Endangered Species Essay Example for Free

Endangered Species Essay There are currently only 30 individual Amur leopards left in the world, the hawksbill turtle has been deemed â€Å"critically endangered†, the black-footed ferret who was once thought to be globally extinct has only a population of 1000, the black rhino was said to be â€Å"doomed to disappear from the face of the earth† in 1961, and the Saola deer has an estimated population of a few hundred at a maximum, or possibly only a few dozen at a minimum. There are many more animals who are endangered, some who are even worse off than the ones I mentioned. If we continue to abuse our power and ignore the plight of these endangered species, one day even common animals like cows or frogs will be hard to come by. These beautiful creatures are extremely important to our eco-system and food-chain and need desperately to be preserved. If we continue to refuse to acknowledge this and disregard the issue intentionally, our ecosystems will begin to collapse and we will no longer have the variety we currently do of food, medicine, animals and thousands of products will not be available to us because so many companies use materials that contain animal by-products. Also, I will give you more insight on what it means to be endangered as well as give some examples of animals who are. Firstly, we ask the question â€Å"How does the loss of animal species impact ecosystems?† There are several factors that play a role in this. All animal and plant life is part of a complex ecosystem that includes our lands and waters. Remove one or more of these parts and you damage the entire environment, sometimes beyond restoration. These ecosystems provide clean water, breathable air, fertile soils, climate control, food, medicine, energy, building materials, transportation, as well as recreational and spiritual uses. An example of an ecosystem that is suffering from a loss of biodiversity is the ocean ecosystem. It is predicted that by 2050, all species of wild seafood that are currently being fished could be collapsed, which is defined as 90% depleted. If these species collapse it would not only affect humans but other ocean species that depend on these fish as a food source. Ecological collapses like this are very serious and often cannot be fixed once destroyed without enormous amounts of effort, or not at  all. Destructive human activities have increased the rate of species extinction for 100 to 1000 times the natural rate studies done by the WWF show. According to the US fish and wildlife service, 415 species in the United States are endangered at the moment and 164 are threatened. As well, they tallied that 541 species in other countries are endangered and 50 are immediately threatened. These numbers are much too high. This loss of species will affect our ecosystem’s stability and put our entire way of life off balance, as the animals run out of resources, so will we. Moreover, this lack of biodiversity affects many aspects of our own lives, the four most affected areas are our food sources, our medicine supply, our diversity in animal species and the variety of available products. The effect on our food source is obvious. No more cows, no more BigMacs. More so than that though, even our fruits and vegetables are being affected, there are many things needed to have healthy crops, one thing is good soil for example. Worms are needed to enrich the soil and add essential nutrients to it that help plants grow. Worms are part of an intricate food-chain that is connected to humans. Even those junk foods that seem to have nothing natural in them actually do. Nearly everything at some point was a plant or an animal, it’s a cycle. Our medicines are also made from plants, especially in certain cultures. A few medicines created from plants are the bark of a white willow, which contains acetyl salicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin. It has been used for pain relief for 2,000 years. Galantamine hydrobromide, a compound derived from daffodil bulbs, is being used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Digitalis has been used since the 16th century to treat heart disease and its derivatives are still used in modern medicine, this comes from foxglove. For the third point, even farm animal diversity is declining as accelerating species loss threatens humanity. â€Å"The accelerating disappearance of Earths species of both wild and domesticated plants and animals constitutes a fundamental threat to the well-being and even the survival of humankind†, warns the founding Chair of a new global organization created to narrow the gulf between leading international biodiversity scientists and national policy-makers. Dr. Zakri, a national of Malaysia who co-chaired 2005s landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and serves also as science advisor to his countrys prime minister, cited  fast-growing evidence that we are hurtling towards irreversible environmental tipping points that, once passed, would reduce the ability of ecosystems to provide essential goods and services to humankind. Some scientists have termed this the sixth great extinction episode in Earths history, according to Dr. Zakri, noting that the loss of biodiversity is happening faster and everywhere, even among farm animals. Lastly, do you think your home is free of items that have been tested on animals and contain animal by-products? You would be surprised how many companies make their merchandise like this, using these harsh techniques. A few items I’ve found to use these techniques are Jell-O, Windex, Trojan condoms, post-it notes, mars candy bars, Band-Aids, Kleenex, Iams pet food and Vaseline. These animals can’t do a thing to better their situation. They are becoming more and more endangered, threatened and vulnerable each day, do you know what that means? To be endangered means to be threatened with a danger or by extinction. To threaten means to utter a threat against, to be a menace or source of danger to, to offer a punishment to by way of a threat, to give an ominous indication of, or indicate impending evil or mischief. Endanger is also a synonym of threaten. Lastly, the definition of vulnerable is; capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt, as by a weapon, open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etcetera, open to assault; difficult to defend, or exposed to disease, disaster, or attack. We have placed hundreds of thousands of animals in a position where they are any one of those three things or worse, extinct. Meaning no longer in existence; that has ended or died out. Like the thylacine, the pig-footed bandicoot, the Steller’s sea cow, the tule shrew, the Malagasy hippopotamus, the Portuguese ibex, the Hokkaido wolf, the Syrian wild ass, as well as multitudes more. We, in a large part, are responsible for these disappearances, for the deaths of the innocent. We invade this pristine world, claiming it as our own simply by our presence. We slaughter innocent animals for their hides and their flesh. We devastate the landscape and gouge out the earth to build our monuments to vanity. Yet, still, we have the audacity to wake up in the morning and  complain about it all. Humans are a vain and horrendous species when it comes down to it, and some days, I’m ashamed to be a part of it. It’s time to clean up the mess we’ve made, time to stop ignoring everything, and time to start preserving the earth and its inhabitants, all of them, the way it should’ve been since the beginning.

Samsung SWOT and PESTEL Analysis

Samsung SWOT and PESTEL Analysis SWOT ANALYSIS Definition This is part of a companys strategic planning process that connects the companys objectives and strategies to tactics and actions carried out by employees. Often SWOT is part of a companys strategic planning process that connects its objectives and strategies to actions and tactics carried out by employees.   To better decide what changes to be made in a company and know where it stands on four key strategic areas it has to use a SWOT analysis. SWOT Basics Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats (SWOT) is an acronym that identifies the four critical elements of this analysis.   Strengths usually explain in detail an analysis of the companys advantages over its competitors. Weaknesses evaluate areas in which the company is at a competitive disadvantage and has a possibility of failure. Opportunities are untapped markets or business developments that the company could venture in and make profit. Threats transverse the external environment that could affect the company, an example being technological, environmental and regulatory factors. Strengths and Weaknesses The main reason for using the SWOT analysis is so as to be able to evaluate and assess a companys strengths and weaknesses. This helps the company understand its main market advantages and areas that competitors could take advantage of.   Companies take advantage of its strengths by using them as marketing messages so as to differentiate them from their competitors.   By understanding their weaknesses companies can decide what areas need improvement and what areas are deeply rooted in the nature of its business. Opportunities By exploring untapped opportunities company leaders are able to consider ways to grow. Any strong company has to look for ways to improve and elevate its growth curve because without growth means failure and lack of utilization of opportunities, therefore, giving an advantage to the competitors. Opportunities are areas that could create more sales and profits to the company, and these can be the inclusion of new and emerging markets, new business and product developments and lastly strategic business partnerships. Threats Though this is not fun at all, companies always need to have an idea of what external threats they may encounter so they can always be prepared and avoid being caught unawares.   Government regulation changes may affect the level of competition or costs companies face. Ways in which a company gets access and uses natural resources can be affected by environmental or conditional changes.   Companies that do not incorporate new technologies are always affected negatively. (Hill and   Westbrook (1997). WHAT IS PESTEL   ANALYSIS AND WHY IT’S USEFUL? So as to be able to achieve maximum results and get to its optimum performance a company has to consider some factors. The Pestel analysis explains these factors in six categories.   POLITICAL These refer to the magnitude of government intervention in the economy.   Most times the foreign policy of a country plays an important role in determining the trade regulations that could either lead to trade restrictions or trade incentives.   A company can be highly affected by specific regulations imposed by the government. ECONOMICAL Future operation of a company/organization is highly affected by economical factors. Also, the cost of imported and exported goods are highly affected by the changes in exchange rates in different regions. The expansion and growth of an organization are highly influenced by the economy since there is a change in cost of capital. (Yà ¼ksel, I. (2012). SOCIAL The macro-environment of the organization is formed by different social factors, cultural and demographic aspects of the Social factors include attributes in ones career, age distribution, growth rate, population, how individuals are conscious about their health and safety. A keen analysis of these factors helps one understand the PESTEL analysis and help organizations understand the dynamics of existing and the availability of potential markets and future customer needs. TECHNOLOGICAL With the speed at which technology is evolving and customers becoming more acquired to it, organizations have no option but to keep up with this pace.   New technology makes the old one obsolete and outdated. An organization/company that is not ready to embrace new technology is at a chance of lagging behind its competitors and losing its market value. LEGAL These are factors that affect the behavior of customers and the operation of businesses. Things which may be affected by legal factors are product transportation, profit margins, and viability of certain markets just to mention a few. These factors help in knowing if there are any dangers behind selling certain products like drugs and sharp objects and can also affect how a company stocks their inventory or interacts with the customer. Consumer law is used so as to protect consumers from companies that are involved in fraud and also preserve their rights when in the market. This affects business because they have to put aside resources so as to give detailed information about their products and services.   Employment law is also known as labor law, and it explains how companies’ employees should be treated. This also helps protect children from child labor and also it makes the firing of innocent employees a bit harder. SAMSUNG SWOT ANALYSIS Samsung Electronics Co. Limited is the consumer electronics subsidiary of the Samsung Group, based in Suwon, South Korea. Samsung is popularly known as the world’s largest manufacturer of mobile phones, smartphones such the highly popular and successful Galaxy as well as other electronic devices like Television sets, LCD panels home theaters, refrigerators and even cooking appliances. Having a great and undisputed manufacturing and marketing expertise, Samsung is regarded as the world’s second largest consumer electronics company the first being Apple,Inc. its American rival. STRENGTHS †¢Ã‚  Ã‚   It is the world’s most successful electronics manufacturer of television sets, liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, mobile phones and smartphones and other electronic appliances. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By use of its strategic marketing style Samsung is the world’s number one mobile phones seller with the world’s largest market share of 21.4% in 2015s second quarter. Apple comes second   with 13.9% †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By use of its impressive research and design capabilities, Samsung has been able to create and roll out a payment app with similar capabilities to Apple Pay, in less than a year the Samsung Pay.   Also, the company has been able to incorporate many of the capabilities of both Apple phones and Google Android operating system to its mobile devices. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung not only has strong manufacturing capabilities but also have undisputed marketing strategies that have led to the success of the company. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung has been able to sustain long-standing relationships with retailers in the United States and Europe that have been able to provide a steady sales channel for its products through out the years. WEAKNESSES †¢Ã‚  Ã‚   It is quite clear that Samsung has not been able to match Apple Inc.’s marketing capabilities for smartphones. This is because   Its share of the U.S. smartphone market fell by 2.3% between 2014 and 2015 yet Apple’s share price grew by 34.9%. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some Chinese competitors such as Huawei and Xiaomi are catching up to Samsung in the smartphone market. In the year 2014 and 2015 Huawei’s share grew by 48.1%, and Xiaomi’s share grew by 29.4%. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsungs dependence on customer electronics sales in markets that have limited resource for growth is dangerous. The company depends on these markets an example being the United States and Europe, for much of its revenue. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The public has not accepted the Android operating system in an equal manner like the tech community. This is because many consumers view Android as an inferior product to Apple’s IOS.   Samsung devices use the Google source application system and this is a weakness because it is not preferred by a majority of people.   †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Apple products are viewed as more technology advanced and dependable on than Samsung products by a large number of consumers. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung needs to improve its marketing efforts and standards, so as to be in the same level as Apple. OPPORTUNITIES †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung needs to grow its market for smartphones, tablets and other technological devices in developing regions where consumers are not familiar with PCs.   This is because in 2015 sales of tablets overtook sales of traditional personal computers. An example of these regions is Africa and India. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung should seize the increased demand for tablet and smartphone-based solutions and market some of its products that are not known to many such as Samsung Pay †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company should venture into new technologies such as wearable tech †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The growth of the middle class in the developing world will increase the market for consumer electronics †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sales channels such as Amazon.com can be used by Samsung to grow its online market THREATS: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung has not been able to outdo Apple. This is because Apple has emerged as the dominant smartphone and tablet brand in some markets, such as the United States. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The growth of Apple’s reputation for quality, reliability, and sophistication is a threat to Samsung because it seems to be lagging behind. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung is most popular for its Galaxy devices. We could even say that it depends on these devices. The problem is, the Google Android operating system, which these devices depend upon, is not as popular with average people as iOS that is in most other devices incuding Apple is. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚   Key markets for Samsung are North America and the United States.   The declining and stagnating of the middle-class incomes in these areas could reduce consumer buying power and therefore affect Samsungs sales. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samsung is experiencing rivalry from Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and Xiaomi. This is evident because the capital share of these companies rose and Samsung’s is falling. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If Apple decided to produce more consumer products like home appliances and cameras, Samsung could be greatly affected. Though Samsung has been able to maintain an impressive research, design and manufacturing capabilities, its marketing strategies are questionable. There is a need for the company to revisit and improve its smartphone marketing and design efforts so as to be able to maintain its market share in crucial arenas like the U.S. If the Samsung wants to maintain its position as an industry leader it needs to: 1. New capabilities like Samsung Pay 2.   learn to deal with aggressive Chinese competitors like Huawei and Xioami 3.Compete with Apple’s reputation. PESTLE ANALYSIS OF SAMSUNG INTRODUCTION Samsung is a global company that operates in the market for consumer appliances and gadgets. Samsung is owned by a South Korean family and has global aspirations to expand into newer markets. Since Samsung is not content with operating in some markets in the world, it wants to cover as many countries as possible. This analysis focuses on the external environmental factors that drive the Samsung’s strategy. POLITICAL A large number of markets where Samsung operates have a political environment that is conducive for business. This means that its operations run smoothly and though there might be some minor distractions to its operations in some of the foreign markets like India, Overall it can be concluded that Samsung is operating in markets where the political factors are not harmful. Samsung has faced significant political blows in its home country South Korea because of the country’s tensions with North Korea. Due to this instability, the company has had to take into account this political factor and also the threat of war in the Korean Peninsula. In areas where the political environment is unstable Samsung faces a lot of political pressure. This includes areas in many African and Latin American countries where the political environment is unstable and experiences frequent changes in the governing structures.This is not yet a major cause for worry for the company because it has factored the political instability into its strategic calculations. ECONOMICS Opening up of several markets in the developing world means that Samsung can expand in the global markets. This, therefore, means that economic factors are a critical consideration. The current global economic crisis has affected the purchasing power of customers forcing the company to seek profitable ventures in the emerging markets. The global environment in which   Samsung operates in has a lot of uncertainties and volatilities which means that the company has to keep on adjusting its strategies. Through expansion of Samsung into emerging and developing markets has made it possible for the company to adjust well to the tapering off of the consumer disposable incomes in the developed world. This is the main reason that Samsung has an aggressive push into the emerging markets with hopes that it shall recover all its lost businesses in the developed world. SOCIO-CULTURAL Samsung being a South Korean multinational owned by a family means that despite its global footprint it still operates from the core of a Korean company and culture. This means that among its global operations, adapting itself to local conditions is paramount. Since Samsung is a global company that has had to act locally, therefore adapting a global strategy makes it possible to be productive in emerging markets. Together with this, Samsung has had to tailor its products in markets it operates in so as to cater to their customers whose preference changes so fast.   It is important to note that Samsung operates in a market niche that is strongly influenced by the lifestyle preferences of consumers.   The fact that socio-cultural factors are different in each country; Samsung has had to reorient itself in each market accordingly. TECHNOLOGICAL Samsung is considered to be among the world’s leading innovative companies. Therefore, the company is at an advantage of controlling and making use of the power of technology and driving innovation for sustainable business. This has resulted into an obsessive mission by the company to outdo its rivals and competitors when it comes to technology and innovations. The companys main goal is to be the first to reach the produce devices that are preferred by customers and also be the first products of their kind in the market. LEGAL Due to Samsungs alleged imitation of the Apple’s iPad and iPhone it has had to face substantial penalties and law suits. This affected the company negatively on areas of public perception and consumer approval strategies. From Samsungs experience of having various lawsuits with its competitors, other technology driven companies should know that having an elaborate basis of a design or model is key rather than making a fast move so as to be able to present a product to the consumers that shall, in the end, ruin your reputation. ENVIRONMENTAL Samsung has to be on the lookout when making its products so as to be able to satisfy its customers. When doing this, it has to take into account its social and environmental responsibilities so as to make sure they are both ethical.   Therefore, this means that the company should ensure that it does not compromise on its staff wages or their working conditions for they are all involved in producing the final product. (Grade and Pestel) CONCLUSION As Samsung prepares to expand globally, it has to be sure of what is expected of it. Technology changes so fast and customer preference even faster. Therefore, with this analysis, Samsung has clear guidelines on what to expect in the global consumer landmine. REFERENCES GRADE, G. B. PESTEL Analysis Of The Energizer. Hill, T., & Westbrook, R. (1997). SWOT analysis: its time for a product recall.  Long range planning,  30(1), 46-52. Khan, U. A., Alam, M. N., & Alam, S. (2015). A Critical Analysis of Internal and External Environment of Apple Inc.  International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management,  3(6), 955-961. Kim, M., & Park, J. (2011, February). Demand forecasting and strategies for the successfully deployment of the smart TV in Korea. In  Advanced Communication Technology (ICACT), 2011 13th International Conference on  (pp. 1475-1478). IEEE. King, R. K. (2004). Enhancing SWOT analysis using triz and the bipolar conflict graph: a case study on the Microsoft Corporation.  Proceedings of TRIZCON2004, 6th Annual Altshuller Institute. Yà ¼ksel, I. (2012). Developing a multi-criteria decision making model for PESTEL analysis.  International Journal of Business and Management,  7(24), 52-66.

Selecting Channel Members

Selecting Channel Members Distribution plays an important role in the implementation of the international marketing program as it enables the products and services to reach the ultimate customer. And international marketing firm has the option of managing its distribution function either directly or indirectly through middleman or a suitable combination of the two. Due to physical distance, and also the differences in geographical, cultural and market characteristics of the trading countries, use of middlemen is found quite prevalent in international marketing. In fact, distribution is one such primary functions of marketing which makes use of the services of external independent agencies that bind the firm in a long term relationship. International Distribution Channels:- Distribution has two elements, the institutional and the physical. Physical distribution aspects cover transport and warehousing. The longer the channel, the more likely that producers profits will be indirectly reduced. This is because the end products price may be too expensive to sell in volume, sufficient for the producer to cover costs. Yet cutting channel length may be impossible, as country infrastructure requirements may dictate them being there. As already mentioned international marketers have the options of organizing distribution of their goods in foreign markets through the use of indirect channels, i.e. Using intermediaries, direct channels or a combination of the two in the same or different markets. Indirect Distribution Indirect channels are further classified based on whether the international marketer makes use of domestic intermediaries. An international marketer therefore, can make use of the following types of intermediaries for distribution in foreign markets. Domestic Overseas Intermediaries Commission buying agents Country-controlled buying agents Export management companies (EMCs) Export merchants Export agents Piggy backing Foreign Intermediaries Foreign Sales Representatives Foreign Sales Agents Foreign Stocking and Non-Stocking Agents State Controlled Trading Companies Direct Distribution The options available to international marketer in organizing direct distribution include sending missionary skies representatives abroad from the headquarter, setting up of local sales/branch office in the foreign country or for a region, establishing a subsidiary abroad, entering into a joint venture or franchising agreement. Companies having long-term interest in international marketing find it expedient to deploy their own sales force in foreign markets. This helps them in increasing their sales volume through committed market development activities, better control and motivation of foreign intermediaries being used, and paving the way for smoother transition to direct distribution and marketing. International Distribution Policy:- The international distribution policy of a firm according to Cateora, should cover the following factors: Question of control, size of margins, length of channels, terms of sale and channel ownership. Resource (money and personnel) commitment plans for the distribution function management keeping profit goals in a foremost position. Specific market goals expressed in terms of volume, market share and margin requirements, to be accomplished. Return on investment, sales volume and long run potential as well as guidelines for solving routine distribution problems, and The relationship between long-and short-term goals, the extent of the companys involvement in the distribution system as well as the extent of its ownership of middlemen. Adapting to distribution patterns Notwithstanding, the international distribution policy of the company, the factor of flexibility to adapt the distribution policy to local conditions of the foreign markets is very crucial for effective results. A clear understanding of the target market characteristics covering aspects such as traditions and conventions in the wholesaling and retail distribution patterns shopping habits of customers including customers reliance on channel members for product information and servicing; commercial terms; and legal requirements help define the selection of channel. The following trends help to illustrate the need to the above analysis for suitable adaptation of the distribution patterns: In the US, there has been a rapid expansion of large supermarkets and other retail chains, and also the deep-vertical integration into wholesale and manufacturing by large retail houses: In Sweden, a powerful consumer-oriented cooperative movement handles a substantial business in food, petroleum, etc. In Mexico, there is a modern retail distribution for the urban people, and traditional outlets and public distribution system exists for the poor. In China, wholesalers mainly control the Chinese distribution system. In Japan, large trading companies, handle half of Japanese trade while a large number of wholesale and retail outlets help products to penetrate in its market. In Saudi Arabia, a small number of hands approved by the royal family control its manufacturer-wholesaler retailer distribution system. Agents in Foreign Markets Agents, known by different names and performing varying functions in different foreign markets, have a historically established place in international distribution. While agents do not take the title to the goods, their importance stems from: local language proficiency, access to important policy and decision-makers, overcoming business culture differences, short circuiting the buying-selling process, and performing the cumbersome formalities and complying with routines and procedures of the foreign market. Selecting Distribution Channels and Channel Members:- Channels are an integrative part of the marketers activities and as such are very important. They also give a very vital information flow to the exporter. A channel is an institution through which goods and services are marketed. Channels give place and time utilities to consumers. In order to provide these and other services, channels charge a margin. The, longer the channel the more margins are added. Within the overall international distribution policy of the firm, the factors of: capital requirements; level of distribution costs; desired extent of control over distribution channel; depth of market coverage; product-market distribution pattern characteristics; competitive practices; legal requirements; and Short-term versus long-term involvement of the firm in international marketing govern the choice of distribution channels. Basically the choice comes down to two alternatives, the producer /seller selling direct or through an international merchant or agent. This is followed by the development of criteria for the selection of specific intermediaries. The criteria generally includes factors as financial soundness, local government contacts, business reputation, distribution network, technical support and infrastructural facilities (esp. relating to heavy industrial goods), business experience and managerial expertise, commercial terms, and extent of exclusivity to the international marketer. As the selection of the channel members commit the marketer to them for a relatively long period of time, their selection involves a cautious process and a careful analysis and referencing. Some international marketers make us of an elaborate process in this regard which begins with relative rating of candidate firms on pre-determined criteria. After the channel member is selected it is a prudent business practice to enter into a written agreement spelling out the scope of commitment to each other and thus minimizing the possibility of disputes and misunderstandings, 5 lists the items that should be included in a typical agreement with the foreign channel members. Items to include in an Agreement with Foreign Channel Members Name and address of both parties Date when the agreement goes into effect Duration of the agreement Provisions for extending or terminating the agreement Description of sales territory Establishment of discount and/or commission schedules and determination of when and how paid. Provisions for revising the commission or discount schedules Establishment of a policy governing resale prices Maintenance of appropriate service facilities Restrictions to prohibit the manufacture and sale of similar and competitive products Designation of responsibility for patent and trademark negotiations and/or pricing The assign ability or non-assign ability of the agreement and any limiting factors Designation of the country and state of contract jurisdiction in the case of dispute Motivation of Channel Members In order to get the best out of the international marketer and channel member relationship it is necessary that economic and non-economic incentives be used for the purpose. It may be emphasized that channel members being independent business entities, their key consideration for relationship is economic. If the channel member does not get an adequate economic return it is unlikely that he will put in his best in the business. In addition, regularity of contact, involvement in goal setting, better understanding of the international marketers business, and provision of assistance in market development or other areas of deficiency of the channel members capability prove useful for getting the channel members more than what they are generally expected to contribute. Robert Douglas Stuart suggests the following ways for strengthening the channel members loyalty: Build your distributor with your company: bring him into your picture; discuss future plans as they affect his area with him, seek his advice. Give your distributor an effective profit margin; try to keep in mind that you want to be in business with him for several years; make him want to continue the relationship. Be sure he has credit terms which make him competitive, or more so, in amount and length of payment. Maintain regular correspondence, and make sure he can clearly understand what you have to say. Make a point of commenting on successful distributors in whatever communication you use in his area (advertising, publicity, sales bulletins, and so on) Control of Channel Members Control of channel members in international distribution though difficult yet is an important aspect of its management. Accomplishment of sales targets, market coverage and development goals, payment schedules, and profit contribution made are some of the factors on which the performance of channel members is appraised and controlled. Constant monitoring, periodic reviews, regular communications and intermittent suggestions help a marketer to control its channel members and keep the marketer-channel member power balance in its favor. Legal requirements and adverse impact on reputation must be given their due weight age if and when the unavoidable decision of termination of channel member is to be taken. International Physical Distribution Management (IPDM):- Ever since globalization transformed the transport sector, national boundaries have become permeable to penetration by trade, creating the need for flexible transport solutions. Intermodalism and containerization were the by-products of this era and were poised to metamorphosis transport of general cargo, moving it `seamlessly through sea and land arteries. Forty years ago, the physical process of exporting or importing goods was arduous. Goods needed to be transported by lorry to the port, unloaded into a warehouse and then reloaded into the ship `piece by piece. The management of physical distribution of goods includes the functions as well as costs associated with packing, order taking and processing, and inventory control. Given the geographical distance, the associated business risks and the variety of transportation modes available, the management of this function poses a difficult challenge so far as the objectives of ensuring ready and regular supply of goods, in foreign markets at the most optimal costs are concerned. Physical Distribution Management, known as the dark continent of marketing offers tremendous potential in cost cutting and improving profitability. It requires the use of a systems approach and the management of the transportation, warehousing and inventory functions in an integrated manner. Containerization `Containerization, the term very familiar to present day shipping industry was a completely unknown concept a few decades back. It was Malcom McLean, owner of a huge trucking company in USA, who first conceived the idea of containerization by transporting. Containers through `Ideal X in 1956 and initiated a revolution in the history of shipping industry. Over the years, the industry has created a separate identity within the shipping world through continuous development and Maersk Lines, PO Nediloyd, Sealand Services (CSX), APL and others have come up as international majors serving customers all over the globe. The growth of containerization in India has been slow and steady. The formation of Container Corporation of India (Concor) as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Railways in 1988 boosted the efforts at increasing containerized traffic in the country. Over the years, volume of container traffic has experienced continuous growth and registered a volume of2.22 million TEUs in 1999-2000 at the major ports of India. A significant number of international container lines are active in India making business through their own office or through selected agents. Amongst the Indian shipping companies, only `The Shipping Corporation of India is active in the international liner business. It has tied up with Zim Navigation of Israel and Yang Ming Line of Taiwan to provide services on international routes. Of the 11 major ports of the country, Jawaharlal NehruPort (JNP) and Mumbai Port have. Established as the gateway ports for container traffic to India having a combined market share of around 60% of the total container traffic. Lack of adequate infrastructure in form of container handling equipment, CFS network and rail network in other ports have led to concentration of container traffic at Mumbai and JNP. Liberalization and privatization policy taken up by the Government of India has resulted into the commissioning of new ports like Adani and Pipavav. The various advantages offered by containerization include: Containers can be loaded and sealed at the consignors premises or at nearby container depot, minimizing the risk of theft. Since the goods are not directly handled during voyage, the risk of damage is minimized. Cargo can be loaded in a matter of hours rather than days the reduction in handling time at ports results in increasing berth capacity. The faster turn-round enables ships to make a higher number of annual voyages and reduces the number of necessary ships. Because of the numerous advantages, both air and water carriers encourage the use of containers by charging lower rates for containerized shipments. Conclusion:- International distribution and sales policy decision is one of the most complex aspect of international marketing management. Along with price and promotion decisions, a decision has to be made on the distribution system. There are two components to this the physical (order processing storage/warehousing and transport) and the institutional aspects. The latter involves the choice of agents, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, direct sales or sales forces. Again, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, it is in the channel of distribution that the international marketer can encounter many risks and dangers. These involve many transaction costs both apparent and hidden. Risks include loss in transit, destruction, negligence, nonpayment and so on. So careful choice and evaluation of channel partner is a necessity. Regular report on foreign markets, foreign visits, and deployment of sales force abroad and, an in-depth analysis of physical distribution cost and obstacles help a firm to streamline its international distribution, offer superior customer service, and keep distribution cost within reasonable limits. Since distribution decisions bind the marketers with their channels for long-term, its implications in terms of costs, flexibility, control and reputation must be examined carefully before committing the decision.

Duels :: Essays Papers

Duels "This is the excellence of Court: take away the ladies, duels and the ballets and I would not want to live there." - A. d'Aubigne, Baron de Foeneste, Il, 17 Duels and the act of dueling is something that has characterized not only the imagination of historians and modern warfare enthusiasts, but also the minds of writers and readers of literature for years. The numerous literary variations on the theme of dueling are enough of an indication of its importance, and the fascination with the act continues to increase. However, dueling is more than a literary climax or a plot twist; duels have been being fought for centuries and are actually derivatives of many medieval practices. The word duel has several predecessors, depending on which history is being referenced. The most common form of the word is derived from the German word Duell, which is a derivative of the Latin word duellum. Duellum is a combination of the Latin words bellum and duo, which connotes a war between two. This simple definition seems to be the most common and the most recognizable. Historian Francois Billacois states that a duel is "a fight between two or several individuals (but always with equal numbers on either side), equally armed, for the purpose of proving either the truth of a disputed question or the valour, courage and honour of each combatant (Billacois, 5)." Historian Ute Frevert concurs, but points out that duels, especially in the modern era, were "no mock fights, but serious passages at arms in which the opponents risked their lives and which could result in serious injury, or even death (Frevert, 11)." Most contemporary historians believe that the modern version of the duel developed out of three medieval institutions: the feud, the judicial duel and the knightly tournament. The belief that dueling was derived from these three events is often referred to as the continuity theory. Feuds in the medieval period occurred when people attempted to settle disputes and exact revenge for insults through "private vengeance," rather than by going to the authorities and entrudting them to settle the matter. Judicial duels, on the other hand, were official acts, during which both parties (the plaintiff and the defendant) fought their grievances out on the battle field with swords in front of a judge.

A New Nation of Individuals :: Literature Papers

A New Nation of Individuals Abstract As John Savage articulates, â€Å"Nothing costs enough here,† in Huxley’s Brave New World (1932) of bottled automata, where maelstroms of soma-ingesting, Malthusian orgies casually toss human life about (239). Nothing is dear when the freedom to choose disappears because individuals â€Å"don’t know what it’s like being anything else† (74). Removing choice is simply a method of brainwashing that only subdues human nature for the short-run. Consider Sigmund Freud's views of private property: In abolishing private property we deprive the human love of aggression, certainly a strong one, though certainly not the strongest; but we have in no way altered the differences in power and influence which are misused by aggressiveness, nor have we altered anything in its nature. Aggressiveness was not created by property. (Kumar 384) Aggressiveness, too, was not created by choice. This essay proposes a utopia based on individual freedom, derived from a laissez-faire economy and semi-socialist meritocracy. A New Nation of Individuals First existed the individual; then a group of individuals established government via a social contract. Thus, as Percy Bysshe Shelley writes, "(g)overnment has no rights; it is a delegation from several individuals for the purpose of securing their own. It is therefore just, only so far as it exists by their consent, useful only so far as it operates to their well-being" (qtd. in Chianese 282). Such basic democracy founded the United States of America—yet modern democracy has gone terribly awry, and power now lies in the hands of few rather than many. Ideally, "(t)he highest purpose of Nature, which is the development of all the capacities which can be achieved by mankind, is attainable only in society, and more specifically in the society with the greatest freedom," and the greatest freedom can only be obtained, as Thoreau believed, through a government that governs least (202). In order for the individual to maintain full rights and a completely separate, private sphere of self, government must be just large enough to protect man's unalienable rights, Thomas Jefferson's "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness," but not overstep its boundaries onto the slippery slope of tyranny or oppression. A utopian society should thus stem from a meritocracy that allows for maximum individuality and freedom of choice while protecting man from one another, specifically through universal education and healthcare, and a laissez-faire economy founded on a flat-rate sales tax. A New Nation of Individuals :: Literature Papers A New Nation of Individuals Abstract As John Savage articulates, â€Å"Nothing costs enough here,† in Huxley’s Brave New World (1932) of bottled automata, where maelstroms of soma-ingesting, Malthusian orgies casually toss human life about (239). Nothing is dear when the freedom to choose disappears because individuals â€Å"don’t know what it’s like being anything else† (74). Removing choice is simply a method of brainwashing that only subdues human nature for the short-run. Consider Sigmund Freud's views of private property: In abolishing private property we deprive the human love of aggression, certainly a strong one, though certainly not the strongest; but we have in no way altered the differences in power and influence which are misused by aggressiveness, nor have we altered anything in its nature. Aggressiveness was not created by property. (Kumar 384) Aggressiveness, too, was not created by choice. This essay proposes a utopia based on individual freedom, derived from a laissez-faire economy and semi-socialist meritocracy. A New Nation of Individuals First existed the individual; then a group of individuals established government via a social contract. Thus, as Percy Bysshe Shelley writes, "(g)overnment has no rights; it is a delegation from several individuals for the purpose of securing their own. It is therefore just, only so far as it exists by their consent, useful only so far as it operates to their well-being" (qtd. in Chianese 282). Such basic democracy founded the United States of America—yet modern democracy has gone terribly awry, and power now lies in the hands of few rather than many. Ideally, "(t)he highest purpose of Nature, which is the development of all the capacities which can be achieved by mankind, is attainable only in society, and more specifically in the society with the greatest freedom," and the greatest freedom can only be obtained, as Thoreau believed, through a government that governs least (202). In order for the individual to maintain full rights and a completely separate, private sphere of self, government must be just large enough to protect man's unalienable rights, Thomas Jefferson's "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness," but not overstep its boundaries onto the slippery slope of tyranny or oppression. A utopian society should thus stem from a meritocracy that allows for maximum individuality and freedom of choice while protecting man from one another, specifically through universal education and healthcare, and a laissez-faire economy founded on a flat-rate sales tax.

Reading Response to a Poem Essay

The poem â€Å"Wild Geese† by Mary Oliver was a very inspirational poem. Oliver creatively uses imaginative language, emotion, symbolism, and romanticism which led to a very positive and upbeat tone in her poem. Throughout this poem, the one thing that I focused on was the positive and upbeat tones that this poem contained. By her use of symbolic and imaginative language in â€Å"Wild Geese†, the reader is opened to Mary Oliver’s underlying meaning behind her literary prose. Furthermore, the calm romantic tone of this thought provoking poem, raises positive emotions to rise up out of the moment, and invites us to further take a look at ourselves. Mary Oliver immediately engages the reader into considering the true meaning behind her choice of words. In lines one through five, the reader can envision being in a very noble place where rules are always followed. Mary Oliver (1986) noted that, â€Å"You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves† I believe that she is saying that you do not have to follow the rules of society by bowing down to others or to repent for being who you are. Oliver used the symbol of an animal, you should do what you love to do and not worry about having to say you are sorry. With that being said, animals never have to apologize for being who God or the Creator made them to be. In lines six and seven, she again uses emotion and romanticism to bring out the feeling of her readers. Oliver (1986) noted that, â€Å"Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on†. She cleverly shows that we all have problems and yet the world will still go on. God or the Creator never promised us an easy life. In lines eight through eleven, Oliver uses the symbols of nature once again to show us that life is still going on no matter what problems we face. Oliver (1986) noted that, Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees,   the mountains and the rivers. She uses the emotional state of the reader along with the quiet romantic tones to show that although you will go through trying times in life, it will not last forever. She uses the symbolism of the wild geese, in lines twelve and thirteen, to show that we will always be guided to our destinations. All we have to do is allow our natural instincts to guide us just as the wild geese are guided home by natural instinct. In lines fourteen through fifteen, Oliver uses emotion and imaginative language to let the reader know that no matter who you are, or how lonely you feel, the world is for you to design it. The reader needs to use his/ her imagination. If you can dream it, you can achieve it. She again uses the symbolic nature of the wild geese to illustrate this concept. Last but not least, in lines sixteen through eighteen, she again uses imaginative language to challenge the reader to not conform to the world. The reader can use their imagination to break free from their conventional life styles and to join their place in the family of nature. In nature, there are no rules, but the ones that you create, where you are free to be as the â€Å"Wild Geese†. In conclusion, I found the poem â€Å"Wild Geese† by Mary Oliver extremely inspirational. She creatively uses imaginative language, emotion, symbolism, and romanticism to convey a very positive and upbeat tone in her poem. Throughout this poem, the one thing that I continuously focused on was the positive and upbeat tones that this poem contains. This is a very inspirational and uplifting poem. It encourages us to go beyond the plan that is laid out for us by society and lends us permission to be who we were destined to be. Throughout this entire poem, we are given permission to shake off all of life’s discretions, throw caution to the wind, and be as wild and free as nature intended us to be. References Clugston, W. R. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Influential factors Essay

When it’s time to develop a new program, the first thing that must be considered is the decision on what programming language to utilise. This is important because changing the program midway through completion is very difficult to achieve, and will often require a vast rewriting of code. There are a number of issues that will influence this decision, and these are:   Organisational policy, suitability of the language, the availability of trained staff, how reliable the program is, cost of development and maintenance, expandability of the language, and interoperability with other languages Table of Contents Task Brief 1 Overview of Report 1 Organisational Policy 1 Suitability 2 Availability of Trained Staff 2 Reliability 2 Development and Maintenance Costs 2 Expandability 3 Interoperability 3 Summery 3 Bibliography 4 Organisational Policy All organisations will have policies (methods of practice) dictating that they will operate under specified conditions. A policy of developing applications using one particular language may come from historical use, and a foundation of previous development tools (such as IDEs) for that one language. (M Fishpool, 2007, p. 156) To deviate to using another language may in that instance not make sense to the hierarchy of the organisation. This may ring particularly true if the organisation has established a relationship with a particular vendor, such as Microsoft. Maintaining a link with this company may be rewarded with better support and discounts. (Anderson, 2010, p. 166) On the other hand, maintaining the use of a particular piece of software (such as Microsoft’s IDE Visual Studio) would limit language choice to those that suit that company’s interests. Another choice they may pursue is to utilise open source software, which brings its own benefits and disadvantages. Open-source software does not offer personalised technical support and relies on an unpaid, potentially unreliable enthusiast community to provide these solutions, but is usually free to use. Suitability Building a program in a language unsuitable for its intended task will cause big problems down the line, which is why understanding the application’s technical requirements is important. The first thing to consider when making a program is what the intended platform will be. This could be computer setups such as Windows, OS X, a Linux-based OS, a web-based application, a smart phone-based app or the option to be platform agnostic could also be desired. Languages that are built to be natively run on one platform (like C++) will be more effective in completing intensive tasks, but building a program in Java means that the application will work the same way on any OS with the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) software installed (Oracle, 2011). The complexity of the program will also affect whether a procedural or object-oriented language will be chosen, as is whether appropriate features are included in the chosen IDE. (Anderson, 2010, p. 166) Availability of Trained Staff If a language is popular and used widely (such as Java, C, or C++ (TIOBE, 2011)), then there will be more professionals that are able to code in it than there are for less popular languages. Therefore, choosing a popular language will make it easier to recruit personnel for a new project. Also, looking at what languages the organisation has historically used, the kind of hardware installed, and what skill sets existing employees have will have an impact in this decision. Reliability. A program becomes unreliable when how it will deal with data becomes unpredictable, and this is what can cause programs to crash. This is why some languages, like Ada, are created with an emphasis on features that make them less likely to crash. (Anderson, 2010, p. 166) The best way of ensuring that code is predictable and reliable is to use a strict language, which is one with a strong type system. A strong type system specifies restrictions on how values of different data types (such as integers and strings) are allowed to be intermixed, and stops the source code from compiling if it thinks data is being incorrectly mixed. This provides a guarantee about how the program will behave when it starts running. (Wikipedia 2, 2011) Development and Maintenance Costs Part of the idea of planning the development of a program also includes the costing of the entire project. In order to do so, we take into account the length of time each development stage will take, and what resources will be needed at which point. A lot of resources are spent before the first line of code is even written to make sure that the language and IDE we choose will be the most suitable and acceptably reliable, because choosing an â€Å"unreliable solution means more money spent in maintenance costs. † (M Fishpool, 2007, p. 155) Also, rather than simply creating error fixes, maintenance is also about how the program evolves post-deployment, as suggested by Lehman’s Laws. (Wikipedia 1, 2011) Therefore, how much of the overall budget will go towards the evolution of the application needs to be taken into account. Expandability Expandability is about planning the long term future of the program. Programs in active use will rarely cease to be updated following its first release. It will usually evolve beyond its original specification and require more features to be added, or be asked to process more data. If this is the case and the program is not easily expandable, a lot more time and money than necessary will need to be spent on rewriting code or porting it to a different language. For this reason, object oriented languages are popular because new features can be ‘bolted on’ as additional classes. (M Fishpool, 2007, p. 156) If this is not a concern, a procedural language can be used instead. Interoperability The presence of several languages may dictate whether a language needs to be interoperable. Interoperability is achieved when programs coded in different languages are able to work with each other through a common set of standards. (Wikipedia 3, 2011) One way this is done is through the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) specification, which is implemented using Mono and Microsoft’s . NET. These allow any language that meets the CLI specification to be able to be run by their virtual machine. The most common language is C#, which was especially created to be used in . NET, but dialects of popular languages have been created to be used in a similar fashion (examples include C++/CLI and VB. NET). Summery In this report, we discussed what factors are influential in choosing a programming language for a project. We discovered that companies will have organisational policies which restrict employees to only use certain languages or certain company’s’ software. We also learned that all languages have pros and cons, so that understanding what task our program needs to do will ensure we pick the language that is most suitable. We also need to make sure that there are actually people available to employ to code for us, so we should choose a popular language to make it easier to recruit employees. Reliability is also an area of importance, but for programs where reliability must be guaranteed, we learned that there are languages such as Ada which cater to this specific requirement. Budgets are also an issue as development and maintenance costs will differ between languages, and an unreliable solution means more money spent in maintenance costs. If we need our software to be expanded in the future, it is also best to choose a language that can support this from the start. Finally, we learned about interoperability and how programs coded in different languages are able to work with each other through a common set of standards. Bibliography Anderson, J. K. L. M. P. a. S. , 2010. BTEC National Level 3 IT Student Book 1. 1st ed. Edexcel. M Fishpool, B. F. , 2007. BTEC Level 3 National in IT. 2nd ed. Hodder Education. Oracle, 2011. Java Runtime Environment (JRE). [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK â€Å"http://java. sun. com/j2se/desktopjava/jre/† http://java. sun. com/j2se/desktopjava/jre/ [Accessed 1 October 2011]. TIOBE, 2011. TIOBE Index. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK â€Å"http://www. tiobe. com/content/paperinfo/tpci/index. html† http://www. tiobe. com/content/paperinfo/tpci/index. html [Accessed 01 October 2011]. Wikipedia 1, 2011. Software Maintenance. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK â€Å"http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Software_maintenance† http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Software_maintenance [Accessed 2 October 2011]. Wikipedia 2, 2011. Strong Typing: Wikipedia. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK â€Å"http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Strongly_typed_programming_language† http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Strongly_typed_programming_language [Accessed 14 October 2011]. Wikipedia 3, 2011. Interoperability. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK â€Å"http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Interoperability† l â€Å"Software† http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Interoperability#Software [Accessed 27 September 2011].