Global Management Competencies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Global Management Competencies - Essay Example Beyond such person-to-person skills, global organization development and consulting skill areas such as multicultural team building, technology transfer, innovation, and change management are also covered in this paper. Generic skill areas are applied and adapted to the specific business practices of different localities. Geographical examples are drawn from Asia, Europe, Latin America, Russia, and the Middle East. The business manager of today must have diversity principles at the forefront of his thinking. The contemporary catch phrase "think globally, act locally" comes to mind as a recommendation to what the business managers and executives should have for an attitude. The Internet, rapid travel capability, satellite-based communications, and corporate expansion into the level of the transnational have all contributed to making our local realms more globally connected, shrinking our world and folding us all closer together with other people of sometimes very different culture and perspective. It is widely agreed that the critical factor for companies to succeed in global competition is effective development of global managers and executives (Pucik, 2000; Bartlett & Ghoshal, 2000; Evans, 2000; Tichy & Sherman, 2003; Gates, 2001). However, in management development literature, there seems to be a great deal of confusion about the meaning of various terms defining expatriate/international/global managers. In an effort to clarify the differences between the expatriate and the global manager, this article explores the definitions of the two concepts, and explains the differences in behaviors, competencies, and characteristics of the two types of managers. The article also identifies and compares the human resource practices necessary for an effective development of the expatriate and global managers. Building and sustaining organizational capabilities for global operations is a critical challenge for most globalizing firms (Nohria & Ghoshal, 2001). Meeting this challenge requires changes in cognitive processes through which managers frame business problems (Murtha, Lenway & Bagozzi, 2000). Global thinking places high value on sharing information, knowledge, and experience across national, functional, and business boundaries and on balancing competing country, business, and functional priorities that emerge in the globalization process. This set of attitudes is often described as global mindset. The emphasis on the mindset helps to differentiate between expatriate (international) and global managers. The definition of an expatriate/international manager is linked to the location of the assignment whereas the global manager is defined by his or her frame of mind. The term "expatriate (or international) manager" defines an executive who is able to assume a Management position fulfilling

International Economic Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

International Economic Relations - Essay Example Economies of scale results from external activities undertaken by the firm. The traditional way of doing this is to assume that increasing returns are wholly external to the firm. That is, all economies of scale realized by the firm results from activities in which the firms have no control over (Murthy 25). This means that activities undertaken by the firm do not contribute to any savings on large-scale operations. External economies are too vague and unmeasurable to qualify as an explanation of patterns of trade. Given the economies of scale, each country undertakes to produce only a limited number of products in each industry that is under operation. This pattern of operation is termed as intraindustrial specialization, where each country produces what is essential for offer on other markets (Murthy 46). This makes the implications for the trade pattern straightforward, meaning that each and every nation will be a net exporter in industries in which it possesses a comparative advantage. That is, it will specialize in producing those goods that it can cheaply produce and export or sell them to countries that have limited resources to produce similar goods. This enables the country to realize gains from exporting those goods and thus increases its revenue and overall profitability. Due to intraindustry specialization, each country is capable of importing some products even in some industries in which it is a net exporter. Similarly, a country is capable of exporting some products even in some industries in which it is a net importer. This implies that there will be a presence of both intraindustry as well as interindustry trade, thus enabling the given country to reap both the benefits of comparative advantage and economies of scale (Murthy 55). This article widely explains the intra-industry theory as it allows a country to reap benefits from both exports and imports by partly engaging in

Do Large Business Have an Affect on Small Business Essay Example for Free

Do Large Business Have an Affect on Small Business Essay Considering the normative statement that both large and small businesses should follow the same ethical and moral standards, this paper analyzes the perceptions of individuals based on the relative ethical behavior of small business as compared to large business. The study of ethics focuses on the differences between what is right and what is wrong in society which affects both small business and large business due to their obligation to the public and their stakeholders. Both entities are guided by the same standards and both are expected to meet all legal regulations and ethical standards. The analysis employs surveys to gauge the public’s perceptions of the ethical decision making by management in both small business and large business. The survey also analyzes the role of those ethical decisions within scenarios and their impact on the individuals’ patron behavior in small business as compared to large business. Statistical analysis has been utilized to test the authors’ overall hypothesis that the public is generally less concerned about ethical decision making of small business relative to large business. The implications of these findings for both large and small businesses are provided with the analysis and suggestions to correct the disparity between both entities. Introduction During the past decades it has been evident that ethics has become the hot topic in business. However, much of the talk is not comprised of all types of business it involves primarily the large corporations. Large corporations such as Enron have caused much grief to those around them and everyone that they employed. Due to this reason regulations such as the Sarbanes- Oxley Act have been enforced to hold large businesses accountable. While these regulations have focused solely on large corporations, efforts to regulate small businesses have been small. It is estimated that small businesses make up over 80% of all business in the United States of America. That is a huge sector which is unregulated due to its size. While the adverse actions of each entity do not do great harm to the economy; the cumulative damage of all components of the group could have devastating impacts on the general economy. Literature Review Businesses today are completely different than the businesses of years past. Today, business ethics has become an area of great concern in both corporate culture and academia. Companies such as WorldCom and Enron have caused people to reevaluate philosophy and business. Ethics can be defined by the morals that people and companies hold. Although internal and external forces influence businesses, there are three issues that affect issues in business. These three issues are systematic, corporate, and individual. To truly understand each factor one has to understand how each of these issues differs and how they influence the business itself. Systematic issues analyze ethical values in economic, political, legal, and other social systems in which the business operates (Velasquez, 2006). An example of this would be a question of morality about the current laws pertaining to accounting systems. Laws influence the actions of people because they stem through consequences with the local or federal government. People tend to be scared of a higher authority more than self punishment. 2010 Small Business Institute ® National Conference Proceedings Vol. 34, No.1 Winter 2010 293 The second factor is corporate issues which are issues of morality of internal activities such as policies, practices, and organizational structure (Velasquez, 2006). Corporate issues are based on corporate cultures. If a company treasures capital gains more than human capital the company would then lay off employees to save money. On the other hand, a company that treasures its employees is more likely to take a cut and keep their employees. To say that one company is more ethical because of their decision lays in a company’s moral standards. The idea of moral standards stems from the third type of issue which is the individual issues. Individual issues are issues that are based on individuals within a company along with their behaviors and decisions (Velasquez, 2006). This includes the moral standards of individuals. Moral standards are standards that are set by the individuals themselves and by no other governing body. Hence, each individual has a right to stand for what they believe in. It may be simple to take these three factors and state that this is common sense information; however, it is just as complicated to say that there can be one rule that can apply to every situation that is similar. In cases where individual morals differ from those of corporate or systematic, it is easy to assume that one would no longer pay attention to their place of business or the entity that is different. However, humans are prone to being victims of society and need to supply for their family. Knowing that something unethical is occurring at a place of business does not mean that the person will just walk away whether they have worked in small or large firms. Decisions of a business affect all tiers of the organizational structure which in turn affect the lives of all stakeholders of the company. Therefore, ethical standards have risen due to the current corruption in many large businesses. News reports of Nike and Merck have grabbed the attention for case studies and have become the top selling stories. The news ran the stories that exposed the fragile nature of the corporate worked to their affect on the country’s economy. Due to the global impact of large corporations the public’s eye is primarily on large businesses; however, ethical issues arise in small businesses as well. Lisa Miller states that small businesses â€Å"were overlooked when Wall Street’s mega-scams and scandal came to light (Miller, 2003). For people that analyze and teach ethics â€Å"business ethics have almost invariably concerned the doing, indeed generally the misdoings, of large companies (Quinn, 1997).† Quinn noted that in the late 20th century there has been an increase in the economic activity of small businesses (Quinn, 1997). He states that not only do the managers have to be observed so do the employees. The employees have want approval of their peers which is also accepted by the manager/owner (Quinn, 1997). In large businesses it seems easier to separate you personal ethics from businesses ethics. In small businesses the relationship with one’s coworkers becomes a sub-family relationship making it that much harder to make â€Å"ethical† decision. The overall factors that influence business ethics derive from personal ethics and how those ethics affect others. Miller points out that it is an assumption that small businesses do not need a code of ethics however, they have a bigger temptation to b involved in â€Å"dubious business practices (Miller, 2003). 2010 Small Business Institute ® National Conference Proceedings Vol. 34, No.1 Winter 2010 294 In Mark Schwartz essay A Code of Ethics for Corporate Code of Ethics, Schwartz finds that over ninety percent of large corporations have a code of ethics (Schwartz, 2002). He concluded that there a six universal moral standards in four different sources. The moral standards that he looked at included trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship (Schwartz, 2002). Due to these criteria Schwartz states that a code of ethics should be constructed on factors that could be audited. His study provides a normative foundation for evaluating a corporation’s code of ethics. In a 1981 an article by Brown and King analyzed the influences and perceptions of small business ethics. In their foundational work Brown and King realized the disparity in public awareness between small business ethics and large business ethics. Brown and King surveyed a small group of individuals consisting of â€Å"small business† respondents and â€Å"other† respondents who were mostly employed by large corporations. Brown and King’s research sought to answer three questions. First, the research asked â€Å"How high are the ethics of small business people perceived to be?† Second, â€Å"Compared to others, what causes the behavior of people in small business to be more or less ethical?† Finally, â€Å"What are the prevailing small business attitudes concerning ethical issues?† (Brown and King, 1981). Brown and King found that there was a surprisingly small difference in the responses between the two subgroups of respondents. The research conducted by Brown and King examined the perspectives of those in the various sized business. The research left a gap in the general public’s perceptions of the ethical actions between large and small business. The Center for Business Ethics surveyed Fortune 1000 industrial and service companies to see how they have instilled their ethical values to compare their results from the study they performed in the mid 1980s. Their survey showed some progress but, not enough (Center for Business Ethics, 1992). Ethical standards fall in line with legal regulations. Sandra Malach, et al. believe that incorporating legal planning into business planning to avoid legal issues and to protect the businesses most important assets (Malach, Sandra et al, 2006). While legal action is important it is important to focus on consequences in a workplace outside o f the any punishments. To further analyze ethical dilemmas it is important to observe the consequences at a workplace. One consequence that business can apply is a zero tolerance policy in a workplace. This ethical dilemma is especially interesting when applied in a small business setting, and contrasted with techniques applied in large corporations. The ethical compass of the theory for the zero tolerance policy is Kant’s Categorical Imperative. Kant’s Categorical Imperative is defined by the rule that people should â€Å"Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means to an end (Stanford, n.d.).† Kant’s Categorical Imperative is a very restrictive rule to live by and cannot practically be applied to everyday life. However, when discussing ethical dilemmas in the workplace, the Categorical Imperative should not be overlooked. The Zero Tolerance Policy embodies the Categorical Imperative in the sense that everyone must ask himself/herself whether they would be willing to have the same behavior applied to them if the roles were reversed. In the business setting the Categorical Imperative has a special value; it helps mitigate moral hazard. 2010 Small Business Institute ® National Conference Proceedings Vol. 34, No.1 Winter 2010 295 Moral hazard was once described as â€Å"a situation in which a party is insulated from the consequences of its actions†¦Thus protected, it has no incentive to behave differently (Ahrens,2008).† In the business setting, moral hazard can be devastating to the culture of the company and can eat away at the profit margin. Consider an employee who is discovered to be â€Å"moonlighting† or working an untaxed second job during hours in which the employee should be giving full attention to their actual job. This behavior may seem harmless and may only warrant a verbal warning, but when the other employees discover how easy it is to get by with unethical behavior they are incentivized to act unethically. This slippery slope scenario results only in the necessary termination of the unethical employee. When an employer establishes that unethical behavior will not be tolerated the result is the strengthening of the corporate culture and the avoidance moral hazard. However, this scenario might work differently in a small business. In a small business the cost of a zero tolerance policy can be devastating. The costs associated with replacing an employee in a large corporation is easily spread across the entire entity as a fixed cost of doing business; this is not the case in the small business. The employer-employee relationship in the small business, by nature, is more flexible and more personal. This flexibility can allow for a more informal agreement, between management and employees, to be made. Finding a â€Å"win-win† solution allows for Kant’s Categorical Imperative to be upheld and moral hazard can be avoided. In a large publically traded company this kind of arrangement cannot be made because not all of those who are residual claimants (owners) can be spoken for. In the large publically owned company the zero tolerance policy should be followed, but in a small privately owned company a modified zero tolerance policy can be applied. Kant’s Categorical Imperative can be a useful tool when designing corporate policy in publically traded companies. The zero tolerance policy should be applied in publically traded companies. In addition, Kant’s Categorical Imperative should still be applied to design a modified zero tolerance policy in small private companies. To solve the issue of what the zero tolerance policy entails, the company needs to implement a code of ethics in their organization. Eberhard Schnebel and Margo A. Bienert state that a code of ethics strengthens an organizations success therefore improving the overall value of the company (Schnebel Bienrt, 2004). The value that is added is the public’s perception that the business is there to benefit the community. L. Spence studied a similar phenomenon as this essay explores. In a 1999 study L. Spence found that there is a lack of information on any correlation between small businesses and their ethical standards. The reason for this is because small firms receive little attention by the media which makes them a quick oversight (Spence, 1999). Four years later L. Spence wrote an editorial with R. Rutherfoord to explore the sociological perspective in the field of ethics (Spence Rutherfoord, 2003). Due to these two studies we have been motivated to explore the issue further and gain insight on why there is a lack of information on the issue. 2010 Small Business Institute ® National Conference Proceedings Vol. 34, No.1 Winter 2010 296 Hypotheses As discussed earlier, the objective of this pilot study was to examine the differences in respondents’ perceptions of ethical dilemmas and ethical standards in small business as compared to large business. In order to facilitate the primary research objective the following working hypotheses were formed: H1: The size of the business will have no impact on consumers’ shopping decisions when ethical dilemmas are present. H2: The size of the business will have no impact on the actions of employees when ethical dilemmas are present. H3: The size of the business will have no impact on the respondents’ perception of the incentives associated with acting ethically. H4: In general, respondents believe that small businesses should be held to the same ethical standards as large corporations. These hypotheses are based on the supposition that individuals will be more lenient or forgiving of the shortcomings of small businesses relative to their large counterparts. Methodology The study was initiated with the creation of a preliminary (alpha) survey. The alpha survey resulted in fourteen respondents and was conducted by means of convenience sampling. The alpha survey was a paper based survey consisting of thirteen questions. The survey included demographic questions as well as analysis questions. There were mixed results on the alpha survey mostly due to the confusing survey design associated with strict time constraints. While the alpha survey did not provide sufficient data, it was useful as a tool in the creation of a secondary (beta) survey. The beta survey instrument consisted of two separate surveys. One survey was specific to small business while the other was specific to large business. The surveys were created and distributed electronically using Survey Monkey. The goal for the beta survey was a total of 100 respondents for each survey resulting in an overall total of 200 respondents. The small business survey yielded 105 useable returns, a 94.6 percent return rate. The large business survey yielded 107 useable returns, an 84.3 percent return rate. Each survey included five common demographic questions, two common questions pertaining to ethics, and eight questions relating specifically to either small business or large business. The survey was distributed broadly across various social networking sites and throughout the Christopher Newport University community. Due to time and budgetary constraints the beta survey consisted mostly of opportunity sampling and snowball sampling. The authors recognize the drawback of an opportunity sample; however, the research question in this pilot study can be adequately answered using this technique. The analysis questions on both the small business and large business surveys consisted entirely of binomial data. The respondents were limited to either â€Å"Yes or No† or â€Å"I agree or I disagree.† For the purpose of testing the hypotheses (H1, H2, and H3) statistical analysis will be used to measure the difference between the proportions of the two samples. For the final hypothesis (H4) the analysis will simply state the overall proportion of respondents in both surveys who answered favorably and interpret the results. Hypotheses H1, H2, and H3 will be tested at ÃŽ ±=.10, ÃŽ ±=.05, and ÃŽ ±=.01 levels of significance.

The actual experiment Essay Example for Free

The actual experiment Essay Substances, which allow an electric current to flow through them, are called conductors because of their structure. Copper is a good conductor and is used for connecting wires. Nichrome has more resistance and is used in heating elements of electric fires. Some conductors are better than others. Copper is a better conductor than iron. When electrons are moving through the metal structure they bump into the metal ions and this causes resistance to the electron flow or current. In different conductors the ease of the flow of electrons is different and so the conductors have different resistance. Effect of cross sectional area: For a particular conductor the resistance will depend on its length and cross sectional area. The longer the conductor, the further the electrons have to travel, the more likely they are to have collisions with the metal ions and so the greater the resistance. Resistance is proportional to length. The greater the cross sectional area of the conductor, the more electrons available to carry the charge along the conductors length and so lower the resistance is. Resistance is also inversely proportional to the cross sectional area. As cross sectional area increases the resistance decreases. Two wires in series are one long wire, because the electrons have to travel twice as far. Two wires in a parallel are like one thick wire so the electrons have more routes to travel along in the same distance. The amount of current flowing through a circuit can be controlled by, changing the resistance of the circuit. This can be done with a variable resistor or rheostat. Adjusting the rheostat changes the length of the wire the current has to flow through. Variable resistors are commonly used in electrical equipment for example in the speed controls on radios and hi-fi systems. Symbol for a variable resistor (rheostat) Effect of temperature If the resistance of a conductor remains constant then a graph showing voltage plotted against current will give a straight line. The gradient of the line will be the resistance of the conductor. However, the resistance of most conductors changes if the temperature of the conductor changes. This can be explained using a simple model of a conductor. As the temperature increases the metal ions vibrate more therefore provide a greater resistance to the flow of the electrons. The resistance of a filament lamp becomes greater as the voltage is increased and the lamp gets hotter. Planning Aim: To investigate how the length of a wire affects the resistance. Equipment: The longer the wire, the higher the resistance. This is because the longer the wire, the more times the free electrons will collide with other free electrons, the particles making up the metal, and any impurities in the metal. Therefore, more energy is going to be lost in these collisions (as heat). Furthermore, doubling the length of the wire will result in double the resistance. This is because by doubling the length of the wire one is also doubling the collisions that will occur, thus doubling the amount of energy lost in these collisions. Method: The following circuit will be constructed to carry out the investigation. Firstly I will set up the equipment as a shown in the diagram. I will then set the voltage on the power pack to 3v. Then the first crocodile clip is clipped to the wire at the 0cm position on the metre rule. The second crocodile clip is clipped to the relevant position depending on the required length of wire. This length for this experiment will be a 10cm increment each time along the metre ruler, which starts from 0cm to 100cm. We decided to use 10cm intervals then testing each increment to get a more reliable set of results and to have more results to compare. The power supply is turned on. The voltage is then read off the voltmeter, and recorded. The power supply is then turned off and the second crocodile clip is moved to the next position. The above steps will be repeated five times for each length for accuracy Safety: In order to perform a safe experiment, a low voltage of 3V was chosen so that overheating will be kept minimal as much as possible. Furthermore, lengths lower than 10cm were not tried, which also helped to avoid overheating, which will lead to anomalous results. Evaluation I think my investigation did not go as expected because, I discovered many anomalies when I drew up graph. These were at 70, 80, 90, 100cm. They were circled because they did not increase steadily as expected. The reasons these problems may have occurred are as follows: The power pack may have been left off over a long period of time which allows the Nichrome wire the to cool down causing the wire to have less resistance and therefore leading to anomaly results. Perhaps it could have been that the crocodile clips that were attached to the wire may have slipped and become lose therefore not increases the voltage as much as it should be. The length that was measured for that particular distance was incorrect. It is possible that the length was shorter, causing a lower resistance and at a majority of the lengths it is possible that it was causing a higher resistance also leading to anomalous results. We also encountered many difficulties whilst carrying out the experiment such as placing the wire in the 5v hole and then reading the voltage off the line that went up to 15v instead of 5v. So we had to repeat the experiment in order to keep it a fair test. To avoid these errors in the future I would make sure the power pack would stay on for the same amount off time for each length I would do this by timing it. An alternative way of doing the investigation would be to use a data logging system which involves digital voltmeter and ammeter and use wire with a larger diameter therefore the clips will not come off easily. I think this would have gave me a more reliable set of results and it would also be a more efficient way of doing the experiment because more time would be saved. Vivian Okrah Candidate: 9428 Resistance of a wire Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Review of the Market Entry Modes

Review of the Market Entry Modes INTRODUCTION When we look at the development of world business, it can be easily noticed that recent years have witnessed a growing intensity of competition in virtually all areas of business, whether in domestic or international areas. In today`s changing and developing world, it has been getting more and more important and at the same time becoming difficult day by day to expand your business` borders. For this reason, it has also been getting more and more important to make the decision of going internationally and choosing an appropriate entry mode. The perception of this importance can be related to the answer of this question; â€Å"how come international business is important especially for domestic companies?† International business is that kind of trade that gives increase to the economy of the world. In this the demand and supply and the prices are influenced by the global issues. For instance, the change in political conditions in Asia can raise manufacturing cost and cost of labour of an American company which is in a country in Asia. This would then result in rise in the price of the product that you need to purchase from a local mall. If there is a decrease in cost of labour, on the other hand then you can have to pay relatively less price on the product. (Hussey, 2008) It is also another advantage of going internationally that it gives an opportunity to developed countries to use their resources effectively like technology, capital and labour. Since a large number of the countries already have natural resources and different inputs such as labor, technology, land and capital, they are likely to produce many products more efficiently and sell them for cheaper prices than other countries. A country can obtain an item from another country if it cannot effectively produce it within the national boundaries. This is the specialty of international trade. In same way a country can obtain an item from another country, for the reason of that product can be produced in its own country but with worse conditions such as lower quality or higher cost. Global trading also allows the different countries to participate in global economy encouraging the foreign direct investors. These individuals invest their money in the foreign companies and other assets. Hence the countries can become competitive global participants. Entering a Foreign Market Before entering international marketing, if we reflect on our perception what marketing means itself, we will face a few important definitions. According to Chartered Institute of Marketing, marketing is a â€Å"Management process which is responsible for identifying, predicting and providing customer requirements profitably†. (Lowe and Doole, 2001) Marketing involves; providing customer needs and wants, finding out best ways and methods to provide these needs and wants, orienting the firm towards the process of focusing on that satisfaction, meeting organizational objectives. In this way, it becomes important for the company or organization to prepare itself to achieve competitive advantage in the market. The company then needs to work on taking this advantage in the market. The company then needs to work on taking advantage by manipulating controllable functions of marketing, within the uncontrollable marketing environment which is directly affected by SLEPT factors, i.e. Political, Economic, Socio-Cultural, Technological and Legal. (Lowe and Doole, 2001) When domestic and international marketing are compared, it is argued that†what differences there are between these two markets â€Å". Actually, the key elements are still same. The concept is not likely to change to any market degree when a company moves from a domestic market to an international market. However, two main differences can be defined. First, of them, there are different approaching levels depending on international scope, and second, the company will be likely to face complexities and difficulties as the result of international marketing environment factors as it mentioned above. (Lowe and Doole, 2001) General Review of the Market Entry Modes For the majority of companies, the most important international marketing decision that they are most likely to take is how they should enter new markets, as these decisions which they make will directly affect every part of their business for many years in the future. There are advantages and disadvantages with each market entry method and critical in the decision-making process are the firms assessment of the cost and risk associated with each method and the level of involvement the company is allowed by the government, or want to have in the market. These factors determine the degree of control it can exert over the total product and service offer and method of distribution. (Chee and Harris, 1993) There is, however, no ideal market entry strategy and different market entry methods might be adopted by different companies entering the same market and/or by the same company in different markets. The Alternative Market Entry Modes The variety of alternative market entry methods are shown in figure below, depending on international involvement from virtually zero, when the company only makes its products for others to export but effectively does nothing itself to market its products internationally, to total involvement, where the firm might operate wholly-owned subsidiaries in all its key markets. (Chee and Harris, 1993) The market entry decision is taken within the company and it is determined related to the companys objectives and attitudes to international marketing and the confidence of its management teams to operate in foreign markets. In order to select most appropriate and effective market entry strategy, it is essential to take into account some point including; the company objectives and expectations relating to the size and value of predicted business, the size and financial resources of the company its existing foreign market involvement the skill, abilities and attitudes of the firms management for international business the intensity of the competition in target market, the affect of existing and expecting tariff and non-tariff barriers the nature of product considered for international entering the areas of competitive advantage, such as trademark or patent protection the timing of entry in relation to the market and intensity of competitive situation However, this list of entry modes is likely to be meaningful when the other factors which affect the entry mode and are very specific to the companys particular situation. For instance, the regulations of laws of the host country might be a barrier for a company to own 100 percent of an operation in that country. All companies should identify, analyse and monitor these external factors and consider their potential affect on their products/services. Although these external factors take place outside of the firms management teams control, they all must be taken into account as much as internal factors. (Chee and Harris, 1993) According to Terpstra and Sarathy (1994), alternative methods of foreign market entry can be summarized basically as shown below; Production in HomeMarket Foreign Production Sources -Contract Manifacture -Licencing -Assembly -Joint Venture -100 Percent Ownership and / or Indirect Exporting -Trading Company -Export Management Company -Piggyback, etc. Direct Exporting -Foreign Distributor -Agent -Overseas Marketing Subsidiary STARBUCKS IN CHINA In 1999, when Starbucks invested into China, the company entered the joint-venture agreement with three big local partners: Beijing Meida Coffee, Shanghai Uni-President Starbucks Coffee Ltd and Maxims Caterer (Asia Pulse, 2006). On the one hand, the company was able to meet requirements from the Chinese governments regulations and lower the risk and level of investment when entering a new market. In return, Starbucks sacrificed its control over development of those individual companies while only earning loyalty fees (ibid). As a result of joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, Chinese government has loosened regulations on foreign investment, especially the removal of restrictions on foreign investment. Since then, share of local partners is no longer required for foreign companies (ibid). Consequently, Starbucks has paid out more than USD 21, 3 million to gain its share to 50 percent in Shanghai Uni-President Starbucks Coffee. Similarly, the company increased its stake s in Maxims Caterer to 51 percent and control over 50 percent of stock in Beijing Meida Coffee (Harris, 2007). Such forward integration gives Starbucks more control over its expansion which will be more aggressive in the near future (ibid). Besides, Starbucks is also concerned with coffee sources and prices. Currently, for the Chinese market, Starbucks imports coffee beans from its suppliers all around the world (Reuters, 2007a). Since these suppliers have been controlled tightly by the companys specialists, Starbucks can assure the quality of its products in China. However, Starbucks needs to pay import duty. Depending on the type of coffee, this duty may vary from 10 to 30 percent (Friedlnet, 2003). To make the problem worse, coffee prices have jumped from 89.36 US cents per pound in 2005 to 113.20 US cents per pound in 2007 and is expected to grow higher in 2008 (Reuters, 2007a). This may consequently influence the price of Starbucks product and influence Starbucks performance. I n America, as a result of the increase in price of dairy product, Starbucks raised the price of its coffee drinks by 9 cents and 50 cents for its whole bean coffee in 2007 (Reuters, 2007b). This is the second time Starbucks raises its prices. The first time this happened was in 2006 when Starbucks raised 5 cents for all of its drinks (USA Today, 2006). To prevent such potential price change in the future, Starbucks has been working with coffee farmers in many parts of China and trying to help them meet the company standards. Jinlong Wang, president of Starbucks greater China, expressed that â€Å"China does produce some quality coffee and sourcing from China would start very soon, maybe in a couple of year† (Reuters, 2007a). Starbucks also plan to build a roasting plant in China. This backward integration when applied successfully in the future, will give Starbucks a huge competitive advantage. After initial success with more than 540 stores across China, Starbucks is striving hard to expand its operation and turn China into the biggest overseas market in near future. However, the Chinese market has many differences to other market that Starbucks has entered. Average coffee consumption in China is projected to increase by 20 to 25 percent each year. Therefore, much more opportunity is waiting for Starbucks in the near future. Despite its success, Starbucks should continuously monitor changes from the external environment and prevent unfortunate incidents such as in 2000 when Starbucks was kicked out of the Forbidden City, a symbol of Chinese Culture (CNN, 2000). Failing to monitor and respond properly, China can be a graveyard for Starbucks ambitions. IMPORTANCE OF CHOOSING AN EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL MARKETING STRATEGY In today`s competitive international world, one of the most significant tasks for many companies which are preparing itself to enter a foreign market is to make the right decision about how the company should enter a foreign market. One reason for this is that this decision is likely to influence every part of its business for a long perid of time in the future. However, there are advantages and disadvantages of every single foreign market entry modes. For the aim of selecting the most appropriate and effective foreign market entry strategy, it is essential to take into account some point including; (Chee and Harris, 1993); the company objectives and expectations relating to the size and value of predicted business, the size and financial resources of the company its existing foreign market involvement the skill, abilities and attitudes of the firms management for international business the intensity of the competition in target market, the affect of existing and expecting tariff and non-tariff barriers the nature of product considered for international entering the areas of competitive advantage, such as trademark or patent protection the timing of entry in relation to t he market and intensity of competitive situation Recommended Strategies In fast-changing Chinese cities, finding locations that will embody the right lifestyle is more like gambling than science. Real-estate know-how is a hallmark of Starbucks worldwide, but the computerized mapping databases that are used to test a potential street corner in the United States would be little help in Chinese cities. Starbucks must continue to use joint ventures or license other companies to own and operate Starbucks stores as this philosophy differs from its domestic approach, where the stores are largely company-owned. The idea is that an experienced local partner can help identify locations, sift through tax issues and give Starbucks stores a more local community appeal. Once the market is established Starbucks will be given an opportunity to purchase a controlling interest in the partnership, which will then allow them more control and management of the overall operation and direction of the business. As Starbucks adds a whopping six stores a day on average, the company must continue to carefully consider everything from the direction of commuter traffic zipping by a potential drive-thru site to how many people are pounding the pavement on a busy urban block. As of Oct. 3, Starbucks had 12,440 stores worldwide, including 7,102 company-operated stores and 5,338 licensed locations. Starbucks must continue to open new locations as their market continues to grow. At some stage there are limits to their expansion, but to date the company has not seen any signs that they are near that optimal point or number. A major concern would include anything from a drop in quality to the brand losing its luster. Despite potential saturation and plans to add many more stores in China. Starbucks insists that it sees very little cannibalization of its existing business when a new store opens. In fact, the company says, one reason would-be customers dont end up buying a Starbucks drink is because the line or wait is too long. One solution is to open up another store nearby. Besides adding stores, drive-thru and kiosks throughout the world, Starbucks also has plans to make itself ubiquitous even in places where it cant squeeze in a store. It is getting ready to launch Starbucks-branded vending machines, which will let people buy warm lattes and other drinks in a nine-ounce can for $2.50. And thats in addition to the business it already does selling bottled cold Starbucks drinks and coffee beans in more traditional food stores. In closing if you see a mall in the United States today itll probably be there two years form now but, a year passes by in a Chinese location, and you almost wont know your way around there any more. Ive witnessed this first hand when I travel to China on business. This is just how fast the Chinese economy and market is growing and Starbucks is looking to convert 1.3 billion tea drinkers to coffee lovers. The key attribute to attain this surmountable goal is to continue the expansion plan in China and other countries in Asia. References Pulse A., (2006), â€Å"Starbucks Soars in China†, accessed on 15th February 2010, available from: www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/HF15Cb06.html Harris C., (2007), â€Å"Starbucks Exec Talks of High Hopes for Growth in Asia†, accessed on 18th February 2010, available from: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/330121_starbuckschina04.html Reuters, (2007a), â€Å"Reuters Summit Starbucks to source coffee from China†, accessed on 21st February 2010, available from: www.today.reuters.com/news/articlehybrid.aspx?type=comktNewsrpc=33storyid=2007-09-04T075310Z_01_PEK299845_RTRIDST_0_CHINA-SUMMIT-STARBUCKS-URGENT.XML Reuters, (2007b), â€Å"Starbucks raising U.S. Drinks Price Next Week†, accessed on 22nd February 2010, available from: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2337368320070723?feedType=RSSrpc=22sp=true Friedlnet, (2003), â€Å"Analysis: The Chinese Coffee Market†, accessed on 21st February 2010, available from: http://www.friedlnet.com/news/03031606.html USA Today, (2006), â€Å"Starbucks Raises Prices of Most Coffee Drinks by Five Cents†, accessed on 19th February 2010, available from: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2006-09-22-starbucks-prices_x.htm CNN, (2000), â€Å"Starbucks Brew Storm in Chinas Forbidden City†, accessed on 16th February 2010, available from: http://edition.cnn.com/2000/FOOD/news/12/11/china.starbucks.reuter Terpstra V. and Sarathy R., (1994), â€Å"International Marketing†, 6th Edition, Orlando: The Dryden Press. Chee H. and Harris R., (1993), â€Å"Marketing a Global Perspective†, Fitman Publishing, London, and p: 21 Lowe R. And Doole I., (2001), â€Å"International Marketing Strategy: Analysis, Development and Implementation, 3rd edition, Thomson learning. Hussey R., (2008), â€Å"Importance of International Trade†, accessed on 15th February 2010, available from: www.thefreelibrary.com/Importance+of+International+Trade-a01073876158

Presidential Campaign of 2004 :: essays research papers

Each presidential election overview has always been similar to a three-ring circus, but in the 2000 Election with Al Gore and George W. Bush, was by far one of the biggest circuses ever. Democrats had reason to worry about the election. Republicans held the White House for three consecutive terms from 1980 to 1992, voters often grow tired of one party after two terms. They were hoping to win control, yet there was a lot at stake with the election at the time. And even though it came to be a quite chaotic election, it was by far the closest election ever in history. The main problem was that the results were so close in Florida that it became indefinite who the winner was. It took over a month to finally attain the results. Ultimately it was not the citizens whose votes counted, but the vote of the Supreme Court for the election case. Al Gore had a good start to begin with, having high marks on his ability to handle key issues, including Democratic stands on such as health care, education and Social Security. But Gore changed all that on the last day of the Democrats' Los Angeles national convention. Whether it was the highly publicized kiss he gave his wife or not, Gore changed the public's view of him. No longer was he a just a stiff politician. Instead, he was a passionate, loving father and husband who lacked many of Clinton's weaknesses. And Gore jumped a few points ahead of Bush. The Monica Lewinsky scandal Clinton had did not necessarily give him a bad reputation. On the contrary, people continued to cast their support for the president since the public thought he had done so much for our nation. Yet in the 2000 Election Gore seemed to go in the completely opposite direction of Clinton, or at least try to avoid his name in his speeches at first. Yet Gore's luck did not change when he left California. Bush seemed to have difficulties when asked about his tax cut plan and about his statement that the U.S. military was not fully ready. While Gore looked relaxed and energetic, Bush made mistakes in front of the camera. Polls suggested that Gore was far ahead of Bush by at least a few points. Republicans became much less optimistic about Bush, while things were looking very promising for the Democrats. Gore’s campaign was focused on issues that were mostly concerned by women, such as health care and education. "We're for the people. Big tobacco, big oil, the

Censorship of Music :: Music Censoring Singers Bands Musicians Essays

Censorship of Music During the Doors concert in Miami, in 1969, lead singer Jim Morrison, "did lewdly and lasciviously expose his penis and shake it. . ." (Rosen et al. 90). Today, Billy Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, bares all at his concert in Philadelphia (Bernstein 95). The eccentric Courtney Love will rip off her bra for the audience to marvel and glorify at her action (Bernstein 95). She acts in such a fashion because she is insane and wants to prove it to the world, where as Billy Joe just performs naked for the shock value and the love of hearing tabloids and gossip. Both performers of past and present conducted strange acts on stage for the shock value and attention, but with performers of old, it reflected their life and what they were really like. Today's performers, however, do not act like that in real life, for the most part. Today, performers take on challenges, like the dare of a child. . . "Betcha won't do it!" These rock performers cannot turn down a dare or back away from even the slightest bit of public notoriety. By listening to one of their "questionable" albums, it is easily noticeable how they thrive off of it. All of these performers do have one thing in common, at one time or another, censorship made them victims because of their social unacceptable actions or the content of their music and lyrics. While censorship is slightly more realistic and open-minded (no more censoring performers from the waist down, like Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan show), it still affects listeners and their choice of music quite significantly. Although the government, music associations, and other various groups try censorship, the music a person chooses is still, and always should be, his choice. Some children are too young for the exposure to certain types of music. Albums containing sexually explicit lyrics depicting sexualacts in great detail are not good for young children to hear. Also, sexual content within the albums, as in their artwork, is unacceptable. For example, the Frankenchrist album by the Dead Kennedys, which portrays an extremely sexual painting by H.G. Giger, entitled Landscape #20: Where Are We Coming From (Wishna 444). Not to mention all the shows and concerts in which some kind of pornography is used or displayed that is inappropriate for younger kids, such as Billy Joe Armstrong, of Green Day, baring all for a concert of his in Philadelphia (Bernstein 95). Also, in Cleveland, a frustrated Courtney Love tore off her bra and screamed, "Now you know how I get all the guys," (Bernstein 95).