India in Medieval Time Essay

Structure of society was that it was divided in caste system. There was a strong caste system in India that we don’t see in Europe. Since it was mainly an agriculture based society that demands caste system for an efficiently working society. Since areas were ruled individually there was difference in society structure in different areas too. They had different gods and thus different rituals. On other hand most people in Europe did farming too but they were servants, peasants or serfs. FAMILY People lived in joint family system i.e. husband wife their children grand children their wives all lived under same roof. The eldest male person was used to be the head of family. Even today in many parts of India and even in Pakistan still live in joint family system. They had importance of respecting their elders such as saying namaste (used to greet others on meeting) and they touch feet of elders, gurus and their gods out of respect. Arrange marriages were planned. Family elders used to decide where to marry their child after verifying the age, height, looks, family values, financial background of family and matching their horoscopes. There was tradition of taking dowry that we can still see in our society. POSITION OF WOMEN In my point of view I don’t think women had good status in India in middle ages. Their marriage, up bringing and widowhood depended upon which caste they are from. They had tradition of sati. Sati means â€Å"true wife† and the tradition was that the women whose husband died was burnt alive to prove her loyalty and love for her husband and to be with him in after life. The women who were not burnt were suppose to live very simple life, no make-up and jewelry, had to wear white sari and sleep on floor and only one meal a day without honey, meat, wine and salt. Today this is against law of India. Treating women in such way is ridiculous they should have as much right to live as men. On other hand in Europe women could remarry. RELIGION Different religions were followed in India in medieval time like Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism and later Islam spread by Sufis. They had a number of religious festivals that they still celebrate today. Navratri, diwali, ganesh chathruti, durga poja, holi, rakshabandhan and dussehra are the religious festivals of Hinduism. People believe in different gods thus they have different rituals and temples. â€Å"the belief that rituals bestow authority and power was widespread and additional incentive was the promise of heavenly rewards.† (Thapar, 2002) People of a region had usually different god than other like some people worshipped durga while other worshipped shiva and so on. But they did respect other gods too. Later when Arabs invaded ths area Sufis came along with them and mixed up with local society and gradually preached them and converted them to Islam. It wasn’t spread by force. We can easily see the diversiy of religion in India. In Europe Christianity was the centre of everything. Church was the centre of society. There was difference between eastern church and western church.one was called orthodox church and other was the catholic church. Islam also spread in Europe. In medieval times, Muslims governed Jerusalem. Jerusalem  is sacred to both Christians and Muslims. To Christians, it is the birth place of Christ, Christ spend most of his time in this city and was crucified here. To Muslims, dome of the rock is in this city which is the very place from where Muhammad (P.B.U.H) ascended to heavens. Initially, Muslims let the Christian pilgrims to visit this holy city but in 1070s Turks conquered Jerusalem who was also Muslim. They didn’t allow Christians to visit their holy sites and mistreated them. They also threatened Byzantium Empire. This became the basis of a series of holy wars called crusades. By the end of the 11th century, the emperor of Byzantine Alexius I was threatened by the Seljuk Turks. He asked the pope Gregory VII for assistance so that they can save themselves. Thousands of the Christians responded to this call and thus resulted in the first Crusade. The plans of Gregory VII were taken up by Pope Urban II who gave this plan a proper direction. Thus the idea of the first crusade is attributed to him. Even though, Europeans were unable to get their required results through the crusades, the crusades affected the world in many ways. Christians started the crusades in name of religion and their religion was affected the most. In fourth crusade western Christians on their way killed eastern Christians in Constantinople. They also killed Christians on basis that they dressed like Muslims. This was the time when Orthodox Church and Catholic Church separated completely and their conflict still remains. The Europeans were the ones having the major positive effects as a result of crusades. One of the biggest benefits was the trade of spices and luxury textiles. They also bring along with them many medicines and ways of treatments from Arab and Persia the crusades also aided the beginning of Renaissance in Italy. The history of Crusades in my opinion was more political than religious. It was a war for more power and authority. The Christians fought it in the name of God but the real name was different. They only wanted to make Muslims weaker. Even if we look in today’s world and all the War against terrorism, they are no more than occupying Muslim land geographically important for the  west and not for any religious reasons. POLITICS Gupta Empire ended in 500 C.E. after that people ruled regionally. There were many kings ruling locally. The doctrine of mandalas was very important here which was that king of one region was enemy of its immediate neighbor and was friends with the king of neighbor’s immediate neighbor. So they make ties with other king to attack and conquer. Since religion was the most important thing at that time the temples were rich with the gifts offered by pilgrims. People offered the best they had to please their gods. The muslims invaded these areas because they wanted to capture the temples wealth not because they wanted to spread Islam. Local kings also used to do the same thing. Some dynasties that ruled the southern part were the pallavas, cera, pandyas. The main kingdoms in northern areas were chaulakyas, dantidurga, Al-Balhara, Al-jurz or gurjara pratihara and dharma palas. All of them wanted to have control over Kanauj to have better strategic control since it was the central point. These kingdoms declined because they knew each others strengths and weaknesses and were attacked by Arabs. Arab forces entered India through Khyber pass, bolan pass and gomal pass. In 9th and 10th century rajputs became prominent. Muhammad bin Qasim conquered sindh in 712 C.E. Number of small kingdoms rose with rulers of Turkish origin. Among them was a kingdom with a ruler Mahmud centered at Ghazni (in Afghanistan). ‘For him, India was a wealthy land always appearing rich and attractive from the barren mountains of Hindu Kush’. (Thapar,2002) His aim was to capture the temples to take away the wealth. He destroyed the temple of Somnatha for the very reason. In 1026, Mahmud raided Somanatha, desecrated the temple and broke the idol. The event is described in Turko-Persian and Arab sources. The popular view is that Mahmud’s raid on Somanatha was such a trauma for the Hindus that it became seminal to the Hindu-Muslim antagonism of recent times. Yet there is no reference in contemporary or near contemporary local sources of the raid on Somanatha. Jaina sources describe the renovation of the temple by Kumarapala, the Chaulukya King, due to lack of maintenance by local officers  and natural decay of age. It would seem that Mahmud’s raid had not left a long-lasting impression. The earliest claim that the raid resulted in trauma for the Hindu was made not in India but in Britain, during a debate in the House of Commons in 1843.’ (Thapar, 2002) Muhmud Ghuri also attacked India. Thus we can see the diversity in India very clearly. Sufis came here with invaders, scientists and philosophers also came here. Thus there was a exchange of culture and thus the diversity of Indian culture continues. On the other hand Europe had religious conflicts between eastern Europe and western Europe. Arabs also attacked and conquered them. European kings felt so threatened and their result we can see in form of crusades. Spain became great Muslim centre where dynasties like Abbasis, Ummaids and Fatmids ruled. In Europe we can’t see as much diversity as we do in India. ECONOMY People of India used to do basically farming. Their major occupation was agriculture for which caste system developed. This was also one reason why Islam didn’t spread in India in beginning because they needed caste system for agriculture and Islam teaches equality. India was very rich in agriculture and produced spices and traded them. TRADE CENTRES Some cities were important with trade point of view. Cities like Madurai, Vanji, Vatapi, Tamraliptri, Kanauj, Ujjain, Broach and Pataliputra were considered as trade centres. Trade was done through both land and sea. TRADE ROUTES Silk route was a major trade route. Other trade routes included port of Varanasi, Goa, Mathura, Puna and Patna. TRADING COUNTRIES India did trading with Arabia, Persia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Java, Sumatra,  Indo-China and China. Europe came to know about Indian products very well after crusades infact major reason of crusades was to start trade with India. EXPORTS Silk, gems, bleached cloth, pearls, spices, ivory and diamonds were exported. Pepper, cinnamon, opium and indigo were exported to Europe in exchange of gold and silver. ART AND ARCHITECTURE Like all other factors art and architecture of India was also very diverse. There was different style of architecture in north than south side of India. Temples of south India were built in Dravadian style of architecture with carved sculptures. In north side nagara style of architecture was used. In the regions in between north and south vasera (hybrid style) was implemented. When muslims came here they made buildings in their own style of architecture. Beautiful mosques, tombs, havelis and forts were made in medieval time. [pic] [pic] Mahabodhi temple Mahakeleshwar temple Muslims built qutub minar delhi mosque etc. which have architecture entirely different than temples. [pic] There were number of different languages. Each region had a language of their own and there was a single language that was used as official language. Vedic scriptures puranas etc were compiled. Quran and sunnah was being compiled by Arabs. In Europe church was most dominant. All the art and architecture was devoted  to the church. The main architectural styles developed were gothic and Romanesque. Romanesque church followed horizontal lines whereas gothic was much heightened and detailed. Gothic style pointed arch is used that can take more load and flying buttresses were introduced. Castles were built for defence purposes. They consist of small square towers, usually of wood, planted on hilltops or artificial mounds and had small windows. Material used for construction was stone, mortar and wood. – [pic] Wells cathedral (Gothic style) [pic] Romanesque style The churches were decorated with sculptures and paintings. Since it was a religion based society they worked for churches without wages. Church was in centre of city built on highest mound or hill and was highest and other buildings were built around it having low heights. Muslims also made mosques in Europe too. EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY Most people in India were educated. They had gurus, scholars and there was the oldest university in Taxila. A British scholar leigtner said in later British rule that these are educated people and they should be taught in their own native tongue. Whereas in Europe there were monasteries that only gave religious education. They weren’t aware of scientific knowledge until they came across Arabs and Indians. Mahmud of gazni when came to India brought along a philosopher named Al Beruni who wrote book on India names tahqiq al hind. Main invention in medieval time were weapons, nautical inventions, clock, numbering system, astrolabes, sundial, compass etc. CONCLUSION Keeping in view all the points mentioned above we can say that India is very rich in culture at all times. Its history is so diverse in all aspects whether its society, culture, religion, politics, economy, art and architecture. In general it is said that there were dark ages throughout the world which based upon above discussion is not true. Dark ages were only in Europe since there were wars and was only religious based society and there was no advancement technologically whereas India was progressing and by looking at its diversity and advancements tells us that it wasnt in dark ages at all. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historians_in_mediaeval_Britain http://www.yourchildlearns.com/castle_history.htm http://www.medieval-castle.com/history.htm http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/westciv/medsoc/11.shtml http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/westciv/medsoc/09.shtml http://www.hyw.com/books/history/medieval.htm http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-art/medieval-artists.htm http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/medieval-artists.htm http://www.castles.me.uk/gothic-architecture.htm http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3082/2693488596_950b824822.jpg http://www.nashfordpublishing.co.uk/photos/wells_cathedral.jpg http://historymedren.about.com/library/atlas/maps/navieurope.gif http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Late_Medieval_Trade_Routes.jpg http://web.nickshanks.com/history/medieval/manor http://web.nickshanks.com/history/medieval/trading http://science.jrank.org/pages/9077/Education-in-Europe-Medieval-Education.html http://www.allempires.net/education-in-medieval-europe_topic18280_post339921.html http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ls201/medieval2.html https://qed.princeton.edu/getfile.php?f=North-West_Regions_of_Medieval_India_-

Drug Testing Welfare Applicants

As of 2011 there are 4. 3 million Americans on welfare and using 131 billion dollars that come from the tax payers. Welfare has been a hot issue in the United States for a while and a common debate is whether citizens that qualify for welfare should be drug tested or not. Most Americans agree that some sort of support system for citizens that are struggling financially is a good idea and can help some get back on their feet. Others will argue that many people on welfare abuse their privileges to fund their substance abuse and misuse the taxpayer’s money.My own view is that people should have to pass a drug test in order to receive these government handouts and prevent habitual users from abusing these privileges. Welfare is a federally funded program that gives monetary assistance to citizens who have little to no income. The United States welfare system began back in the 1930’s, during the Great Depression, era due to an overwhelming amount of families that were strugg ling to get by. Still today there are millions of people barely making by during these tough economic times.Citizens can apply for different types of welfare including social welfare, corporate welfare, child welfare to name some of the most popular. On these types of welfare people can receive different types of aid such as health care, food stamps or child care. There are many factors go into a person’s eligibility for a welfare program. Eligibility is determined by using gross and net income, size of the family, and certain situations such as medical emergencies, pregnancy, homelessness or unemployment.After the initial application a case worker will gather all this information and determine if the person qualifies for any benefits and how much he or she can receive. A person can also apply for a state run welfare program called the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF. TANF, however, is different than most and requires that the applicant find work within two ye ars of receiving aid. Not finding work will result in a loss of these benefits. A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen such as urine, hair, blood or saliva, to determine the presence or absence of specified drugs in a person’s system.A urine drug test, which is the most common in the United States, screens for ten types of drugs: Amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids (THC), cocaine, methadone, methaqualone, opiates, phencyclidine, and propoxyphene. All of these drugs have various detection periods in the human body but the average is two to ten days. Within this window of time. Studies have shown that the prevalence of substance abuse among welfare recipients has varied widely in their findings, with rates of between 10 and 37 percent.Much of the difference in rates found in these studies is due to different data sources, definitions, and measurement methods and the different thresholds used to define substance abuse. Another differen ce is whether alcohol abuse and/or the abuse of prescription drugs are included in the estimate. Also how can we get true evidence when we don’t have the means to drug test these welfare recipients yet. Employers require drug testing before employment so why should welfare recipients get the same treatment for the gift of receiving government funding.Its tax dollars of the working people funding someone else’s addictions. Drug use and use and its consequences affect all of society that is vital to a strong America. Drug use strains our healthcare, criminal justice systems and endangers the future of our young people with the overall strain on our economy. Florida recently became the first state to require adults applying for cash welfare assistance (i. e. , not food stamps and housing assistance) to undergo drug screenings. Florida Gov.Rick Scott defended the new rule by arguing that: â€Å"It’s not right for taxpayer money to be paying for somebody’s dr ug addiction. †¦ On top of that, this is going to increase personal responsibility and personal accountability. We shouldn’t be subsidizing people’s addiction. † In 2009, 20 states put in proposals to pass the drug test laws and at least 36 states put proposals in 2011 around drug testing of welfare (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families – TANF) and food stamp (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP) recipients.When Florida passed the law of requiring drug tests to receive welfare it set a precedent for other states to follow. Florida government believed that by passing this law itwould deter people from misusing welfare benefits to buy drugs. Florida expects the recipients to pay for the drug test and the government will reimburse the recipient the cost of the drug test. Arizona and Missouri require testing for anyone they â€Å"reasonably† suspect of illegal drug use. As of April17, 2010 Utah and Georgia also passed legislat ion for drug testing.

Maslow’s theory of needs in individualistic and collectivist cultures Malika Kassymova Essay

1. Abstract Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivation theory elaborated by a humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943. Maslow’s theory consists of 5 main levels of needs that form a pyramid: Physiological, Safety, Belongingness and Love, Esteem, Self-Actualization (Janet A. Simons, 1987). Even though this theory is most commonly used in individualistic cultures, some findings suggest that it may also be applied in collectivist culture. However, the results will differ from those in individualistic cultures. In a collectivist culture, the basic need is belonging to the society; self-esteem is eliminated, and self-actualization is attained in terms of meeting societal development needs (Gambrel, P. A.& Cianci, R., 2003). Thus, contrary to the belief that the basic concept of self-actualisation applies to any human being in any culture, the current findings suggest that an individual’s needs are partially bound by culture. Implications include important impa ct on the workplace, as the concept of self-actualization shouldn’t be forced upon a collectivist culture and vice versa (Nevis, 1983). 2. Introduction 2.1 Review Most famous authors that have investigated international implications of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs include Geert Hofstede, Edwin C. Nevis. Other individualism-collectivism studies by Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, Schwartz, Bilsky, Ivtzan and Tanaka have a direct relation to theories of motivation as well. 2.2 Purpose  The purpose of this literature review is to organise, compare and synthesize academic papers related to the Maslow’s theory of motivation and to indicate the sources of obtained data. 3. Application of Maslow’s theory in individualistic and collectivist cultures 3.1 Beginning of studies Individualism – collectivism is one of four dimensions of culture in different countries developed by Geert Hofstede. According to (Hofstede, National Cultures in Four Dimensions, 1983), in an individualistic society individuals look after themselves and immediate family members. He defines collectivism as a preference for a close social framework where family members and other in-group members look after them in exchange for loyalty; individualism, on the contrary, refers to a more self-oriented approach to socialization. 3.2 Methodology & Findings Source: www.geert-hofstede.com In a recent study (Ivtzan, 2010) the cultural validity of self-actualization is tested using the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) questionnaire developed by (Shostrom, E.L, 1980) as a comprehensive measure of the self-actualizing characteristics originally highlighted by Maslow. The POI questionnaire was tested on 100 British participants and 100 Indian participants as these two cultures belong to 2 different cultures (Hofstede, geert-hofstede.com, 2004). In support of the hypothesis, the results showed British participants scored significantly higher than the Indian participants on 10 out of the 12 scales, meaning that Individuals from an individualistic culture are more likely to be closer to the self-actualizing ideal, as measured by these scales, than individuals from a collectivistic culture. Thus, one’s cognition and motivation are affected by the social system in which they are raised and fulfilling one’s potential is expressed differently in these cultures. Collectivistic cultures are more ‘other orientated’ with strong emphasis on approval, acceptance and adherence to social groups (Erez & Earley, 1993). In support of this, Tanaka (1978) tested individualistic and collectivistic differences in agreeable responses to various behavioural statements. For example, in response to the statement â€Å"To do something good for society†, participants from Indonesia, Pakistan and India scored the highest and those from Australia and New Zealand the lowest. However, in response to the statement â€Å"To achieve personal happiness†, the pattern of results was reversed. Similarly, Riesman et al (1953) describe that the other-directed person â€Å"hardly thinks of himself as an individual† (p.33) further suggesting that collectivists that define themselves in such an ‘other-directed’ way are less likely to be inner orientated than individualists. Therefore, prestigious companies such as Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS, 2007) that actively use Maslow’s motivational theory may fail to effectively ‘reach out’ their more collectivist employees. Source: www.geert-hofstede.com 4. Summary Hofstede (1983) and Nevis (1983) both conclude that the hierarchy of needs developed by Maslow stresses individual achievement rather than collective, since it was developed on the basis of individualistic US model. However, Hofstede (1983) and Trompenaars (1993) agree that the American way of management does not apply across all cultures, especially as those in Asia. Living to our fullest potential is a universal theme and the route towards unlocking this potential and fulfilling it might be dependent on our cultural values. Therefore, the results of using Maslow’s model will differ in individualist and collectivist cultures. Further research is needed to establish whether the fulfilment of the individual in a non-Western, collectivistic culture is idealised in a different way (Ivtzan, I., Gardner, H. E., Bernard, I., Sekhon, M., & Hart, R., 2013). 5. Implications for Managers Individualistic countries desiring to invest in collectivist countries (e.g. China) can increase their profitability through understanding of collectivist culture and vice versa. Companies where management models are based on individualism shouldn’t force their management practices upon a collectivist environment. For example, in a collectivist culture like China, Nevis (1983) suggests that Chinese business practices should be governed by being a good member of society and placing group needs before individual needs. Therefore, a team-based organizational structure should be put in place by the investing firm. The human resource management plan should also design a benefits plan that centres on the work group with a focus on housing, medical care, and education. Cultural research is important in human resource management in order to divide between individualistic and collectivistic cultures, allowing both to work efficiently and effectively, side by side, in the same organisational environment (Ivtzan, I., Gardner, H. E., Bernard, I., Sekhon, M., & Hart, R., 2013). Also, the human resource management plan should implement a comprehensive cultural training program designed to increase understanding and awareness of a collectivist culture to avoid confrontations and situations that would cause one to lose face (Gambrel, P. A.& Cianci, R., 2003).

WHO Framework and Healthcare System of U.K Essay

WHO Framework and Healthcare System of U.K - Essay Example The basic objective of WHO framework (2007) is to strengthen healthcare systems throughout the world so that general health standards of the people can get improved. The paper will study the healthcare system of U.K. keeping in view the basic guidelines as provided in WHO framework and assess its strengths and weaknesses. The paper will also look into the healthcare system of Canada so as to have some comparative viewpoint regarding healthcare services as operating in these two countries. WHO Framework (2007) and Building Blocks There are six building blocks of any health system as prescribed by World Health organisation for an excellent healthcare system in any country. (World Health†¦ 2007) 1. Good Health Services That means safe, effective, and quality health services to all those who need them while making optimum use of resources. 2. An Efficient Health Workforce It is an important building block that should perform well to achieve the best health outcomes. They are compete nt, responsive, and productive to carry out the health functions. There should be sufficient healthcare professionals spread across all the geography. ... t and Leadership Governance and Leadership works towards strategic policy frameworks with proper regulation and effective oversight coupled with proper accountability. Judging UK Healthcare Services from above Criteria U.K.’s National Health System follows (NHS) the Beveridge Model of healthcare to provide healthcare services to its citizens. The NHS is a government-run institution that takes care of all its citizens and provides them doctors, clinics and hospitals. Since citizens do not pay any bills, it does not put any undue financial burden on the citizens including the treatment taken for any critical illness. In this system, the patients are always at ease for they get healthcare services through government funding and they need not spend anything from their own pockets. The advantage of the model is that each and every citizen gets medical treatment free of charge regardless of their economic status and kind of illness. Patients need not pay hefty insurance premiums for the various health issue coverage as found in the countries like U.S.; however, the UK government does charge 17 percent sales tax to cover up healthcare expenses for its countrymen. The disadvantage with the Beveridge model is that it does not provide any motivation to the physician for they cannot charge (Hamilton 2009). U.K being a developed country is good on availability of vaccines, medical products and in health related technologies. Vaccines are usually available as and when need arises in all parts of the country. Certain shortages of branded drugs in U.K has been attributed to European Union trade laws, under which medicines from UK cannot be prevented from export to other countries of Europe. The Department of Health in its last meeting with manufacturers and suppliers has taken

Prophet Muhammad and rise of Islam Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prophet Muhammad and rise of Islam - Movie Review Example In this part, Gardner attempts to change the association of Islam with violence by portraying Prophet Mohammed both as a warrior and a man of faith. For example there are a number of scenes in this part where Prophet Mohammed is depicted as a forgiving conqueror who opposed any form of bloody revenge and violence. Islam Is also depicted as a religion based on knowledge. This is particularly achieved through a number of recounts of the famous Islamic centers of learning during the medieval times. The last part of the movie covers a number of important historical features beginning from the fall of Rome, The Ottomans, the European explorations and an account of the cruel Islamic Jihadist and Christian crusade wars that were considered excessively brutal even in the standards of the medieval periods. This part has also effectively depicted the history of the expansion of the ancient Ottoman Empire as well as the reign of some of its most powerful Sultans such as Sultan

Netflix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Netflix - Essay Example characteristics of the target market that would become a basis of market segment are demographics which is the physical characteristic of the market, psychographics which is the psycho-cultural characteristic of the market, geographics or the physical and political delineation of the market and purchase behavior or buying patterns of target market. In the case of Netflix, it would be necessary first to define its product and service to effectively segment its market. At present, Netflix is an online video store that caters its customers with a wide array of video collections through video download, online streaming or door to door delivery. In the future, it is envisaged that Netflix will converge from a merely internet base video provider to include a traditional TV broadcasting company. The array of their services will then widened that would include not just video titles but also TV shows. The mobile and handheld movie industry is also expected to be entered into by Netflix. In short, Netflix would be â€Å"becoming like them in doing some originals and they are becoming more like us in creating an on-demand interface like HBO Go" which allows viewers to watch channels on the Web and on mobile and tabulate devices† (Coyle, 2012). Having defined the products and services Netflix today and the future, its target market are those movie viewers which has internet connection and handheld devices. In the future, the TV viewing public will also become their target market. Netflix primary serves the consumer market or those who watch movies (and in the future TV shows) for leisure. In particular, Netflix caters to the movie watching customers by having an extensive movie title collection it can offer to the customers either by video streaming, download or door to door delivery. The manner which Netflix’s products will be delivered to its customers will likely to change as more and more consumers are having internet connection at an increasing speed making

Risk Management College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Air Pollution in China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Air Pollution in China - Research Paper Example The rising emissions in China cause the increased pollution of the air within the country and internationally as compared to the reduced pollution registered in other countries such as Japan, United States, and Europe. A myriad of reports has indicated that most Chinese citizens die due to respiratory problems caused by highly polluted air that contains sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter. The combustion of fossil fuels to power the rapidly increasing industries and automobiles is the prime source of the outdoor air pollutants, while the burning of coal within homes produces the indoor air pollution. This air pollution has been found to trigger or at times worsen the respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and conditions amongst all age groups especially the children and the elderly. As China continues to experience phenomenal growth in its economy which is majorly driven by the industries setting base in China, so does the pollution also grow and the attendant e ffects. This has come at a greater cost due to the environmental degradation in China in the form of pollution with the most prominent being the air pollution experienced in many Chinese cities and their citizens such as in Beijing and Guangzhou as well as abroad. There have been numerous studies that have shown that the appalling quality of air within the Chinese cities and even the countryside have led to the occurrence of over a million deaths as from the year 2010 alone.  

Project Management Resources Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project Management Resources Paper - Essay Example nd team would have the functional expertise in mapping out the requirements as well as translating the same into usable specifications for the first team. Further the expertise of this team is to be utilized for testing as well as they understand the scope and the functional aspects of the same. The schedule of the project would be for a period of two months. The first couple of weeks would be for the requirements from the various stakeholders and the next month would be spent in actual design and coding. The last couple of weeks would be spent in testing and implementing the tool. In case the schedule is crashed, the requirements phase can be merged with the design phase with parallel activities. This would involve moving beyond the normal â€Å"waterfall† model of SDLC and instead having an agile methodology. Resource risk: divided into two components in terms of knowledge acquisition and attrition risk. The first component is mitigated by training and knowledge sharing and the second component is mitigated by documenting the processes and knowledge management Variance: Any variance in the budget due to time, cost or quality constraints (the â€Å"triple constraint†) should be dealt by all the stakeholders. This is to be done by regular status reporting and identification of potential issues to be resolved by the various stakeholders This paper has attempted to portray some aspects of the project management processes taking an example of an automation tool for a maintenance project in a software company. While this is by no means comprehensive, it does address some of the questions listed in the

Starbucks in China Essay Example for Free

Starbucks in China Essay Why did Starbucks fail in the Forbidden City? Zane lee (Ziang Li) ESLI PMP Why did Starbucks fail in the Forbidden City? Introduction Nowadays, economic globalization is becoming an irreversible tendency; therefore, different multinational corporations always want to extend their branches to other countries, especially for the food companies, such as, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Burger King. In recent years, the world has also witnessed that China’s economy has developed to a higher level since China has reformed and opened for more than 30 years. According to Lardy, in the middle of 1990s, China had become one of the largest world’s trading nations (Lardy, 1995, p.1). Now, Chinese customers have more desire and abilities to enjoy western food. Therefore, many multinational food corporations, such as, Starbucks, KFC, and Krispy Kreme, want to enter in Chinese market, and these companies treat China as an emerging market because of the development of Chinese economy and consumption ability. However, China has thousands years of history, and its market situation is complicated. It is hard for western companies to be adapted to the situation. Now, some western food companies, to some extent, have achieved success in China, such as, Starbucks, KFC, and McDonald’s. There were also many companies, such as Dunkin, Krispy Kreme, and Burger King failed in China (Rein, 2012). Starbucks is one of the few that has successfully entered the Chinese market, but it is still facing many challenges, and it also failed in the most traditional areas in China, such as in the Forbidden City. In the past ten years, Starbucks has achieved much success in general business areas in China. Starbucks is an international coffee retailers which was founded in the early of 1970s in Seattle, U.S. It sells both a variety of coffee and other related beverages all over the world (Marketline, 2012, pp.3-4). Starbucks entered in Chinese market in 1999 (Wang, 2012, para.3). As the Trefils team (2012) shows that with the development of Starbucks, â€Å"Starbucks has successfully opened more than 570 stores in 48 cities since it first entered China twelve years ago. Building on this momentum, it plans to open 1500 stores by 2015† (Trefils team, 2012). To achieve the succe ss,  Starbucks’ marketing strategies have exerted a big influence in this process. According to Rein (2012), Starbucks introduced â€Å"coffee experience shop† to give customers an opportunity to experience Starbucks’ culture, and Starbucks developed some tea-flavor coffee to be adapted to Chinese flavor. Moreover, Starbucks chose wonderful shop location to promote its brand image and avoided using advertising or promotions to make direct conflicts with the Chinese tea culture. Furthermore, Starbucks also collaborates with local companies to spread Starbucks’ business and to reduce Starbucks’ cost (Rein, 2012). Through taking these strategies, Starbucks, to some degree, has overcame the challenges from both the traditional culture and the local competitors, such as U.B.C and Dio Coffee. However, Starbucks still failed in the Forbidden City. According to Netzley, Digantral, Wong, Tan, Hee (2011), at the Yale CEO Leadership Summit (2006), China Central Television’s news compere Chenggang Rui asked Jim that â€Å"Do you have plans to open stores in the Taj Mahai, Versailles, or Buckingham Palace?†. Half year later, Rui posted a blog in Sina blog to against Starbucks’ existence in the Forbidden City, and he thought that Starbucks existed in the Forbidde n City was a kind of erosion for Chinese culture. Even though in 2007, the internet was an infancy in China, it was growing fast. There were tens of thousands of people following Rui’s blog at that time. â€Å"In January 2007, Rui, an experienced media personality from CCTV turned this communication channel on Starbucks. The effort to remove the iconic western brand from the centre of the Forbidden City quickly became global news† (Netzleym, Digantral, Wong, 2006). Several months later, Starbucks closed the coffeehouse in the Forbidden City. By analysing Starbucks’ failure in the Forbidden City, this paper will help Starbucks to know how to control the risks, such as entering in some special areas in China, in the future and help other international companies to understand the Chinese culture. In recent years, Scholars have analysed how Starbucks can achieve success in the general areas in China. For example, Starbucks has two main business strategies: License and Joint Venture (Harrison, Chang, Gauthier, Joerchel, Nevarez, Wang, 2005, p.281), and Starbucks also uses HR strategy, which is offering good salary for staff, to maintain the quality workforce (Zhang, 2009, p.18). Scholars also have discussed some culture factors on cross-culture brand extension. For instance, â€Å"consumer s in several East Asian countries have higher levels  of self-construal. Therefore, the likelihood of brand extension success is expected to be higher in respect of these group† (Henseler, Horvà ¡th, Sarstedt, Zimmermann, 2010, p.8). Even though Starbucks’ marketing strategies made it success in general business areas in China, this does not mean that there is no potential risks for Starbucks in China. Starbucks is still facing challenges in the most traditional areas, such as in the Forbidden City, because the Forbidden City’s imperial culture excludes foreign culture, Chinese people’s nationalism could not accept Starbucks’ existence in the Forbidden City, and Starbucks’ fashion culture contradicts to the Forbidden City’s classic culture. This paper will discuss Starbucks’ failure in the Forbidden City from these three parts. The serious culture shock in the Forbidden City One of the most important reasons why Starbucks failed in the Forbidden City was Starbucks and the Forbidden City had different cultures, and they were different symbolisms. China has five thousand years history, and its traditional culture was handed down by each generation. Nowadays, Chinese traditional culture has exerted a big influence on modern business, especially on multinational companies which have set up business in China but have different cultures with Chinese. If multinational companies want to run their business to be more successful in China, it is necessary for them to understand Chinese traditional culture, especially for the company, like Starbucks, which want to set up its business in the most traditional areas in China. Starbucks’ symbol of western country could not combined with the Forbidden City’s imperial culture The Forbidden City is the symbolism of the imperial culture (Han Zhang, 2009, p.397). According to China. Org (2005), the Forbidden C ity (Imperial Palace) is setting in the center of Beijing, and it is the largest and most complete imperial palace and ancient building group in China. The buildings of Forbidden City was started to be built in 1406 and was finished in 1420. Since Ming dynasty, there had been twenty-four emperors lived and ruled China in this palace (China.org, 2005, para. 1). In the Forbidden City, yellow is the primary, and almost all roofs of buildings were decorated with yellow glazed tiles. During Ming and Qing dynasty, yellow was the color that only emperors could use. This kind of color â€Å"represents the emperor, the central figure of China, and also  represents land, the root and origin of all earthly creatures† (Han Zhang, 2009, p.397). Moreover, in ancient China, besides servants, only the people who had direct relationship with emperor could live in the Forbidden City. Therefore, the Forbidden City can be the symbol of the imperial culture. Starbucks is the symbolism of western culture. Starbucks is American company. Now, drinking coffee in Starbucks coffeehouse has become a normal living style for many American people. Moreover, Starbucks’ branches have spread to all over the world. On the one hand, according to Curtin and Gaither (2009), â€Å"In the eyes of many Chinese people, the image of Starbucks is encoded with a meaning that might convey, like many other western fast food brands which introduced from U.S., ‘America, western value’ in China† (Curtin Gaither, 2007, p.85). On the other hand, in or der to entering in Chinese market, Starbucks has developed its coffee flavours to be adapted to Chinese taste, and Starbucks also sells tea and moon cakes which are the traditional Chinese food in its coffee house (Rein, 2012). These product, to some degree, can implicate traditional culture. The supreme imperial culture of the Forbidden City excludes Starbucks’ culture. The imperial culture is a traditional Chinese culture, and it has thousands years of history. In the ancient time, normal people could not use the stuff that emperor used and also could not enjoy the food that emperor enjoyed, which means that the imperial power was supreme and had the feature of exclusiveness. According to Chiu and Cheng (2007), when Starbucks opened its coffeehouse in the Forbidden City, these traditional Chinese food were also sold in Starbucks Forbidden City Shop, and on the surface of its products, Starbucks still used its English logo (Chiu Cheng, 2007, pp.85-86). As Bzelova shows that moon cakes, which have thousands years of history, are treated as the symbol of family reunion and the round harvest moon. Initially, moon cake was invented by soldier. In Ming dynasty, the mood cake was introduced into the Forbidden City and became a kind of specialized food for emperor at one time (Bzelova, 2013). Another fact is moon cakes are usually yellow. As above mention ed, in the ancient time, only emperor could use the color â€Å"Yellow†. However, Starbucks sold the moon cakes with English logo, it was a kind of contradiction to the traditional Chinese culture. Moreover, the English logo which was painted on the yellow moon cake was a kind of contradiction to the imperial culture. Even though emperor was disappeared  for almost one hundred year and the Forbidden City had also become a tourist attraction, the imperial culture still exist in the Forbidden City, which can be revealed from the Forbidden City’s main color—â€Å"Yellow†. Therefore, selling these products by a foreign company could emerge conflicts to the Forbidden City’s imperial culture, and the imperial culture of the Forbidden City, to some degree, prevented Starbucks to run its business in the Forbidden City. Chinese nationalism could not accept Starbucks in the Forbidden City Chinese people’s nationalism could not accept Starbucks’ existence in the Forbidden City. As Miscevic (2010) defines that â€Å"nationalism† is usually used to describe two phenomena: â€Å"(1) the attitude that the members of a nation have when they care about their national identity, and (2) the actions that the members of a nation take when seeking to achieve (or susta in) self-determination† (Miscevic, 2010, p.1). Chinese people’s nationalism has hundreds years of history. In 1840, the first opium war happened in China, and Britain invaded in China by selling opium. For western countries, such as British, Spain, and France, after the first industrial revolution, their industries and economy were developed fast, and their domestic demands could not meet the requirements of their economic development; therefore, many of these countries wanted to invade to other countries to make profits, and China became one of the most important targets for western invaders. After the first opium war, China paid millions of silver for British and France and ceded territory to British. In the following one hundred year, Chinese people had experienced a series of invasions from western countries. Chinese people’s nationalism was set up during these disasters. According to He (2007), even though China is becoming more and more open, and people’s living condition is becoming more and more fortu nate, Chinese people still cannot accept that western culture exceedingly combined with Chinese culture (p.6). As above mentioned that Starbucks can be treated as a symbol of America. Even though in the history, China and America did not have direct conflict, U.S. is still usually treated as the representation of western power because America is one of the biggest and the most powerful country in the world (Cheng, 2012). However, Chinese people usually treat the Forbidden City as the most tradition area, and â€Å"[t]he presence of any foreign brands or products in this place may imply invasion of western culture assisted by western corporate power† (Hang Zhang. 2009, p.398). As these areas were destroyed by western invaders during the war; therefore, it is hard for Chinese people to accept western companies, such as Starbucks, which have strong culture to run its business in the Forbidden City. Starbucks’ fashion contradicts to the Forbidden City’s classic culture The Forbidden City is the symbolism of Chinese classic culture. This symbolism can be experienced from the Forbidden City’s design. According to Han Zhang (2009), â€Å"[t]he design of the Forbidden City, from its overall layout, as laid down in the Classic of Rites (Li ji), to the smallest detail of decoration, has symbolic meaning with underlying philosophical and religious principles† (Han Zhang, 2009, p.397). From Han Zhang’s analysis, we can find that the design of the Forbidden City’s buildings contains profound Chinese culture. As Wang (2010) indicates that â€Å"[t]he calligraphy tablets hung over each main gate and building, although often neglected by visitors, actually are special embodiments of traditional Chinese concepts either well known or maybe unexpected by their readers† (Wang, 2010, p.11). Taking the Confucianism â€Å"Harmony† for example, there are three great front halls in the Forbidden City, their names are â€Å"Hall of Supreme Harmony†, â€Å"Hall of Central Harmonyâ € , and â€Å"Hall of Preserving Harmony†, respectively. In ancient time, the emperor usually believed that he was the son of Heaven. â€Å"His highest goal was established to achieve harmony among Heaven, the Earth and the human being. Thus, harmony was repeatedly emphasized on the tablets to idealize the effectiveness of the court† (Wang, 2010, p.12). This is the one of the traditional cultures that can be found in the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City’s buildings also represent the theory of â€Å"syncretism between heaven and man† and the theory of â€Å"self-discipline and social commitment† (Zi, 1987, p.448). Therefore, the Forbidden City implies many great and profound Chinese classic culture. Starbuck is the symbol of fashion. From the surface of Starbucks, we can find that the meaning of Starbucks is represented by the green logo, â€Å"the fine coffee drinks, music, cozy in-store setting and free Wi-Fi† (Puel, Pons, Jin, 2007, p.2). According to Han and Zhang (2009), Starbucks is making itself to be a widely known brand in China. â€Å"Particularly, Starbucks is targeting affluent Chinese customers as well as the growing middle class, making itself ubiquitous in chic shopping malls†¦. Drinking Starbucks coffee has gradually become fashionable† (Han Zhang, 2009, p.397). Therefore, Starbucks’ fashion culture has deeply rooted in the heart of Chinese customers. Starbucks’ fashion culture contradicts to the Forbidden City’s classic culture. As Cha (2003) indicates that Chinese classic culture is dominated by the Confucianism, and in the Confucianism, â€Å"self-cultivation† is an important thought which means people should keep their bodies to be healthy and through self-reflection to improve their minds to reach an optimal state (Cha, 2003, pp.170-171). From the definition of â€Å"self-cultivation†, we can recognise that Chinese classic culture advocates the importance of having a peaceful living style, the importance of implementing self-discipline, and the importance of keeping on the rails. However, as Harrison (2005) shows that Starbucks’ fashion culture advocates the importance of freedom and the importance of materials (p.281). Therefore, Starbucks’ fashion culture could not combined with Starbucks’ classic culture. Objections Except the cultural factors, media influence is also a cause for Starbucks’ failure in the Forbidden City. In recent years, China’s internet media is developing so fast and is becoming more and more powerful on affecting business. According to Chiu, Lin, and Sliverman (2013), the most popular websites, such as Sina, Tencent, and Netease, are important media for companies to engage in the increasingly affluent online audience, and companies can also use â€Å"social media as a vital source of information for brand and product decisions. China’s social media landscape is a complex environment at huge scale† (Chiu, Lin, Sliverman, 2013, para.3). As above mentioned that Chenggang Rui posted a blog on Sina to against Starbucks. According to Han and Zhang (2009), â€Å"[s]ince September 2006, Sina launched a blogsphere, informally called ‘celebrity blogs (mingren boke),’ where most bloggers are well-known public figures such as performers, artists and writers. Using a ranking system, Sina promotes certain celebrities’ blogs and downplay others† (Han Zhang, 2009, p.397). After Rui posted his blog, his arguments were spread to many places quickly because of the tremendous internet users. â€Å"Without using Sina as platform, Rui’s voice would not have been so well received† (Han Zhang, 2009,  p.397). Therefore, the internet media, to some extent, made influence on Starbucks’ failure in the Forbidden City; however, the cultural problems is still the main cause for Starbucks’ failure because internet media is only a kind of medium for opponents to advocates the cultural problems. Conclusion This article shows the problems that Starbucks had experienced in the Forbidden City and analyses the reasons why Starbucks failed in the Forbidden City. With above mentioned analysis, we can draw a conclusion that Starbucks failed in the Forbidden City because of the serious Chinese culture shock. Even though Starbucks has achieved success in the general business areas in China, it still cannot thoroughly cope with the problem of culture shock in the most traditional areas in China, such as in the Forbidden City. The case that Starbucks failed in the Forbidden City is a good example not only for Starbucks itself but also for other multinational corporations in China to understand how serious the Chinese culture shock is, and Starbucks can also learn from this case to avoid making the same inappropriate decision in the future. References Bezlova, A. (2013). China’s traditional moon cake now a status symbol. Retrieved from http://www.culturebriefings.com/articles/chinmnck.html Cheng, D. (2012). The complicated history of U.S. Relations with China. Retrieved from http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/10/the-complicated-history-of-us-relations-with-china Cha, S. H. (2003). Modern Chinese Confucianism: The contemporary neo-Confucian movement and its cultural significance. Social compass, 50(4), 481-491. Chiu, C. Y., Cheng, S. Y. (2007). Toward a social psychology of culture and globalization: Some social cognitive consequences of activating two cultures simultaneously. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 1(1), 84-100. Curtin, P. A., Gaither, T. K. (2007). International public relations: Negotiating culture, identity and power. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Chiu, C. Lin, D., Sliverman, A. 2013. High influence: China’s social media boom. Retrieved from http://cmsoforum.mckinsey.com/article/high-i nfluence-chinas-social-media-boom

Tesla Case Study

Tesla Case Study A CASE STUDY ON TESLA MOTORS Cost/Benefit Analysis In business, every decision that has to be made requires thorough evaluation. And one of the most convenient and straightforward methods to do this is through Cost/Benefit Analysis. In CBA, an estimation of the total value of all the benefits of a certain project is compared to that of the value of the costs that are needed in order to realize such project (Watkins, n.d.). In order for the assessor to come up with a better angle of comparison, these values must be expressed into a uniform unit of measurement. Usually, in computing CBA, the values of the cost and benefits are converted into their monetary value. Once all the costs and benefits of the project have been taken into consideration, comparison may be done. If the value of the benefits outweighs that of the costs, it means that the project is a worthwhile endeavour. The next point of evaluation would be the calculation of the break-even point – the time at which the benefits of the project pay off the costs (Hill, 201 2). It would be most preferable to have a shorter payback period. Generally, CBA helps business people to decide whether or not to undertake a particular project. It allows them to frame the best and appropriate project objectives. Furthermore, CBA can be used to prepare the necessary resources as well as develop before and after measures of the project’s success. For example, the move to promote more ecological operations and processes for the company may need a Cost/Benefit analysis to determine the probability of its realization. As the corporate world is becoming more and more aware of the effects of Climate Change, companies are looking to implement environment-friendly practices in their offices. The same holds true for huge manufacturing companies. CBA allows the companies to evaluate probable gains and losses that these actions may bring. Tesla Motors: A Case Study in Environmental Impact Background and Operations of Tesla Motors Leading the advent of a more sustainable transportation system and its innovations, Tesla Motors has established quite a reputation in the automotive industry. Since its establishment in 2003, the company has grown to be the biggest manufacturer of electric cars in the market. It has contributed more than 50,000 cars in roads all over the world as of today (Tesla Motors, n.d.). Its main goal is to create a transportation system that is more environment-friendly and sustainable. Electric cars are charged at home and do not require refuelling of gasoline unlike the cars designed by other manufacturers. Quite expectedly, these zero-emission cars were not easily accepted in the market as they were deemed impractical, not to mention consumers were not really impressed with their rather tacky design. Fortunately, Tesla Motors was able to flip that equation. By releasing their trailblazer electric sports car for the high-end market, the Tesla Roadster, they were able to capture the attention of car enthusiasts and change the face of the green car market. After releasing the Roadster, Tesla pushed for more space in the industry by releasing their luxury sedan, the Tesla Model S in 2012. More and more consumers are looking to buy electric cars because of the innovations that were done by the company. In fact, reservations for their next model releases are already piling up. There is much anticipation for the Tesla Model X and Model 3 releases. How Green is a Tesla Green Car? The very purpose of an electric car is to promote energy innovation; and Tesla Motors’ goal is to achieve this without causing any negative impact on the environment. However, a new technology such as the innovative green car production cannot be made to pass without being thoroughly criticized by the public. Green cars are, by principle, more environment-friendly than the conventional fuel-based cars. The process, by which it is being manufactured, on the other hand, says otherwise. Furthermore, green cars do run on electricity. But, how is electricity being processed? Does it not come from coal and petroleum too? All things considered, is a Tesla green car green after all? The company admits that the degree of being environment-friendly of their cars take the Model S for example, mostly depends on where and how often the car is being driven. In the US, each state has a different mix of energy sources that basically goes into their grid. In other words, a â€Å"cleaner† source of electricity makes a Model S a more environment-friendly car. Generally, it is still cleaner than the internal-combustion design of their competitors in terms of emissions-per-mile; considering the efficiency of battery-powered cars in converting stored energy into a useful form (Oremus, 2013). Tesla Motors and the Campaign for Environmental Sustainability Tesla Motors have established its campaign to promote a greener personal transport system through its electric vehicles; but how does it impact the environment in the industrial context? Are its processes and operations considered as environment-friendly? The company is very much aware of the fact that they are indirectly releasing carbon emissions through power plants – considering that electricity is the main power source of the vehicles. This is the reason why Tesla moves to promote the absolute removal of indirect carbon emissions by using Supercharger Stations that only uses grid electric power from solar panels (Walsh, 2014). Moreover, Tesla is teaming up with SolarCity to provide electric car owners an option to charge their cars using solar panels in their respective homes. This is like hitting two birds with one stone. By eliminating the need for coal-based electricity source, they are indirectly reducing carbon emissions in the atmosphere; and they are promoting the use of renewable energy source at the same time. Tesla is basically solving the world’s dependence on gas. Through their revolutionary innovations in electric vehicle technology, they have addressed an issue that has been thought as an improbability for many years. By making more convenient adjustments in their electric cars, and at the same time proving that electric cars are indeed effective, Tesla has convinced more consumers to patronize their product. The company is winning more and more battles as they advance into bigger ventures. In order to cater to their growing consumer demands, Tesla is building their very first Gigafactory. Panasonic will be a huge investor in this project, along with Tesla’s other major partners. The best thing about this gigafactory is the company’s plan to run it mainly on wind and solar energy. Nevada is the perfect site for the factory because it is where the biggest solar power plant in the world is located. Tesla does not only serve as a leader in electric car technology, it is also becoming a model for other companies to consider more environment-friendly processes. Coal mining and processing has created many environment-related issues and are still causing problems in many places around the world. If Tesla becomes successful in eliminating the need for non-renewable sources of energy in order to generate electricity, it can change the face of the automobile industry forever. Not only will it dramatically reduce the carbon emissions that are released to the atmosphere, it will also eliminate the issues that are brought about by the processing of electricity that is coming from natural resources. Tesla Motors and the Competitive Industry Of course, Tesla Motors is not the only company that has entered the green car market. Even though the industry for green cars is not that big compared to the conventional automobile market, it can be said that competition is not too lax. In fact, Toyota, Ford, Nissan, and Honda are considered as the biggest competitors for Tesla. Audi, Volkswagen, and BMW are looking to join the green car industry soon. And these are pretty huge companies. Can Tesla keep its place in the industry without being squeezed out by giant car manufacturers? What is its competitive advantage? Unlike the rest of the automobile manufacturers, Tesla is 100% in the green car industry. Thus, their focus is only within that market. Research and development is solely dedicated for this purpose, allowing the company to create better innovations. Also, Tesla has about 5-year head start over the other companies. While other companies are still building their green car designs, Tesla is already polishing its own. The future of the automotive industry is leaning towards the utilization of renewable sources of energy. This basically means that other companies who are on the other side of the industry are at a huge disadvantage. Oil is about to run out; but solar power is unlimited. Sooner or later, they will have to shift to a more sustainable source of energy. Tesla Motors and the Future of Green Car Technology At the moment, Tesla’s priority is to maximize its production in order to meet the demands for the Model S and Model X in the market. They are having troubles in meeting customer demands with their very limited production. But the public can rest assured that Tesla will not stop creating better innovations for their products. Once the gigafactory has been installed, Tesla’s next focus will be on the development and improvement of automated driving technology. As a matter of fact, the company’s CEO, Mr. Elon Musk has announced the release of their partially self-driving vehicle by 2017 (Boyadjis, Rassweiler, Brinley, n.d.). As the technology for zero-emission cars progress, the issues regarding the automobile companies’ impact on the environment is being addressed gradually. Someday, there will come a time when vehicles will solely depend on solar power – among other renewable energy sources. It may not totally solve Global warming, but it will help the world get there one step at a time. References Boyadjis,M., Rassweiler,A., Brinley,S. (n.d.). Object moved. Retrieved from https://www.ihs.com/articles/features/tesla-motors.html Hill,R. (2012, September). Attention Required! | CloudFlare. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_08.htm Oremus,W. (2013, September 9). How green is a Tesla? Electric cars’ environmental impact depends on where you live. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2013/09/how_green_is_a_tesla_electric_cars_environmental_impact_depends_on_where.html Tesla Motors. (n.d.). About Tesla | Tesla Motors. Retrieved from http://www.teslamotors.com/about Walsh,T. (2014, November 1). Investing in Socially Responsible Companies: Tesla Motors Inc. Retrieved from http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/11/01/investing-in-socially-responsible-companies-tesl-2.aspx Watkins,T. (n.d.). An Introduction to Cost Benefit Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/cba.htm

FlagLive :: Personal Narrative Traveling Essays

FlagLive It's a romantically beautiful summer evening in northern California, the heat of the day having passed, the sky and earth echoing brilliant colors against each other as if making love. I'm alone, riding my bicycle through a redwood forest on my way to a campsite, where my riding buddy and I had agreed to meet. Towering above like giant sentinels, the trees feel alive, welcoming, as if the spirits of the forest are ceremoniously receiving home a prodigal son. I roll into camp, and Fred (my traveling companion) is already there. It's only been about six hours, but we're as happy to see each other as if it had been a few days. Our campsite, nestled in the forest, is next to a meadow, where elk feed at their leisure. We settle in and started cooking our usual pot of stew, which usually consists of grains, vegetables, and canned meat - whatever we found, and liked, on the grocery store shelves. The day's ride included a series of steep climbs, so we were wondering how our British friends (one a student from Oxford, the other from Bath), also making the same southward trek from Oregon to California, had fared. True to form, they roll into camp just as supper is almost ready, this time with two 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor and a bottle of tequila, but little or no food. Fred and I are happy to see them. They've become a source of inspiration, for which we are happy to provide scraps of nourishment. Typically, they'd roll into camp around 7:00 or so, with nothing but their bicycles, their tent, and alcohol, and they'd get down to business - the business of having fun. They'd start drinking, or fire up a J, or both. Then they'd wander around the various campsites, introducing themselves to anyone a nd everyone, partying the night, if possible. In the meantime, Fred had already met two other riders, whom we'd invited to supper. Recent graduates of Boston College, they became known to us over the next few days (they were also traveling the same route) as "Watch Girl" and "Chocolate Detective." As the stew cooked, the party was on. Ilana (Chocolate Detective) asked us why we slept in separate tents. We told her that if we didn't, we'd get on each other's nerves. She shot back, "Your two tents!" (You're too tense!) Bam.

Free Essay: Deception of Satan in John Milton’s Paradise Lost :: Milton Paradise Lost Essays

Deception of Satan in Paradise Lost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The speeches of Moloch, Belial, Mammon, and Beelzebub represent particular ways of looking at life. Milton derived these views from I John 2:15 and 16 which says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world." Coming into the world, these demons transferred their philosophies to the human race. That is why these views are still common in today's world, even though the battle of the supernatural is often overlooked. Even at Christian schools, the effect of these philosophies can be seen. However, in hell and in the world they have proved a failure - the high ideas of the plans will not work with the separate realities that both hell and the earth represent. Only Beelzebub's idea seems to work, but that to will be proven false with time. In the Bible, Moloch was the god of the Ammonites who sacrificed their children to him, believing that then he would bring them power. They lusted after power and went to extreme, perverted measures to attain it. In Paradise Lost, Moloch also lusts after power. After being cast down to hell, he calls for the demons to wage war again on heaven. He believes (probably he has deceived himself) that they can defeat God now because they are strong with fury - the fury that comes from being cast out of glory. They have acquired the new, torturous weapons of hell that would that coupled with their wrath would prove victorious over God. "I just don't think I'll do well ... I don't understand the... As he strutted into the classroom, the two kids in conversation groaned. "So... " he intoned to one annoyed guy, "Have you studied for the test?" "Last night, yeah." More hesitantly, "How 'bout you?" "Oh yeah, piece of cake." A smile stretches across his face. "I heard you saying you don't understand, " he put his hand on her shoulder in a sort-of motion of comfort, "You'll do fine. " Again the smile, and he walked size off to another group of kids. The two kids rolled their eyes.

Developing Managers :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Developing Managers: The Functional, the Symbolic, the Sacred and the Profane [*]. Author/s: Ken Kamoche Abstract This paper offers a new perspective on international management by examining the role of culture and management development in creating international expertise, a sense of identity and realizing organizational control. A critical analysis of the culture transmission and management development philosophy and practice of a UK-based transnational reveals how the transmission of culture accomplishes management development objectives, while management development itself serves as a vehicle for the transmission of the desired corporate values. This recursiveness is sustained by a corporate ideology that urges the creation of integrative values and, in turn, is legitimized by the quest for favourable functional and symbolic consequences. Descriptors: management training and development, culture, ideology, functionalism, symbolism Introduction Reconciling headquarter-subsidiary interests while maintaining a distinct identity continues to be a major challenge for multinational firms, hence the think global/act local paradox. For Ghoshal and Bartlett (1990) this problem can be addressed by effectively handling the network of exchange relationships. Other solutions include socialization and the management of expatriates (e.g. Edstrom and Galbraith 1977; Tung 1982); managing relationships between expatriates and host-country subordinates (e.g. Shaw 1990); creating cultural synergy (e.g. Adler 1980); fostering cooperative relationships and developing conflict-resolution mechanisms (e.g. Doz et al. 1981); diffusing 'best proven practices' (e.g. Rosenzweig and Singh 1991); reconciling organizational linkages (e.g. Borys and Jemison 1989) and diffusing and leveraging knowledge (e.g. Gupta and Govindarajan 1991; Kamoche 1996). Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989: 187) found that successful transnational firms used management development 'to build cultural norms, sha pe organizational processes and influence individual managerial behaviour in a way that reinforced worldwide strategies and organizational objectives'. This implies a potentially integrative role for culture and management training and development (MTD). Going beyond the typical concern with 'better skills', this study offers a much more complex and multi-faceted picture of MTD which reveals an intricate interplay between MTD and corporate culture. We show how managers in a multinational firm disguised as International Products (IP) account for their training and career development activities and how they rationalize such activities in terms of an integrative corporate culture. [1] Thus, MTD serves as a tool for the transmission of culture, while a putative integrative culture in turn furnishes the rationale for MTD. This recursiveness finds legitimacy in the ideological premise, promulgated by senior management, that it is in the joint interests of the firm and the managers to absorb and internalize the organizational values inherent in the corporate culture, because this helps managers to secure a high-flying career.

Interest Groups in American Government Essay

Interest groups play an important role in American Government. The large numbers of interest groups present in government represent the reciprocal power and influence that government and business have with one another. This paper will offer reasons why there are so many different interest groups. Interest or lobbying groups provide a means by which â€Å". . . to channel citizens’ concerns to policy makers and administrators (Thomson Nelson). † Interest groups may represent small or large companies, industries, or individual citizens. Due to increased government regulations that affect citizens’ and businesses, interest groups work to make sure the voice of those affected by new laws are heard prior to official legislation or policy being rendered. Interests groups are also large in numbers due to the number of policies that the government is seeking to render. Each policy or bureaucratic legislation the government renders influences a certain sector of society, leading to interest groups trying to influence government policy makers to their favor. Lastly, interest groups are large in numbers due to increased dollars allotted toward funding these lobbying groups. Interest groups have become intricate players for many businesses and are allowed full funding in order to fully advocate for specific interests. In all, interest groups are large influencers in American Government. There are many reasons such as number of policies, increased funding, and increased government regulations that have increased the numbers of interests groups in America today.

French Canadians, and English Canadians Essay

Throughout the 20th century, the relations between the French and the English in Canada had a significant negative impact on Canadian history. The defining moments that changed French-English relations in Canada were the WWI conscription crisis, the creation and the governing of the Union Nationale Party in the 1930s, and Quebec’s Quite Revolution in the 1960s. The WWI conscription crisis considerably weakened the relations between the French and the English in Canada during WWI. By 1917, the casualty rates at the front in France and Flanders exceeded 109 4891 soldiers. As the number of volunteer soldiers was only about 64 3392 men, the lack of reinforcements forced Prime Minister Robert Borden to make conscription or compulsory military service a law for Canadians to ensure victory in war. However, many French Canadians opposed forcing men to enlist in the armed forces because they did not want to get involved in a European war and felt no obligation to defend France who had abandoned Quebec to defend its culture and language on its own in 1759. On the other hand, the English felt an obligation to defend Britain and could not comprehend why Quebec had only provided twenty percent3 of the volunteers in proportion to its population to defend France. As a result, the social unity of the French and the English in the country was threatened. The vote for conscription was split fifty-fifty4 along linguistic lines and the tragic outcome of this crisis was that civil war almost broke out in Canada when the French rioted in Montreal against fighting a foreign war. The demonstrations and protests in Quebec against conscription and the mistrust of the English who felt that a vote against conscription was a vote for Germany’s victory proved that conscription was disastrous to French-English social relations because of national unity had been destroyed for only 45 0005 recruited soldiers. Similarly, the long-term effects of the WWI conscription crisis caused extensive damage to French-English unity and proved to be a disaster in politics for the Conservative Party. Because Robert Borden and the Conservative Party passed laws such as the Military Voters Act and the War Time Elections Act to make conscription a law during WWI by giving votes to soldiers and women, the French turned against the Conservative Party because they saw them as the representatives of the English. These long-term political disasters that resulted from conscription crisis continued to demonstrate the weakened  French and English relations to this day since Quebec had no Conservative Party premier for the past hundred and fifteen years.6 Because of the violent social conflicts such as riots and bitter political catastrophes such as the French mistrust of the Conservative Party, the WWI conscription crisis strained French-English relations and created bitter feelings that would affect the peacetime. Another defining moment in Canadian history that greatly weakened French English relations was the creation and the government of the Union Nationale Party in Quebec in the 1930s. During the Great Depression, the agricultural industry’s prices plummeted, forced over fifty percent7 of Quebec’s population to migrate to cities and search for work. In 1936, Maurice Duplessis from the newly formed Union Nationale Party became Quebec’s Premier and took seventy-two of the ninety seats8 in the government, with his promises to help French rural society and improve labor rights for the French factory workers who were struggling in the cities. However, during its time in power, the Duplessis government resisted change and encouraged the preservation of French values and traditions by adopting nationalistic policies and continuing to allow the English to dominate the majority of Quebec’s business. The Duplessis government ruled in an almost totalitarian manner to protect the French culture and managed to hold power of Quebec until 1959. They vigorously protected French values and beliefs during the Great Depression, but they failed to protect the French and English business relations that quickly weakened. They promises of the Union Nationale to provide protection for French workers with better labor laws such as higher minimum wages, workers’ compensation, and pensions quickly raised English suspicion and mistrust toward the French because these capitalists owned and ran most of the corporations in Quebec. The fact that the Union Nationale saw the English corporations as exploiting the poor and wanted certain labor rights for French workers did not strengthen the economical relations between the English began to distrust the French as they saw them nationalizing and beginning to pose threats to their business profits. In addiction to that, the English and French were further divided by the social conflicts caused by the governing policies of the Union Nationale. This occurred because the Union Nationale government encouraged the Catholic  Church to control education and other social programs in Quebec, obstructed to federal encroachment on provincial rights during WWI, and preserved traditional values and beliefs of the French such as the nobility of the plough to prevent them from being assimilated into the English culture. This destabilized French English political, economical and predominantly social affairs in Canada because the French withdrew into a defensive shell and viewed any English intrusion and change to Quebec as harmful to the preservation of their culture. Therefore, the governing policies of the Union Nationale in the 1930s created greater French nationalism and the desire for separation from the rest of Canada to preserve their culture and weakened the relations between French and English Canadians by planting the seeds for another major conflict that would arrive suddenly and once again disrupt the nation’s unity. Indeed, the arrival of the next conflict that split the French and the English in Canada did arrive suddenly between 1950-66 and was marked as Quebec’s Quite Revolution, which was disastrous for the nation’s unity. When Maurice Duplessis of the Union Nationale Party died in 1959, Jean Lesage became Quebec’s new Liberal Premier, winning fifty-one and a half percent9 of the popular vote. This ended Quebec’s isolationist policy and started Maitres chez nous or Masters in our own house policy, which served as a strategic base for the upcoming changes in Quebec. The Quiet Revolution was a period of non-violent steady reform, modernization in Quebec, and the redefinition of the role of French Canadians who wanted equality with the English within Confederation. However, the end of this peaceful movement came suddenly in 1966 with the creation of nationalist groups such as the Parti Revolution who adopted separatist ideologies and took control of the province of Quebec that was desperately seeking equality. Although the goal of the Quiet Revolution was to make French equivalent within the Confederation, its own ideology failed to strengthen the social and economical relations with the English Canadians. The new Liberal government refused to accept federal funding to modernize education, improve the labor code for French workers, and nationalize hydro-electric facilities in Quebec. As a result, the provincial taxes on individuals and corporations in Quebec became the third highest10 in Canada. Consequently, bitter social and  economical conflicts occurred between the English federalists and Quebec’s business owners who became infuriated with the French because they refused federal funding in order to achieve greater power and therefore equality within Confederation. Furthermore, even greater political and social conflicts between the French Canadians and English Canadians were result of Quebec’s Quiet Revolution. These major arguments were initiated in 1964 when the Liberal Party forced the Federal government to grant Quebec the right to opt out of thirty11 of the country’s cost sharing programs with full compensation. The English in Canada as well as the federal government were greatly angered since only the province of Quebec was given this special status and their political differences with the French widened because the French did not see their special status as privilege, but rather as a way to gain more control and improve their position within Canada. Therefore, Quebec’s Quiet Revolution was a catastrophic failure for French-English unity in Canada as it caused conflicts between federalists and nationalists in Quebec and in the federal government and failed to make any two provinces equal within Confederation. Throughout the twentieth century it was evident that the French and the English engaged in severe social, political, and economical conflicts that prevented Canada from merging as a country. The WWI conscription crisis in 1917 bitterly split the nation at a time when national unity was important to ensure victory in the war as it made the French feel like a minority and caused great mistrust of the English who viewed them as being unpatriotic to the country. The government of the Union Nationale during the 1930s caused even stronger breakdowns to French-English relations as it build a defensive shell around Quebec and isolated the French from the rest of Canada in an attempt to protect their traditions. Subsequently, Quebec’s Quit Revolution from 1960-66 failed to bring an end to these conflicts as it caused greater English mistrust and resulted in the formation of militant groups in Quebec who believed that only a violent revolution would finally allow them to achieve total independence and equality within Confederation.

Managerial Economics and Business Strategy

Dr. David J. St. Clair Managerial Economics and Business Strategy 3551 #6 Answers – Summer 2012 1. What type of evidence did Dupont introduce in its plastic wrap trial that proved decisive in its acquittal? __ It brought in cross elasticities to show that there were many substitutes for plastic wrap. It then argued that the market had to be defined to include all substitutes. This broadened the definition of the market to the point where DuPont’s market share was small. ___ 2. What had Alcoa done that made the judge find it guilty of being a monopoly? It had a market share above 90%_. Did the judge rule that Alcoa was a â€Å"dirty† firm? _ No ___ 3. Why did the verdict in the U. S. Steel antitrust case confuse everyone? __ U. S. Steel was ruled to be â€Å"reasonable† under the courts â€Å"Rule of Reason† doctrine. This was confusing because the company had a notorious reputation for price fixing and uncompetitive practices __ 4. Bill Gates took a very aggressive approach to dealing with the Justice Department in the Microsoft case even though Microsoft had an â€Å"Alcoa Problem. † What was Microsoft’s â€Å"Alcoa Problem? ___ Microsoft had a large market share approaching the 90% threshold established in the Alcoa case ___ 5. When something is illegal â€Å"per se,† what does this mean? __ The government only has to prove that you did it; motive or intent does not matter ___ 6. What was the remedy in the Standard oil and American Tobacco cases? __ divestiture (i. e. , the companies were broken up) ____ 7. What, according to Andrew Carnegie, was destructive competition? ___ excessive and ruthless competition among big firms that eliminated profits but not competitors __ 8. When we were discussing oligopoly, we referred to the two faces of oligopoly.Which face of oligopoly was Carnegie referring to in his discussion of ‘destructive competition? ’ the non-cooperative, extremely competitive r ivalry _ 9. What does the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act require? ___ pre-merger notification and approval by the Justice Department and the FTC ____ 10. What is a tying contract (or agreement)? __ a firm refuses to seel product that you want unless you also buy one of the firm’s other products ___ 11. The Sherman Act was short and sweet. It outlawed two things. Identify both: a. ___being a monopoly ______________________ b. ___trying to become a monopoly __________________________ 2. Which antitrust act made vertical market foreclosure a violation of antitrust laws? __ the Celler-Kefauver Act __ 13. What was the reason why the European Union blocked the merger of GE and Honeywell? __ It violated the EU’s â€Å"portfolio power† doctrine __ 14. What is a â€Å"soft loan? † ___a government loan that is never going to be paid back; a disguised subsidy __. Why have many American economists likened â€Å"portfolio power† to a soft loan? ___They argue that portfo lio power is a disguised protectionist policy masquerading as an antitrust policy___ 15. What was IBM’s defense in its mainframe computer antitrust case? _ It challenged the government’s narrow â€Å"large main-frame computer† definition of the relevant market ___ 16. What was DuPont convicted of in the GM case (be specific). ______ vertical market foreclosure ____ 17. What precedent did the Pabst Brewing case set? __if the market is a local, then the relevant market must be local ____ 18. What precedent did the Staples/Office Depot case set? ___the Justice Department or the FTC can disallow a merger based on the anticipated price and competitive consequences ________________ 19. What happened to U. S. antitrust policy following the E. C. Knight case? __ as a consequence of the E.C. Knight case, antitrust laws did not apply to manufacturing and there was a wave of mergers in the manufacturing sector __ 20. In the 1890s, German courts were taking a very different approach to cartels and antitrust. What did the German court rule in the pulp cartel case? __ cartel agreements were legally enforceable contracts; cartels were legal and socially beneficial ___ 21. What was Brown Shoe accused of in the Kinney Shoe antitrust case? ____ vertical market foreclosure _____ 22. What was the remedy in the Brown Shoe/Kinney Shoe Case? ____ The merger was disallowed and the two firms were separated _______ 3. What does the firm have to do in a consent decree? _ stop the offending practices without admitting guilty _. What does the Justice Department agree to do in return? ___ drops the case _ 24. Why do most firms prefer a consent decree to a trial, even when they feel that they are innocent? __ the case is quickly resolved and there is no conviction that can be used to expose the firm to civil suits seeking triple damages __ 25. Are interlocking directorates illegal per se? Yes. Is price fixing illegal per se? Yes 26. Are tying contracts illegal per se? Y es Is price discrimination illegal per se? _ No 7. How can the Justice Department and the FCC respond to a notification of merger filed under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act? (Hint: they have three options. ) __1) approve; 2) deny; or 3) approve with conditions __ 28. English Common law became the basis for American Common Law. What dos the Common Law say about damages for parties injured by restraint of trade? ___ injured parties are can collect triple damages ____ 29. Which type of elasticity is often important in antitrust cases? _ cross elasticity __ 30. Why did the Justice Department allege that Microsoft was using a tying agreement or contract? ___The Justice Department alleged that Microsoft was tying the MS-DOS operating system to the purchase of its browser ___ 31. Bill Gates was rather arrogant and combative in dealing with the Justice Department in the Microsoft case. He seemed unaware of Microsoft’s â€Å"Alcoa problem. † What was Microsoft’s â€Å"Alcoa problem? † _________This is a duplicate question – see above____________ 32. How did IBM’s mainframe computer antitrust suit end? ___ the Justice Department dropped the case because the court was unlikely to accept its narrow definition of the relevant market ____ 33.Why was Microsoft accused of â€Å"vertical market foreclosure? † ___ Microsoft was accused of using its operation system monopoly (MS-DOS) to foreclose browser maker from the market ___ 34. Why was Nabisco giving up on its strategy of seeking to create a cracker of biscuit monopoly? __It was unable to eliminate competition, especially the competition of capitals __ 35. Why was Nabisco so open in its 1901 annual report about discussing its efforts to monopolize the cracker (biscuit) industry? __Because of the E. C. Knight Case, there were no antitrust laws in 1901 that pertained to manufacturing firms _ 6. In its 1901 annual report, Nabisco announced that it was giving up on its efforts at cre ating a cracker or biscuit monopoly. What was the company’s new strategy going to be? ____Nabisco was going to concentrate on making better products and creating a more efficient and competitive firm ___ 37. What did Liggett accuse Brown & Williamson Tobacco of doing in its law suit? (don’t simply say â€Å"of being a monopoly† or â€Å"violating antitrust laws†) ___Liggett accused Brown & Williamson of engaging in predatory pricing by selling it cigatettes at below Brown & Williams’ AVC______ 8. Under the Areeda-Turner test, predatory pricing is defined as a firm selling its product at a price ____below its average variable cost_____ 39. Was the Areeda-Turner test upheld (validated or confirmed) by the court in the Liggett vs. Brown & Williamson’s case? ___No, the Areeda-Turner test was replaced by the â€Å"recoupment test† ___ 40. What must a plaintiff (the one who files the law suit) do (show) in order to keep a predatory pricing law suit from being dismissed (thrown out even before it goes to trial) under the â€Å"recoupment test? ____The plaintiff must show that the defendant did have a reasonable chance of raising prices in the future to make up for, (that is, to recoup) its short term losses due to the low prices ___ 41. Does the recoupment test introduced in the Liggett vs. Brown & Williamson case make predatory pricing law suits more likely, less likely, or equally likely compared to the old Areeda-Turner test? ____less likely _____ 42. The courts have held that predatory pricing cases require a showing that a firm has reduced price below its costs. What is the relevant cost for this criterion? ________average Variable cost (AVC) _________ 3. Many economists have used the concept of â€Å"barriers to entry† in their criticism of predatory pricing antitrust laws. Explain their criticism. __Predatory pricing only makes sense if the firm can raise prices after using it to attain a monopoly and if it has barriers to entry that can keep new competitors out. However, if it had such barriers in the first place, it would probably not need predatory pricing. Predatory pricing does not give the firm the required barriers to entry, unless one envisions constant predatory pricing. But constant predatory pricing is nothing more than price competition. ___ 44.During the 1930s, large American cigarette companies faced competition from small cigarette companies offering new brands at 10 cents per pack. How did they meet and deal with this competition? __They resorted to predatory pricing, i. e. , they dramatically reduced their prices (in some case to below costs) in order to drive the new competitors out of the market ___ 45. Did the response of the â€Å"Big Four† tobacco companies to the challenge from the new 10-cent brands competitors in the early 1930s work? Why or why not? _the Four Majors were unable to drive out two competitors created by the 10-cent brand episode.They h ad a 91 percent market share before the episode and only a 69 percent market share after. Two formidable competitors emerged and the Big Four became the Big Six__ 46. What was the verdict in the 10-cent brands cigarette case? _____the major cigarette companies were found guilty of violating the antitrust laws______ 47. Was predatory pricing the government’s primary allegation against the majors in the 10-cent brands cigarette price wars? If not, what was the primary complaint? _the court focused primarily on the collusion among the majors to fix prices__ 48.What was the court’s remedy in the 10-cent brands cigarette case? ___the court fined the guilty parties and restricted their ability to communicate and work together ____ 49. Why do most economists argue that antitrust laws prohibiting predatory pricing are actually anti-competitive? ____ Most economists argue that antitrust laws prohibiting predatory pricing are actually anti-competitive because any firm that lower s it's prices to compete against it's market competitors are susceptible to being charged with predatory pricing, even when no such intent probably exists.Furthermore, filing an antitrust lawsuit related to predatory pricing is often abused and a convenient way for businesses to compete with their competitors without matching their competitors price cutting especially since antitrust laws concerning predatory pricing are sometimes difficult to distinguish from predatory pricing, market competition, and competitive business practices. __ 50. Suppose there are five (5) firms in an industry with the following market shares: 15%, 20%, 2%. 45%, and 18%. What is the Herfindahl Index for this industry? _______2,978_______. According to the 1992 Horizontal Merger Guidelines, how would this industry be classified? ___It would be classified as a ‘highly concentrated’ market. _____ 51. Ceteris paribus, would a merger that raised the Herfindahl index from 1900 to 1941 be likely to trigger interest by antitrust regulators? Why or why not? ____No, because while this market would be classified as ‘highly concentrated,’ the merger does not raise the HHI by more than 50 points and will therefore not trigger the interest of regulators. ___ 52. Ceteris paribus, would a merger that raised the Herfindahl index from 750 to 985 be likely to trigger interest by antitrust regulators? Why or why not? ___No, because a market with a Herfindahl Index below 1,000 is considered to be ‘unconcentrated’ and mergers in unconcentrated markets are unlikely to be challenged by regulators. _____ 53. Tying contracts are illegal per se under American antitrust laws. However, enforcing their illegal per se status has proven to be very difficult.What is the problem here? ___While tying contracts are illegal per se under antitrust law, there seems to be no way of getting around some tying during the course of routine business, e. g. , left shoes tied to right shoes , etc. This therefore introduces the element of intent and competitive consequences; two features that are not supposed to figure into illegal per se allegations. Currently, this problem is most pronounced in the practice of ‘bundling’ in high tech markets. ____ 54.In the YouTube video on Monopoly, what did Milton Friedman think was the primary cause of longer-lasting monopolies? ____government market restrictions ___________ 55. In the YouTube video on Monopoly, what did Milton Friedman think was the very best policy for dealing with monopolies and market power? ____free trade or measures to make trade more free and open _______ 56. In the YouTube video on Monopoly, Milton Friedman never mentioned or discussed Smith’s Formula. However, based on his comments, what do think his position would have been on our 200-year old question? __Friedman would definitely argue that markets had, if government leaves them alone, sufficient competition to make Smith’s For mula society’s primary line of defense against monopoly abuse. __ 57. What happened when Coca-Cola tried to introduce its new soft drink Peppo in the late 1960s? ____Dr Pepper sued for trademark infringement and Coka Cola had to change the name of the product to ‘Mr Pibb’. _____ 58. How did the FTC end up defining the relevant market in Coca Cola’s proposed acquisition of Dr Pepper? _The FTC took a very narrow view and defined the relevant market as the ‘pepper-flavored soft drink market’ __. How did the FTC rule on the proposed acquisition? __The FTC denied the request for merger approval. __ 59. Both the FTC and Coca Cola introduced Herfindahl Indexes in support of their positions in the proposed acquisition of Dr Pepper. What was the critical point on which the proposed merger was decided? ____The definition or scope of the relevant market ____