Nursing- Case study- skill analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing- Case study- skill analysis - Essay Example These data can as well point out the possible complications that the health team must give priority in the duration of the patient’s stay in the hospital and especially during the surgical procedure (Rawlinson & Alderson, 2009, p. 2). The knowledge of these factors â€Å"will enable the surgeon to ensure that they are under optimal control before he operates, and that their presence is continually taken into consideration† (Plessis, 2005, p. 160). It is relevant that baseline data of the vital signs comprising of the temperature level, pulse and respiratory rates, blood pressure and consciousness level, be obtained from the patient. These vital signs are Mr. Taylor’s basic health indicators which represent his current status in the time of the assessment. Moreover, Plessis (2005) indicated that this baseline data are also â€Å"use(d) after surgery as comparative data against which the progress of the patient is measured† (p. 160). Improvement or maintenance of a normal set of vitals signs indicates effectiveness of the surgical procedure or medical management and absence of clinical complications. Decline from the baseline data in the postoperative period, on the other hand, may signify that further medical or surgical measures are to be taken. Preoperative assessments are needed to measure "the physiological, psychological and social needs of the patient undergoing surgery" (Oakley, 2005, p. 4). Each of these aspects must be individually given priority as they can affect the readiness of the patient to undergo the procedure. Before patients sign the informed consent, nurses must make sure that the patient or their family understands all the information pertaining to the surgical procedure as must be given by the surgeons and seconded by nurses. Moreover, nurses should also ascertain that the consent are given voluntarily and not as a result of pressure from any member of

Is Torture a Necessary Evil Essay Example for Free

Is Torture a Necessary Evil Essay 14th September 2013 Torture is a necessary evil. After reading this article and evaluating both sides of the argument, my opinion remains the same. I disagree that torture is necessary; it is a barbaric breach of human rights. After looking at statistics, only 8% of Guantanamo detainees were Al Qaeda fighters, this is a shockingly low percentage in proportion to the 517 Guantanamo that were detained. British laws have deemed torture illegal and yet at least 6 detainees alleged that British forces were involved in the torture. Torturing cannot go on; the pros do not outweigh the cons of torture. In exceptional circumstances, lives may be saved, but at what cost? Where does it end, as stated in the article, will family members become torture victims? As the initial suspect may not have value for their own life, they turn to his/her loved ones? If a suspect has been detained, regardless of what their crime may be, they still have the right to remain silent. Any forced extraction of information goes against the fundamental human rights, and even if information is gained, what assurance do we have that it will be correct information? In the heat of the moment, it may seem that the information is true, to end the pain that the victim is in, yet it may all be fiction. These are clearly not risks worth taking, and in my opinion, anyone who is willing to submit a fellow human being to that amount of pain and discomfort, does not fill me with confidence in the fact that they are in a position of power. In recent news, countries like the UK or the USA are undecided whether to involve themselves in the business of Syria; they claim that involvement, in the sense of morals, is the right thing to do. Yet there is still a debate on whether torture should be legal, does one not contradict the other? It seems extremely hypocritical that on one hand, the armed forces have a sense of human rights in one way, yet on the other hand, claims that torture is necessary, which completely abolishes human rights in another way. In conclusion, regardless of the arguments in favour of torture, I still disagree that torture is a necessary evil; it dehumanises victims, stripping them of their human rights, regardless of whether they may be Al Qaeda fighters, they still ha ve the basic human right to remain silent during questioning, any way of obtaining information by forced means is morally wrong.

Marcus Garvey Essay -- essays research papers fc

I believe one of the most influential African Americans of all time is Marcus Garvey. Marcus Garvey achieved accomplishments in not just one, but many areas. His accomplishments ranged from a worldwide Black political organization, The Untied Negro Improvement Association, to the first, and to this day the largest Black-owned multinational businesses, the Black Star Lines. Marcus was criticized by many of his fellow African American leaders because many of his projects failed. In despite of that, Marcus Garvey talent to attract followers towards his beliefs is inspiring.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marcus Mosiah Garvey was born into a poor family on August 17, 1887 at St. Annà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Bay, Jamaica. Marcus was born the youngest of 11 children. His father was a stonemason who supposedly descended from the maroons. Maroons are African American slaves who defended their freedom from British and Spanish invaders. Garvey had to itemize his pride in the unmixed African heritage of his parents. Marcus grew up and received little education in Jamaica, so he was largely self-taught. At age 14 Marcus had to find work in a print shop to help out his family. Marcus began to doubt the value of trade union after he was involved the first printers strike of 1907. Marcus Garvey began to complain about the mistreatment of African workers to British authorities and was appalled by the little response and that left him very skeptical about any hope for justice from the white people (Rogoff 72). In 1912 Marcus Garvey studies abroad in London. He began writing African p ublications and became an avid supporter of African independence. I believe the turning point in Marcus Garveyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fight for African freedom and equality came after he read Booker T. Washingtonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s book, Up From Slavery. Garvey à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“responded warmly to ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s thesis of black self helpà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Kranz, Koslow 86). With that notion in mind Marcus Garvey returned to Jamaica in 1914 ready to make a difference.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marcus was not noticed for just one accomplishment is his lifetime, but many on them. When Marcus returned to Jamaica he got re-acquainted with a group of friends and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), which sought, among other things, to work on black emigration to Africa. It also promoted racial pride, education, and black business activity. In Jamaica Garvey didnà ¢... ...y of Wisconsin Press. The reason I believe this is a quality book that deserves more study is because it involves Marcus Garveyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s most renowned accomplishment, the organization of the UNIA. It also shows how Marcus overcame his failures to become a black role model and leader. All of the books on Marcus Garvey show people that no matter what happens, wither you fail or succeed, you can become a successful person as long as you believe in what your doing. BIBLIOGRAPHY à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Black Nationalismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 24 Feb. 1999 http://www.eb.com:180/bol/topic?eu=15698&sctn=1. Cronon, David E. Black Moses: The Story of Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association. Madison Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1969. Hill, Robert A. Marcus Garvey: Life and Lessons. Calif.: University of California Press, 1987. Krans, Rachel and Philip J. Koslow, The Biographical Dictionary Of African Americans. New York: Checkmark Books, 1999. Rogoff, Edward G., John Trinkus, and Alvin Puryear. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Perhaps the times have not yet caught up to Marcus Garvey, an early Champion of Ethnic Entrepreneurship.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Journal of Small Business Management 3 (1998) 66-71

Examine the Key Concepts of the Ontological Argument for the Existence of God

1b) Examine the key concepts of the ontological argument for the existence of God (18) The ontological argument rests on the premise that the universe’s existence is contingent- it depends on something else to exist. The argument is deductive, analytic and a priori, and was first formed by St. Anselm, who prayed for a short argument that would prove God to be â€Å"that than which nothing greater can be conceived†.This prayer was called the proslogion and tried to prove God by means of reductio ad absurdum, which states that the existence of God is logically necessary. The argument is based on the word â€Å"God†, a being that possesses all perfections, therefore must exist. Anselm was aware that the existence of God is denied by atheists and in response to this, he states â€Å"the fool has said in his heart there is no God†. Descartes later reformulated the ontological argument, who sought to prove the existence of God through reason alone.He stated that he exists, and in his mind he has the concept of a perfect being, and as an imperfect being, he could not have conjured up the idea of a perfect being, therefore this idea must have originated from the perfect being itself, and this perfect being must exist in order to be perfect, consequently a perfect being exists. He also stated that the idea of God is the idea of a perfect being, and a supremely perfect being has all perfections, existence is perfection, a supremely perfect being must have existence, therefore it is impossible to think of God as not existing, hence God exists.Gaunilo stated that if the ontological argument was applied to things other than God, then it led to invalid conclusions. He applied Anselm’s premise to the idea of a perfect island: I can conceive of an island that no greater island can be thought of; such an island must possess all perfections; existence is a perfection; the island exists. He also stated that the views of the â€Å"greatest islan d† would be subjective. Kant stated that â€Å"existence is not a predicate†, which would flaw both Anselm and Descartes arguments.He observed that existence is not associate with the definition of something since it does not add to our understanding of that thing; â€Å"it would be self-contradictory to posit a triangle, yet reject its three angles†. Russell furthered Kant’s idea, and stated that we should consider the claims that a) all cows have tails and b) all unicorns have horns. Grammatically, this is correct, however, it does not state whether they exist, and therefore does not provide explicit information. Similarly, Hume stated that the argument makes false assumptions about existence; â€Å"we cannot define something into existence†.

Ethics and Internal Auditors

Professionalism, Ethical Codes and the Internal Auditor: A Moral Argument Mary Ann Reynolds ABSTRACT. This paper examines the case of the internal auditor from a sociological and ethical perspective. Is it appropriate to extend the designation of professional to internal auditors? The discussion includes criteria from the sociology literature on professionalism. Further, professional ethical codes are compared. Internal auditors’ code of ethics is found to have a strong moral approach, contrasting to the more instrumental approach of certified professional accountants.Internal auditors are noted as using their code of ethics to help resolve professional ethical dilemmas. Introduction Society grants professional standing to those groups which contribute to the well being of the broader society. Business experts in such groups as business ethics consultants and internal auditors lay claim to professional standing which if granted enhances both their credibility and marketability . But is this claim justified? Although business ethicists are beginning to debate this issue they presently lack a common body of knowledge or agreed upon expertise.As defined expert knowledge is one of the common criterion for professional definition their claim awaits the development of consensus (Cohen, 1992; Stark, 1993; and Dean, 1997) However a similar group, internal auditor’s have a fifty year history of moving to achieve this recognition. This paper will examine the justification of their claim to professionalism in light of current practice. Mary Ann Reynolds is assistant professor of accounting at Western Washington University. Her current research publications are primarily in the areas of ethics, and environmental accounting.This is of importance to society because internal auditor’s provide a peculiar service in that they contribute to the control of the integrity of financial information in a market economy. Public accountants, represented by the Americ an Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) have long held professional status based on their responsibility to audit publicly issued financial statements. Public accountants provide a range of service but are specifically licensed to perform the external audit of publicly issued financial statements.Internal auditors in contrast have no licensure requirement and practice within the corporation or organization that employs them. There may be great similarity in the work performed by these two branches of accounting. Internal auditors may perhaps be considered a subset of accounting and as such may be included under the professional rubric. However they may also be viewed as a particular class of business expert or consultant, not serving the public good and not necessarily adhering to standards or codes of conduct, in which case the claim to professionalism would not hold.However, as a result of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 corporations are required to maintain effective internal controls to prevent fraud and bribery of foreign officials. Internal auditors have been instrumental in providing this service as well as compliance audits to ensure meeting regulatory requirements. Society appears to expect a professional service even though licensure has not been required nor formally granted. The internal auditor serves an important link in the business and financial reporting process of corporations and not for profit providers but can they be considered professionals?Journal of Business Ethics 24: 115–124, 2000.  © 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. 116 Mary Ann Reynolds Professionalism: A societal perspective Accountants perform agreed upon services within an orderly social and economic context. The claim to classify accounting, and auditing, as classical professions is based upon their relationship to society as a whole and the question of professionalism must therefore be studied not just in the context of a division of labor but, â€Å"as part of a network of social and economic relations (Dingwell, p. 2). Professions do, in fact, contract with society and a sociological level of analysis is thus useful in examining accounting practice (Fogarty, 1995). The functionalist perspective deriving from Parsons (1951, 1968) classic works in particular provides a useful explanatory model for understanding accounting in its social environment. Functionalists contend that society will organize to maintain itself and then various functions arise to preserve the stability of the social system.Anthropologists utilizing functionalism as a heuristic tool have identified four of the prerequisites to maintain society as: 1) shared cognitive orientations, 2) normative regulation of means, 3) effective control of disruptive forms of behavior and 4) communication (Aberle et al. , 1960). Accounting reports as an inherent part of the resource allocation process and can appropriately be viewed as commun ication as well as one of the control mechanisms (Reynolds, 1989). The functionalist perspective is chosen from among possible approaches such as taxonomic, neo-Weberian, or Marxist (Saks, 1988) as relevant to accountants.As Montagna (Freidson, 1973, p. 146) notes professional accountants are, â€Å"designers of order†. Accounting theory follows the basic assumptions of the functionalist perspective in that they contribute to accurate communication, control and the maintenance of order. Although work on professions following a functionalist foundation is continued by Moore (1970), some specific insight can be gained by returning to issues raised by Parsons and Hughes in earlier work. A range of criteria have been proposed as indicators of professional status in this society. Parsons focused on the function served, i. e. aintenance of order and control, while Hughes discussed licensure and certification as indicators Are internal auditors properly designated as professionals? This continuing discussion is emphasized by Wesberry’s (1989, p. 25) regretting that internal auditor’s cannot yet claim to â€Å"have arrived†, to unequivocally claim professional status. Further debate arises as questions about future directions for internal auditing indicate a wide range of possibilities. Opposite ends of the spectrum are expressed by an interview with Michael Hammer (1998) and a review of Israeli legislation (Friedberg and Mizrahi, 1998).In an interview published in the Internal Auditor, Michael Hammer encourages internal auditors to move to a consultancy position and to convince management that the consultant’s role is in fact the role in which the internal auditor adds value to the company. This contrasts to the prominence internal audits were recently accorded in Israel where the Knesset mandated that every public body or organization must have an internal audit. Thus we see the current debate as whether internal auditors are class ified as workers with a particular expertise, or as professionals?This discussion can be informed by reference to the sociology of professions and examination of the proposed profession’s ethical code. The author examines the unresolved claim of professional status for internal auditors and considers their development and use of a code of ethic as one type of supporting evidence. The specific case of the internal auditor is addressed by reviewing: 1) the internal auditor’s claim to professionalism based on their function in society, 2) criteria for professions, and 3) development of an ethical code.The paper is organized as follows: the examination is located in the societal perspective and then specific professional characteristics are reviewed. The third section discusses codes of ethics and compares elements contained in recognized professional accounting codes. Section IV discusses the internal auditors code in particular, the guidance for conflict resolution and f inally, the moral focus of the internal auditor’s professional ethics code is discussed. Section five is the conclusion. Professionalism, Ethical Codes and the Internal Auditor of societal mandate.Jackson (1970, p. 6) enumerates: craft, skills, intellectual training and the concept of duty with a service ideal and objective disinterestedness as criteria for distinguishing professions. Thus, for an occupation to become a profession it is considered one which is practiced by a few experts using special knowledge in a field which reflects issues of concern to society. Further, normative standards of practice are then set by the professional bodies. Evolving professional status within a society is additionally evidenced by development and adherence to a standard or code.Thus, the consideration of an occupation as professional or nonprofessional is based on an accumulation of critical discriminating characteristics ( Jackson, 1970, p. 23). To those noted above Schumpeter (1951) ad ds the consideration of monopoly power. Monopoly versus non monopoly is an indictor of the degree to which charter to practice has been granted to the profession by society. Characteristics of professions. Within the social model professions are seen as emerging to serve the public good and are granted status by society because of the functions performed.The basic issues presented above led to the development of proposed listings of common characteristics for professions. The listing used by Millerson (1964), and Kultgen, (1988), utilizes both traits and functions as characteristics and is therefore inclusive of the issues raised. The listing includes the thirteen primary characteristics found in Table I. The first five general characteristics are widely accepted as definitional in the professions literature, they are appropriately applied to public accountants and are not argued separately in this paper.Characteristics numbered six through ten deal more particularly with the relati onship of professional service, and the professional, to the society and these will be examined in detail below. Characteristics eleven through thirteen further define the relationship of the professional practitioner to the client that is served and will be briefly discussed here. Characteristic number eleven asserts a fiduciary relationship toward the client. This requirement that the highest standard of loyalty be met TABLE I Primary characteristics of professions 117 General 01.A profession involves skill based on theoretical knowledge. 02. The skill requires extensive and intensive training and education. 03. The professional must demonstrate competence by passing a test. 04. The profession is organized and it is represented by associations of distinctive character. 05. Integrity is maintained by adherence to a code of conduct. Relationship to society 06. Professional service is altruistic. 07. The professional assumes responsibility for the affairs of others. 08. Professional service is indispensable for the public good. 09.Professionals are licensed, so their work is sanctioned by the community. 10. Professionals are independent practitioners, serving individual clients. Relationship to clients 11. They have a fiduciary relationship toward their clients. 12. They do their best to serve their clients impartially without regard to any special relationship. 13. They are compensated by fee or fixed charge. As summarized in Kultgen, 1988, p. 60, headings added. in serving the principal is difficult to apply directly to either public accountants, whose first duty is to the public good, or to internal auditors hose duty of good faith is to their immediate employer. However both groups do acknowledge their duty to act in good faith which may fulfil the intent of this requirement even though the duty is not to a client per se. Characteristic twelve requires impartiality, construed by accountants as objectivity. Public accountants are bound by the requirement to maintain an objective and independent attitude. Internal auditors are also enjoined to maintain an independent attitude, thus meeting this characteristic. The last characteristic is met by public accountants 118 Mary Ann Reynolds be a profession.Courtemanche (1991) provides an historical argument in favor of such professional recognition. Internal auditors working within corporations have asserted their right to hold themselves out as professionals. This has been challenged by CPA professionals in public practice. The issue reached the status of legal debate and court cases in Florida and Texas supported the legal right of accountants working within corporations, rather than in public practice, to use the professional CPA designation if they have passed the CPA examination and met the qualifying criteria (Baker and Hanson, 1997).A logical argument can also be constructed with reference to the professional characteristics previously summarized. Examination of the characteristics will reveal whether the preponderance apply to internal auditors or not. The first five characteristics generally define professions and can be seen to apply to internal auditors as well as to the certified public accountants. However, primary characteristics six through ten are open to debate and will be examined separately for applicability to internal auditors and the question of their professional standing.A discussion of each of these characteristics follows. Is the service performed by internal auditors altruistic? This may be questioned for most professions in any but an idealized definition of the functions that are performed. However, the focus of this characteristic seems to be that services performed are services that cannot be done by the client him/herself and that service performance is not primarily for personal enrichment. Compensation is provided to professionals to enable them to continue to perform the service. If public auditors are eld to enhance the proper flow of accounting information in a capital market as a necessary service (Brown and Bradshaw, 1988), then by extension internal auditors may be held to enhance the accurate flow of information from inside the corporation to the external capital market. By extension this may be construed as serving the public interest. However, because they are directly employed by the corporation they may be said to provide the service as a by product with personal gain, through the receipt charging an audit fee.It is not applicable to internal auditors who receive salary. In addition to these thirteen primary characteristics Kultgen (1988) also notes these seven ancillary characteristics: 1) loyalty to colleagues, 2) regular professional development, 3) prestige based on guaranteed service, 4) use of individual judgment, 5) work is not manual, 6) profits are not capital dependent and 7) status is widely recognized. These seven ancillary characteristics reflect more on the professional practitioner as an i ndividual and less on function within society.Examining both sets of characteristics from a societal perspective, it is readily seen how the public accounting profession meets the criteria within this model and can therefore be held to maintain order and contribute to the stability of the society. Further, in granting the Certified Public Accountants, as professionals, exclusive license to practice society acknowledges their important role and grants a monopoly position. Professions contract with society and acknowledge their role and responsibility by establishing codes of conduct.The development of a formalized code has been seen as a necessary indicator of professionalism (Newton, 1982, and Loeb, 1984). Thus, society acknowledges the professions’ contribution to the public good and the professions acknowledge their responsibility to society. Professional accountants, as represented by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), have held themselves to b e a profession and have accepted the obligations coincident with that designation.Certified public accountants (CPAs) conform to both the major thirteen characteristics and the seven ancillary characteristics and are commonly held to be professionals. However, Zeff (1987, p. 67) argues that their professionalism is, â€Å"diluted by rule dominated practices. † For the purposes of this paper the assumption will be made that public accounting, as practiced by CPA’s, is indeed a profession. Can this professional designation be extended to include internal auditors, as a branch of accounting, under the professional rubric?The research question specifically addressed in this paper is whether or not internal auditing, as a special case of accounting, can also be held to Professionalism, Ethical Codes and the Internal Auditor of salaries, as the primary goal. Thus, only partially supporting the claim to professional designation. Is responsibility assumed for the affairs of ot hers? This normally connotes an area of expertise held by the professional, essential to the recipient, about which advice is given.The recipient is not able to evaluate the information for him/herself. This is clearly the case with regard to the classic professions of law, medicine, and architecture (Kultgen, 1988). The public auditor is specifically employed to exercise professional judgement and offer an opinion as an expert. Therefore this can be considered applicable to the public auditor. However, the case cannot be extended to the internal auditor in this instance, as the client, i. e. the corporation, has its own accountants employed to generate the required accounting information and the internal auditor primarily serves an internal control function, even though accounting expertise may be needed and additional accounting advice may be sought. This control function serves the corporation directly and only indirectly serves society Is the professional service indispensable t o the public good? Public audits have been mandated by legally authorized bodies, thus recognizing that they are considered essential to the public good by allocating resources to them.With the public demand for the control of fraud evidenced by the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 internal auditors became more active as a means of internal control, and fraud detection that was part of the proposed solution to protect the public interest (Lambert and Hubbard, 1989). Internal auditors, in their professional capacity, may be asked to design internal control systems and to assist in the construction of corporate codes of ethics (Peacock and Palfrey, 1991), thus, serving as an integral part of the overall control system and by extension may be considered indispensable to the public good.Is internal auditors’ licensing sanctioned by the community? Referring to the previous argument some level of public sanction is implied. However, licensure implies authority to license, 119 which must be granted by an authoritative body. In the case of Certified Public Accountants (CPA), state boards of accountancy are empowered by the respective legislatures to license public accountants practicing in the state. Internal auditors are not licensed by a legislative authority. Rather, they are certified by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) upon successful completion of an experience requirement and a qualifying exam.No authoritative body claims jurisdiction over their activities. Within the corporation, however, internal auditors have responsibilities defined by the corporation and authority granted by means of a charter. This internal authority granting charter should be signed by the executive management and by the audit committee representing the shareholders (Ratliff et al. , 1988). In the context of an internal, company specific activity, this can be construed as granting professional right to practice by appropriate authority.This is not however, an authorit y granted by society nor does it extend beyond the charter granting corporation. This is, at best, a limited type of licensure as no monopoly is granted and certification is not required. Is the internal auditor an independent practitioner serving individual clients? The issue of the charter for internal audit departments is particularly relevant to this discussion. Internal auditors operate within the corporation by right of a charter establishing their rights and responsibilities and granting them authority to function ( Johnson, 1986).The charter establishes the internal audit department as an independent function which enables the internal auditor to operate as an individual professional serving a client. Although the client in this case is the corporation, the required independence of attitude and function can be seen to qualify the internal auditor as an independent practitioner. Examination of the applicability of the six ancillary characteristics to internal auditors contrib utes to the resolution of the question of professionalism. The six ancillary characteristics are specifically included in the code of ethics developed by the Institute of Internal Auditors.Thus, a preponderance of the characteristics, or 120 Mary Ann Reynolds punishments are structured to reward ethical behavior. Thus, the outcomes of professional behavior, whether moral or prudent, will enhance the public good. However, the Institute of Internal Auditors has chosen to emphasize high moral character. Article VIII of the IIA Code of Ethics specifically states that internal auditors should be ever mindful of their obligation to maintain a high standard of morality. It is useful to examine ethical codes and seek identification of common themes or components.A comparison by Kultgen (1988) of the American Association of University Professors; American Bar Association; American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; American Medical Association; American Psychological Association; Eng ineers Council for Professional Development; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; and Sigma Delta Chi (Society of Professional Journalists) found a number of common elements. The common elements noted include; loyalty to the client, employer, or institution; avoidance of conflict of interest or bribery. Competence, objectivity and honesty about qualifications were also universal.Additional themes such as respect for the territorial rights of colleagues and professional self-monitoring were also widely evidenced. The lack of regulatory oversight allowing self-monitoring, or a profession’s control over its membership and practice, is granted by society (Armstrong and Vincent, 1988). This ability to continue to be self regulated is one which the accounting profession in particular has vigorously defended. Another type of examination is provided by Harris and Reynolds (1992) with a specific comparison of the codes from various branches of the accounting profession.T his detailed comparison of the codes also focuses on dilemmas inherent within the various codes as well as, among various levels of society. An examination of the code of the internal auditors in comparison to the code of the AICPA reveals useful insights. Elements listed in the eight articles of the internal audit code include: honesty, objectivity, diligence, morality, dignity, organizational loyalty, independent mental attitude, competence, conformity to standards, confidentiality, full disclosure, continuing education, nonacceptance of criteria, cited are applicable to internal auditors in their own right.It is therefore, logical to extend the classification of accountants as professionals to internal auditors as professionals. To further legitimate this claim the Institute of Internal Auditors was formed in New York City in 1941, standards were established and a Code of Ethics adopted thus implicitly reflecting their acceptance of their responsibility to society. Examination of the code of ethics adopted may also shed light on their claim to professional status. The following section examines their code and compares it in part to the code adopted by public accounting professionals through the AICPA.Ethical codes: A comparison A profession’s mission and responsibility can be enunciated through the code of ethics to which it subscribes. Like other professions, internal auditors have developed and formally adopted a professional code. In the development of an ethical code there are two basic ethical viewpoints: 1) moral, 2) prudent, which may be adopted. Kultgen (1988) in his work on professions, distinguishes between these two approaches as follows: â€Å"Moral persons recognize the intrinsic value of each member of the moral community; merely prudent persons recognize only their own value and treat others as instrumentality’s. . . . Professional practices can be, â€Å"examined from the moral point of view, asking how they contribute to, or detract from the aggregate happiness and fair distribution of goods in the moral community (1988, p. 32). † Accountants are often viewed as utilitarian in approach and may thus be expected to choose the prudent approach. Examination of the AICPA code reveals that although the principles section in the introduction addresses moral components, the enforceable rules section of the code is predominantly a guide to practice. This is in contrast to the internal auditor’s code which is a guide to individual moral behavior.In a well organized society the rewards and Professionalism, Ethical Codes and the Internal Auditor gifts, and no commission of acts discreditable. This list encompasses both character attributes: honesty, dignity, morality, loyalty, nonacceptance of gifts and no commission of acts discreditable; and professional performance of duty attributes: objectivity, independent mental attitude, competence, conformity to standards, and full disclosure. Thus, the code gives clear indication of the personal qualifications perceived to be essential to perform the requisite public service in an ethical manner.With the emphasis placed on loyalty, dignity and morality the assumption can be made that this institute adopts a moral, rather than a prudent, view of ethical behavior. The emphasis in the internal auditor ethical code reflects an individual level of ethical behavior and decision making. The factor of voluntary compliance further indicates an individual level of ethics. Note that internal auditor’s membership is voluntary and members personally choose to subscribe to the higher duty. There is no societal enforcement if this duty is not met, the only enforcement is forfeiture of membership and certification (Loeb, 1984).The contrast with the AICPA code of conduct shows the AICPA code to have a more institutional focus. Rather than the specification of individual moral characteristics, forms of practice are discussed. The ethical code can be seen as directed to the firm of accountants rather than to the individual per se. The new AICPA code, as adopted in 1988, states positive principles about appropriate professional conduct and is goal driven (Meigs et al. , 1989). In contrast to the Institute of Internal Auditors code, the AICPA code may be viewed as adopting a prudent, or instrumental, ethical view.The AICPA code preamble and article II both express the professions’ responsibilities to the public interest. Here again, membership is voluntary and members commit themselves to honor the public trust and maintain professional excellence. Elements of the code in support of this include: objectivity, independence, scope and nature of services, compliance with standards, confidentiality, contingent fees, advertising and other solicitation, incompatible occupations and form of practice and name. Mention is also made of integrity. Integrity, however, is seen in the 121 context of professional judgment.The professi onal, by this standard of integrity, must be independent, not knowingly misrepresent the facts; and not subject his/her judgment to the judgment of others (AICPA, 1988). Again, the emphasis is on the professional performance of duties in the public arena and serving the public good. Further, Rule 501 enjoins members not to commit acts discreditable to the profession. Enforcement of the AICPA code takes several forms. Members can be censured by one of the designated review boards and membership in the AICPA revoked, the ability to practice before the SEC revoked, or the state license revoked.Licensure is granted by the state boards and revocation of the license goes through a state board procedure also. This constitutes a legal enforcement and the accountant would no longer be licensed to practice. Some of these contrasts between the AICPA and the IIA codes arise from structural differences. Namely, public auditors’ codes include structure of practice considerations such as ad vertising and contingent fees, and permissible firm names; that are not relevant to the internal auditor.Beyond structure, the basic difference evidenced is the AICPA emphasis on a practical, prudent, institutional approach, whereas the IIA emphasizes a moral and individual approach. This difference may in part reflect the varying degree of societal regulation within which the two groups operate. The societal regulation in turn may reflect the level of societal recognition and as internal auditing evolves and gains public recognition, regulation and possible licensing may follow. Examination of additional accounting professional codes provides further points of comparison.The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) code is the only code to call explicitly for the maintenance of personal dignity. Some commonalties emerge however, as both the Government Financial Officers Association (GFOA) and the IIA included: exercise of due care, or diligence, and loyalty to employer (Harris and Reyn olds, 1992). Both the governmental financial accountants and the internal auditors function in an environment where they are working as professionals, but within an entity 122 Mary Ann Reynolds on the externally issued financial statements (Lambert and Hubbard, 1989).That the internal audit profession is seen as a significant player in the societal move to deter fraud serves to legitimate their claim to professionalism. At the same time this may exacerbate conflicting loyalty problems. Clearly, the choice will fall on the internal auditor as an individual and it may be to this end that strong individual character has been emphasized in the IIA code. This conclusion follows from Kultgen’s statement that, â€Å"a valid professional ethic, therefore, is critical for the moral development of the individual practitioner (1988, p. 12). Resolution of ethical conflicts requires that the internal auditor recognize sources of harm or conflict and have some guidance on appropriate resp onse. Stanford (1991) recommends four sources of guidance. These are: 1. the IIA Code of Ethics; 2. the IIA’s Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing; 3. the IIA’s position paper on whistle blowing; 4. consultation with peers. Ratliff (Ratliff et al. , 1988) also suggests that guidance will be found in both the Standards and the Code of Ethics and Wallace (1986) emphasizes that the standards and code go hand in hand to provide guidance.A recent study by Seigel, O’Shaughnessy and Rigsby (1995) confirms that practicing internal auditors report using the code of ethics to guide their judgment on ethical issues in the performance of their professional responsibilities. Seigel et al. further conclude that the majority of internal auditors consider the primary purpose of the ethical code is to provide guidance. Internal auditors are indeed being given a special task. In the organizational structure of the corporation if the internal auditors repor t to the audit committee, as recommended, management may perceive them as adversarial.If fraud or inefficiencies are discovered both professional ethics and personal moral judgment will be needed to resolve conflict. Conflict also arises within the code itself. There is a basic conflict juxtaposing disclosure and confidentiality and rather than independently in society. Thus the adjuration to loyalty to the employer is appropriate. Professional conflict resolution: Guidelines The codes of ethics are adopted to provide guidance to the practicing professional. Kultgen (1988, p. 13) notes, â€Å". . . professionals, precisely as professionals, are confronted with serious conflicts of duty, and conflicts between duty and self-interest. One purpose for codes of ethics is to provide guidance for the resolution of conflict. The internal auditor faces possible conflict in the practice of his/her profession within an organization. Although independence, in theory, is established by the corp orate charter and is required by the code, it may be difficult to achieve in practice. Internal auditors faced with choices that may not appear beneficial to upper management or the organization may find it difficult to maintain an objective disinterestedness. Loyalty, an explicit component of the ethical code, may also present conflicts.The internal auditor may face a conflict between loyalty to the profession and professional standards as they are articulated in the standards and the code of ethics, and his/her employer. The interest of the firm in presenting information may not always be consonant with the interest of society to receive full disclosure of information as management seeks to protect strategic and proprietary information. Although internal auditors may be part of the management team they may also serve a control function on managerial activities, another source of potential conflict.Thus, even within the firm they may have conflicting loyalties (Lambert and Hubbard, 1989). Their obligation to the organization constrains them to safeguard the assets of corporation, minimize waste and inefficiency and watch for deliberate wrongdoing and conflicts of interest (Verschoor, 1987). As a result of the Report of the National Commission of Fraudulent Financial reporting (Treadway Commission, 1987) there is an increasing responsibility for the internal auditor to be active in identifying fraud leading to material misstatementProfessionalism, Ethical Codes and the Internal Auditor also loyalty and objectivity (see Harris and Reynolds, 1992, for a full discussion). Dilemmas arising from these juxtapositions are inherent in the statement of the code consequently the individual practitioner must ultimately turn to his/her own moral response for guidance and resolution. A further role suggested for the internal auditor is monitoring corporate codes of conduct. While this may well be an appropriate extension of internal auditors role it is in the nature of a c onsulting service not a professional accounting service.Indeed, as noted in the introduction, business ethics consultants are developing to advise organizations on ethical codes, problems and approaches to resolution (Dean, 1997). Internal auditors are well positioned to participate in this discussion, though it does not help to resolve the question of professionalism examined in this paper. 123 individual professional within a firm. The IIA code focuses on the morality and dignity of the individual and pushes code adherents toward the achievement of a professional ideal.Thus by noting the internal auditor’s development and use of a code of ethics, reviewing their relationship to the accounting profession and examining their function in society, their claim to professional designation can be supported. The preponderance of the evidence supports their status as professionals. References Aberle, D. F. , A. K. Cohen, A. K. Davis, M. J. Levy Jr. and F. X. Sutton: 1960, ‘The Functional Prerequisites of a Society’, Ethics 60 (University of Chicago Press). Armstrong, M. B. and J. I. Vincent: 1988, ‘Public Accounting: A Profession at a Crossroads’, Accounting Horizons (March), 94–98.Brown, G. R. and W. A. Bradshaw: 1988, ‘The External Auditor’s Pivotal Role’, CA Journal ( Jan/Feb), 46–52. Baker, J. D. and R. K. Hanson: 1997, ‘The â€Å"Holding Out†, Issue’, Internal Auditor (Feb), 62–67. Cohen, D. : 1992, ‘Resisting the Right Stuff: Barriers to Business Ethics Consultation’, Proceedings of the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, pp. 155–159. Dean, P. J. : 1997. ‘Examining the Profession and the Practice of Business Ethics’, Journal of Business Ethics (Nov), 1637–1649. Dingwall, R. : 1983. The Sociology of the Professions, Dingwall and Lewis (eds. (Oxford Socio-Legal Studies, Oxford). Hammer, M. : 1998. ‘Just Do Itâ₠¬â„¢, Interview with M. Hammer in Internal Auditor ( June), 38–41. Harris, J. E. and M. A. Reynolds: 1992, ‘Formal Codes: The Delineation of Ethical Dilemmas’, Advances in Public Interest Accounting, 1–17. Fogarty, T. J. : 1995, ‘Accountant Ethics: A Brief Examination of Neglected Sociological Dimensions’, Journal of Business Ethics 14, 103–115. Friedberg, A. and N. Mizrahi: 1998. ‘Making History’, Internal Auditor (April), 71–75. Freidson, E. : 1971, The Professions and Their Prospects, Freidson (ed. ) (Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA).Jackson, J. A. : 1970, Professions and Professionalization (Cambridge University Press). Conclusion Accounting is acknowledged as a profession serving society’s needs. Examining both primary and ancillary professional characteristics shows the appropriateness of including internal auditors within this professional designation. Further, their code of ethics is similar to ot her professional codes and provides guidance to them in their professional practice. One purpose of profession’s codes of ethics is to legitimate the profession and publicize standards of conduct (Sawyer, 1991).Another is to provide guidance for ethical conflict resolution. The IIA Code of Ethics serves both of these purposes for its professional constituency. The code implicitly recognizes the responsibility extended to the profession by society. The code enjoins internal auditors to maintain both a high level of moral character and a high level of professional competence. As the role of internal auditors differs from the that of public auditors, so also their code differs. The AICPA is an institute that serves the public interest by monitoring the external exchange of financial information.Their code reflects the institutional perspective. The internal auditor practices as an 124 Mary Ann Reynolds and Techniques (The Institute of Internal Auditors, Altamont Springs). Reynol ds, M. A. : 1989. The Audit Function in Society: An Empirical Investigation, Doctoral Dissertation (University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah). Saks, M. : 1988, ‘Removing the Blinkers? A Critique of Recent Contributions to the Sociology of Professions’, Sociological Review 31(1), 1–21. Sawyer, L. B. : 1991, ‘Internal Auditing: Practice and Professionalism’, Internal Auditor ( June), 38–42. Schumpeter, J. A. 1951, Imperialism and Social Classes (Oxford). Seigel, P. H. , J. O’Shaughnessy and J. T. Rigsby: 1995, ‘A Reexamination of the Internal Auditors’ Code of Ethics’, Journal of Business Ethics 14, 949–957. Stanford, S. E. : 1991, ‘Ethics’, Internal Auditor ( June), 102–104. Stark, A. : 1993, ‘What’s the Matter with Business Ethics? ’, Harvard Business Review (May-June), 38–48. Wallace, W. : 1986, Auditing (Macmillan, New York). Wesberry Jr. , J. P: 1989, ‘Th e Pursuit of Professionalism’, Internal Auditor (April), 22–29. Verschoor, C. C. : 1987, ‘The Ethical Dilemma’, Internal Auditor (Feb), 29–31.Zeff, S. A. : 1989, ‘Does the CPA Belong to a Profession? ’, Accounting Horizons ( June), 65–68. Johnson, H. V. : 1986, ‘Creating the Charter’, Internal Auditor (Dec), 42–45. Kultgen, J. : 1988, Ethics and Professionalism (University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia). Lambert, J. C. and T. D. Hubbard: 1989, ‘Internal Auditor’s Changing Responsibility for Fraud Detection’, Internal Auditor ( June), 13–16. Loeb, S. E. : 1984, ‘Codes of Ethics and Self Regulation for Non Public Accountants: A public Policy Perspective’, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 1–8. Meigs, W. B. , O. R. Whittington, K.Pany and R. F. Meigs: 1989, Principles of Auditing (Irwin, Homewood, IL). Millerson, G: 1964, ‘Dilemmas of Professionali sm’, New Society ( June 4), 15–16. Montagna, P. D. : 1971. ‘The Public Accounting Profession, Organization, Ideology and Social Power’, in Freidson (ed. ), Professions and Their Prospects (Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA). Moore, W. : 1970, The Professions: Roles and Rules (Russell Sage Foundation, New York). Newton, L. H: 1982, ‘The Origins of Professionalism: Sociological Construction and Ethical Implications’, Business and Professional Ethics Journal (Fall), 41–57.Parsons, T. : 1951, The Social System (The Free Press, Glencoe, IL). Parsons, T. : 1968, ‘Professions’, in D. Sill (ed. ), International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, XII (Macmillan and The Free Press, New York). Peacock, E. and S. H. Pelfrey: 1991, ‘Internal Auditors and the Code of Conduct’, Internal Auditor (Feb), 45–49. Ratliff, R. L. , W. A. Wallace, J. K. Loebbecke and W. G. McFarland: 1988, Internal Auditing Principles Wes tern Washington University, Department of Accounting, College of Business and Economics, WA 98225-9071, Bellingham, U. S. A. E-mail: MaryAnn. [email  protected] edu.

Apple Inc Market Entry Audit The Entry of Apple Inc into a New Market with an Existing Product or Service

Apple Inc Market Entry Audit The Entry of Apple Inc into a New Market with an Existing Product or Service Executive summary Apple Inc. is a publicly listed American company specializing in the production of high technological electronic products, computer hardware, and software (Apple Inc, 2010). The company products include personal computers, media devices, mobile communication, and portable-digital music players. However, during its international market operations, Apple faces various challenges and opportunities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Apple Inc Market Entry Audit: The Entry of Apple Inc into a New Market with an Existing Product or Service specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company is nonetheless committed towards bringing the best user experience to all clients around the world through its innovative hardware and software. The peripherals and services have driven the company to open up its operations in the major emerging markets. Thus, this report analyses Apple Inc market entry using frameworks such as Porters five forces, PESTEL, and SWOT. It concludes recommendation on what Apple should do to remain competitive. Apple Inc Market Entry Strategy.  Company overview Apple Inc. is a publicly listed American multinational company specializing in the production of high technological electronic products, computer hardware, and software (Apple Inc. 2010). Under the electronic hardware category, the company products include personal computers, media devices, mobile communication, and portable-digital music players. In addition to high tech hardware devises, the company produces a variety of software applications including third-party digital content applications and networking solutions. Within the mobile communications category, the company has launched into the market a variety of Smartphones including iPhone and other android Smartphones that have significantly hit the world Smartphones market. The company is currently the market leader in the android smart phones and computer techn ology market. The company operations are based on geographical locations. In fact, the operations of the company are segmented based on the nature and location of its customers. The research report analyzes the external and internal environment where Apple Inc operates using various frameworks. Main Findings Current Market Situation: External marketing environment.  PESTEL analysis Political factors Apple Inc. is a multinational company operating in many countries especially in North America, Europe and Asia. Thus, its products are sold in a wide spectrum of political environments. Moreover, its Smartphones consumers are spread across the political divide found in all parts of the world.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, political consideration is very important factor especially when introducing a particular product in the foreign country market. Thus t he company marketing strategies must be in line with the country policy in which its products are sold (Herzog, 2010). Economic factors The current economic situation around the world has a profound effect not only on the company products but also on the general production capacity. The recent economic downturn experienced in America and Europe has a considerable consequence on the Smartphones domestic market. Sales for the Smartphones reduced as majority of consumers switched to other essential products as their income reduced. Reduction in sales was also experienced in many parts of Europe as well as in many countries around the world. However, this presented an opportunity for the company to introduce cheaper Smartphones in the market (Wernerfelt 172). Social and cultural factors The company Smartphones is sold in an open cultural environment. Moreover, its target market of younger generation pursue vogue and like cultures. Their lifestyles are similar in almost all parts of the world. Moreover, the company Smartphone’s process designs are simplified to meet the needs of all cultures. The company Smartphone’s designs combine simplicity and beauty, the logic that is praised highly in all parts of the world. All the Smartphones that the company has launched into the market has been popular among the younger generation, which has revolutionized the generation cultures (Blomstermo, Sharma Sallis, 2006). However, the company Smartphones designs focuses on the needs and wants of the target market. That is, younger generation needs gargets that are simple and with wide applicability. Apple android Smartphones have achieved that objective. The apple android Smartphone that has been currently released into the market has sophisticated attractive style, which is available, and have gone beyond the fashion (Dziri, 2011). Technological factors The company is operating in a technological and changing environment. Electronic technology has found wide appli cation in many industries and quickly improving. In fact, technology has formed the core of electronic and fiber information industry (Wernerfelt 168). Apple Inc. is one of the leading companies in the electronic information technology industry.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Apple Inc Market Entry Audit: The Entry of Apple Inc into a New Market with an Existing Product or Service specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The highly volatile and ever changing technology has made it difficult for the company to hold the leading position in the IT industry. However, with the advent of the android technology in Smartphones, the company made a great stride in capturing the larger market share (Herzog, 2010). Nevertheless, the company improvements on the current technology and innovative culture will enable it maintain its market share on the Smartphones market (Gormley, 2010). Legal environment As indicated before, the company is operating in many countries around the world with various legal regulations. Moreover, these countries have their own domestic companies that produce similar products. Commercial regulations are varied ranging from preferential regulations to patent and rights laws (Henry, 2008). The company is facing many challenges and legal tussles with many competing companies relating to patent and copyright laws and regulations. This has increased the risks for the company. Besides, most of the products take long time before being introduced in the market because of legalities relating to patent and copyright (Shen Lin, 2011). Internal marketing environment Rivalry between competitors While an industry characterized by few large manufacturers and very expensive products hunts a niche audience, the evolution of personal computers has caused an explosion in the industry, which currently includes dozens of companies pursuing millions of consumers across the globe. Due to the use of electronic equipments in day-to-day lives, the tools are becoming more of commodities (Ashcroft, 2011). For most consumers, economy is more important than performance specifications. This has forced many manufacturers to pursue best-cost and low-cost provider strategies. The companies in the middle range compete for consumers by offering various options at varying prices. To hasten the situation, industry leaders like Apple, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have always kept to this pace (Biswas, Fraser Mahajan, 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Supplier power Suppliers have significant influence over the manufacturers of electronic equipments. While many standards in the industry are open and made by collaborative or independent bodies like IEE, manufacturers also depend on standards owned privately. Such technology must enter the market and licensed to pay a defined membership fee. Additionally, the virtual concentration of suppliers puts some pressure on competitors. For personal computers, Sony unlike Apple outsources central processing units from Intel (Barrios, Gà ¶rg Strobl, 2005). Thus, incompatibility in design does not allow the company to switch to other suppliers. However, microchip manufacturers are not present in computer manufacturing business and hence rely on computer manufacturers for their business. Buyer power As in all businesses, customers have the last say and apply considerable benefit over manufacturers. The various buyers with many but differing needs influence manufacturers of electronics direct ly since they must react and adapt by offering extensive product-lines. The notable characteristic between power user looking for the ‘greatest and latest’ and average user needing a product which is ‘just good enough’ presents an obstacle to manufacturers focusing on tapping the many customers possible. Manufacturers benefit from the wide use and acceptance of electronic products causing high demand for the products. Brand loyalty and proprietary systems are used to maintain customers (Moshirian, 2001). Threat of potential entrants Many avenues through which new entrants can enter the electronic market exist. However, several hindrances may prevent the entrance. Well-entrenched players who have significant brand loyalty and recognition including Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung and LG among others (Crespo Fontoura, 2007) characterize the current market. Thus developing a successful brand in the presence of such players is difficult. They also keep costs do wn and dominate with economies of scale that cannot be achieved easily by a new entrant unless a substantial capital is invested. Despite these obstacles, new entrants may still come from newly instituted lean organizations, which depend on third party OEM for production (Ruckman, 2004). Threat of substitutes The technology sector has substantially grown with the introduction of alternatives such as televisions, game consoles, Smartphone, virtual music stores and personal computers. There are now feature-rich smart phones and PDAs in an average living room. Such developments have resulted in consumers focusing their â€Å"technology money† away from computers, televisions, radios and game consoles. However, despite the focus it is not likely that smart phones will diminish the importance of other products significantly. The only thing that the substitutes have influenced is elimination of monopoly in the electronic market (Alfaro, Chanda, Kalemli-Ozcan Sayek, 2004). SWOT ana lysis Strengths The company is producing high quality and attractive Smartphones. This has made the products to penetrate and claim the largest market share in both android and other Smartphones market (Chen Mujtaba, 2007). Besides, the company leadership in high technology and electronic industry has boosted the marketability of its Smartphones. The company strengths in technology and powerful innovative capacity have boosted the confidence the target market have on its Smartphones (Dziri, 2011). The company Smartphones operating system has exceeded any other competing Smartphones and this has become one of its greatest marketability strength. The company Smartphones design is fashionable and stylish which enables the user interface. This has enable the company Smartphones be used in diversified cultures. In addition to technological, quality and design strengths, the company Smartphones is diversified with different prices that meet all classes of people (Linzmayer, 2006). Beside s, the company good relationship with the customers will boost the Smartphones sales. The biggest drawback the company Smartphones has is their limited compatibility with other gargets. Apple android Smartphones is not compatible with other applications. This has limited its use. Consequently, its market will significantly reduce particularly where the spare parts are not within reach. Besides, the company Smartphones has limited market and distribution channels as compared to most of its competitors (Dziri, 2011). Another problem is the supplier’s environmental concerns with pollution issues surrounding the production of the Smartphones and other company products (Bernard Jensen, 2007). Opportunities The growing global Smartphones market is an opportunity for the company particularly in countries like China, which is experiencing economic boom. Moreover, the huge population and increasing application of Smartphones by the younger generation offers a potential market. The in novative capabilities of the company are another opportunity to introduce new products into the market (Arregle, Hebert Beamish, 2006). Besides, the growing use of the Smartphones in the developing market such as in Africa presents another opportunity to be exploited (Apple Inc, 2012). Threats The biggest threat the company and its Smartphone products is facing is stiff competition from other firms and similar products. Besides external competitive threat the company is facing on the particular products, the technology used is also hard to maintain. That is, it is difficult to sustain technological leadership in the industry. New technologies are highly pirated by other companies to produce the competing products (Linzmayer, 2006). Recommendations The future of Apple Inc lies on the development of its key competencies to enhance the expansion strategy (Blonigen, 2001). Since the company operates in a highly competitive market, the innovative products, managerial competencies, and e nhanced marketing are critical for Apple Inc future success. Smartphones are categorized under various products that have promoted the company and have remained to be the source of the company’s strength. Smartphone technology is the core company competency. Therefore, developing the Smartphones that satisfy the needs of the targeted market will increase Apple Inc’s internationalization strategy. Moreover, the company must invest in the development of its own Smartphones brand and establish them to be the leading fashion brand. The brand development strategy will ensure that the company offers quality brands that add value to the customers (Antrs Helpman, 2004). In order to attain the strategy, Apple Inc should become conscientious with the general management strategies besides constantly spreading out of the retail areas to ensure effectiveness in attaining the profit margin (Henry, 2008). Compared to other modes, fully owned subsidiary is the best entry mode for App le Inc. The fully owned subsidiaries in the international markets make the firm to have control over the enshrined competencies and initiatives that form the core of the business strategies. The strategy increases Apple geographical diversity while reducing political and economic risks associated with this expansion. References Alfaro, L, Chanda, A, Kalemli-Ozcan, S Sayek, S 2004, â€Å"FDI and economic growth, the role of local financial markets,† Journal of International Economics, vol.64 no.2, pp.113-134. Antrs, P, Helpman, E, 2004, â€Å"Global sourcing,† Journal of Political Economy, vol.112 no.2, pp.552-580. Apple Inc 2012, The new, faster MacBook air, https://www.apple.com/. Apple Inc. 2010, 2010 annual report, United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC. Arregle, J, Hebert, L Beamish, P 2006, â€Å"Mode of international entry: the advantages of multilevel methods,† Management International Review, vol.46 no.5, pp.597-611. Ashcroft , J 2011, Apple Inc. the case study 2000-2010. Web. Barrios, S, Gà ¶rg, H Strobl, E 2005, â€Å"Foreign direct investment, competition and industrial development in the host country,† European Economic Review, vol.49 no.1, pp.1761-1784. Bernard, A Jensen, B 2007, â€Å"Firm structure, multinationals, and manufacturing plant deaths,† Review of Economic and Statistics, vol.89 no.1, pp.103-204. Biswas, R, Fraser, D Mahajan, A 2007, The international market for corporate control: Evidence from acquisitions of financial firms, Global Finance Journal, vol.8 no.1, pp.33-54. Blomstermo, A, Sharma, D Sallis, J 2006, â€Å"Choice of foreign market entry mode in service firms,† International Marketing Review, vol.23 no.2, pp.211-213. Blonigen, B 2001, â€Å"In search of substitution between foreign production and exports,† Journal of International Economics, vol.53 no.2, pp.81-104. Chen, L Mujtaba, B 2007, â€Å"The choice of entry mode strategies and decisio ns for international market expansion,† Journal of American Academy of Business, vol.10 no.2, pp.322-344. Crespo, N Fontoura, M 2007, â€Å"Determinant factors of FDI spillovers – what do we really know?† World Development, vol.35 no.2, pp.410–425. Dziri, R 2011, Avoiding strategic drifts in a hypercompetitive market: analysis of apple’s position in the mobile phone industry and suggestions, GRIN Verlag, Munich. Gormley, T 2010, The impact of foreign bank entry in emerging markets: evidence from India, Journal of Financial Intermediation, vol.19 no.1, pp.26-51. Henry, A 2008, Understanding strategic management, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UKt. Herzog, C 2010, Strategic tools in dynamic environments: a framework, GRIN Verlag, Munich. Linzmayer, O 2006, Legend of Apple, Qinghua University Press, Beijing, China. Moshirian, F 2001, International investment in financial services, Journal of Banking Finance, vol.25 no.2, pp.317-337. Ruckman, K 2004 , Mode of entry mode into a foreign market: the case of U.S. mutual funds in Canada, Journal of International Economics, vol.62 no.2, pp.417-432. Shen, C Lin, M 2011, The determinants of cross-border consolidation in eight Asian countries: Before and after the Asian financial crisis, Journal of Multinational Financial Management, vol.21 no.2, pp.89-105.

How to Write a Research Paper on White Collar Crime

How to Write a Research Paper on White Collar Crime To write an excellent research paper on a given topic with the aim of achieving the highest possible score, one must first understand the meaning of the word research, what it entails and the responsibilities it brings to the researcher. The word research like most English words was derived from the French word recherchà © which means to seek closely. Therefore, a research paper on white collar crimes involves seeking closely or investigating a topic on corporate crime to answer the questions asked authoritatively. Now, there are some basic steps you need to be aware of before acting upon these steps provide you with the knowledge of how to start your investigation, create a structure for your research paper and convincingly state your case on paper. So here are the five timely steps to guide you when writing a research paper on white collar crime. Choose a Topic That Inspires You There are diverse subject matters one can explore on white collar crime but some subject matters would definitely resonate with you more than others. This could be due to your personal experiences or were your interests lie but whichever is the case, the tip here is to choose a topic on white collar crime that intrigues you. Conduct a Thorough Investigation Once your topic has been chosen it will either task you on answering a question on white collar crime or your position on certain issues on corporate crime, gender, sentencing and its effect on society. Whichever it is, the responsibility to fully understand your topic and make a convincing argument rests on you. Therefore, your investigations must be centered around reputable sources which will lend credence to your work. The tip here is to center your research on the FBI official website, reputable news sources from certain US locations and platforms with urls ending in gov and edu. These are platforms tasked with recording crime statistics, facts as well as including opinion pieces on the topic of white collar crime. Start Writing Your Research Paper Now that you have chosen a topic, acquired the knowledge needed to develop and argue your standings on white collar crime, the next step is developing a structure that you will follow to clearly put your thoughts on paper. So here is a template you should consider using. Introduction: your research paper must include an Introduction that tells your audience what the topic is about, the themes to be employed, why you are writing on the topic and how you intend to proceed in developing the topic. Body: here is where you state your case using facts and statistics to clearly make your point while answering the questions posed by your topic. The body of your research paper must show your understanding of the topic and your ability to resolve difficult issues in a coherent way. This is the most important part of a research paper and is definitely responsible for the grade you receive. Make a Conclusion Here you conclude your paper on white collar crime by restating your topic, summarizing the points made and the importance of discussing the issues involved with white collar crime. You must write well: a well written paper speaks volumes about your understanding of the English language and your ability to accurately use the language. A creatively structured paper will earn you more marks than simply jumbling facts together. So these are our steps that if followed will definitely earn you the maximum marks you desire for the effort you put in. If you need some example material, you can always check our 10 facts on white collar crime for a research paper and 20 topics for a superb essay. Lastly, always endeavor to keep writing because with practice comes perfection.

Ipso Facto and Other Factos

Ipso Facto and Other Factos Ipso Facto and Other Factos Ipso Facto and Other Factos By Maeve Maddox It was probably a typo, or a spell checker correction gone wrong, but this caption under a photo in a newspaper movie section startled me into a post: Corsican crime boss Cesar (Niels Arestrup) is the de factor head of the prison in which Malik (Tahar Rahim) finds himself in Jacques Audiards A Prophet. The correct spelling is de facto. As a legal term, de facto is usually opposed to the term de jure. de facto [dÄ ­ fÄÆ'ktÃ… ,]: in fact, in reality, in actual existence, force, or possession, as a matter of fact. de jure [dÄ“ jÊŠrÄ“]: of right, by right, according to law. Here are examples of de facto used on the web: De facto disenfranchisement has devastating long-term effects in communities across the country. Remember: A de facto parent is not the same as a parent. One very widespread phenomenon that calls strongly upon the conscience of the Christian community today is the growing number of de facto unions in society as a whole, with the disaffection for the stability of marriage that this entails. Heres one with de jure: The Supreme Court first approved of de jure segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Heres an example that contains both de facto and de jure: Outside the ministries, alongside the baby blue of the UN ï ¬â€šag, stands the black double headed eagle and blood red backdrop of the Albanian ï ¬â€šag, Kosovo’s de facto ï ¬â€šag†¦ Perhaps the only thing that is clear in Kosovo is that there is a huge divide between the de jure status of this piece of land and the de facto reality on the ground. Two other facto terms are ipso facto and ex post facto. ipso facto [Ä ­psÃ…  fÄÆ'ktÃ… ]: By that very fact; by the fact itself. If you grow up in Brooklyn, youre a New Yorker ipso facto. - Norman Mailer It’s Cold! Ipso Facto, Global Warming is a Myth, Fraud, Scam. ironic headline In 1883, on the death of Pusey, [Samuel Driver] became Regius Professor of Hebrew at Oxford and (ipso facto) a Canon of Christ Church. People apparently love the sound of ipso facto. The phrase is popular with entertainment groups and merchants. Ipso Facto is a great new shop in Three Oaks, Michigan. Ipso Facto Gothic Industrial Punk fashion and music webstore featuring gothic dresses, gothic shirts, gothic skirts In 1986 Wayne left Shangoya and started a band named Ipso Facto Ipso Facto was an overlooked, esoteric gothic band from the UK in the 80s. ex post facto [Ä•ks pÃ… st fÄÆ'ktÃ… ]: Done after another thing, and operating retroactively. The term is usually used in reference to a law that would punish a person for having done something that was not against the law when it was done. 2008 Alaska Rules Ex Post Facto Registration Unconstitutional The Constitution provides important safeguards against government regulation of private conduct in both the civil and criminal contexts – including the Ex Post Facto Clause, which protects against the retroactive application of laws. Scotusblog The Lautenberg Amendment has faced several challenges in federal court. Opponents of the law have argued that the amendment violates the †¦ Ex Post Facto Clause†¦ Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?Awoken or Awakened?What the Heck are "Peeps"?

Ludwig Von Beethoven and his Ninth Symphony Essay

Ludwig Von Beethoven and his Ninth Symphony - Essay Example Despite these abhorrent forms of child abuse, Beethoven developed a sensitivity and vision for music. In 1789, after his mother’s death, Beethoven was forced to into manhood. He went determined, to his fathers employer and demanded - and got – half of his fathers salary so that he could take care of his brothers and one year old sister. In 1792 his father, much to Beethoven’s relief died. In 1801 Beethoven confessed to his friends at Bonn his worry of becoming deaf. In 1802, he wrote a famous text which expressed his distress at his perceived unfairness of his life. He could not reconcile himself with the idea of a loving music and that his most important sense, his hearing, was dissipating. Desolate, he did not want to live through the process of becoming deaf. Beethovens career as a virtuoso pianist was brought to an end when he began to experience his first symptoms of deafness. In a letter written to his friend Karl Ameda on 1 July 1801, he admitted he was e xperiencing signs of deafness. It is perhaps this resolute refusal to cave in to his deafness that allowed him to continue his marvelous works. Indeed, it can be said that Beethoven continued in his compositions in spite of his deafness. In 1802 his doctor sent him to Heiligenstadt, a village outside Vienna, in the hope that its rural peace would rest in his hearing. The new surroundings reawakened in Beethoven a love of nature and the countryside, and hope and optimism returned. By autumn however, Beethoven felt so low both physically and mentally that he feared he would not survive the winter.

Propaganda and its effects in 20th century product design Essay

Propaganda and its effects in 20th century product design - Essay Example This is highly doubtful, as history has shown that the art, architecture and design movements have been hopelessly and inexorably intertwined. In fact, it would not be incorrect to say that the historical events of the 20th century, especially wartime and political propaganda, have had a profound and lasting effect not only on design, but also on the art, architecture and other aspects that influence the major diaspora of society. The Main Contributions to Design in the 20th Century In the 20th century the countries that made the news most of all were invariably also the nations that made the most contributions to design. The early 20th century was dominated by the Modernist movement and mass production via machines. For practical purposes, the Bauhaus School in Germany (1919-33) made some major contributions to simple designs for articles of common use such as furniture that could be mass produced. Its attitude towards simplicity could be summarized by Ludwin Rohe’s assertion : ‘Less is More’. In direct contrast to it emerged the Art Deco movement of the 1920s, with its emphasis on traditional cabined-making skills and materials such as steel and bauxite, became out of the reach of the common man and was labeled ‘elitist’ as only the rich were able to afford these pieces. The two decades after the Second World War (1950-70) also called the Mid century Modern Era were dominated by influences from Scandinavia, Italy and the USA (www.thenewgallery.co.il). They sought not only to use lightweight material but also bright and vibrant colors, dispelling the drab years of the War just gone by. Organic materials such as leather, steel, vinyl and others have resulted in their widespread use and adaptability to meet the needs of almost any household furniture. Industrial strength materials may be used for sturdier applications. The Uses and Influence of Propaganda Propaganda may be defined as follows: â€Å"Propaganda is the deliberate, s ystematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist† (Jowett & O’Donnell, 2006). Although the use of propaganda has been made before- primarily by kings and queens in swaying the public’s perceptions on certain issues, the 20th century saw the use of this as a weapon in the armory of many a political leader. Take Lenin and Stalin for instance. They used propaganda to overthrow Czar Nicholas of Russia and bring to fruition the Communist or Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Undoubtedly there were some historical and economic circumstances that came to their aid, but it is the skill of these leaders in manipulating these circumstances in their favor that makes propaganda such a potent weapon. Indeed, even fashion styles owe their catching on to propaganda, as they are first sold to the opinion leaders and elite of society and then orders are booked for cloth as the new fashion catches on through eyes, ears and advertisements (www.historyisaweapon.com). Propaganda was also well used in the era of the Third Reich, with Joseph Goebbels being Hitler’s main protagonist. He used propaganda not only to make Hitler look like a Savior and the answer to all of Germany’s troubles, but also later to further the Fuhrer’s own private ideas of an Aryan society and the mass annihilation of the Jews in the Holocaust. Propaganda has had its uses in times of peace as well. For example, Hitler’s vision of a prosperous Germany after the War included that every middle class German family would be able to afford a Volkswagen- that is why advertisements of the day showed it as a family car. Similarly, propaganda has been used by the British to rally support for investing in Government Bonds to

Transitive unaccusative1 verb constructions in Mandarin Essay

Transitive unaccusative1 verb constructions in Mandarin - Essay Example 1. Perlmutter (1978) and Bwzio (1986) suggested that the class of intransitive verbs is non-homogenous, and it is composed of two subclasses: unaccusative and unergative verbs. This paper focuses on unaccusative verbs. The cases of unergative verbs are different with unaccusative, which will be discussed in Section 4. In Mandarin, there also exits an alternation of unaccusative verbs into transitive verbs (here we do not limit it to causative verbs, because we do not know its syntactic representation yet) without inserting a verb. We make a hypothesis that the syntactic configurational approach to event structures for the transitivity alternation in English (Hale and Keyser 1991, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999) can apply to the structure of transitive unaccusative verb constructions in Mandarin. Next, we will give the reason for this hypothesis, and check our hypothesis by Mandarin data. The body of research created by Hale and Keyser (1991, 1993, 1997, 1999) implies that relevant syntactic configurations predetermine event structures the event structures of VPs and NPs’ thematic status inside them. Hale & Keyser state that deriving of English deadjectivals and denominals subjected to complex syntactic structures; thereby, the rules of UG, such as ECP, affect the relevant derivations. Basically, Hale & Keyser’s assumption implies that syntactic means affect derivation of lexical units, while syntactic operations insure derivation of the argument structures. Hale &Keyser virtually exc

The global financial crisis-Brand management Essay

The global financial crisis-Brand management - Essay Example One strategy that the companies can use to maintain the unique value of their brands during global financial crisis is by engaging the customers as during these economic downturns excellent opportunities for innovation are provided (Roll, pp6). Customers cut down on consumption during financial crises, thus brands can initiate measures that take off their minds from the difficulties of consumption and focus them on the worthy features of the brand and co-create value with them. This strategy also helps minimize loses and more importantly, it successfully protects the companies brand image and brand equity. Singapore Airlines is a company that perfectly used this strategy to maintain the value of its unique brand. During the deadly SARS breakout in South East Asia when customers were afraid of flying, Singapore Airlines offered its customers very innovative vacation packages that encouraged customers to travel thus maintaining their status (Roll, pp7). Creating exciting customer interactions through activities such as product bundling to enhance value and promotions with creative alliances such as celebrities and travelling can also be used to maintain the unique value of a brand during such situations. This strategy takes off the focus of the customers on price and reiterates the commitment of the brand to engage and value customer support (Gelder, p102) Although this paper has discussed two strategies to be used during such situations, there are other strategies that are equally viable. Financial upheavals negatively impact the trust of customers on a brand. Therefore, during such situations it is the responsibility of the companies to devise new strategies that can maintain the trust of their customers on their brands. Brand differentiation is a very important strategy in today’s competitive market where new products are coming in everyday. In

Metropolitan Steel Corporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Metropolitan Steel Corporation - Research Paper Example General Manager Administration, Human Resources, Marketing & Production, Mr. Iqbal Jamil Abbasi looks after the Administration, Marketing, Human Resource & Production. He has done his Masters in Management from the Asian Institute of Management, Philippines, and was in management cadre, Pakistan Steel Mills Limited for eight years. Mr. Iqbal Jamil Abbasi was highly cooperative in providing excellent information about Metropolitan Steel. He was extremely cooperative and provided all of the required information. Following is the set of questions, which were asked from Mr. Abbasi during the interview; There is inconsistency prevailing in the political environment due to ever changing policies and unstable political scenario. Every Government comes in with a new set of rules, which are impracticable to implement, therefore creating hassles instead of facilitating the processes. Another drawback is the ever-lessening coordination between different governmental departments with rampant corruption. Even for a fair deal bribe has to be offered. Due to the following reasons economic policies towards industries are not favorable: Pakistan steel used to increase prices at every mini budget, which resulted in low profit margin for MSC leading to subsequent loss. Now, MSC's policy has been amended and product price has been related to the increase in prices of Pakistan Steel billets. Even then frequently increased prices may results in cancellation of the orders there by forcing a loss on both the customer and the manufacturer. When raw materials are imported, they cost half the price than that of Pakistan

The global financial crisis-Brand management Essay

The global financial crisis-Brand management - Essay Example One strategy that the companies can use to maintain the unique value of their brands during global financial crisis is by engaging the customers as during these economic downturns excellent opportunities for innovation are provided (Roll, pp6). Customers cut down on consumption during financial crises, thus brands can initiate measures that take off their minds from the difficulties of consumption and focus them on the worthy features of the brand and co-create value with them. This strategy also helps minimize loses and more importantly, it successfully protects the companies brand image and brand equity. Singapore Airlines is a company that perfectly used this strategy to maintain the value of its unique brand. During the deadly SARS breakout in South East Asia when customers were afraid of flying, Singapore Airlines offered its customers very innovative vacation packages that encouraged customers to travel thus maintaining their status (Roll, pp7). Creating exciting customer interactions through activities such as product bundling to enhance value and promotions with creative alliances such as celebrities and travelling can also be used to maintain the unique value of a brand during such situations. This strategy takes off the focus of the customers on price and reiterates the commitment of the brand to engage and value customer support (Gelder, p102) Although this paper has discussed two strategies to be used during such situations, there are other strategies that are equally viable. Financial upheavals negatively impact the trust of customers on a brand. Therefore, during such situations it is the responsibility of the companies to devise new strategies that can maintain the trust of their customers on their brands. Brand differentiation is a very important strategy in today’s competitive market where new products are coming in everyday. In

Effects of Economic Recession on American Jobs Research Paper

Effects of Economic Recession on American Jobs - Research Paper Example This was the most severe form of economic recession that US had experienced in decades. A vast majority of industries in US were affected by this economic recession. US could not find any way to escape the economic recession when the whole world had actually completely soaked in it. The circumstances took a fortunate turn in the last three months of 2009, and the economy began to grow and become strong, though the graph soon took a downward turn specifically in the later half of 2010 when the growth of GDP in US fell to 2 per cent. â€Å"The federal stimulus money that has added at least 1% but likely 2% or more to the GDP growth will be winding down and that could put at least as much of a drag on the economy as the boost it gave† (Hall). When the recession was at its apogee, the years were full of pain for a lot of Americans because they had lost jobs. According to an estimate, as many as three quarters of a million jobs were being lost on a monthly basis in US in the years of recession (Bureau of Labor Statistics†). The rate of unemployment in US reached 10.2 per cent by October, 2009. Since then, it has shown a slight decline and has reached 10 per cent. Before stabilizing, the unemployment rate in US is expected to go up till the end of 2011. A loop of negative feedback was introduced by the economic recession which is expected to keep dragging the US economy for a while in the near future despite the fact that the economic recession has largely declined. Some of the components of this loop are high rate of unemployment, inability of the unemployed to pay their mortgages and bills, and weakened wealth from loss of equity. People in US are suffering from lack of income. Their lowered financial status is causing them to save more and spend less. Owing to the tightness of the credit, people in US are finding it hard to purchase homes or establish new businesses. As a result of the declined consumer spending, businesses have lowered their producti on in an attempt to improve their efficiency. A lot of companies in US have downsized in the past two to three years and the rate of recruitment has declined accordingly. US government has shown a similar trend. The value of property has steadily gone down along with the property tax revenues. Accordingly, the sales have been lowered together with the sales tax revenues. Owing to the lowered incomes, and a lot of losses, income taxes have been lowered. On the other hand, US government is spending much more than ever before in order to cater for the needs of the unemployed. This has caused the US government to increase the payable fees as well as cut back services. As a result of this, governmental contracts and government employees have reduced in number. The Federal governments have plunged into the scenario in a very aggressive manner with a view to distorting the loop of negative feedback. The Federal governments aimed at minimizing the downfall of the global economy so that the loop of negative feedback would be reversed. However, as a consequence of the massive spending and increased involvement in economy, the US government now feels the need to retract itself so that the debt that has thus been incurred could be paid back. This can be easily achieved by if the US economy continues to grow like it did grow by 5 to 8 per cent after the end of economic recession. However, it is important to realize that the recovery of economy is not occurring in a

Imagine you are Marco Essay Example for Free

Imagine you are Marco Essay Imagine you are Marco. Write a letter to your wife telling her about your journey to America, where you are staying and your work. Eddie and Beatrice Carbone 441 Saxon Street BROOKLYN NEW YORK U. S. A Dear family and friends I am missing you all desperately. It has been two months since I have seen you all. The journey was in cramped conditions, we experienced a mix of storms and showers. This didnt bother Rodolpho or me as the fishing trips to Africa and Yugoslavia prepared us well. I spent most of my time conversing with another group of Sicilians. We shared our hopes of America. Our main worry was that we would be caught getting off the boat and deported. The travelling was long and boring with loud thunderstorms at night, which made it impossible to sleep. Because of the large amounts of people on the ship it was very cramped. We had to sleep on the floor, which was hard and uncomfortable. The only way I stayed sane was thinking of succeeding at the American dream and returning to Sicily as rich as some of the tourists! When the ship docked in Brooklyn a very kind and hospitable man named Tony Bereli met us at the pier. He dropped us off at Beatrices house were we are temporarily staying. I was surprised at how nice Beatrices house was after Bereli described it as a slum. Over here in America people live in apartment blocks and estates instead of the shacks were used to back home. New York is a great city. At first I was some what taken aback by the citys daily hustle and bustle. Its so different from the town in Sicily where we know everyone. Beatrice looked very pleased to see us and asked after you and the childrens welfare. She introduced us to her niece Catherine who has stayed with them all her life as her parents died when she was very young. They were both very welcoming but Beatrices husband Eddie seemed as though he was a bit uneasy with our presence. Eddie told us about working on the docks as a longshoreman. He said we could earn up to forty dollars a week! The house is small with five people in it but I cannot complain otherwise I would be out on the streets. I am pleased to say both Rodolpho and me have found work as longshoremen loading and offloading things from other countries like coffee and tea. Whenever I get paid I will send the money home for you and the children. The main things I miss apart from you and the children are the scenery and the warm weather. In New York its cold with wall-to-wall skyscrapers. Rodolpho has taken to the bright lights of New York like a duck to water. He and Catherine seem to have something going on. Last week she took him on a grand tour of the city ending up in up in the Paramount Cinema. They arrived back at about midnight, Eddie was furious. He said Catherine had never been out so late. Eddie is too over protective of Catherine; he treats her like a kid! Its as if he is trying to keep Catherine for himself! Eddie treats Rodolpho like dirt. He insulted him calling him Danish because of his blonde hair. Eddie then went on to teach Rodolpho boxing classes in which he gave himself a good excuse to beat him up. Unprovoked incidents like these anger me. I wanted to get up and defend Rodolpho but didnt want to offend Beatrice. I asked Eddie if he could lift a chair from the bottom, he failed to do this. Then I lifted the chair over my head and looked him in the eye. This was my way of gaining a physical and mental advantage over Eddie. The look of defeat on Eddies face was a picture! How are Maria and Luigi? I am missing them so much. As soon as I get paid I will send money so you can buy Luigi some money for his chest. Tell them I wish I could be with them but I had no choice about leaving, wed have starved otherwise. I am working overtime everyday so I can come home to you and the kids soon. Then we will have plenty of food and will never have to worry about starving again. Take care of yourself and the kids. I will write soon Marco xxxxxx Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

Economy and political factors in Mexico

Economy and political factors in Mexico Mexico located in the southern portion o f North America, covers a period of more than two millennia. It covers area of 1,972,550 sq. km. (761,600 sq. mi.). Its estimated population is 112,468,855. Its language is Spanish and ethnic languages.   According to some estimates, the population of the area around Mexico City is nearly 22 million, which would make it the largest concentration of population in the Western Hemisphere. Its capital is Mexico City(Distrito Federal). Mexico is known for its fashion, socializing, sports and recreation, eating and recipies. PESTLE ANALYSIS FOR MEXICO: The PESTLE Analysis report provides a holistic view of the country from historical, current and future perspectives. Insightful analysis on critical current and future issues are presented through detailed SCPT (strengths, challenges, prospects and threats/risks) analysis for each of the PESTLE segments. In addition, the PESTLE segments are supplemented with relevant quantitative data to support trend analysis.   POLITICAL FACTORS: Political section provides understanding about the political system and key figures relevant to business in the country and governance indicators. Here The government as referring to the federal government. It is the federal government that passes and enforces legislation concerning the entire country. Actions by the federal government affect a large number of firms and are consistent across state boundaries. Environmental analysis, however, should not overlook actions by both state and local governments. Regulations concerning many business practices differ between states. Tax rates vary widely. Laws regarding unionization (e.g., right-to-work states) and treatment of homosexual workers differ between states. Local governments have the potential to affect business practices significantly. Some local governments may be willing to provide incentives to attract business to the area. Some may build industrial parks, service roads, and provide low-interest bonds to encourage a desirable business to move into the community. President Calderons National Action Party currently is the largest party in the Senate but lost its majority in the Chamber of Deputies in the July 2009 elections. The next national elections-for the president, all 128 seats in the Senate, and all 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies-will take place in July 2012. In 2010, elections were held in 14 of Mexicos 31 states.   Poverty in Mexico is caused by individual, geographic and political factors. Main cause of poverty is due to political economy of the country. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank-prescribed structural adjustment policies have been applied in Mexico because the government doesnt carry out enough policies to encourage successful development. They cannot, for these international institutions lend money to Mexico on the condition that the nation open up its economy and cut social expenditures to repay the loans. The IMF and World Bank programs are supposed to reduce poverty, but actually they are increasing it. Therefore, Mexico needs a new political economy designed by Mexican economists and politicians, people who are committed to Mexico and to the future of its society.WTO Membership of trading partners increases the political costs of supplying administered protection. ECONOMIC FACTORS: GDP (official exchange rate): $1 trillion (2010 est.); $876 billion (2009); $1.088 trillion (2008). Per capita GDP (PPP method): $13,542 (2009 est.); $14,534 (2008). Annual real GDP growth: 4.5% (2010 est.); -6.5% (2009); 1.3% (2008); 3.3% (2007); 5.1% (2006); 3.2% (2005). Inflation rate: 4.6% (2010 est.); 3.57% (2009); 6.5% (2008); 3.8% (2007); 3.4% (2006); 3.3% (2005). Natural resources: Petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber. Agriculture (4% of GDP):  Productscorn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes, beef, poultry, dairy products, wood products. Industry (31% of GDP):  Typesfood and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables. Services (64% of GDP):  Typescommerce and tourism, financial services, transportation and communications. Trade (goods):  Exports  (2009)$230 billion f.o.b.  Imports  (2009)$234 billion f.o.b.  Exports to U.S.  (2009)$185 billion (80% of total).  Imports from U.S.  (2009)$112 billion (48% of total).  Major marketsU.S., EU (5% of total), Canada (3.6% of total). Economic section deals with the economic story of a country that provides a balanced assessment of significant macro-economic issues. Economic factors refer to the character and direction of the economic system within which the firm operates. Economic factors include the balance of payments, the state of the business cycle, the distribution of income within the population, and governmental monetary and fiscal policies. The impact of economic factors may also differ between industries. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico for 2009 was $14.4 billion, down 51% from the previous year.  The Mexican Government estimate of FDI for 2010 is $15 billion to $20 billion. Mexico is classified by the World Bank as an upper-middle-income country. Poverty is widespread around 44% of the population lives below the poverty line and high rates of economic growth are needed to create legitimate economic opportunities for new entrants to the work force. The Mexican economy in 2009 experienced its deepest recession since the 1930s. Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 6.5%, driven by weaker exports to the United States; lower remittances and investment from abroad; a decline in oil revenues; and the impact of H1N1 influenza on tourism. Mexico is a major recipient of remittances, sent mostly from Mexicans in the United States. Remittances average around U.S. $21 billion per year, and are the countrys second-largest source of foreign currency, after oil. Most remittances are used for immediate consumptionfood, housing, health care, educationbut some collective remittances, sent from a U.S. community of migrants to their community of origin, are used for shared projects and infrastructure improvements. Mexico has grown with an annual average rate of 4%, even with the changes from an inward-looking developing economic strategy towards a more open economy with a far-reaching trade liberalization program. Mexico is the United States second-largest export market and third-largest trading partner. Top U.S. exports to Mexico include electronic equipment, motor vehicle parts, and chemicals. Trade matters are generally settled through direct negotiations between the two countries or addressed via World Trade Organization (WTO) or North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) formal dispute settlement procedures. The most significant areas of friction involve agricultural products as well as cross-border trucking. Mexico is an active and constructive member of the World Trade Organization, the G-20, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Mexican Government and many businesses support a Free Trade Area of the Americas. SOCIAL FACTORS: Social section enables understanding of customer demographics through income distribution, rural-urban segmentation and centres of affluence, healthcare and educational scenario. Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world and the second most-populous country in Latin America after Portuguese-speaking Brazil. About 76% of the people live in urban areas. Many Mexicans emigrate from rural areas that lack job opportunitiessuch as the underdeveloped southern states and the crowded central plateauto the industrialized urban centers and the developing areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to some estimates, the population of the area around Mexico City is nearly 22 million, which would make it the largest concentration of population in the Western Hemisphere. Cities bordering on the United Statessuch as Tijuana and Ciudad Juarezand cities in the interiorsuch as Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Pueblahave undergone sharp rises in population in recent years. The sociocultural dimensions of the environment consist of customs, lifestyles, and values that characterize the society in which the firm operates. Socio-cultural components of the environment influence the ability of the firm to obtain resources, make its goods and services, and function within the society. Sociocultural factors include anything within the context of society that has the potential to affect an organization. Population demographics, rising educational levels, norms and values, and attitudes toward social responsibility are examples of sociocultural variables. Mexico has made great strides in improving access to education and literacy rates over the past few decades. According to a 2006 World Bank report, enrollment at the primary level is nearly universal, and more children are completing primary education. The average number of years of schooling for the population 15 years old and over was around 8 years during the 2004-2005 school year, a marked improvement on a decade earlierwhen it was 6.8 yearsbut low compared with other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS: Technological section provides strategic information on technology and telecom, technological laws and policies, technological gaps, patents and opportunity sectors in the country. Cooperation between the United States and Mexico along the 2,000-mile common border includes state and local problem-solving mechanisms; transportation planning; and institutions to address resource, environment, and health issues. Technology can change the lifestyle and buying patterns of consumers. Recent developments in the field of microcomputers have dramatically expanded the potential customer base and created innumerable opportunities for businesses to engage in business via Internet. Whereas computers were traditionally used only by large organizations to handle data processing needs, personal computers are commonly used by smaller firms and individuals for uses not even imagined fifteen years ago. Similarly, new developments in technology led to a reduction in prices for computers and expanded the potential market. Lower prices allow computers to be marketed to the general public rather than to business, scientific, and professional users-the initial market. Technology also changes production processes. The introduction of products based on new technology often requires new production techniques. New production technology may alter production processes. There is little doubt that technology represents both potential threats and potential opportunities for established products. Products with relatively complex or new technology are often introduced while the technology is being refined, making it hard for firms to assess their market potential. When ballpoint pens were first introduced, they leaked, skipped, and left large blotches of ink on the writing surface. Fountain pen manufacturers believed that the new technology was not a threat to existing products and did not attempt to produce ball-point pens until substantial market share had been lost. Another technology, the electric razor, has yet to totally replace the blade for shaving purposes. Perhaps the difference is that the manufacturers of blades have innovated by adding new features to retain customers. Manufacturers of fountain pens did not attempt to innovate until the ballpoint pen was well established. It is quite difficult to predict the impact of a new technology on an existing product. Still, the need to monitor the environment for new technological developments is obvious. Attention must also be given to developments in industries that are not direct competitors, since new technology developed in one industry may impact companies and organizations in others. LEGAL FACTORS: Legal section provides information about the legal structure, corporate laws, laws to start a new business and the tax regime. Legal dimension of the general environment also affects business activity. The philosophy of the political parties in power influences business practices. The legal environment serves to define what organizations can and cannot do at a particular point in time. The legal environment facing organizations is becoming more complex and affecting businesses more directly. It has become increasingly difficult for businesses to take action without encountering a law, regulation, or legal problem. A very brief listing of significant laws that affect business would include legislation in the areas of consumerism, employee relations, the environment, and competitive practices. Many of the laws also have an associated regulatory agency. Powerful U.S. regulatory agencies include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The 1917 constitution provides for a federal republic with powers separated into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The president is elected by universal adult suffrage for a 6-year term and may not hold office a second time. There is no vice president; in the event of the removal or death of the president, a provisional president is elected by the Congress. The Congress is comprised of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. Consecutive re-election are prohibited in this economy. Senators are elected to 6-year terms, and deputies serve 3-year terms. The Senates 128 seats are filled by a mixture of direct-election and proportional representation. Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president and approved by the Senate. Estimates of the cost of compliance vary widely, but could well exceed $100 billion annually. Many of these costs are passed to consumers. However, costs of legal expenses and settlements may not be incurred for years and are not likely to be paid by consumers of the product or owners of the company when the violation occurred. Still, potential legal action often results in higher prices for consumers and a more conservative attitude by business executives. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Environmental section provides information on the countrys performance on environmental indicators and policies.  Mexico have a history of cooperation on environmental and natural resource issues, particularly in the border area, where there are serious environmental problems caused by rapid population growth, urbanization, and industrialization. There have been several studies of the relationships between environmental factors, particularly air pollution, and attacks of asthma. Most of these studies have ignored the potential confounding effects of aeroallergens such as pollens and fungal spores. We report a statistical analysis of the relationships between emergency admissions for asthma to a hospital in Mexico City and daily average airborne concentrations of pollen, fungal spores, air pollutants (O3, NO2, SO2, and particulates) and weather factors. Asthma admissions had a seasonal pattern with more during the wet season (May-October) than the dry season (November-April). There were few statistical associations between asthma admissions and air pollutants for the three age groups studied (children under 15 years, adults, and seniors [adults over 59 years]) in either season. Grass pollen was associated with child and adult admissions for both the wet and dry seasons, and fungal spores were associated with child admissions d uring both the wet and dry seasons. The analysis was done with environmental data averaged over the day of admission and the 2 previous days. Our results suggest that aeroallergens may be statistically associated more strongly with asthma hospital admissions than air pollutants and may act as confounding factors in epidemiologic studies. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR MEXICO USING PORTAR DIAMOND: Factor conditions  are human resources, physical resources, knowledge resources, capital resources and infrastructure. Specialized resources are often specific for an industry and important for its competitiveness. Mexico generates significant revenue from the production of beef, poultry, pork, and dairy products. Although private investment in natural gas transportation, distribution, and storage is permitted, Pemex remains in sole control of natural gas exploration and production. Despite substantial reserves, Mexico is a net natural gas importer. Demand conditions  in the home market can help companies create a competitive advantage, when sophisticated home market buyers pressure firms to innovate faster and to create more advanced products that those of competitors. Technology can change the lifestyle and buying patterns of consumers. Many new developments in technology led to a reduction in prices for computers and expanded the potential market. Lower prices allow computers to be marketed to the general public rather than to business, scientific, and professional users-the initial market. Related and supporting industries  can produce inputs which are important for innovation and internationalization. One of the most recent joint efforts by governments to influence business practices was NAFTA. The agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico was intended to facilitate free trade between the three countries. Firm strategy, structure and rivalry  constitute the fourth determinant of competitiveness. The way in which companies are created, set goals and are managed is important for success. U.S.A. Vs Mexico greatest rivalry in sports. The numerous joint ventures between U.S. and Japanese automobile manufacturers could have been termed anticompetitive by a less pro-business administration. Changing relationships between the United States and other countries may alter the ability of firms to enter foreign markets. The United States establishment of trade relations with China in the 1970s created opportunities for many firms to begin marketing their products in China. The rise of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to power in Iran altered the lives of many Iranian citizens. Wine, vodka, music, and other forms of entertainment were prohibited. Black markets provided certain restricted items. Other products, such as wine, began to be produced at home. Anti-American sentiments throughout the country showed the hostility of many citizens. Non-American firms thus had an opportunity to capitalize on the anti-American sentiments and to provide goods and services formerly provided by U.S. firms. Government  can influence each of the above four determinants of competitiveness. Regulations concerning many business practices differ between states. Tax rates vary widely. Laws regarding unionization (e.g., right-to-work states) and treatment of homosexual workers differ between states. Local governments have the potential to affect business practices significantly. Some local governments may be willing to provide incentives to attract business to the area. Some may build industrial parks, service roads, and provide low-interest bonds to encourage a desirable business to move into the community.