employees having at least a bachelors degree and 60% having a masters or PhD. Thus, Huawei is able to come out with innovate products, hence holding an exceptionally high number of patents by Chinese standard. In addition, coming from a military background, Ren Zhengfeis connection with the Chinese military helps create a guanxi network which is extremely helpful to Huawei. Being based in China, Huawei is able to manufacture and offer products at a lower price (typically 30% lower than those of established suppliers). Core Competencies Core competencies are capabilities that are a source of competitive advantage for a company over its rivals. Huaweis first competence is its RD. Because of the inexpensive labour force in China, Huawei had an advantage over its international competitors. In addition, Huawei integrates its marketing people into its RD team, thus the needs of telephone companies and service providers could be communicated through the marketers to the RD department in the shortest time. Another core competence which Huawei had is its close relationship with the Chinese military. This close relationship enables Huawei to create a guanxi network which few other competitors could rival and which helps Huawei to secure big contract orders in its initial years and huge financial loans from the state banks. A third core competence is Huaweis products low price as compare to its competitors. In summary, Huawei would need to maintain these core competencies in the long run to have a sustainable competitive advantage. Valuable Rare Costly to Imitate Non-substitutable RD à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ Close relationship with Chinese military à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ Price à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ *Must meet at least 3 criteria to be a competitive advantage (CA). Value Chain Analysis Using the value chain analysis, we will analyse which are Huaweis operations segments that create value and those that do not. It is essential to understand these issues, as a business will only earns above-average returns when the value created is greater than the costs incurred to create that value. Primary activities Huaweis primary activities are marketing and sales, inbound logistics, outbound logistics and operations. Support activities Huaweis support activities are firm infrastructure, human resource management, service, technological development and procurement. Activities which are not of competitive advantages to Huawei can be outsourced to external vendors so that resources can be put to better use within the company. SWOT Analysis Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths Huawei have a strong RD team and high caliber employees which gives it an edge over its competitors. Being based in China, Huawei is able to manufacture and offer products at a lower price (typically 30% lower than those of established suppliers). In addition, with a low-cost workforce, Huawei spends less in RD but achieve comparable results with foreign technology companies who spend more. Ren Zhengfeis connection with the Chinese military enables Huawei to have the support from the Chinese government which is essential to working in China. Weaknesses Being a Chinese company, Huawei will be view in a different light compared to other companies from other countries. In general, the perception was that Chinese vendors were mainly relying on western engineering methods and were turning the higher margins and complex products into standard commodities. Thus, Huawei would have to move beyond this to be view as a serious global competitor. Huaweis lawsuit with Cisco gives rise to the issue that Huawei has infringed Ciscos patents and copyrights by copying its user interface, user manuals and source codes which inevitably affects Huaweis reputation in the United States. Key Success Factors Huawei is able to be successful as in general the Chinese market is a closed industry and foreign companies would need to joint ventures with local Chinese companies in order to enter the market, which will involve large equity investments. In addition, being a home-grown company, the Chinese will prefer to buy their products from Huawei, thus giving it an advantage in such a big emerging market. Furthermore, with Ren Zhengfeis connection to the Chinese military, it would have an unfair advantage over other companies. Secondly, since the onset, Huawei had focus on employing high caliber employees to form a huge RD team. Together with joint RD with other leading foreign companies, this has enables Huawei to come up with innovative products. Question 2. Perform an external analysis of Huawei. Based on your analysis, identify the possible opportunities and threats encountered by Huawei. (30 marks) Business Fundamentals Economics China overtook the United States to become the largest telecom market in late 2002 and by 2004; Chinas telecom industry had US$112 billion in business transactions. This is equivalent to an annual growth rate of 34.9% which was 3.7 times Chinas gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 9.5%. In addition, Chinas telecom equipment market will continue to grow annually at a compound rate of 10.9%, from US$30 billion to US$45 billion between 2004 and 2008. Stakeholder Management There are two major groups of stakeholders; market stakeholders and non-market stakeholders. Market stakeholders are also known as primary stakeholders and they include the employees, customers, suppliers and distributors of Huawei. Non-market stakeholders, also known as secondary stakeholders are people whom are affected by Huaweis actions but without being directly involved with any economic transactions with it. Marketing Huawei had to be aggressive to win contracts and typically, their products are about 30% cheaper than established brands. In addition, Huawei offer incentives when pitching for sales for major contracts. The External Environment The external environment of a company is divided into three major areas; the general, industry and competitor environments, each focusing on different aspects. The General Environment PESTL Model The general environment comprises of dimensions in the broader society that influence an industry and the firms within it. Using the PESTL model, we will gather the information and analyse each segment and its implication. Political Huaweis founder; Ren Zhengfei was from the Chinese military and this connection had created a guanxi network which few competitors could match. This relationship had helped Huawei secure big contract orders with the military during its early years. In addition, financial supports from state-owned banks were given to Huawei for its expansion plans overseas. However, this connection to the Chinese military had also affect Huawei, as a number of distributors in the United States were skeptical about the influence Huawei was subject to, and they were cautious of any implications. In addition, due to ownerships restrictions in China, most foreign firms would need to have a joint venture with local Chinese companies before they can enter the market. Hence, Huawei had an advantage in this aspect. Economics Huawei was the largest telecom equipment manufacturer in China with annual revenue of US$6.7 billion in 2005, and a net profit of US$470 million. At the same time, its market capitalization was estimated to be up to US$10 billion. Sociocultural Despite Huaweis efforts to fit into the United States culture, Huawei still met with difficulties when it first started operating in Plano, Texas in 2001. For a start, the Americans had difficulty pronouncing the companys name to the extent that Huawei had to come up with a working name. However, this caused confusion as the new name was not adopted nor promoted consistently and the Americans were confused by two different names belonging to the same company. To make matter worse, Huaweis employees had difficulty adapting to the Texas accent and their local culture. Huawei itself has a unique corporate culture within the company. Due to Ren Zhengfeis military background, he had instilled military style training for new employees and his employees were urged to learn from the behavior of wolves. He wants Huaweis marketing department to be aggressive, just like a pack of wolves. Technological Technological advances in the internet boom continued till 2006, and the technology choices and service requirements of service providers were getting more diversify. As previously mentioned, China had overtaken the United States to become the largest telecom market and hence, telecom service providers were now focusing on network improvement and value-added services rather than on infrastructure development. Huawei had the foresight to venture early and invested heavily in the third-generation (3G) mobile communications technology and it started its own research and development (RD) in Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) in 1995. And over the next few years, Huawei invested more than US$370 million in wide-band CDMA (WCDMA) technologies with a dedicated team of 3,500 RD employees deployed throughout research centres in China and other countries. In 2003, Huawei formed a 3G research joint venture with Japans NEC and Matsushita and entered the mobile handset market in early 2004 to familiarise itself with the 3G industry in future. At the same time, a joint venture was also formed with Siemens to test TD-SCDMA (Chinas home grown standard) mobile handsets and networks equipments. As a matter of fact, Huawei had invested one-third of its RD spending on 3G technologies for the past two years. Legal Huawei was sued by Cisco in the United States six months after setting up a subsidiary there. It had allegedly infringed a number of Ciscos copyrights and patents and Cisco was seeking damages in the lawsuit, which includes the discontinuation of Huaweis Quidway routers, and the impoundment and destruction of all Huaweis routers and manuals in the United States. By the time Cisco dropped its lawsuit in July 2004; many sales contracts which Huawei was pitching for were lost. To make matter worse, a Huaweis employee was caught taking photographs of high-tech equipment from Fujitsu in a trade show in Chicago in June 2004. The Industry Environment The Five Forces of Competition Model The intensity of competition and the profit potential of an industry are the functions of the five forces of competition; the threats of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitute products and rivalry among competing firms. Threat of New Entrants There is a low to medium risk for Huawei for the threat of new entrants in the industry. Chinas telecom industry had grown to become the largest telecom market in the world and most of the leading global telecom equipment firms had already started operations in China by setting up joint ventures with local Chinese companies. Among the multinationals in China now are leading global telecom equipment firms such as Motorola, Nokia, Lucent Technologies and Siemens. Thus, it is already a competitive market with little room for new players. In addition, as previously mentioned, foreign companies wanting to enter the Chinese market would have to set up joint ventures with Chinese companies due to ownership restrictions and this usually involve equity investments. Hence, it is capital intensive for a new player to enter the market. Bargaining Power of Suppliers No evidence found in the case study. Bargaining Power of Buyers The buyers have a high bargaining power. Phone subscriptions had increased to 390 million mobile phone users and 348 million fixed-line users by October 2005. As there was low switching costs for customers, telecom service providers are focusing on network improvement and value-added services to win customers and make existing customers stay. In addition, Chinas telecom equipment market has been forecasted to grow at a 10.9% annual compound rate between 2004 and 2008, from US$30 billion to US$45 billion. Threat of Substitute Products There is a low threat of substitute products as there is basically no substitute for the industry. There is currently no other products that can offer the same usage and convenience offered by the telecom equipment industry. Rivalry Among Competing Firms There is a high rivalry among competing firms. Beside the influx of multinationals telecom enterprises, there are also a number of domestic companies that are becoming competitive. There is little differentiation among competitors and hence, customers have low switching costs. Besides Huawei, there are three more companies; ZTE, DTT and GDT that have started to emerge. Both Huawei and ZTE were expected to enter further into international markets in the near future, going neck-to-neck with the established multinational enterprises for the same customers. The Competitor Environment Intense rivalry creates a need for Huawei to understand its competitors and their objectives, strategies, capabilities and assumptions. To help Huawei prepare for a response to its competitor, four dimensions (future objectives, current strategy, assumptions and capabilities) about the competitor should be found out and understand. SWOT Analysis Opportunities and Threats Opportunities Having already facing difficulties entering the United States market, Huawei can present itself better in the United States by collaborating with some of the United States companies. In this way, customers will not perceive Huawei as a low-cost vendor. In addition, as long as Huawei delivers reliable equipments, quality service and continues its product development, it will pose a formidable opponent to foreign companies. Threats Huawei have to be wary of competition from companies from low-cost countries where they pose a direct threat. Question 3. Identify the business level strategy adopted by Huawei and discuss the strategic actions implemented by Huawei in supporting this strategy. (20 marks) Huawei had adopted an integrated cost leadership/ differentiation strategy for its business level strategy. With its focus on RD and owning more than 8,000 patents, Huawei is able to differentiate their products in many ways. In addition, being located in a low-cost workforce country, Huawei is able to have their products manufactured at a much lower cost compared to others. Huawei engages in both value-creating primary and support activities that enables them to simultaneously pursue cost leadership/ differentiation strategy. By having an efficient production, low costs can be maintained while creating products of unique value give rises to differentiation. Primary activities As mentioned in question 1, Huaweis primary activities are marketing and sales, inbound logistics, outbound logistics and operations. Marketing and Sales Huawei priced their products about 30% cheaper than other established brands and to make it more attractive, Huawei offers attractive incentives as a sales package when pitching for major contracts. Support activities Huaweis support activities are firm infrastructure, human resource management, service, technological development and procurement. Firm Infrastructure Huawei had a good infrastructure that enables it to effectively and consistently identify its external threats and opportunities, resources and capabilities and support core competencies. It had a very good relationship with the Chinese military which is paramount to its success in China. Human Resource Management Huawei focus on having high caliber employees to build up its RD team. With more than 85% of its employees having a bachelors degree and above, Huawei ensures that they are highly paid by Chinese standard. In addition, due to Ren Zhengfeis military background, new employees are put through intensive military style training for the initial months. Service To offer unparallel service to its customers, Huawei hires local personnel in customers home country as part of its strategy to tailor technologies and services according to customers needs. Technological Development Huawei ventured early and invested in third-generation (3G) mobile communications technology and it started its own research and development (RD) in Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) in 1995. With a dedicated team of 3,500 RD employees deployed throughout research centres in China and other countries, Huawei invested more than US$370 million in wide-band CDMA (WCDMA) technologies over the next few years. In addition, to familiarise itself with 3G industry, Huawei formed a 3G research joint venture with Japans NEC and Matsushita in 2003, and entered the mobile handset market in early 2004. At the same time, Huawei started a joint venture with Siemens to test TD-SCDMA (Chinas home grown standard) mobile handsets and networks equipments. Procurement Huawei has research centres both in China and overseas. It had a 21-storey research centre in Shenzhen, and six other research laboratories in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Huangzhou, Xian and Chengdu; a software development centre in Bangalore (India) and research facilities in Moscow (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden) and the Silicon Valley in California. Flexibility Flexibility is needed by firms in order to complete both primary and support activities that allow the production of differentiation products at relatively low costs. Three sources of flexibility are: Flexible manufacturing systems, information networks and total quality management systems. Flexible Manufacturing Systems Flexible manufacturing systems enable a firm to produce a variety of products in moderate quantities with minimum human intervention. Through either patent-mining or reverse engineering, Huawei had turned high-profit and complex products into standard commodities. In addition, to offer better differentiation products, Huawei hires local personnel in customers home country to tailor technologies and services according to customers needs. Information Networks By linking companies with their suppliers, distributors and customers, information networks provide another source of flexibility. Ren Zhengfeis relationship with the Chinese military had helped Huawei to have a close guanxi network which other competitors do not have, and this had helped Huawei to secure big contract orders. Furthermore, Huaweis major customers in China were the big players in the industry such as; China Telecom, China Mobile, China Netcom and China Unicom. Huaweis networks in China has over 400 million people across the country, occupying 25% of the mobile network market shares and supplying 80% of all SMS from China Mobile. Total Quality Management (TQM) Systems TQM emphasizes the companys commitment to the customer and to continuously improve process through usage of data-driven, problem-solving approaches from empowerment of employee groups and teams. Huawei is able to simultaneously reduce cost while making use of its ability to develop innovative products. This increases their flexibility which is beneficial to implementing an integrated cost leadership/ differentiation strategy. Question 4. What other strategic actions would you recommend to Huawei to compete better in the future? Justify your answer. (20 marks) Besides the current strategic actions which Huawei is already implementing, I would suggest that Huawei consider acquisition where Huawei will buys a controlling, or 100% interest in another company to make it Huaweis subsidiary business within its portfolio. They are several reasons for acquisitions and we shall look at each of them: Increased Market Power Market power exists when a firm is able to sell its goods or services above competition levels or when the costs of its primary or support activities are lower than those of its competitors. Hence, to increase its market power, Huawei can use horizontal acquisition where it acquires company competing in the same industry. Overcoming Entry Barriers Presently, Huawei experiences problems entering the United States market. Hence, by making a cross-border acquisition, Huawei can overcome these entry barriers and gives it more control over its international operations. Cost of New Product Development and Increased Speed to Market Acquisitions allow Huawei to gain access to current and new products that are unique to the acquired firm. Returns are more predictable as the performance of the acquired firm products can be observed and assessed prior to acquisition. Lower Risk Compared to Developing New Products As the results of an acquisition can be easily and accurately estimated than that of developing a new product, Huawei will find that there are lower risks involved. Increased Diversification Huawei can find it easier to develop and introduce new products through the acquired firm as it may be difficult to develop products that deviate from their current product lines. Reshaping Firms Competitive Advantage Competitive rivalry can affects Huaweis profitability. Thus, to reduce the effect of an intense rivalry, acquisitions actually reduce Huaweis dependence on one or more products or markets. This will in turn alters Huaweis competitive scope. Learning and Developing New Capabilities Acquisition can allows Huawei to gain new capabilities which it does not currently possess. Through acquisition, Huawei can broaden their knowledge base and reduce inactivity. In addition to acquisition, Huawei can also have a nonequity strategic alliance with other companies. A nonequity strategic alliance is a form of alliance where two or more companies have a contractual relationship such that they share some of their unique resources and capabilities to create a competitive advantage. This is used in more uncertain situations, and companies do not establish any independent company and hence do not have any equity positions. Through nonequity strategic alliance, Huawei can have licensing agreements, distribution agreements, and supply contracts with other alliance companies. Usually, outsourcing commitments are specified in the form of nonequity strategic alliance. In conclusion, I would recommend that Huawei consider acquisition and nonequity strategic alliance as its business strategy in the future so that it can better compete with other competitors.

United Nations :: essays papers

United Nations The League of Nations now called the United Nations was founded in 1919. The League of Nations was composed shortly after the first world war in order to prevent any more wars. The League of Nations collapsed in 1939. On January 1 of 1942 United Nations was born. During WWII, 26 nations joined their forces to continue fighting against the Axis Powers. The United Nations Charter was drawn up by representatives of 51 nations and signed on June 26, 1945. The United Nations was officially born on October 24, 1945 when the Charter was authorized by China, USSR, France, UK, USA and many other nations. The United Nations has three primary goals; to achieve and maintain world peace, to promote and develop good relations among all nations and to work together with other nations on solving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems. Many other functions are done by the UN, they protect human rights, fight epidemics, poverty and famine, deliver aid in form of food, clot! hes and medicine. They provide monetary loans to developing countries through the World Bank to help them achieve their goals. The UN is composed of six major branches. General Assembly, The Security Council, Economic and Social Council, The Trusteeship Council, The International Court of Justice and the Secretariat. Each has a specific function in the smooth working of the United Nations. The major reason why UN was formed is to promote and ensure world peace. They accomplish this by helping nations settle their disputes, deter conflicts and stop fighting. The United Nations is an organization that is involved in promotion of world peace. Many diplomatic actions are taken by the group to put and end to war and armed conflicts. The UN has an Agenda for Peace which can be separated into four groups. The four groups are: Preventive Diplomacy, Peacemaking, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding. Preventive Diplomacy tires to put and end to a conflict by getting the two nations to compromise before the conflict becomes violent. Peacemaking also tries to resolve the conflict diplomatically but after the bout becomes violent. Peacemaking tries to get the involved nations to cease-fire. Peacekeeping comes into play once cease-fire is established. UN peacekeeping forces come in to make sure that cease- fire is honoured and help to conclude the conflict. Peace building is the last stage thatpromotes peace and order by raising social structures, governments and legal systems. Peacemaking and Peacekeeping are two most important

The University Health System Should Distribute the Morning After Pill E

The University Health System Should Distribute the Morning After Pill The United States of America is known for many of its outlandish and outrageous statistics in comparison to other countries. Statistics regarding obesity, homicide rates, and political issues have displayed many of the nation?s weak points. However, the amount of teen pregnancy has become so excessive that it is becoming a cry for help and a statistic that is greatly standing out and can no longer be ignored. In 1999 about one million teenagers experienced a pregnancy. This rate was twice the amount in England, Wales, and Canada and nine times greater than that of the Netherlands and Japan. About 78% of these American teenage pregnancies were said to be unplanned. (The Alan Guttmacher Institute home page) The country has come up with many solutions to this problem, yet nearly every solution has caused ethical debate. The use of contraception is rejected by many religions and groups of people; while the option of abortion, is even more widely rejected. Many Christian religions stand firm on preventing the use of either contraception or abortion as well as sex outside wedlock. Other religions such as Judiasm, Muslims, and Hinduisms also stand against it. Politicians are also known for taken a stand on the issue, as those running on a conservative platform (Republicans) are more likely to go against. The liberals (Democrats) stress the need for womens? right to chose and consistently fight for the continuation of the practice of abortion. Although, the younger generations are more accepting of these options, does that mean it is the right decision? One quick fix to pregnancy began years ago with the introduction of the condom. This method of contraception h... ... at an early age is a fear for many young women in high school and college. About 70% of the high school age students that become pregnant will finish high school but fail to continue there education in college. (The Alan Guttmacher Institute facts and statistics on teen pregnancy home page). Many young women have goals and dreams that are sometimes shattered due to an unexpected visitor. One night can change the lives of these students and they should have an option if a mistake is made or an accident happens. If women on the James Madison University campus had the choice to receive the morning-after pill from the Health Center and take it, then there would be a lot less stress in the lives of these young women. Knowing that if something unexpected where to happen, that there is a solution, is a good feeling to have for the woman of this college university campus.