Far from the Madding Crowd Essay

As they are speaking to the well-educated and proper Bathsheeba, this is effectively emphasised. When Bathsheeba’s eyes first fall upon the dying flock, Hardy describes the sheep as being ‘helpless’, ‘livid’ and ‘afflicted animals’. These strong words add to the gloom of the scene, and Hardy’s description of Bathsheeba’s ‘sad, bursting heart’ also creates despair. The ailments of the flock are described vividly which makes the whole situation seem much more real: â€Å"Many of them foamed at the mouth, their breathing quick and short, whilst the bodies of all were fearfully distended† In Bathsheeba’s moment of bewilderment, the rustics explain in their characteristic fashion that the only man in the area that could save them was Gabriel Oak. Immediately she protests: â€Å"How dare you name that man in my presence! † This shows that even a day after their argument, Oak is still very fresh on her mind. She rejects the rustics’ idea of Oak and turns to Boldwood for help. This act avoids confrontation and also yet again promotes her authority, this time over her workers. However, she quickly learns from the rustic people that Boldwood does not know the cure and that he sent for Oak when his sheep had the same disorder. Bathsheeba shouts at the workers and tells them to find somebody to cure the flock. This shows that she is too proud and stubborn to send for Oak, and does not want to, as it would show a weakness of her character. â€Å"Never will I send for him-never! ‘ she said firmly† As she witnesses an ewe dying in front of her, she repeats the above but this time wringing her hands. This signifies that she is frustrated; frustrated at herself for being so stubborn and frustrated that the only man who can save her prime flock is the same man she has just fallen out with. Hardy goes on to explain that with Bathsheeba the ‘No, I won’t’ virtually means ‘I think I must. ‘ We have seen this inconsistency in Bathsheeba’s personality in the previous chapter when she declined Oak’s opinion of her conduct at first and then went on to request it. It is a similar circumstance. Bathsheeba is far too stubborn and proud for her own good as it too often makes her life more difficult. However her inconsistency is the sure sign that her quest for power is really a show and that she is a lot weaker and sensitive really, for here she gives in again. â€Å"Laban – Jump on the Bay mare, and ride across, and say he (Oak) must return instantly-that I say so† Bathsheeba’s above statement shows how very conscious she is of looking weak. It is quite clear that she has had a change of heart and decides to do the right thing and get Oak, yet still she must speak in her authoritative manner, seemingly trying to cover up her sensitive, more weak decision. As Laban rides towards where Oak is staying, Hardy names the places and features he passes on the way and on the way back. This is how Hardy conveys more of the area, naming places adds to the reality of the situation, and the reader can feel more involved and stimulated by the events occurring. The list of places also adds length to the passage where Laban rides to get Oak, which in turn adds to the suspense of the situation. On Laban’s return Bathsheeba sees that Oak is not with him, and Laban’s face is described as tragic, a dramatic word, which makes the reader think the worst. Laban explains that Oak would not come unless Bathsheba asked in a civil and proper manner, which annoys Bathsheeba – Oak knows this. As much as Bathsheeba tries to control Oak, it is clear that Oak is in control this time. Her real sensitive and feminine personality is shown as another sheep falls dead and Bathsheeba bursts into tears – another indication that she is not really strong and infinitely stubborn. Bathsheeba admits to her need for control and cover-up stubborn attitude when she murmurs: â€Å"O, it is a wicked cruelty to me-it is-it is! And he drives me to do what I wouldn’t† This refers to her having to talk to Oak, whom she has only just sacked, as if she was politely asking a favour, and it is this sign of weakness that she hates so much. Bathsheeba decides to write Oak a short note, and Hardy conveys that it is heartfelt by describing her sobs and bursts of crying whilst she writes it. At the bottom of the note, driven by the drama of the time she conveys her first open passionate feelings toward Oak: â€Å"Do not desert me, Gabriel! † It is now clear that Bathsheeba does have close feelings towards Oak and is appealing to him right from her heart. The reader is not familiar with this highly feminine and sensitive side to Bathsheeba, which, again, adds to the whole drama of the scene. Oak responds this time, which conveys how strongly her emotional note appealed to the man who is in love with her, and cannot bear the thought of deserting her. Bathsheeba’s feminine charm had worked and she knew it for Hardy clearly states: â€Å"She knew from the look of his face which sentence of her note had brought him† After all of her powerful signs of affection, Bathsheeba still cannot face ceasing her commanding tone. Her first words to Oak: â€Å"O, Gabriel, how could you serve me so unkindly! † The flock is again described as Oak sees it: as turgid, prostrate forms. Hardy uses such striking words to fuel the reader’s suspense. Oak then gets to work, and the method he uses to cure the sheep is described in clear detail, which makes it more realistic. Oak manages to save the flock: â€Å"When the love-led man had ceased from his labours Bathsheeba came and looked him in the face† This line is important because it shows that all the effort Oak had just put in to save over fifty sheep was all driven by his love for Bathsheeba. It also contrasts from the end of the previous chapter because they look at each other, instead of avoiding eye contact, which conveys the romance conjured up by the heroic actions of Oak for the woman he loves, and her realisation of this. The chapter ends with Bathsheeba asking Oak to return to the farm, which he agrees to, and the last line, again contrasting with the previous chapter, conveying how Bathsheeba really feels: â€Å"And she smiled on him again. † Interestingly, the two chapters I have looked at above convey a cycle of the relationship between the two main characters. Everything starts off amicably before a crescendo of cutting comments result in an argument and the sacking of Oak. However, the occurrence of the flock’s disorder makes Bathsheeba realise that she regrets sacking him and that she did it out of anger. After Oak saves the flock Bathsheeba is very grateful and their relationship becomes friendly again. Bathsheeba, as you have seen, is a very strong character and throughout the extract tries hard to control Oak. However, the situation develops, she ends up sacking him and then depending on him. Having noticed this, I also realised that this happens again in the book. At the beginning she rejects him as a husband, but then it is the actions of Oak who put out a serious fire, which begins at her new farm. This can be linked to the above extract: Oak gets rejected and then depended on by Bathsheeba. Similarly – the night that Bathsheeba and her husband, sergeant Troy, celebrate their marriage is the same night that Oak saves the Harvest from a freak storm. Once again, Bathsheeba has denied Oak, but it is he who she depends upon in the end. In a way the whole book is based on the cycle conveyed in this extract. Bathsheeba continually rejects Oak, first for Boldwood, then for Troy. Oak’s continual work on the farm keep it going whilst Bathsheeba’s marriage fails, and she turns to Oak for comfort: depending on him. Oak’s devotion finally pays off in the end though, when eventually he does marry his true love, Bathsheeba Everdene.

Different Interpretations of Taming of the Shrew Essay

Since there are so many different adaptations of Taming of the Shrew, there are quite a lot of differences when you see it, then when you read it. Especially when you try to imagine the Wooing Scene, in Act 2 Scene 1. Here are a few main differences I noticed in two of the different adaptations I watched: * Gaudete Academy 2010 Production (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaebQOnnHMU) * Petruchio was a little scared of Katherina when he first met her * Katherina was a lot more harsh, physically * Instead of dialogue with words, they made Petruchio speak and Katherina act with facial expressions and basically actions. Petruchio: You lie in faith. For you are called Kate. Plain Kate. Bonny Kate. And sometimes Kate the curst. (Katherina flicks him annoyingly) * Also Petruchio has long monologues, but instead they make Katherina respond with actions and not verbally. So Kate’s actions made it seem like dialogue * There is so much more physical abuse, than verbal abuse Petruchio: My super dainty Kate. (Katherina pushes him off the stage) * They change some words and sentences, so the audience understand the jokes and puns * A lot of interaction with the audience Petruchio: Take this of me, Kate of my consolation: Hearing thy†¦ hearing thy†¦ Uh, help? What’s that sir? *Harpy* Hearing thy Harpyishness praised in every town * Taming of the Shrew (1976) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdqOHvcD-VU) * Baptista acts a little evil when Petruchio asks for Kate’s hand in marriage * Petruchio acts a lot more rude, physically * Katherina struggles with Petruchio a lot more * Katherina seems weak, even from the start * Kate doesn’t argue as much as in the play * Petruchio over powers Kate a lot, instead of them being equally horrid * Petruchio adds more actions, so it adds more emphasis to the argument * Gremio’s line stands out more, than in the play script * Taming of the Shrew (CorkShakespeare) This one is very similar to the original play script, so not many points (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxtQKwHO6xU) * Most of the other adaptations points * Costumes were modernized * Petruchio is very forceful

Anyone can make a difference

There is no such thing as a perfect world although we continue to try and make it seem that way. Mankind has dreamt about making this wish a reality for many centuries yet has failed in its attempts. This concept along with the failure it carries exists because no one man or women can entirely change the world we live in. No two people are alike so therefore how can millions of individuals be expected to have the same exact motives or desires.In contrast, the reality is that no matter what sex, GE, religious belief or ethnicity you carry, everyone has the same bottom line basic needs that must be met for survival. If each and every one of us could understand that perception and accept it than the key to peace would be among us. Over the centuries in which humanity has been alive it seems that this fact has not been discovered by all its civilization. So therefore many have learned that by separating themselves from trying to persuade this thought, they can more over begin to focus on their own parts to play in this action movie called â€Å"Life†.This world is filled opportunity; anyone of us can have and will have the chance to take a stand in making our home a better place. Being a strong advocate of voting, it is shocking to conclude that many of Americans do not participate in the act of voting, elections or other democratic virtues. The best tool that we have at our disposal is the Benton 2 power to vote, which is the most sufficient way to voice our own opinions. Too many people described as Americans like the idea of problems fixing problems but this solution is unrealistic.If someone does not agree with how the government is running things then it is stated in the Declaration of Independence to speak up! It is overall OUR RIGHT to say so! The government should never have full control over our country; we are supposed to have a democracy run civilization not some communist dictatorship! Another action that should be used in attempt to make our wor ld a finer place is to recognize how something so simple as showing respect and love towards one another can lead to such positive self-outcomes beyond measure.Anyone no matter hat sex, age, religion or ethic background again should be treated equally and not any different then how you would want or expect to be treated. No one human being is better than another even if he or she makes more money or is shown to be in a higher standing within the system. I mean if there really is a â€Å"God†, than we are all his children, correct? No favorites would have been picked from the bunch over another. Nevertheless, along with these examples, a dedication to volunteer activities can also provide an impact on the community not alone on you.Regardless of the location in which you become involved with such extracurricular activities it is always known to show a positive feedback. There are so many amazing, kind hearted and wonderful people who reside here in Fresno, California not menti oning the rest of the planet yet along with these people one should recognize that there will be a lot of harsh ones to follow. Yet, experiences with others should never change your own view and relations to the outside world. It is true that his economy is so horrid Benton 3 eight now that it is causing thousands to morph into self-centered monsters.This reality is disgusting as it is the barrier that is separating that of commonality. Sadly enough, this sequence of events is taking venue only because of the way we have let such issues prolong. The need for survival is a mind-controlling factor yet if we could all realize that by working towards a much deeper long-term goal, we all would be much better off. The strong crave for the light bulb to one day appear over the naive is prodigious as help from America's people is so desperately needed.Evidentially enough, it is impossible to turn the minds of everyone single handedly so some must carry on with their own lives and continuall y try their best in spreading their own opinions and words in the appropriate ways. While dreaming of a greater day, maybe this exhibit will one day be transformed into a reality for at lease our children or children's' children to experience. All that any single individual can do is give effort and think that maybe their suggestions will make a positive influence and one day spread into something larger and far greater†¦

The Problem of Scepticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Problem of Scepticism - Essay Example The problem of skepticism may be divided into ‘what’ can be known by a person because every individual has a certain amount of knowledge about plenty of things and most people presume a great number of things from the implications of the situation at hand. Some of these facts may seem to be so true to a person that anyone doubting them would be doing a very pointless job. For example, one writes with a pen on a paper; this is a very common aspect of daily living and it is not possible to be skeptic about such a statement because it is quite obvious that a pen is an instrument one uses to write on paper. However, it may so be understood that just because most people believe in a certain aspect of life, it may not actually be true. For example, earlier, people were under the impression that the world was flat and not round, however, science proved them wrong by making it clear that the Earth is round and it revolves around the sun unlike popular theory at the time accordin g to which the Earth was the major segment of the universe around which every star and planet revolved. Optical illusions are another aspect of beliefs that most people have which do not turn out to be true in the end. Sometimes people presume that they are seeing someone familiar from a distance however on coming closer they realize that they are mistaken about the same and that it is a different person. Optical illusions play tricks on a person’s eyes and make them believe in something that does not exist. It is possible to be skeptic about everything that occurs around oneself however, in that case, it will not be possible to believe in what the reality or actuality of the situation is. If one keeps going on about this fashion, then it might not be easy to understand when to stop questioning and when to start believing in what is happening around a person. A man will be caught up in infinite regress if he goes on doubting everything happening around him and will not be abl e to differentiate between an experience and an actual situation.  

Response to teacher- changes in attitudes towards sex Essay

Response to teacher- changes in attitudes towards sex - Essay Example As a result of the growing influence of media on the society, American family system has been affected in a variety of negative ways. The collective effect of changing attitudes toward sex has been of weakening the family as the building block of the society. American society is becoming increasingly approving of the gay rights. Unlike the past, when homosexual tendency was considered as an abnormal behavior, homosexuality is being increasingly approved of and is being given similar status to heterosexuality. A positive effect of these changing attitudes toward sex is that sex education today has become more of a need than a choice. More people can be educated on the risks of unhealthy sexual behaviors. A negative effect, however, is that more educated people advocate in favor of abortion associating it with women’s liberty and freedom, thus increasing the rate of abortions in the country (Aulette, 2010). Overall, circumstances have become conducive for increase in the premari tal sex amongst

Heart attacks and stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Heart attacks and stress - Essay Example Medicine Net (2010) has reported that if left unmanaged, stress can lead to emotional, psychological, and even physical problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pains, or irregular heart beats (Medicine Net, 2010). Stress can increase both the blood pressure and the cholesterol level in our body which can lead to heart attacks. This paper focussing mainly on stress related heart attacks. In simple terms Heart attack is the blocking of blood flow to the heart due to some problems. Barrier less flow of blood to and fro heart is essential for the smooth functioning of heart. Heart pumps blood to all over our body through veins and whenever this pumping disrupted, heart functions may cease. â€Å"If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die† (What Is a Heart Attack?, 2008) Heart attacks are common both in men and women. Different reasons were cited as the cause of heart attacks, But generally it is accepted that lack of physical workouts and changing life styles are the major reasons behind heart attacks. The current generation is tied with so many commitments to their family, society and to the workplace. It is difficult for a layman to manage all this commitments equally well. The failure in the management of commitments may result in increased level of stresses and stress causes many physical and mental problems and heart attacks are one among them. Friedman and Rosenman were the first to explain why specific behaviours (overt pattern behaviour A" or Type A) could cause heart attacks and contribute to coronary artery disease. Stress can cause accelerated atherosclerosis and coronary occlusion that is associated with elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, and free fatty acids, increased fibrinogen, haptoglobin, plasma seromucoids, platelet aggregation and adhesiveness, polycythemia, and accelerated blood clotting (Stress And Heart

Do the question 1 write a report how to get the number and analysis Coursework

Do the question 1 write a report how to get the number and analysis it, - Coursework Example d contractual right to obtain residual payments of 12.5% of the profits on the sale for such items as phonographic recordings that were sold to the public. Ms. Lee did not receive the whole $ 9 million nevertheless she settled the case with Disney and received a milestone settlement of almost $ 2.3 million that represented a portion of her part of the returns made from the sale of the videocassette on the film Lady and the Tramp. Ms. Peggy Lee received nearly $ 3,500 for working on a film that may have earned millions of dollars. Therefore, the calculation of damages, according to Ms. Peggy Lee and her attorneys for the breach of contract that resulted in Disneys offer of a comparatively trivial amount of $ 381,000 involved the point that her interpretation of the contract with Disney was that she was eligible to 12.5% of the profits made from the sales of the movie on DVD and videocassettes. Ms. Peggy Lee had to convince the jury that the DVDs and video cassettes were not covered in her original contract with Disney for her to be entitled to far more money than the $ 381,000 that was calculated by Disney. The glitch for Ms. Peggy Lee and Disney was due to the fact that videocassette technology was not something that either party anticipated back in 1952 and the main concern in the case is whether the utilization of Ms. Peggy Lees songs and her voice on the videocassettes was not ratified in the language contained in the initial

Module 10 World Alliance vs. World ChaosAmerican Foreign Policy in the Essay

Module 10 World Alliance vs. World ChaosAmerican Foreign Policy in the Twentieth Century - Essay Example The Vietnam War was never, at any stage of the conflict, popular with the American public and, indeed, the strikes and protests against this war are as much a part of US history as is the war itself. Given the undeniable unpopularity of the war, one can only assume that the United States' leadership had a rationale for involvement in this conflict. Accordingly, in order to arrive at an objective conclusion regarding the United States' involvement in this war, the political and historical context of the conflict shall be considered, following which the two alternate points of view shall be presented for determination of their respective strengths and weakness. The Vietnam War has its roots in the Viet Minh's struggle for the independence of Vietnam from Japanese control during the Second World War. The leader of this struggle, Ho Chi Minh, was a communist national who, although independent of USSR control, maintained friendly and cooperative relations with Moscow. Despite alliance with the Soviet Union, however, the United States actively supported Ho Chi Minh's bid for independence and, in assertion and affirmation of its support, the United States even trained Ho Chi Minh's guerilla fighters, preparing them for the seizure of their country and the declaration of Vietnam independence following World War II. Following Following the surrender of the Japanese Imperial Army in World War II, several factions emerged, demanding control over an independent Vietnam. The Japanese, however, awarded the Viet Minh control over the country and, on 2 September 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared his country's independence from French colonialism, expressing his confidence and hope in US support. There were several reasons for Ho Chi Minh's confidence. The first was the support which the United States had extended him in the training of Viet Minh guerillas. The second was the United States' opposition to European colonialism and support for independence. In other words, there was a string foundation for Ho Chi Minh's belief that the United States would support his government. The United States' international relations' priorities and agenda, however, underwent a significant shift following World War II and it did not support the Viet Minh. The Cold War had begun and the United States, who perceived of the world as being divided into two camps, the communist and the capitalist camps, was determined to curb the power of the Soviet Union. It saw the Soviet Union as a real threat to the West, to the United States and was utterly convinced that should it allow Vietnam to fall to communism, it would be directly contributing to the growth of Soviet Union and would be facilitating the domino effect, wherein one country after the other would fall to communism. The United States did not simply change its strategy vis--vis Vietnam and its earlier support of Ho Chi Minh, but went to war in order to ensure that Vietnam did not fall to communism, hence Soviet influence. Leadership of Vietnam became indeterminate. The United States was opposed to ho Chi Minh and Moscow supported him. Eventually, in the Geneva Conference of 1954, the country was partitioned until such a time hen national elections could be held and decides upon leadership. The United States chose Ngo Dinh Diem, an avowed anti-communist as the leader of

Theory of Constraints Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Theory of Constraints - Assignment Example h a difference of four minutes, it means that the first customer to be served will leave when the last customer is left with 24 minutes to leave because the total time that is being lost before the servers finish with their last customer in the first round of 12 is 24 minutes. And suppose there is an increment in the number of servers then there will be decrease in time lost with increase in the number of customers served which is directly proportional to increase in general income of the process(Jacobs, Chase & Lummus, 2011). If the average cost per meal is 10$ then it means that in the first 50 minutes the process shall have generated 120$ and in the first 1 hour it shall have generated 144$. For a better understanding of that calculation the figures are tabulated as shown bellow Increment in the number of customers can comfortably accommodate by increment in the number of employees by a positive figure of one and at the same time the current employees must adjust their level of performance for the general success of the process(Jacobs, Chase & Lummus,

Of Mice And Men Creative Writing Essay Example for Free

Of Mice And Men Creative Writing Essay The early morning dew on the grass sparkled in the sunlight as it rose from behind the Gabilian mountains. The town of weed was silent, desolate and all you could hear was the flow of the river which was gushing in between the fresh green willows of the Salinas River. The mist was so fine all you could see was the top of the Gabilian Mountains. On the other side of the Salinas River slight dew glistened on the grass, of which there were branches overhanging the green murky pool. On the sandy bank there lay beneath the trees of which had leaves that were brittle from the sunlight. They would make a scurrying noise when the leaves are walked over. Rabbits leap and bound out from their warrens, full of energy from their sleep, going to sit on the golden sand. As the morning became brighter and more alive the wildlife came to arose from the dark to start a fresh new day. There was a vivid path of some sort that went through plants and trees, a path that had been disturbed by boys, men, heavily walking on it coming down from a hard grafts work in the ranches, heading towards the deep pool for a refreshing dip. From another direction there were two shadows of a of a relatively little sized person and a comparatively big in size person. From the shadow of the comparatively big in size person it was very tall and very strongly built and the shadow of the relatively little sized person look less strong and built. The leader of the two men looked as if he was the brain and boss of the large man. He looked like a father figure. Due to the town f weed being deserted the voices of these two men got louder as the came closer to the town of weed. The larger men of the two look as if he was tired and fed up because he was dragging his feet across the path. It looked as if it was an effort carry the weight of the larger man. Sweat was pouring off of him and as they got closer you could here him sighing and saying Are we here yet. For Christ sake I have already told you Lennie that we have got a mile to go yet. Stop moaning, walked quicker and we will get there in no time at all! George said very crossly. Why George is it taking so long. Where are we going George? I am thirsty and hot George. Lennie! How many times will I have to say this we are going to Murray and Readys to get our work cards so they can give us some work? I cant believe you forgot already! I only told you like 15 minutes ago! George looked at Lennie as if he was a little child who couldnt remember anything. George looked at him with disgust. George, George, I am sorry, I really am sorry George. Lennie just shut up and dont forget it again. I am not going to say it again. For a little while there was silence. All you could hear was the rustling of the sand and dust from the path. Then George said come on its not long now, we will be here soon. As George and Lennie walked the final part to get to the ranch George told Lennie about his plans for them both to work on the ranch for a little while and collect some money and then get a place of their own with rabbit and chickens and other stuff. But George also told Lennie that he had to be on his best behaviour as they wanted work otherwise he wouldnt get to tent the rabbits. Right Lennie we are here now. Now you wait out side here and dont move while I get the work cards. Ok George I wont move till you come back. Yeah and be good for gods sake we dont want the boss to find out what a crazy bastard you are sometimes do we. Said George. Whilst George was getting the work cards Lennie was sitting down waiting for him. Lennie started to get bored, so his eyes started to wonder the soundings around him. In the corner of his eye he saw something with looked soft, red dress. It was a young girl with her father. She had rosy cheeks and a friendly smile, and luscious red dress. Lennie thought about what George had said for a second, then looked over at the young girl as she walked and sat next to him. Lennie then decided despite what George had told him, to talk to her and say hello. Lennie took at her and saw red dress and could not bear touching it. The dress looked so velvety and so soft. As he touched the dress he startled her, and so she screamed, but he couldnt let go because it was so silky but the harder he clenched his fists the more he pulled it and the angrier Lennie got, as she tried to get away. As the girl was screaming so loud the father heard and came out but before he had chance to see Lennie, Lennie ran off. George instantly knew that Lennie had done something wrong, so he went in search of Lennie. You crazy basted what you go and do that for. It was all going well until you done that! said George. George, George I am sorry, I really am. I tried not to touch. I did George. Lennie said frightfully as he realised George was very irate with him. George looked at Lennie with anxiety as they ran from the town off Weed. They headed for the forest to make sure anyone that was searching for them wouldnt find them. Bloody hell Lennie I knew that you couldnt go without getting into trouble. Five minutes I left you for, five bloody minutes. What the hell am I going to do with you? George I couldnt help it, you know I couldnt it just looked.. JUST STOP THERE LENNIE! Its all ways sorry George, I didnt mean too. Well now you can sort it out I dont care! Lennie looked at George with disappointment, but knew that he had done wrong. All Lennie could reply with was I am sorry George, I forgot. From that point, on there was little sound all the way to the ranch. They walked for miles and miles on end on a long, boring and dusty road. There was not one mutter of a word.

Effect of Management Change | Case Study

Effect of Management Change | Case Study 1.1 BACKGROUND Change has always been with man from creation. Man and plants have evolved and adapted to the environment anytime the need arises. Failure to change, most often than not leads to extinction. The general perception is that changes are made always for the better, but sometimes, it is for the worst. At other times also, there is no need for change. Change is an inevitable phenomenon. A system would have to undergo change at some point in time. The effectiveness of the change to a large extent depends on how it is managed. For an organization to survive, it is necessary for it to continue to adapt to its changing environment. Change is the singular factor that upgrades a system to suit its current environment. Change in management is one typical way of effecting change. Change in management can take the form of privatization, re-shuffling or merging. Most times, old managers leave with their ideologies and new managers come in with new ones. Vodafone Ghana is one company in the Telecommunication Industry which has experienced management change in recent times. Vodafone Ghana, formerly Ghana Telecom, was the national telecommunication company of Ghana. In 2006, it had around 400,000 customers for fixed and mobile telephony and internet services. On 3rd July 2008, the sale of the company for $900m to Vodafone group was announced. After the transaction closed, Vodafone had a 70% stake in the company, while the Ghanaian Government retained a 30% stake. On 16th April 2009, the company was rebranded as Vodafone Ghana. The rebranding, seeks to lead to a stiff competition among the operators in the Ghanaian mobile market. 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT. Changes in almost all organizations are not freely welcomed by the organization members. The reluctance to change is mostly as a result of fear of the unknown. Changes in management in organizations are resisted by staff for lack of knowledge of the impact the change will bring. The impact could be positive or negative. The change will at the tail end affect the performance of the staff and for that matter the organization as a whole. Change in management actually changes the status quo of how things are done. How the change is managed to get everyone along is crucial to the effectiveness of the organization. The performance of the organization is also translated in the response by the organizations external customers, government and regulatory bodies to the change. 1.3 PURPOSE/AIMS The purpose of the study will be to assess the performance of Vodafone Ghana, as there has been change in management. The research will assess the performance of the then Ghana Telecom and its management team for the last two years and do a comparative analysis with the performance of the now Vodafone Ghana and its new set of management team. At the end of the study, the research will find out which of the two management teams led to a higher performance of Vodafone Ghana. 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The objectives of the study will include the following; To identify the effect of change in management on the performance of Vodafone Ghana. To identify the factors that necessitated the change in management of Vodafone Ghana. To ascertain the challenges of the process (change in management) and how it was managed to ensure that it is on track to achieving the required performance. 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY It is believed that, the results of this study will do the following; Enable internal and external customers to know how the management team of the then Ghana Telecom fared in the last two years of their being as against the first two years of Vodafone Ghana. Inform the current management team of their performance in Ghana as far as Vodafone Ghana is concerned. Serve as a source of secondary data for further research in the area of change in management. 1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS The research question for this study will be: What are the effects of Change in Management on the Performance of Vodafone Ghana? The null hypothesis for the study will be: Ho: change in management does not significantly affect performance. The alternative hypothesis for the study will be: H1: change in management significantly affects performance. 1.7 SCOPE AND ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY The research will be grouped into five chapters. The first chapter is Introduction. The introduction will include an overview of the background of the study, the focal point of the statement of the problem, an explanation of the study, key objectives of the study, the reasons for the study, the question and hypothesis. The second chapter will review literature, that is, the theoretical and the empirical. It will explain relevant theories that relate to the subject area as well as give a description of literature that has been practically observed and validated objectively on the subject matter. It will again explain certain terms in the research. The third chapter will present the methodology. It shall give a general description of the design of the work. It will include population and sampling, instrumentation and statistical analysis. The fourth chapter will be results and discussions, where data collected will be analyzed and findings experimented. The fifth chapter will draw conc lusions and give recommendations. LITERATURE REVIEW It is often said that two heads are better than one. Most often than not, we see individuals coming together to undertake projects that cannot be done individually. One of the most known ways is through organization. An organization according to (Robbins Coulter, 1999) is a deliberate arrangement of people to accomplish some specific purpose. Organizations in trying to accomplish their goals get proper management systems in place. 2.1 THEORETICAL LITERATURE DEFINITION Management is the process of achieving organizational goals by engaging in the four major functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Bartol Martin (1998). Bartol and Martin emphasized on the fact that, it is an ongoing process that begins with planning and ends with controlling. It never ends because the controlling checks if the organization is on the right path as far as the plans (objectives) are concerned and as such, the results serve as input again in the process. Robbins Decenzo (2001) also defined the term management as the process of getting things done, effectively and efficiently, through and with other people. Like Bartol and Martin, the process in their definition pointed to the four main functions of management. Thus planning, organizing, leading and controlling. However, they believed that managers should not only be able to engage in the four major functions but managers should be able to do that simultaneously as the functions are interrelated and interdependent. Efficiency in their definition means making best use of the resources available. This brings into play the scarcity of the resource which has numerous uses. It is always prudent to minimize waste as much as possible when using these resources. Minimizing waste in the use of resources will lead to high productivity and efficiency. Effectiveness means choosing the right goals, strategies and tasks in a present condition. In essence, effectiveness is doing the right things while efficiency is doing things right. There are two well known ways of achieving efficiency and effectiveness which are; The organization increasing the output with the same level of input. The organization producing the same output with a reduced input level. Koontz Weihrich (1990) also defined management as a process of designing and maintaining an environment in which individuals working together in groups efficiently accomplish selected aims. Koontz and Weihrich like Robbins and Decenzo, and Bartol and Martins, believed that managers engage in the main functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. They also believed that management does not necessarily apply to a particular organization but rather, all kinds of organizations. Aside that, they believed that irrespective of the level a manger finds himself he needs to manage. They also underscored efficiency and effectiveness in trying to achieve the set goals. They however, believed that all managers focus on making surplus. This may not be necessarily true as some managers are found managing non-profit making organizations. Most managers in non-profit making organizations normally focus on the well-being and satisfaction of some people rather than making profit. All the stated definitions basically emphasize on management being putting in place the right atmosphere and conditions so that the set goals can be accomplished. All the definitions also highlight the major functions that are performed by managers and the fact that it should be done in an efficient and effective manner. Management is therefore a phenomenon that applies not only to organizations but also the daily lives of individuals. MANAGERS Managers are individuals who are engaged in the combination of the four functions of management to accomplish organizational goals. LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT Managerial jobs in organizations allow for the categorization of managers into three levels. Top Managers: It is the highest level and concerned with creating the organizations goals, overall strategy and operating policies. (Griffin, 1999). According to Rue Byars (2003), Senior management are not involved in the organizations day to day problems, but concentrate on setting the direction of the organization. Jennifer M George (2004), argued that top managers are responsible for the performance of all departments and therefore a cross departmental responsibility. Top managers are responsible for the successes and failures of the organization and most often have their performance scrutinized by the organizations internal and external customers. In Management by Robbins Coulter (1999), top managers are responsible for making organization-wide decisions and policies that affect the organization. Middle Managers: Managers at this level are responsible for the implementations of policies and plan drafted by top management and playing a supervisory role and co-coordinating the activities of the lower-level managers. Griffin (1999). According to Jennifer M. George (2004), middle level managers are responsible for finding the best way to organize human and other resources to achieve the organizational goals. To increase effectiveness, they evaluate the goals that the organization is pursuing and make suggestions to top managers. First Line Managers: The managers at this level are placed at the base of the managerial hierarchy and are often referred to as supervisors. They are responsible for the daily supervision of the non-managerial employees who perform many of the specific activities necessary to produce goods and services. They work in all departments of an organization. Jennifer M. George (2004). Its argued by Griffin (1999), that the common titles held by managers at this level are supervisors, coordination and office managers. These positions are often first held by employees who enter management from the ranks of operating personnel. According to Bartol Martin(1998), first line managers are extremely important to the success of the organization due to the special role of seeing to the day to day activities of the organization. These managers operate at the interface between management and the other work force and due to this can easily find themselves in the middle of conflicting demands. MANAGERIAL SKILLS Due to the validity and difficult nature of a managers job, certain skills are required to successfully carry out the duties and roles of a manager. Research by Robert L. Katz, during the early 1970s identified three essential skills or competencies needed by managers. The importance of these skills varies according to the managers level within the organization. Technical Skills: These are skills that reflect both an understanding of and a proficiency in a specialized field. Bartol Martin (1998). These skills are needed by both first line and middle level managers in their operations. It becomes less important as a manager moves into a higher level of management. However, top managers need some percentage of proficiency. For instance, an accountant must be proficient in the rules and standards of accounting, and be able to help its clients when faced with problems relating to the duties. Robbins Coulter (1999). According to (Bartol Martin, 1998) the technical skills are needed most by first line managers since they are directly involved in the supervision of the technical and professional employees, who are not managers. Middle level managers also need sufficient technical skills to recognize major problems. Top level managers will need some technical skills especially when technology is an important part of the product or service the org anization is offering. Human Skills: These are skills associated with a managers ability to work well with others, both as a member of a group and as a leader who gets things done through others. Bartol Martin (1998). Managers deal with humans and therefore need human skills to function effectively. Robert L. Katz indicated that, human skills are more important at the top level than the lower level. Managers with good human skills are able to get the best out of their people. How to communicate, motivate, lead and inspire enthusiasm and trust are some good human skills that managers should possess. Robbins Coulter (1999). Bartol Martin (1998) argued that human skills are needed by all the three levels of managers, since they deal with humans, and get things done through them. Managers without sufficient human skills are likely to have problems with internal and external customers. Conceptual Skills: These skills are related to the ability to visualize the organization as a whole, discern interrelationships among organizational parts, and understand how the organization fits into the wider context of the industry, community and world. Bartol Martin (1998). Conceptual skills are needed by managers for effective decision making that will positively affect the organization. Robert L. Katz proposed that these skills become more important as a manager moves into top management position. MANAGEMENT SKILLS AT DIFFERENT HIERARCHICAL LEVELS. SOURCE:BARTOL AND MARTIN, 1998 Griffin (1999) states that, the skills needed by a manager to perform activities go beyond the three skills. Four other skills are expected of a manager. They are; Diagnostic skills Communication skills Decision-making skills Time management skills WHAT MANAGERS ACTUALLY DO. Henry Mintzberg, a management scholar observed the activities of several top managers and discovered the work methods of managers as well as the major roles that they play. EXTENDED MODEL OF THE MANAGEMENT PROCESS. Management scholars Steven J. Carroll and Dennis J. Gillen went beyond the four major functions of management. These functions were used to form basis for the establishment of the managerial process. These management gurus upon their review of major studies on managerial work identified several key elements in the management process. There was the addition of work agenda, work methods and roles fused into the core management functions with a managers knowledge base and key management skills being contributing factors to high performance. WORK METHODS Mintzberg found that in their actual work methods, the managers differed drastically from their popular image as reflective, systematic planners who spend considerable quiet time in their offices poring over formal reports. Bartol Martin (1998). Three of the findings of Mintzberg give the revelation of what high-level managers actually do. UNRELENTING PACE: Managers are very busy people who work from dawn to dusk and are engaged in several activities. BREVITY, VARIETY AND FRAGMENTATION: Managers are very brief in their activities like meetings, attending to telephone calls, addressing the issues subordinates continue to bring to interfere with their work. VERBAL CONTACT AND NETWORKS: Managers prefer verbal communication through either phone conversations or meetings to written communication using memos and formal reports and rely heavily on networks to obtain and transmit information. MANAGERIAL ROLES According to Kreitner (1989), a research was conducted by Henry Mintzberg who concluded on what managers actually do. Mintzberg criticized the traditional functional approach as unrealistic, as they tell little about what managers actually do. Many other authors agree with Mintzberg and believe that the functional approach portrays the management process as far more systematic and rational and less complex than it really is. Mintzberg and his team said that to study managers and to know what they do, it is good to focus on the key roles they play, using a method called structured observation. This method involves recording the activities and correspondence of five top-level executives. Mintzberg identified ten roles he believed are common to managers at all levels. These ten roles are grouped into three categories. They are; Interpersonal Roles: This is the role that involves interpersonal contact with subordinates and peers. Figurehead, Leaders and Liaison are the interpersonal role managers play. Figurehead Role. It represents a symbol of legal authority and involves the performance of certain ceremonial duties like signing documents and receiving visitors. Leader Role. It seeks to motivate workers to get the job properly done Liaison Role. It serves as a link in a horizontal and vertical chain of communication. Informational Role. This is the role that provides information relating to the task. This role is important because information is the lifeblood of organizations, and includes nerves center, dissemination and spokesperson roles. Nerves Centre. It serves as a focal point for non routine information; receiving all type of information. Disseminator. Deals with the transmission of information to subordinates. Spokesperson. Deals with the transmission of selected information to outsiders. Decisional Role. With this role, managers balance competing interests and make choices. It enhances the development and implementation of strategies. The decisional roles are entrepreneurs, disturbance handlers, resource allocators and negotiators. Entrepreneur: Designs and initiates changes in the organization. Disturbance Handler: Takes corrective action in non routine situations. Resource Allocator: Takes decisions on allocation of resources to individuals and units. Negotiators. Participates in negotiation sessions with other parties like vendors and unions to make sure the organizations interest are adequately represented. Jones George (2004) in their book Essentials of Contemporary Management outlined Mintzbergs ten managerial roles. However, information technology has major effects on how managers perform their roles and on the skills they develop to perform the roles effectively. CHANGE The dynamic nature of business organizations naturally brings change. It is imminent for organizations to focus on change with competition increasing both domestically and globally. Companies that were enjoying mono-power are now been faced with competition from all the corners of the world. Bartol Martin (1998) defined change as any alteration in the status quo. They identified innovation to be one of the most applied forms of change. Innovation according to Bartol Martin (1998) is a new idea applied to initiate or improve a process, product or service. Hardly do people (employees) accept management action that endeavors to facilitate change as the existing processes and procedures may be seen consummate. The management of change in an organization has become an area of possible conflicts because of problems of understanding and communication. John Harvey-Jones (1993) stated that, it is impossible to change organizations which do not accept the dangers of their present way of doing things. A managers ability to manage change efficiently in an organization has become an indispensable skill in todays management. FORCES OF CHANGE A variety of forces influence change in an organization. Some of these forces are external whiles others may be developed internally. Recognizing and adapting to internal and external changes can mean the difference between continued success and going out of business. EXTERNAL FORCES All organizations are open systems and they therefore interact with the external environment of which they are part. The following factors may necessitate change: Escalating competition and globalization. Rapid development in new technology and the information age. Increased government regulation pressure. Scarcity of resources. Increased demand for quality. Increased demand for high levels of customer service and satisfaction. INTERNAL FORCES Internal forces for change also develop from a variety of sources. Some of these sources include; Ethical difficulties that arise because of employee behaviors. Decisions that entail changes and innovation. Organizational culture shifts. Reorganization. PROCESS OF CHANGE The process of change is likely to be associated with certain features. Hannagan (2004) in the book, Management Concept and Practices outlined the features as uncertainty about the causes and effect of change, unwillingness to give up existing practices, and awareness of problems in the change process. These characteristics according to Hannagan arose from a natural reaction to; Deny that the change is necessary. Resist any change irrespective of the merits. Avoid changes when they are introduced. Hannagan further suggested that managers should be able to determine the actual causes of change and remain flexible enough in their approach to overcome them in an appropriate manner. In the process of change, it is prudent to consider the degree of interaction between independent variables in the organization. The workers, technology and the organization structure seriously depend on each other and they therefore need to be recognized in the change process. The task of the manager is to direct energy away from feeling of powerlessness and looking backwards and towards seeing the opportunities for the future. This is important because in the process of change, people are likely to be threatened by the future while they need to recognize the dangers in the present position and the opportunities in the new ones. The process may involve denial of the need for change and resistance to it, until the change is able to be explored when opportunities will be discussed and commitment created. Hannagan (2004) outlined that the experience of the feeling of loss can take the following forms; Security: People feel unsecure of their position in the organization and how it will change. Competence: Becoming worried about their ability to carry out new tasks. Relationships: They may feel the familiar contacts will be lost with other employees, with managers and teams and groups. Territory: They may feel uncertain about their work space or job responsibility. Direction: They lose a clear view of where they are going. It is important that the manager reckon that these feelings are part of the transition process. It is the task of management to recognize these sentiments and endeavor to minimize it. This transcends provision of information as workers are not likely to change their behavior simply because they have being told. Change therefore needs to be managed carefully. TRANSITION IN THE CHANGE PROCESS From denial and resistance to exploration and commitment. SOURCE: MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND PRACTICES, 4TH EDITION BY TIM HANNAGAN. CHANGE MANAGEMENT It is obvious that a system that is not functioning well needs to be changed. The effectiveness of the change however to the large extent depends on how it is managed. Change aims at moving organization from the current position to place it in a desirable way in which its objectives can easily be accomplished. For the change to achieve its purpose it need to be managed properly. Hannagan (2004) outlined the various steps; Vision: A process of reminding everybody and clarifying to everybody the direction of the organizations. Strategy: Outline how this is to be achieved through the development of objectives and goals. Monitoring change: Progress is measured in order to observe and encourage change. Different strategies are developed and implemented depending on the stage of the change. At the stage of denial, the manager has to provide information and give time in order to explain the information and advocate action. Also at the resistance stage managers have to accept peoples response and encourage support. In the exploration stage, the manager needs to focus on the priority, train people involved in the planning. In the commitment stage of the process, long-term goals are established with emphasis on building team. SOURCE: MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND PRACTICES, 4TH EDITION BY TIM HANNAGAN PERFORMANCE People run and steer the affairs of organization. People are the main underpinning for goal setting and objectives accomplishment. The performance of an organization thus depends on the sum total of the performance of its members. Pattanayak (2006). Pattanayak believed that the success of an organization will depend on how it accurately measures performance of its workers. He further argued that the performance of an employee is his resultant behaviors on task which can be observed and measured. Performance refers to the contribution made by an individual in the accomplishment of organizational objectives. Pattanayak (2006). The performance of individuals in an organization is the resultant behavior on task which can be observed and evaluated. Normally organizations assess performance by looking at quantity, time of completion, cost involved and most importantly quality. One way of urging people to work in an organization is giving them feedback on the results of their action. It is important that feedback on both success and failures are provided on regular basis. Most organizations use performance appraisal systems or techniques in trying to provide feedback. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Pattanayak (2006) acknowledged that performance appraisal system provides management an opportunity to recall as well as feedback to people as to how they are doing, so that they can correct their mistakes and acquire new skills. Pattanayak defined performance appraisal as all those procedures used to evaluate the personality, the performance, and the potential of its group members. Performance appraisal techniques used could either be formal or informal. INFORMAL PERFORMANCE APPPRAISAL Pattanayak defined informal performance appraisal as a continuous process of feeding back information to the subordinates about how well they are doing their work in the organizations. Pattanayak believed that it is normally conducted on the day-to-day basis. FORMAL PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Pattanayak argued that formal performance appraisal occurs usually annually on a formalized basis and involves appraise and appraiser in finding answers to the following questions. What performance was set out to be achieved during the period? Has it been achieved? What has been the shortfall and constraints? What are we going to do now? How will we know that we have done it? What kind of feedback can be expected? What assistance can be expected to improve performance? What rewards and opportunities are likely to follow from the performance appraisal? EMPIRICAL LITERATUIRE Change has always been part of organizations. Day in and day out, organization are seen trying to adapt to a changing environment. A study by Agudze, Simon and Sunu on the influence of price on customer loyalty of selected supermarkets in Accra outlined the fact that organizations are affected by change in price. The study revealed that Melcom will lose 42% of its customers if prices should increase (change), at Game it was realised that 62% of their customers will stop buying if prices increase (change), and at Maxmart the survey showed that 50% of their customers will not purchase from the shop if prices should increase. Also on a thesis by Hans-Jà ¼rgen Brà ¼ck on the impact of organisational change management on the success of a Product Lifecycle Management Implementation -an investigation into the Electronics Manufacturing Industry, 59% of the respondents to the eighth questionnaire indicated that productivity is slowed down a little bit in the phase of implementing change, whereas 35% did not realize any negative influence on productivity. However, 6% indicated a significant decrease in productivity. The research also brought out the fact that vision is very important in the change process. The researchers fourth questionnaire focused on vision which half of the respondents indicated that it was very important. Moreover another survey by Natalie L. Petouhoff, PhD, Tamara Chandler, and Beth Montag-Schultz on The Business Impact of Change Management revealed that Organizational Change Management (OCM) programs have significant effect on Returns On Investment (ROI). The survey showed that ROI was 143% percent when an excellent OCM program was implemented. ROI however was 35% when OCM program was poor or there was no OCM program at all. 3.0 METHODOLOGY 3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN The study will be cross sectional as data collected from the field will be used within a short period of time. The study will take a period of nine months to be completed. The purpose of the study shall be descriptive in nature as a gap will be dealt with and employ both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The qualitative research will be based on knowledge, views, perceptions, observations and opinions of the effect change in management will have on the performance of Vodafone Ghana. The quantitative research shall also be based on the design and issue of questionnaires to customers, top management and employees to solicit for the objectives of the topic that will be expressed in terms of figures for the study. 3.2 POPULATION OF THE STUDY The population of interest for the study shall include all employees and customers at Vodafone Ghana. 3.3 SAMPLE FRAME The sample frame for the study will be all Vodafone customers within the age bracket of 20 to 40 years in Accra and selection of employees at Vodafone Head office at Circle. The reason for the chosen sample is due to the fact that, the study seeks to investigate the performance of Vodafone

Digital Media And Print Media: Dying Out

Digital Media And Print Media: Dying Out With reference to the presentation of Fenna Statz on the 14th of December, in which we spoke about the problem that due to digital media, print media no longer will exist in the near future. I hereby want to talk about the problem, to offer a conclusion and a solution. The problem is that print media is dying. Since the first facts of electronic media and print media has always felt an undue threat. First was the radio and then to the television. Now the internet is apparently up against the vast and widely spread print media. Or print media is dying, is a question that a lot of marketers ask themselves from time to time. Whether they believe in the power of the printed word or choose to put all their advertising dollars into digital media. This report is to provide you more detailed information about the problem that print media is dying and if it will exist in the near future. Everyone knows already what digital media is, but most of the people have no idea what it is and how it can help you out when it comes to marketing. It is very important that you get up to speed so you can use this to benefit your business. In fact digital media refers to any type of electronic media out there. Today media has accessed in many ways, including with hand held devices like mobile phones, laptops, desktops, mp3 players, and more. The digital media will take over the world. You can read everything on the internet and everybody has their own network, like social media. Social networking sites are the websites using which you can make new friends and find out your old friends. Not only making and finding friends you can also find many other services available in networking sites. Usually all the networking sites work in a similar way. The difference is just of rules and regulations. Usually people who join these sites have some common reasons like finding old friends, makin g new friends, dating, religion, etcetera. There are many forms of social media, the most common are: Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. Facebook is the largest social networking site for people connecting with friends and others. More than 500 million people are active users on Facebook, 50% of the active users log on to Facebook in any given day. The average user has 130 friends and people spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook. MySpace is the same platform as Facebook, and is commonly referred to as a place for friends. Twitter has 190 million accounts. Almost 91 percent of the Dutch youth is active in the social media. This includes the Dutch youth to the top of the European Union. Only Polish people make more use of social media almost 94 percent. The use of social media decreases with age. In the age group 25 to 55 years, the proportion of those active in social networks in the Netherlands and 54 percent of the age of 55 to 75 years just over 30 percent. Print media advertising is exactly what it says, it is advertising in a print media arena. The two most forms of print media advertising are newspapers and magazines. Print media also includes many other advertising like: Posters on buses, trains, toilet rooms, subways and a lot of other thing. Also outdoor billboards, ads in phone books, flyers, etcetera. The proportion of Dutch says that someone in their household has subscribed to a newspaper, decrease from 62 percent in 1997 to 50 percent in 2008. This decrease may be related to the emergence of a number of free newspapers. I think that in the future the people will read the news on the internet. News breaks are much faster online than in any other medium, except for live television. From all that facts of above it can be concludes that now it is very clear where the trend is headed, so no doubt, print media in its traditional form will decline. But I do not think that it will cease to exist in 10 years. Printed media will be less, but there will always be a need for a printed copy by the people. With print media you can share it and you can move it. So keep that fact in your mind if you develop a media strategy. Studies have shown that print advertising has a lower ROI and that should bring down the cost of advertising soon. Think of it is a non expensive channel to advertise. While we are used to accessing news in real time from the web, print media will still have a role in providing content where timing is not an issue. And the transition to a digital world will not be accomplished within 10 years. I think that will take over more than 100 years. The government could not forbid the newspapers because it will be always a need by many people.

The Importance of a Calcium Rich Diet :: Health Nutrition Diet Exercise Essays

The Importance of a Calcium Rich Diet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Calcium is essential to normal functioning in a healthy individual; this only leaves the question of where to get it. There are many sources available to meet daily requirements, two of which are dairy products and supplemental vitamins. Both of these options have qualities that make them appealing, so choosing might be difficult or even come to a middle ground. Some of the considerations to be made are: what calcium is, the types of calcium in each source, how much should be ingested daily, the body’s ability to absorb and tolerate calcium from the chosen source, and the interactions that might occur with other medicines and required daily nutrients. In both cases a decent nutritional diet still needs to be incorporated. It may seem like a simple choice between a couple of pills a day or 3-4 glasses of milk, but there is quite a bit more involved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Calcium is a mineral found in many foods that the human body cannot produce itself (National Osteoporosis Foundation). According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation it is used in the regulation of heartbeat, stimulation of hormone secretions, conduction of nerve impulses, stimulation of blood clotting, and maintenance of a healthy skeleton. They also state that we lose calcium every day through shed skin, nails, hair, sweat, and other bodily functions. Bones are also constantly being â€Å"remodeled† by removal of older pieces of bone and replacement with new bone. These losses make a daily source of calcium invaluable. Calcium has traditionally been thought of in conjunction to milk, but this connection is slowly being broken. Not only is calcium usable in the lactic form found in dairy products, but in forms such as calcium citrate and calcium carbonate (Calcium Supplement Guidelines). These two sources are the most common types of calcium found as supplements, and are usually in the form of a pill. Calcium citrate contains by mass 21 percent calcium, while calcium carbonate contains by mass 40 percent calcium. Calcium Carbonate can be found naturally in sources such as bone-meal, oyster shell, and dolomite, but these are all capable of containing toxins such as lead or mercury and should be avoided (Got Calcium?). Even when being careful to avoid such sources it is still important to check for a United States Pharmacopeia symbol to ensure purity of the source. When used to a source such as milk this may seem like extra work but it prevents toxins and other unnecessary ingredients from being accidentally ingested.

Slavery :: Slavery Essays

Thesis: Slaves managed to be the main beneficiaries of a movement so entirely unintended for them because, in a series of coincidences brought about by certain effects of Northern progress and improvement, the promotion of their interests became profitable to to the concerns of other classes. Counter-argument: some might argue that slaves could not have been the primary beneficiaries of the progress and improvement taking place in the North in 19th century america b/c there were very few slaves in the north; they were primarily concentrated in the south which was little affected by these changes and with slaves being so remote from the situation, how could they have benefited from it? --while the south obviously did not experience the level of transformation that the north and midwestern regions underwent, it did not go untouched by this era of change--it apparently made southerners even more sealed in their determination to "preserve their way of life based on slavery,"as evidenced by their attempt to secede from the Union. Merely the fact that they reacted so strongly to the changes they perceived in the North indicates the force of the effect that progress had on them. --the very fact that there were few slaves in the north and so many in the south only contributed to the progress-fueled growing distinction between the North and South, the former of whom could not understand--likely because there were so few slaves in the North--the "semifeudal economic and social system" to which the South was "hopelessly attached" due to their dependence on slavery (p. 5, Sheriff). Point: Wage laborers necessary to the realization of improvements in the 19th century began to be perceived as a morally inferior permanent underclass--this elicited fears & changes in opinion involving progress--some (i.e. Bethel society) began to think that one man's (the businessman's) profit came at another's (the worker's) expense--brought about increasing desire for moral reform--leading to 2nd Great Awakening--which in turn led to popularity of abolitionist sentiment. Point: Decreasing reliance on slavery as a necessity to the maintenance of a stable economy, coupled with the still-strong Revolutionary ideals of liberty & equality, drew attention to injustices inherent in slavery. --slaves were necessary before because men were trying to produce huge quantities to ship over to England, at first to pay back their joint-stock companies and then to secure their stability in the "New World." but in the 19th century people were settled into their ways of life, and farmers did not feel such urgency to overproduce.

Littlefield Lab Essay

Since the beginning the team decided to try an aggressive strategy to win the game, assuming a riskier position with higher potential benefits and costs. For that, it was necessary to identify key parameters of the process and design a dashboard to analyze the information and make decisions in a faster way. The key parameters we started monitoring were demand (jobs accepted), stations utilization and lead times of the entire process. The first goal was to balance the line and satisfying the demand. Demand analysis and its relation to order kits In order to predict the future flows of the demand and match the info with the kit orders we create a model in attempting to avoid stock breaks or overstocks and anticipate the purchase of machines. The model considered the median demand of last 2 weeks projected with the growth rate of those weeks. Utilization of stations and its relation to purchase machines In order to to satisfy the demand, generate equilibrium in the capacity of the 3 stations, and avoid bottlenecks to get the maximum profit with the contract 3, the purchasing of new machines were made when utilization of any station was steadely over 80% and was justified by the cost-benefit analysis. Cost-benefit analysis to purchase machines Considering a demand of 30, 60 & 90, the pay back time will be 29, 15 & 10 days on ideal conditions. Changing the contracts When the balance was achieved on the process, then we started to intervene contracts since contract 3 provides the best profitability when the Lab is able to accomplish a promised lead time of 0.5 days being careful of change to contract 2 or 1 if the promised lead time would not be accomplished due to the circumstantial conditions of the process. To optimize the profitability of the jobs received on the first day of every week, we began to modify the contracts according to the following criteria: – Contract 1: If machine 1 had more than 3 jobs waiting for kits on last day of the previous week. – Contract 2: If machine 1 had between 1 to 3 jobs waiting  for kits on last day of the previous week. – Contract 3: If machine 1 had 0 jobs waiting for kits on last day of the previous week. Finally, on day 150 we try an â€Å"all in† strategy spending $160.000 in 1 machine for station 1 and 2 to increase the capacity and to process jobs only on conditions of con tract 3. This decision was taken based on a demand of 91 jobs and a utilization of station 1 of 0.83 between days 143 and 149. Profits analysis The table shows the sources and uses of cash including the analysis of main items. Description Amount, $ Comments Starting Cash + 1.000.000 Revenue +2.770.670 – 493, 226 & 1981 jobs were accepted under contract 1, 2 & 3 respectively. – $ 3.072.000 was the maximum possible revenue. (Calculations: 493 x $ 750 + 226 x $ 1.000 + 1.981 x $ 1.250) – $ 301.220 were lost for non-fulfillment of the contracts. (Calculations: $ 3.072.000 – 2.770.670) Interest +81.993 Station purchases -560.000 – 4 stations N º1 were bought on days 61,115, 141 and 150. – 2 stations N º2 were bought on days 116 and 150. All stations were bought at a certain time which ensures that the investment were payed back before the day 314 considering a pay back period 10-29 days for each station (see cost-benefit analysis). Inventory -1.704.600 – 2.841 kits were bought (including kits ordered by default). – 2.566 kits were ordered on the review period corresponding to day 7. – 2.700 jobs were accepted. Inefficiencies: – 134 kits were needed but not ordered (2.700-2.566 kits). They represent maximum losses of $ 167.500 (134 x $ 1.250) – 141 kits were ordered but not needed (2.841-2.700 kits). They represent losses of $ 84.600 (141 x $ 600) Cash Balance 1.588.064 The cash balance shows that investments on machines and kits were payed back but was not possible to get a better profitability because orders were only 80/week instead 91/week as we predicted on day 150. Conclusion – The Lab purchased the first 4 machines too late, so the up-grade of the process and the pay back of the investments were got too late, affecting profits. – The Lab should not have purchased last 2 machines (station 1 &2), since they were not needed to serve 80 orders/week (demand after day 150 was overestimated). It would have saved $ 160.000. – The contracts were not changed on time, so because of that there was a maximum lost of $ 301.220. – The kits were ordered including the number of jobs waiting for kits at the end of each week, because we do not realize that they were ordered by default. It would saved a maximum of $ 84.600. – The Lab should have worked with LIFO instead FIFO system considering that kits queued for station 1 were mostly already late to be ready at the lead time of 0.5 days under contract 3.

Geely Automobile Essay

   In the first part, the ECLIPTER factors including econography, culture, legal system, income profile, political risk, tax regime, exchange rate and restrictions, together with the multilateral institutions such as WTO, EU and ASEAN will be examined by using UK and Malaysia as examples. Then based on this analysis, it will provide an assessment of the company‘s overall international expansion strategy and process. In the second part, legal system and income profile, the two most important ECLIPTER factors on Geely‘ overseas operations, will be evaluated. Furthermore, the scheme which Geely used to deal with the impact of these two factors and leverage the multilateral institutions will be shown. Finally, this report will analyze whether the company‘s international adaptation of the business function is effective, and then give some recommendations and lessons. 2. ECLIPTER Factors Analysis 2. 1 Econography Econography refers to physical and human assets including distance from major markets, and natural resources of nations that affect industry performance. In the first, the close distance between parent company and foreign subsidiary can help the company to reduce the transport costs and overhead expenses; it also can improve the connection between them. If the parent company is in China, it is better to build a subsidiary in Asia such as Malaysia. Secondly, the natural resources used for making cars mainly include steel, copper, and aluminum. If the country owns rich mineral resources, it can greatly provide benefit in the production of automobiles. One of the major purposes for many multinational corporations establishing overseas subsidiaries is to exploit the foreign natural resources. This is good for companies to 5 International Business Environment II reduce production costs and get competitive advantages. As World Steel Association reported in 2009 that the crude steel production of United Kingdom is 13. 5 in 2008, whereas the crude steel production of Malaysia is 6. 1 in 2008. 2. 2 Culture This paragraph will analyze the effects of culture on auto industry through power distance index and saving rate. Firstly, power distance index measures the degree of inequality exists in a society (Hofstede, 1997). The power distance index is 80 in Malaysia whereas it is only 35 in UK (Hofstede, 2008). The unequal distribution of wealth makes most Malaysian citizens prefer to hold a commercial auto. So the inexpensive Geely auto could be a good option for them. Secondly, saving rate could be a standard to show the attitude of citizens. The saving rate of Malaysia was 47 per cent in the year 1998 which ranks second in Asia (Azia, 2004). In contrast, the saving rate in UK was significantly low, which was less than 10 percent in the past ten years. For instance, the saving rate of UK household in 2008 was only 1. 7 percent (chart 1)(Presser, 2008). So UK citizens are apt to consume a relatively high price car. Chart 1 Resource from Posser (2008) 6 International Business Environment II 2. 3 Legal system The auto industry has been affected by laws and government regulations since the 1960’s. The first safety act passed in 1966 by Congress and was called the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Highfill, 2004). This act forced manufacturers to improve the safety for the passengers, the driver visibility, and the braking of the car. Not only safety, but also environment is being growingly concerned even before the oil crisis. The Vehicle Air Pollution and Control Act passed in 1965 was the first act to set standards for automobile pollution. Then in the 1970’s, Congress passed the Clean Air Act that led to a 90% decrease in automobile emission within the next six years (ibid). In the 1970’s the oil crisis led to the approval of The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 which stated that all automobiles must meet a certain mileage per gallon. The act required that all automobiles had to meet a standard of 20mpg by the 1980 model and then 27. 5 mpg for the 1985 model (ibid). EU 2020 growth strategy also emphasizes the importance of low carbon automobile (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, 2010). There are also many special laws for auto industry in different countries, such as Malaysia, which has built a free trade area for production and assembly of products for export-oriented enterprises. Companies can enjoy the minimum tariffs, raw materials and simplified mechanical equipment import formalities. Nevertheless, the Malaysia government regulates that more than 80% products should export to other countries (Daily News, 2006). Furthermore, the UK Byers Acts Measures to cut the average price of a car by ? 1,100 and save private car buyers around ? 1 billion a year. Although it may lower the profitability of auto industry, the number of consumers will increase gradually (DTI, 2000). 2. 4 Income profile Since automobile is not inferior goods, the demand of automobile would rise when income increases. In the economic aspect, income could be an indicator of the purchasing power of individuals and nations. Data from UK national statistics office (2010) demonstrated that despite the contracted 4. 9 percent of GDP in the whole year, the GDP increased 0. 4 percent in 7 International Business Environment II the fourth quarter of 2009. Furthermore, Household expenditure also rose 0. 4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 in UK (chart2). For Malaysia, the GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2009 was 4. 5 though the figure was negative in the whole year (chart 3) (Malaysia statistics, 2010). It can be observed that the economy of both UK and Malaysia seem to recover from the global financial crisis. This positive signal predicts the growing demand and distensible market for Geely in both countries. Chart 2 Resource from UK statistics 2010 Chart3 Resource from Malaysia statistics 2010 8 International Business Environment II The core competitiveness of Geely automobile relies on its high performance-price ratio. Per capital GNI (Gross national income) in Malaysia was 25784 RM in 2008. By analyzing the 2004 United Nations Human Development (UNHDP) report, except the 20% population of richest and poorest class, Geely will be a better choice for the rest citizens in Malaysia(chart 4) (Lumpur, 2004). In comparison, the young people account for a great amount of population in UK. A source from HMRC shows the average income of under 20 years is ? 9,570 and 20-24 years is ? 13,200 which is below the average (chart 5). It implies that when young generation decide to buy a car, price is the first consideration factor. For medium quality car manufacture companies, young population in UK could be a potential group of customers. Chart 4 9 International Business Environment II Chart5 Median Age Band Under 20 years 20 – 24 ? 11,800 years 25 – 29 ? 17,000 years 30 -34 ? 19,500 years 35 – 39 ? 20,100 years 40-44 ? 20,200 years 45 – 49 ? 20,300 years Resource from Lumpur (2004) ? 28,600 ? 24,800 ? 35,400 ? 15,200 ? 20,100 ? 28,100 ? 24,600 ? 34,600 ? 14,900 ? 19,800 ? 26,800 ? 23,600 ? 31,700 ? 15,500 ? 20,100 ? 23,900 ? 21,600 ? 26,700 ? 16,400 ? 20,100 ? 19,300 ? 17,800 ? 20,600 ? 15,900 ? 17,800 ? 13,200 ? 12,400 ? 13,800 ? 11,200 ? 12,300 ? 8,130 ? 9,570 ? 8,490 ? 9,810 ? 7,990 ? 9,250 Median Income Mean Income Income (Men) (Men) (Women) (Women) Income Income Income Mean Median Mean 2. 5 Political risk According to Guinger (2001), political risk describes the stability of government institutions. It can be measured in a variety of ways such as likelihood of foreign aggression and civil insurrection. The Transparency International (2009) showed that UK and Malaysia both face some problems of political corruption, which adversely affects the efficiency of economic operation. World Bank estimates that corruption could cost Malaysia as much as RM10 10 International Business Environment II billion a year – an amount equivalent to 1 or 2 per cent of GDP. The corruption in the UK is lighter than Malaysia, which ranked 17, whereas Malaysia ranked 56 in world in 2009 based on Corruption Perceptions Index 2009. But the corruption in UK is not unheard. Surveys by Control Risks and Simmons & Simmons show that the awareness of UK laws against foreign bribery may be decreasing over time. In 2002, after the act came into force, 68 percent of respondents said they were familiar with its main points. But in 2006, 48 percent people said that they have totally ignored it (Global Corruption Report, 2009). 2. 6 Tax Regime Tax regime refers to the tax instruments that governments use to raise revenues from multinational firms, such as corporate taxes. The tax of Malaysia is transparent, the multinational corporate must be taxed 30% of the corporate income which is just the same as Malaysia companies Marketing directory, 2005) According to the tax incentive treaties, auto ( . industry may be eligible for pioneer status which is given by the way of an abatement of 70% of the profits for five years (ibid). The remaining 30% of the profits will be taxed at the prevailing corporate income tax rate. The profits abated are exempt from tax and will be available for distribution as tax-free dividends. In UK the resident corporate tax is the lowest in Europe, even the tax is zero for the small companies in 2002(Lawandtax-news, 2010). According to the tax treaties, multinational corporate which set up, purchase or control the companies in UK can follow the resident tax (Navstar, 2009). In the ordinary course of events, foreign companies cannot follow the low corporate tax, but with regard to double taxation and the agreement between UK and China, Chinese multinational corporates in UK now pay the low tax (ibid). 2. 7 Exchange rate Stable trade policies are extremely important for both the economic welfare of the countries and the multilateral trading system. Unfortunately, the liberalization measures were adopted by many countries. As Dornbusch‘s 1976 analysis has pointed out that when the exchange rate is used to provide protection for domestic firms, it is through undervaluation. An undervalued 11 International Business Environment II exchange rate protects domestic firms from imports and gives domestic firms greater incentives to export. For example, the Balance of Payments Committee of the WTO has received 39 requests from member countries for derogations from their international obligations and for a temporary increase in temporary protection. Moreover, several developing countries, such as Malaysia, have recently increased tariffs in response to financial crises even though the higher rates remain below the rates these countries bounded in the WTO. Moreover the analysis said China has become a great auto exporter, as a result of the huge subsidies, an undervalued exchange rate and dirt-cheap credit (Swaminathan, 2009). 2. 8 Restrictions Restrictions refer to the taxes and limitations that host governments place on foreign products and services or on foreign firms themselves when they enter or leave the host economy. Because of the policy of protecting their national automobile industry, the import tax of automobile is relatively high in Malaysia. Since 2004, Malaysia began to reduce the automobile import tax: for the import components the tax is reduce from 25% to 10%, and for the whole automobile the import tax is drop from 130% to 30% for the companies outside of Southeast Asia (MEI, 2009). In 2010, according to the agreement of ASEAN, the automobile import tax will be zero to all the regions of ASEAN. UK is a member of EU, it followed the economic agreement of EU which sets no import or export tax between members of EU and they must charge the same tax when they have business with the third country (European competitiveness, 2009). 12. International Business Environment II Scoring Analysis of UK and Malaysia Country Score Econography Culture Legal System Income Profile Political Risk Tax Regime Exchange Rate Restrictions Total (10) (10) (20) (20) (10) (10) (10) (10) (100) 8 7 18 8 8 8 7 7 71 7 6 16 15 5 9 8 9 75 UK Malaysia 3. Institutions 3. 1 WTO The major objectives of WTO‘s roles are ? the creation of a common automobile market through the elimination of barriers to intra-Community trade; the maintenance and expansion of a competitive world automobile industry; the use of voluntary import restrictions to prevent cheap imports and to maintain competitiveness? (European Commission, 2006). For example, in 2006, WTO announced the establishment of a panel to examine whether China’s tariffs on imported auto parts violate WTO trade rules, following a joint complaint made by the United States, the European Union and Canada, who accused China for its discriminatory charges on imported auto parts. After examining China‘s related regulations, WTO panel declared that China’s regulations are inconsistent with China’s WTO obligations. China has agreed to make the necessary regulatory changes by September 2009 (Herd, 2006). 13 International Business Environment II. WTO facilitates Geely‘s international expansion since the elimination of trade barriers has cleared its path to world market and made it integrated to the world economy. In 2002, after China joined into WTO, 100 automobiles of Geely exported to Syria (Luo, 2005). 3. 2 EU EU functions as a rule-imposer. It sets strict requirements and institute rules and regulations to improve vehicle safety. Besides the vehicle crash tests executed by Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program backed by European Commission), there are also some regulations set to protect the environment. First, in order to respond to the gradual aggravation of greenhouse effect, the European commission developed a mandatory emission standard to limit the emission of one major kind of greenhouse gas, CO2. The regulation set a fleet-average CO2 emission target for passenger cars, which is 120 g/km to be reached by 2015 (European Commission, 2010). The vehicle manufacturers must reach the CO2 emission target of 130g/km, with an additional reduction of 10 g/km to be provided by supplementary measures, such as the use of hydrogen fuel. A long-term target of 95 g/km to be reached by 2020 is also established by the regulation (ibid). This regulation will take effect in 2012. From 2012 onwards, vehicle manufacturers who do not meet this target will have to pay penalty for their excess emissions. According to DieselNet (2010), from 2012 to 2018, the penalties are â‚ ¬5 per vehicle for the first g/km of CO2; â‚ ¬15 for the second gram; â‚ ¬25 for the third gram; â‚ ¬95 from the fourth gram onwards. From 2019, manufacturers will pay â‚ ¬95 for each g/km exceeding the target. Another congressional mandate imposed by European Commission requires tire pressure monitoring systems on all new cars in 2012. According to Europe‘s Information Society (2010), many road accidents resulting in fatalities and physical injuries are linked to tire defects. Furthermore, under-inflated tires can result in severely inefficient use of fuel and cause an extra two million tons of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere per year. So this mandate enhances vehicle safety and protects the environment. 14 International Business Environment II These regulations have incurred a rise in car prices since vehicle manufacturers are forced to increase price to offset the cost of upgrading. These regulations put Geely in an unfavorable position. Since Geely is better known for making low-tech and cheap cars, making eco-friendly cars is not included in the competencies of the company and huge R&D spending is inevitable for nurturing this competence. They set a high bar for the competition and limit Geely‘s ability to expand market in Europe. 3. 3 ASEAN ASEAN – Association of South East Asia Nations is a geo-political and economic organization of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia. China and ASEAN are both newly-emerged, rapidly-developing auto markets. Cooperation in auto industry between China and ASEAN will bring a win-win situation for the two sides and make their cars more competitive in a global competition. For instance, according to Xinhua News Agency (2006), a report released by the Ministry of Commerce Indonesia has announced that compared to the expensive Japanese sedans, the China-made ones gradually gain popularity for more favourable price-performance ratio. ASEAN country also needs investment from Chinese carmakers to expand local employment and for more price-favourable cars, said a Germany auto expert at the China-ASEAN Expo, 2006. Consequently, in general, ASEAN opens its gate to Chinese car companies including Geely to achieve a win-win situation. 4. Assessment of Geely’s overall international expansion strategy Geely‘s current international strategy is to produce affordable automobile, so the market size and consume power of a foreign market are highly valued by Geely. Malaysia automobile market resembles China more than UK, in the aspects such as the people‘s income, the similar culture, and the similar geographical position, etc. As by now most cars have been exported to some developing countries like South-East Asia, Ukraine, Russia, and Mexico, Malaysia will be good choice. Meanwhile, although UK does not represent a neighboring or ? home‘ market, 15 International Business Environment II as markets in South-East Asia do, UK could be seen as an interesting market with a potential for higher margins, higher price levels and a more mature market for branding, technology, etc, as the UK‘s income per capita, and the automobile sales volume are higher than that of Malaysia. Considering the future international development, Geely should focus on UK. Therefore, at first, it is better for Geely to develop its ? producing automobile which most of people can buy‘ strategy in Malaysia, and when Geely is able to enter high-end automobile market, UK will be a better choice. In terms of multilateral institution, after evaluating the influence of international organizations, we suggest that Malaysia is a better choice for Chinese car companies to exploit new markets. Firstly, a win-win situation guarantees a favourably corporate relationship between Geely and ASEAN (Eichengreen, 2006). Secondly, there are various quality-related requirements and constraints in EU and probably NAFTA, which puts up a strong challenge for those Asian auto makers. Moreover, by far, there is no evidence to prove the acquisition of Manganese Bronze and Volvo have considerably increased Geely‘s sale in developed nations. Thus considering the opportunities and threats faced by Geely, it is recommended that the company emphasizes on developing nations‘ markets, rather than the developed markets. 5. Marketing analysis 5. 1 Legal system According to Alistair Darling‘s pre-budget report, UK will bring new opportunities for the low-carbon industries. Through the Innovation Investment Fund and the Carbon Trust’s Venture Capital scheme, UK will invest at least ? 160m in low carbon projects (Guardian, 2009). They will also invest ? 90m in the European Investment Bank’s new 2020 fund, which will put 6. 5 billion Euros of finance in green infrastructure projects. In this report, there are alterations to the climate change levy, company car tax, and fuel benefit charge (ibid). This is good news for Geely because now it dedicates itself to produce high-tech and eco-friendly automobile. In 16 International Business Environment II UK the amount of car tax depends on the price and the discharge amount for carbon, which is from 9% for electric motor car to 10%-35% for petrochemical car. UK also has a successful car scrappage scheme, which gives consumers a ? 2,000 discount off. If they scrap their old vehicle, it will help up to 125,000 families replace their inefficient boilers with new models (Julia, 2009). Through the government‘s support of low-carbon industry, Geely has more opportunities to innovate high-tech and eco-friendly automobile. Furthermore, because of the low tax and car scrappage scheme, customer is inclined to buy or change an electric motor car,. In 22nd March 2006, Malaysia published the new automobile policy (MEI, 2009). Since that day, the import taxes of CBU (Complete Built Unit) are reduced from 20% to 5% for the ASEAN members and 50% to 30% for other countries. The import taxes of CKD (Completely Knock Down) are 10%. In 28th October 2009, Mustafa Mohamed announced many new policies for auto industry which will give much more preferences and subsidies for the new energy automobile companies (ibid). 5. 2 Income profile It is known that the success of Geely relies mostly on keeping low cost and offering the affordable cars. For instance, Geely’s best-selling four-door sedan, the King Kong, has been sold 6127 in April 2010 and the retail price is between 47,800RMB – 58,800RMB (Jiang, 2010). Geely sold 329,014 passenger cars in 2009, making it is the third largest domestic car producer (Zheng, 2010). However, Geely’s winning formula is under pressure in china because Chinese consumers are becoming wealthier; the higher-end models will gradually be affordable for them. Meanwhile, brands such as the Chery QQ, Ford Fiesta, and Honda Civic are threatening Geely‘s current market position. Geeky‘s winning formula is also challenged at the oversea markets like UK and Malaysia. Date from HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs) indicates that nearly 50% of the population in UK earns ? 16400 annually which is much higher than the middle class income of Malaysia. This group of population could be a dominant power in the automobile market in UK. It is not a wise choice to sell its inexpensive cars in UK considering that low price would not be 17 International Business Environment II attractive for these relatively rich citizens. The similar situation also happened in Malaysia which made Geely‘s low price cars less competitive. This is because that the predicted real GDP growth in 2010, 2011 and 2015 are 4. 7%, 5. 0% and 5. 0%, Malaysian people are becoming richer than before(IMF, 2010). Their increasing incomes will directly affect their car buying choice. People nowadays prefer the higher-end models and the market share of Geely‘s lower-end models are estimated to reduce gradually. 6. Geely’s reacts to the impact of the ECLIPTER First, since the middle of 2009, the sales of car exports decreased from 37940 in 2008 to 6297. Furthermore, although Geely exports to more than 50 countries, most of them are developing countries which are not so effective in the promotion of the brand image. In order to get rid of low-end image, Geely changed its strategy from ?produce automobile which most of people can buy‘ to ? do not produce cars which price is below 40000 Yuan‘ (Fang, 2009). Besides, Geely take over Volvo which also expressed its desire to promote the brand image. Geely‘s strategy changes starts in May 2007, which is focus on transforming its competitive advantage from price to technology. In 2007, Geely used three new motorcycle type—Yuan Jing, King Kong and Zi You Jian, which have relatively higher value added to substitute the Haoqing, Meiri and You Liou. For doing that, Geely scraped its old molds, jigs and production line which worth up to 8 billion Yuan. In 2008, the sales of these three new auto types grew 12% without discount marketing strategy (Geely annual report, 2009). Furthermore, in 2010, Geely will market 21 new auto types, and some of them were designed by Fabrizio Giugiaro, the Italy‘s famous auto manufacturer. Moreover, the new energy auto will also be produced in 2010, which will include Panda and DiHao (Wenqing, 2010). These new energy auto types have been showed in the Beijing car exhibition 2010 (Phoenix auto, 2010). In order to deal with these two factors, Geely also has a complementary strategy: cooperate or takeover other well-known international auto manufacturers. It will not only help Geely to promote its auto manufacture technology, but also improve its brand image. Geely has already cooperated with 18 International Business Environment II Britain‘s Manganese Bronze to produce luxurious brand-named taxi (China car Times, 2010) and assembled cars with Information Gateway Corp Sdn Bhd (IGC) in Malaysia, 2006 (Tan, 2006). 7. Leverage the multilateral institutions 7. 1 ASEAN One of the stunning news in 2005 was the political barriers Geely met in Malaysia, which was considered as the biggest challenge for its overseas expansion so far. Geely‘s President Li Shufu described Malaysia as ? an unexpected trap? because of Malaysia government‘s rejection on fulfilling the contract. After examining the ECLIPTER factors of Malaysia market, Li Shufu and his team regarded Malaysia as the first pillbox and cornerstone of its expansion to ASEAN countries. He believed the learning in Malaysia could be helpful. Therefore, in May 2005, Geely has made a joint contract with Malaysia IGC group for building CKD factory in Malaysia. However, Malaysia government denied the contract after a new document on automobile being published. According to the document, all cars made by foreign automobile manufacturers were prohibited to sell in Malaysia. Then the situation in Malaysia went against its expection of getting a huge sale. However, according to Geely officials, to some extent, ASEAN agreements have made Geely to reconsider the importance of Malaysia (Harwit). In South East Asia nations, there are some strict tariff-related regulations for automobile industry. Contrarily, tariff among ASEAN countries is in a minimum rate. According to an inner-ASEAN agreement, from 2003 to 2009, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippine, Singapore and Vietnam exempted auto import tariff for each other. From 2010, all ASEAN countries will implement zero auto import tariff for each other. At the same time, Indonesia, Thailand and some other ASEAN nations‘ demand of cars is increasing considerably (JAMA, 2008). Especially after an impressive increase in 2007, the car-sale in Indonesia becomes significantly dazzle. Therefore Geely 19 International Business Environment II planed to only manufacture cars in Malaysia and then export cars to other ASEAN countries, which seems like a forward-looking plan in a long-term development. Finally, Geely decided to move its Malaysia CKD manufacture center to Indonesia. However, its vision of leveraging ASEAN to pursue a sale performance in all ASEAN nations has not changed. 7. 2 EU In terms of EU regulations, since Geely has acquired 100% ownership of Volvo, the Sweden‘s company, Geely is no longer an outsider of European market. According to the EU Single market concept (European Commission, 2010), a free circulation of capital, labor, goods and services between EU members is granted. Geely now have got over tariff barriers and competes as an insider. 8. Implications and Recommendations One of the strategies of Geely is to promote new energy automobile, there are two advantages for this strategy: Firstly, Geely can get powerful support from government since the development of new energy is encouraged by the government. Secondly, since new energy automobile is environmental friendly goods, it not only reduces the carbon emissions, but also decreases the expenses on routine maintenance (Bond newspaper, 2010). However, there are also drawbacks, such as the inadequate facilities. Acquiring other world famous bands is the other strategy of Geely, which facilitates the company‘s global expansion. For instance, Volvo is well-known by its safety, which could provide Geely with a competitive advantage on its brand trust. It also provides a valuable, more upscale user image. Therefore, through merger or acquisition of international well-known brands, Geely can get greater international fame and advanced technology, integrate into the world market and attract more consumers. However, certain risks should be considered when Geely acquires Volvo. The first risk is that the culture conflicts between two countries. It has been reported that one of the hindering factors is that the union of Volvo in Sweden disagrees the acquisition for their reduced 20 International Business Environment II welfare and unemployment (Gasgoo, 2009). The second risk is that the value of acquired equity. It has been said that Volvo‘s vaunted reputation for safety has been challenged by other manufacturers which can also provide automobiles with same safety standard. In this case Volvo‘s ? safe? advantage may not be as competitive as before. 9. Conclusion To sum up, this essay has analyzed the ECLIPTER factors of Geely‘s two overseas markets, Britain and Malaysia, and examined influence of the related multilateral institutions. According to this matrix analysis, legal system and income profile have the most important impact on the auto industry. For multilateral institutions, ASEAN and WTO generally promote the Geely‘s international expansion strategy, while EU regulations are less favored in its expansion. Considering both ECLIPTER factors and related multilateral institutions, it is suitable for Geely to enter developing nations to acquire market share at its initial development. But for long-term development, Geely need to pay attention to research and develop higher-end models. With the development of Geely Company and the overall auto industry, Geely‘s focus will shift from developing countries to developed countries. Currently, Geely‘s low price strategy is challenged by the legal system and income profile of developed countries. Therefore, Geely is increasing its efforts in releasing new model cars and tapping into developed countries through merger or acquisition. Geely intends to promote its brand image and enlarge its market share through these strategic moves, although it has to face the risk of culture conflicts and the uncertainty of acquisition value. 21 International Business Environment II 10. References: Azia, A. Z. (2004) Malaysia-Encouraging Saving in a Dynamic Economy [Online]. Available at:< h.