Finance and risk management,Shipping finance Essay - 1

Finance and risk management,Shipping finance - Essay Example Financing the ship industry has always evolved with the prevailing market conditions. More investment has always been required in the industry above the owner’s potential to finance hence the need for banks. The industry has its strengths and weaknesses, there have been opportunities, and it has also seen threats. This paper examines the relationship between shipping financing and shipping markets, the major sources of capital available in the shipping industry, the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) in the industry. The shipping industry represents a substantial percentage of the world trade. The industry is one of the most effective forms of transport and the costs are relatively low. It costs 11 percent and 20 percent of the transportation cost on roads and rails respectively. If the business is doing well it can have a high capital return of about 25 percent per annum ( Nizam and Ghanem 15). Shipping industry is also a dynamic industry; there is continual investment in research and development of new technology. This contributes to the global technological growth. This industry is cyclical and relies on the changes of the global market. This makes the industry to be uncertain. The industry also experiences a shortage of skilled labour and management because there are few people who are professionals in this field. The image of this industry is poor; people tend to perceive the industry to be archaic and therefore outdated. Vessels also cause pollution of the environment through emission of CO2 and noise. There are initiatives to make ships more environmentally friendly. This will make ships more acceptable. There is also a long term plan to recruit, educate, and train skilled seafarers. This will close the gap pertaining to lack of skilled labour. There is an initiative to improve propulsion technology of ships through building bigger ships, nuclear powered ships,

The Case of GlaxoSmithKline Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The of GlaxoSmithKline - Case Study Example While the blockbuster strategy at GSK has been so successful in the past, it is nearing a period where it is more likely than not to become obsolete. This is as a result of a diverse number of challenges which have made blockbusters less profitable when compared to the past few decades. Among these challenges is the decline in R&D productivity where only a single compound out of nearly 13 discovered enters the market after clinical trials have been carried out and this is a big blow to pharmaceutical companies such as GSK. Moreover, because of the need to make the public aware of newly discovered drugs that enter the market, it is essential for companies to commercialize it. This takes increased funding and creates a situation where recent years have seen an increase in the costs of commercialisation for GSK in such a way that the processes of discovering, developing and launching new products have increased substantially. In addition, in recent years, patents to blockbusters have in creasingly been challenged not only by smaller pharmaceutical companies but also by governments and this has created a situation where GSK has come face to face with serious limits to the revenue potential of its products. The shorter exclusivity periods that have come about as a result of competition has seen companies develop similar yet cheaper drugs than GSK’s blockbusters which have received the approval of numerous governments across the world. This situation has increased pressures on GSK’s patent protections.

PESTEL five forces and SWOT analysis of Apple

PESTEL five forces and SWOT analysis of Apple Introduction This study is an analysis of the business environment of Apple, Inc., which is typically undertaken as part of the strategic analysis of Apple’s operations for the medium and long term. The aim of this analysis is to assess the prospects of Apple, Inc. as a potential investment for consideration. There are three aspects of environmental assessment that are undertaken: the macro-environmental analysis makes use of the PESTEL model, industry analysis employs Porter’s Five Forces model, and the organisational analysis is performed using the SWOT model. PESTEL Analysis The business of Apple shall be evaluated within the context of its operations in the UK. Investor sentiment attached to the country plays a major role in determining the level of confidence reposed by investors in the country itself. Negative sentiment in the country overall may cause an investor shift that would affect stock prices even for companies in industries normally unaffected by the particular events or developments, thus consideration should be extended to indirect repercussions or contagion effects due to perceived weaknesses in the country environment (Chittedi, 2014; Haß, et al., 2014; Ioan, et al., 2013; Liu et al., 2014, Syriopoulos, 2014; Trenca Dezsi, 2013; Yaqing Hongbing, 2013). 2.1 Political The United Kingdom is a democratic country with a stable governance system, and maintains strong influence over the laws and customs of those countries that were formerly part of the British Empire, and now comprise the Commonwealth of Nations. The UK thus holds a strong and enviable position in global politics. However, there are risks posed by terrorist elements such as members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) recruited from among the British nationals. Current political challenges include the increasing tensions in the ruling coalition and the sagging government popularity (UK Country Profile, 2013; USCIA, 2014). 2.2 Economic The UK is a world economic power, with a highly developed economy that gained its footing after the Second World War. According to the World Bank’s assessment, as of 2003 the UK is the seventh best country to invest in or do business with. It is however burdened by a growing government debt problem (currently at  £1.38 trillion) and a huge budget deficit. In order to strengthen the financial system, the Bank of England (BoE) was given the authority to oversee the macro-prudential health and stability of the financial system. The BoE coordinates interest rate movements with the European Central Bank during times of crisis, however Britain still remains outside the European Economic and Monetary Union (CEEDR, 2012; UK Country Profile, 2013; USCIA, 2014). 2.3 Social The standard of living of UK citizens is comparable with other First World countries. The education and health care systems are among the world’s best, and the social goals of the government include the alleviation of income inequality and eradication of child poverty. As a member of the European market, the UK benefits from the free flow of young people into the country to offset the problems posed by an aging population. Demographically, the population is aging (i.e., 35% of the population are 55 years and older, only 30% are below 25 years), with average life expectancy reaching 82 years for women and 78 year for men (CEEDR, 2012; UK Country Profile, 2013; USCIA, 2014). 2.4 Technology The United Kingdom is renowned worldwide for its scientific expertise and cutting-edge research and development (RD). Intellectual property rights are stringently protected by legislation. Among the challenges to the UK with respect to technology is the increasing shortage of RD workforce, a trend that has persisted since 2008. The number of engineers and technicians in the physical and life sciences, as well as IT and telecom specialists, continue to decline. The lack of technical personnel and RD specialists is a serious threat to the continued competitiveness of UK industry. Patent applications have also been on the decline, meaning that innovations may slow down, further compromising competitiveness (UK Country Profile, 2013; USCIA, 2014). 2.5 Environmental The UK is a strong participant in the formulation of global policies, particularly with respect to agreements dealing with the environment, emission reduction, and sustainable energy source. However, the UK is also known to have a high level of air pollution. The European Commission issued a final warning to UK for the poor quality of its air, prompting the country to expedite a solution to the problem (BBC, 2014; Mathiesen, 2014). High air pollution, due to exhaust fumes and emissions from power stations and factories, prevails in London, while dangerous levels of NO2 have been recorded in Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester (BBC, 2014; Dugan, 2013; Mathiesen, 2014; UK Country Profile, 2013). Government policies, however, will continue to tread the middle ground between environmental protection and economic development (UK Country Profile, 2013; USCIA, 2014). 2.6 Legal The UK has a legal system that is organised, transparent and efficient, and efforts are being exerted to make the processes in the courts simpler and more efficient and transparent (Great Britain Ministry of Justice, 2011). The legislative system favours a high level of freedom in business, primarily to enable investor trust and confidence. There is effective enforcement of the law; in the World Bank’s Doing Business indicators 2013, UK ranks at the 21st position among 185 countries with regard to enforcement of contracts. Challenges remain, however, in terms of tax evasion, and balancing personal liberties against the threat of terrorism. These challenges are being addressed by current proposals to amend legislation (UK Country Profile, 2013; USCIA, 2014). Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s Five Forces analysis is a model used for industry analysis. Apple plays a significant role in four businesses, namely the communication equipment industry, the music and video industry, the mobile phones industry, and the personal computer (PC) industry. Because its participation in the overall PC industry is comparatively small compared to its other products, only the first three industries shall be analysed here. Apple’s overall business includes eight product lines: iPhone, its related products and services; iPad and related products and services, Mac portables and other music related products and services, Mac desktops, iPod, software, services and other hardware (Apple, Inc., 2014; GCEIP, 2014). 3.1 Bargaining Power of Buyers Communication Equipment Industry Buyer power is moderate. Apple communications equipment caters to individual buyers, but each buyer has little bargaining power as he/she bargains for him/herself alone. If the company loses just one consumer, the effect on the company will be insignificant. Collectively, however, buyer power may be more significant, as switching costs are low. Fixed line telecommunication devices have a low degree of differentiation and there is little innovation taking place in this area, for which reason buyers are sensitive to price levels and could easily transfer from one supplier to another. Apple’s major competitors in this market include Lenovo, Nokia, and Samsung (GCEIP, 2014; CEIPUK, 2014). Music and Video Industry The bargaining power of buyers is moderate. As with the communications equipment industry, there are many buyers in this market, thus reducing their bargaining power. Offsetting this, however, is the low switching costs that enables customers to transfer brands quite easily. Also, there is a trend towards greater preference for online retail channels and digital download sales due to their greater convenience. Buyers are therefore sensitive to price, recommendations, availability, loyalty schemes, and brand image. In the global music and video industry, Apple’s key competitors are Amazon, Tesco, and Wal-Mart Stores (GMVIP, 2014; MVIPUK, 2014). Mobile Phones Industry The bargaining power of buyers is moderate. There are two types of buyers in this market, the retail outlets (e.g. Europe’s Carphone Warehouse, Walmart) which purchase handsets for sale to consumers, and the mobile network operators that now make their own retail sales bundled with the service they offer. The large retailers are at a disadvantage because they need to stock up on the latest innovations to meet end-user demand. When new innovations or models appear, unsold inventory of earlier models become obsolete. Apple is at an advantage because the firm is capable of forward integration – i.e., they conduct their own retail operations. As a result, buyer power is diluted. Apple’s closest competitors in this industry are LG Electronics, Nokia, and Samsung (GMPIP, 2014; MPIPUK, 2014). 3.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers Communication Equipment Industry Mobile Phones Industry Supplier power is moderate. There are only a relatively small number of large multinationals who supply parts and components to this market, reducing market players’ options when sourcing for products. While backward integration is difficult due to high costs of telecommunication manufacturing, it is however not impossible; for instance, British supermarket brand Tesco will launch its own smart phone device, which if successful and followed by other retailers will reduce supplier power. Aside from their scarcity, suppliers are also benefitted by the level of customer loyalty that firms develop for their manufacturers. Apple, however, is one of those few companies which sell their products online and which operate their own retail shops (GCEIP, 2014; CEIPUK, 2014). Music and Video Industry Supplier power is relatively high in the music and video industry. The suppliers in this industry pertain to the purveyors of content, such as the record companies, TV studios and film studios. End-user tastes drive demand, and when the particular content is specifically in demand then market players are compelled to stock on popular products so as not to miss out on revenues for songs, movies, or shows that have high appeal. Also, suppliers such as large film and TV studios tend to integrate forward, that is, they sell directly to the retail market through their own websites. In these situations, there is strong supplier bargaining power (GMVIP, 2014; MVIPUK, 2014). Mobile Phone Industry Supplier power is moderate in the mobile phone industry. Mobile phone manufacturers are much larger than their suppliers, and are therefore in a position to better influence supply contracts. Operating systems are vital components to smartphone manufacturers, but in the case of Apple and Blackberry the operating systems are developed by the manufacturers themselves, and therefore one element of supplier power is diminished (GMPIP, 2014; MPIPUK, 2014). 3.3 Threat of Substitutes Communication Equipment Industry The threat of substitutes is moderate to strong, as product substitution may potential exist within the market. Landline phones and mobile devices are substitutes for each other, although mobile devices have the advantage of flexibility, portability and mobility. In developing countries, counterfeits may proliferate, drawing demand away from legitimate retailers, but such risk is gradually being eroded by regulation, law enforcement, and security measures. Cheaper second-hand products are also substitutes for new models, which may challenge the higher-priced Apple products in certain market segments (GCEIP, 2014; CEIPUK, 2014). Music and Video Industry The threat of substitutes, particularly from counterfeit media, is very strong; this becomes apparent when one considers that digital video and audio content are easily duplicated. Pirated titles appear online, on CDs, and more recently through streaming and file sharing websites. While lawsuits have been filed and litigation pursued in some cases, the lawsuits are so slow that by the time they take effect, damage has already been done that cannot be undone for the titles thus distributed. The same contents made legally accessible online also act as substitutes for the same content formatted on CDs and DVDs. Although demand for the latter may decline, there will still remain buyers who prefer their music or shows on a physical device (GMVIP, 2014; MVIPUK, 2014) Mobile Phones Industry The threat of substitutes is low. The threat posed by landline telephones as substitute for cellular phones is weak, due to the greater flexibility, portability and wide area coverage offered by mobile phone usage. Neither are laptops a strong substitute due to disadvantages in size, weight, and the capacity for outward calls (GMPIP, 2014; MPIPUK, 2014). 3.4 Threat of New Entrants Communication Equipment Industry The threat of new entrants is moderate. There is a low degree of differentiation among the products and services that players in this industry can offer; this signifies that customer loyalty is low, and customers tend more to follow the brand of the manufacturer rather than the retailer. Since buyers can easily switch retailers, low cost entry into the market is possible. Entry barriers are thus low, and threats of new entrants is strong, despite the fact that more established and larger-sale retailers would have developed better relationships with their suppliers as well as enjoy economies of scale (GCEIP, 2014; CEIPUK, 2014). Music and Video Industry The threat of new entrants is strong, and entry barriers to this market are low. If the prospective player already runs a retail business, then entry into the market becomes easy. Switching costs among vendors is low, and enables customers to transfer among players depending on the price, stock or brand image. Larger players carry strong brand images; however, this alone will not be sufficient basis to draw market share away from new entrants (GMVIP, 2014; MVIPUK, 2014). Mobile Phones Industry The threat of new entrants is moderate. The popularity of smartphones continue to attract new players which offer the same features as the established brands, such as Apple and HTC. A good number of the more mature mobile phone manufacturers offer their own smartphones. A market for cheap feature phones thrives in developing economies. New entrants are nevertheless faced with challenges, such as the huge amount and the specialist skills and experience required for capital outlay for RD in which Apple is well entrenched (GMPIP, 2014; MPIPUK, 2014). 3.5 Internal rivalry Communication Equipment Industry Internal rivalry in this market is low to moderate. The market for global communications equipment is highly fragmented; market participants are numerous and diverse, including large foreign companies as well as local independent shops. Competition is slightly more intense among specialty shops than it is for the larger firms that have a presence in several markets. Even so, competition tends to ease because the demand for digital communications products is still expanding, enabling all firms to acquire a reasonable share of the market (GCEIP, 2014; CEIPUK, 2014). Music and Video Industry Internal rivalry is strong, mainly due to the similar choice of products offered by competing players and the low switching costs among market players. Unless the content is originally produced or published by the player, it would not be able to sustain any long-term competitive advantage over its rivals as content and processes are common and indistinguishable (GMVIP, 2014; MVIPUK, 2014). Mobile Phones Industry Internal rivalry among mobile phone manufacturers is moderate, with the lion’s share of the market being shared among a few large and well-known firms (i.e. Apple, Nokia, LG, Samsung). A second tier of smaller manufacturers are directed towards specific niches and do not really pose strong competition to the larger firms (GMPIP, 2014; MPIPUK, 2014). SWOT Analysis (Datamonitor, 2011; MarketLine, 2014) 4.1 Strengths Apple’s several businesses are the result of a combined horizontal and vertical integration. Horizontal integration is comprised of its wide range of products, while the interconnectivity among such products is the result of the vertical integration. This has enabled the firm to create strong competitive advantages that competitors find difficult to challenge. Apple continues to enjoy strong growth rates and cash flows, as sales remain brisk particularly on its online stores. Apple commands high Application Service Providers (ASPs) which continue to perform well in the market while demand for ASPs of other company providers has declined. 4.2 Weaknesses Apple failed to anticipate certain product categories such as phablets, and therefore was a later entrant into them. Until recently, Apple had not launched a larger screen phone, despite having invented the tablet. Samsung outperformed Apple in this respect, having pioneered in the phablet with Galaxy Note in 2011, and now has a commanding presence in the phablet market. Apple positions itself in the premium category and prices itself at a single price point. Consumers who could not afford the premium price therefore turn to Samsung and other brands that have a range of differentially priced products for different markets. Apple has an overdependence on the iPad and iPhone for its revenues and growth rates; the revenues from these two products comprise 72.1% of its total revenues for 2013. Eventual decline in the sales of these products will threaten the company’s sustainability and viability. 4.3 Opportunities The iPhone and iPad remain popular in the personal gadgets market, and further growth in their sales could still be explored in the corporate arena. A trend known as bring-your-own-device has become popular in the workplace, as people have appropriated these personal devices for their business purposes. Companies have only begun to exploit mobility strategies to offer better choices to the customers, and iPads may be tapped for this. Apple has yet to fully tap the growth prospects in the emerging markets. There is a rising middle class in India in which Apple may carve out a greater market share. It should be recalled that India is a member of the Commonwealth with which the UK is developing increasingly closer ties. The vast market in emerging countries is far from saturation, and Apple in UK is in a position of take advantage of it. 4.4 Threats One of the weaknesses of Apple cited is its premium pricing policy. This policy shall prove detrimental to any efforts to penetrate an emerging market, because few if any will be able to afford it. Therefore, in the event of any economic downturns that tend to erode the buying power of consumers, demand may shift from Apple’s more expensive products to lower-priced competitors like Samsung. The complex environment of electronic communication devices is constantly innovating and poses a serious challenge to Apple’s position in the market. Players are aggressively competitive, principally because of the fluidity of this disruptive innovation that allows for constant redesigning and modification. Conclusion The business of Apple, Inc. is a viable investment in the UK, although recommendation of entry stock price will have to await a valuation analysis of the stock based on financial and economic models. Being an investment that relies in technological innovation, Apple will have to be a growth buy, that is, it may not have long-term prospects but it will continue to have a strong market presence in the medium term. The principal concern of investors will be the sustainability of Apple’s cutting-edge innovations in the post-Steve Jobs era. Apple should continue to maintain its core competence in technological innovation and its competitive advantage in its horizontal and vertical integration to remain a viable investment. References Apple Inc.: The Steve Jobs Effect (2012) Apple Case Study: The Steve Jobs Effect, pp. 1-16 Apple, Inc. (2014) ‘Apple Info.’ Retrieved 25 October 2014 from https://www.apple.com/about/ BBC News (2014) ‘Air pollution needs more monitoring, says GMB union.’ BBC News UK. 8 June. Retrieved 25 October 2014 from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27753072 Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR) (2012, May) Early Assessment of the UK Innovation Investment Fund. Department for Business Innovation Skills. Retrieved 25 October 2014 from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32236/12-815-early-assessment-uk-innovation-investment-fund.pdf Chittedi, KR (2014) Global Financial Crisis And Contagion: Evidence For The Bric Economies, Journal of Developing Areas, 48, 4, pp. 243-264 Communications Equipment Industry Profile: United Kingdom (CEIPUK) (2014) Communications Equipment Industry Profile: United Kingdom, pp. 1-37 Datamonitor: Apple Inc (2011) Apple, Inc. SWOT Analysis, pp. 1-10 Department for International Development (2013) Multilateral Aid Review: Assessment of Climate Investment Funds (CIFs). Retrieved 25 October 2014 from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/multilateral-aid-review-assessment-of-climate-investment-funds-cifs Dugan, E (2013) ‘Government fights Europe over air pollution reduction.’ The Independent, 2 March. Retrieved 25 October 2014 from http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/government-fights-europe-over-air-pollution-reduction-8517922.html Global Communications Equipment Industry Profile (GCEIP) (2014) Communications Equipment Industry Profile: Global, pp. 1-35 Global Mobile Phones Industry Profile (GMPIP) (2014) Mobile Phones Industry Profile: Global, pp. 1-34 Global Music Video Industry Profile (GMVIP) (2014) Music Video Industry Profile: Global, pp. 1-34 Great Britain Ministry of Justice (2011) Legal Aid Reform in England and Wales: The Government Response. London: Ministry of Justice Haß, L, Koziol, C, Schweizer, D (2014) What Drives Contagion in Financial Markets? Liquidity Effects versus Information Spill- Over, European Financial Management, 20, 3, pp. 548-573 Ioan, T, Nicolae, P, Eva, D (2013) An Inquiry Into Contagion Transmission And Spillover Effects In Stock Markets, Annals Of The University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 22, 2, pp. 472-482 Liu, Y, Ouyang, H (2014) Spillover and Comovement: The Contagion Mechanism of Systemic Risks Between the U.S. and Chinese Stock Markets, Emerging Markets Finance Trade, 50, pp. 109-121 Mallin, M, Finkle, T (2011) Apple Inc.: product portfolio analysis, Journal of The International Academy For Case Studies, 7, p. 63 MarketLine (2014) Apple Inc. SWOT Analysis, MarketLine, pp. 1-10 Mathiesen, K (2014) ‘Does London have the worst NO2 pollution on Earth?’ The Guardian: The Eco Audit. 10 July. Retrieved 25 October 2014 from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/10/london-worst-no2-pollution-earth Mobile Phones Industry Profile: United Kingdom (MPIPUK) (2014) Mobile Phones Industry Profile: United Kingdom, pp. 1-37 Music Video Industry Profiles: the United Kingdom (MVIPUK) (2014) Music Video Industry Profile: United Kingdom, pp. 1-32 Syriopoulos, T (2014) Stock Market Volatility and Contagion Effects in the Financial Crisis: The Case Of South-Eastern Europe, n.p. EBSCO Trenca, I, Dezsi, E (2013) Connections Between the European Stock Markets, Review of Economic Studies Research Virgil Madgearu, 6, 2, pp. 151-171 United Kingdom Country Profile (2013) UK Country Profile, pp. 1-67 US Central Intelligence Agency (USCIA) (2014) ‘United Kingdom’ The World Factbook. 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Malcolm X Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley was published in 1965. It is national best seller about the life and times of Malcolm X. On May 19, 1925 Malcolm Little was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His father was a preacher who spoke out about the unity of black people. This caused several white racists to strike out against Malcolm’s father and his family violently. His family moved to Lansing, Michigan where Malcolm, his parents, brothers, and sisters were shot at, burned out of their home, harassed, and threatened. When Malcolm was 6 years old, his father was murdered by a white man. After his father’s death his mother had a nervous breakdown and the family got split up by welfare agencies. Malcolm was placed in a lot of different schools and boardinghouses. He was a good student and wanted to be a lawyer someday, but a teacher told him that because he was black he should take up carpentry instead. At age 15 he dropped out of school and moved to Boston to live with his half sister Ella. He quickly sees the fast pace life of Detroit. To get money he shined shoes, worked at a soda fountain, worked at a restaurant and on a railroad kitchen crew. Later he moved to the black Harlem section of New York City where he sold drugs, became a thief, and was involved with a lot of hoodlums and pimps. He moved back to Boston and got arrested for burglary. While he was in prison he learned about the Nation of Islam and later joined the Islamic religion. He was released from prison in 1952 and went to be with his brother in Detroit where he replaced his last name, Little, with X to symbolize his lost true African family name. The Islamic religion taught that white people were devils so Malcolm went around speaking out against whites at universities and other places. He returned to New York and became minister of the Harlem temple. For 12 years he preached that the white man was the devil and Muhammad was God’s messenger. In 1964 he left the Nation of Islam and said "I feel like a man who has been asleep somewhat and under someone else’s control. I feel what I’m thinking and saying now is for myself. Before, it w as for and by guidance of another, now I think with my own mind."(Haley 312) He was 38 years old when he left the Islamic religion and started his own group, Organization of Afro-American Unity. He went to Mecca, known as the Hajj, and this is a religious... ...t of drug addiction, self-hatred and poverty. He restored a sense of pride in our African heritage to millions of black Americans. He offered his own view of civil rights issues, and it was totally different from the views held by other leaders, who were thought to be more moderate. If he had lived, many people think that he would have become one of the most powerful political figures this nation has known. At the end of the book Malcolm said, "I know that societies often have killed the people who have helped to change those societies. And if I can die having brought any light, having exposed any meaningful truth that will help to destroy the racist cancer that is malignant in the body of America then all of the credit is due to Allah. Only the mistakes have been mine." Book Report: The Autobiography of Malcolm X Chidima Keke April 13, 2004 African American History II Professor Lewis Works Cited Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Ballantine Books: New York.1965 D.Hine, W.C. Hine, Harrold Stanley. The African American Odyssey. 2nd edition. Vol.2.Perason Education, Inc: New Jersey. 2003

Emperor Tewodros Analysis Essay

Tayo Shonubi IB1 History 28/9/2012 Emperor Tewodros of Ethiopia Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia’s rise to power began in 1845 with a meticulous rule which to his oppositions favor, ended in dismal failure and led him to commit suicide in 1858, after thirteen years of power. Tewodros was the heir-apparent to emperor Tewodros I, his father’s throne, but after his father’s death, he became the adopted son of his half-brother. He grew to be an accomplished soldier and leader and was then allotted governor of Qwara by the nominal then king of kings, Ras Ali who had ruled since 1832.Tewodros was the leader responsible for reviving the concept of king of kings, and after reforms to his army, he made a determined and driven submission for king of kings. After Tewodros made the realization of his absolute power, he carried out expeditions against Gojjam province where he defeated Biru Goshu in the Ethiopian battle of Taquosha not long after, in 1855, he defeated the provi nce of Tigre was crowned emperor Tewodros II, by Abu Salama, the head of the church of Ethiopia.Tewodros made one of his most grave and major expeditions of his rule in 1856 when he battled against the Wallo Galla and thoroughly thrashed the Muslim community, shamelessly and filled with pride, he moved on to occupy the province of Shewa where he captured an eleven year old boy known was heir-apparent to the throne of Sahle Mariam, the boy later became known as emperor Manelik. Tewodros responded very favorably to European approaches, ‘expecting not their protection and imperialism but assistance in getting technology and arms’.One of his earliest European contacts was Britain. Through his association with the British sprouted a friendship with two Englishmen, Yohannes Bell and Walter Plowdon who were part of the protestant German missionaries. On his journey to eastern Ethiopia, Plowdon was killed, upon hearing this news, Tewodros chose to ‘vent’ by organiz ing an expedition that unfortunately and ironically killed his other good friend, Yohannes Bell. To take over from Plowdon was a man by the names of Duncan Cameron, Tewodros and Cameron did not get along as much as he did with Plowdon.There was a lack of initiative and enthusiasm coming from Cameron’s end. In 1862, seeing as he had an established relationship with the British, Tewodros wrote to Queen Victoria, the then ruler of Great Britain, concerning the setup of an Ethiopian embassy in Britain. Tewodros never received a reply from Her Majesty, and it was assumed that the letter was either overlooked intentionally or failed to reach her. As does every leader, Tewodros came across challenges during his reign.The nobility i. e. the upper class were previously not required to pay taxes, however after Tewodros came into the power, they were required to, this change in the system set the aristocracy against him. Furious about this new obligation, they held riots between 1855 an d 1861, these rebellions were brutally suppressed by his soldiers who looted and massacred their captives. One may try to control another in order for them to convert/conform to their beliefs such that there is less rebellion.Although Tewodros was a believer of the Christian faith, he confiscated church property and land and abolished privileges of the clergy, for his personal gain and in advantage of his new found glory and power. The Ethiopian church leaders began to preach against Tewodros making him lose the support of the majority of Ethiopians. Tewodros was a proud man with a lust for power, one of the largest mistakes he made during his power was his amendment to the law of the church. Ethiopia was a predominantly Christian state, and before Tewodros’ rule, any church within the nation was not required to pay tax.After he came into power, Tewodros felt as though there was not enough tax and he wanted more money coming to him, with this in mind, he lifted this law and m ade it so that churches were required to pay tax and through this, he was indeed getting more money, but simultaneously getting less support. All these events, occurrences and people in one way or another contributed to the rise and fall of Tewodros. However his ways of self-praise, egotistic ways and pride led him to his own defeat.

God’s rule over human happenings Essay

God controls events of human history to accomplish of his purposes. God’s rule over human happenings is demonstrated many times in the Bible. One of the clearest examples is recorded in the first four chapters of the book of Daniel. Daniel and three of his friends were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. In Babylon they are trained to be special servants of the king. When Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and apparently forgot it, he demanded that his wise men tell him what he dreamed and give its interpretation, on penalty of death if they didn’t. When Daniel heard about this situation, he and his friends prayed to God to learn about the dream and its interpretation. When God revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel, Daniel thanked God by saying, â€Å"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. . . . He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. . . . I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known . . . the king’s demand† (Daniel 2:20-23, NKJV). The dream was about a man with a head of gold, his chest and arms of silver, his thighs of bronze, his legs of iron, and his feet partly of iron and partly of clay. Daniel told the king that God had revealed to him the dream and its interpretation. He declared that different parts of the man represented various kingdoms. The head of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar. His was the greatest kingdom. After him would come lesser kingdoms, represented by the inferior medals, until the coming of the greatest – an everlasting kingdom – represented by a stone, uncut by human hands. The stone would strike the image and broke it in pieces. It would then became a great mountain and fill the whole earth. Nebuchadnezzar was grateful to Daniel for telling him his dream and its interpretation. He declared, â€Å"Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret† (Daniel 2:47). The king then promoted Daniel to be ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. Moreover, Daniel’s three friends were placed in positions of power in the province of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar was a most powerful king. He was also very conceited. He built an image of gold, ninety feet tall. Why he built it is not declared in scripture. However, it may be because the dream, wherein he was represented as possessing a kingdom portrayed with a head of gold, motivated him to exalt himself in that way. He called for everyone to fall down before the image and worship it. But Daniel’s three friends refused. Nebuchadnezzar threatened them, saying that they would be put into a furnace of fire if they didn’t prostrate themselves before it. They still refused, saying that God would deliver them, but even if he didn’t, they would not worship the image. Nebuchadnezzar, full of fury, had them put into the fiery furnace. Afterward, however, when he looked into the furnace, he was greatly surprised. There was a fourth person, one like a son of the gods, walking among them and none of them were burned. When Nebuchadnezzar called for them to come out of the furnace, he discovered that they were not singed, nor did they have even the smell of fire on them. Therefore he said, â€Å"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him . . . that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.† (Daniel 3:28-29) He then promoted them in the province of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar thus came not only to recognize, but also to appreciate the Most High God. Nevertheless, Nebuchadnezzar was still filled with great pride. In his own words, Nebuchadnezzar told how he came to be humbled by God. He had another dream which none but Daniel could interpret. The dream was about a great, strong, and high tree with lovely leaves and abundant fruit. In it the birds lodged, under it animals found shade, and from it all flesh was fed. But a voice from heaven commanded the tree to be cut down. Even so, the stump and roots were to be left, bound with iron and bronze in the grass of the field. Before being told the meaning of the dream, Nebuchadnezzar recognized that â€Å"This decision is . . . in order that the living may know  that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men† (Daniel 4:17). When told the dream, Daniel was disturbed because he knew it was against the King. The tree represented the king. Although the king was great, he would be cut down but not destroyed. His heart would become like that of an animal and he would eat grass for seven â€Å"times† (probably seven years). However, Nebuchadnezzar was assured that the kingdom would be his after he came to realize that Heaven rules. Daniel then advised the king, â€Å"break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity† (Daniel 4:20). The dream began to be fulfilled a year later while Nebuchadnezzar was walking in his palace. He said, â€Å"Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?† (Daniel 4:30). It was then that a voice from heaven said, â€Å"King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses† (Daniel 4:31-32). And so it was. Nebuchadnezzar ate grass like an ox, his body was wet with the dew of heaven, his hair grew like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like bird’s claws. At the end of the time, Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding returned to him, as did his kingdom, honor, splendor, counselors and nobles. He then blessed the Most High, saying, â€Å"His dominion is an everlasting dominion, . . . He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’† (Daniel 4:34-35). He then praised and honored the King of Heaven, saying that his works are true and his ways just. Moreover, he said, â€Å"those who walk in pride, He is able to put down† (Daniel 4:37). God rules. He sent dreams to Nebuchadnezzar. Through Daniel, God made their interpretations known. In this way God caused Daniel to become ruler over  all Babylon and his friends to be elevated to rulership positions. God changed Nebuchadnezzar’s heart and made him to be a believer in the Most High God. He also humbled and then restored Nebuchadnezzar to his kingdom. He thereby caused His name to be heralded by the King throughout all Babylon (Daniel 4:1-3). Nebuchadnezzar came to know that God ruled. Yet he probably did not understood the extent or purposes of God’s rule. He may not have realized that in all these things God was preserving the Israelites in their captivity. When we see disturbing conditions in our world (just as the Israelites saw and were disturbed by the fall of Jerusalem and the overthrow of their nation by the Babylonians) we should realize that God â€Å"reigns over the nations, God sits on his holy throne† (Psalm 47:8; See also Jeremiah 18:7-10). He still rules in the kingdom of men. And while we may not know the extent of God’s rule, we should realize that God is working out his own purposes through contemporary human events.

Republic Of China Essays - Republic Of China, Sun Yat-sen

Republic Of China Essays - Republic Of China, Sun Yat-sen Republic of China The republic that Sun Yat-sen and his associates imagined slowly came about. The revolutionists lacked an army, and the power of Yuan Shikai began to outdo that of parliament. Yuan revised the constitution at will and became dictatorship. In August 1912 a new political party was founded by Song Jiaoren ( 1882-1913), one of Sun's associates. The party, the Guomindang was an blend of small political groups, including Sun's Tongmeng Hui . In the national elections held in February 1913 for the new bicameral parliament, Song campaigned against the Yuan administration, and his party won a majority of seats. Yuan had Song assassinated in March; he had already arranged the assassination of several pro-revolutionist generals. Animosity toward Yuan grew. In the summer of 1913 seven southern provinces rebelled against Yuan. When the rebellion was suppressed, Sun and other instigators fled to Japan. In October 1913 an intimidated parliament formally elected Yuan president of the Republic of China, and the major powers extended recognition to his government. To achieve international recognition, Yuan Shikai had to agree to autonomy for Outer Mongolia and Xizang. China was still to be suzerain, but it would have to allow Russia a free hand in Outer Mongolia and Britain continuance of its influence in Xizang. In November Yuan Shikai, legally president, ordered the Guomindang dissolved and its members removed from parliament. Within a few months, he suspended parliament and the provincial assemblies and forced the promulgation of a new constitution, which, in effect, made him president for life. Yuan's ambitions still were not satisfied, and, by the end of 1915, it was announced that he would reestablish the monarchy. Widespread rebellions ensued, and numerous provinces declared independence. With opposition at every quarter and the nation breaking up into warlord factions, Yuan Shikai died of natural causes in June 1916, deserted by his lieutenants. Nationalism and Communism After Yuan Shikai's death, shifting alliances of regional warlords fought for control of the Beijing government. The nation also was threatened from without by the Japanese. When World War I broke out in 1914, Japan fought on the Allied side and seized German holdings in Shandong Province. In 1915 the Japanese set before the warlord government in Beijing the so-called Twenty-One Demands, which would have made China a Japanese protectorate. The Beijing government rejected some of these demands but yielded to the Japanese insistence on keeping the Shandong territory already in its possession. Beijing also recognized Tokyo's authority over southern Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia. In 1917, in secret communiqu?s, Britain, France, and Italy assented to the Japanese claim in exchange for the Japan's naval action against Germany. In 1917 China declared war on Germany in the hope of recovering its lost province, then under Japanese control. But in 1918 the Beijing government signed a secret deal with Japan accepting the claim to Shandong. When the Paris peace conference of 1919 confirmed the Japanese claim to Shandong and Beijing's sellout became public, internal reaction was shattering. On May 4, 1919, there were massive student demonstrations against the Beijing government and Japan. The political fervor, student activism, and iconoclastic and reformist intellectual currents set in motion by the patriotic student protest developed into a national awakening known as the May Fourth Movement. The intellectual milieu in which the May Fourth Movement developed was known as the New Culture Movement and occupied the period from 1917 to 1923. The student demonstrations of May 4, 1919 were the high point of the New Culture Movement, and the terms are often used synonymously. Students returned from abroad advocating social and political theories ranging from complete Westernization of China to the socialism that one day would be adopted by China's communist rulers. Opposing the Warlords The May Fourth Movement helped to rekindle the then-fading cause of republican revolution. In 1917 Sun Yat-sen had become commander-in-chief of a rival military government in Guangzhou in collaboration with southern warlords. In October 1919 Sun reestablished the Guomindang to counter the government in Beijing. The latter, under a succession of warlords, still maintained its facade of legitimacy and its relations with the West. By 1921 Sun had become president of the southern government. He spent his remaining years trying to

Friendship essays

Friendship essays Friends. Can you imagine what life would be like without them? Who would you hang out with in the cafeteria during lunch? Who would you tell about the new love in your history class whos both cute and smart? Who would you have those marathon phone conversations with, you know, the ones that drive your parents crazy? As one grows older, their view on friendship changes and the group of friends they had becomes smaller. ...youngsters seek integration in the peer group, they are inclined to distance themselves from social control, parents and other authorities (Rutger 675). As a young child, friendship does not really exist, the friends that a child really has is more like an encounter. Playing with another child one day and then going home, that was that until the two kids happen to meet again, which is generally in preschool. When a child is playing with another child it is as if everything revolves around each childs needs. What toy you wanted and where you wanted to play (Kalb 56). As the youngster proceeds into the elementary grades they begin to understand that friendship is more than just a playmate. They start to see their friends point of view, share secrets, plans and feelings and help seek solutions to problems. Middle school soon comes and besides the body changing, so do the friends that a person has. During this time in life the adolescent goes through pressures from peers, school, and male/female relationships and to cope with these pressures, it is easier to talk to a person in the same situation instead of a parent that will more than likely criticize. In adolescence, according to Dianna Booher, ...friendship is the most important relationship in their lives. Maybe thats because friendship is a relationship we freely choose to satisfy our specific personal needs. Our parents, brothers, and sisters were given to us (11). T...

A Study On A Structural Necessity Architecture Essay

Within the societal scientific disciplines the term construction besides seems have different options. At possibly the most cardinal degree, within the field, the societal scientific disciplines themselves are broken into separate subjects in an attempt to decently analyze, analyse, and categorise different types of information, therefore supplying a sense of order or construction. Yet even these divisions are inconsistent across the field. At one institute sociology and anthropology may be joined in a individual plan of survey yet at others they are wholly separate and possibly assorted with another, such as linguistics. Beyond specifying itself the societal scientific disciplines have a singular ability for classifying, reclassifying, and re-reclassifying things ( including but barely limited to race, civilization, historical periods, theoretical models, methodological analysiss, and gender ) on a regular footing. In 1978, Edward Said, in his book Orientalism, identified a really controversial division between Europe and the Orient. Since so there have been important arguments on the ground for such a division, and even if such a division genuinely existed. Janet Abu-Lughod, in 1989 wrote â€Å" Analyzing a System in Formation † , in which she agreed that there is a recognizable division between the Europe and the remainder of the universe. Indeed she suggests that there is a incorporate universe construction and it is based on a Eurocentric theoretical account which developed around the 14th century. Within societal scientific disciplines this of course raises the inquiry, is the strong accent we give to construction an unconscious affect of the Eurocentric beginning of our theoretical account? Or is construction a more permeant thought? This essay contends that while a big part of the authorship in societal scientific discipline literature is Eurocentric in beginning, the construction, and more specifically the thought of construction is non limited to European idea. Levi-Strauss ‘ thoughts of infrastructure offers a strong statement that construction, as Abu-Lughod describes it, is simply the superstructure representation of an implicit in infrastructure common throughout all human civilizations. Then before turn toing the signifier of construction in the superstructure of our modern universe system, we must inquire whether determine whether construction is needed, or instead can we gestate of a universe, or societal scientific disciplines, without construction? Finally, manners of communicating will be used to demo how construction is exhaustively embedded in our universe even when it is non perceived. InAnalyzing a System in Formation, Janet Abu-Lughod really indicates her beliefs that the current construction of societal scientific disciplines is dominated by its European beginnings. Indeed while citing others, she gives provinces that the current universe system is wholly Eurocentric. For illustration, she recognizes Immanuel Wallerstein for coining the term â€Å" modern world-system † and that Europe lead development of this system, which has lasted more than 500 old ages. ( Abu-Lughod, 4 ) She supports this contention with the plants of Fernand Braudel and Eric Wolff who describe how a euro-centered universe was established in the 14th century and was the footing for the current universe system. ( Abu-Lughod, 9 ) Indeed, she accuses Braudel of doing an â€Å" unconscious Eurocentric faux pas. † ( Abu-Lughod, 11 ) In these illustrations the thought of Eurocentrism is difficult to lose. As Abu-Lughod points out, â€Å" Before Europe becameoneof the world-economies in the twelfth and 13th centuries†¦ there were legion pre-existent world-economies. † ( 12 ) Looking at the modern system it is possibly excessively easy to see the strength of the European influence upon the system, whether in currency rates, human rights issues, or a assortment of other countries. But to state that the modern system is purely based on this influence suggests that all other systems have either been discarded or go subservient to the Euro-centric theoretical account. Yet we have merely to come in a non-European state to recognize merely how diverse the differences elsewhere remain. Surely the strong grades of European influences are felt in South Africa or India, where English is widely spoken. And similarly in Algeria and Egypt where Arabic is still the national linguistic communication but a turning per centum of the population speak French and English, severally. Yet in each instance, although they have adopted parts of the Euro-centric theoretical account, they have each molded their ain signifier. Rather than being consumed Europe they have been influenced by it. But the influence is non unidimensional, instead influences flow back and Forth between parts. The ongoing argument in France sing hijab and other spiritual symbols in public schools is declarative of the concern felt by many in France of the turning Muslim population. Likewise, the alterations in corporate leading methods over the past decennary, from individualistic to more group-oriented, reflect an inflow of new thoughts from Japan and other states in Southeast Asia. In the terminal, Abu-Lughod was at least partly right ; Europe has influenced the construction of the world-system. But the world-system, and including Europe, has been influenced by the remainder of the universe. In a similar mode, while the construction of societal scientific disciplines found its beginnings in Europe it has, particularly in recent decennaries, been strongly influenced by the remainder of the universe. The construction that remains is non a massive creative activity but instead an merger which is invariably in flux. Leading possibly to the inevitable inquiry, are we utilizing the right, or the best system? Or do we even need to make this construction? When composingThe Ritual Processin 1969 Victor Turner gave us the term ‘anti-structure ‘ . His term was non meant to connote a deficiency of construction. In â€Å" Metaphors of Anti-Structure in Religious Culture † he clarified his term stating, â€Å" †¦ the ‘anti ‘ is here merely used strategically and does non connote a extremist negativeness. † ( 272 ) He farther explains, â€Å" I do non seek the obliteration of affair by signifier. † ( 273 ) Rather than proposing non-structure, the term anti-structure is conceived as yet another portion of the whole non to the full accounted for within the bing construction ; they are two-sides of the same coin. Within societal scientific disciplines as a whole at that place ever seems to be a construction. Disciplines are broken down by topics or methods. Subjects are broken down by location or clip period. Information is so pigeon-holed into a peculiar subject within a topic under a subject. Sometimes these topics and subjects are realigned, and sometimes information is referenced in multiple topographic points, but there is consistent effort to happen a topographic point everything ; or as the expression goes, â€Å" A topographic point for everything and everything in its topographic point. † But why must everything be put in its topographic point? And is there truly a topographic point for everything? Historically, our classification systems last until something does n’t suit. After seeking legion unsuccessful ways to accommodate our theoretical account and our information we acknowledge the job and expression for a new construction ; what sociology of cognition would cal cubic decimeter a revolution of cognition. But is a construction necessary? Can we gestate of our societal scientific discipline information outside the restraints of construction? If it is possible, we do we invariably seek to develop a more accurate and/or effectual construction? One might reason that early ethnographers, such as Marco Polo and Sir Richard Francis Burton worked outside the restraints of construction. They successfully documented important information without being purely attached to a peculiar subject. Indeed such plants frequently contain a wealth of information because they include a great assortment of different types of information. In a similar mode Clifford Geertz ‘ experience as described inDeep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfightcan be viewed as working outside the constituted construction. His intended survey was, no uncertainty, sanctioned and developed along certain guidelines. However, when he allowed himself to be caught up in rabble outlook brought on by the sudden reaching of the constabulary he was non moving within the restraints of any guidelines. Indeed Geertz ‘ description of the police officer ‘s action on page 415 suggest that he was movingagainstthe established construction. When we read about the Balinese cockfight and implicit in construction is easy to individuality. Peopless are identified by originals and specific subjects are ethical motives are indicated. The analysis itself is really structured, and that is where the construction seems to fall within much of the societal scientific disciplines, particularly anthropology. In order to pass on the information to others we construction it in such as manner that it becomes relevant to our audience. Yet the existent assemblage of information, though possibly limited by a pre-defined field site and research inquiries, can be a non-structured action. In my research of the effects of nomadic communicating engineerings, I frequently find it hard to non see a construction. Due to my experience working on the mechanical side of the engineering, I frequently construction the engineerings, and thereby the people, without detecting. A adult male in a suit utilizing a Blackberry phone seems is deemed a concern adult male, while a similar adult male have oning denims and utilizing an iPhone is deemed a college pupil. Likewise, person utilizing Linux is considered more technologically savvy than person utilizing Windows or an Apple OS, irrespective of their existent competency. From a proficient position, nomadic phones require a physical web to enable communicating. Unlike a land line phone which offers interaction between to fixed points in infinite, a nomadic phone offers an tantamount interaction at two random points. Furthermore, the cellular engineerings allow for non-stationary points, significance communicators are no longer tied to a fixed location. Enabling this nomadic communicating is an substructure web kindred to Levi-Strauss ‘ infrastructure of society. This is the unseeable, underlying system which ties everything together. With nomadic phones, a cellular web must be developed and maintained. This web must let easy connexion and must be linked to other cellular webs to enable transferring of one communicator to different locations with disrupting the manner of communicating. Finally, for this method to be genuinely effectual the web must be built around the communicators and their venues ; a cellular web in an empty desert serves no intent. Developing an effectual web therefore requires consciousness of bing locations of communicators and a method of mapping that information into a cellular web. Thus a construction develops based on the demands of a community. Of class, the communicators are by and large incognizant of this web. A adult male simply dials a figure on his Mobile phone, irrespective of where he is, and his married woman replies at some other unknown and apparently unrelated location. There is no demand for the users of this system to be cognizant of its nature, however the system does be. It is really easy to look around and see merely pandemonium. We are non required to see constructions in our day-to-day life. We take the construction itself for granted, yet that does non intend it does non be. We may gestate of cases where persons move outside the construction, or in a non-structured signifier. Yet when we seek communicate these actions we do so in a structured mode. The analysis, the manner we present the information, even the really linguistic communication itself contains an in agreement upon construction which allows us to pass on. But the construction is non massive and unchanging. A changeless duologue between different influences forms and reshapes the construction. We influence others even while we are influenced. At times a certain type of construction, such as the European theoretical account may look to rule but in clip even it is seen to be influenced by others. In the terminal thought of construction is in an built-in thought throughout the universe, a nd it is merely the peculiar signifier, what Levi-Strauss called the superstructure, that is distinguishable. Bibliography Abu-Lughod, J. ( 1989 ) . â€Å" Analyzing a System in Formation. † InBefore European Hegemony: The World System A.D. 1250-1350. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Pp 3-40. Althusser, L. ( 1970 ) .Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses.Retrieved on 28 Feb 10, From The Louis Althusser Internet Archive: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.marxists.org/reference/archive/althusser/1970/ideology.htm. DiTornaso, N. ( 1982 ) . â€Å" ‘Sociological Reductionism ‘ from Parsons to Althusser: Associating Action and Structure in Social Theory. †American Sociological Review, 47 ( 1 ) : 14-28. Geertz, C. ( 1973 ) . â€Å" Deep Play: Notes on a Balinese Cockfight. † InThe Interpretation of Cultures. London, UK: Hutchinson, Pp 412-454. Geertz, C. ( 1973 ) . â€Å" Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture. † InThe Interpretation of Cultures. London, UK: Hutchinson, Pp 3-30. Goffman, E. ( 1963 ) . â€Å" Stigma and Social Identity. † InStigma: Notes on the Management of a Spoiled Identity. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Pp. 1-40. Levi-Strauss, C. ( 1958 ) . â€Å" Structural Analysis in Linguistics and in Anthropology. † Retrieved on 13 Feb 10, From The Marxist Internet Archivess: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/fr/levistra.htm. Mintz, S. ( 1977 ) . â€Å" The Alleged World System: Local Initiative and Local Response. †Dialectical Anthropology, 2 ( 4 ) : 253-270. Nugent, D. ( 2009 ) . â€Å" Knowledge and Empire: The Social Sciences and United States Imperial Expansion. †Identities:Global Studies in Culture and Power, 17 ( 1 ) : 2-44. Trouillot, M-R. ( 1991 ) . â€Å" Anthropology and the Savage Slot: The Poeticss and Politicss of Otherness. † InRecapturing Anthropology: Working in the Present. Richard Fox ( erectile dysfunction ) . Pp. 17-44. Turner, V. ( 1975 ) . â€Å" Metaphors of Anti-Structure in Religious Culture. † InDramas, Fields and Metaphors: Symbolic Action in Human Society. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Pp. 272-300.

English - Global environment issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English - Global environment issue - Essay Example Environment is a global concern globally because every individual contributes to the climatic changes in one way or the other. Even if, countries have been disagreeing over unequal distribution of natural resources, they are misusing the little that they have to the expense of the entire planet. The climatic changes are enormous; the planet is warming up, and there is an overpowering scientific harmony that is occurring and human-induced. With global warming on the rise and animals and their habitants on the decline, chances for ecology to adapt innately are diminishing. Many experts have agreed that climatic change might be one of the biggest dangers facing the earth. Individuals play a role in the global climate change. This is because they make wrong choices concerning what energy to use. For instance, they choose fuels, which emit poisonous gases. They also use cooking gases, which have elements harmful to the environment. Therefore, the first thing individuals ought to undertake is to evaluate their own devotion to sustainability. This involves trying to understand; what the effects of resource usage are, how ecosystems operate, and the knock-on impacts of activities in their daily lives like water, work, vehicle use, and entertainment activities. Devotion to sustainability involves sharing of common vision and goals for enhanced quality of life, instead of selfishness where people try to exploit recourses before other people can, until resources are consumed entirely, everybody suffers. Furthermore, corporations should be responsible for global environmental issues. Companies especially those in the production sectors emit gases which affect the environment. They are the main cause of the ever-changing climate and, therefore, they should take responsibility of preventing the environment from further damage. Corporate responsibility supports a vision of business responsibility to different stakeholders. The main areas are the welfare

All forms of government welfare should be abolished Essay - 1

All forms of government welfare should be abolished - Essay Example Moreover, most of government welfare initiatives fail the test of providing long-term solutions to economic challenges facing society, thus encourage a persistent culture of reliance on others and loss of productivity. 3. What is your position regarding the topic? My position is that government welfare programs should be abolished. 4. What â€Å"evidence† have you offered to support your claim/position? Have you included your survey results? A lot of Americans were dissatisfied with the management of the program, claiming that the beneficiaries of the programs were misusing the welfare funds by staying idle, and having bigger families in order to receive more aid (Sheely, 2012). Others refrained from marriage so as to be eligible for more benefits (Greenberg, Ashworth, Cebulla, & Walker, 2005). These are clear signs of abuse, which basically call for the abolition of the government welfare. 5. Put your claim/position and â€Å"evidence† through the â€Å"Scientific Met hod† and â€Å"Proving a theory† steps. Are there any steps on which your claim/position and evidence do not measure up to the examination? If so, what can you do to make them more acceptable? Firstly, despite the significance of the welfare reform initiated in the mid-1990s, states are still struggling to curb the exploitative nature of the policy upon the productive segment of the economy. Greenberg et al (2005) indicated that more than half of people covered in the programs do not deserve the benefits. The current legal safeguards do not seem to offer long-lasting solutions to these ills at all. Many women have persisted with their habit of having many children in order to enjoy more benefits from the program. Moreover, the hefty annual benefits amounting to $7,000 is costly, especially where the beneficiaries channel the money elsewhere other than for a child’s upkeep (Grogger, Haider, & Klerman, 2003). This means that if such benefits were eliminated, chance s of women having children for purposes of benefitting from the cash would be very slim (Sheely, 2012). Secondly, as Gelman (2008) has pointed out, government revenue mainly generated from taxation of the salaries of the working class end up funding the more than a $746 billion welfare budget in 2010 (Guzman, Pirog, & Seefeldt, 2013). It is apparent that the social security fund is an area where hardworking citizens are disenfranchised to offset the needs of the supposed persons in need of services. The moneys collected from the social security fund do not amount to credible benefits for retirees. The funds are channeled to undeserving individuals who do not work hard to earn a living at all. In view of this, it is unfair for government to sustain the welfare programs because most of the beneficiaries are not willing to work hard, despite the existence of economic opportunities in the country (Grogger, Haider, & Klerman, 2003). The channeling of funds into wrong hands calls for the need to reexamine the clear definition of a needy individual. 6. Who is your intended audience? My intended audience is the government, especially the lawmakers and the working class populations because they hold the key to the abolishment of the legal structure which support welfare programs. 7. What is your purpose? What do you want the audience to do, to feel, or to think? Congress and the working class should be cognizant of the waste and work towards the realization of a change of laws as a way of making the economically

Ernest hemingway Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ernest hemingway - Research Paper Example The paper in which Hemingway worked offered reporters the directions to follow to improve their writing: â€Å"Use short sentences. Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English. Be positive, not negative† (cited in Tyler 15). This includes the distance, reflected in a deliberately emotionless manner of narration, the replacement of description by the show to let the reader evaluate his reading, the functionality and thingness of the prose. Every detail fixes the impression of an event in the story or interlude. This also includes character comparisons, unambiguous and even deliberately limited. Hemingway’s Style Like every great writer, he sought and found his own way in literature. One of his main goals was clarity and brevity of expression; he wanted â€Å"to strip language clean, to lay it bare down to the bone† (cited in Bloom 74). Hemingway’s famous short and exact phrase became a subject of controversy in literature – whether the understat ement really exists. According to Hemingway, it does. It is based on the deep layers of collective consciousness, on the universal categories of culture, which is raised by the artist in his work and which are enshrined in the customs, ceremonies, various forms of folk festivals, folk subjects of peoples of the world. In those early years, Hemingway also discovered his â€Å"dialogue† – his characters are exchanging small phrases, accidentally broken, and the reader feels behind these words, something significant and hidden in the mind, something that cannot be expressed directly. All of Hemingway’s works were interpreted and considered in terms of â€Å"being lost†, when the main thing is a search for identity, for example, injured by war, which lost its ideals and its place in the world. Therefore, the object of Hemingway’s study was the tragedy of his contemporaries, thrown into the brutal world of wars, murders and violence, alienation of peopl e from one another. His collections of short stories offer the best samples of psychological narration. This paper considers three stories from two collections: The Killers (1927), Hills Like White Elephants (1927), and The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1936). The works of this period defined the main features of Hemingway’s style of and the main type of his characters. All of them are deeply sensitive and really suffering people. However, centuries old Anglo-Saxon and even sporty self-control causes them to talk quietly, biting one’s lip. His characters can be considered as hard-boiled, though some argue that: T. S. Eliot called Hemingway â€Å"the writer of tender sentiment, and true sentiment† (cited in Meyers 19). Hemingway’s dialogue is deliberately sloppy and seemingly insignificant. This is just a mask, sometimes hiding the grimace of pain, which in fact must not be shown to others. And anyway, why should he speak of self-evident things? Dialogue, accordin g to Hemingway, is an easy thing for him, but it would be wrong to assume that this is just a naturalistic account of everyday conversations. No, this is a special kind of seemingly artless, but strictly deliberate selection and sharpening. A short chain of not interconnected phrases performs the basic task – to show the decaying ties of shifted and fragmented world, as it is directly perceived by a troubled mind, not, as it is organized later by a cool mind and fit into the traditional forms. The way of expressing information without any explanation of the

Econ Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Econ Questions - Essay Example Pugelovia will export rice and import cloth. 9.b. An increase in endowment of capital would result in a production-possibility curve that is biased toward machinery or production of large volume of machinery. The large volume of machinery produced is due to the effect of more clothing being given up in order to produce machineries. 9.e. US national well being may decline as a result of the increase in endowment of capital. As the capital/labour ratio in the international sector declines, the wages in the US would decrease causing a declining income for workers. 3. A tariff would increase the production output domestically. When a country imposes tariff, the domestic price of the product would increase in order to include the tariff. Local producers who do not pay the import tariff would have an incentive to increase their output in order to exploit the higher domestic price. The tariff would give domestic producers extra surplus on all the goods they would have produced even without the tariff plus smaller net gains on additional sales. Graphically, the domestic supply would increase from point J to point C, when tariff is imposed. The production effect is the area ABCJ. The production effect is computed by { = [q1*t] + [(q2 – q1)*t/2]] 4. A tariff would decrease the consumption domestically. When a country imposes tariff, the domestic price would increase such that consumer demand will decline due to higher price. The tariff costs consumers both the full tariff on every goods they continue to buy and the net enjoyment on goods they would have bought at the lower tariff-free price but do not buy at the higher price that includes the tariff. Graphically, the domestic demand would decrease along the demand curve from point H to point F, when tariff is imposed. The consumption effect is the area ABFH. The consumption effect is computed by { = [q3*t] + (q4 – q3)*t/2] 5. Imposing a tariff high

Influencial Person during the American Revolution Essay

Influencial Person during the American Revolution - Essay Example He was born in Thetford, England, to a corset-maker father and a religious mother, both of whom were Quakers1. He enrolled in school, attending regularly until almost the age of thirteen, when he was forced to drop out and learn his father’s trade. Deciding that he disliked being a corset-maker, he tried a number of other trades, including teacher, grocer, and excise tax collector2. While he worked his best at these occupations, Paine really had no desire to make these occupations his for the rest of his life, and therefore fared badly in all of them. Paine came to the colonies in 1774, settling in Philadelphia after meeting with Benjamin Franklin in London. Franklin wrote what was known at the time as â€Å"letters of introduction† for Paine, and Paine left for the colonies to begin a new life3. Less than two years later, Paine found himself embroiled in the American Revolution. Many Americans believed, at first, that the fight with the British was not about independen ce or gaining any sort of freedom, but rather to plead with the King for a redress of grievances4. In 1775, when the revolution had progressed as far as the Battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill, four of the Founding Fathers, including John Adams, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington, met to review dispatches, during which time Paine entered the room5. After being introduced by Franklin, Paine states frankly, â€Å"These States of America must be independent of England. That is the only solution to this question!†6 Though most of the men felt that this was, in essence, a shocking statement, they all realized that Paine was right, and that independence must be achieved if they were to live freely from England7. Paine proceeded, not long after, to write the pamphlet that would energize the American people, entitled Common Sense. In this pamphlet, he addressed the problems of the English monarchy, the advisability of separation from England and gaining American independence, the nature of the American colonists as a society, and also made some modest proposals for a new form of government8. His motive, in writing the pamphlet, was not only to plant the idea of independence in the minds of the colonists but to turn the anger of Americans away from particular parliamentary measures and towards what he considered the root of the problem, which, in his mind, was the English constitution itself9. Common Sense sold more than 100,000 copies in only a few months, and helped to create a rapid growth of support for the idea of independence in the early months of 177610. One of the reasons for its success was that, by coincidence, it was published first on the same day that a speech from the King of England reached the United States, denouncing all Americans in the colonies as traitors and rebels, and stating frankly that it would be the right of England to bind the colonies forever11. Though at first it was read with a wide amount of alarm, as most colonists knew from almost the first words that it was a statement against the grain of normal thought at the time, after taking many pauses and re-reading it over and over again, most of the American public came to realize that Paine was right, and that independence would be the only way to free themselves from English tyranny forever12. Paine had an audience ready to listen to him and hail him as a prophet not because of his words, but

Geol bb week 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Geol bb week 7 - Essay Example of hunting which characterized by their numerous sharp teeth, and some species like the great white, they have serrated teeth for tearing into flesh (Sexton 6). These teeth are their ultimate weapons which enable them to kill or incapacitate their prey with one bite. Sharks have an extremely well streamline body that enables then to swim very fast when hunting for food. Sharks do not have a swim bladder unlike other fish to them afloat, but they use their fins to accomplish relative buoyancy. Sharks have fins on their body that enable them to maneuver effortlessly at speeds that enable them to hunt for their food effectively. Sharks are solitary animals, and they only encounter one another for mating purposes. Sharks either lay their eggs in protected regions on the seabed or in other species the young ones develop in their mother’s womb until birth when they are born as pups. Shark can live for as long as 100 years, but their average lifespan is 25 to 30 years (Sexton 12). Sharks rarely face any danger in their aquatic environment, but they face danger from human activities. Overfishing poses the greatest danger to the existence of sharks’ in the world’s waters. Regulated harvesting of sharks is the only feasible way to ensure that their future in the world’s oceans is

Influencial Person during the American Revolution Essay

Influencial Person during the American Revolution - Essay Example He was born in Thetford, England, to a corset-maker father and a religious mother, both of whom were Quakers1. He enrolled in school, attending regularly until almost the age of thirteen, when he was forced to drop out and learn his father’s trade. Deciding that he disliked being a corset-maker, he tried a number of other trades, including teacher, grocer, and excise tax collector2. While he worked his best at these occupations, Paine really had no desire to make these occupations his for the rest of his life, and therefore fared badly in all of them. Paine came to the colonies in 1774, settling in Philadelphia after meeting with Benjamin Franklin in London. Franklin wrote what was known at the time as â€Å"letters of introduction† for Paine, and Paine left for the colonies to begin a new life3. Less than two years later, Paine found himself embroiled in the American Revolution. Many Americans believed, at first, that the fight with the British was not about independen ce or gaining any sort of freedom, but rather to plead with the King for a redress of grievances4. In 1775, when the revolution had progressed as far as the Battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill, four of the Founding Fathers, including John Adams, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington, met to review dispatches, during which time Paine entered the room5. After being introduced by Franklin, Paine states frankly, â€Å"These States of America must be independent of England. That is the only solution to this question!†6 Though most of the men felt that this was, in essence, a shocking statement, they all realized that Paine was right, and that independence must be achieved if they were to live freely from England7. Paine proceeded, not long after, to write the pamphlet that would energize the American people, entitled Common Sense. In this pamphlet, he addressed the problems of the English monarchy, the advisability of separation from England and gaining American independence, the nature of the American colonists as a society, and also made some modest proposals for a new form of government8. His motive, in writing the pamphlet, was not only to plant the idea of independence in the minds of the colonists but to turn the anger of Americans away from particular parliamentary measures and towards what he considered the root of the problem, which, in his mind, was the English constitution itself9. Common Sense sold more than 100,000 copies in only a few months, and helped to create a rapid growth of support for the idea of independence in the early months of 177610. One of the reasons for its success was that, by coincidence, it was published first on the same day that a speech from the King of England reached the United States, denouncing all Americans in the colonies as traitors and rebels, and stating frankly that it would be the right of England to bind the colonies forever11. Though at first it was read with a wide amount of alarm, as most colonists knew from almost the first words that it was a statement against the grain of normal thought at the time, after taking many pauses and re-reading it over and over again, most of the American public came to realize that Paine was right, and that independence would be the only way to free themselves from English tyranny forever12. Paine had an audience ready to listen to him and hail him as a prophet not because of his words, but

Magnolia Therapeutic Solutions Essay Example for Free

Magnolia Therapeutic Solutions Essay Therapeutic Solutions is a nonprofit organization in New York City that specializes in psychotherapy for individuals diagnosed with Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PTSD). The organization was created in 1998 by Mary Stewart. Mary recognized a significant demand for therapeutic services in NYC for individuals suffering from PTSD. Despite a large body of research showing the positive effects of psychotherapy on PTSD symptoms, at the time, there were very few organizations in NYC that specialized in the use of professional psychotherapeutic services to work with PTSD individuals. Seizing the opportunity to provide a much needed service, Mary established Magnolia Therapeutic Solutions (henceforth referred to as Magnolia) and ran the organization as the Executive Director. Due to the unique position of the organization and a number of funding sources willing to provide start-up grants to Magnolia, the organization grew quite quickly. In 1998, the organization began with six employees, and each employee wore many different hats to ensure the sustainability and growth of the organization. However, by 2000, the organization’s staff size had grown to 34. Thanks to the continued growth of demand for services and the tangential supply of grant money, the organization was performing quite well. Staff members were now no longer required to perform more than their main task, the annual budget was now over $1. 3 million, and the organization had already received many prestigious awards and accolades for the services that they have performed for NYC. On September 11, 2001, NYC suffered one of the most devastating acts of terror ever inflicted on the United States. The NYC local government was quick to act and immediately called in a variety of services to provide assistance in the overall relief effort. Magnolia, having been noted for its specialty in PTSD services, was asked to attend to the needs of the upsurge of individuals suffering from PTSD because of the terrorist attack. NYC provided a sizable, 1-year grant to the organization to help it meet capacity issues that resulted from increased demand for services. Subsequently, Magnolia hired more counselors and used the remaining grant money to increase other administrative services within the organization. The assistance Magnolia was able to provide to the PTSD victims of the terrorist attack was substantial. Considering the great success that the organization enjoyed, when constructing the 2002 budget, Mary insisted that Magnolia included the 1-year grant that it received for 2001 because she believed that the grant would be renewed for 2002. Additionally, despite the ailing economy, Mary placed steeper demands on the development department to raise even more money than 2001 by budgeting anticipated grant revenue higher for 2002. The total budget was $2 million dollars and was approved by the organization’s board of directors. If you were on the board faced with the decision to approve or reject this budget, what would you do? † Ultimately, the organization suffered a $500,000 shortfall in the 2002 budget when the large city grant was not renewed and revenue fell short of predictions. Subsequently, Mary was forced to layoff one third of the staff. This had a very large and negative affect on the remaining staff and caused the organization to stagnate over the next few years.

Analysing Structure Changes due to Sony in Restructuring Mode

Analysing Structure Changes due to Sony in Restructuring Mode As directed by the Board of Directors of Sony, this report will analyse the structure of Sony Corporation from 1999-2005, the problems faced together with its responses and underlying rationales and recommendations for the benefit of the future directions of Sony. Being a multinational corporation in the electronics business, the company faces significant macroeconomic challenges. The decreasing trend in profits could be seen since 1998, possibly the main reason that prompted the need for an organisational restructuring. Whether the organisations strategy influences its structure or vice versa, the structure of Sony has to be evaluated first. In 1999, after the restructuring, the company became a tall hierachical structure with three main business areas electronic, entertainment and insurance and finance. Alongside with the unified dispersed model to face the constant market demands, the company became a divisionalized form with decentralization of dispersion of power to ease decisi on-making. The divisional structure of the electronics business is divisionalised due to its low interdependency level, adhocracy in entertainment business and professional bureaucracy in the insurance and finance business. In 2003, Transformation 60 saw a more centralised structure of Sony management-wise and financial-wise . It was found that Transformation 60 still had the company in a divisionalised form but a stronger pull to formalize in its technostructure. One of the problems faced include rapid evolution of technology causing top management to respond by investing heavily and restructuring of the organisation using a Value Creation Model and Transformation 60. Stiff market competitions resulted to partnership and takeovers for off-shoring purposes and to benefit the AV industry. The election of Howard Stringer as CEO will cause the problem in management style due to the differences in national culture. It can be concluded that Sonys management and business strategies affec t its organisational structure as it was the drop in profits that had the shareholders to pressurised the change of top management. Recommendations include the need to combine both Western and Eastern cultures under Stringer and comprehensive considerations in investment strategies. Contents Pages 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Business Description and Corporation Strategy 2.1 Key Figures 2.2 Correlation between Organisation Strategy and Organisation Structure 4-6 3.0 Organisational Structure 3.1 Structure of Sony in 1999 3.1.1 Internal Structure of Sony as a Whole 3.1.2 Divisional Structures of Sony 3.2 Structure of Sony in 2003 3.2.1 Divisional Structure of Transformation 60 3.2.2 Financial Structure of Transformation 60 7-12 4.0 Problems and Responses 4.1 Rapid Evolution of Technology 4.2 Market Competition 4.3 Differences in National Culture 13-16 5.0 Conclusion 17 6.0 Recommendations 18 Appendices 19 Bibliographies 20-22 1.0 Introduction As directed by the Board of Directors of Sony Corporation, this report will analyse the companys situation from 1999-2005. Sony, a world class consumer electronics makers, was facing serious concerns since the late of 1990s, such as Asian financial crisis in 1997, the tech bubble and the terrorist attacks in America in 2001. Besides, the ever increasing competition from competitors and rapid market changes are eroding the market shares of Sony. The top management confront their difficulties bravely and executed a series of actions to respond to those difficulties. This report focuses on the structure of Sony in 1999 and the restructuring in 2003, as well as the analysis of difficulties faced by Sony and how the management responded to those issues. The structure of the report starts with the business description and the corporation strategy which has significant relationship with the following sections. Then, the focus will move to structure 1999 follow with the restructuring of Sony in 2003 called Transformation 60. After the discussions about the business structure, the report will concentrate on analysing the issues associated with Sony and state the responses taken by the management and its underlying principle before concluding and with appropriate recommendations. 2.0 Business Description and Corporation Strategy Sony is one of the worlds top consumer electronics makers and employs over 167900 workers (Sony, 2010). The business operates in over 200 countries and covers the games, electronics, financial services, entertainment markets and others (ibid.). After 65 years of growth, today, the group has established a world class brand and the strong brand image can benefit its bargaining power and make the business move into new markets easily. 2.1 Key Figures Some key figures of Sony from 1997 to 2010 are listed below (Graph12). The Sales figure remained in the reasonably floating level before 2007. Unfortunately, the management and shareholders are unsatisfied with the profits, since 1998 the profits reduced nearly every year, this might have been the trigger to ignite the restructuring of Sony. Graph 1 Source: Sony Annual Report 2001, 2006, 2010- Five-Year Summary of Selected Financial Data Graph 2 Source: Sony Annual Report 2001, 2006, 2010- Five-Year Summary of Selected Financial Data 2.2 Correlation between Organisation Strategy and Organisation Structure Strategy and organisation structure are correlated to each other, even the debate of whether strategy or structure comes first is still in existence (Lynch, 2006). Therefore, to understand Sonys corporation strategy (Graph34) is significantly important before discussing the structure and restructuring of Sony. Besides, an essential portion of the study of Sonys actions is an understanding of the nature of business strategy for the Sony corporation as a whole (Mullins, 2010). Graph 3 Source: Sony Annual Report 1998 pp6, 7 Sony Annual Report 1999 pp26 Graph 4 Source: Sony Annual Report 2003 pp5-management discusses key issues 3.0 Organisational Structure This section is classified into two parts, 3.1 focuses on the structure of Sony in 1999 while section 3.2 concentrates on the restructuring in 2003. 3.1 Structure of Sony in 1999 Sony as a world class player in a diversified high-tech market was challenged with the fierce competition during the late 1990s (Sony, 1999). Therefore, the restructuring was necessary for Sony to survive in the competitive market. The group announced the organisations restructure plan in March 1999 to seize further growth opportunities in the new century and the Internet era (Sony, 1999). The structure of the organisation is determined by its age and size, technical system, power and environment (Mintzberg, 1979). Furthermore, in relation to the environment, the diversity of the environment will largely determine the structure of organization and directly affects the organisation functions into goal-seeking activities through the formal structure to achieve aims and objectives (Mullins, 2007; Mintzberg, 1979). In this diverse environment, different structures will be taken in specific department to meet different aspects of situation for Sony. 3.1.1 Internal Structure of Sony as a Whole The internal structure of Sony is a tall hierarchical structure as Sony consists of three main business areas which are electronic business, entertainment business and insurance and finance business (Graph 5). Besides, the setting up of the unified dispersed management model is to face the rapid change in market in the aforementioned pillars of Sony (Ravi, 2005). As a result, the overall structure of Sony in 1999 was divisionalized form. Schwartz and Thompson (1986) suggested that the divisionalization form can facilitate the various divisions to compete fiercely among them, with effective operations to face rapid changes in external environment. Graph 5 Source: www.Sony.net, Press Archive, March 29, 1999 Besides, centralization and decentralization depends on how organisational power is dispersed and is determined by the organization structure for decision-making and problem-solving (Schmidt, 2006). The structure of Sony in 1999 displayed Sonys trend to be decentralization to distribute the power yield. For example, Sony set up a unified dispersed management model which facilitates more functional and operational autonomy (Ravi, 2005). 3.1.2 Divisional Structures of Sony After the discussion above, the focus now moves to the structure of different divisions. The electronic business consists of various subsidiaries (Graph 6). Each subsidiary is responsible for its own different products and makes business decisions in different markets. There is little interdependence that exists between each other. Thus, the structure of electronic business was divisionalized form. Entertainment business displayed adhocracy due to its little formalisation of behaviour. Insurance Finance business displayed a Professional Bureaucracy structure due to its complex environment with highly trained skills and knowledge to offer standardisation of products and services (Mintzberg, 1979). Graph 6 Source: www.Sony.net, Press Archive, March 29, 1999 Each business division has the autonomous to make decisions in its daily operation. The Group headquarters concentrated on coordinating these business divisions to make a long-term business strategy. Nevertheless, under the complex, diverse and dynamic environment, perhaps the more organic and decentralized structure is more suitable for Sony. 3.2 Structure of Sony in 2003 Indeed, Sony restructured its organisation in 1999 into a more divisionalized and decentralised form using the unified dispersed model as a means of a Value Creation Model. Transformation 60 saw some changes in the architectural structure of the organisation with it becoming more centralised, management-wise and financial-wise. It was aimed to refining the organisational responsibilities in carrying out the operating strategies and restructuring the marketing strategies in profitable niches. The goals are to achieve more profit margins, reducing annual cost, and component outsourcing (Sony, 2003). 3.2.1 Divisional Structure of Transformation 60 Transformation 60 saw the convergence of the three pillars of Sony electronics, entertainment and financial as opposed to the unified dispersed model. The following are the divisional changes: In the electronics business, the management combined the Semiconductor Network Company, Home Electronics, Mobile Electronics and Information Technology (Sony, 2003). The entertainment business saw the joint of assets of pictures, music, game, electronics and services to enhance its position as a worldwide media company. The constructed financial holding company absorbed Sony Life Insurance Company Ltd, Sony Assurance Inc. and Sony Bank Inc. By these convergences, Sony clarified the operational structure and concentrated on the engineering, innovation and financial resources. According to the converging strategy, the new operation structure of Sony seems like a basic Machine Bureaucracy structure (Mintzberg, 1983). Although it is less dispersed than the structure in 1999, the pull to formalize by the technostructure of Sony could be seen in Transformation 60 (Mintzberg, 1981). The restructuring of Sony in 2003 was more centralised than before as a result of the serious convergences of several businesses. The tactical and strategic plans were permitted to each sectors, which points that the divisionalized form still existed. However, the power on personnel issues was controlled by the top management, as well as the supportive finance and the ultimate goal were allocated and formulated by the headquarters (Ravi, 2005). Moreover, the restructured Sony in 2003 did not belong to any specific structure of Mintzbergs pentagon t heory but the combined one (Graph 7). Graph 7 Sony organisational chart: electronics-related business (as of 1 April 2001) Source: www.sony.net, Press Release, 29th March 2001(a) 3.2.2 Financial Structure of Transformation 60 In the light of improving its fiscal position, the consolidation of fixed costs and the combining of assets reflected the change of a more centralized structure in Sony. The company aims to achieve an annualized cost reduction of approximately  ¥300 billion (Ravi, 2005). The cut in employees due to the off-shore strategy to China establish the Contribution equal to Compensation principal of paying for performances, as Schein (2004) stated that employees have worked well enough to be considered valid. Deactivating employees from Sony had cost the company financially and it might have explained the poor financial performance of Sony after the transformation was done. 4.0 Problems and Responses This section will discuss the problems associated with Sony alongside with the responses taken and its rationale. The difficulties faced by Sony have been separated into different categories mainly the rapid evolution of technology, competition in the market and the differences of national culture. 4.1 Rapid Evolution of Technology The rapid evolution of technology as pointed out by Idei (Ravi, 2005) has affected the electronics, entertainment and insurance and finance sectors of Sony. The constant improvements in technology have caused the company to respond to the demand of the market. The following are the responses made by the company alongside with its underlying rationale: Investments: Sony invested heavily in RD, capital equipment and facilities in order to meet demands and improve profitability. Technology for Inspiration and Shared Experience and Creating New Value are Sonys RD missions (Sony, 2011). The company believes that technology is capable of linking inspiration and shared experiences on top of creating new values and capturing emotions of customers (ibid.). Investment strategies link to the capability of top management of Sony. Organisation restructuring: The Company believes that the new group architecture can help gain market share besides increasing shareholders value (Sony, 1999). In this Value Creation Model, the unified dispersed management method saw changes in the electronics operations, establishment of Digital Network Solutions (DNS), changes in composition of workforce which could ultimately affect the morale of employees, implementation of new value-based performance measurement system and the separation of headquarters into two distinct functions (Ravi, 2005; Sony, 1999). Indeed, the model brings competitive advantage to Sony (Jayaranam Luo, 2007). In such a stiff market, it is understandable as to the measures taken to seize every opportunity. Unfortunately, in 2001, the September 11 attacks caused the consolidated drop in sales, affecting the fiscal position of the company (Sony, 2001b). This has proven that the Value Creation Model had loopholes, hence Transformation 60 took course. Severe cost saving measures were taken but by 2005, as a result of pressure from shareholder, a top management reshuffling with Howard Stringer as CEO (Ravi, 2005). This proves that investors of Sony began to lose confidence of the previous management team therefore it was necessary for the company to overhaul its board. 4.2 Market Competition Among Sonys competitors are LG, Samsung, Sharp, Dell and Canon. Each competitor seemed to have an advantage over Sony in different products. Below are among the steps taken by Sony to beat the competition in the market: Partnership with Solectron Corporation in year 2000 and off-shoring to China were to aid the outsourcing process of production of electronics was a step to help the company meet fluctuations in demands, cost reduction, quality improvisation and customer satisfaction (Sony, 2003; Sony, 2000). Outsourcing may be beneficial to the company as a whole but it could ultimately decrease the motivational level of employees, as there is a tendency of decrease of power of managers, and failure rate is between 40%-70% (Purse, 2009). This may explain the Sony Shock (Ravi, 2005) incident that happened in 2003 despite the laborious process of organisation restructuring. The cost-benefit consideration was not given much thought before the outsourcing was done. The takeover of Aiwa Co. Ltd. as a wholly owned subsidiary in 2002 was for the benefit of the electronics business of the company, particularly the audio and visual (AV) industry (Sony, 2002). The takeover became part of Transformation 60. It helped accelerate the structural reform of the electronics business of Sony on top of the creation of synergy as a result of the merger. 4.3 Differences in National Culture As Howard Stringer took over as the CEO of Sony in 2005, a major problem he would experience would be the differences in organisational culture. Culture refers to the way we do things around here (Sanchez, 2004). Being one of the few foreigners to be part of the top management in a Japanese company, Stringer has the responsibility of considering whether to impose the Western culture in a Japanese company. Azumi Mcmillan (1975) found that both the U.S. and Japanese culture are quite highly centralized and companys rules and procedures are abided. In Sony, although divisionalization form can be seen, the Headquarter still plays its role as a coordinator, meaning that ultimately, the decision-making process will need approval from the top management. Also, in Japan, traditional values that emphasises on hard work and details are a common practice due to its religion influences but in the U.S., creativity and innovation are the common values (Webster White, 2009). Hence, in U.S., risk-taking is very much observed. The open management style of Stringer, his understanding towards Sonys tradition and his international viewpoints could be the key to influence the cultural organisation (Sony, 2005). This can explain Stringers successes in streamlining Sonys movie and music businesses. 5.0 Conclusion Due to the external environment effect such as the Asian financial crisis, the ever increasing competition, as well as the internal business issues like the low efficiency, the profits of Sony has been reduced dramatically since 1998. Therefore the management had to execute some restructuring plan to respond to those concerns. According to the restructuring plan announced in March 1999, the structure of the group was divisionalized and more decentralization, in order to seize further growth opportunities in the 21st century. Besides, the group launched a unified dispersed management model to ensure that the business operate more efficiently and to be able to survive the rapid change of environment. Sony did a mass of changes to adapt to the market changes; unfortunately, the pace of the latter was overtaking the managements expectations. Consequently, Sony had to accelerate the reform plan and announced another restructuring plan called Transformation 60 in 2003. The change in 2003 s aw a stronger pull to formalize in the technostructure although it can be seen that there is a mixture between the machine bureaucracy and divisionalized forms. Convergences in the three sectors saw power being more focused at the top management. The change of technology, market competition and the differences in organisational culture, especially after the takeover of Stringer, were the main concerns of Sony. Organisational restructuring and investment strategies were among the solutions in coping with technological changes. Market competition forced Sony to deal with vast partnerships, joint ventures and mergers with other companies for outsourcing purposes. Finally, the change to a foreigner to lead a Japanese company spark concerns on the future of Sonys organisational culture. Nevertheless, based on the analysis that has been done, it can be concluded that Sonys management and business strategies affects its organisational structure. It was the drop in profits that led investors to force the overhauling of top management, as a result, the unified dispersed model and Transformation 60. Unfortunately, both measures failed to bring positive impacts to the companys fiscal positions. In light of the situation above, the new team led by Stringer with the probable change in organisational culture could probably help turn things around. 6.0 Recommendations Two main recommendations should be taken into account: Firstly, the future of the organisational culture of Sony has to be determined from two aspects based on the organization structure and the differences in national culture since the takeover of Stringer as CEO. Perhaps, Stringer could consider integrating the Eastern and the Western cultures to obtain the best of both worlds. Next, investment strategies of Sony may have to be re-evaluated again, as after the study of the company was done, there are hints of possibilities that failures in the companys fiscal position may have been caused by past investment decisions. Outsourcing may be beneficial but a thorough cost-benefit analysis has to be done. Investment decisions will reflect the capability of top management to stakeholders. Appendices Value Creation Model refers to the combination of intangible assets and monetary items to create additional value of the business for stakeholders, particularly shareholders (Qureshi, Briggs Hlupic, 2006; Haksever, Chaganti Cook, 2004). 2 The performance measurement system is capable of reflecting the current cost of capital of Sony 3 Before being elected as the CEO of Sony Corporation, he was the Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation of America. Bibliographies Azumi, K Mcmillan, C (2004) Culture and organisation structure: a comparison of Japanese and British organisation, International Studies of Management and Organization. Vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 35-47. Available from: Business Source Premier. [Accessed 16 January 2011] Datamonitor (2010), Sony Corporation-Company Profile, pp4, 5 and 21, Publication date: 12 Mar 2010 Elkington, J. Masaki, T. (2004) CSR Report 2004, [online]. 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