Managing Multinational Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing Multinational Operations - Essay Example From this perspective, China now stands as an investment heaven for foreign investors due to several factors, such as cheap labor, incentives for multinational companies, and relaxation in tax policies that have been few factors from the list. Experts have indicated that as China was successful in surpassing the success rate of USA in terms of FDI in the year 2002, there is a huge possibility that it may become the largest economy by the year 2020 that now seems quite possible (Ching, 2008). After becoming member of the WTO, there has been greater liberty in the sectors of industry and services, and decrease in customs duty has been another major factor of establishment of new foreign firms in China. In particular, studies have indicated that multinational companies especially in the sectors of â€Å"distribution, logistics, financial services, and telecommunications† (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2008) have benefited significantly from such liberalization. Besides, analysis has sh own that there has been introduction of various policies by the Chinese government to give privilege to foreign investors and multinational companies, in order to promote foreign investment in the country and that will be fruitful for any multinational firm that will be entering in China to establish business. A major step has been the implementation of socialist market economy in China that has created an encouraging environment for new investments. Moreover, it is very imperative for a country to be constant in its tax policies and regulations that has been the case of China, consequently, resulting in positive arena for multinational firms to operate in the country. However, while planning to establish business in China, one should have an understanding that few strategies enjoy greater relaxation and liberalization, such as the businesses that â€Å"bring in advanced technology, management expertise and high-caliber talent† (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2008). Thus, if Acme is planning to penetrate in the Chinese market, it will have to make efforts to focus on the quality while ensuring advance technologies in its different processes and procedures. Furthermore, Chinese government promotes multinational firms and foreign investors that facilitate the process of â€Å"ecological construction, environmental protection, and conservation, and the more efficient use of resources and energy† (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2008). Besides such opportunities for multinational firms, there still exist few hurdles; however, the Chinese government has been endeavoring to deal with the issues to promote more firms in the Chinese market. For instance, firms that bring in foreign investment in China enjoy liberalization and relaxation in the processes of â€Å"foreign exchange balancing, and raw materials sourcing† (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2008) that allow the firms to run the business more effectively in the country. Additionally, in the past, firms had this limitation of using local market for materials; however, now, they enjoy the relaxation of giving priority to either local market or the international market while buying raw materials and fuels. On the other hand, there are few restrictions for multinational firms and foreign investors in the process of acquiring approval on capital contributions and participation in some particular sectors of the Chinese marke

The Holidays Essay Example for Free

The Holidays Essay The Holidays The meaning of holidays is essentially a time we embark moments and share time with love one’s. In the United Sates, holidays are a very superior time that many of us embrace. Many can think back on holidays that they’ve encountered and recollect favorable moments. For many, it is the time of the year when people seem to grasp inside of one another and distinguish the best of things. Clearly, to some amount the â€Å"holiday season† gives people a sense of pleasure. Halloween and Christmas are two holidays that many people choose to rejoice. Indeed, they are both the most decorated holidays of the year, and both originate from Christian beliefs. But there’s something about the two that have mystified throughout their existence. Halloween and Christmas share similar attributes, but they are also vastly different in history, culture and traditions. On October 31, many people celebrate the eve of All Saints Day; better known to the world as Halloween. When people think of Halloween, they think of a day filled with frights, terror and fun. There are many cultural influences that have prompted to the holiday e now call Halloween; such as Day of Dead and All Souls Day. Halloween is refrained by death, but this doesnt make the holiday wicked. In fact, its a time of celebration for greeting spirits that have departed from past years. Some beliefs include wearing costumes so spirits would think that the living coexisted with the dead. Consequently, decorations on Halloween entail of skeletons, ghost, witches, and pumpkins. Simply, the idea is to decorate your house as daunting as it can be. As a tradition, children are able to stroll at night going oor to door, and receive as much candy as they can fit into their pillowcases. By the end of the night, children compete with siblings and friends to see who received the most candy. Halloween is the only holiday kids receive so much candy; it can last the entire year. It is clear that children take a joy on this event. Also, in today’s modern time it’s the only day out of the year a person can dress up as a character. However, Christmas is a sacred religious holiday; celebrated on December 25. The yearly centenary of the Christian church to memorialize the birth of Jesus. Though the original concept of Christmas is for the church service to celebrate the birth of Christ; people celebrate Christmas Day in many ways. Our culture has formed it more around giving gifts to loved ones and spending time with family. Subsequently, there are many types of decorations that are displayed during Christmas time that contain whites, reds and greens. Decorating houses with bright lights, mistletoe’s, bells, snowmen, angels and stockings is a traditional act. As for kids, they await for Santa Clause to arrive, so they can open gifts on Christmas morning. Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, is a historic, legendary and mythological individual. Believed by numerous children to bring gifts to the homes of well-behaved children. The iconic Santa Claus has been in existence since the early 1800’s who’s been portrayed as a stocky, joyful, white- bearded man with red rosy cheeks, wearing a red coat with black leather boots. Furthermore, receiving gift is one of the most exciting aspects of modern Christmas. Gift are usually items that were asked for throughout the year. In all, many citizens take the time to enjoy time away from work and dearly spend it with love ones. We come across many holidays that contribute to a social phenomenon like religion, beliefs and traditions. Despite the similarities among Halloween and Christmas, they are more different than people may present. Overall, I think people can view both in a positive or negative way, but some may agree that all holidays always have a very special meaning. A holiday give people time to experience and learn; that is how they can differentiate holidays

The Shipping News :: essays research papers

The Shipping News â€Å"I’m tired of going somewhere. I want to be there!† These words spoken by Bunny Quoyle, riding along with her family on their way to the old homestead in Killick Claw, New Foundland seems an exclamation to a deeper desire to settle what has been an unsettled and unhappy life. The quote could also define the transition that Quolyle, Bunny’s father, experiences. Quoyle is nowhere it seems, until he finally arrives somewhere meaningful. The transformation is a lot about getting over the loss of his wife, Petal, but also much about getting over himself as a loser and getting to a place of contentedness and confidence. Quoyle’s life rides on waves – some small that are body-surfing-like, others that are huge and tumultuous that crash onshore with Tsunami-like devastation. Eventually, he manages to find a place suitable and sustaining. Quoyle began life feeling, believing that he had been born into the wrong family; that somehow he ended up with the wrong parents. He stumbled into adulthood, feeling invisible until someone noticed. His lack of esteem and confidence is evidenced by his always trying to hide his chin with his hand; the hand always goes to the chin, his monstrous chin, when he feels threatened. His love for Petal is partly based on the fact that he caught her attention – once, quite by accident – and that they had a meaningless sexual relationship that resulted in two children. He is the sort of character you feel sorry for from the start, feel badly that he’ll never become anybody, never make something of himself, yet you want to cheer for him all along the way. As we get to know Quoyle, we realize that although he has a negative self image, is always self conscious and has no confidence in his abilities, he has a huge heart and a huge capacity to love, and he especially has a huge consciousness to do what is right for his family. Quoyle is a man growing into himself. His first opportunity to grow comes by an invitation from his aunt to move to New Foundland, to settle in his family’s ancestral home and to find his roots. â€Å"You can be anything you want with a fresh start,† says his aunt in convincing him to go. And off they all go – the aunt, Quoyle, Bunny and Sunshine – and all their self-possessed demons.

Macintosh Vs. IBM :: essays research papers

Macintosh vs. IBM The IBM and Macintosh computers have been in competition with each other for years, and each of them have their strong points. They both had their own ideas about where they should go in the personal computer market. They also had many developments, which propelled themselves over the other. It all started when Thomas John Watson became president of Computing Tabulating Recording in 1914, and in 1924 he renamed it to International Business Machines Corporation. He eventually widened the company lines to include electronic computers, which was extremely new in those days. In 1975 IBM introduced their first personal computer (PC) which was called the Model 5100. It carried a price tag of about $9,000 which caused it to be out of the main stream of personal computers, even though their first computer did not get off to as big as a start they had hoped it did not stop them from continuing on. Later on IBM teamed up with Microsoft to create an operating system to run their new computers, because their software division was not able to meet a deadline. They also teamed up with Intel to supply its chips for the first IBM personal computer. When the personal computer hit the market it was a major hit and IBM became a strong power in electronic computers. Phoenix Technologies went through published documentation to figure out the internal operating system (BIOS) in the IBM. In turn, they designed a BIOS of their own which could be used with IBM computers. It stood up in courts and now with a non IBM BIOS, the clone was created. Many manufacturers jumped in and started making their own IBM Compatible computers, and IBM eventually lost a big share in the desktop computers. While IBM was just getting started in the personal computer market, Apple was also just getting on its feet. It was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. They were both college drop outs, Steve Jobs out of Reed College in Oregon and Steve Wozniak from the University of Colorado. They ended up in Silicon Valley, which is located in northern California near San Francisco. Wozniak was the person with the brains and Jobs was the one who put it all together. For about $700 someone could buy a computer that they put together, which was called the Apple I. They hired a multimillionaire, Armas Clifford Markkula, a 33 year old as the chief executive in 1977. In the mean time Wozniak was working at Hewlett Packard until Markkula encouraged him to quit his job with them, and to focus his attention on Apple.

Globalization and International Business Essay

Globalization and International Business The Concept of Globalization – putting everything into one village * The process of integration and convergence of economic, financial, cultural and political systems across the world. * Globalization – refers to the integration and interaction between different people and nations. * Globalization is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture. Globalization – A holistic approach 1. Economic Globalization: the increasing integration of national economic systems through the growth in international trade, investments and capital flow. 2. Financial Globalization: the liberalization of capital movements and deregulations, especially of financial services that led to a sport in cross boarder capital flows. 3. Cultural Globalization: convergence of cultures across the world E.g. Dress codes, ways of living. 4. Political Globalization: the convergence of political systems and processes around the world. Dimensions of Economic Globalization {what has changed} * Globalization of production – the increased mobility of the factors of production especially the movement of capital that has changed countries’ traditional specialization roles. (process is made shorter and cheaper) * Globalization of Markers – technological strides in communication, transport and travel have created new consumer segments. The global markets have become easily accessible. (producing standardized products that are advanced, functional reliable and low priced). * Globalization of competition – it has intensified in such a way that businesses are forced to form mergers or enter into new strategic alliances, competing with new players around the globe. * Globalization of technology – it has advanced rapidly and thus creating shorter cycles for production of goods and services. The running of businesses becomes more effective and efficient. In some cases though, several businesses might have difficulty keeping up with the advancements due to financial constraints. * Globalization of corporations and Industries: – Economic liberalization has led to economic growth in Foreign Direct Investments and relocation of business enterprises as a result, there has been fragmentation in business processes. Where different stages of production are coming out in different countries E.g. Toyota manufactures in Japan and assembles in South Africa. Factors influencing Globalization (Movers) * Economic Liberalization * Technological Breakthrough * Multilateral Institutions * International Economic Integrations * Move towards free marketing systems * Rising research and development costs * Global expansion of business operations * Adverts in logistics management * Emergence of the global customer segment Factors restraining Globalization * Regulatory controls * Emerging trade barriers * Cultural factors * Nationalism * War and civil disturbances * Management myopia – thinking within the box/boarders Quiz: what is meant by internationalization of a firm’s value chain? Reasons for support of Globalization * Maximization of economic efficiencies (learning to use economic resources of a country to the fullest potential) * Enhancing trade * Increase cross-boarder capital movement * Improves efficiency of local firms * Increases consumer welfare Criticism of globalization * Developed Vs Developing countries: unequal players in globalization * Widening gap between the rich and poor * Wipes out domestic industry * Leads to massive layoffs and unemployment * Brings in problems related to balance of payments * Increased volatility of markets * Diminishing power of nation states * Loss of cultural identity * Shift of power to multinationals Response Strategies to Globalization forces for emerging market companies: Defender Extender Dodger Contender 1. Defender Strategy – When pressure to globalize is low, local companies adopt the defense strategy that focuses on leveraging local assets in the market segments where multinationals are weak. 2. Extender strategy – when companies’ posses competitive skills and assets that can be transferred abroad, companies can focus on expanding to markets similar to home base using competencies developed at home. 3. Dodger strategy – when pressure to globalize is high, local companies have no option but to dodge competition by cooperating through a joint venture or becoming a supplier or service provider selling off to multinational enterprises e.g. Skoda Czech car maker sold to Volkswagen. 4. Contender strategy – companies that have high pressure to globalize and competitive advantages that can be leveraged overseas can aggressively compete by focusing on upgrading their capabilities in the niche segment to match multinationals globally ie. TATA India Concepts of International Business 1. International Trade – exports of goods and services to a foreign-based buyer (importer) 2. International Marketing – refers to marketing carried out by firms/companies across the national boarder line. 3. International Investment – cross boarder transfer of resources to carry out business activities. 4. International Management – application of management concepts and techniques in a cross country environment an adaptation to different social-cultural, economic, legal, political and technological environments. 5. International Business – all those business activities which involve cross-border transactions of goods and services and resources between two or more nations. 6. Global business – conduct of business activities in several countries using a highly co-ordinate and single strategy across the world. Types of International Business Transactions * Transactions – exchange of values between buyer and seller typically involving intermediaries and currency as medium of exchange. * Exchange of: production inputs, components partially/nearly finished products, goods/services, ideas/know how. Boarders: their significance * State boundaries – denote sovereignty, citizenship (political authority), legal jurisdiction, security. When there’s no boarder, there’s no state!! * National cultures, National Identity * Economic Unit – eroded due to globalization, economic transactions are mainly domestic. * Boundaries – of mind and habit, boundaries are psychological not just physical. How boarders make a difference: As soon as you have different cultures, different contact forms, different legal structures, different taxation environments, the complexity introduced by that is immense. The reason why businesses that expand overseas fail is: they underestimate the complexity that’s enlarged in an international organization. The Internationalization of Business: * Bringing in new ideas * Moving across the boarders * Companies conduct value adding actitvities on a global scale, primarily to organize, source, manufacture and market. * A Level play field – international activities appealing to all types of firms; large or small. Manufacturing and services sectors E.g. Banking, Transportation, Design, Advertising and retailing. Nature of International Business * Value adding activities * Firms internationalize via experts, foreign direct investment, licensing, and collaborative ventures. * Foreign portfolio investment – less than 10% * Foreign Direct Investment – More than 10% Reasons for International Business Expansion 1. Market seeking motives * Marketing opportunities due to lifestyle cycles * Uniqueness of products or services 2. Economic motives * Economies of scale are achieved * Profitability * Spreading research and development costs 3. Strategic motives * Growth * Risk spread Differences between Domestic and International Business * Economic environment * Social * Infrastructure * Legal * Political * Competition * Technology The Four risks of International Business 1. Cross- cultural risk – occurs when a cultural misunderstanding puts some human value at stake. * Cultural differences * Negotiation patterns * Decision making styles * Ethical practices 2. Commercial risk – refers to a firm’s potential loss or failure from poorly developed or executed business tactics. * Weak partners * Operational problems * Timing of entry * Competitive intensity * Poor execution of strategy 3. Currency risk (financial risk) – the risk of adverse fluctuations in exchange rates * Currency exposure * Asset evaluation * Foreign taxation * Inflation and transfer 4. Country risk (political risk) – refers to the potentially adverse effects on company operations and profitability caused by developments in political, legal and economic environments in a foreign country. Risks: will always be present but can be managed: Managers is such situations should: * Anticipate the risks * Understand the implications thereof * Take pro-active action * Reduce adverse effects Some risks are extremely challenging e.g. the East Asian Economic Crisis in 1998. It generated substantial commercial, currency and country risks. Participants in International Business: 1. Multinationals E.g. Kodak, Nokia, Samsung, Multinational Enterprises own worldwide network of subsidiaries. 2. Other participants * Small and medium sized enterprises; In the USA a small/medium enterprise sized entity is described as that having 500 or fewer employees. * Comprises of 90-95% of all firms in most countries . * Increasingly more SME’s participate in International Business. Why do firms Internationalize? * Seek growth opportunities through market diversification * To earn higher margin profits * Gain new ideas about products, services * Better service to customers that have relocated abroad * Be closer to supply sources * Benefit from global sourcing advantages * Gain flexibility in sourcing products * Gain access to better value factors of production * Develop economies of scale in sourcing, production, marketing and R&D * Confront international competitors more effectively or thwart the growth of competition in the home market. * Invest in a potentially rewarding business venture. What caused the East Asian Economic Crisis Theories of Trade Absolute Advantage: when a country is efficient in producing a commodity than any other country. Countries should therefore specialize in producing a product of which they are efficient in producing and then trade such product for goods produced by other countries. Output per hour of labour – using the same resources | Cloth| Wheat| Country A| 100| 200| Country B| 250| 160| Total| | | Interpretation: clearly The Political Economy of International Trade The political reality of International Trade is that while many nations are nominally committed to free trade, they tend to intervene in international trade to protect the interest of politically important groups. Instruments of trade policy are tariffs, subsidies, import quota, voluntary export restraints, local content requirements, administrative policies and anti-dumping duties. * A tariff is a tax levied on imports that effectively raises the cost of imported products relative to domestic products. * Specific tariffs are levied as a fixed charge for each unit of a good imported. * Ad valorem tariffs are levied as a proportion of the value of the imported good. * A subsidy is a government payment to a domestic producer. Subsidies may take form of a tax break, cash grants, low-interest loan. * Subsidies help domestic firms by lowering production costs * Help them compete against foreign imports * Gain export markets * Government pay for subsidies by taxing individuals(consumers) * Import Quota – is a direct restriction on the quantity of some good that may be imported into a country. * Voluntary export restraints – are quotas on trade imposed by the exporting country, typically at the request of the importing country’s government. * A local content requirement demands that some specific fraction of a good be produced domestically. * The requirement can be in physical or value terms. * Local content requirements benefit domestic producers and jobs, but consumers face higher prices. * Administrative policies are informed bureaucratic rules designed to make it difficult for imports to enter a country. For example Japanese customs inspectors insist on opening a large proportion of express packages to check for pornographic materials. * This process that can delay express packages has made it difficult for FedEx to expand its global shipping services to Japan. * These policies hurt consumers by denying access to possibly superior foreign products. * Dumping is selling goods in foreign markets below their cost of production/fair market value. * Anti-dumping policies are designed to punish foreign firms that engage in dumping. Dumping is viewed as a method by which firms unload excess production in foreign markets sometimes at prices below the cost of production. * The goal is to protect domestic producers from unfair foreign competition. * US firms that believe a foreign firm is dumping can file a complaint with the government. * If the complaint has merit, antidumping duties, also known as countervailing duties may be imposed. Why Governments intervene? Basically there are three reasons: Political, Economic and Cultural 1. Political reasons include: * Protecting jobs and industries from foreign competition, trade controls usually result in higher price for consumers. * National Security – defense related industries often get this kind of protection. * Retaliations are threats used as bargaining tasks to help open foreign markets and force trading partners to play by the rules. It is usually in retaliation to a trading partner’s trade policy. Protect consumers from unsafe products. 2. Economic Reasons: * The infant industry argument(protecting them) * Strategic trade policy – policies that government enact to ensure that firs-mover advantages are reserved for local firms in industries where substantial economies of scale exist. 3. Cultural Motives – unwanted influence causes great distress and can force governments to block imports. Many countries have laws that protect their media programming for cultural reasons – for example in Canada about 35% of music played on TV and radio must be of Canadian origin. Economic Integration The abolition of trade restraints between nations. It is the growing economic interdependence that results when countries within a geographic region form an alliance aimed at reducing barriers to trade and investment. * Three Levels of Economic Integration * Global: trade liberalization by GATT or WTO * Regional: preferential treatment of member countries in the group ie. SACU, SADC, COMESA ,etc. * Bilateral: preferential treatment between two countries * Regional and Bilateral agreements are against the MFN clause (normal trading relations), but allowed under WTO. * Visit www.wto.org for regional trade agreements. Regional Economic Integration * Growing economic interdependence that results when countries within a geographic region form an alliance aimed at reducing barriers of trade and investment. About 40% of the world trade now occurs via economic bloc agreement. Cooperating nations obtain: * Increased product choices, productivity, living standards * Lower prices and * More efficient resource use. Economic Bloc A geographical area that consists of two or more countries that agree to pursue economic integration by reducing tariffs and other restrictions to cross-border flow of products, services, capital and in more advanced stages, labor. Examples: EU, NAFTA, MERCOSUR, APEC, ASEAN and many others. There are five possible levels of economic integration * Customs Union * Common Market * Economic Union * Political Union 1. Free Trade Area – countries agree to reduce tariffs but not eliminate everything The simplest most common arrangement, member countries agree to gradually eliminate formal trade barriers within the bloc, while each member country maintains an independent international trade policy with countries outside the bloc. Eg. NAFTA 2. Customs Union – similar to a free trade area except that the members harmonize their trade policies toward non-member countries, by enacting common tariff and non-tariff barriers on imports from non-member countries. E.g. SACU(Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, SA). Members have a revenue pool and it is shared according to how much each has contributed. 3. Common Market (single market)- like a custom union except products, services and factors of production such as capital, labor, and technology can move freely among the member countries. E.g. COMESA – requires much cooperation among the member countries on labor and economic policies. 4. Economic Union – like a common market, but members also aim for common fiscal and monetary policies, standard commercial regulations, social policy, etc. E.g. the EU is moving toward economic union by forming a monetary union with a single currency the EURO. 5. Political Union – perfect unification of all policies by a common organization. Submersion of all separate national institutions e.g. former USSR * Remains ideal, but yet to be achieved. The European Union What is the European Union? * Shared values: liberty, democracy, respect, for human rights and fundamental freedom, and the rule of law. European Coal and Steel Community * In the aftermath of the World War II, the aim was to secure peace among Europe’s victorious nations an bring them together as equals, cooperating within shared institutions. * Based on a plan by French foreign minister Robert Schuman. * Six founding states/countries: Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – signed a treaty. History of the EU * Treaty of Paris (1951) Formation of ECSC Treaty of Rome (1957) Formation of ECC (European Economic Community) -initially free trade area, becoming a customs union in 1967. * The Stockholm convention in 1960 created EFTA by seven countries to counteract ECC. * Single European Act of 1993 * Creation of single market (common Market) effective on January 1 1993 * Rename EEC by EU (15 members) * Treaty of Maastricht (1992) * Creation of an economic union, EMU * Establishment of European Central Bank on July 1998 * Introduction of a common currency, Euro on 1 January 1999 * Circulation of Euro on 1 January 2002. The EU features: A full-fledged Economic Union 1. Market access: tariffs and most non-tariff barriers have been eliminated. 2. Common market: removed barriers to cross national movement of production factors i.e labor, capital and technology. 3. Trade rules: eliminated customs procedures and regulations, streamlining transportation and logistics within Europe. 4. Standards harmonization: harmonizing technical standards, regulations, and enforcement procedures on products, services and commercial activities. 5. Common fiscal, monetary, taxation and social The European Union Today * 27 members * New members e.g. Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic are low-cost manufacturing sites. * Peugeot, Citroen(france) – factories in Czech Republic. * Hyundai (South Korea) – Kia plant in Slovakia. * Suzuki (Japan) – factory in Hungary. * Most new EU entrants are one-time satellites of the Soviet Union, and have economic growth rates for higher than the 15 Western European counterparts. * Developing economies e.g Romania, Bulgaria, may take decades of foreign aid to catch up. Four Institutions that govern the EU 1. Council of the European Union – the main decision-making body. Makes decisions on economic policy, budgets, and foreign policy and admission of new member countries. 2. European Commission – represents the interest of the EU as a whole. Proposes legislation and is responsible for implementing decisions of the Parliament and the council. 3. European Parliament – up to 732 representatives, hold joint sessions each month. Three main functions are: * Devise EU legislation * Supervise EU Institutions * Make decisions on the EU budget. NAFTA (Canada, Mexico, USA) NAFTA passage (1994) was facilitated by the maquilladora program, in which US firms allocated manufacturing plants just South of the USA border to access low-cost labor without significant tariffs. NAFTA has: * Eliminated tariffs and most non-tariff barriers for products and services. * Established trade rules and uniform customs procedures. * Instituted investment rules and intellectual property rights. * Provided for dispute settlements for investment, unfair pricing, labor issues, and the environment. NAFTA Results: * Trade among the members more than tripled, and now exceeds 1 trillion per year. * In the early 1990’s Mexico’s tariffs averaged 100% and gradually. How the Mexican Economy benefited from NAFTA * Mexico exports to the US grew from 50 billion to over 100 billion per year. * Access Canada and the US helped launch many Mexican firms in industries such as electronics, cars, textiles, medical products, and services. * Yearly US and Canadian investment in Mexico rose from 4 billion in 1993 to nearly 20 billion by 2006. * Mexico’s per capita income rose to about 11 000 in 2007, making it the richest country in Latin America. * Why nations pursue economic integration 1. Expand market size * Greatly increases the scale of the market place for firms inside the economic bloc. Eg. Belgium has a population of just 10 million; the EU has a population of nearly 500 mil. * Consumers can access much bigger selection of products and services. 2. Achieve economies of scale and enhance productivity * Bigger market facilitates economic scale * Internationalization inside the bloc helps firms learn to compete more effectively outside the bloc. * Labor and other inputs allocated more efficiently among the member countries, leading to lower consumer prices. 3. Attract investment from outside the bloc * Compared to investing in stand-alone countries, foreign firms prefer to invest in countries that are part of an economic integration bloc. E.g General Mills, Samsung, TATA invested heavily in the EU. 4. Acquire stronger defensive and political posture * Provide member countries with a stronger defensive posture relative to other nations and world regions, an original motive of the EU. Factors contributing to the success of Regional Integration 1. Economic Stability – the more similar the economies of the member states, the more likely the bloc will succeed. Eg. Wage rates, economic stability e.g. SADC, EU 2. Political Stability – similarity in political systems is key. Countries should share similar aspirations and a willingness to surrender national autonomy e.g EU 3. Similarity of culture and language – Helpful but not absolutely necessary. 4. Geographic proximity – facilitates transportation of products, labor, and other factors. Neighboring countries tent to share a common history, culture and language E.g. NAFTA, EU Consequences of Regional Integration * Trade Creation – as barriers fall, trade is generated inside the bloc. * Trade Diversion – as within the bloc trade becomes more attractive, member countries discontinue some trade with non-member countries. * Aggregate effect – National patterns of trade are altered. More trade occurs inside the bloc. * A concern: a bloc might become an economic fortress leading to more within-bloc trade and less between bloc trade: can harm global free trade. * Loss of National Identity – increased cross-boarder contact makes members more similar to each other E.g. in response Canada has restricted the ability of US movie and TV producers to invest in the Canadian film and broadcasting industries. * Sacrifice of Autonomy – in later stages of regional integration a central authority is  set up to manage the bloc’s affairs. Members must sacrifice some autonomy to the central authority, such as control over their own economy. E.g Britain in the EU. * Transfer of power to advantaged firms – can concentrate economic power in the hands of fewer larger firms, often in the most advantaged member countries. * Failure of small or weak firms – as trade and investment barriers fall, protection is eliminated that previously shielded smaller or weaker firms from foreign competitions. * Corporate restructuring and job loss – Increased competitive pressures and corporate restructuring may lead to worker layoffs or re-assigning employees to distant locations, disrupting worker’s lives and entire communities. * Internationalization by firms inside the bloc – internationalization gets easier after regional integration. * Rationalization of operations – managers develops strategies and value-chain activities suited to the region as whole, not individual countries, by restructuring and consolidation company operations. The goal is to reduce costs and redundancy, increase centralized distribution, instead of decentralization to individual countries. * Mergers and acquisitions – Economic blocs lead to mergers and acquisitions, the tendering of one firm to buy another, or of two or more firms to merge and form acquisitions. Cross – Cultural risk * A situation or event where a cultural mis-communication puts some human value at stake. * Arises when we enter environments characterized by unfamiliar languages and unique value systems, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. * One of the four major risks in international business. Manifestations of Cross-Cultural risk * Ethnocentric orientation – using our own culture as the standard for judging other cultures. * Polycentric orientation – a mindset in which the manager develops a greater affinity with the country in which he/she does business than the home country. * Geocentric orientation: a global mindset in which the manager is able to understand a business or market without regard to national boundaries. * Managers should strive for a  geocentric orientation. Definitions of Culture: * Incorporates both objective and subjective elements. * Objective aspects of culture include tools, roads, television programming, architecture and other physical artifacts. * Subjective aspects include norms and values, ideas, customs and other meaningful symbols. * Hofstede, a well-known Dutch organizational anthropologist views culture as a collective mental programming of people and the software of the mind; how we think and how we reason. Culture Is: * Not right or wrong – it is relative. There is no cultural absolute, different nationalities simply perceive the world differently. * Not about individual behavior – culture is about groups. It refers to a collective phenomenon of shared values and meaning. * Not inherited – culture is derived from the social environment. We are not born with a shared set of values and attitudes, we learn and acquire as we grow up. Culture is learned: * Socialization – the process of learning the rules and behavioral patterns appropriate to ones given society. Eg. Cultural learning * Acculturation – the process of adjusting and adapting to a culture other than one’s own. Commonly experienced by expatriate workers. * Culture is like an ice-berg-above the surface. Certain characteristics are visible, below the surface is massive base of assumptions, attitudes and values that strongly influence decision making relationships, conflict and other dimensions of business. Cross-cultural proficiency is paramount in Managerial tasks. Examples: * Developing products and services * Communicating and interacting with foreign business partners * Negotiating and structuring international business ventures * Interacting with current and potential customers * Preparing advertising and promotional materials. Cross cultural differences may create challenges: * Teamwork – what should managers do if foreign and domestic nationals don’t get along? * Lifetime employment – workers in Japan often expect to work for the same firm throughout their careers; How should foreign firms handle that? * Pay for performance system – In China and Japan, a person’s age is important in promoting workers. Yet how do such workers perform when merit performance-based measures are used? * Organizational Structure – preferences for centralized, bureaucratic structures may deter information sharing. * Union-management relationships – workers in European firms enjoy a more equal status with managers. * Attitudes towards ambiguity – if you’re uncomfortable working with minimum guidance or taking independent action, you may have difficulty fitting into some cultures. Three approaches to interpreting culture: * Metaphors – refer to a distinctive tradition or institution strongly associated with a society – a guide to deciphering attitudes, values and behaviors. * Stereotypes – are generalizations about a group of people that may or may not be factual, often over looking real, deeper differences. * An Idiom – is an expression whose symbolic meaning is different from its literal meaning. The Nature of Stereotypes * Are often erroneous and lead to unjustified conclusions about others. * Still most people employ stereotypes, either consciously or unconsciously, because they are an easy means to judge situations and people. * There are real differences among groups and societies, we should examine descriptive behaviors rather than evaluate stereotypes. * An example: some Latin Americans procrastinate via the manana syndrome. E.T. Hall’s High and Low context cultures: Low Context * Rely on elaborate verbal explanations putting much emphasis on spoken words. * Tend to be in northern Europe and North America which place central importance on the efficient delivery of messages. * Communication is direct and explicit – don’t beat around the bush. High Context * Establish trust first * Personal relations and goodwill are valued * Agreements emphasize trust * Negotiations slow and ritualistic * Emphasis is on non-verbal messages and use communication as a means to promote smooth harmonious relationships. * Prefer an indirect, polite, face-saving style that emphasizes a mutual sense of care and respect for others, careful not to embarrass or offend others. * It is difficult for Japanese people to say No when expressing disagreement. Much more likely to say it is different – an ambiguous response. * In East Asian cultures, showing impatience, frustration, irritation, or anger disrupts harmony and is considered rude and offensive. * To succeed in Asian cultures, it is critical to notice non verbal signs and body language. Hofstede’s Classification of National culture 1. Individualism Versus Collectivism – refers to whether a person primarily functions as an individual or within a group. 2. Power Distance – describes how a society deals with inequalities in power that exists among people. 3. Uncertainty avoidance – refers to the extent to which people can tolerate risk and uncertainty in their lives. 4. Masculinity Vs Femininity 1.1 Individualistic Society – ties among people are relatively loose,  each person tends to focus on his/her own self interests. E.g Australia, Canada and the UK 1.2 Collectivist Societies – ties among individuals are more important than individualism: business is conducted in the context of groups where everyone’s norms are strongly considered. E.g China, Panama, and South Korea. 2.1 High Power distance societies – have substantial gaps between the powerful and the weak: are relatively indifferent to inequalities and allow them to grow. E.g. Guatemala, Malaysia, the Philippines. 2.2 Low-power distance socities – have minimal gaps between the powerful and weak. E.g. Denmark and Sweden governments instituted tax and social welfare systems that ensure their nationals are relatively equal in terms of income and power. * Social stratification affects power distance. In Japan almost everybody belongs to the middle class, while in India the upper stratum controls decision making and buying power. * In high distance firms, autocratic management styles focus power at the top 3.1 High Uncertainty avoidance societies create institutions that minimize risk and ensure financial security, companies emphasize stable careers and produce many rules to regulate worker actions and minimize ambiguity. 3.2 Low-uncertainty avoidances societies – socialize their members to accept and become accustomed to uncertainty: managers are entrepreneurial and comfortable with risk taking, decisions are made quickly, people accept each day as it comes. 5.1 Masculine cultures – value competitiveness, assertiveness, ambitions and the accumulation of wealth. Both men and women are assertive, focused on career and earning money, and may care little for others. E.g Australia and Japan. The US is a moderately masculine society, as are Hispanic cultures that display a zest for action, daring and competitiveness. In business, the masculinity dimension manifests as self-confidence, pro activeness and leadership. 5.2 Feminine cultures emphasize nurturing roles, interdependence among people, and caring for less fortunate people – for both men and women. e.g. Scandinavian countries welfare systems are highly developed and education is subsidized. Subjective Dimensions of culture Subjective dimensions – values and attitudes, manners and customs, deal versus relationship orientation, perceptions of time, perceptions of space and religion. * Values represent a person’s judgment about what is good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant and normal or abnormal. * Attitudes and preferences are developed based on values, and are similar to opinions, except that attitudes are often unconsciously held and may not have a rational basis. * Prejudices are rigidly held attitudes, usually unfavorable and aimed at particular groups of people. Examples: values in North America, Northern Europe, and Japan – hard work, punctuality and the acquisition of wealth. Deal Vs Relationship Culture * Deal Oriented cultures- managers focus on the task at hand are impersonal, typically uses contacts and want to just get down to business. Example, Australia, North Europe, and North America. * Relationship Oriented cultures- managers have affiliations with people, rapport and get to know the other party in business interactions, relationships are more important than the deal – trust is highly valued in business, agreements. Example, China, Japan, Latin America etc. It took nine years for Volkswagen to negotiate an automobile factory in China. Manners and Customs * Manners and Customs are ways of behaving and conducting oneself in public and business situations. * Informal cultures – egalitarian in which people are equal and work together cooperatively * Formal cultures – status, hierarchy, power and respect are very important. * Varying Customs: eating habits, mealtimes, work hours and holidays, drinking, appropriate behavior at social gatherings (handshaking, bowing and kissing), gift-giving (complex), roles of women. Religion * A system of common beliefs or attitudes concerning a being or system of thought people consider to be scared, divine, or highest truth as well as the morals codes, values, traditions, and rituals associated with this system. * Influences culture, and therefore business and consumer behavior. * Example: The protestant work ethic emphasizes hard work, individual achievement and sense that people can control their environment – the underpinnings for development of capitalism Language as a key dimension of culture * The mirror or expression of culture, essential for communication; provides insight into culture. * Linguistic proficiency is a great asset in International Business. * Language has verbal and non verbal (unspoken, facial expressions and gestures) * There are nearly 7000 active languages including 2000 in Africa. Technology, the Internet and Culture * Technological advances are a key determinant of culture and cultural change – more leisure time, and computers, multimedia, and communications systems that encourage convergence in global culture. * The â€Å"death of distance refers to the demise of the boundaries that once separated people, due to modern communications, information, and transportation technologies – more homogenized cultures are developed. * The internet also promotes the diffusion of culture, with rapidly growing numbers of internet users. Are cultures converging? The concept of Sovereignty Sovereignty – meaning Self Rule is when a state or government is able to make and enforce laws within its boundaries without interference from foreign nations. It is also connected to the ability of a country to guarantee the best interest of its own citizens. How does Globalization affect sovereignty? Discuss the effect of Globalization on National culture: 1. Stripped us of our culture since people become more attached to western culture and neglect their ways of doing things. Critically evaluate various dimensions of Economic globalization and their impacts on business enterprises: explain how it is affected and give examples. 1. Globalization of Production: increased mobility of the factors of production has changed traditional specialization roles 2. Globalization of Competition: competition with international businesses has intensified and therefore cost reduction is encouraged to improve efficiency. 3. Globalization of markets: markets have become easily accessible, allowing for expansion and growth. Goods are made of a standard level since customers worldwide have the same tastes and preferences. 4. Globalization of Technology: it has advanced rapidly leading to shorter production cycles. It also makes managing a business more effective and efficient. Advancements in technology have also become difficult to maintain due to financial constraints for some businesses. 5. Globalization of Industries: they have the options of putting up shops anywhere in the global village, giving customers a variety of choices in terms of goods and services. Convergence – bringing together two or more things Globalization – putting everything into one village.

How Small Business Drives US Economy

How Small Business Drives US Economy What really drives the U.S. economy? No, it is not war. In fact, it is small business firms with fewer than 500 employees that drives the U.S. economy by providing jobs for over half of the nations private workforce. In 2010, there were 27.9 million small businesses in the United States, compared to 18,500 larger firms with 500 employees or more, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. These and other statistics outlining small business contribution to the economy are contained in the Small Business Profiles for the States and Territories, 2005 Edition from the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA Office of Advocacy, the small business watchdog of the government, examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to federal government agencies, Congress, and the President of the United States. It is the source for small business statistics presented in user-friendly formats and it funds research into small business issues. Small business drives the American economy, said Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist for the Office of Advocacy in a press release. Main Street provides the jobs and spurs our economic growth. American entrepreneurs are creative and productive, and these numbers prove it. Small Businesses Are Job Creators SBA Office of Advocacy-funded data and research shows that small businesses create more than half of the new private non-farm gross domestic product, and they create 60 to 80 percent of the net new jobs. Census Bureau data shows that in 2010, American small businesses accounted for: 99.7% of U.S. employer firms;64% of net new private-sector jobs;49.2%   of private-sector employment; and42.9% of private-sector payroll Leading the Way Out of the Recession Small businesses accounted for 64% of the net new jobs created between 1993 and 2011 (or 11.8 million of the 18.5 million net new jobs). During the recovery from the great recession, from mid-2009 to 2011, small firms led by the larger ones with 20-499 employees accounted for 67% of the net new jobs created nationwide. Do the Unemployed Become Self-Employed? During periods of high unemployment, like the U.S. suffered during the great recession, starting a small business can be just as hard, if not harder than finding a job. However, in March 2011, about 5.5% or nearly 1 million self-employed people – had been unemployed the previous year. This figure was up from March 2006 and March 2001, when it was 3.6% and 3.1%, respectively, according to the SBA. Small Businesses Are the Real Innovators Innovation – new ideas and product improvements – is generally measured by the number of patents issued to a firm. Among firms considered â€Å"high patenting† firms – those being granted 15 or more patents in a four-year period small businesses produce 16 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms, according to the SBA. In addition, SBA research also shows that increasing the number of employees correlates with increased innovation while increasing sales does not. Do Women, Minorities, and Veterans Own Small Businesses? In 2007, the nation’s 7.8 million women-owned small businesses averaged $130,000 each in receipts. Asian-owned businesses numbered 1.6 million in 2007 and have average receipts of $290,000. African-American-owned businesses numbered 1.9 million in 2007 and have average receipts of $50,000. Hispanic-American-owned businesses numbered 2.3 million in 2007 and have average receipts of $120,000. Native American/Islander-owned businesses numbered 0.3 million in 2007 and have average receipts of $120,000, according to the SBA. In addition, veteran-owned small businesses numbered 3.7 million in 2007, with average receipts of $450,000.

Elegant Variation

Elegant Variation Elegant Variation Elegant Variation By Michael I learned about elegant variation from my high school English teacher, but even she taught about it with a slightly-skeptical smile. Its a rule that many writers feel bound to follow when they dont need to. According to this so-called rule, a writer should never use the same word twice in a paragraph. Newscasters follow elegant variation when they say, The Dow-Jones Industrial Average rose more than 300 points yesterday. It was the blue-chip indicators fourth straight gain. Or Chinas Sichuan province experienced another earthquake yesterday afternoon, the second in three months. The temblor measured 6.1 on the Richter scale. Admittedly, a news story might sound a bit childish if it said, The Dow-Jones gained 300 points yesterday. It was the fourth straight gain for the Dow-Jones. Too much repetition reads like a toddlers picture book. But more important than not repeating a word is not using the wrong word. I experienced several earthquakes when I lived in California, and not once did I hear anybody say, Did you feel that temblor last night? I remember one local radio newscaster who spent about twenty minutes saying basically, We had a big earthquake this morning, and we dont know anything else about it, but I have to keep talking about it because this is an all-news station and its our top story. But I dont think he ever used the word temblor. In fact, Ive never heard that word at all, except from radio announcers trying to avoid saying earthquake. Instead of asking What other word can I use the next time?, we should be asking, What better word can I add the next time?. In my first example, using the term blue-chip indicator in parallel to Dow-Jones Industrial Average defines the Dow-Jones Industrial Average as a performance indicator for blue-chip stocks. It adds to the meaning of the sentence, instead of simply providing variation. Another problem with elegant variation is that it can push your writing out of the readability zone. If youre trying to be elegant, youre probably trying to be formal. If youre trying to be formal, youre probably going to use big words that fewer readers understand (porcine instead of piggish). If youre straining to find a synonym for the right word, you may end up doing worse than finding the wrong word. You may end up with finding a word that even you dont understand. Repetition is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes once you find a good thing, the best course is to stick with it. My previous paragraph was stronger because of its repetition. Repetition emphasizes parallelism, which makes sentences and paragraphs more understandable. Elegance is not necessarily a good thing. When the term elegant variation was coined by Henry Watson Fowler in the 1920s, it implied precious writing overly dainty and falsely sophisticated. When I was a magazine writer, I was often faced with the desire to find a more elegant word. The Sharchops dwell in the mountains of Bhutan The Sharchops reside The Sharchops are situated near The Sharchops homeland is nestled within I decided that if I couldnt find a better way to say, The Sharchops live in eastern Bhutan, I could always say, The Sharchops live in eastern Bhutan. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You36 Poetry Terms15 Idioms for Periods of Time

Acting Adrenaline Essays - Concession Stand Food, Free Essays

Acting Adrenaline Essays - Concession Stand Food, Free Essays Acting Adrenaline The thrill of being on stage, the thrill of making people laugh, the thrill of giving joy to the audience member waiting in their seat for the show to start. Acting on stage is like being able to be a whole new person without having to worry about anything for a while. Sometimes I can hardly contain myself when I'm on stage doing what I love most. When the spot light is on me my eyes shimmer like diamonds. The lights are blinding but beautiful. The smell of concession stand food is enlightening. The night before the show is like having the weight of the world on your back. When I first get on stage my hands start shaking, my heart starts pounding, I start blinking repeatedly. Acting is the art of being a performer and acting is truly that an art form. A life without the ability to act would not be a life worthwhile. The thrill I get when I am on stage is un-imaginable by an outsider. The feeling of being on stage brings more adrenaline to your body then a heart patient waiting for the shot he must get to save his life. Acting brings me what I need to feel alive and make me feel normal. Acting brings a feeling me a feeling of happiness. I may not have been blessed with the ability to play sports, or the ability to be a successful billionaire at the age of 17 but one thing I was sure blessed with is the ability to act. Acting is my adrenaline rush that makes me feel like I can walk on water without any complications. Acting is my bridge to terabithia that lets my mind and body wonder all over the place in front of hundreds of people without feeling like I am being laughed at. The feeling I get before I get on stage is the same feeling of having a 15 pound baby kick me in the stomach. That all goes away as soon as I get on stage, the feeling just drops. I am now able to be myself in an environment I am use to. There are no bullies to torture me to laugh at me for being different; everyone is now laughing with me for being funny and me being me. There is no other feeling in the world that can compare to the way I feel when I am acting on stage. The way I feel for acting has no comparison.

Proposal Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Proposal Argument - Essay Example The family therapist acknowledges that there is a diversity of family forms, such as nuclear, extended, cohabitation and same-sex, to name a few. It is also acknowledged that the different forms a family each have inherent strengths and weaknesses. Hence, the family therapist emphasises interventions that facilitate individuals to form social couples and households, or family groups. It is the aim of the family therapist to assist with relational development within the couple or household, and to support the learning of new ways to problem-solve. As a human service worker professional, the family therapist does not discriminate on grounds of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, and religion or health status. To enable effective and efficient intervention, the family therapist needs to adhere to a theory that reflects their personal therapeutic philosophy. The social construction framework is useful to human service workers in the fields of family therapy and psychotherapy in that it allows practitioners to investigate and empower client’s creation of meaningful understandings of themselves and the wider world (Swann, 1999). The framework focuses on the key influences of sociocultural forces and the environmental context of human understanding, learning and accumulation of knowledge. Within family therapy this theory provides the therapist with a powerful ability to draw family members away from blaming each other for their behaviors, and placing these behaviors within a larger sociocultural context. For example, the Western values of independence, competition and profit contributing to the family to place pressure on their son to find gainful employment and to do better in life than what they have. In turn, the son has felt misunderstood, isolated and unable to achieve due to constant â€Å"failures† and has chosen to d rop out of society. Now living

The Humanity And Issues Related To It In Literature Essay

The Humanity And Issues Related To It In Literature - Essay Example The men at the hotel are wondering if they have also played some part in The Swede’s death. This paper criticizes two important quotations from the story, which I will connect to how I see humankind, and how I view the world. First, I will go into the detail of the quotation, â€Å"Every sin is a result of collaboration† (Crane). Crane has talked about collaboration in the sense that the characters of the story are interacting with each other. They talk to each other, and get into fights, due to which they hurt and kill each other. This is how sin is produced. However, I think that here, collaboration means that the society and the sinner are interacting with each other, where both are opposite to each other and are necessary for each other’s survival. If there is a virtue, there is a sin. If it is good, there is bad. If there are thieves, there are priests. If there are angels, there is Satan. So, both the opposite extremes exist, and become recognized for the opposite. So, when there is a collaboration between man and others are around him, there is either virtue or sin that is produced. This is how society will go on until the end of the world. Collaboration may also mean here that sin is produced with mutual agreement between two people, as Crane has shown the men at the hotel talking about how they had all taken part in killing Swede. Although many sins can be committed without the involvement of a second person; yet, here collaboration means sin committed with the help of two or more persons, who have interacted with each other and have planned to commit the sin. We know it because the Easterner explains it by saying, â€Å"We, five of us, have collaborated in the murder of this Swede.

Quantitative Tools Group Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quantitative Tools Group Project - Essay Example This write-up presents a discussion about ways for improving the service productivity and operational success of Going Inc’s pilots and customer service agents who present a certain lack of satisfaction in their jobs. Going Inc’s airline business that services the United States, Europe and Asia has a number of problems that confront managers. Going Inc has a higher than industry average figures for flight delays, baggage and security related check-in delays and late arrival figures for flights. In addition to the other problems at Going Inc Airlines, employees present a certain lack of satisfaction and it is important for managers try to improve morale, service productivity and operational success of pilots and customer service agents. Airline pilots are rather different from other employees because they are expensive to train for aircrafts that they must fly and difficult to substitute in a tight labor market for pilots with commercial experience (Harvey. 2007. Pp. 6). Pilots are the most educated and the most assessed of all airline employees who must be constantly trained on aircraft if they are to perform safely and adequately. Thus, airline pilots possess a certain industrial power and management of airline pilots is an exacting endeavor. However, it is important for airlines to try to reduce labor costs in response to stiff competition in the airline industry and to increase productivity in an era of increased uncertainty about profits (Alamdari, 1999, Pp. 53 – 66). Morale is always important when thinking about service productivity and contented employees who feel that they are being well compensated are likely to be more productive. Thus, airline pilots, who often work on substantial compensation pa ckages, should be offered profit sharing and share purchase schemes that indemnify airlines from having to pay out large compensation in

Organ Transplants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organ Transplants - Essay Example Several apocryphal accounts of transplants exist well prior to the scientific understanding and advancements that would be necessary for them to have actually occurred. The Chinese physician Pien Ch-iao reportedly exchanged hearts between a man of strong spirit but weak will with one of a man of weak spirit but strong will in an attempt to achieve balance in each man. Roman Catholic mythology reports the third-century saints Damian and Cosmas as replacing the gangrenous leg of the Roman deacon Justinian with the leg of a recently deceased Ethiopian. Most accounts have the saints performing the transplant in the fourth century A.D., decades after their death; some accounts have them only instructing living surgeons who performed the procedure. More likely accounts exist in the area of skin transplantation. The first reasonable account is of the Indian surgeon Sushruta in the second century B.C., who used autografted skin transplantation in nose reconstruction rhinoplasty. Success or failure of these procedures is not well documented. Centuries later, the Italian surgeon Gaspare Tagliacozzi performed successful skin autografts; he also failed consistently with allografts, offering the first suggestion of rejection centuries before that mechanism could possibly be understood. He attributed it to the "force and power of individuality" in his 1596 work De Curtorum Chirurgia per Insitionem. Transplants #3 The first successful corneal allograft transplant was performed in 1837 in a gazelle model; the first successful human corneal transplant, a keratoplastic operation, was performed by Eduard Zirm in Austria in 1905. Pioneering work in the surgical technique of transplantation was made in the early 1900s by the French surgeon Alexis Carrel, with Charles Guthrie, with the transplantation of arteries or veins. Their skillful anastomosis operations, the new suturing techniques, laid the groundwork for later transplant surgery and won Carrel the 1912 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology. From 1902 Carrel performed transplant experiments on dogs. Surgically successful in moving kidneys, hearts and spleens, he was one of the first to identify the problem of rejection, which remained insurmountable for decades. Major steps in skin transplantation occurred during WW I, notably in the work of Harold Gillies at Aldershot. Among his advances was the tubed pedicle graft, maintaining a flesh connection from the donor site until the graft established its own blood flow. Gillies' assistant, Archibald McIndoe, carried on the work into WW II as reconstructive surgery. In 1962 the first successful replantation surgery was performed - re-attaching a severed limb and restoring (limited) functioning and feeling. The first attempted human deceased-donor transplant was performed by the Ukrainian surgeon Yu Yu Voronoy in the 1930s; rejection resulted in failure. Joseph Murray performed the first successful transplant, a kidney transplant between identical twins, in 1954, successful because no immunosuppression was necessary in genetically identical twins. In the late 1940s Peter Medawar, working for the National Institute for Medical Research, improved the understanding of rejection. Identifying the immune reactions in 1951 Medawar suggested that immunosuppressive drugs could be used. Cortisone had

Political Economy of Communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Political Economy of Communications - Essay Example Herein, it should be noted that the major distributors of 19th and 20th century Nickelodeon era were pioneers of motion pictures namely Thomas Edison, George Eastman and more. It was the moment in the history of film developmental era that distributors like Thomas Edison monopolized the market of motion pictures. This paper is a clear understanding of the readings that have been selected for undertaking political economic analysis. Investors in the US film industry were one of the major cultural shifts that were noted in the 19th century. With the advancement of technology, the field developed to the extent in 20th century when motion pictures were being broadcasted with the help of celluloid. This further provided recognition to the filmed entertainment. However, the pioneers were the ones who had control over the equities (Litman 15). In order to gain capital, more and more innovation was needed in this newly born economic sector. It is for this reason that Thomas Edison used all h is engaging resources in order to sell motion pictures. The fact remains that capital that was being received by filmed entertainment did not exceed much until the nickel arcades spurted up. In order to gather larger groups of consumers, an arena was needed where people could experience entrainment resulting in buying products from the distributors (Bettig and Hall 110). The invention of Kinestoscope and camera stands allowed the filmmakers to record films more than a minute duration. A penny was the minimal cost for viewing the motion films. It was much needed that the hold of the industry was divided among more people because the filmed entertainment was merely being provided to the upper classes only (Meehan 48). The domestic companies such as Bio-graph and Vita-graphs helped in taking the films to middle class as well. As discussed in Meehan’s study, these domestic companies joined hands with the international companies as well that were focusing distributing of films acr oss borders in order to gain the hold of international markets. By this time, it was evident that motion films were now out of pioneer control i.e. Thomas Edison and George Eastman. Films were no longer limited to the premises of penny arcades, parlors etc. as more and more people ushered to experience filmed entertainment within exhibitions (Meehan 52) At this point of the film development, exhibition criterion became a new way to earn money. This rather made film industry became a serious economic contributor for which increased entrepreneurs joined the field as filmmakers and distributors. According to Betting and Hall, the increase in filmmakers and points of exhibitions, there was an avid need of increasing the crowd for viewing the films (Litman). It was for this reason that the rate of per viewing was kept flat. One viewing cost remained one penny for a long time for which films were made from ten minutes to sixty minutes. The change in films was increased so that the Nickelo deon (penny theatres) could have stayed flocked. At this point, films were made a regular entertainment as an accepted culture (Bettig and Hall 62). This helps us understand that the economic model that was applied at the origination of the film was to keep the cost minimal by making sure that the production was limited as well. It is one of the reasons behind film duration to be no more than sixty minutes (Bettig

Organ Transplants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organ Transplants - Essay Example Several apocryphal accounts of transplants exist well prior to the scientific understanding and advancements that would be necessary for them to have actually occurred. The Chinese physician Pien Ch-iao reportedly exchanged hearts between a man of strong spirit but weak will with one of a man of weak spirit but strong will in an attempt to achieve balance in each man. Roman Catholic mythology reports the third-century saints Damian and Cosmas as replacing the gangrenous leg of the Roman deacon Justinian with the leg of a recently deceased Ethiopian. Most accounts have the saints performing the transplant in the fourth century A.D., decades after their death; some accounts have them only instructing living surgeons who performed the procedure. More likely accounts exist in the area of skin transplantation. The first reasonable account is of the Indian surgeon Sushruta in the second century B.C., who used autografted skin transplantation in nose reconstruction rhinoplasty. Success or failure of these procedures is not well documented. Centuries later, the Italian surgeon Gaspare Tagliacozzi performed successful skin autografts; he also failed consistently with allografts, offering the first suggestion of rejection centuries before that mechanism could possibly be understood. He attributed it to the "force and power of individuality" in his 1596 work De Curtorum Chirurgia per Insitionem. Transplants #3 The first successful corneal allograft transplant was performed in 1837 in a gazelle model; the first successful human corneal transplant, a keratoplastic operation, was performed by Eduard Zirm in Austria in 1905. Pioneering work in the surgical technique of transplantation was made in the early 1900s by the French surgeon Alexis Carrel, with Charles Guthrie, with the transplantation of arteries or veins. Their skillful anastomosis operations, the new suturing techniques, laid the groundwork for later transplant surgery and won Carrel the 1912 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology. From 1902 Carrel performed transplant experiments on dogs. Surgically successful in moving kidneys, hearts and spleens, he was one of the first to identify the problem of rejection, which remained insurmountable for decades. Major steps in skin transplantation occurred during WW I, notably in the work of Harold Gillies at Aldershot. Among his advances was the tubed pedicle graft, maintaining a flesh connection from the donor site until the graft established its own blood flow. Gillies' assistant, Archibald McIndoe, carried on the work into WW II as reconstructive surgery. In 1962 the first successful replantation surgery was performed - re-attaching a severed limb and restoring (limited) functioning and feeling. The first attempted human deceased-donor transplant was performed by the Ukrainian surgeon Yu Yu Voronoy in the 1930s; rejection resulted in failure. Joseph Murray performed the first successful transplant, a kidney transplant between identical twins, in 1954, successful because no immunosuppression was necessary in genetically identical twins. In the late 1940s Peter Medawar, working for the National Institute for Medical Research, improved the understanding of rejection. Identifying the immune reactions in 1951 Medawar suggested that immunosuppressive drugs could be used. Cortisone had

Eng essay 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eng 2 - Essay Example Their intention is to showcase their masculinity; thus, they put on T-shirts and flex their muscles. The photographers comprise people who are preoccupied with taking photos. It seems they are fascinated by their progress in gaining muscles. Indeed, they constantly look at themselves in the mirrors, and even spend most of their time taking photos rather than exercising. The newbies consist of people whose main goal is to observe others exercise. They rarely work out. However, in some cases, they can engage in light exercises. The novices comprise people who are out to learn new things. They listen carefully to their trainers, and even ask many questions. I consider myself a member of this group. Lastly, the businessmen consist of people who work in professional organizations and come to the gym to exercise. They can be identified easily from the number of calls they receive. Apart from categorizing gym attendees, I also discovered that people go to the gym for various reasons other than to exercise. For instance, the beauty queens, a group of young ladies who put on heavy make-ups, go specifically to grace the venue. They do not go to exercise. In fact, from their dressing, one can tell that they are not interested in exercises at the gym. Indeed, they dress as if they are attending a party. On the other hand, there is a group I call the chatterboxes. The group comprises people who go to the gym specifically to gossip; they do not exercise. Lastly, there are the date-seekers. They are groups of men who go for girls, particularly for dating. In fact, they go for the beauty queens. Although I do not consider gyms the best places to find girls to date, the group makes an attendee’s visit enjoyable. My visit to the gym was also made enjoyable by other people and the way they used the equipment. It was interesting to watch people strain while using the gym equipment. Some of the equipment included treadmills, elliptical

The Middle Ages Essay Example for Free

The Middle Ages Essay The Middle Ages are a period of European history from around 476 A.D. to 1453 A.D. when society and culture declined. The middle Ages is believed to be started from the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and was ended by the start of the European Renaissance. There are several key factors that led to the end of The Middle Ages other than the start of the Renaissance. The Black Plague and The Crusades undeniably led to the end of the Middle Ages because of the decrease of population from The Black Plague and the increase of foreign goods and trade from The Crusades among many other reasons. The Bubonic Plague, Black Plague, and Black Death are names for a deadly disease that killed between 75 and 200 million people in Europe. This Disease started and was carried by flees in rats on trade ships. The fleas would be transferred onto the ships cargo, which would in turn contaminate all customers. The disease was easily contagious and basically if you were in contact with anyone who had this disease in their system, you would be dead very soon . As a result of being extremely contagious it was spread very quickly and killed many people. Even though millions died, there is a silver lining. Those who survived the plague were able to move up in the European feudalistic social circle. Peasants were able to gain more powerful positions and in turn make more money. This scenario occurred in many other peoples lives and helped end The Middle Ages. The Crusades were a series of wars taking place in Asia Minor between 1095 and 1291. Pope Urban II was the first person that expressed a need for The Crusades at the Council of Clermont where he said we should invade the holy land and persecute the inhabitants who have taken over the beloved land of Jesus Christ. This was incorrect because most of the inhabitants ancestors of Jerusalem had always been there and this was their homeland. The Crusaders did not seize Jerusalem for long which is why The Crusades are often called historys greatest failure. The crusaders brutally murdered Jews and Muslims living in this area who had done nothing wrong. Most  crusaders were French peasants or serfs who wanted to escape the feudalistic social circle. If you went on The Crusades you became rich and made money. Even though The Crusades were not successful in the sense they didnt seize their homeland, it was still successful because the crusaders brought back many new things. These products were brought back to Europe and people tried to make them there which helped fix the economy in Europe. For example, soap was never used in Europe until the crusaders brought it back from the holy land. This was one of the many important things that were brought back from the holy land, which drastically helped end The Middle Ages. The Middle Ages were a 977-year period where civilization declined instead of rising. The Black Plague and Crusades helped end the Middle Ages even if they were both devastating in their own way and killed a lot of people. It is up to opinion if these two events were beneficial overall because of some of the extremely destructive results that took place however, they definitely helped end The Middle Ages.

Why You Take Animals To A Vet Sociology Essay

Why You Take Animals To A Vet Sociology Essay When a person gets sick they usually visit the doctor, but when an animal gets sick they cant go to a human doctor, they visit whats called a veterinarian. A variety of animals can visit the vet, from house pets to farm animals to animals in the zoo. Animals that visit the vet are healthier due to the number of vaccines and technology available; though it may be expensive, it does prolong an animals life. Veterinarians are physicians who help diagnose and treat diseases in animals. With continuous checkups, veterinarians can help control and prevent illness and disease in the animal. As stated by pet care, no matter how careful animal owners are, there will be a time when animals need to visit the vet. Though some believe vets can only offer an examination, they actually can do so much more. Vets are capable of spotting certain illnesses before they take full effect through blood test. They can repair joint or ligament, and they even provide professional grooming. Visiting the vet can prolong animals lives with the physicals done, and making sure animals have all their vaccinations. The major benefit for animals that go to the vet is that they are healthy. But the duties of veterinarians just dont stop at making sure animals are healthy. They make sure the meats people eat are healthy by testing the animal for diseases, monitoring the transportation of the animal, and the slaughtering of the now meat. A veterinarian can decide their specialty based off where they grew up at and the location of where their practice is at or will be at. There are three major categories that a veterinarian can specialize in; small, large, and exotic. Small animals are mostly known as the house pets, and they usually go to clinics or private practices. Clinics can be used for the larger animals, but they are mostly used for small animals. Clinics and private practices provide a waiting area, appointments, emergency appointments, and boarding areas. The major difference between a clinic and private practice is that a clinic is run by the government and a private practice is run by one person, the owner. The next specialties for a veterinarian are large animals. These animals tend to be farm animals, like cows, horses, and sheep. The main reason veterinarians do home visits for these types of animals is because of their size, the population they come in because its just not one cow at the farm. Equestri an veterinarians can also fall under this category, they focus in just horses. Those veterinarians tend to focus more on the unique horses, like ones that race or designer breed horses. The last type of animal that a vet can specialize in is exotic animals. These animals tend to be zoo animals; they can be monkeys, iguanas, ferrets or potbellied pigs. Depending on if they are located at the zoo, there will be a special veterinarian located at the zoo that runs their own private practice. Depending on the size of these exotic animals, that are pets to some people; they would go to a specific private practice for exotic animals only. But, if they are large exotic animals, a specific veterinarian would make a special home visit. Though there are three different specialties, there are veterinarians that will run a private practice for all types of animals and make home visits for all types of animals. As most people probably already know, the main reason to visit the vet is to help keep their animal healthy and living longer. Animals do age faster than humans do, so it is very important for animals to visit the vet. Just like humans, as the animals gets older their health does become worse. There are many pros for owners who take their animals to the veterinarian. Not only can an owner take their pet to get a wellness checkup, they can also have grooming done. When owners have their animals groomed, sometimes they take them to places where its not the best job being done. But taking them to the vet can ensure you that there are professionals back there taking care of the grooming process. Another pro that can benefit the owners and anyone else around the animal, is that taking an animal to the vet not only helps them be healthy but help keeps people in contact with the animal healthy too. Diseases can spread from human to pet and even pet to human. Then the fact that some animals are the meat people eat, so it would be a major pro having that meat healthy and disease free. Insurance can really help out with costs of vet bills for the exotic animals, so that is another major pro. Then by visiting the veterinarian, animals receive vaccinations. If an animal gets a disease or illness after receiving that certain vaccination and they recover, then they can become immune to it, which that will protect them for life. A con about visiting the vet of course is the money. Vaccinations, grooming, dentals, and surgeries are not cheap. It can be hard to afford an animal going to the vet monthly. Then another con about going to the vet would be if the veterinarian found something wrong. While performing their checkups there are possibilities of them finding a tumor or another illness. Then it will be expensive to pay for surgeries or medicine necessary for the animal to recover. Of course, the pros outweigh the cons. Having an animals life become longer and healthier is worth the cost sometimes. Visiting the veterinarian is mostly for the animals wellness checkup. A wellness checkup is just checking the animals out and making sure things are normal. The veterinarians evaluate the overall health of the animal and try to detect serious illnesses before they turn into something bad or terminal. Veterinarians check the animals ear for unusual odors; they check the animals teeth too. Then they make sure the lungs are working properly, the heart rate is normal, and then they check the joints of the animals. Checkups for the larger animals are somewhat different than the checkups for smaller animals. Usually when a large animal is having a wellness checkup or physical they are put a sleep with an anesthetic. After the animal is asleep the veterinarian assistants record the rates of the animal, while the vet focuses on the physical part of the examination. Medicine used in veterinary is similar to humans medicine. An animal can catch a simple stomach bug and also have many diseases that are terminal like types of cancers. Though a veterinarian cant help prevent cancer, they can help prevent stomach bugs with the help of vaccinations. A vaccine is a live pathogen or a killed virus that can be injected to help pathogens in the animals body produce antibodies. The antibodies are what help make an animal immune to a certain illness or disease. Veterinarians can perform blood tests which help show how immune an animal is to a certain disease. Animals can only become immune to a certain illness or disease if they catch it and recover from it. Sometimes animals dont recover and then they dont have the antibodies needed to help make them become immune to it. When people think of surgeries being performed by a vet, they think mostly of removals. But vets can perform many more types of surgeries, like neutering and spaying of house pets. Not only does neutering and spaying make an animal infertile, but by doing that it can help prevent certain cancers in the male and fe male reproductive organs. Then it has been proven that it reduces the chance of animals running off. They can declaw animals like house cats or even bears have been declawed. Also, bone and joint repair are major surgeries done to help animals. Sometimes joints become dislocated and the animal needs that surgery to be able to function properly. The last type of surgery that can be done is cosmetic, just like humans an animal can have things changed. Out of all the pros there are for visiting the veterinarian, the fact that just a visit once a month can prolong an animals life majorly. Having animals checked out by professionals with this technology in the 21st century just provides accurate information versus the knowledge of most animal owners. For the worst con, its not really about the cost for most animal lovers. Its about losing an animal, so the worst con for visiting the vet is the chances of the veterinarian finding something terminal with the animal. Obviously animals who visit the veterinarians like they should are healthier than those animals that havent ever been to a veterinarian. Just like humans, animals can leave germs and get germs. The germs can be in the waiting room area or in the back where the vet clinic boards animals. So even though animals visit the veterinarian they still can become unhealthy by catching a disease there at the vet. Veterinarians can do house calls and come personally to the animal. Maki ng those animals the healthiest; due to them not being in contact with the sick and still receiving the proper care by a veterinarian.

Pros and Cons of the Euro :: Finances Money European Currency Essays

Pros and Cons of the Euro The United Kingdom will not join the single European currency with the first wave of countries on 1 January 1999. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, said in October that, although the government supported the principle of the single currency, Britain would not be ready to join at least until the second wave of countries join in 2002. He added that the UK should, however, begin to prepare for monetary union. There are many possible advantages and disadvantages that the government had to consider: Advantages: 1. A single currency should end currency instability in the participating countries (by irrevocably fixing exchange rates) and reduce it outside them. Because the Euro would have the enhanced credibility of being used in a large currency zone, it would be more stable against speculation than individual currencies are now. An end to internal currency instability and a reduction of external currency instability would enable exporters to project future markets with greater certainty. This will unleash a greater potential for growth. 2. Consumers would not have to change money when travelling and would encounter less red tape when transferring large sums of money across borders. It was estimated that a traveller visiting all twelve member states of the (then) EC would lose 40% of the value of his money in transaction charges alone. Once in a lifetime a family might make one large purchase or transaction across a European border such as buying a holiday home or a piece of furniture. A single currency would help that transaction pass smoothly. 3. Likewise, businesses would no longer have to pay hedging costs which they do today in order to insure themselves against the threat of currency fluctuations. Businesses, involved in commercial transactions in different member states, would no longer have to face administrative costs of accounting for the changes of currencies, plus the time involved. It is estimated that the currency cost of exports to small companies is 10 times the cost to the multi-nationals, who offset sales against purchases and can command the best rates. 4. A single currency should result in lower interest rates as all European countries would be locking into German monetary credibility. The stability pact (the main points of which were agreed at the Dublin summit of European heads of state or government in December 1996) will force EU countries into a system of fiscal responsibility which will enhance the Euro's international credibility.

Blacks in Victorian England Essay -- Victorian Era

The Othered Victorians Introduction The Victorian period was a time of great hypocrisy. Despite the fact that the Protestant work ethic was gaining popular support amongst the Victorians and myths such as Samuel Smiles' "rags to riches" became part of mainstream Victorian culture, the Victorians were greatly divided into their respective social classes. Works like Thomas Carlyle's "The Irish Widow" and Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "The Cry of the Children" exemplified the blatant disregard of the upper classes to that of the lower class. If the Victorians were divided amongst themselves, imagine what it was like for people of different religions and races. The Blacks of this period was one such race that suffered tremendously throughout the Victorian period. They were referred to as The Othered Victorians. Blacks Victorian Novels In Victorian novels blacks were depicted as wild savages who were incapable of controlling themselves without the supervision of a noble upper class Victorian. Characters such as Miss Swartz (Swartz is a German word meaning black; it is also a popular German-Jewish name) and Samboo (a general and derogatory term used to refer to all blacks) within William Makepeace Thackeray's Vanity Fair were depicted in such a way. For example, on the day of Amelia's departure, Miss Swartz was described as, "[T]he rich wooly-haired mulatto from St. Kitt's†¦she was in such a passion of tears that they were obliged to send for Dr. Floss, and half tipsify her with salvolatile" (Thackeray 206). Origin of Prejudice Where did these prejudices stem from? These prejudices are remnants of the colonial era. Before the Victorian period, the days of Christopher Columbus, there was a fever of exploration and discov... ...the Victorians were more appalled by a marriage across class lines than across racial barriers ("Before" 3). This does not suggest that they were still disgusted by interracial marriages-recall Rebecca, daughter of an opera singer, and Rawdon, son of an aristocrat in Vanity Fair. Works Cited "Before the Black Victorians." 7 November 2004. . "Creole in Black and White." 28 October 2004. . "Exhibiting 'Others' in the West." 28 October 2004. . Giddings, Paula J. The Romance of Two Black Victorian Writers. 18 August 2002. 28 October 2004. Lester, Julius. To Be A Slave. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1968. "Phrenology." 8 November 2004. .

Crisis In Odwalla Corporation

The Odwalla corporation, a fruit juice producer based in California has always been a staunch supporter of natural products, though sadly those natural products created a deadly risk to at least 71 people in the fall of 1996. The company was linked to a large number of products containing apple juice that was tainted by the deadly e-coli O157:H7 bacteria. The death of a 16-month-old child in Evans, Colorado was the first of many illnesses that were directly linked to the company's products, most of which contained tainted apple juice. In fact the company ended up recalling 70% of its total product on the shelves in the United States and Canada. (Mogel, 2002, p. 222) The outbreak had been swift and the company is often praised for its quick and particularly humanitarian response to the situation. The marketing campaign they embarked on with the help of a marketing crisis management team is actually award winning. At the time of the crisis, Odwalla appeared to do everything right. It responded to what it called a freak occurrence by pulling the suspect juice and offering to pay medical expenses. The quick recall and its warm and fuzzy image prompted favorable comparisons with Johnson and Johnson for its handling of the Tylenol incident. The initial response to the problem is crucial to the marketing arena as it is a way in which businesses can see in a recent strategic situation the ways in which marketing can affect crisis management positively for a company in dire straits. Though the eventual court rulings and the findings of an inquiry did not match the public personification associated with the crisis marketing it did save the company from almost sure disaster that would likely lead to the company folding in disgrace. Certainly if the information that was discovered during the investigation, made by the courts had been available to the public during the crisis the company and its founders would have lost everything. Odwalla pleaded guilty to criminal charges of selling tainted apple juice. It paid a $1.5 million fine, the largest ever assessed in a food industry case by the Food and Drug Administration. Federal investigators now suggest that Odwalla had regularly accepted blemished fruit and ignored warnings by its own safety team. Moreover, as sales plummeted 90 percent, company officials maintained an inside/outside strategy: covering up company malfeasance while positioning Odwalla as a victim along with those who it had poisoned. Though the ethics of the situation are suspect from a business standpoint they were crucial in the future success of the company. Industry standards have since changed a great deal and Odwalla quickly stepped in line with industry standards for pasteurizing its product, something that they had long resisted but eventually in 2002 became an FDA requirement excluded only by tough labeling laws, warning consumers of the unpasteurized nature of a product. Though there are still suspicions associated with the situation, the right answers to tough crisis marketing can be found in the case studies of the situation. Odwalla acted immediately. Although at the point where they were first notified the link was uncertain, Odwalla's CEO Stephen Williamson ordered a complete recall of all products containing apple or carrot juice. This recall covered around 4,600 retail outlets in 7 states. Internal task teams were formed and mobilized, and the recall – costing around $6.5m was completed within 48 hours. What the company didn't do was to avoid responsibility. On all media interviews, Williamson expressed sympathy and regret for all those affected and immediately promised that the company would pay all medical costs. This, allied to the prompt and comprehensive recall, went a long way towards satisfying customers that the company was doing all it could. The intended public's of the communications associated with the e-coli crisis all received the information the company intended to convey, including eventual fault in production, though this was after the crisis had been dealt with and didn't receive much air time. The intended publics received notification of the recall and everything that was being done to ensure that the problem would stop there, including new plans of action for flash pasteurization as well as a new policy associated with new industry wide changes eventually implemented by the FDA. The FDA began implementing further guidelines that required juice producers to show a specific reduction of bacteria in their juice. It is this law that has now, after years of discussion and public comment periods, come into effect. This is not a â€Å"pasteurization† law, it is a bacteria reduction law that requires juice producers to reduce the bacteria in their juice and to develop a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) system that ensures they keep records that would among other things, enable proper recalls and trace backs if the need arose. The industry has since implemented a great deal of the new standards and come into compliance with a system that will greater protect the public. In a sense the outcome could be considered the legacy of the crisis as Odwalla has continued to be a leader in the field of food safety technology implementation that is often used as a model for other crisis situations. The success of the story can be seen in a recent work detailing the award Odwalla and its crisis management marketing firm received: An independent AOL survey showed that 86 percent of online respondents supported Odwalla and would return as consumers. Other surveys showed 94% of those polled were aware of the E. coli outbreak; 96% of those aware approved of Odwalla's handling of the crisis†¦Odwalla successfully reintroduced products after the recall, and continues to introduce new products at a normal rate†¦ (Mogel, 2002, p. 226) Additionally the financial as well as consumer confidence issue is still one that is reviewed by industry leaders as they are more likely in today's climate to create at least a minimal plan for the potential of such a problem within their own business. Odwalla also showed specific crisis management skills, with the help of their crisis consultants in their ability to quickly reach their internal as well as external public's as they instituted an internal open door policy accompanied by a collective meetings that are still held today to keep the internal public abreast with current needs and shortfalls in the company, as quickly as possible. â€Å"Internal communications were key: Williamson conducted regular company-wide conference calls on a daily basis, giving employees the chance to ask questions and get the latest information. This approach proved so popular that the practice of quarterly calls survived the crisis.† (â€Å"CSR case studies in crisis management: Odwalla,† 2006, at: http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/CSRfiles/crisis05.html) Financial markets responded to the communications effort; stock price was $19 prior to the crisis, dropped to $9 immediately after, and has risen to $13. (Mogel, 2002, p. 226) All the intended publics were clearly communicated with the best possible outcome the company could have foreseen at the beginning of the crisis. One point of intrigue is also associated with the avenues that were used in this crisis, during the information age. One important element in this crisis management situation is that even as early as November 1996, Edelman and Odwalla took full advantage of the Internet to give reporters and consumers immediate access to information about the recall. Although Odwalla did not have a corporate or promotional Web site, the company's crisis-related site was up and running within 48 hours. Based on its experience in the Odwalla case, Edelman PR has developed an online response product that enables clients to establish crisis preparedness sites on their Intranets. (Mogel, 2002, p. 227) The technology of the day was utilized to its fullest, in addition to a multimedia campaign explaining to those who had the product that was recalled to dispose of it and also telling customers and those affected of their intention to produce accountability with regard to the crisis.