Anti Imperialism Speech Against the Annexation of the Phillippines

Annexation of the Philippines – Argument Against I reflect on our own Declaration of Independence that states â€Å"Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. † We went to the Philippines to protect them from Spain and now here we are doing what we were keeping Spain from doing to these people. I ask you†¦ do we have their consent to annex them? Do they believe it is in their best interest to be annexed to our great country? And what measures are we taking to fund a continued military presence to care for these people? If the Filipinos are not in support of this annexation, they will most assuredly fight us that will result in unnecessary violence and bloodshed of both American soldiers and Filipinos, whether you think them civilized or uncivilized. This is hypocritical to what we ourselves claim in our ideals expressed in our Declaration of Independence†¦ the right to self govern. With this move of annexation are we not acting on the grounds of Imperialism which goes against our belief as a Republic? Are we conquerors, or are we liberators? I believe we should allow Aguinaldo, who we brought there from exile, to set up their own government and create a strong partnership that is agreeable for both the Philippines and the United States with mutual prosperity. Let us be the inspiration and model of their new venture and not force it upon them. This move will be viewed by eyes of other countries; it will impact their perception of our United States and the freedoms our nation values.

Starbucks Analysis Based on Ansoff’s Matrix

Growth Analysis on Starbucks Ansoff Matrix Market Penetration| Product Development| Market Development| Diversification| Starbucks have achieved market penetration by promoting its products in many ways. Their promotion allows Starbucks product to be known all around the US. They are constantly improving their products and making new coffee flavors to give the consumers different choices at he moment of ordering. Their USP, which is quality, makes the costumer’s loyalty to the brand to increase therefore Starbucks has a constant demand from the costumers.Starbucks has developed new products for the existing coffee houses to attract a new market. Some new products that Starbucks has established are: breakfast and pastry products. With these products consumers have a different option when going to the coffee house, as well, as new consumers that are searching for breakfasts. Starbucks has established coffee houses all over the world. They are constantly trying to enter new count ries to offer their worldwide known products. An example of this can be the recent opening of the first Starbuck in Ecuador.This is a way to analyze Ecuador’s market and make further decisions for implementing more coffee houses in Ecuador. Starbucks has developed diversification by implementing their new products in the new market. These products are usually based on the country’s culture and demand, which are different form Starbuck’s original products. We think that Starbuck is going to growth because based on an article in which it stated that Starbucks’s profit was better than predicted.This is a clue to infer that Starbuck’s is gaining its lost consumers and loyalty to the brand. By being constantly trying to enter new countries and offering their products, is also a way that Starbucks is trying to expand its market. All these factors and much more are essential for the growth of Starbucks in the US as in other counties. Bibliography: http:// www. reuters. com/article/2010/07/20/us-starbucks-idUSTRE66J5DT20100720

Research theory discussion 1 wk4 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research theory discussion 1 wk4 - Coursework Example There will be a lack of connection between the research work and other related resources. Therefore, theory interconnects various components of the research and links one research work with other knowledge bases (Utley, 2011). Theories are also important in designing a simplified research model. They eliminate complicated details of the research and provide a concise overview of the research model. Particularly in scientific research, like in physics, theory provides a simplified model of the research work. It eliminates the complication associated with details of the research and provides a general overview of the research. A research model used in the study, therefore, incorporate the postulated theory framework. Each theory can demand are different research model in discussing the same topic. For example, particle theory and wave theory both explains how light works. These two theories have different models but explain the same concept (Utley, 2011). Theories are therefore, an important aspect of any given research. They connect different component of the research topic as it provides knowledge base for the study. Theories also influence the research approach for the study. This is because different theories will require different models of

Stagnation of Manufacturing Productivity in the United States Research Paper

Stagnation of Manufacturing Productivity in the United States - Research Paper Example Unites states is considered to be one among the top ranking nations when it comes to Manufacturing Productivity. (Dept of Commerce, 2004). The citizens involved in the manufacturing production activities are considered to be the backbone of the American Economy to achieve a huge growth rate. An overall economic development can be achieved by good manufacturing productivity. Manufacturing productions are the major aspect of inventing and deploying the various technological trends, providing jobs to the numerous citizens of all ranges, and the developers usually end up investing a huge amount of resources in the economy depending on the market trends in the manufacturing sector thus forming the essential part of economic development aspects.International trade can be always the major factor for the progress of the global economy, and to overcome the extreme competitiveness the armaments utilized are manufactured goods. But the new technology trends involved with globalization have mani folds expanded the scope of competitiveness by demanding a high rate of production to be the end result of minimized resources. The following have been quoted by (Kevin L. Kearns and Alan Tonelson, 2003) as the reasons for stagnation in the manufacturing economy.The manufactured goods had not brought the expected profits to the nation as there was a lack of opening in the market. This did not consume the required goods in the apt amounts of productions thus bringing in huge losses to the manufacturing economy.... Kearns and Alan Tonelson, 2003) as the reasons for stagnation in the manufacturing economy. Inefficiency in introducing foreign consumption markets. The manufactured goods had not brought the expected profits to the nation as there was a lack of opening in the market. This did not consume the required goods in the apt amounts of productions thus bringing in huge losses to the manufacturing economy. Inability to meet the requirements of the home market. The required materials where not produced at the right time to the home market. As the manufacturers were short of the basic resources to produce goods with innovation it affected the home market drastically. Difficulty in managing the imbalances arising due to international debts. As the manufacturing economy was in running in losses due to lack of proper production of goods in demand; the amount of debts increased. These debts created huge imbalances at the international level. Downturn in the employment base. As the manufacturing units ran into losses; the inefficiency of providing proper wages and retaining the workers increased manifolds. This on a large scale affected the overall employment base of the entire nation. Manufacturing crisis leading to a dependable maintenance of world- leading military. The necessity to be the universal power had always demanded for high-tech military armaments. The secure military base was built by gathering the diverse technologies from the long-term allies. The dependency to gather technology from various other nations has also become a major factor. Threat to the industrial base due to an extreme loss in tax revenues. As the domestic taxes increased the economy had some manufactures losing their production activities in the market. This indeed has brought a

Illusions and disillusionment in A Passage to India Essay

Illusions and disillusionment in A Passage to India - Essay Example E.M. Forster in his A passage to India creates a world which is full of illusions. The characters cherish certain illusions in their life around which all their hopes lie. These illusions involve different social and religious myths. In this hostile universe faith is an illusion which is unsuccessful to solve the problems faced by modern man. Crews relates that in Forster’s novel â€Å" Romantic love, God’s love , and friendship are exposed as futile. Adela Quested cannot love. Mrs. Moore’s Clapham-style Christianity fails her. Aziz’ belief in friendship shatters† ( qtd in Koponen 39). Hence, the writer has knitted his story around the theme of disillusionment from the cherished beliefs and dreams. Loss of faith The novel’s pervasive theme seems to be loss of faith. Mrs. Moore’s disillusionment with her faith after the cave’s incident shows that the characters have been brought from the world of illusions to the world of disillu sionment where all faiths are exposed as hollow. The ambit of disillusionment encompass all religions including Christianity and Islam. The writer though has portrayed Hinduism with a bit of superiority, yet that faith has also left its disciples in a situation of skepticism .Mitra finds out the causes of writer’s obsession with the theme of â€Å" loss of faith† and traces its origin in the post world scenario which made the poets like T.S.Eliot show a disillusioned world sans religion and other human values. Forster according to Mitra, â€Å" was sensitive to the decline of spiritual values , the hatred that had crept into the people of different cultures and creed, the overall loss of faith† (66). Mrs. Moore experiences disillusionment after the incidence of Marabar caves where she realizes that echoes are not some Delphic response rather they are the offspring of â€Å" human consciousness† and they only respond when human mind/conscious projects† them. She gains the ultimate realization â€Å"that life never give us what we want at the moment we consider appropriate† (Forster 9). Similar instance of this realization occurs â€Å"when what the cosmic forces reflected was only the echo of what Aziz and Fielding projected† (Murtaza and Ali 267). The geographical setting also enhances the thematic content of the novel. On their way to caves the travelers experience â€Å" a spiritual silence which invaded more senses than the ear. Life went on as usual, but had no consequences, that is to say, sounds did not echo or thoughts develop. Everything seemed cut off at its root, and therefore infected with illusion† (Forster 60). Loss of faith is limited to the domain of religion. It is also experienced in social domains as well. Friendship Aziz’s concept of friendship amounts to a mythic belief in the holiness and strength of this bond and its power in bringing people close together. Aziz alludes to Frie nd â€Å"as a Persian expression of God†. Both Aziz and Mrs. Moore declare each other their friend. Though this friendship between and Indian and a British isolated Aziz from his own community. But even this friendship is â€Å"undermined by betrayal, often due to the disdain of the members of British Raj for Indians† (Koponen 41). The disillusionment comes when Aziz finds the hollowness of his illusions. The friend whose companionship Aziz boasted of did not bear â€Å" witness in his favor, nor visited him in prison† ( Koponen 41). The rulers and the rules could never be attached in the bond of friendship and the result is Aziz’ final cynicism in the fidelity of his friends for whose sake he has to suffer the ordeals of social stigma and jail. The initial illusory belief in friendship is now tinged with rationality

The American Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The American Family - Essay Example The woman became a working being who viewed the nuclear family as an oppressive institution. The development of modern technology, contraceptives and abortion allowed women to have active sexual lives without worrying about pregnancy and childbearing. Boden (2005) testifies that more women have joined the working class and single parenthood is on the rise. As a result, parents have little free time with their children, which is unhealthy. Earlier on, the men worked while women stayed at home as full time house wives, and marriage focused more on companionship and reproduction rather than romance and sex (Popenoe, 2003). Popenoe (2003) further argues that there is a call to revive the American nuclear family by emphasizing the importance of monogamy. This can be achieved through countering the sexual revolution, promoting marriage and renewing a cultural focus on children. On the contrary, Coontz (2003) believes that many American families are better off today than in the past where women were not allowed to work, infant mortality was high and few children graduated from school. Today, both men and women have more choices than in the past. For instance, since the woman spends more hours at work than in the house, families have fewer children. This means that children get individualized attention from the parents. This was not so in the past. Moreover, people not only have the freedom to marry from the same or opposite sex or even remain unmarried, but also no one is under pressure to stay in an unhappy marriage. Men are no longer the main breadwinners in their families unless by choice. Furthermore, according to Coontz (2003), parents have learnt to balance between family needs and industrialization. After a thorough study of the two articles, the modern structure of the nuclear family is more appealing. Although marriage is indispensable, it is no longer the foundation of a good family. A healthy family is made up of a parent or parents and

Tchaikovsky and Women in Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tchaikovsky and Women in Art - Essay Example This ballet is a fairy tale story. The music accompanied within this ballet is believed to be one of Tchaikovsky’s best creations as it is a combination of Russian and western music influences, while the subject matter is that of poetry in motion (Kisselgoff 1). Enthusiasm and warmth were the motivations behind writing the piece. In addition, sleeping beauty has been the second most popular ballet of the imperial production and has been performed 200 times in 10 years. Art during the 18th and 19th century had no room for female painter. During that period, professional recognition and art education remained unequal and separate to that of their male counterparts. It was not until the subsequent half of the 19th century that women artists made significant progress, especially in France and in turn, art schools opened up their doors to women. While in the United States women, artists gradually became noticeable by way of winning awards (nmwa 1). They began to take part in exhibitions, and started teaching. In addition, they also began to travel overseas while their works acted as conduits for printmaking, new styles of painting and photography. Tchaikovsky is one of the most treasured composers in history. A master artisan of orchestration and melody, his composition was astonishing and his musical styles ranged from concertos to ballet scores and symphonies, and he was able to write and portray detailed moods and feelings. His works were legendary. He surely was the greatest master of classical ballet. Tchaikovsky achieved huge popularity with a broad audience, mainly through his emotional

Death Penalty (philosophy) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Death Penalty (philosophy) - Essay Example At the end of the film we are presented with what really occurred. The movie’s plot led to the fact of the coercion of two people with nothing to lose and a point to prove. David and Constance plotted to make the ultimate sacrifice by giving up their lives to make the ultimate statement and vindicate their advocacy. So we are faced with the concept of the more than probable possibility that innocent people do end up getting capital punishment for something they are innocent for. The film seems foolish yet enlightening at the same time. Such is the case of the argument against capital punishment. Den Haag argues that capital punishment is imposed on people who committed crimes to summon their guilt which is something that is believed to be personal. That it is not an issue of race or of equality but rather a moral penalty that is nothing but the mere issue of justice. We are again back to the concept that it is a major conflict on the evident fact of commonly supposed racial injustice. It reverts back to the matter of discrimination which is a delicate topic to argue about and would not be sufficiently substantiated on this paper. He is convinced that justice does not hold bearing over inequalities in distribution (Den Haag, par.7). Let me call it the â€Å"OJ Simpson Syndrome.† What Den Haag proposes in that argument is the age-old assumption that more African-American convicts end up on death row than white people. With the risk of sounding racially insensitive of the times, it seems that this is not the case anymore. It was the basic argument for the absolution of OJ Simpson. He represented the thousands of innocent people executed before him because of the color of his skin. Let us no longer delve on whether or not he is guilty as this is an issue all on its own. This became subordinated because of the hype that surrounded the case. He in turn became a representation of all the injustices committed

Leadership and Motivation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Leadership and Motivation - Assignment Example A leader moves through a continuous process wherein he moves from accomplishing one goal to another keeping in mind the best interest of the group. Clark defines it as follows: â€Å"Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills†. Stogdil echoes the same definition noting leadership’s three dimensions. First, leadership is defined as a process that is interpersonal wherein the leader steps in to direct the behaviors of his members. Next, the leadership is put in a social setting wherein the members are the subordinates or the ones obeying the leader. Lastly, effective leaders achieve goals for the whole. Leadership has gained much attention that research has been devoted to it. Yukl presents a comprehensive collection of studies on leadership, identifying various approaches. He discussed the Trait approach, which is based on the belief that some are born to be leaders as they are endowed with certain traits not possessed by other people. The behavior approach studies the leader’s typical pattern of behaviors to manage and lead. The power-influence approach takes on a more leader-centered perspective in that power is used not only to manage members of the group but also to convince peers, superiors or others who are not part of the organization to see the perspective of the leader.

Adaptive Strategy and Business Sustainability Essay

Adaptive Strategy and Business Sustainability - Essay Example The changes in the environmental conditions necessitate changes in the strategies made. The adaptability to the environment changes is essential for the stability of the operations. The environment or the environmental changes provide opportunities as well as pose threats. The opportunities and the threats are analyzed in relation to the strengths and weaknesses in the system and organization. The key features of the Burgelman’s 3 stage model deals with the adaptive strategies which are useful in understanding the process and dynamics associated with the strategic decision making in an increasingly fast paced business environments. The ANZ Banking Group Limited is a leading company in banking and financial service sector in Australia and New Zeeland. To lend focus to the study, we have considered all the recent major developments in the operations of the company in relation to application of the conceptual framework. The main arguments are related to application of technology in the business and expansion activities of the company which have direct impact on the growth. Based on the analysis and assessment, conclusion is arrived at as to how successful the organization has been in decision making by applying the conceptual frameworks associated with induced and autonomous strategy and other features of the model. Failure to adapt to the developments in the technological front in the initial stages has been rectified through strategic management decisions later. However, its expansion strategy is not in the right direction and needs to be reoriented. Based on the analysis, it is recommended that the expansion activities should not be restricted to a particular region by stating reasons for the proposal. The company’s expansion strategy focusing mainly on Asian countries needs to be revisited as it should be on global basis. Adaptive Strategy and Business Sustainability – A Report on Rational and Adaptive Strategy Table of Contents Introducti on 3 Burgelman’s Strategy Dynamics Model 4 Economic environment 5 Technological innovations 7 Introduction of new products and services 9 Customer relationship Management 10 Political and Social environment 10 Human Resources Development 11 Stakeholders’ interest 12 Other factors 13 Leadership qualities 14 Culture of the organization 14 Corporate social responsibility 14 Adaptive strategies 15 Latest developments and growth 16 Managerial discretion 18 Internal control 19 Conclusion 19 Recommendations 20 References 22 Appendices Appendix – I 25 Introduction Strategic decision making is complex in nature and there are several environmental factors required to be taken into account in the formal decision making process. In the framework called as evolutionary organization theory, decision making towards adaptive strategy relevant to stakeholders, requires the conceptual understanding of the environmental changes that are continuously taking place. This enables the management to evolve conceptual framework incorporating autonomous initiatives and other relevant features for applying an appropriate model. Strategic planning in any setup is a dynamic process and it is susceptible to alterations or modifications in tune with the environmental factors which could be internal or external.    â€Å"While process research proliferated into a diverse field, its founding concern was to confront the rational actor model or choice perspective, with a more collective and socialized view of strategy making† (Schmid et al, 2010, p. 146) The strategies of adaptability for operations in tune with the changing conditions in the environment give stability to the enterprise. In this paper the application of strategy,

Early Intervention in the First Grade Essay Example for Free

Early Intervention in the First Grade Essay The purpose of the paper is to look at early intervention in the first grade. The paper will discuss what early intervention at first grade is all about with close scrutiny of the various methods that are used in early intervention at schools and the effect of the intervention. It also shade light on the use and value of early intervention at first grade with respect to students performance later in the education. The introductory part of the paper will give an explanation about early intervention at first grade, whom it affects and the parties involved. The statement of the problem will illustrate the nature of the research proposal in terms of stating exactly what the problem is. It will also explain why early intervention at first grade is a problem of research and whether or not it is researchable. The literature review section will elaborate the context of the problem while discussing the related issues that readers are most likely to raise, their differing views, methodology and results. The objectives of the research will also be looked at in detail. These will stipulate the various aims or goals that the research needs to address and will be followed by the hypothesis section that will try to answer the stipulated objectives of the research proposal. The research methodology will then be followed by the expected outcomes or results, the discussion of the results and the paper in general. Introduction. Early intervention in the first grade is a situation where children are subjected to or put in a schedule that allows them to have the relevant exposure and experience in the process of acquainting themselves with school before they get to the real school life environment. Children between the age of three and the age at which they are expected to join the beginners level are the ones targeted by the various institutions and organization offering such programs (Deese Ellen 2003). There is need to implement such programs as they help the children is preparation and anticipation of what they expect the moment they begin their first grade programs. Interventions at early age are necessary in that they help in situations where the childrens right have been violated and more so where some children have been denied the go ahead of joining the first grade programs on different accounts. In Pennsylvania for instance, there is an Act which legitimatizes children who are between three years and the age of joining the beginners program to have access to early intervention programs. Several procedures have been established by different circulars on the way forward to achieving the set objectives of the early intervention programs. Statement of the problem. It is evident that there is a problem concerning early intervention in the first grade. The issue here is to address the problems that come along with early intervention procedures and programs. This has been a problem in that several children are locked out of the programs simply because they are thought to be underage (Lakein, 2004). Some have been denied the opportunity of getting to first grade at a certain age. The problem can actually be researchable as it touches on every persons life be it the childs or the parents life. If researched properly, the findings and recommendations will be tabled and put into effect by the relevant authorities. Literature Review. Early Intervention. In the year nineteen ninety, an Act was established in Pennsylvania concerning early intervention and its transition. The circular had the sole purpose of clarifying the procedure to be followed during the transition process of childrens education. It focused on the procedures required by the authorities in the transition process from early intervention programs that are preschool in nature to the first grade and the kindergartens. The transition was required to be in such a way that it did not interrupt the school going program and that all children will be eligible for the program especially those who were not provided with the procedures for transition. It also guarded against instances of childrens rights being violated by certain people and institutions of learning (Deese Ellen 2003). The smooth transition of the children to the district programs from early intervention was also the objective of the Act. This was to be done not only by the schools but also the parents choices were to be taken care of by the circular. In February, a body was appointed and vested with the mandate of one, identifying all the children who were almost the age of kindergarten in their residential districts, making parents aware that those children who were about the age of joining kindergarten that their children would be required to continue with early intervention for a period of another year, creating awareness to the many families about the process of transition, holding meetings to discuss the process of transition and also confirming whether or not parents were ready to register their children in the residential districts or that of the school that the children would join the following year (Lakein, 2004). The other role of the circular on Basic Education was to make sure that schools did evaluations and came up with education programs that were individualized and that they adhered to the laid down timelines (Lakein, 2004). It also ensured that children who had left their schools for other schools continued to be offered services by their former schools as they wait for the appeals and court hearings in case their parent disagreed with the individualized programs in the district schools. Such circulars were important in that they helped children in achieving the education in a manner that is properly structured in terms of education programs and curricula. Parents also had the chance of having their views and opinion heard in matters concerning their childrens education lifestyle and process. Reasons for Early Intervention. Research has shown that learning in schools and in general life, is more rapid in the preschool years. Intervention at this stage is extremely necessary as the child needs to start developing his/her education early enough. It care is not taken in terms of teaching the child at this early stage, it might be difficult for the child to get a particular skill or phenomenon at the later stage in life (Lakein, 2004). These early intervention procedures and measures have an impact on the parents and the children as well. A child who is considered ans being an exceptional case may cause the family to feel isolated socially, disappointed, stressful, frustrated and even feel helpless. This combination of negative attributes may affect the well being of the family and to some extend affect the development of the child in question. Some families find themselves in situations of divorce and even suicidal situations in cases where their children are either handicapped or physically challenged. This creates a stigma in the minds of other people and create a negative impression to the concerned families (Lakein, 2004). Interventions at early stages will result to improved attitudes by the parents towards their children and towards themselves. Parents are also likely to improve and increase on their childrens information and skills in terms of devoting more time to leisure activities and teaching schedules for them. Parents who believe that their children have a brighter future in terms of education, need such early interventions so that they can provide good learning environment for their children and also offer the necessary support required by their children. The other reason for early intervention is that through it, a society or community for that matter will be in a position to reap benefits that are maximum. The increased educational benefits and development of the child and the reduction in the over dependence of the child on the educational institutions together with the ability of the childs family to be in terms with them despite their exceptional nature coupled with the increased chances of the child to employment, are factors issues that offer social and economic benefits. Beneficiaries of Early Intervention. Beneficiaries of this program include children who are attending school or even younger children who are thought to be at risk of lacking education or at risk of being handicapped including any other need considered as special and would affect the development of the child. Families of children who are affected also benefit from early intervention as they help to lessen the effect of the condition. The other beneficiaries of the program are the teachers in the various institutions. Teachers stand to benefit a great deal in that they come across children who are already molded and are ready for their next level of education. Such programs could be based at home, based in hospitals, based at centers, even be a combination of all of them (Berruetta, 2005). The program also benefits those who are in their tender ages, that is, from birth to their school going ages. Inasmuch as this is true, there are so many reasons as to why the program should begin at the earliest age possible. Research has shown that there is qualitative and quantitative evidence that intervention at the early ages increases the childs development and also boosts the childs educational gains. It is also evident that early intervention helps in improving the familys functionality and harvest long-time gains and benefits for the society at large. The results of early intervention to the child include; the child needing less education that is special and also other services for rehabilitation in terms of education and social well being later on in life (Pauk, 2007). Early intervention has also shown that students are less likely to be retained in their grades for along period of time. The children get promoted at the required stage and time and do not waste a lot of time in their grades. Outcomes of previous researches. According to Berrueta (2005), research was carried out in Perry Preschool on physically challenged children. The research showed that the children were consistent in their performance at the age of 19. The students had a positive attitude to schooling and most of them completed their high school education and went ahead to join institutions of higher learning to pursue their careers. This landed them employment compared to other children who did not have the chance and opportunity to attend preschool programs. Previous research outcomes have also shown that handicapped and disabled children scored higher marks when it came to arithmetic, languages and reading tests. The early interventions led to a reduction to up to fifty percent in the quest for education services that are specialized. It also led to less and less antisocial behaviors within and outside the schools compared to other students who did not attend the program. It is through the research that is came out clear that cases of under-achievement in children who are gifted and talented may be curbed and taken care of by early intervention and identification through appropriate methods and programs (Pauk, 2007). The approach to early Intervention. The approach to early intervention has been captured in different fields such as education, health, psychology, neuroscience as well as criminology. The approach is based on the need of improving and promoting community and family relationships and experiences during their childrens childhood periods. Childrens development during the first years of their lives is crucial in the laying down of a foundation of learning, health and behavior outcomes. This postulation is the foundation on which the importance of intervention at the early stages and prevention at early ages stands (Berruetta, 2005). The most important and effective intervention approaches will always tend to deal with the childs problems earlier on in life and prevent the problems before they are embedded in the child. Early intervention could tackle and prevent ills that are social to the community such as illiteracy, unemployment and crime which are assumed to have been caused by lack of early intervention at the childs early age. Such approaches could be carried out at any level sch as at the family level, individual level and the community level as the effects and results are all bu the same. Service such as training parents on the various skills of dealing with the child, visiting pregnant mothers and also those with new born babies, education concerning family relationships, counseling services of the family, supporting families with young and tender children among others should be provided at all times through early intervention. Research Questions. The research proposal is aimed at establishing the benefits of early interventions in the first grade. The benefits will be looked at in terms of whom they benefits, how they benefit and the outcome of the benefits. There will also be the question of how early interventions have helped children desist from social evils in their later lives. This will be justified by previously conducted researches on the same. The paper will lastly address the question of the impact of early interventions on the society and the community at large. Statement Hypothesis. This section will try to answer the objectives of the research paper. There are obvious benefits that can be attributed to early interventions to both the children parents and the community in general. Early interventions have helped children shape their lives in terms of behavior, education and social aspects. Research methodology. The research will be made possible by the aid of research methods that will be deemed useful. The research shall deploy both the qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis as there will be need to analyze both numbers, figures as well as statements. Data collection methods and techniques will involve the use of primary and secondary data. Primary data will be collected by use of questionnaires and interviews. Secondary data will be collected from journals, books and other scholarly materials that will be deemed fit for the research. Participants in the research will include children in the kindergartens, teachers of various schools that offer the early intervention program, the government officials who are in charge of the educational programs and other relevant authorities. The research shall use instruments and materials such as questionnaires, tape recorders, tape translators among others. Tape recorders are reliable tools for data collection as they can keep information for long and can be used in case there is clarification in future. The design of the study. The study was designed in such a way that it involved all the relevant parties. Children were conducted through interviews which were recorded using tape recorders. This methods was deemed relevant to the children as they were free to give information as a result of enjoying being taped and heard afterwards from the tape recorders. The first phase of the data collection will take about three weeks to five weeks after which the in information will be gathered, compiled and analyzed. The questionnaires will be used on teachers and government officials who will be given one month to fill them and thereafter they will be collected for compilation and analysis. The next step will be data compilation and analysis which will take about one month and an extension another two weeks just in case the process takes a lot of time than expected. Data interpretation will then take two weeks as it is not a demanding exercise as compared to data analysis. Data collection methods. Questionnaires and Interviews. Questionnaires will be used because of the many advantages they have over other methods of data collection. They are easy to understand and interpret because the language used is simple and easy to read. They also have an advantage in that they allow the respondent to give views and opinions without the fear of either being heard or looked at by the interviewer. The main disadvantage with the questionnaires is that they bound to give the impression that the interview is not serious and that the questions can be answered in any way as the respondent feels fit. This method will be used because it is appropriate for children and other government officials who might not be willing and comfortable to use questionnaires. The main disadvantage is that interviews might instill a sense of fear and panic among children and other respondents for fear of being victimized there and then by the interviewer. Conclusion/Discussion. It is evident from the literature review that early intervention in the first grade is important for child development and the community as well. Many children who go through the program of early intervention are found to be sharp in their academics, alert, focused and even end up maintaining their academic standards in their later education levels (Berruetta, 2005). Early intervention helps to shape the future of many children as they are made to understand and molded into better students at a very early age of their lives. The research will therefore be expected to make known the importance of early intervention in schools and other places as well. The outcome of the research will also be expected to make more and more schools and institutions embrace the need for early intervention and put up facilities to support the programs (Pauk, 2007). References. Berruetta, C. (2005). Early Intervention in schools. New York: McGraw Hill Deese, J. Ellen, K. (2003). The importance of Early Intervention. Washington: Sage Publishers. Lakein, A. (2004). Early Intervention Programs and their effects to children. New York: Peter H. Wyden, Inc. Pauk, W. (2007). Interventions at Chilhood: An Analysis of what it means. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Hyundai Motors: An Evaluation

Hyundai Motors: An Evaluation Around the world, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road in 2007. The numbers were increasing rapidly, especially in China. In 2008, with rapidly rising oil prices, however, industries such as the automotive industry are experiencing a combination of pricing pressure from raw material costs and changes in consumer buying habits. The industry is also facing increasing external competition from the public transport sector, as consumers re-evaluate their private vehicle usage. We have discussed how Hyundai Motor would expand business in global automotive environment which has been changed and exceeded demands. Company overview Hyundai Motor Company, a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is the worlds largest automaker by profit, the worlds fourth largest automaker by units sold and the worlds fastest growing automaker. Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Hyundai operates the worlds largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, which is capable of producing 1.6 million units annually. Chung Ju-Yung founded the Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company in 1947. Hyundai Motor Company was later established in 1967. The companys first model, the Cortina, was released in cooperation with Ford Motor Company in 1968. In 1975, the Pony, the first Korean car, was released, with styling by Giorgio Giugiaro of ItalDesign and powertrain technology provided by Japans Mitsubishi Motors. Exports began in the following year to Ecuador and soon thereafter to the Benelux countries. In 1991, the company succeeded in developing its first proprietary gasoline engine, the four-cylinder Alpha, and transmission, thus paving the way for technological independence. In 1983, Hyundai exported the Pony to Canada, but not to the United States because the Pony didnt pass emissions standards there. Canadian sales greatly exceeded expectations, and it was at one point the top-selling car on the Canadian market. The Pony afforded a much higher degree of quality and refinement in the lowest pric e auto segment than the Eastern-bloc imports of the period then available. In 1986, Hyundai began to sell cars in the United States, and the Excel was nominated as Best Product #10 by Fortune magazine, largely because of its affordability. The company began to produce models with its own technology in 1988, beginning with the midsize Sonata. In 1996, Hyundai Motors India Limited was established with a production plant in Irrungattukotai near Chennai, India. In 1998, Hyundai began to overhaul its image in an attempt to establish itself as a world-class brand. Chung Ju Yung transferred leadership of Hyundai Motor to his son, Chung Mong Koo, in 1999. Hyundais parent company, Hyundai Motor Group, invested heavily in the quality, design, manufacturing, and long-term research of its vehicles. It added a 10-year or 100,000-mile (160,000 km) warranty to cars sold in the United States and launched an aggressive marketing campaign. In 2004, Hyundai was ranked second in initial quality in a su rvey/study by J.D. Power and Associates. Hyundai is now one of the top 100 most valuable brands worldwide. Since 2002, Hyundai has also been one of the worldwide official sponsors of the FIFA World Cup. In 2006, the South Korean government initiated an investigation of Chung Mong Koos practices as head of Hyundai, suspecting him of corruption. On April 28, 2006, Chung was arrested, and charged for embezzlement of 100 billion South Korean won (US$106 million). As a result, Hyundai Vice Chairman and CEO, Kim Dong-jin, replaced him as head of the company. After a shake-up in the Korean auto industry caused by overambitious expansion and the Asian financial crisis, Hyundai acquired rival Kia Motors In 1998. In 2000, the company established a strategic alliance with DaimlerChrysler and severed its partnership with the Hyundai Group. In 2001, the Daimler-Hyundai Truck Corporation was formed. In 2004, however, DaimlerChrysler divested its interest in the company by selling its 10.5% stake for $900 million. Hyundai Motor has been expanding globally, starting with its plant in Turkey in 1997, India in 1998, China in 2002, and in 2005, it built a plant in the U.S., the worlds biggest auto market. In 2007, a decade after it began building plants overseas, Hyundai Motor began construction for plants in the Czech Republic and Russia, creating a strategic network of production facilities spanning over six countries. With its 12 CKD plants, Hyundai Motor is boosting sales every year and cementing its position as a global automaker. The company pl ans to raise the ratio of overseas production to 50 percent by 2010, to produce 3 million units outside Korea. Hyundai Motor is present in 196 countries and has 6,000 dealerships all over the world. It is maintaining a strong position in developed regions such as the U.S. and Europe. Furthermore, it has been successfully winning orders for taxis and government vehicles in emerging markets such as Central Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, boosting sales and the companys brand image. After reaching the 2 million unit sales mark in 2006, Hyundai Motor sold 2.6 million units worldwide in 2009. Through its strategy of local production and sales, the company is contributing to the local economies.(Exhibit1) [Exhibit1] Annual Unit Sales 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 Sales in unit 1,611,991 1,668,745 1,700,297 1,611,062 1,700,843 Domestic 701,469 570,116 624,227 580,288 569,721 Export excluding CDK 910,522 1,098,629 1,076,070 1,030,774 1,131,122 Hyundai Motor Companys brand power continues to rise as it was ranked 72nd in the 2007 Best Global Brands by Interbrand and Business Week survey. brand value estimated at $4.5 billion. Public perception of the Hyundai brand has been transformed as a result of dramatic improvements in the quality of Hyundai vehicles. The Company produces and markets passenger cars under the brand names of Equus, Genesis, Genesis Coupe, Azera, Sonata, Elantra, Accent, Getz, i30, i30cw, i20 and i10; recreational vehicles under the brand names of Veracruz, Santa Fe, Tucson, Matrix and H-1, and commercial vehicles, which include medium and heavy duty trucks, and buses. Analysis of Global Automobile Market Environment Current Automotive industry Market In 2007, a total of 79.9 million new automobiles were sold worldwide: 22.9 million in Europe, 21.4 million in Asia-Pacific, 19.4 million in USA and Canada, 4.4 million in Latin America, 2.4 million in the Middle East and 1.4 million in Africa. The markets in North America and Japan were stagnant, while those in South America and other parts of Asia grew strongly. Of the major markets, China, Russia, Brazil and India saw the most rapid growth, and China became both the largest automobile producer and market in the world after experiencing massive growth in 2009. In the first 4 months of 2010, the total sales of automobile were 6.17 millions in China (3.52 millions in US), and the total sales were expected to be around 17 millions (13.65 millions in 2009) for the year of 2010, nearly twice as much as USA. [Exhibit 2] International Car Sales by Global Auto Report The automotive industry crisis of 2008-2010 was a part of a global financial downturn. The crisis affected European and Asian automobile manufacturers, but it was primarily felt in the American automobile manufacturing industry. The automotive industry was weakened by a substantial increase in the prices of automotive fuels linked to the 2003-2008 energy crisis which discouraged purchases of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks which have low fuel economy. The popularity and relatively high profit margins of these vehicles had encouraged the American Big Three automakers, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler to make them their primary focus. With fewer fuel-efficient models to offer to consumers, sales began to slide. By 2008, the situation had turned critical as the credit crunch placed pressure on the prices of raw materials. Car companies from Asia, Europe, North America, and elsewhere have implemented creative marketing strategies to entice reluctant consumers as most experienced double-digit percentage declines in sales. Major manufacturers, including the Big Three and Toyota offered substantial discounts across their lineups. The Big Three faced criticism for their lineups, which were seen to be irresponsible in light of rising fuel prices. North American consumers turned to higher-quality and more fuel-efficient product of Japanese and European automakers. However, many of the vehicles perceived to be foreign were actually transplants, foreign cars manufactured or assembled in the United States, at lower cost than true imports. [Exhibit 3] Major global automotive company analysis Competitors Globalization Strategy Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation, commonly known simply as Toyota, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Japan. At its peak, Toyota employed approximately 320,000 people worldwide. It is the worlds largest automobile maker by sales. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 as a spinoff from his fathers company Toyota Industries to create automobiles. Three years earlier, in 1934, while still a department of Toyota Industries, it created its first product, the Type A engine, and, in 1936, its first passenger car, the Toyota AA. Toyota also owns and operates Lexus and Scion brands and has a majority shareholding stake in Daihatsu and Hino Motors, and minority shareholdings in Fuji Heavy Industries, Isuzu Motors, Yamaha Motors, and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. The company includes 522 subsidiaries. Toyota is headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi and in Tokyo. In addition to manufacturing automobiles, Toyota provides financial services through its Toyota Financial Services division and also builds robots. Toyota Motor Corporation (including Toyota Financial Services) and Toyota Industries form the bulk of the Toyota Group, one of the largest conglomerates in the world. Toyotas marketing efforts have focused on emphasizing the positive experiences of ownership and vehicle quality. The ownership experience has been targeted in slogans such as Oh, what a feeling! (1978-1985, in the U.S.), Who could ask for anything more (1986-1989), I love what you do for me, Toyota! (1990-1997), Everyday (1997-2000), Get the feeling! (2001-2004), and Moving Forward (2004-present). Toyota introduced a new worldwide logo in 1989 in conjunction with and to differentiate it from the newly released luxury Lexus brand. There are three ovals in the new logo that combine to for the letter T, which stands for Toyota. The overlapping of the two perpendicular ovals inside the larger oval represent the mutually beneficial relationship and trust that is placed between the customer and the company while the larger oval that surrounds both of these inner ovals represent the global expansion of Toyotas technology and unlimited potential for the future.[30] Toyota has factories in most parts of the world, manufacturing or assembling vehicles for local markets. Toyota has manufacturing or assembly plants in Japan, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Canada, Indonesia, Poland, South Africa, Turkey, Colombia, the United Kingdom, the United States, UAE, France, Brazil, Portugal, and more recently, Argentina, Czech Republic, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Egypt, China, Vietnam, Venezuela, the Philippines, and Russia. Recently, Toyota announced it was recalling up to 1.8 million cars across Europe, including about 220,000 in the UK, following problems with defective accelerator pedals. Many Toyota models were involved, covering the 2007-2010 model years. Toyota subsequently recalled the Prius model for reprogramming of its ABS system. The U.S. Sales Chief, James Lentz, was questioned by the United States Congress committees on Oversight and Investigations on February 23, 2010, as a result of recent recalls. On 26 March Toyota said it would halt production in France and Britain for 12 days because of poor sales following the recalls. On 6 April 2010, The US government sought a record penalty of US$16.375 million from Toyota for its delayed response in notifying the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding the defective accelerator pedals, and on 19 April Toyota said that it would pay the fine. The company said the recalls could cost the company up to US$2 billion (GBÂ £1.25 billion ) in lost output and sales. General Motors General Motors Company, also known as GM, is a United States-based automaker with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. GM manufactures cars and a truck in 34 countries, recently employed 244,500 people around the world, and sells and services vehicles in some 140 countries. By sales, GM ranked as the largest US automaker and the worlds second largest for 2008, having the third highest 2008 global revenues among automakers on the Fortune Global 500. On June 1, 2009, General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, which were completed on July 10 of the same year, and it was thereafter reorganized once a new entity acquired the most valuable assets. GM is now temporarily majority owned by the United States Treasury and, to a smaller extent, the Canada Development Investment Corporation a Canadian Crown corporation and the Ontario government, with the US government investing a total of US$57.6 billion under the Troubled Asset Relief Program. On April 21, 2010, GM CEO Ed Whitacre Jr. announced that the company had paid back the entire amount of the US and Canadian government loans, with interest, a total of $8.1 billion. The company expects to repurchase a sizable portion of the remaining equity stake with funds earned via a public stock offering. While no GM shares are currently available to the public, the companys plans as of 2009 were to initiate an initial public stock offering (IPO) in 2010. GM plans to focus its business on its four core North American brands: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. In Europe, following a period of negotiation to sell a majority stake in its Opel and Vauxhall brands, the company decided to retain full ownership of these operations. However, on February 23, 2010, GM sold Saab Automobile to Spyker Cars NV and is winding down its Hummer, Pontiac, and Saturn brands, the latter two remaining under the old GM, now known as Motors Liquidation Company In 2009, General Motors employs approximately 244,500 people around the world. The Renaissance Center located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, is the global headquarters of General Motors. In 2008, GM sold 8.35 million cars and trucks globally. GM is the majority shareholder in GM Daewoo Auto Technology Co. of South Korea and has collaborations with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation of China, AvtoVAZ of Russia, and most recently, UzAvtoSanoat of Uzbekistan. GM has had collaborations with various automakers including Fiat and Ford Motor Company.GM retains various stakes in different automakers. General Motors best success internationally has unquestionably been its performance in China, GM sales rose 66.9% in 2009, selling 1,830,000 vehicles and accounting for 13.4% of the market. Volkswagen Group Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturing group; and according to figures published by economic research firm Global Insight in November 2009, is the largest automobile maker in the world by vehicle production.[7] Its parent company Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, develops vehicles and components for all marques of the whole Group, and also manufactures complete vehicles for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles marques. Volkswagen Group is divided into two primary divisions: the Automotive Division, and the Financial Services Division. The Group consists of 342 Group companies, which are involved in either vehicle production or other related automotive services. Although it operates worldwide, Volkswagen Groups core market is primarily Europe. Of its automobile brands, Volkswagen Passenger Cars is its mainstream marque, and the Groups major subsidiaries also include well-known car marques like SEAT, Ã…Â  koda, and the prestige marques of Audi, Lam borghini, Bentley, and Bugatti. The Group also has operations in commercial vehicles, owning Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, along with a controlling stake in Swedish truck and diesel engine maker Scania AB, and a 29.9% stake in MAN SE. Volkswagens second-largest market is China, where its subsidiary, Volkswagen Group China, is the largest joint venture automaker, selling more than one million vehicles in 2008. The Volkswagen Golf is the third bestselling automobile in the world, selling over 26 million units through 2008. In 2009, Volkswagen Group sold 6.31 million vehicles, claiming over 11% of the world passenger car market. Volkswagen AG is heavily involved in sports sponsorship, with investments having included the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2014 Winter Games, as well as the David Beckham Academy. The company also wholly owns the Bundesliga football side VfL Wolfsburg. The company is also the shirt sponsor of Major League Soccer club, D.C. United. In August 2009, Porsche SE and Volkswagen Group reached an agreement that Volkswagen AG and Porsche AG would merge in 2011. Ford Motor Company The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars in Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK. Fords former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008. Ford has agreed to sell Volvo to Geely Automobile in a deal expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2010. Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Fords methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914. Ford is currently the second largest automaker in the U.S. and the fourth-largest in the world based on number of vehicles sold annually, directly behind Volkswagen. In 2007, Ford fell from second to third in US annual vehicle sales for the first time in 56 years, behind only General Motors and Toyota. However, Ford occasionally outsells Toyota in shorter periods (most recently, during the summer months of 2009). By the end of 2009, Ford was the third largest automaker in Europe (behind Volkswagen and PSA). Ford is the seventh-ranked overall American-based company in the 2008 Fortune 500 list, based on global revenues in 2008 of $146.3 billion. In 2008, Ford produced 5.532 million automobiles and employed about 213,000 employees at around 90 plants and facilities worldwide. Starting in 2007, Ford received more initial quality survey awards from J. D. Power and Associates than any other automaker. Five of Fords vehicles ranked at the top of their categories and fourteen vehicles ranke d in the top three. During the mid to late 1990s, Ford sold large numbers of vehicles, in a booming American economy with soaring stock market and low fuel prices. With the dawn of the new century, legacy healthcare costs, higher fuel prices, and a faltering economy led to falling market shares, declining sales, and sliding profit margins. Most of the corporate profits came from financing consumer automobile loans through Ford Motor Credit Company. In the face of demand for higher fuel efficiency and falling sales of minivans, Ford moved to introduce a range of new vehicles, including Crossover SUVs built on unibody car platforms, rather than more body-on-frame chassis. In developing the hybrid electric power train technologies for the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, Ford licensed similar Toyota hybrid technologies to avoid patent infringements. Ford announced that it will team up with electricity supply company Southern California Edison to examine the future of plug-in hybrids in terms of how home and vehicle energy systems will work with the electrical grid. Under the multi-million-dollar, multi-year project, Ford will convert a demonstration fleet of Ford Escape Hybrids into plug-in hybrids, and SCE will evaluate how the vehicles might interact with the home and the utilitys electrical grid. Some of the vehicles will be evaluated in typical customer settings, according to Ford. In 2006, the company raised its borrowing capacity to about $25 billion, placing substantially all corporate assets as collateral to secure the line of credit. Chairman Bill Ford has stated that bankruptcy is not an option. In order to control its skyrocketing labor costs (the most expensive in the world), the company and the United Auto Workers, representing approximately 46,000 hourly workers in North America, agreed to a historic contract settlement in November 2007 giving the company a substantial break in terms of its ongoing retiree health care costs and other economic issues. The agreement includes the establishment of a company-funded, independently-run Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (more commonly known as a VEBA) trust to shift the burden of retiree health care from the companys books, thereby improving its balance sheet. This arrangement took effect on January 1, 2010. As a sign of its currently strong cash position, Ford contributed its entire current liabilit y (estimated at approximately USD$5.5 Billion as of December 31, 2009) to the VEBA in cash, and also pre-paid USD$500 Million of its future liabilities to the fund. The agreement also gives hourly workers the job security they were seeking by having the company commits to substantial investments in most of its factories. During November 2008, Ford, together with Chrysler and General Motors, sought financial aid at Congressional hearings in Washington D.C. in the face of worsening conditions caused by the automotive industry crisis. The three companies presented action plans for the sustainability of the industry. The Detroit based automakers were unsuccessful at obtaining assistance through Congressional legislation. GM and Chrysler later received assistance through the Executive Branch from the T.A.R.P. funding provisions. On December 19, the cost of credit default swaps to insure the debt of Ford was 68 percent the sum insured for five years in addition to annual payments of 5 percent. That means it costs $6.8 million paid upfront to insure $10 million in debt, in addition to payments of $500,000 per year. In January 2009, Ford announced a $14.6 billion loss in the preceding year, making 2008 its worst year in history. Still, the company claimed to have sufficient liquidity to fund its business pla ns and thus, did not ask for government aid. Through April 2009, Fords strategy of debt for equity exchanges, erased $9.9 B in liabilities (28% of its total), in order to leverage its cash position. These actions yielded Ford a $2.7 billion profit in fiscal year 2009, the companys first full-year profit in four years. Honda Honda Motor Company, Ltd., Honda Technology Research Institute Company, Limiteds a Japanese multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. Honda is the worlds largest manufacturer of motorcycles as well as the worlds largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year. Honda surpassed Nissan in 2001 to become the second-largest Japanese automobile manufacturer. As of August 2008[update], Honda surpassed Chrysler as the fourth largest automobile manufacturer in the United States. Honda is the sixth largest automobile manufacturer in the world. Honda was the first Japanese automobile manufacturer to release a dedicated luxury brand, Acura in 1986. Aside from their core automobile and motorcycle businesses, Honda also manufactures garden equipment, marine engines, personal watercraft and power generators, amongst others. Since 1986, Honda has been involved with artificial intelligence/robotics research and released their ASIMO robot in 2000. They have also ventured into aerospace with the establishment of GE Honda Aero Engines in 2004 and the Honda HA-420 HondaJet, scheduled to be released in 2011. Honda spends about 5% of its revenues into RD. Nissan Motor Nissan Motor Company, Ltd., shortened to Nissan, is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was formerly a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn (CEO). It formerly marketed vehicles under the Datsun brand name and is one of the largest car manufacturers. As of August 2009, the companys global headquarters are located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama. In 1999, Nissan entered a two way alliance with Renault S.A. of France, which owns 44.4% of Nissan while Nissan holds 15% of Renault shares, as of 2008. Nissan is among the top three Asian (also known as the Japanese Big 3 Automakers) rivals of the Big Three in the U.S. Currently it is the third largest Japanese car manufacturer. It also manufactures the Infiniti luxury brand. The Nissan VQ engines, of V6 configuration, have featured among Wards 10 Best Engines for 14 straight years, since the awards inception. III. Analysis of Hyundai Motors Hyundai Motors Globalization Strategy Process of Growth Since the companys foundation in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company became the first automaker producing manufacture facilities itself. The first model Pony, manufactured and started to export, was very favorable not only into Korean market but also into global market, which elevating Hyundai Motor into one of the global automobile companies. In 1976, Hyundai had started the first export business with Africa, North America and middle Asia and expanded into European market. In overseas market, especially in North America, Hyundai achieved the big success and had an opportunity to become into the global automaker in worldwide. Possessing 10 manufacturing plants, 11 research centers, and more than 6,000 sales networks throughout the world, Hyundai Motor also helps to keep sales growth across the world and maintain to the top leading global company. Furthermore, Now, Hyundai as Global corporate citizen makes every effort to fulfill its economic responsibility, most principal in corporate activities throughout the world. (http://www.hyundai.com) The Hyundai Motors Global Business Strategy In the process of globalization, the major global strategy for Hyundai Motor can be focusing on exporting in the global market which was very successful. From the inception of the foundation, the Hyundai management team always recognized the importance of exporting to overseas which the key factor to growth global business and manufactured most exports from single Ulsan plants. In other words, Hyundai has been involved in independent management strategy. In addition, striving to face with country specific regulation and rapid market changes, Hyundai has been implemented transnational strategy like the joint-venture strategy in China, Turkey and Malaysia in order to expand global market share. Hyundai Motor Company further strengthened its presence as a global automaker by promoting sustainable development worldwide, accelerating global management initiatives and creating the second construction of manufacturing plants in China and India, thereby increasing its production capacity all the more. At the same time, it also achieved qualitative growth by successfully generating sales of its strategic model targeting the European market. In 2007, a decade after it began building plants overseas, Hyundai Motor began construction for plants in the Czech Republic and USA, creating a strategic network of production facilities spanning over six countries. (http://www.hyundai.com) [Exhibit 4] Hyundai Motor Companys International Entry Mode (sourced by http://www.hyundai.com) Country Partner Hyundais Share Start Yr To produce Entry Mode India HMI 100 98. 9 Ownership USA HMMA 100 05. 5 Ownership Czech HMMC 100 06. 7 Ownership China BHMC 50 02. 1 Joint Venture WuHan Qi Che 21 96. 7 Joint Venture Turkey HAOS 85 97. 7 Joint Venture Malaysia INOCOM 15 99. 9 Joint Venture The organizational structure of international business for Hyundai Motor Company is International Division Structure which is like many Korean companies fit well with Korean culture and lean toward centralization. That is, it has risk of demotivating local manager in host countries. By that, the Hyundai Motor Company has struggled to recruit local manager who can manage, coordinate and control worldwide regional operations underutilized allowing diversity as strategic task. US subsidiaries show [Exhibit 5] Example of International Division Structure The Hyundai Motors Global Business Efforts International Site Selection The Site Selection implies that the company does spell out all possible locations to decide which site/market to be targeted and determined by content and goal with its limited human resource, technology, and capital. (Sourced by Professor Lee, JR, Shin, MS / International Business) Market Size and infrastructure: consider for purchasing power and production Market attractiveness: competitors and market structure Important to consider potential international market expansion which cover all countries/regions in the world for the further The major variable factor for site selection is market attractiveness, competitors, and the strategic goal for a company. The good example for International Site Selection in Hyundai Motor Company can be expanding the global business to Canada region. With the success of exporting Excel, Hyundai Motor Company had made decision to expand the international business into Canada as below factors as detour entrance strategy to USA. Of course, Hyundai Motor Company cannot overlook the competitors such as Toyota, Honda. etc. Market accessibility: to avoid Trade barrier by NAFTA, Market proximity , Cost Reduction and Price competiveness by Local Manufacture Government Aid: tax, financing support by construction of manufacture plant Regional Advantage : close to locate associated company Political Risk Avoid: to avoid lack of exports by Korean labor strike in 1988 Likewise, the variable factors to expand the Hyundais global business to other countries can be considered as reduction of transportation cost risk, avoid currency exchange risk, cost reduction by hiring local resources, government aid and etc, International Entry Mode Prior to change into the globalization, the process of growt

Empowering Male Children for Sustainable Development

Empowering Male Children for Sustainable Development EDUCATION AND BOY-CHILD EMPOWERMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA: THE CASE OF BUSIA COUNTY CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Background of the Study The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has a right to primary education and of which should be free. The boy child’s needs and interests have been neglected and marginalised by some educational policies, cultural practices, poverty, and many more factors which tend to subject the boy child to stressful conditions or alienate the boy child from the means of acquiring education, intra-family priorities, and the labour culture in Kenya. When affirmative action gained currency in Kenya, the needs and aspirations of the girl child were prominently amplified by the civil society, donor agencies, and lobby groups who included feminist scholars. This was followed by the concerted effort by the government of Kenya to address the plight of the girl child in Kenya. Today, a lot of attention has been directed to the girl child leaving the boy child quite vulnerable. Most programs in both the public and private sector are focused in improving the w elfare of the girl child in education, health, and in the recruitment process. Hence, this study addresses the plight of the boy child so that adequate effort is made to ensure that he accesses education without due regard to gender affiliations. The boy child of today has become vulnerable physically, mentally and economically. The simplest way to identify past achievements in child development is to observe the behaviour patterns of the current adult population. The rise of male battery in Kenya, the increase in cases of substance abuse amongst the youth, the rise of crime levels, the sharp increase in traffic accidents attributed to human error, the burning of public service vehicles during night hours, and the increase in the number of absent fathers is a reflection of bleeding Kenyan society. The study contends that the empowerment of the boy child through education to avoid early drop out is quintessential to economic, social and political growth of Kenya as a whole. In general, insufficient government policies, widespread poverty, cultural practices that negate boy child education, partisan focus towards the plight of the girl child has negated the empowerment of the boy child educationally. 1.1 Statement of the Research Problem The efforts which have been employed since independence to achieve gender parity in education have failed its objectives and manage effectively the empowerment of the boy child in Kenya. In spite of the government effort to enable both the boy child and girl child participation and access to education, there is still a high dropout rate in both primary and secondary levels. In an economic perspective, education is known to be a key determinant of economic growth and premature dropout means loss of potential productivity for the boy child. In an educational perspective, dropout raises the cost of achieving a targeted proportion of the population having some level of schooling (Hanushek, Lavy, and Hitomi 2006). Although drop out may appear insignificant in proportion but it is preponderant among the poor which thereupon turns the wheels of intergenerational transmission of poverty against them. At personal level, dropping out of school will mean consigning one to a future of low-income trajectory and abject poverty. The aim of this study is to identify these governmental policies, personal problems, and societal practices of the Luhya and Iteso communities in Busia County that account for high dropout levels of the boy child’s education. However, the dropout rate across genders has been a perennial problem in the Kenyan education system. Similarly like many parts of Kenya, Busia County has been experiencing a high dropout rate of male students in both primary and secondary schools. This study seeks to investigate the reason for this trend. 1.2 Research Questions The research seeks to answer the following questions:- What are the school based factors that keep the boy child out of school? What socio-cultural factors lead to drop out of the boy child in Busia County? What personal factors lead to boy child drop out from primary and secondary schools? What are the possible factors of retention of the boy child in schools? Does performance among the boys affect their dropout rate? What are the possible policies gaps that encourage boy child drop out from schools? 1.3.  General Objective The main objective of this study is to investigate the factors leading to drop out of the boy child from primary and secondary schools and the role of government in ensuring the boy child is empowered educationally in Busia County. 1.3.1 Specific Objectives The principle objectives of this study are: To determine the school based factors that lead to drop out of the boy child in schools. To establish socio-cultural factors that lead to drop out of the boy child in schools. To establish boy child’s personal factors that lead to drop out from schools. To suggest possible ways of enhancing retention of the boy child in schools. To establish policy based factors that lead to drop out from schools. 1.3 Significance of the Study The study is significant in that:- The research findings and recommendations of the study would assist educational stakeholders, planners and policymakers to: Identify, test and apply principles for successful achievement of gender balance in enrolment, successful completion of study and transition to the labour market Promote the value of neutral governmental policies in ensuring both the girl child and the boy child attain their full educational potential The research would provide information to the government of Kenya and other educational stakeholders on how to expand educational opportunities for both the boy child and girl child The research will provide information on the role of cultural practices in curtailing or improving boy child education, and ways to reverse a negative trend The study would be important in its attempt to identify ways that education stakeholders can initiate to enhance community involvement in the development of education in Kenya 1.4 Scope of the Study The study is to be confined to primary pupils, secondary school students, teachers, head teachers, parents, out-of-school pupils, and county education officials in Busia County. 1.5 Definition of Terms Drop out Early withdrawal of pupils and students from primary and secondary schools respectively without completing the required primary or secondary school years and the concerned pupils or students do not enroll back to school again. Gender – Social and cultural distinctions between men and women where distinctions refer to roles, relations and identities associated with sex. Those roles associated with male are called masculine while those associated with female are called feminine. Transition – Refers to changing from one state to another. It means the pupils who complete the primary school cycle and move to the secondary school. Once in secondary school, they complete the secondary school cycle and proceed to university. Schools – Primary and Secondary institutions of learning CHAPTER TWO 2.0 Literature Review This chapter outlines the literature that is based on studies that have been conducted and are directly or indirectly related to this study. 2.1 Overview of boy child education around the world From 1990, UNESCO has played a key role in making Education for All a priority. This extent, most segments of society have accepted that human rights, good governance and an educated citizenry are the best and strongest in achieving development, economic growth and stability (UNESCO/World Economic Forum, 2008). 2.2 Overview of boy child education in Africa In 1970s, Tanzania’s successful applicants to public secondary schools represented 11% of primary school leavers but the number dropped to only 1% of primary school leavers in 1984 because Tanzania neither permitted private secondary schools nor expanded public primary schools due to its socialist system. But when Tanzania began licensing private schools in the mid 1980s enrolment grew rapidly and it exceeded the enrolment in public schools. This growth demonstrated the previously unmet demand for secondary education in Tanzania (Word Bank, 1995). 2.3 Overview of boy child education in Kenya Education in Kenya is still a challenge due to lack of enough facilities to absorb the ever increasing number of pupils who successfully achieve high marks in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations. This has resulted in many pupils missing an opportunity to join secondary schools due to inadequate facilities to meet the high demand. An estimated 206,282 (28%) of pupils who sat for KCPE examinations in 2010 did not get a slot to join form one in 2011 because the maximum number of enrolments in secondary had been reached (Daily Nation, January 11th 2011). Although this represents a transition rate of 72 % as compared to the Millennium Development Goals target of 70%, the number of pupils missing to join form one is still very high in Kenya and this includes boys. 2.5 Overview of boy child in Busia County Kingdon in his studies on: â€Å"Where has all the bias gone? Detecting gender-bias in the household allocation of education expenditure† found out that the most important factors affecting educational attainment are parental background, wealth, opinions, individual ability, age-at-marriage and the quality of the primary school attended. (Kingdon, 2005) 2.5.1 Personal factors leading to students dropout from school The concerns of the boy child can cause him to drop out of school. The socialization process in schools will either lead to the integration of the boy child to the education system or feel out of place. According to Wrigley (1995), there is a simple relationship between education and gender equality. Schools act as sites of pervasive gender socialization. Wanyoike (2003) argues that the pupil or student peer groups if not guided well can lead to distressing outcomes like engaging in substance abuse, unprotected sex and bad study habits. This will eventually lead to dropping out of school. 2.5.2 Socio-cultural factors leading to students drop out from school Social cultural factors leading boy child drop out from primary and secondary schools will be viewed under family set up and beliefs, early marriage and family economic status in both rural and an urban setup will be observed. 2.5.2.1 Family set up and beliefs According to the World Bank (1996), there are socio-cultural practices that affect the functioning of schools in developing countries. Brown (1980) observed that that some children are withdrawn from schools by parents in rural areas to assist in household chores like babysitting younger children, escorting parents to public functions, ferry water from long distances, caring for the sick relatives, grazing of cattle among others. This eventually affects the performance of the boy child and in most cases lead to drop out. This study will therefore determine the extent in which family set up leads to the boy child drop out of school in Busia County 2.5.2.2 Early Marriage The problem of early marriage has been considered a problem affecting the girl child alone. There are some traditional practices such as male circumcision and other initiation ceremonies that force the boy child out of school early to start his own family. These factors will be investigated in Busia County to determine whether they are prevalent. 2.5.2.3 Family Economic Status The situation analysis survey done in Kwale county in 1995 points out that poverty as the most important factor for students dropping out of school (33 %t and 64 %). (Okumu, 1995) Report by the Ministry of Education (2007) indicates that 58% of the Kenyan population is living below the poverty line. This however leads to inability of the poor to meet education cost for their children be it boys or girls. As a result, this becomes a barrier to the education for boys who withdraw from school to engage in informal trade such as â€Å"bodaboda† a factor which the study seeks to investigate. Psacharopoulos and Woodhall (1997) further point out that those families that can barely sustain their livelihoods due to abject poverty opt to keep their children out of school and use them as labourers to earn extra income for bare minimum survival. 2.5.3 School based factors leading to boy child drop out from school The school based factors on the causes of male students drop out from primary and secondary schools will be looked at by observing discrimination, and sexual harassment by fellow pupils or students and teachers. 2.5.4 Student discrimination by teachers Blackmore and Cooksey (1981) explain that when a student is admitted into primary and secondary schools, there are certain routine procedures that take place. The pupil or student is subject to command from the teachers. This study will therefore confirm whether the drop out of male pupils or students is related to discrimination by teachers in Busia County. 2.5.5 Sexual harassment There has been a growing number of reported cases pupil or student sexual harassment by teachers or fellow students. The Ministry of Education (2007) argued that gender insensitive school environment include attitudes of the key stakeholders in the school leads to many reported incidents of sexual harassment and gender based biases. 2.5.6 Policy based factors leading to boy child drop out from school According to the Ministry of Education report on KCPE examination registration per county in 2013, there has been a decline in the number of boy child registration in several counties including Bungoma, Nyandarua, and Machakos among others (Ministry of Education, 2013). This study will seek to understand the reasons as to why this trend is emerging. 2.5.7 Theoretical framework Theoretical frame work used in this study will be based on theories such as rational choice theory and liberal theory. Rational Choice Theory is a framework for understanding and often formally modelling social and economic behaviour. Rational choice theory can help shed light on the motives of influential national, county and local actors and interests groups involved in making education policies in Kenya. This will enhance access, retention and completion rates. It is therefore imperative to adopt rational choice and classical liberalism theories because the both theories will bring out the influences of society and individual decisions that affect the education of the boy. Thus the need to utilize the theories as the study seeks to establish the factors leading to drop out and low boy child empowerment in education in Busia County. REFERENCES Abagi, O. (1992). Addressing the Gender Gap in Education in an Emerging Democratic Society of Kenya; A paper prepared for the workshop on democratic and democratization in Kenya. Nairobi: Department of foundation Kenyatta University. Brown, F.B. (1980). A Study of the School Needs. Phidela Kappan. p. 61, 537 – 540. Borg, W. R. S. Gall, M.D. (1985) Education Research: An Introduction.4 Ed. NewYork: Longman Publishers. Fatuma, N.C. . Sifuna, D.N. (2006) Girls and Women’s Education in Kenya: Gender perspectives and trends. Nairobi: UNESCO. Hanushek, E., Lav, V., . Hitomi, K. (2006) Do student care about school quality: Determinants of dropout behaviour in developing countries. NBER Working Paper Cambridge, Massachusetts: National Bureau of Economic Research. Kingdon, Geeta, 2005. â€Å"Where has all the bias gone? Detecting gender-bias in the household allocation of education expenditure,† Economic Development and Cultural Change, Volume 53, pages 409–451. Mutambai, B. (2005). A Case Study on Teenage Pregnancy: School times: Educational Insight Magazine. Pg. 42 MOE, (2007) Gender Policy in Education. Nairobi: Government Printer. Psacharopoulos, G., .Woodhall, M. (1997) Education for Development: An Analysis ofInvestment Choices. Washington: World Bank. Republic of Kenya, (1989) Totally Integrated Quality Education and Training: Koech report. Nairobi: Government printer. Sifuna, D.N. (1988). A Study of School Drop Out in Girls High Schools. A case study of Bungoma District in Kenya: Kenya journal of Education Research. Vol. 14 Pg 13 – 142. UNESCO, (1998) Wasted Opportunities: When Schools Fail: Education for all status. New York: Oxford University Press. UNESCO, (2003) Gender Education for all: The leap to equality. Paris: UNESCO. UNESCO, (2005) Give Everyone a Chance to Learn, Education for all. Nairobi: UNESCO. Wanjiru, N. (2007). Factors Contributing to School Drop Out in Mombasa District. Nairobi Wanyoike, W. (2003) Understanding Youth and Family: From a Christian Perspective.Nairobi Wrigley, J.(1995) Education and Gender Equality. London: The palmer press. World Bank, (1996) Technical Paper No, 303. Washington DC. U.S: World Bank.

A Feminist Perspective of John Updikes A&P :: A&P Essays

A Feminist Perspective of Updike’s A&P Two Works Cited John Updike’s story, "A&P," starts off: "In walks three girls in nothing but bathing suits," and that pretty much sums it all up (Updike 1026). In the story, not only are the girls in bathing suits looked upon as sex objects, but other women are negatively viewed as witches, farm animals, or slaves. This story is about how a young man in the early 1960’s viewed women as a whole, including his own mother. At the beginning of the story Sammy complains about an older woman, a fifty-year-old "witch" with rouge on her cheekbones and no eyebrows, who is waiting to check out her groceries. She gets annoyed with Sammy because he is too busy drooling over the young flesh which has just walked in the door (Updike 1026). The first half-naked girl who walks into the A&P and catches Sammy’s eye is a chunky girl with a two-piece plaid bathing suit on that showed off her "sweet broad soft-looking can" (Updike l026). As if staring at this girl’s backside wasn’t enough, Sammy also noticed "those two crescents of white just under it, where the sun never seems to hit" (Updike 1026). How would this girl feel if she knew just how intensely this guy was scoping her out? Or better yet, how would you feel if someone’s eyes were glued to your backside when you were grocery shopping? That behavior, no matter what she was wearing, is totally unacceptable especially in a grocery store. Is Sammy at fault for not having any self control? It might be acceptable for this nineteen-year-old guy to check out a girl in her bathing suit; however, that would not have excused old McMahon, the deli guy, who patted his mouth and "sized up their joints" as the girls walked away from the counter (Updike 1027). "Goony-Goony," the next victim of Sammy’s intentional harassment, was presented in the story as a rather tall girl with "black hair that hadn’t quite frizzed right" for Sammy’s taste (Updike 1026). He found some reason not to be interested in this girl, probably because he was intimidated by her height. Obviously, perfection was not something he saw in anyone, except maybe the girl he referred to as "Queenie," who Sammy says, "has the nicest two scoops of vanilla breasts" he has ever seen (Updike 1028).

Essay --

In the essay â€Å"In Praise of Margins,† the author Ian Frazier explains the idea that margins are needed in people’s lives to prevent us from going insane. He believes that as the world gets more jammed up and complicated, that people need margins where they can express themselves how they want and try new things without people judging one another. He states that â€Å"as the world gets more jammed up, we need margins†¦ where you can try out odd ideas that you might be afraid to admit to with people looking on. When Frazier was a child, he would go out in the woods and play with his friends, not worrying about anything and just freeing his mind. His imagination was limitless and he felt like he could do whatever he wanted to do without being afraid of other people’s reaction. Frazier conveys the idea that we need a break from our busy purpose-filled lives, and take a step away from reality. I agree with Frazier and his views on margins because a lot of the time we need a break from the wild day to day routine that people are involved in. If we take place in marginal activities or find our own marginal place, then we will be much more successful at our goals in life. Marginal paces are very valuable in our life and people should somehow incorporate it their daily lives in order to free themselves from their stressful life. As a child, I experienced a world of imagination where I was able to do anything I wanted and take my mind out of the world that I lived in. Whether it was a certain activity I was involved in or a specific place I went to, I got to clear my mind of all the things that were bothering me. Even to this day I still go to my own marginal place. With all the stress that college has like finals... ... all, people need and should have marginal places, activities, and things in order to be successful in their life. Having margins in your life makes it easier to think about difficult decisions and it can be less stressful when dealing with complex situations. I agree with Frazier’s views on marginal places, activities, and things, and think that everyone should have their own marginal place or activity. According to Frazier, â€Å"a book without margins is impossible to read†. This proclamation imposes that attempting to live your life without margins would be ineffective, and you would end up facing more and more problems, causing your life to be more stressful. If people incorporate margins in their life, and escape from reality for a brief period of time, then they can achieve their goals in a less stressful way, and end up feeling better as a person.

The Bluebeard Reference in Jane Eyre :: Charlotte Bronte Jane Eyre Essays

The Bluebeard Reference in Jane Eyre    Within Jane Eyre lies an explicit reference to the tale of Bluebeard. When first exploring the dark hall of Thornfield’s third floor Jane tells us, "I lingered in the long passage to which this led [. . .] with only one little window at the far end, and looking, with its two rows of small black doors all shut, like a corridor in some Bluebeard’s castle" (114; ch. 11). This allusion is not a casual one, for the plot of Jane Eyre has much in common with the tale of Bluebeard. Bronte uses Bluebeard to foreshadow Rochester’s first wife, Bertha, being locked away from society in a hidden room on the third floor. This reference also in part alludes to ideas of women’s obedience and how not following the patriarchal rules of society can lead to punishment. Bertha is isolated from society and held captive in a secret room because she is not the model wife and acts out despite her husband. This relates to Bluebeard because he murders his wives once they become diso bedient. Bertha does die in the end of Bronte’s novel, though not at the hands of her husband. But even being isolated from society and held captive can be viewed as a symbolic death. Also Jane herself is often punished for not following the rules of patriarchal society. Bronte brings this poor treatment of women by society to light in the novel and shows her rejection of it through the characters of Jane and Bertha. The tale of Bluebeard dates back to the seventeenth century. "Bluebeard as we know him first appeared in Paris in 1695 as La Barbe Bleue, in the manuscript version of Charles Perrault’s Histories Ou Contes Du Temps Passe, a collection which has become a seminal influence on the evolution of fairy tale" (Davies 33). The villain of this tale is a man with a blue beard whom everyone fears. After inviting his neighbors to stay and celebrate at his country home in attempts to persuade one of the their daughters to marry him, he convinces the youngest of his widowed neighbor to be his bride. All goes well until the new husband goes away on business, leaving his wife in charge with only one rule, to not open the door of one room in the castle. Of course curiosity overtakes the wife and she enters the room only to find Bluebeard’s previous wives murdered within the chamber. The Bluebeard Reference in Jane Eyre :: Charlotte Bronte Jane Eyre Essays The Bluebeard Reference in Jane Eyre    Within Jane Eyre lies an explicit reference to the tale of Bluebeard. When first exploring the dark hall of Thornfield’s third floor Jane tells us, "I lingered in the long passage to which this led [. . .] with only one little window at the far end, and looking, with its two rows of small black doors all shut, like a corridor in some Bluebeard’s castle" (114; ch. 11). This allusion is not a casual one, for the plot of Jane Eyre has much in common with the tale of Bluebeard. Bronte uses Bluebeard to foreshadow Rochester’s first wife, Bertha, being locked away from society in a hidden room on the third floor. This reference also in part alludes to ideas of women’s obedience and how not following the patriarchal rules of society can lead to punishment. Bertha is isolated from society and held captive in a secret room because she is not the model wife and acts out despite her husband. This relates to Bluebeard because he murders his wives once they become diso bedient. Bertha does die in the end of Bronte’s novel, though not at the hands of her husband. But even being isolated from society and held captive can be viewed as a symbolic death. Also Jane herself is often punished for not following the rules of patriarchal society. Bronte brings this poor treatment of women by society to light in the novel and shows her rejection of it through the characters of Jane and Bertha. The tale of Bluebeard dates back to the seventeenth century. "Bluebeard as we know him first appeared in Paris in 1695 as La Barbe Bleue, in the manuscript version of Charles Perrault’s Histories Ou Contes Du Temps Passe, a collection which has become a seminal influence on the evolution of fairy tale" (Davies 33). The villain of this tale is a man with a blue beard whom everyone fears. After inviting his neighbors to stay and celebrate at his country home in attempts to persuade one of the their daughters to marry him, he convinces the youngest of his widowed neighbor to be his bride. All goes well until the new husband goes away on business, leaving his wife in charge with only one rule, to not open the door of one room in the castle. Of course curiosity overtakes the wife and she enters the room only to find Bluebeard’s previous wives murdered within the chamber.

Is There One Best Way to Structure an Organization? Essay

Organization is always an efficient way to achieve the goals since ancient time, high productivity with lowest input which is an important characteristic of it. Well-organized is a common ambition for every administrator. Therefore it is a primary task for managers to find out a most suitable structure for the company which can maximize the organization performance. Currently, many researchers are seeking for the relationships between an organizational structure and performance in order to adopt a best structure. However, base on contingency theory, a large number of researches proves that the optimal organizational structure depends on the strategy and among other factors (Pertusa-Ortega et al, 2010). The purpose of this essay is to explain that organizational structures are variable, which can be influenced by the scale, strategy and the operation technology of the business. Firstly, the size of a business is an important factor which could determine how an organization is structured; there are many different ways to manage a company according to the disparate capacity, number of personnel, and output of the business. Base on the studies from the Aston and National, both of them support this argument by finding there is a strong relationship between the size of the company and its structure variables (Cited in John Child, 1973). Thus, different structures are needed to administrate companies with different size. According to John Child (1973), specialization, documentation, standardized behavior, hierarchy, and a decentralization of decision making, are the core characteristics of the large companies, which could support the companies to make a decision accurately and efficiently as the power of decision-making are dispersive, the employers in big companies such as Telstra, Woolworth, could not supervise every employees simultaneously and could not make every decision for the company either. Therefore, tall structure is accepted widely in large businesses as everyone could be supervised. However, small business like local cafeteria and franchisee of McDonald, are more likely to use a flat structure to achieve well-organized, the employers could make every decision for the business as the centralization of making decisions and could supervise every workers as well due to a small number of employees. However, the correlation between two companies with disparate size are not linear, when the business has grown and achieved a certain size, the influence from size to structure is gradually reduced as large businesses are already mechanistic enough. Thus, size has a noticeable influence on the organizational structure; managers should determine an optimal framework which most fit the company to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the outcomes. Furthermore, strategy of the company is an essential factor for choosing an appropriate way to structure an organization. Strategic management which relates the future performance of a company, mangers should imply an appropriate strategy to gain the competitive advantages, to help themselves to compete against other competitors and to increase their market share. Different companies need different strategies to survive themselves to be profitable businesses. Chandler and other researchers state that the alteration of a strategy will leads to a change in organizational structure so that the development of strategy could be sufficient and a better profitability reached (Cited in Pertusa-Ortega et al, 2010). For example, for a manufacture, its strategy is to improve productivity with lower resource, therefore the structure of mechanistic is most suitable, which is high specialization, low cost and more efficiency, products can be produced with minimum time when this structure is implie. In contract, Pertusa-Ortega and other researchers claim that an organic structure is an optimal choice for firms which facing the dynamic context, thus, it needs to constantly change the productions and this flexible structure could make it easier to improve the products (2010), such as Google. The Cubic Contingency Model which consists of three strategies: local responsiveness, global integration and foreign product diversification and across other nine structures, 27 strategy-structure fits are turned out. This model is a comprehensive tool to provide useful information to managers to imply the best fitting structure base on their strategic choice (Qiu & Donaldson, 2010). Approximately 85% of these strategy-structure fits are supported by a German Multinational Corporations study, which could prove that strategy is an element to push structure to change to improve the performance. Additionally, economic environment has a strong relationship to the variables of organizational structure. The research to measure the relation between the perceived environmental uncertainty and the various organizational structures by Gordon and Narayanan (1984), they claims that the fluctuation of the economic environment has a dramatically correlation between how an organization be structured. When there is a high uncertain of environment, managers should imply a structure which could minimize the threatens of the uncertainty, and also should be flexible and adoptive enough to allow the products to change as required by the market, organic structure which is a most fitting framework for business to face the unstable environment as it could rapidly respond to the market uncertainty, it could reduce or increase the quantity of the products in a short time. On the other hand, when facing a lower environment uncertainty, mechanistic form is more tend to be effective and efficient, because the requirements of changing the products are less, this structure could help to improve the productivity. Stinchcombe suggests that environmental conditions are not only determine the particular goods or service that company should produced, moreover, it also determine the features of organization should be created to follow the market requirements (cited in Miles et al, 1974). Organizational structure should change in accordance with the various environments, so that the companies can produce the quantity and quality of the goods or services that the market required. In conclusion, this essay explains that organizational structure is contingent and it is very sensitive that could be affected by size, environment, and strategy. Forms of organization should be altered to improve performance and meet the requirements of external. Managers should choose an appreciate way to administrate the company by considering these elements. However, it is a challenge for decision makers to design an organization; managers should make sure that the new structure is sustainable and the employees are well-connected with each other. Child, J. (1973). Administrative Science Quarterly. Predicting and understanding of organization structure. Vol.18(2): 168-185. Pertusa-Ortega, E.M., Molian-Azorin, J.F,;Claver-Cortes,E.(2010). Competitive strategy, structure and firm performance. A comparison of the resource –based view and the contingency approach. Management Decision. Vol.48(7-8):1282-1303. Qiu,J. & Donaldson, L. (2010). â€Å"The Cubic Contingency Model: Towards a more comprehensive international strategy-structure model.† Journal of General Management, 36(1): 81-100. Miles, R.E., Sown, C.C. and Pfeffer, F. (1974), Organizational –Environment: Concepts and issues. Industrial relations, Vol.13(3):244-264. Gordon, L.A. and Narayanan, V.K. (1984), management accounting systems, perceived environmental uncertainty and organizational structure: an empirical investigation, Accounting, Organizational and Society. Vol.9, No.1, pp33-47.