Fast Food Effects on Health

Fast Food Effects on Health In today’s age of convenience, fast food needs no introduction. Everyone from a 2-year-old toddler to a 60-year-old grandpa seems to be enjoying it every chance they get. And why not? It’s delicious, it’s filling, is really affordable, and readily available just any time of the day, being only a drive through phone call away. What more can you ask for when you are living life in the fast lane? Well, plenty – fast food is all good tasting, except that it is not nutritionally balanced and, therefore, unhealthy in the long run if consumed on a regular basis. Fast food is loaded with calories from refined sugar and fats (especially, the artery-clogging saturated and hydrogenated fats, which are repeatedly reheated to high temperatures for frying purposes). It is also very high in sodium, coming from common salt and other additives. On top of all this, fast food is deficient in dietary fiber and essential micro-nutrients like vitamins and minerals. To make matters worse, heaps of fast food are normally guzzled down with gallons of sugar-rich colas – which many fast-food restaurants serve free with food as an incentive. To make a long story short, all this results in piling up of unused empty calories in the body, which get stored as body fat – till one day you look in the mirror and realize that your great figure has been replaced by this creature in the mirror. But that’s not the end of the story, it’s just the beginning – consuming too much fast food not only turns a handsome guy into an unsightly obese man, but as Eric Schlosser points out in his book Please enable JavaScript to view this page content properly. it is a big health hazard too. And being physically inactive only adds to the problem of obesity. Not many people who love fast food are ready to acknowledge that obesity is not simply an eyesore – it is a major risk factor for a large number of deadly diseases like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and even many types of cancers. Recent scientific studies have shown that high-calorie foods rich in fats, refined sugar and salt could reconfigure the hormones in the body in such a way that they make you crave for such foods and always leave you asking for more. In other words, fast food is kind of addictive; you get hooked on to it and continue consuming it in an uncontrolled way in spite of knowing that it is unhealthy. The more you consume, the more difficult it is for you to opt for healthy foods. The situation is worse in case of children who from a very young age get hooked on fast food. Making them change their food habits from fatty and sweet foods and develop a taste for health-promoting fruits and vegetables is a task easier said than done. Such children would grow up to be obese adults who have never felt the advantages of being a healthy weight. To sum up, consuming fast food on a regular basis leads to many health hazards. But bringing about changes in eating habits is not easy. To start with, a simple change that one could make is to successively reduce the frequency of eating fast food and eat more frequently home-cooked food, with plenty of fresh foods and vegetables.

How and to what extend has sociological theorising enhanced my understanding of ’deviance’ and social control

Reflective Summary In may own thinking, I found out that human beings are social individuals and therefore, more often than not, their behaviour raises certain critical concerns. These issues need to be handled with utmost care in order to achieve social harmony. Social harmony implies healthy relationships and to a great extent, it is essential for any productive society. However, issues of deviance are a common feature that the society has grappled with since time immemorial. In this regard, I deduced that there is a relationship between society and deviance.Becker (1991), states that deviance is such activities or mannerisms that contravene the societal norms and customs. These norms include both formally established rules as well as informal rules that are socially respected. The formal rules are recognized on a wider scale and are usually referred to as law. They are also more elaborate and known to different communities. In addition, they are usually enforced by a governing bod y that has some level of authority over the rest. Hence, contravening those amounts to a crime (Anderson, 1997).Informal norms on the other hand are recognized by specific parts of the society and are more localized. Basically, each community has its established customs that act as checks to the behaviour of its individuals. They are adhered to by the members of the specific community that has its own way of punishing the people breaking them. These norms, both formal and informal are very dynamic and contextual in nature. To this effect, they are defined by the society that an individual belongs. Hence, Eugene and Muncie (2003) explain that some actions can be perceived deviant in some communities and not deviant in others.However, irrespective of the context, the societal customs are fundamental in enhancing social cohesion. This formed the basis of my thinking on the subject and developed an argument that deviance is socially constructed and correlates to the kind of adopted soci al control mechanism. In this regard, sociological theorizing has helped understand well the concept of how is deviance socially constructed and how to control it based on sociological perspective. Therefore, the identified literature and the foundation of my thoughts shall closely examine social construction of deviance and social control in line with criminological theorizing.Social Construction of Deviance Anderson (1997) indicates that deviance is a relative component of societies that largely manifests itself through behaviour. According to him, it is a normal aspect of any social relationships and it comes about as a result of the different relationships that human beings enjoy. Behaviour is a vital element of relationships that largely contributes to the manifestation of deviance in the society. According to Eugene and Muncie (2003), it entirely influences the health of relationships because if unsound, it leads to incidences of conflict.Conflicts, being a healthy aspect of s ocial relationships help the manifestation of deviance to come to the fore, either as causative agents or as measures used to solve them (Downes and Rock 2003:78). Notably, deviance creates disorder in a given society by affecting in many ways the functions of the same. It is known to have an impact on the existing societal principles. However, Anderson (1997) explains that not all deviant behaviour has negative implications on the existing norms. According to him, some deviance can bring about positive change in the society and help the society adapt to modernization.For instance, most traditional communities used to prescribe jobs depending on the sex of an individual. However, deviance to this has seen people take up any type of job and today, qualifications as opposed to sex determines which jobs different people take up. To this respect, it is notable that deviance helps individuals embrace change accordingly by adjusting the present rules to be in line with the societal expect ations. Deviance forms a significant part of human behaviour and therefore seemingly, it can not be completely eliminated from the society.The role it plays in the shaping human behaviour makes it one of the key determinants of the frequency of deviance in the society (Becker 1991:48). It should be appreciated that behaviour is a basic element of social relationships and thus deviance, through its incorporation in behaviour, is largely a component of social relationships. Deviance is a process that takes time to develop as well as manifest basically through acts of opposition (Becker, 1991: 108). As a result, it also takes the authorities’ time to address it accordingly and satisfactorily.Time is an essential aspect of social events as it is through this that they are manifested. Arguably, deviance, being the sole event here, is a social event. Downes and Rock (2007) acknowledge that deviance is an aspect that undergoes a series of phases before it can have an impact on the g iven society. They explain that before it begins to develop in the mind of an individual, societies often tend to be in harmony. At this stage, individuals therein have some common knowledge and perception of the norms that govern them.In addition, the individuals in the society at this level hold ‘their’ norms in high regard (Downes and Rock, 2007: 89). The first trigger of this process is the introduction of an external aspect from elsewhere that initiates differences with regard to perception. However, manifestations of deviance take time and therefore at this level, societal order is still maintained. The second stage is when individuals try to justify whether the aspect should be accepted or not. Usually, this stage attracts a body of knowledge and the aspect is wholly defined, as well as related to the normal life (Becker 1991: 59).In addition, an effort is made to make the society acknowledge that knowledge is a continuous process that should be mainstreamed in t he normal way of life. The next step is the internalization of the aspect. Here, the aspect is learned by the society and entrenched into its system. It is accepted by all stakeholders and institutionalized as a normal aspect of the way of life in that particular society. According to Anderson (1997), both the authorities and the locals uphold the basic elements of the aspect. At this level, social order is still enjoyed because manifestations of deviance are yet to begin.In addition, on a larger scale, this aspect is considered as a norm upheld by the society. It should be appreciated that despite this, there exists individual perceptions that are varied and that that counter this general view. These varied views are the key aspects of deviance and with time, they manifest. The final step is when the workability of the aspect is disputed by the individuals whose initial perception was contrary to the rest. At this stage, individuals develop opposing opinions and behaviour (Downes a nd Rock 2007: 84).This is the final stage of deviance and it is what leads to the disruption of the societal operations. This comes about as a result of the individuals with varied perceptions to the aspect, also referred to as moral entrepreneurs, openly manifesting their views. This then initiates change in the society after a series of consultative and informative sessions by all stakeholders. Social Control Social control as formed by the rich literature refers to the tools that are used to make human behaviour in a given society be consistent to the norms and regulations of the given society (Keel, 2008: 201).These tools are basically acknowledged and employed by the specific society to enhance social relationships. However, according to Keel (2008), some tools are cross societal and are internationally recognized and appreciated by all cultures and societies. According to Keel (2008), I have identified two dimensions of social control mechanisms: informal and formal. Informal social controls refer to certain principles that are defined by a society and those that check the behaviour of individuals at a personal level (Anderson, 1997: 296).According to Anderson (1997), they are usually part of a person’s personality and have proven to be more effective in controlling behaviour than the formal ones. These include aspects like religion. Religion usually prescribes some kind of behaviour that is usually socially and morally acceptable. It aims at upholding the values and virtues that are morally upright. By adhering to the propositions of religion, individuals are able to relate well and therefore achieve social cohesion. Those that do not uphold the teachings of religion are looked down upon by the entire society.This act encourages people to act in accordance to the teachings of religion and thereby enhance socially acceptable relationships. Another most common mechanism that is widely employed across cultures to shun unacceptable behaviour is ridic ule. Keel (2008) considers it a shameful act that most individuals can not bear. It is usually unlikely that a person who is ridiculed will at any time repeat the act as this has a negative impact on the guilt of a person. Customs are also often used in regulating deviant behaviour (Anderson 1997).It is because they prescribe a standard code of conduct that should be followed by the society. Persons who break these rules face various punishments administered by the societal leaders on behalf of the entire society. For instance, in some societies, individuals whose behaviour contravenes the provisions of the customs are usually sent away, given physical punishments or asked to pay fines. Discrimination is also widely employed in regulating conduct. To this effect, most people find it difficult to associate with individuals who have socially unacceptable behaviour (Eugene and Muncie 2003:45).This is due to the fear of picking up the same or the fear of being caught on the wrong side o f the law. Increasingly, social misfits are being isolated and more often, they do not freely interact with the rest of the society. Discrimination makes such individuals feel victimized and as such, they are able to correct their behaviour accordingly (Becker 1991: 69). The society also highly criticizes unacceptable behaviour. Criticism can have a very negative impact on the personality of a person because it highly damages the confidence of a person and not so many people are usually ready to experience this (Keel, 2008).Therefore, it is a measure that is widely employed by different societies to control the behaviour of their people. In addition, the society can directly disapprove any socially unacceptable behaviour. Persons contravening social norms can be directly forewarned by for instance parents and other relatives. This move makes the people to change accordingly and adapt behaviour that is in line with societal expectations. There are formal measures that are also adopte d to check the behaviour of individuals and groups in the society. In states that value social equity, Eugene and Muncie (2003, p.52) argue that all the individuals of the respective society are given equal chances to contribute to the establishment of the laws. These laws either directly or indirectly reward individuals whose behaviour corresponds with the societal rules and expectations. They also rebuke the kind of behaviour that is not in line with the expectations of the society. These measures are usually created by the law enforcement agencies in consultation with other major stakeholders. They are always in form of laws that are official and legal.However, Keel (2008) points out that these laws may require a certain kind of force while enforcing them especially in instances where consultation was not done. Individuals who violate these are called criminals and are often punished according to the provisions of the laws (Eugene and Muncie: 2003: 54). Specifically, they are tak en to prisons from where they face their punishment. Erich and Angus (2008) explain that the level of punishment depends on the gravity of the crime that the individuals committed. On the contrary, their counterparts are always rewarded by the body that established the rules.Hence individuals in most instances work towards maintaining socially acceptable relationships and adhere to the rules and laws provided by the governing body. It should be appreciated that not all individuals who break the law are taken to prisons. According to Keel (2008), some are usually punished by making them pay fines to compensate for the damage caused. Further, not all individuals who commit crimes are arrested. At this juncture, it is worth noting that in many ways every individual is deviant. It is just that the level and type of deviance differs and it is this that differentiates crime from other forms of deviance.Social deviance and social controls have different implications on deviant behaviour. B y explicitly exploring the patterns of deviance in the society, Keel (2008) explains that one can be able to understand why some individuals are more deviant than others. The social controls are very important because through them one is able to indentify deviance and its root in a given society (Anderson 1997). This can certainly be achieved because the social controls aim at screening different types of behaviour. Consequently, deviant behaviour can easily be identified and regulated accordingly.Becker (1991) state that studying the realms of deviance helps one to understand that the behaviour is recurrent. As such, we are able to come up with people friendly measures that can help regulate this conduct as well as ensure that we benefit from it. Conclusion In conclusion, as opposed to my views before the study of perceiving deviance negatively, I realise that social deviance is an aspect that should be appreciated by the society and especially those in authority because of the rol e it plays in the growth of the society.In deed, without this, we could still be dwelling in the ancient eras. It is basic in highlighting aspects of change in the society and if well controlled, it should not pose any threats to the wellbeing of the same. Contrary to my knowledge that individuals who constantly experience deviance exhibit anomaly in their behaviour, is not really correct. In fact, I have discovered that social deviance is a very vital aspect of behavioural growth and it should be appreciated.

Resouce Management Unit 5004 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Resouce Management Unit 5004 - Essay Example Resource management is a key element to activity resource estimating and project human resource management. Both are essential components of a comprehensive project management plan to execute and monitor a project successfully. As is the case with the larger discipline of project management, there are resource management software tools available that automate and assist the process of resource allocation to projects and portfolio resource visibility including supply and demand of resources. This unit is about the generic principles, methods and techniques for planning, managing and analyzing the use of any and all resources available to the manager. This includes physical, financial and human resources, and the factors affecting their use - organizational, legal, ethical and environmental.The main purpose of this unit is to manage non- financial resource and manage financial resources.. Management is about getting thing done by other through the resources such as people equipment and materials. So these resources should be utilized to the maximum to achieve the objectives. Managers are responsible for planning, organizing leading and controlling the efforts of organization members and using all the organizational resources to achieve organizational objectives. So the need to achieve the goals from this optimum resource arose. The need for operations managers to reduce manufacturing costs, optimize productivity and improve product quality in order to stay in the market has become imperative. Operations management is the management of direct resources such as machine, material and manpower which are required to produce goods and services. It involves planning, operating, controlling, directing and coordinating all the activities of production systems, which convert resource inputs into services. The transformation process helps the operation manager an immediate sens e of the importance of having the right resources in place whenever required. In most of the private sector companies outputs are given more importance than inputs. 1.2 Explain the process of planning resource use to achieve the objectives Planning process The strength and weakness has to cover the organization's products or services, people, resources and should examine the structure of the organization and ability of the organization to cope with the change. Market segment analysis is the useful technique for looking at products or services as it focuses its attention on markets and their potential. Different factors are considered for each market segment. The market segment analysis covers market share, profitability, reliance on segment, geographic spread, size, skills, market emphasis, and style and future intentions. Planning processes is important in an organization for the following reasons Extension organizations have too few financial resources, given the nature and size of their missions and many of them doesn't know to use in an appropriate manner Managers and other staff members do not know how many resources are available for use in dealing with a particular problem or program activity. Many of them do not know the costs of carrying out various activities or whether a particular approach is a cost-effective way to deliver programming. Money may be committed almost totally to salaries, leaving little to cover operating and other costs. Financial allocation decisions are made by people who are not in a

Policy Formulation and Implementation by International Public Research Paper

Policy Formulation and Implementation by International Public Administration Organizations - Research Paper Example International public administration basically entails the process of formulating public policies as well as implementing programs that have been established in line with the demands of the public policy. Policy entails the setting of goals and administration is concerned with the implementation of that policy (Naidu 61). Policy making is a constant process and the policy is formulated and reformulated at a range of levels in the administrative chain of command. The policy making process is divided into four levels; (a) the first level which is at the top is the political policy which is framed or created by the parliament, (b) the second level is the executive level which is framed or created by the cabinet, (c) the third level is the administrative policy in which the administrators perform the will of the government, and (d) the last level is the technical policy level; this is the lowest level and it is daily policy adopted by officials in the running of the administrative policy (Naidu 64). International policies are associated with four main aspects; internal, political, economic and external security related. International policies must take into consideration the interest of parties involved (mostly nation states), and must be formulated such as not to interfere unduly with national interests and the powers so held by various organs and authorities of the nations involved (South Asia Analysis para 2). Most importantly, the policies must be formulated such as to avoid conflicts and wherever unavoidable cause least damage to power, status and national interests. In this respect, member states have the responsibility to air their views concerning the issue under consideration and the impacts that solutions proposed will have on them. Member states are also expected to take into consideration the laws that govern their jurisdictions so that the international policies are in line with their respective constitutions. The first and main problem in the

Information Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Information Management - Essay Example Evolution of Information Systems Over the decades, technology has evolved manifolds. The major enhancements pertaining to the technological developments involve the communication media. Transfer of information amongst the users has always been a critical issue embedded in the communication strategies. Business environments have imbibed the technology trends up to a great extent in order to enhance their functionality as a complete unit that integrated diverse areas of work (Govindaraj, 2001). The necessity to manage all the data and information related to the vendors, consumers, employees, work processes, business transactions, stakeholders and so on had to be addressed to the minutest details. This issue demanded for an evolution of a system that could store all the information generated at diverse fields of work and support the handling of information in a limpid manner. The system that provides the infrastructure to manage and maintain such task is known as â€Å"Information Systems Provision†. Implementation of Information Systems Information Systems is implemented on the type of the information, whose analysis is required to understand the processes and parameters linked to the data. This data may be acquired from various fields of the concerned business environment (Warboys, Kawalek, Robertson and Greenwood, 1999). Following are the requirements to implement an Information System for a marketing division. To model the dynamics of the processes those effect the production.

Scholarly database search Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scholarly database search - Essay Example Furthermore, JSTOR (short for â€Å"journal storage†) in a non- profit service especially dedicated to offer a trusted digital archive with scholarly content to researchers, students, and professionals. The inclusion of articles in its database collections are developed through the participation of many publishers and other organizations. There is also a free access to most of the articles, which makes it advantageous to student users. The incidence rate of device- associated infection (VAP and CAUTI) is recorded lower in nine Colombian hospitals than other hospital ICUs in Latin American countries, based on the records of the National Nosocomial Surveillance System (NNIS). However, this rate is still comparably higher than that in the US ICUs. Thus, this finding necessitates policy improvements on infection control in Colombia (Moreno et al., 2006). In one recent active DAI surveillance study in two ICUs in Cuba (Rosenthal et al., 2010), rates of VAP, CLAB, and CAUTI, were carefully analyzed against CDC- National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) and International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) rates. Related information on microorganism profile, bacterial resistance, extended length of stay, and extra mortality were also considered. Results showed that VAP, CLAB, and CAUTI rates are lower than INICC rates. Compared to NHSN rates, VAP rate scored higher, while CLAB rates lower, and CAUTI rates similar. Lastly, there was a significant direct correlation between VAP increase and the LOS and mortality rate. Moreno,  C. à ., Rosenthal, V.  D.,   Olarte,  N.,   Gomez,  W. V.  , Sussmann,  O., Agudelo, J.  G., †¦ Henrà ­quez,  D. (2006). Device†associated infection rate and mortality in Intensive Care Units of 9 Colombian hospitals: Findings of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 27 (4), 349-356. doi:

Case study-BP Deepwater Horizon platform disaster,LA May 2010 Research Paper

Case study-BP Deepwater Horizon platform disaster,LA May 2010 (Emergency and disaster management) - Research Paper Example One of these groups was stakeholders and authorities in the area of oil emergency and disaster management. The other group comprised of ordinary inhabitants who were in one way or the other victims of the BP Oil Spill Disaster. Through comprehensive analysis of data collected, it came to light that if there were strict standards in place, the BP Oil Spill disaster could have been avoided. Partly to be blamed for the disaster also was the absence of law enforcement as far as safety practices in the oil and gas industry are concerned. To this regard, recommendations on the enactment and enforcement of basic safety laws in the oil and gas industry were made. Indeed the implementation of these recommendations would be a gain step towards the dream of ensuring disaster free operation in the oil and gas industry. INTRODUCTION Background to the Study Oil is one of the major sources of revenue and income for government. Apart from this, the usefulness of oil and gas to the running of local a nd international industries as well as the use of oil as the major source of energy for the country are some other reasons why oil and gas exploration might not end any time soon in America. According to the API (2011), â€Å"oil and natural gas industry that supports 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.5% of our nation’s GDP.† Yet again, these are reasons why oil exploration continues to be paramount to the United States government. These benefits notwithstanding, there is the need to ensuring that oil and gas exploration becomes absolute blessing to the country rather than a curse. In most countries, oil curse has been a term that stands for tensions and disputes that arise out of the distribution of funds that are accrued from the mining of oil where some faction claim ownership of the oil and thus a greater share of the revenue. Clearly, the United States has developed beyond such uprisings. However, the issue of spillage of large and harmful quantities oil in the course o f oil and gas extraction is perhaps a curse that the country has not been exempted from yet. As technology and the invention of complex machinery and equipment abound, one would have expected that news of oil spillage would hardly be heard among oil companies in the United States but the April 2010 BP oil spillage incidence did not just come to be an ordinarily spillage but one that was serious enough to be classified as a disaster. It is not surprising therefore that Lintner (2010) posits that the BP Oil Spill is â€Å"the greatest environmental disaster in United States history.† Such as another oil spill disasters come with thorning effects on living species and the environment at large. Typically in the case of BP in April 2010, there was massive lost of living creatures in the ocean while waters in the ocean and the soil at the immediate shore had their own versions of destruction. Then of course there was lost of thousands of US dollars that could have been channeled in to national development. Due to the harsh consequences that come with such disasters as oil spill, the researcher is committed to using this research as a platform to delve into the causes, effects, management and prevention of oil spill disasters by using BP’s case as a case study. Research Aims and Objectives This is a case study that aims at revisiting

What are the major points of difference in Realist International Essay

What are the major points of difference in Realist International Relations Theory - Essay Example The developments of this period acted as wake-up calls because nations started getting interested in owning resources, creating political boundaries, and ruling the world (Viotti, & Kauppi, 2012). Since then, war has been a part of life for some countries because of lack of peace with neighboring states, for example, Iran and Iraq. Other countries such as the European Union and America found peace by forming international organizations such as United Nations, which formulates the rules that govern the interaction between countries. Scholars have formulated theories to help states to determine how they should interact with others. The main theories of international relations include realism and idealism. The theory of realism has been embraced and criticized at the same time because of the contradictions in its tenets; this makes it useful to analyze the hypothesis and determine the differences in its arguments. Origin of Realism Theory The theory of realism bases its arguments on eco nomic principles, and it argues that states aim at maximizing their utility relative to others. The utility of states increases when they own more resources and power contrary to their counterparts (Rengger, 200). This means that the techniques used to acquire power and resources are not questionable, even if they are against humanity and ethics. The founders of this theory include Nicholas Spykman, Carr, and Hans Morgenthau, all who are from the European Union. Watz and Alexander Hamilton of the United States later contributed to theory. The artistic works of Thucydides and Sun Tzu that existed before the foundations of the theory were used as the basis for the formulation of its principles (Donneley, 2000). Assumptions of the Theory The hypothesis assumes that the government is the highest level of power in a country, and that the leaders of the state make rational decisions. According to Machiavelli, rational decisions are those that increase wealth and power. Therefore, national leaders do not take courses that degrade the power and resources of the state because this would be irrational. This means that the theory disregards international organizations such as the United Nations and International Monetary Fund, which may dictate the actions of the government. The independence of the actions of states means that countries interact in an anarchical system; this is where each government aims at gaining comparative advantage in the acquisition of certain resources and powers (Resende, 2007). Tenets of the Realism Theory of International Relations The principles of the theory were developed by Morgenthau after the Second World War when international relations became a popular subject. However, the ideologies that were applicable during the war included those of Carr and Machiavelli. The first principle of the theory of realism argues that states are governed by the rule of law, and that it is the regulations that manage international relationships (Mary, Rosec rance, & Steiner, 2010). This means that states that do not have laws may not find peace with others, and even those that have inefficient regulations may also fail to find peaceful international neighbors. This then depicts that countries must concentrate on the formulation of logical and efficient laws, in order for them to prosper in the international economy (Machiavelli, & Marriott, 2010). This is because a country analyzes the laws of another state when determining whether to engage in foreign relations

Review of Litterature on Finance and Potential Areas of Development Literature

Of Litterature on Finance and Potential Areas of Development for Further Reseaarch - Literature review Example Thus the concept of finance includes several underlying theories and understanding that make the system applicable towards the achievement of the financial goals and objectives of the business organizations or the world as a whole. The present study focuses on a literature review thereby discussing on the studies of several researchers on the topic of finance and would try to determine the potential areas of development for further research. Literature Review on Finance: The following literature review has been based on the studies conducted by several researchers as obtained from journals and different articles. These literatures have been particularly focused on the severe issue of economic and financial crisis that is capable of impacting the entire world through the phase of recession. The studies have been based on the issues of the theories discussed by the researchers and no quantitative analyses have been involved. The study has been narrowed down in the sense that irrelevant materials have not been included in the review. Since the length of the paper has been limited, hence number of sources has been considered accordingly. However the researches have been analyzed critically determining their objectives, and the strengths and weaknesses of the studies. In terms of the purpose of the study, only those researches have been included that are appropriate and relevant to the financial literatures and readers would be able to relate to the issues relevantly. A study conducted by Christian Marazzi reflects an understanding of the financial crisis and the nature of the problems considering the transformation that have been taking place over the years. Marazzi is an Italian economist who conducted an analysis of the global crisis that he considered as a new type of crisis that involved neo-liberal financial capitalism. He focused on the problems related to finance that have been mounting up over the years. Concentrating on the recent global economic crisis, h e stressed on the level of unemployment and difficulties that the world was supposed to be encountered with. He mentioned that the financial deficits were leading to insolvency crisis hampering the banking system as a whole. In this regard he criticized the easy solutions considered by reformists. (Bria, 2009, pp.388-394). Marazzi’s study can be considered to be focused and relevant to the issues and impacts of financial crisis. He has tried to related theoretical aspects with the prevailing financial status across the world. However it can also be said that the study could be tried to be more specific in determining the measures that might effectively resolve problems associated with financial crises. Similar to Marazzi’s the study conducted by Barsky and DeLong lacked the wide ranging aspects and approach to specific measures in the context of financial crises and their impacts. Barsky and DeLong in their studies discussed about the fluctuations of the stock markets. According to them, fluctuations in the stock market are reflected by the asset pricing model that considers the present-value concept in the context of the efficient markets. The fluctuations that have been visible in the US financial markets over the years have been obtained to be in consistence with

HR management Essay Example for Free

HR management Essay HR management forms a valuable and effective administration concerned mainly with working category. It evaluates the steps to be implemented to make the working category into further industrious, satisfied and happy. As an integral fraction of society of human resource management policies, the team have supported that the strategies need to encourage the companies to provide pioneering and flexible plans that are highly benefit. The work-life policies laid forward by the SHRM proved to be highly beneficial to employees. However, there are several human resource factors, which influence an organization to adopt the work-life plans as a vital division of SHRM practices and plans. Majority of the factors that stressed upon work life policies incorporates the demographic variation occurring with the prospective workforce, variation in social characteristics, role and responsibility changes in organizations and other governmental factors. Women make an essential part of almost all types of organization in the most modern era. Most of the working class woman wishes to conjointly take the responsibilities of their family as well as the employment terms. This was considered as an apparent factor that resulted in the emergence of family friendly plans. This plan was further termed as work life policies and rapidly gained importance in the area of SHRM. The next vital factor associated with demographic variation forms the ageing employees that raised the value of the work life policies. As per the plan, the aged workgroup may remain in the organization. However, they only need to work for very few hours or may change their shift timings as per their comfort. Most of the working people hold the responsibilities for bringing up their kids and take equal responsibilities for their aged parents. The plan allows even the aged people to support their children with their responsibilities. With the advance of modern technology, the labor market gets tightens and requires more and more skilled laborers. The organization needs to implement the work life policies to influence and regain employers who might have left the organization previously due to some or other cause. As per a study conducted by IRS, the most important motive behind the management to initiate the work life plan is strongly associated with recruitment of staffs as well as retention. As majority of leading organizations work on a 24 hour per day basis, increasing the working hours. However, there is strong requirement of flexible plans to cover these elaborated hours with efficiency. Surveys shows that adaptation of faster work pace has lead to organizational stress and most of the workers experience severe problems such as anxiety, stress, workload and inadequate personal time. These variations make the organizations to breach the government induced rules. Evaluating with respect to a legal outlook, all the working categories have a role on self care and protection and work life policies influence this particular concept. With the policies of work life, every employee may endorse a healthy and happy job environment and understand more about their social errands as a working personality. Thus, the policies offer high benefits to the employees as well as appropriate guidance with proper management to the employers.

Role Of Women In Pride And Prejudice English Literature Essay

Role Of Women In Pride And Prejudice English Literature Essay This phrase probably remains many topics related to the English society that the novel Pride and Prejudice represented: The approval of the society, seek of wealth and well-being more than love, and the role of women. As the quotation says, all men in possession of a good fortune seek for a wife, for the reason that he wants the approval of the society, everything was about appearances. In the other hand, women did not have any options at that time, and the maxim goal or dream that they expected for their lives was to get married, if it is possible with a wealthy man in order to have a comfortable life. Marriage was a market, it was based principally in economical arrangements; where unfortunately, a woman did not have chance to decide for herself. Pride and Prejudice is based specifically in the early 19th century under the Victorian Age. Even when a female representative was ruling the country, women did not have many options for their lives, they were seen as ideal, pure and saintsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and as saints they had no legal rights. During this essay, role of 19th century women will be developed, but first of all I would to mention a bit of Jane Austen, who is the author of this fantastic and romantic novel. Secondly, life of English society in the 19th century will be discussed, talking about marriage and courtship. Thirdly, women role at that century will be developed, relating those with the different characters that we noticed in the book. Jane Austen was an English novelist who lived among 1775 and 1817. It is possible to find Austens works since they are very famous and important for English literature. Her novels still remain in our century, thanks to the adaptation of several novels into movies, which is the case of Pride and Prejudice. That fact allows us, to new readers of her work, to feel closer to that time and century and to know how people used to live and confront life. We have to keep in mind that Jane Austen despite of all the historical events that England was going through, for example Napoleonic Wars, she inspired her work on women and her living conditions. Principally, that was all she knew about: how difficult was to be a woman, all the pressures, injustices and prejudices that women faced. Pride and Prejudice was a novel about how love can go through many awkward, hard and difficult situations and still can win after all, which is reflected in the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Jane Austen made people believe that despite of many rules and prejudices of society there is always something that moves the world; there is always something inside of any human which is pure feelings such as love. Love is like an illusion and it completes the happiness of every human being. However, in this novel it is likely possible to see all the dark side of this male- centered society. I said likely, because this story is covered with romantic scenes and love illusions, facts that every girl would like, for example in the following quotes, where Mr. Darcy appears like a gentleman that every girl, after all, would be in love with: In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.- Darcy to Elizabeth. (Jane Austen 1813:236) You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever. Darcy to Elizabeth (Jane Austen 1813:451) Nevertheless, this story was under a male-centered society, where men were the biggest favored here: they could choose and take the decisions they wanted, they could earn money and have privileges if their wives were wealthy, they could study and make business and keep being successful. This type of thinking (male centered) kept happening even when a queen was in charge of the country. Anyways it is not many time ago that this situation started to change thanks to the bravery of women that wanted a change, but that is definitely another topic. According to the society in the 19th century, ruled by Queen Victoria, was a society where appearances and social class were really essential. Money had the real power there: to classify people thanks to appalling social conditions. As it is possible to notice in the book and in the movie as well, it was everything about impressing the social order with the well being and money you had, in order to form a family and to be considered for the society as somebody important, to gain respect and honor as well. Regarding women, they were seeing as ideal for the most part of society: her bodies were pure and they were labeled as saints, cleanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦her role was to raise children, to tend the house and they did not have legal rights, for example: women could not vote and could not own a property. Talking about marriage, it can be said that it was more an economical arrangement than an institution where love was the principal issue. For many women, to get married it was the salvation to have a comfortable life thanks to the well being that a husband can provide. Pride and prejudice reflected this situation in Charlotte Lucas case: Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life. Charlotte Lucas. (Jane Austen 1813:27) As Charlotte said, marriage was a matter of chance, to have a better life, since a woman for itself could not own anything. Love was not important as long as you live well and with the acceptance of society. That is why Mrs. Bennet wanted her girls to get married so soon, since the business of her life was to see all her daughters marriedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ for what? For maintain her, as well. Nevertheless, all the possessions of a woman passed to her husband at the moment to get married. To be more specific, to be a woman was very difficult; you expected to be perfect and pretty and all that stuff but it was a situation where you can feel a prisonerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a society prisoner. Furthermore, a woman depended, of course, of her husband and consequently, she has to obey him. It was a life little better than slavery, to say it in some way. When a woman was married and her husband was wealthy, she had to organize parties to meet new people in order to bring prestige to her husband and her family as well. Those social parties were the opportunity to establish new economical relationships. Another point about women and marriage, it was that they must have certain knowledge in different areas to help and educate children. In addition women in Victorian Era were seen like this: Sweetness is to woman what sugar is to fruit. It is her first business to be happy a sunbeam in the house, making others happy. True, she will often have a tear in her eye, but, like the bride of young Lochinvar, it must be accompanied with a smile on her lips. (Victorias past) As it is possible to notice in the quotation, women seem to be happy and perfect, but what was happening inside it might be really different, regarding to the phrase she will often have a tear in her eye. Women were really suffering, but in that harsh society nobody could ever hear them. A woman was expected to be perfect, but what about her life, her decisions, her thinking and her feelings? Nevertheless, not everything was so bad for women; this era leaded some space to romanticism in term of courtships. Pride and Prejudice reflect that in its plot, a love story of a wealthy man and a poor woman. People in England are recognized as polite, so courtship was followed by codes. Love always was under moral codes, specific ways to treat people, rules of etiquette and so on. As I said rules of etiquette were very strict, and sometimes it seem like people attitudes were not real, due to the fact that there were so many rulesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ you do not even know if they are serious or they are playing courtship. Consequently, a woman here plays the role of being so perfect and pure, just like jewelry, even more those women belonging to upper classes, but as I have explained beforeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ these terms are possible to notice in the book, and all that code and etiquette issue. According to Victorian Past: Queen Victoria and her family were role models in Victorian society. Subsequently, the perfect marriage became the socially acceptable goal of courtship. (Victorias Past). Talking about female characters of the novel and their relation with the role of woman in the society of 19th century, there is a lot that can be said. Regarding Elizabeth Bennet, she was the main character of Pride and Prejudice, being in my opinion, the bravest one. She did not mind what to say in order to express herselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ no matter what. She and her sisters were under the pressure of her mother in terms on seeking a husband. Elizabeth understood all the stress and difficulty of her family if she did not find a husbandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but despite of all the facts, she disagreed to go against her feelings, she wanted to be happy after all. When Elizabeth did not want to get married with Mr. Collins, her mother was so angry and disappointed of her, due to the fact that being single was a totally social disapproval. If a man was single, it was not seeing so badly as a woman single. At least a man could raise a business and find a wife so easily, but a single woman did not have options. Elizabeth was not very worried about it, but her mother was. Consequently, Charlotte Lucas who was Elizabeths best friend was worried about being single. As I mentioned before, she saw marriage as an opportunity and she was conscious about the little options she had at her age. She was not in love with Mr. Collins, but she knew that in some way love may come afterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as long as she has a comfortable life and to feel accepted by the harsh society as well. She was very poor, and keeping with the idea, she did not have many options. Sometimes, you can feel that in these novels there is all about love, well in some way it could be, but not all the time. Love in this era was a secondary termà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ since the society and the approval and appearances and having a respectable well being was the essential issue. Women could stay single, but only those who were very wealthy. Lady Catherine was not single, but she was alone. Her husband died leaving her with a daughter. In the case if Lady Catherine was a poor woman, all her possessions would have been under a man hands. She was very powerful and wealthy; that fact allowed her to be totally independent. That was acceptable, for the society due to the fact of her social position. Everybody was worried about pleasing her; just take an example the behavior of Mr. Collins. By the way, we do not have to forget that Lady Catherine was also arranging a marriage between her daughter and Mr. Darcy. In that case marriage was not about loveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it was just an economical relationship, just an arrangement. Nevertheless Lady Catherine, when she knew about Elizabeth and her relationship with which she wanted her daughter to get married Mr. Darcy, she was so angry, because Lady Catherine had the knowledge of the economical situation of Bennet famil yà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ she thought that Elizabeth was interested just in money and to save her life economically, just to say it in some way. Do not forget that Lady Catherine belonged to the upper class, where social standing and appearance was truly important. If we talk about appearances it is essential then to mention Mrs. Bennet and Miss Bingley. Unfortunately, the role of many women was to be accepted by the society no matter how. In the case of Mrs. Bennet, she was always faking being in some ways educated and intelligent. She was very sillyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ she always used to say to her daughters to act naturally, but that was all a false; it was just to impress Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. Mrs. Benner had the need to show herself and her family as a probable and a noble choice for wealthy men in order to arrange marriages. According to Miss Bingley, she was very snobby; always worried about her image, her social standing and her prestige. She did not like the idea to be linked with people from middle class. This attitude toward life, and the fact of impressing was really superficial, she was not real at all if we compared her with Elizabeth Bennet, at least Lizzy was real. This behavior in women in 19th century was very common. Situatio ns were demanding a lot of rules codes and etiquette, fake and superficiality. Another topic which was very vital was the honor to the family. The family, despite of all the false that a marriage would be was very important. It was the base of the society at that time. It was not accepted at all, for example, that a single woman escapes with a man without being married. That was the case of the younger daughter of Bennets family: Lydia Bennet. She committed a mistake that was very horrifying for her family, she run off with Wickham. Since, the English civilization was all male-centered, men could do anything they wanted, they could have many affairs or being free, just as simple as that. However, if a young girl acted like Lydia did, that fact would bring many bad consequences to her family. Bennets family would have loss the prestige at all if people would know that one of the daughters escape with a man. Nowadays, that situation would not matter, because peoples minds have changed, but in that eraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ people in general were all close minded. Regarding Jane Bennet, what can be said, is that she was the ideal woman. She was respectful, discrete, beautiful and she had grace. Even though Jane belonged to a middle class family, she never made a mistake that put into risk her familys prestige. She was in love with Mr. Bingley, a marriage which was seen for most of the people as something economical, but they really were in love. Janes attitude towards life represented the romanticism that women lived in that era, even more if they were into a courtship. Even though, Jane as well as Elizabeth knew about the real intentions of her silly and snobby mother, Jane was real. She was in love at least, and she was very lucky to be engaged and to be married later with a wealthy man: Mr. Bingley. Mrs. Bennet was so pleased when she knew about this, because in some way she and her family were safe. In conclusion, Pride and Prejudice reflected the English society during Victorian ages. Money used to rule the world, in terms of shaping and labeling people into social classes. Appearances were really essential at the moment to establish different kinds of relationships. As a male-centered society, women were the basis of the family, but they did not have voice or vote. Her options were pretty limited by the rules code imposed by the people. Role of women were really different as we can notice actually. They were pure but with no rights. Life seemed to be really unfair for them and that was what Jane Austen wanted us to think about. Even when Pride and Prejudice was a novel about love and how it can go through many barriers, women had a very poor role. During the novel and the story reveled, we can see several type of women: single women, married, powerful and poor. All of them had something in common: how difficult was for them to face life in general. Sometimes society and codes restricted them to be real and to fight for a fair life. Jane Austen in some way also showed how false is people in several situations: when they tried to impress and to be accepted by the harsh English society, in order to have a comfortable and happy life. This novel make us think about women situation in nowadays, things have changed and show us that during time there were noble and brave women that wanted a change, and that women after all are strongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ they are the basis of the family and the basis of the society. However, nobody said that being a woman was a easy task but it is admirable how they face life.

The Essence of the Otavalo Essay -- Essays Papers

The Essence of the Otavalo In our modern era and by our modern standards, the Otavalo people of Ecuador shine with scintillating success in the global arena. A myriad of factors have contributed to Otavalo prosperity and wealth, factors both outside and within their control, but factors nonetheless dependent upon the fluidity and ever-changing construct of indigenous identity. Tracing the saga of this indigenous people’s rise to textile, musical and cultural capital, the opportunistic attitude of the Otavalo remains the foundation for modern wealth and commerce. The true question of Otavalo success, however, rests not in economic prosperity alone, but in their inherent ability to adopt socially befitting â€Å"modern traditions† and retain the right to define the meaning of being Otavalo. As early as the 1950s, â€Å"indigenous merchants traveled to Columbia, Venezuela, Peru, Chile and Argentina† seeking markets and commerce (36). This swell of savvy Otavalos seeking new trade demonstrates the culture’s durable penchant for innovative business and financial exchange. However, it was not until 1964 that the Law of Agrarian Reform abolished wasipungu that major shifts in economic industry took hold of Otavalo. The process of redistribution levied out 180,000 acres of Otavalo land by 1979, but there was hardly enough land to support and feed single families, and so families began to focus on textiles and tourism for support. In the pinch of the 1974 OPEC oil crisis on Ecuadorian economy, the prosperity of the Otavalo persisted despite a floundering national economy because they â€Å"relied on textiles and tourism rather than agriculture† (39). With the advent of national roads facilitating tourism, the profit of the Saturday market skyrocke... ...ain focused in the spiritual valley of their home (266). Quichua shows no signs of fading out of common tongue, traditional dress morphs agreeably with elements of modern fashion, and families still desire to grow and prepare their own food on their own land. Yet the growing focus on individual profit and individual success may harm collective economic success in the future of the Otavalo, if the community loses collective identity and thus, political clout. Though no community remains static or rigid against social change, the Otavalo must have the right to exist as they believe Otavalos should exist. As they emerge as a community of people who turn the tables on capitalism and thrive in the economic structure laid upon their country and their lives, they will chose to adopt modernity as â€Å"they find useful† and blossom in the ever growing identity of the Otavalo.

The Persimmon Tree by Marjorie Barnard Essay -- English Literature

How does the extract affect the whole story? (The Persimmon Tree by Marjorie Barnard) Extract: â€Å"I liked the room from the first†¦ anyone who appeared to have her life so perfectly under control.† Question: How does the extract affect the whole story? The writer of the story â€Å"The Persimmon Tree†, Marjorie Barnard, was born in Sydney. She was a novelist, historian, biographer as well as librarian in her lifetime. She wrote many books, and among them, A House is Built (1928) and Tomorrow and Tomorrow (1947) are the best known (124 tutorial 30-10-01). Although â€Å"The Persimmon Tree† is generally thought to be a piece of subtle work, and we may find it difficult to get the hidden meanings of the words, Barnard has made it charming by associating different things. She entitles the story â€Å"The Persimmon Tree† partly because persimmons represent the narrator – a weak and lonely individual whose life is in sharp contrast with what Barnard describes, the â€Å"shadow of the tree†, which represents the outside world. Barnard has delicately presented the narrator’s complex feeling living between her â€Å"shell† and the outside world, and how the outside forces contribute to her reform in the end of the story. Obviously in the beginning of the extract, Barnard suggests that â€Å"shadow† does not merely mean â€Å"shade that is caused by an object [it is the trees in the story] blocking direct rays of light† (Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary: 1380). Barnard, in fact, associates â€Å"shadow† connotatively with two things: changing matters in the outside world and new life. Although it is not presented clearly in the story, Barnard reflects her idea through the descriptions of the narrator about the â€Å"shadow†: â€Å"the mov... ... her current help. The story has an open ending, as there is not enough space for further development. We are not sure about what happens next, although the narrator â€Å"[thinks] [her] heart would break [that represents changes to a better self]† (par.14). However, in my opinion, Barnard succeeds in portraying the struggle of the narrator when she is put to different tests (the â€Å"shadow†, the â€Å"woman† and herself). As we read the story, we can see how delicately Barnard sets each character and expresses their feelings under different settings. In conclusion, â€Å"The Persimmon Tree† is a piece subtle and delicate work. Bibliography Barnard, M. (1976) in Heseltine, H. The Penguin Book of Australian Short Stories UK: Penguin pp126 – 129 Hornby, AS. (1994) in Lee, Peita Oxford Advanced Learners English-Chinese Dictionary UK: Oxford University Press page 1380

Switzerlands Financial Outlook :: essays research papers

Switzerland’s Financial Outlook   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Located in between Italy, France, and Austria, Switzerland is home to a population of 7,450,867 (World Factbook, 2004). In 1848 Switzerland became a federal state that now has 26 cantons and half cantons. Switzerland is a melting pot, consisting of various cultures imported from the several surrounding countries. Languages spoken include French, German, Italian, and Romansch (World Factbook, 2004). For the amount of diversity among its people, it is quite impressive that Switzerland has been the leading European country with the lowest unemployment rate for years (World Factbook, 2004). The Roman Catholic and Protestant faiths are the two prominent religions among the Swiss. Switzerland is a member of several economic and finance organizations: European Free Trade Association, World Trade Organization, World Bank, International Monetary Fund Organization for Economic Co-Operation & Development, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2001). Despite Switzerland’s many financial alliances, it is a country that has long practiced an axiom of neutrality. Switzerland refuses to join any alliance that will obligate her to take military action in the event of war, (which rules out NATO membership) unless the country itself is being threatened. Some would argue that the policy of neutrality that has helped Switzerland to continually show signs of a ongoing prosperity. Nevertheless, Switzerland has long struggled to remain a non-participant during the wars that ravaged Europe in the twentieth century. Its citizens seem perpetually divided amongst themselves about the value of remaining a neutral count ry. Whatever the case may be, over recent years the country has demonstrated they have the potential for a strong and prosperous future. Major Industry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Switzerland’s economy is divided into three sectors: agriculture, industry and services. Fifty percent of the population is employed in services, with banking being the dominant service in the country and arguably, in all of Europe. Switzerland’s financial sector employs 220,000 people and contributed to 10.9% of gross domestic product in 2000 (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, 2002). Forty percent of the population is employed in the machine, metal, and textile industry, which account for a large number of their exports. The other ten percent of the population works in agriculture. Due to the under whelming number of people left working in agriculture, it is strongly supported by the government. In recent years, advancements in medical technology have led to creation of many small pharmaceutical companies throughout Switzerland.

Learning & process Essay

Learning is a never ending process. When a person graduates from primary or tertiary education, he or she should never be contented with the knowledge that he or she has acquired. Instead, there should always be a sense of longing, thriving, and enthusiasm for more knowledge. An adult is just equally capable as a person in his prime years to learn and acquire knowledge. One should not consider his age as an obstacle to nurture and nourish his brain with more information that are yet to be acquired. A person should never be contented with whatever little knowledge he has. An adult who enters graduate school has more advantages than disadvantages. An adult would have more experiences in life and in living compared with others, and this would enable the former to connect his experiences with his education. In other words, there would be a more realistic approach to learning. Often, people who enter graduate school with little experience from their jobs would tend to be more idealistic with their views about the theories presented in class. The decision of an adult to enter into graduate school to obtain a master’s degree falls in between the life stages of Transcending and Life Calling. These stages talks about a person’s journey in life wherein he has already mastered his craft and already knows his strengths and weaknesses. As such, he would now use this knowledge to achieve his goal in life. Thereafter, this person may now realize his purpose and this is associated with his life calling. The reason for living of the person becomes clear, and he is now ready to make radical steps for the realization of his goal. The decision to enter into graduate school is not easy. But, a person who has a clear idea of what he wants in life would not think twice about making this decision. The person would view graduate school as a means, a tool to enable him to achieve his goal to make him successful. Resources: Manifest Your Potential. 2004-2005. The Eight Stages of Life. Retrieved from http://www. manifestyourpotential. com/en/lifeskills/lifestages/eight_stages. htm

Proton Strategic Managemen

 « Task Management – Antiques-2000 | Main | Global Marketing Strategies :Case Study of Peninsula Hotel Group  » November 25, 2010 Strategic Management of Proton, Malaysia | 4| | Strategic Management: Proton, Malaysia Table of Contents TOC o â€Å"1-3† h z u 1. Introduction. PAGEREF _Toc226437728 h 3 2. Background of Proton. PAGEREF _Toc226437729 h 3 3. Macro-Environment Analysis. PAGEREF _Toc226437730 h 5 3. 1 Political PAGEREF _Toc226437731 h 7 3. 2 Economic. PAGEREF _Toc226437732 h 8 3. 3 Social PAGEREF _Toc226437733 h 8 3. Technological PAGEREF _Toc226437734 h 9 4. Micro-Environment Analysis. PAGEREF _Toc226437735 h 10 4. 1 Strengths. PAGEREF _Toc226437736 h 11 4. 2 Weaknesses. PAGEREF _Toc226437737 h 11 4. 3 Opportunities. PAGEREF _Toc226437738 h 12 4. 4 Threats. PAGEREF _Toc226437739 h 13 5. AFTA Compliance Problems. PAGEREF _Toc226437740 h 13 6. Industry Analysis. PAGEREF _Toc226437741 h 15 6. 1 Threats of New Entry. PAGEREF _Toc226437742 h 16 6. 2 Threat of S ubstitution. PAGEREF _Toc226437743 h 16 6. 3 Buyer Power PAGEREF _Toc226437744 h 17 . 4 Suppliers Power PAGEREF _Toc226437745 h 17 6. 5 Competitive Rivalry. PAGEREF _Toc226437746 h 17 7. Recommendation. PAGEREF _Toc226437747 h 18 8. The Strategic Triangle. PAGEREF _Toc226437748 h 18 9. Aligning Organization Wide Strategies. PAGEREF _Toc226437749 h 19 10. Adaptive Processes. PAGEREF _Toc226437750 h 20 11. Metrics/Performance Measures. PAGEREF _Toc226437751 h 20 12. Conclusion. PAGEREF _Toc226437752 h 21 13. References. PAGEREF _Toc226437753 h 23 14. Appendices. PAGEREF _Toc226437754 h 25 14. Appendix A: Strategic Triangle. PAGEREF _Toc226437755 h 25 14. 2 Appendix B: Balance Score Card Dimension of Proton. PAGEREF _Toc226437756 h 26 Table of Table TOC h z c â€Å"Table† Table 1 PEST Analysis. PAGEREF _Toc225758233 h 6 Table 2 SWOT Analysis. PAGEREF _Toc225758234 h 11 Table of Figures TOC h z c â€Å"Figure† Figure 1 Porter's Five Forces. PAGEREF _Toc225758249 h 16 1. In troduction The automotive industry in Malaysia is considered as one of the most vital and significant strategic industries in the manufacturing sector (ESCAP 2009). Malaysia is predominantly a passenger car market and the industry is considered as a domestic market-oriented (ESCAP 2009). The primary reason why passenger care market is prominent in the country is because of the economic status of the country. The objective of this paper is to focus on the case of Proton in terms of facing different dilemmas in the local and global automotive industry. Furthermore, it will use the Delta model in order to analyze the performance and recommend different actions to be done in order to maintain the position of the company in the market. 2. Background of Proton Proton or synonyms for Perusahaan Otomobile Nasional Berhad was incorporated on May 7, 1983 in order to manufacture, assemble and sell different motor vehicles and other related products which include different accessories, spare parts and other important components (PMProject n. d. ). Based on the technology and parts from Mitsubishi, the production of the first model or the Proton Saga began in September 1985 at its first manufacturing plant in Shah Alam Selangor by the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (Histomobile n. d. ; PMProject n. d. ). At first, all of the components of the car were entirely manufactured by Mitsubishi, but the local part has been able to be used, as technologies were transferred and skills were gained. In January 1989, the 100,000th of Proton Sage was produced (Histomobile n. d). At the end of 1990s, the logo of the car was changed from the Malaysia’s coat of arms and a fourteen-pointed star to a stylized tiger head. In 1993, a new model called Proton Wira was introduced that was based on the design and engineering of Mitsubishi Lancer/Colt where in more than 220,000 units were sold from 1996 to 1998. Together with that, the Proton Perdana that was based on the Mitsubishi Eterna was produced in 1994 that was intended for higher market (Histomobile n. d. ). In 1996, an acquisition of Lotus technologies form Bugatti, Proton helped the company to have an additional source of engineering and automotive expertise which enables the company to produce the Proton Gen-2, to become the first of cars to be manufactured and assembled at the new manufacturing plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak which is part of Proton City development project, which was opened in 2004 (Histomobile n. d. ). In 2004, the company purchased a major stock in MV Agusta of Italy which is the manufacturer of MV Agusta, Husqvama and Cagiva motorcycles. Later on, the company sold off its 57. 7% share to MV Agusta to another Italian company for a token of one Euro. Because of the heavy debt by MV Agusta, the selling gives Proton the opportunity to write off the losses off its book. During the same year, the company announced about their planned partnership with the Volkswagen AG of Germany. Under the said partnership both of the company will be able to take advantage of both their strengths. For the company, Volkswagen will be able to share knowledge, expertise and technologies, while the company can offer spare capacity at the latter’s Tanjung Malim in order to assemble cars for export o the South East Asian market, where in the German auto giant has a weak presence. However, on January 13, 2006, Volkswagen had announced that the negotiation of the partnership has failed due to the different reasons, primarily the fact that the plans of the company were different and clashes with the terms and conditions that are being offered by Proton (Histomobile n. . ). In 2002, Proton held a high market share of more than 60% in Malaysia. However due to the different factors such as the economic and social aspects, the said share was reduced to 30% by 2005. The said number will further reduce in the next years due to the AFTA which mandates reduce tariffs to maximum of 5% (Histomobile n. d. ). 3. Macro-Environment Analysis Every industry is being affected by the developments in the macro-environment. Fundamentally, all organizations are affected by the same developments; however, the extent to which organizations successfully cope or take advantage of these developments differs in substantial manner. Furthermore, developments may potentially influence one industry more severely than other. Therefore, it is vital for organizations to identify or anticipate the macro-developments in order to assess their potential impact on the industry and the organization (Nijssen ; Framback 2000, p. 53). Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 1 PEST Analysis PEST Analysis| Political * AFTA; * different environmental Policies| Economic * global and local economic crisis; * slowing growth of Malaysian economy; * poor consumer sentiment and changing buying behavior of the consumer; * increasing competition; * huge total labor force;| Social * huge population; * car ownership (1:5); * set on big-ticket items; * growing knowledge and concern of the people towards the environment; * impact of the image of the brand; * slowing/decreasing buying pattern of the consumer. Technological * competing development in technology; * maturity of technology; * intellectual property; * potential for innovation and development; * maturity and capacity of manufacturing| Table 2 shows the different factors which affect the operation of Proton and other major players in the industry in the country. Thus, all of the factors can be grouped into 4: political, economic, social and technological. 3. 1 Political One of the important factors to consider is the presenc e of AFTA or ASEAN Free Trade Area. Currently, most of ASEAN region are free trade or 96% of the entire ASEAN trade. AFTA was established in January of 1992 in order to eliminate tariff barriers among the Southeast Asian countries. It planned to reduce tariffs to zero to 5% in 15 years among the six nations through a common effective preferential tariff (Ghani ; Zainuddin 2008). Because Malaysia has two national carmakers which are Proton and Perodua, and the government wants to protect their interests. Unfortunately, the said development could prove to be a temporary solution. If we are going to check on the high selling prices of the national cars of Malaysia because of high production costs and lack of vendor efficiency, there is a big possibility that the local market will be ruled by imported cars. As a result, there will be increase in the number of the vehicles on the road and there will be a glut of used cars in the market, because people will tend to trade their cars for cheaper and imported brands (Frost ; Sullivan 2002). On the other hand, the issue regarding the environment is vital because it is considered as one of the most talk about topics in the world. The environmental regulation in Malaysia can be traced back during the colonialism of British which introduced the environmental standards about the mineral and agricultural resources to Europe. 3. 2 Economic The vehicle sales in the country is expected to fall by 12. 4% in 2009 due to different economic aspect, primarily the issue of global financial crisis, which affected the local financial status of the country (AseanOneMonitoring 2009). As a result, the government of the country is expecting a slow economic growth for the country, which can affect the buying behavior of the customers. Furthermore, due to the AFTA, it had increased the competition, which will impact the performance of Proton. However, the performance of the automobile industry will be maintained and managed due to the huge total labor force. Despite of the slower economic growth in 2003, the unemployment rate was only 3. 5%, which shows an almost full employment (PriceWaterHouseCooper 2005). 3. 3 Social The growing population in the country is one of the factors which can affect the automobile industry. In 2008, the country has a total of 27. million citizens (US Department of State n. d. ). This will give a greater number of markets. Furthermore, the ratio of car ownership in the country is somewhat high or total of 1:5, which signifies that people are considering cars as important things in their lives. Furthermore, people will also set on big-ticket items or consumers are expected to put off buying different motor vehicles because of the employment market uncertainty because of the global and lo cal financial crisis (AseanOneMonitoring 2009). Another factor to consider is the growing knowledge and concern of the people regarding different environmental issues. Furthermore, the impact of the image to the loyalty of the customer is also another factor. 3. 4 Technological Technology is considered as one of the most important factor in the automotive industry. Due to the increasing competition, the development in technology is growing and affecting the performance and position of each and every company in the automobile industry. It is also important to consider the maturity of technology, together with the maturity and capacity of manufacturing, which affect the innovation process of any company. The intellectual property is also important factor, because it is considered as a sign of authenticity and uniqueness. Due to the different technologies, primarily the help of computer and the Internet, the potential for innovation and development is increasing. 4. Micro-Environment Analysis Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 2 SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis| Strengths * strong support from the government; * strong brand; * reputation; * flexible manufacturing capability| Weaknesses * lack of R;D; * over reliant on the government; * not so competitive; * higher costs than competitors; * lack of international operations; * lack of original products/services; * limited product line; * existing quality issue; * human resource issue| Opportunities * â€Å"Green† Cars; * available government support; * available technological innovations; * entering new markets; * gain online/e-commerce presence; * strategic alliances and joint ventures| Threats * slow growth of automotive market; * change in the consumer lifestyle; * changes in regulation (AFTA); * changing technology; * competition from the foreign markets; * new competitors entering the market; * price war between competitors| Table 2 shows the internal and external factors that are important for the growth of the company such as its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. 4. 1 Strengths One of the important strengths of the company is its reputation or strong brand image due to the long years it had stayed in the industry. Because of that, the Malaysia people have become familiar and loyal to the brand, aside from the fact that Proton had become the national car brand in the country. Due to that, the car manufacturer has a strong support or back-up from the government, which is considered as an important entity in any business environment. Above all, the company has a manufacturing capability at Tg. Malim to consolidate all models, as well as the existing tariff structure (BuildBoard n. d. ). 4. 2 Weaknesses There are also different weaknesses which must be improved by the company in order to maintain their position in the government. First is the lack of R;D or innovation as well as lack of original products and limited products because of the inability of the company to introduce real new models, which lead them to cannibalize their screwed up line of products (BuildBoard n. d. ). This is because some of the products or models of Proton were based on the model of other international leading brand. It is also important to consider that the company is lacking in international operation, due to the different factors, primarily because of huge competition in the global market. The reputation or image of the company is also facing difficulties because of the current quality issue due to active service units and low plant utilization (BuildBoard n. d. ). Furthermore, company is having different human resource issue due to their inability to retain and cultivate talent. Because of all these reasons, the company is lacking in international operations. Above all, due to it’s over reliance to the government, without the strong support from the government, Proton could lose out to major players in the industry that can cause serious impact on the different supply chain (AseanAffairs 2009). 4. 3 Opportunities The support of the government to the company is an important opportunity, because the government considers the company as their partner, therefore majority of cars needed by local and national government will be Proton. Furthermore, the company can also take advantage of the different technological developments, particularly the different Information Technology (IT) or Information System or IS which can help the company to manage their information that can help them in the decision-making process. Entering new markets will also help the company to expand their business in terms of size; therefore can help to gain more turnovers. It is also important to consider the ongoing popularity of e-commerce or online selling of goods. This will help the company to target more market in more reliable, fast and cost-effective manner. Furthermore, the changing perspective and concern of the people towards the environment also created opportunities for different automotive industry, and that is to offer different â€Å"Green† cars or hybrid cars. 4. 4 Threats The most crucial threats to be faced by the company are the global financial crisis which affects the economy of Malaysia, and affect the lifestyle and buying behavior of the consumer. As a result, as of October of 2008, new-vehicle deliveries slipped by 13% from 42,915 of last year to 37,512 units (Chrysler 2008). The changing and maturing of the technology is also another important factor to consider, together with the growing number of competitors who are entering the market, which result to the price wars. The main reason behind this situation is the AFTA which focus on reducing tariffs from zero to 5% in 15 years among the six nations through a common effective preferential tariff It planned to reduce tariffs to zero to 5% in 15 years among the six nations through a common effective preferential tariff (Ghani ; Zainuddin 2008). 5. AFTA Compliance Problems The ASEAN Free Trade Area or AFTA is a collective effort by the member countries in order to eliminate tariffs on intra-ASEAN trade in the goods sector. The main target is to achieve tariff between 0 – 5% in 2003 for the six original member countries, Vietnam by 2006, Lao PDR and Myanmar by 2008 and Cambodia by 2010, at the same time remove quantitative restrictions and other non-tariff barriers. The reduction or elimination of tariff is undertaken through the Common Effective Preferential Tariff Scheme (Ministry of International Trade and Industry 2008). The main impact of AFTA to the economy of Malaysia is the increase intra-ASEAN competition from lower cost producers; declined competitiveness of traditional export industries which include the high labor cost, lack of resources and expertise and technology obsolescence; removal of protection such as quota system and monopoly status; complying with 40% local content rule; develop competitive local small and medium industries which will focus on the domestic market, dependent on single or few buyers and lack of expertise and backward technology. As a result there are different sectors that might face strong competition primarily the ceramic tiles, cement, plastic products and automotive industry (Ghani ; Zainuddin 2008). AFTA will result to higher economies of scale in the automotive industry in Malaysia. Higher economies of scale will mean lower unit production costs. This will help to translate into lower retail prices and a bigger market. Therefore, AFTA could translate into price cuts of about 20% to 50% on vehicles. Competitive producers can export their products throughout the region at very low import duties and pass on cost savings to consumers. As a result, consumers can exercise a wider and better product choice at very competitive prices (Dey 2002). 6. Industry Analysis Figure SEQ Figure * ARABIC 1 Porter's Five Forces Competitive Rivalry § Improving product differentiation; § Large number of firms; § Low Switching cost; § High exit barriers; § diversity of rivals| Threat of Substitution § Quality of the substitutes products; § willingness of the buyers to substitute; § Low cost of switching to substitutes. | Buyer Power § Homogeneous products; § Huge number of buyers; § Buyers are fragmented (many, different); § High role of quality of service of products;| Supplier Power § Few dominant suppliers; § High role of quality and service; § High cost of switching| Threat of New Entry § High capital/investment requirements; § Availability of the distribution channels; § Access to technology; § Brand loyalty of the customer; § Friendly government regulations| Figure 1 shows the industry analysis of the automotive industry in general. According to Porter, there are 5 important factors which show the attractiveness or value of the structure of the industry: entry of competitors, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers and rivalry among the existing players. 6. 1 Threats of New Entry The threats of new entry pertain on how easy or difficult for new entrant to start competing (12Manage n. d. ). The primary barriers of new entry are the high capital and investments that are needed in order to enter the industry. This is because it mainly focuses on the different technologies that are needed in order to come up with the quality and services that are being offered by the long time players in the industry. Aside from that, it is also important to consider the availability of the distribution channel which is very important in connecting with the customers. Furthermore, because there is long time player in the industry, brand loyalty of the customers is considered as inevitable. However, due to AFTA, the government offers friendly entrance policies for the possible new entrants. 6. 2 Threat of Substitution The threats of substitution pertain on the ability of the customers to go for substitute products that might be cheaper and accessible. In terms of the passenger car industry, the growing demands for bikes and motorcycles. More and more people are switching from using the passenger cars into using bikes and motorbikes due to two reasons, first is that it helps them to save money because of gasoline, at the same time, the consumer are becoming more aware of their environmental benefits. Thus, thequality of the substitute’s products, the willingness of the customers and the low costs of switching enables the threats of substitution high. 6. 3 Buyer Power The bargaining power of the customers in this industry is somewhat high due to the homogenous or almost the same products, which divide the number of sales from huge number of competitors. But it can be maintained due to the huge number of buyers, primarily in developed countries, aside from the fact that the buyers are fragmented. Above all, the importance of quality of the products and services are important factors which affect the power of the buyer. 6. 4 Suppliers Power The supplier has a neutral power over the industry. This is because there are few dominant suppliers in the industry who are well known for quality and brand image. This is affected by the high role of quality and service in the industry, because the industry is directly connected to safety and quality of life of the customers. The most important factor which add up to the influence of the suppliers is the high cost of switching. 6. 5 Competitive Rivalry The competitive rivalry pertains on the intensity of rivalry among the competitors in the industry. it is important to consider the improving product differentiation due to the extensive effort of each and every automobile company in the world to become unique and have the stronger market position in the industry. This is the major impact of the large number of firms of organization competing in the global market including local players from Korea, China and Japan which result to diversity of cultures and organizational behaviors of the rivals. The low switching cost from one brand to another intensifies the competition in the market and pushes all of the major and minor players to focus on R&D and innovation processes in order to improve their overall performance in the market. Above all, the competition is increased due to high exit barriers due to the human resource and facilities. 7. Recommendation It will be important for the company to focus on the Delta model in the process of planning and implementing their strategy. The Delta model is a strategy framework that was developed by Dean Wilde together with the members of Dean & Company and Arnoldo Hax of MIT/Sloan School of Management (Value Based Management. net n. d. ). 8. The Strategic Triangle There are three options that are represented in Triangle which are considered as the starting point o the dialogue for the development of a strong vision (see Appendix A) (Hax & Wilde II 2003). Due to the current condition of the company regarding their competitive advantage which pertains on the quality of their products, it will be important to focus on the Best Product positioning. This is because of the fact that the best way to attract, satisfy and retain customers is through the inherent characteristics of the product itself. The position is rather inward and narrow, based upon the prevailing product economics. Thus, the major strategic driving forces are the development of an efficient supply chain that will guarantee low cost infrastructure; a proven internal capability for new product development. At the same time, it will help the proper renewal of the existing product line that will help to secure the distribution channels that will help to transfer the products to the targeted market segments (Hax & Wilde II 2003). This will focus on the R&D and innovation process for the company. In order to maintain the process of engineering and designing passenger cars which will suit the taste and preferences of the customers this is affected by different demographics, economics and social factors. Due to the growing problem of global economic crisis, it will be important to focus on low cost or differentiation of the products. 9. Aligning Organization Wide Strategies In this stage, it will be important to focus on organizational change, because it will focus on restructuring the current business rules and policies towards the strategies of the company. In the case of the company, it will be important to focus on the strong product base, solid supply chain infrastructure as well as internal innovation capabilities to match (Hax & Wilde II 2003). 10. Adaptive Processes Because of the fact that the strategies of the company focus on the R&D process of Proton, it will be important to focus on the Innovation as the strategic task. It ensures a continuous stream of new products and services in order to maintain the future viability of the business. It also helps to mobilizes all of the creative resources of the firm which include the technical, production and capabilities in the marketing field in order to develop an innovative infrastructure for the business. Furthermore, the company must not limit itself to the pursuit of the different internal product development, but must focus the sources of innovation from the suppliers, customers and key complementors. It maintains the focus on the renewal of the business to maintain its competitive advantage as well as superior financial performance (Hax & Wilde II 2003). In this stage, it will be important for the company to know the reactions and opinions of the Malaysia customers regarding the design of their models, particularly the issue of almost identical design of each model. 11. Metrics/Performance Measures It is important to consider that metrics providing overview should be supplemented with granular metrics (12Manage n. d. ). A balance score card dimensions for the firm and for each customer segment tier were identified that will allow Proton to monitor and analyze its current executions of customer targeting as well as innovative strategies which represent different changes of key cost drivers of the financial perspective, operational effectiveness, technology as well as customer perspective (Core. org n. d. ) (see Appendix ). Based on the said balance score card dimension, as well as the Delta Model, it is important for Proton to focus on the changing preferences and demands of their current customers, which are their strategic partners from different parts of the globe, as well as their current loyal customers. It is important to focus on new services and products as well as the capability to deliver new car models to their partnership. As a result, the significant dimensions in the performance matrix must be percentage of strategic/exclusive partnership acquisition, percentage of business volume from different strategic/exclusive partnership, as well as switching costs for complementor and customer (Core. org n. d. ). 12. Conclusion Proton was considered as the national car manufacturer of Malaysia and considered as the major player in the industry. However due to the different factors, primarily the implementation of AFTA, the sales and market share of the company decline. In details, the growing competition enables the Malaysian market to have a wide choice of cars to be availed. On the other hand, due to the strong support of the government, as well as the strong position of the company in the market, it can be said that the company failed to focus on the most important aspect of a company in order to maintain competitive advantage, and that is innovation. Most of the customers are saying that the company is no longer offering real new models of cars. Aside from that, the company is also having a problem in their supply chain, which results to high pricing of Proton's car compare to other international brand in the market. In order to solve the current situation of the company, it will be important to focus on innovation or R;D process. This can be done by focusing on applying new IT or IS to speed up the process of designing. It is also important to focus on the HR aspect of the company in order ensure that the company has talented and skilled staffs to develop new and better products that will suit the ever changing preferences of the consumers. 13. References 12Manage. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis. Available from: http://www. 12manage. com/. [25th March 2009] AseanAffairs (2009). Malaysia’s Proton Still Needs Government Support. Available from: http://www. aseanaffairs. com/page/malaysia%27s_proton_still_needs_government_support. 25th March 2009] AseanOneMonitoring (2009). Malaysia Auto Sales to Fall 12. 4 Percent on Slowing Economy. Available from: http://www. asiaone. com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20090122-116465. html. [Accessed 24th March 2009] BuildBoard. Analysis SWOT Proton. A vailable from: http://g4. buildboard. com/images/attachpic/g4/B400/B400F1844T909_8195ded601b2dd2aaee71cb07bd4c006. pdf. [25th March 2009] Core. DMK International (8) – Aggregate and Granular Metrics. Availabe from: http://www. core. org. cn/NR/rdonlyres/Sloan-School-of-Management/15-904Fall-2005/F43E8DBF-9AF8-4B07-BB61-2920E880D30F/0/dm_csstd_dmk8_2. pdf. [2nd April 2009] Chrysler, M. (2008). Malaysian Auto Industry Facing Decline as Global Economy Slows. Available from: http://subscribers. wardsauto. com/ar/malaysian_industry_decline_081208/wall. html? return=http://subscribers. wardsauto. com/ar/malaysian_industry_decline_081208/. [25th March 2009] Dey, A. (2002). The Impact of AFTA on the ASEAN Automotive Industry. Available from: http://www. frost. com/prod/servlet/market-insight-top. pag? docid=IMAY-58VK85. [25th March 2009] ESCAP (2009). V. Malaysia. Available from: http://www. unescap. org/tid/publication/part_two2223_mal. pdf. [Accessed 24th 2009] Frost ; Sullivan (2002). The Impact of AFTA on the ASEAN Automotive Industry. Available from: http://www. frost. om/prod/servlet/market-insight-top. pag? docid=IMAY-58VK85. [Accessed 24th 2009] Ghani, K. , Zainuddin, Y. , Fereidouni, H. G. ; Ziaee, A. (2008). ‘AFTA: Effect on Malaysian Economy’. Journal of Management and Social Sciences. vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 134 – 141. Available from: http://www. biztek . edu. pk/downloads/research/jmss_v4_n2/6. %20Afta. pdf. [25th March 2009] [Accessed 24th 2009] Hax, A. ; Wilde II, D. (2003). ‘The Delta Model- A New Framework of Strategy’. Journal of Strategic Management Education, vol. 1, no. 1. Available from: http://pesona. mmu. edu. my/~wruslan/MISP2/Readings/detail/Reading-37. pdf. Histomobile. Proton (1985-). Available from: http://www. histomobile. com/dvd_histomobile/histomo/63/history2. asp. [Accessed 24th 2009] Ministry of International Trade and Industry 2008. Malaysia and AFTA. Available from: http://www. miti. gov. my/cms/documentstorage/com. tms. cms. document. Document_7d9e2e2f-c0a81573-11c011c0-50afb270/afta. pdf. [25th March 2009] Nijssen, E. J. ; Frambach, R. (2000). Creating Customer Value Through Strategic Marketing Planning: A Management Approach. Springer PMProject. The History of PROTON, Available from: http://pmproject. doubleukay. com/proton_history. html. [Accessed 24th 2009] PriceWaterHouseCooper (2005). Malaysia. Available from: http://www. pwc. om/gx/eng/about/ind/retail/growth/malaysia. pdf. [Accessed 24th 2009] US Department of State. Malaysia. Available from: http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2777. htm. [Accessed 24th 2009] Value Based Management. net. The Delta Model. Available from: http://www. valuebasedmanagement. net/methods_hax_wilde_delta_model. html. [Ac cessed 24th 2009] 14. Appendices 14. 1 Appendix A: Strategic Triangle Enabled Through Effective Use of Technology| System Lock-In * System Economics * Market Dominance * Achieving Complementor Share| System Lock-In * Customer Economics * Cooperation * Achieving Customer Share| Best Products * Product Economics * Rivalry * Achieving Product Share| Source: (Hax ; Wilde II 2003) 14. 2 Appendix B: Balance Score Card Dimension of Proton Balance Scorecard Framework| Shareholder Look| Operational Effectiveness| Organizational Learning| Customer targeting| Proton|  · Volume, revenue, gross margin by technology segment and market segment · Revenue and turnover by geographical segment (Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Pacific) · Revenue and turnover by business domain such as capital, industrial and government. |  · Wholly-owned subsidiary Lotus Engineering UK – leading automotive engineering consultancy company · Application of Information Technology in the R;D and auto development|  · % of sales from new echnology and models; · Training as a % of sales;|  · Customer market share by tier · Profitability by customer tier · Customer satisfaction by tier| Strategic and Integrated Partner companies|  · Volume, revenue, turnover, gross margin by individual client · Year over year sales and turnovers grow th by individual clients; · Return on business relationship investment|  · Cost to serve clients;|  · Number of clients on each country and partner; · Return on investment on collaboration tools per selected clients; · Return on % revenue on the center of excellence establishment|  · Customer satisfaction; · Joint revenue and turnover from complementor relationship · Relationship| Body Shopper|  · Volume, revenue, turnover, gross margin by individual clients; · Return on investment per head; · % revenue and sales from new clients|  · Time needed in order to complete the transaction from start to finish per model or project; · Idle time of engineering; · Return on investment on collaboration; · % of revenue, volume, earnings by different channels:o Referral by clients;o Direct selling;o Cross selling · Cost of training per project|  · Cost of the collaboration tool in order to facilitate transfer of knowledge|  · Cost to serve clients per channel;à ‚ · Customer satisfaction on the models, relationship and cost of products. | Adopted from: (Core. org n. d. ) * Finance Management * Small business account _ Custom Essay Writing Australia Send us your essay instructions. 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