International Bussiness an Asian Perspective Chapter 9-11

CHAPTER 9 9. 1)  Ã‚  The interest rate on South Korean government securities with one-year maturity is 4% and the expected inflation rate for the coming year is 2%. The  US  interest rate on government securities with one-year maturity is 7% and the expected rate of inflation is 5%. The current spot exchange rate for  Korea  won is $1 = W1,200. Forecast the spot exchange rate one year from today. Explain the logic of your answer. Drawing on what we know about the Fisher effect, the real interest rate in both the  US  and  South Korea  is 2%.The international Fisher effect suggests that the exchange rate will change in an equal amount but in an opposite direction to the difference in nominal interest rates. Hence since the nominal interest rate is 3% higher in the  US  than in  South Korea, the dollar should depreciate by 3% relative to the South Korean Won. Using the formula from the book:  Ã‚  (S1  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ S2)/S2  x 100 = i$  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ iWon  Ã‚  Ã‚  and substituting 7 for i$, 4 for iWon, and 1,200 for S1,  yields a value for S2  of $1=W1,165. 9. 3) You manufacture wine goblets.In mid-June you receive an order for 10,000 goblets from Japan. Payment of ? 400,000 is due in mid-December. You expect the yen to rise from its present rate of $1 = ? 130 to $1 = ? 100 by December. You can borrow yen at 6 percent a year. What should you do? The simplest solution would be to just wait until December, take the ? 400,000 and convert it at the spot rate at that time, which you assume will be $1=? 100. In this case you would have $4,000 in mid-December. If the current 180-day forward rate is lower than 100? $, then a forward contract might be preferable since it both locks in the rate at a better level and reduces risk. If the rate is above ? 100/$, then whether you choose to lock in the forward rate or wait and see what the spot does will depend upon your risk aversion. There is a third possibility also. You could borrow money from a ba nk that you will pay back with the ? 400,000 you will receive (400,000/1. 03 = ? 388,350 borrowed), convert this today to US$ (388,350/130 = $2,987), and then invest these dollars in a US account.For this to be preferable to the simplest solution, you would have to be able to make a lot of interest (4,000 – 2,987 = $1,013), which would turn out to be an annual rate of 51% ((1,013/4000) * 2). If, however, you could lock in these interest rates, then this method would also reduce any exchange rate risk. What you should do depends upon the interest rates available, the forward rates available, how large a risk you are willing to take, and how certain you feel that the spot rate in December will be ? 100 = $1. 9. ) You are the CFO of a Philipine firm whose wholly owned subsidiary in Mexico manufactures component parts for your Philipine assembly operations. The subsidiary has been financed by bank borrowings in the United States. One of your analysts told you that the Mexican pes o is expected to depreciate by 30 percent against the dollar on the foreign exchange markets over the next year. What actions, if any, should you take? Your financing and operating capital are in dollars, yet many of your costs (labor) must be in peso.Your hard assets are all in peso, and their value will decline. On the other hand, if the peso depreciates, then your dollars will go further. So perhaps doing nothing is the best approach. If you are pretty sure that the peso will depreciate, then you may want to avoid any major peso-denominated costs that you can until after devaluation. That may mean holding back on shipments if possible, and you may want any dollar-denominated purchases made before the devaluation.You may want to move any peso-denominated major accounts into dollars before the devaluation. CHAPTER 10 1. Why did the gold standard collapse? Is there a case for returning to some type of gold standard? What is it? The gold standard collapse for the reason it would not allow for a nation's economic expansion. When times of war or acts of the like required for a economy's government to spend above the limits of its gold supply in turn the government would print extra money into circulation to compensate the excessive expenditures.This would cause a problem when these times of crisis would end and the extra printed money caused rapid inflation with in that nation. That nation would then try to re-establish it's rate hold per ounce of gold, yet not being able to internationally maintain that rate which would cause failure in this system. This is just one good reason I see as the collapse of the gold standard. I would say not. The problem is presented when a nation has the desire and ambition to grow yet there is only a set amount of gold and silver to be removed from the earth to back monetary value.When you have a limited amount of backing it kind of limits your growth and expansion. I could foresee a problem with any system if the players are too i nconsistant and change the environment of the game too often. I currently have faith in our floating exchange rate system because it acommidates human inconsistancy and allows for frequent change with the ability to stabilize. 2. What opportunities might current IMF lending policies to developing countries create for international businesses? Most of these developing countries are consumer countries.IMF usually focuses on areas that will be improved by the specific kitty. You can therefore look into these areas and seek to be an exporter to them, whether of services or of goods. These countries are also seeking to stabilize balance of trade. If they seek to import, there is still business for anyone who is aligned to hit at the right time. The fact also, that they have simplified cost and maturity means that it can create sustainability of any business that starts due to ease of re-borrowing. 3.Do you think the standard IMF policy prescriptions of tight monetary policy and reduced g overnment spending are always appropriate for developing nations experiencing a currency crisis? How might the IMF change its approach? What would the implications be for international businesses? Critics argue that the tight macroeconomic policies imposed by the IMF in the recent Asian crisis were not well suited to countries that were not suffering from excessive government spending and inflation, but instead from a private-sector debt crisis with inflationary undertones.Anti-inflationary monetary policies and reductions in government spending usually result in a sharp contraction of demand, at least in the short run. In the longer term, the policies can promote economic growth and expansion of demand, which creates opportunities for international business CHAPTER 11 CLOSING CASE 1. Why did China Mobile feel it was necessary to issue equity in markets outside of its home base in Hong Kong? What are the advantages of such a move? Maybe it’s because China Mobile wanted to tak e advantage of international exchange rates.Since the company wanted to achieve maximum competitive advantage, one way of assuring itself that it will always have adequate capital funding is by seeking external currencies as sources for tapping and hedging against any local market conditions that may have a negative impact on its local stocks. The advantages of such a move are the fact that other major world currencies such as the U. S. dollar tend to be more stable against most world currencies and the fact that being cross listed easily can be a use of additional funding to the company in the future should the need arise. 2.Why did China Mobile price the bond issue in U. S. dollars instead of Hong Kong dollars? Pricing the bond issue in U. S. dollars instead of Hong Kong dollars is to safeguard the stability of the price of its bond. Since the capital markets within the American market is also the most vibrant in the world, pricing the bond in U. S. dollars will ensure that for pu rposes of trading, there is a more vibrant, ready and willing market that can assure China mobile's bond to have a fair value and upon expiration, market values will most likely be much higher than those of the local market. . Can you see any downside to China Mobile's international equity and bond issue? I don’t see any downside issues that should discourage China Mobile's international equity and bond issue. Probably, there would be more of a challenge in the socialist culture of China. By pricing its equity and bond internationally, the local market may shun from the company on their capital markets since it’s perceived to be more attractive in international players. Although China Mobile’s international†¦

Online safety

Online safety is an important activity that is a must for every small, medium and multinational company. There are many web tools available that screen the net hackers and bad guys. Below every web site there is a privacy statement which authenticates that the visitor must comply with the terms and conditions of web site that it will not be used for any illegal purposes. Similarly there is a possibility of fraudulent transactions by entering fraud credit and debit card numbers which creates chaos and revenue for online businesses. For preventing all these unforeseen hurdles, online companies delivery goods only after the credit /debit card payment is received which is safe and secured transaction. Google Hack Honeypot (GHH) is a web tool for tracking net hackers that is launched by Google company. Google being a billion dollar multinational company, and the web site google. com is used by millions of internet users who seek information and in the year 2005, Google recorded 8 billion pages and from the view point of Google company, tracking of net hackers with malicious intentions is essential in order to counterattack. Similarly for the online safety of consumer, U. S Government has also passed several policies that individual companies must issue formulas to ensure customer privacy online and customer information must be kept confidential and should not be easily accessed by any other company web sites. Conclusion Good use of technology, breeds good results whereas illegal works have to be tracked as damage is caused to the public as well to businesses. Therefore, authentication and SSL have to be served at every level for ensuring safety and security of information of companies.

Thinking Religion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Thinking Religion - Research Paper Example This paper answers some relevant questions about misconceptions people and I had about Baptists. Like every person who is not a Baptist, I too had certain misconceptions about Baptists. These misconceptions came about in discussions with practicing Baptists. What I thought was part of their beliefs later turned out to be personal interpretations of the way that they read the Bible and understand their religion. . There is the general belief that the Baptist church condones abortion. However, after a visit to a Baptists church it transpired that they oppose abortion if done only to avoid responsibilities as a parent and as means of birth control. However, they believe that an abortion may be performed to save the mother’s life, or in case that is a forced conception as when a woman is raped. Even if the fetus is deformed and has little chances of leading a normal independent life, an abortion might be carried out to save the child from a life of misery. Generally the Baptists b elieve in the sanctity of life (Dutch, 2002). Another misconception that I harbored was that music is not permissible for Baptists. That is also not true because you will find a â€Å"hymn book† in every pew in all Baptist Churches. Very few services are carried out or conclude without hymns .However, there are some churches that absolutely refuse any form of modern music, and the churches still adhere to the old hymns. These churches usually allow some guitars without amplifiers, but the guitar will not be accompanied by any other instrument. Therefore allowing modern music is not an issue per se not with people who like the music so much as those who oppose it. However some churches not only allow contemporary, but in fact encourage the use of new compositions. When the 60’s ushered in a new era of music, the Baptist church brought in a new era of Gospel music. In fact Carmichael who was one of the most sought after music director of pop music in the 60†s also composed many Gospel hymns. The hymns that Carmichael composed are still very popular and have great tunes (Dutch, 2002). Another misconception is that Baptists only believe in the St. James Bible, which is the first bible to be mass produced and distributed. This misconception came about because some Baptist churches insisted that worshippers coming to the church were given St. James bibles only. People bringing in their own bibles were pointedly asked by ushers which bibles they had, and if were any other version of the bible, they were asked to use the St. James bible only. Those who refused were asked to leave the church. This gave everyone the impression that Baptists believed in the St. James Bible only and not any of the other versions of the bible which people used. These conservative Baptists believed that other versions were not true interpretations of the word of God, and that the true word of God must not be diluted or misinterpreted in any way. This fierce debate was ge nerated by Dr. Peter Ruckman with his book, Bible Babel (1964). Dr. Peter vehemently attacked those who did not agree with him. This hostility caused embarrassment to Baptists when the debate spread even over the Internet. Many websites were committed to this issue, each with its own version. Some were downright hostile and mean that contradicts any form of academic discussion (Dutch, 2002). Before this controversy, choosing a bible version was quite easy. However there are some scholars who have maintained self-esteem and responsibility in these

ANY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

ANY - Coursework Example However, proper tool selection is a critical and a difficult undertaking. The methodology defines specific deliverables and artifacts that are created for the purpose of maintaining an application. The programming languages also known as codes are used to instruct the computer to perform certain tasks. Therefore, the programmer must complete the objective of making the language easy to comprehend and efficient in the sense that few instructions are written to complete the required task. It is significant to note that the languages range from first-generation to fifth-generation languages. However, these languages are set by ANSI and ISO which guarantee program portability among operating systems and application programs (Systems Architecture Sixth Edition Chapter 10 25). In the compilation process, the program editor ensures that input is from the programmer, program, template or both. The output also referred to the source code should be partial or complete. The output is stored in a file and the file is named to indicate its functionality as well as the programming language. Therefore, the compiler checks syntax errors, translates code into instructions and generates CPU instructions among other instruction (Systems Architecture Sixth Edition Chapter 10). Most importantly, the compiler completes data declaration, data operation, control structures and functions which include subroutine calls. Link editing is also carried out by the link editor and searches for external function calls in the compiler library. Link editing is either dynamic or static. In addition, interpreters are part and puzzle of the software development lifecycle. They interleave source code translation, foresee link editing and execution. After interpreting, symbolic debugging is carried out. It refers to the use of an automated tool for testing executable programs. This is enhanced through the use of symbol

Formal report Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Formal report - Research Proposal Example Furthermore, the platform has made it possible for the company to conduct research at very low costs, understand aspects that cause changes in tastes and preferences of the customers, and make changes when they are needed in order to prevent customers from shifting towards the substitutes in the market. With the increasing levels of globalization resulting from liberalization of markets, efficient flow of information, and integration of economies, the level of competition in the local market has increased tremendously. This results from the entry of multinational companies which have a huge financial base to segment the market, position their products strategically in the market, and attract the loyalty of the customers towards their products and services. However, since the inception of Apple Inc, the company has been recording tremendous growth. Initially, the company was using traditional marketing methods, i.e. use of audio, visual, and print media. Nevertheless, after intense competition from Samsung, Huawei, and Sony, the company shifted to social media marketing. Social media enables the company to reach a global market. Currently, the largest market segment composes of the young generation. This is a segment that has a disposable income which they are willing to use in purchasing high quality products irrespective of their price. Since the entry of the internet in the market, young people have been able to access the social media. This has been facilitated by the lowering of prices of gadgets such as phones, tablets, Ipads, etc. As a result, majority of the young people have turned towards the social media in order to look for their products of choice. This creates a good advertising platform to the company (Hasan 2013). Apple Inc has been able to tap this opportunity through setting up a specific department mandated with advertising its products in the social media. This has played a significant role in increasing

Politics of the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Politics of the Middle East - Essay Example Historically, governments throughout the Arab world has been structured according to Islamic tradition and law in one form or another. This dates back to the Constitution of Medina, which was established by the Prophet Muhammad himself. This constitution provides the framework for Islamic tradition. The Prophet Muhammad is a revered figure and, while this establishment of a constitution did not imply written government law, it served to form the foundation for Muslim culture world wide. This culture has existed for centuries, and remains to this day. As mankind advances intellectually and technologically, however, the Arab Spring is an example of an increasing frustration with long standing values and principles that have remained in place across generations. It must be noted that the Arab Spring is not a fight against Islam. On the contrary, it is a fight for more individual freedoms and rights and a gradual loosening of cultural restrictions that have been in place since the time o f the Prophet. This needs to be balanced with a desire to maintain a strong Islamic faith, which when coupled with cultural norms, can prove quite difficult to do. From the foundation of Islam, much of the Arab world was tribal based. There were multiple tribes and families represented, and Muhammad saw Islam as a way to bring them all together under a common religious banner. This Constitution, therefore, was the first formal agreement amongst all of the tribes represented in the region, and actually led the way to the formation of the first Islamic state in the region.

Exam 2 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exam 2 - Term Paper Example Learning by human beings may be a result of training, education, schooling, or personal growth. Psychology studies how learning occurs in various contexts of life. Additionally, learning may be a result of observation, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning. This paper will look at how amateur soccer players learn to be better players than they are in regard to the three learning approaches. Three students, John, Peter, and James, had just joined high school. The three were extremely passionate about soccer and had the desire to join the school soccer team. John, Peter, and James frequently attended the team’s training sessions. The level of skill and performance of the team were greater than what the three students had, but they were still eager to join. John improved as a player through observational learning, Peter improved through classical conditioning, and James through operant conditioning. Observational learning occurs as a result of observation, retention, a nd replication of another person’s behavior, in most cases a role model. For behavior to be imitated, the observer should pay attention to the behavior of his or her role model. Additionally, the observer should retain the behavior in the memory and finally replicate what he or she had learned from the model. The observer should have the skill to reproduce the model’s action. ... stimulus, which brings forth an expected response; unconditioned response, which is a natural response to the unconditioned stimulus; conditioned stimulus formed after the association between a neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus; and conditioned response, the learned response to the earlier stimulus that was neutral. Whenever Peter saw soccer balls (Unconditioned Stimulus) during the training sessions, his urge to practice would increase (Unconditioned Response). Moreover, when he would hear a whistle (Conditioned Stimulus) being blown, he would feel like going (Conditioned Response) to the pitch to play. On the other hand, operant conditioning entails increasing or decreasing the probability of behavior due to the outcome. It involves a stimulus, response, and reinforcement (Ormrod 123). James attended every training session with the aim of improving and getting a place in the team. Whenever he completed tasks (response) in training, the coach would praise (reinforcement) h im. This made him improve his skills and general performance. Several brain parts assist in the process of learning. There are those that control learning parts and those involved in the same learning parts. Storage of information is a must for learning to be conducted. The temporal lobe organizes information, speech, and memory. It helps in retrieving memory, images, and accurate information. The amygdala helps in the organization and storage of emotion related memories. It also determines the memories to be stored and organizes all the memories storage. The hippocampus helps in creating memories that are new. It makes concepts and fits experiences into the concepts. The frontal lobe solves problems, judgment, memory, language, and personality control. Skills to solve problems and think

Programme and strategic management - exam questions Essay

Programme and strategic management - exam questions - Essay Example In short, customization of methodologies is necessary for the successful completion of projects. The usage of appropriate methodology would help the project manager to complete the projects in time. Moreover, it helps the project manager to reduce unnecessary costs and increase the profit earned from the project. Delay in the completion of the project would cause big loss to the company since the raw material prices may go up as time goes on. Proper methodologies would help the project manager to complete the project within the allocated budget. One of the major disadvantages of project management methodologies is the lack of innovation in methodologies. In other words, while sticking with a particular methodology, project managers may not get opportunities to explore new ways of completing the project in a more efficient manner. There are different types of project management methodologies. Waterfall is one of the most commonly used project management methodologies across the world. It employs a sequential, top-down approach to project management. â€Å"It assumes that a project is finite with a definite beginning and end; that projects need to be managed to be successful; and that the events affecting the project are predictable. In addition, with this traditional methodology, once a phase is finished it is thought that it will not be revisited† (Mitchell 23) Q1 The following was the defined mission statement for the ODA â€Å"To deliver venues, facilities, infrastructure and transport on time for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games that are fit-for-purpose and in a way that maximises the delivery of a sustainable legacy within the available budget†. Discuss using Suitable academic theory and information from the Olympic document, how this mission statement was then used to define the programme and project objectives. From the above illustration, it is

Handgun control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Handgun control - Research Paper Example In order to understand gun control legislation, it is necessary to understand the phrase’ a â€Å"responsible citizen†. According to a local police officer, Steve Rusiecki, a responsible citizen is one who is a law-abiding citizen, does not abuse alcohol or drugs, has no felony records, has renounced U.S. citizenship, is legally in the U.S., is not mentally sick, and has not been dishonorably discharged from the military (Savage 1). This description entails all the elements from the Arizona’s concealed carry law and Federal Gun Control Act of 1968. The founding fathers made the second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and it states: â€Å"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed† (Savage 2). It was then included into the Bill of Rights. The founding fathers feared the federal government was going to oppress its citizens if they had no means of defend their nations and themselves. The right to possess and use guns was facilitated by Algernon Sidney, Aristotle, John Locke and Cicero. According to Samuel Adams, the militia that is described in the United States Constitution does not only refer to the National Guard or the Army. He suggests this group is comprised of free citizens. In addition, George Manson argues that a well managed militia comprises of Freeholders, Gentlemen and other Freemen (Squires 77). The American Revolutionary War was won with the help of an armed population consisting of militias, continental army, partisans and independent companies. It is, therefore, evident that the Founding Fathers realized that the society can benefit from firearms that are handled by responsible citizens (Squires 77). Many years later after the Revolution War, the government began to introduce regulations on the possession and usage of firearms. The initial measure was concerned with the way in which citizens could carry guns (Harrold 5). For example, in 1850 the Louisiana Supreme Court gave a ruling that the constitution does not guarantee any citizen to carry con cealed arms. However, earlier courts’ rulings asserted that the constitution protected the right of citizens to possess and use concealed weapons (Harrold 4). Just some time before Civil War, most Southern States, passed laws that denied the freed blacks and slaves from possessing firearms. This decision was initially made by Dred Scott Decision. Dred Scott argued that blacks, and slave had no rights to citizenship and they, therefore, have no right to possess and carry guns. The current gun control legislation takes into

Merchants of Cool Essay Example for Free

Merchants of Cool Essay In watching the film, Merchants of Cool, which was aired in 2001, it is quite concerning how our society is turning to consuming as a means of achieving a satisfying standard of living. The film brought to light how large media companies, especially conglomerates that own all production and distribution of media from start to finish, study and sell to teen youths because of their large quantity of â€Å"guilt money†, disposable income giving to youth by parents to keep them happy. They have become the most marketed group, which in turn turns the youth into adults that continue to seek happiness in consuming. The fear in this standard of living is that we start losing touch with our true values, and instead of looking towards family, community, ethnicity and religion as the creator of cultural forms, we are now being oriented as a society by the world of commodities. And with the advancement of technology, so has marketing research advanced, where we are being specifically being catered to with ads to continue this cycle of finding meaning and happiness through the purchase of goods and services. Advertisers know that they cannot sell meaning and happiness, but they can illicit those feelings by advertising visions of what a â€Å"good life† should be through the selling of products, known as **image-based advertising**. Sut Jhally’s article, Image-Based Culture: Advertising and Popular Culture, explains how image-based advertising has been so integrated into our way of thought and consumption that it is difficult to pinpoint when our most cherished values became tied into consumer culture (p 201). Advertisements have taken up so much of our public space and discourse, and now even our private with the advancement of technology, that we are constantly being shown what the vision of happiness is, and what we must buy to achieve a satisfying standard of living. Juliet Schor’s article, The New Politics of Consumption: Why Americans Want So Much More Than They Need, breaks down the idea that Americans live in a constant state of **dis-ease**: worrying about the preoccupation with getting and spending (p 205). Not only is this disconcerting because it takes away from living in the moment, but it pushes us to live beyond our means. We aren’t happy because we do not emulate what we see as the â€Å"good life† because of the growing aspirational gap because of upscale emulation. We are never at ease where we stand economically and socially, and feel the pressures to keep up. And although this is a problem with the upper and middle class, it is a more dangerous problem for the lower class. The trickle effect of status symbol goods, such as state of the art phones, flat screen televisions, etc. , sets up those with limited resources and aspirations of living the â€Å"good life† by buying those goods for continual financial failure through consumption of expensive goods that is beyond their means. The film, The Merchants of Cool, aired in 2001, and the way that companies acquired information from the consumer was with â€Å"cool hunters†, marketing researchers who would research and interview to see what trends could be capitalized on. The analyzing was apparent, as opposed to now where consumers are being researched and targeted in ways that are more subtle, and now advertisers have the tools to more conspicuously sell us the â€Å"good life†. On the radio interview â€Å"How Companies are ‘Defining Your Worth’ Online†, Joseph Turrow discussed how marketers don’t even have to do much to gather information from us, they can now track our online movements using digital tracking like cookies. This information is gathered and sold to advertisers by data marketers, unbeknownst to us. Market research has evolved so much because of the growing digital world we live in. And advertisers are now able to subtly sell to us in a personally targeted way, instead of the blatant in your face banner ads that we would automatically close without even reading them. Although this is perfectly legal, the downfall falls on the consumer that is being researched and targeted. Our sense of consumption is insatiable when we are constantly being targeted, we lose a sense of privacy when we are constantly being watched, and, as Joseph Turrow also discussed, and we can also be targets of **digital social discrimination**. Digital social discrimination, which is the idea that companies can take digital information and make inferences of what kind of ads are suitable for the individual consumer, they target only certain ads, discounts, and such (2012). Advertisers then think of that individual only in a certain way, and may even target ads that may have negative connotations, such as getting out of debt ads, weight loss, and such. Consumers are being categorized, and because of the categories they are being targeted by certain ads, which perhaps sell a good that is not appropriate, and denied others because of assumptions being made by the online information gathered on that individual. This is why it is important to have some sort of regulatory system overseeing the structure and ownership of media. U. S. government plays only a small role in determining who owns the media, and only regulates it minimally, and the power of the U. S. media that uses the market research to produce products reaches us not just here in the United States, but also has a global impact. Because of the United States’ **cultural imperialism**, where American styles in fashion and food, as well as media far, dominate the global market, our versions of the â€Å"good life† are influenced on parts of the world, as discussed in Richard Campbell’s â€Å"Media Economics and the Global Marketplace†, (p 411). Our ‘cultural dumping’ of exporting U. S. media can influence other countries societal value systems, development of original local products, and abandon their own rituals to adopt American tastes. In reality, the power behind these large media researchers, marketers, producers, and distributors, who are often the owned by the same company, is astounding and influences not only our lives as an individual, but also has the potential to influence on a global level. They are able to gather information about individuals, sell it, and categorize as they see fit, leaving us with no sense of privacy, with the goal of selling us as many goods and services as possible until we reach the unattainable â€Å"good life†, which is a vision that they have carefully created. Until we, as consumers, are more aware of how much consumption has taken over our sense of self-worth and satisfaction and how little privacy we have in the new digital age, we will keep trying to buy the â€Å"good life†. ?

Understanding the global flows with Globalisation

Understanding the global flows with Globalisation Globalisation, although a process that has been ongoing for a while, has only recently been defined and has been termed differently according to different groups of people. More recently, the global flow of goods, services, information, capital and labour across both; national and regional lines have increased greatly, giving rise to the notion that this economic activity is now being globalised. Globalisation has been suggested to increase the interdependence and integration between countries on a global scale. In theory therefore, it should allow poorer countries the opportunity to enhance their development and compete with the more economically developed countries (MEDCs). However in some cases this tends to polarise the rich from the poor. This has polarisation has been described by Quah (1996) as the persistence and stratification of the differences between the rich and the poor. Inevitably therefore globalisation produces two groups of people the winners and the losers. This e ssay focuses on three particular global flows which include the labour market and how this has both benefited and disadvantaged the different parts of the global world, due to globalisation. The second flow centres on investment flows and capital, particularly foreign direct investment (FDI) and how this too has produced winners and losers. The final flow is a more recent one and involves the movement of technology and information and how this has managed to increase the benefits and consequences for MEDCs and LEDCs. The flow of labour due to the process of globalisation has been impacted in a number of ways. The globalisation process, like all processes of change, has important costs for the distribution of economic activity around the world in accordance with comparative advantage of countries and their firms. This relocation inevitably leads to changes in the generation of employment and unemployment, to how labour is compensated i.e. the level and distribution of wages and to the shares of capital and labour in total GDP. These three processes are of vital importance in understanding the impact that globalisation has on labour markets. In theory therefore, using a notional framework, (De la Dehesa, 1999) globalisation opens the world to international competition and induces better allocation of labour by allowing each country to specialise on its production according to its comparative advantages in factors of production. Most MEDCs have a comparative advantage when it comes to highly qualified labour and skilled workforce, what they lack is less qualified labour. On the other hand the demand for both skilled and non skilled workers is high in LEDCs. Most skilled workers in LEDCs seek employment elsewhere in developed countries causing a brain drain effect as the skilled labour has immigrated. This also has a negative effect on public spending as lower returns are gained from public expenditure in services such as education. In contrast, this could have its benefits for LEDCs as successful overseas entrepreneurs may bring valuable management experience and access to global networks to the home country. An inflow of unskilled labour from MEDCs would mean that workers are willing to work at lower wages and as such produce low cost production. Although an advantage for MEDCs, as they are able to gain from cheap employment, these positions are then taken over by these cheaper workers and the locals are sometimes left with no jobs. For example Eastern European migration into the UK where low qualified jobs such as construction and retail are quickly undertaken. In general, globalisation has increased pressures on the domestic labour markets in terms of wages, job security and the upgrading of skills for movement between jobs. As such those that have benefited the most are investors, entrepreneurs, and managers etc. all highly qualified workers that are usually found in MEDCs. Therefore workers with internationally sought after education and skills are in this case winners. On the other hand workers who were previously protected by trade barriers and subsidised state enterprises, are usually unable to adapt to the rapid liberalisation of the economy and as such have suffered the most through reduced job security, relocation of jobs or downward pressure on wages (World Bank, 2007) aka the so called losers. The EU although has played a positive impact on European economies to a certain extent, limits workers from other parts of the world (outside Europe) entering the EU and as such LEDCs are seen to lose out once again. The impact of globalisation on employment will be improved as more countries participate in the global economy and open their markets to international trade and capital flows. This will be particularly felt with the entry of large numbers of (mainly low-skilled) workers from China and India into the global labour force. This flow of labour usually has an impact on the manufacturing industry. This however will cause concerns for other LEDCs as they will struggle to attract investments and manufacturing enterprises given their less favourable conditions political, economic and social and higher wage levels and that their domestic markets will import large quantities of goods from these two countries. As such the completion from other more advanced LEDCs is a problem in itself. Although it is predicted that China will dominate world trade, LEDCs might still be able to produce low skill labour intensive products, as export growth in China and India is expected to raise wages as well as create the need for the import of intermediary inputs. The second flow that is affected by globalisation is the transfer of FDI and capital. One of the most prominent outcomes regarding global financial flows is the major change in their construction in the 1990s, particularly for developing countries. Based on data published by the World Bank Global Development Finance 1999, the following trends can be seen in the table on the next page. Net Long Term Resource Flows to Developing Countries (1990 1998) $bn 1990 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Net long-term resources flow 100.8 223.6 254.9 308.1 338.1 275.0 Official flows 56.9 45.5 53.4 32.2 39.1 47.9 Private flows 43.9 178.1 201.5 275.9 299.0 227.1 From international capital markets 19.4 89.6 96.1 149.5 135.5 72.1 Private debt flows 15.7 54.4 60.0 100.3 105.3 58.0 Commercial Banks 3.2 13.9 32.4 43.7 60.1 25.1 Bonds 1.2 36.7 26.6 53.55 42.6 30.2 Other 11.4 3.7 1.0 3.0 2.6 2.7 Portfolio equity flows 3.7 35.2 36.1 49.2 30.2 14.1 FDI 24.5 88.5 105.4 126.4 163.4 155.0 From the table it can be seen that with an increase in time and in theory increased globalisation there has also been an overall increase in capital flows and FDI to developing countries. FDI flows have emerged as the most important factor of private capital flows. This increase in capital flows can be seen due to the effects of globalisation through financial liberalisation in both developed and developing countries. This is done in two ways domestic financial liberalisation and international financial liberalisation. Domestic encourages market forces by reducing the role of state in finance. This is done through removing controls in interest rates and credit allocation. International liberalisation, however, demands removal of controls and regulations on both inflows and outflows of capital. In allowing cross border movement of capital, it promotes global financial integration. Capital is not only flowing from the developed to developing countries but also from the LEDCs to the rest of the world, examples include Mexico, Chile and Thailand. MEDCs were first to take on this change of financial liberalisation. Much of MEDCs financial funds are now tied up in investment trusts, pension funds etc rather than banks. By the 1980s LEDCs too were beginning their change. Deregulation of domestic financial markets as well as the liberalisation of the capital account was supported by the World Bank. This rush in foreign equity financing and FDI has been associated with the privatisation of the public sector companies in the developing countries such as Argentina. Under the WTO agreement on financial services, (1998), 70 of its member countries agreed to open up their financial sector. Even though in theory it would seem as though investment is being poured into these LEDCs, the benefits do not always outweigh the problems. Working conditions and the treatment of workers in plants that produce mostly textiles and footwear for export tend to vary widely. On one side, conditions in foreign owned and subcontractor plants offer extensi ve evidence of harm, and of the exploitation and sometimes even the abuse of workers. The Kader toy factory in Thailand is a case in point that illustrates the mistreatment of workers. In this case over 100 workers died in a fire as safety exits were blocked or sealed shut. In this case the LEDs tend to lose out to a great extent. However this is not always the case. Surveys by the ILO for example, have found that the pay for workers in LEDCs and NICs (Newly Industrialising Countries), while low by standards of MEDCs is still higher than what would be available in the places that the workers come from. In a lot of these cases wages are slightly higher than the minimum wage. It can be argued therefore that not all is bleak for LEDCs when FDI is involved. For instance FDI can lead to the creation of jobs and increased employment and output in host countries. This is done directly in companies benefiting from FDI and also indirectly through ancillary services, thereby contributing to an increase in economic growth. In addition, through the transfer of technologies and know-how and access to foreign markets, FDI can lead to temporary movements for the provision of services or others forms of movements of workers, who, know being more knowledgeable are able to find jobs abroad more easily. As such, FDI can have beneficial effects for LEDCs and they may not always lose out. The final flow of globalisation is that of information technology and its growing popularity today. This arguably is the reason for the wide gaps in inequalities between MEDCs and LEDCs. The internet is being used by over millions of people worldwide and this number is growing. However the spread of communication and technology is highly uneven and most of Sub Saharan Africa is left behind, as well as other parts of the world. This situation is difficult to remedy when a third of the worlds population still live on less than $1 a day. Technology itself will not help to solve the problems of LEDCs but the availability and use of information and communication technologies are a requirement for economic and social development in todays world. Econometric studies have shown the close statistical relationship between flow of information technology, productivity and competitiveness for countries, industries and firms (Dosi et al., 1988). Technology on its own is not enough, this needs to be tied in with a sufficient level of education in general, and of technical education in particular, which is essential for the design and productive use of new technologies (Foray and Freeman, 1992) The role that technological flows has on countries in stimulating growth and development is that of a two edged sword. On the one hand, it allows countries to leapfrog stages of economic growth by being able to modernise their production systems and increase their competitiveness faster than in the past through the use of innovation and technological advances. The most critical example is that of the Asian Pacific economies i.e. the Asian Tigers, particularly the cases of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea. These countries grew rapidly due to increased technological performance and enhancement. This is so despite the current financial crisis, which is unrelated to competitive performance and may be related, in fact, to the attractiveness of booming Asian economies to global technological flows. On the other hand, for those economies that are unable to adapt to the new technological system, they are usually left watching on the sidelines. Moreover, the ability to m ove into this technological flow depends on the capability of the country to be educated, and to be able to take on board and process new technological equipment and knowledge. This starts with the education system, from the bottom up, from the primary school to the university. And it relates, as well, to the overall process of cultural development, including the level of functional literacy, the content of the media, and the diffusion of information within the population as a whole. For this reason, many LEDCs especially those in Sub Saharan Africa have been unable to benefit from this global flow. Technology, per say is not the problem, rather the ability to obtain this technology and then learn to use it, is the real issue. Due to this regions and firms usually in MEDCs that concentrate on advanced techniques and methods of production are able to attract a pool of talent from around the world. This however leaves out some of the local employees who are not able to fit the job description and as such is a win/lose situation. An example of this is Silicon Valley which is the most advanced information technology-producing region in the world. It can only maintain this high level of innovation by acquiring experts from India, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, Israel, Russia and Western Europe, to jobs that cannot be filled by Americans because they do not have the necessary skills. Likewise, in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Seoul engineers and scientists concentrate in high-technology hubs, connected to the Silicon Valleys, while a large share of the population in all countries remains in low-end, low-skill jobs, when they are lucky enough to be employed at all. (Carnoy, 1999). Therefore there is little chance for a country, to be able to benefit from this new technological age without incorporating itself into the technological system. In conclusion therefore, the three global flows mentioned have both benefited and disadvantaged both MEDCs and LEDCs in their own particular ways. All these three flows need to work in accordance with each other in order for development to be more evenly spread and in order for LEDCs to close down the widening gap of development. Labour mobility flows have allowed skilled workers in LEDCs to obtain better prospects elsewhere, something that would not be possible without this free movement. On the other, whatever skilled workforce was left behind is now lost to the host country. Capital flows and FDI have helped to provide employment in LEDCs and increase competitiveness amongst MEDCs. However problems such as sweat shops and small markets of some countries have meant that this has not benefited all. Finally, technological flows have taken production to another level through innovation and new techniques. Although advantageous to almost all MEDCs, many LEDCs are unable to acquire this expertise or technology and as such are unable to share in this technical age. The problem here is not the technology, but the lack of. Globalisation can be understood to mean an increase in global flows. These are just three mentioned. Globalisation involves numerous numbers of global flows that all play their part in this global process which to some extent is restricted to particular regions rather than global flows perhaps a regionalisation of the world?

Essay on Milkman’s Search for Identity in Song of Solomon

Milkman’s Search for Identity in Song of Solomon      Ã‚   Song of Solomon tells the story of Dead's unwitting search for identity. Milkman appears to be destined for a life of self-alienation and isolation because of his commitment to the materialism and the linear conception of time that are part of the legacy he receives from his father, Macon Dead. However, during a trip to his ancestral home, â€Å"Milkman comes to understand his place in a cultural and familial community and to appreciate the value of conceiving of time as a cyclical process†(Smith 58).    The Deads exemplify the patriarchal, nuclear family that has traditionally been a stable and critical feature not only of American society but of Western civilization in general. The primary institution for the reproduction and maintenance of children, ideally it provides individuals with the means for understanding their place in the world. The degeneration of the Dead family and the destructiveness of Macon's rugged individualism symbolize the invalidity of American, indeed Western, values. Morrison's depiction of this ...

Comparing the Struggle Depicted in The Color Purple and Desiree’s Baby :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Struggle as Depicted in The Color Purple and Desiree’s Baby  Ã‚   The Color Purple written by Alice Walker and Kate Chopin’s Desiree’s Baby, were written during different times periods yet there are many similarities on how the women struggled. Both stories depict women who experienced hardship, and through out it all they continued to show unconditional love.   In the two stories they have instances dealing with children that are quite similar.   It goes to show that novels can span totally different time periods and still could discuss the same things.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      The unconditional love within families can be enough at times to keep people going during the hard times that they experience.   This holds true between sisters. In The Color Purple Nettie and Cellie's unconditional love for one another helped them deal with the troubles they both faced.   There unconditional love was shown through Cellie’s relentless writing hoping that one of her letters would get through.   At no point did she ever give up.   This love helped Nettie live with her verbally and physically abusive husband, Albert.   Desiree on the other hand not being blood related to the women she called her mother; Madame Valmonde still had a tremendous amount of love for her.   When Desiree’s husband told her to leave her mother said to her, â€Å" Come home to Valmonde; back to your mother who loves you†.   This is showing that it doesn’t take blood to create a strong bond and that no matt er what; unconditional love will always help you get through hard times. During the different times that both stories were written the way that African Americans were treated were quite similar.   Back in 1909 when The Color Purple took place it was before woman were really seen as what they are and they were just figured to be a caretaker and a maid.   The fact that Nettie was black didn’t help because she was considered to be dumb while in fact she was intelligent.   During her years when she was married to Albert she with a little help of her sister Cellie learned how to read.   Slavery was taking place during the period Desiree’s baby was written in.   It was a horrible thing to be African American and a woman during that time.   When it was thought that Desiree was an African American her husband shunned her and wanted nothing to do with her.

Injustice in Tess of the DUrbervilles by Thomas Hardy Essay -- essays

"Life is not fair" is one of the most commonly used idioms in the world today. As recurrent as it is now, it has also been a quite common theme for contemplation throughout history. This unfairness is always blamed on someone or something, but often this blame is misplaced, which is unfair in itself. In Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy depicts the injustice of life and the effects of mislaid blame through his use of imagery and diction. Hardy uses imagery throughout the novel in order to explicitly define the ways in which life is unjust. This injustice is first displayed at Prince?s death, then again at his burial. Hardy chooses specific words to enable the reader to see exactly what is happing. He describes the mail-cart to be ?speeding along?like an arrow.? He explains that the mail-cart had ?driven into her slow and unlighted equipage,? and now the horse?s ?life?s blood was spouting in a stream and falling with a hiss into the road.? (Hardy 22). The descriptive words, such as ?speeding,? ?arrow,? ?driven,? ?unlighted,? ?spouting,? and ?hiss? allow the reader?s senses to capture the enormity of the situation. This quote also helps the reader to envision the misery of the situation. Tess is only attempting to help her family by bringing the hives to market to draw some income them. Her desire to help her family backfires with Prince?s accidental death, as he was their only form of income. The desperation induced by Prince?s death is shown when Hardy explains that Mr. Durbeyfield worked harder than ever before in digging a grave for Prince. Hardy states that the young girls ?discharged their griefs in loud blares,? and that when Prince was ?tumbled in? the family gathered around the grave (Hardy 24). Hard... ...cept her. ?Unadvisable? gives the impression that Angel does not really care one way or another. All of this is unfair to Tess, as Alec?s decision to rape her was not her fault in any way. Also, Angel?s sexual history is more promiscuous than Tess?s, and yet he sees only her flaws. Hardy uses specific word choices and diction to thoroughly inform the reader of the injustice of Tess?s circumstances. In Thomas Hardy?s novel Tess of the d?Urbervilles, Hardy accurately exemplifies the injustice of life, along with the effects of misplaced blame through his use of diction and imagery. It is a well-known that life is not fair. It is also quite common that blame for this unfairness is pinned on the wrong subjects, an act which is unfair as well. Whether one is blaming himself, another or a superior power for said injustices, blame is not always given where it is due. Injustice in Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy Essay -- essays "Life is not fair" is one of the most commonly used idioms in the world today. As recurrent as it is now, it has also been a quite common theme for contemplation throughout history. This unfairness is always blamed on someone or something, but often this blame is misplaced, which is unfair in itself. In Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy depicts the injustice of life and the effects of mislaid blame through his use of imagery and diction. Hardy uses imagery throughout the novel in order to explicitly define the ways in which life is unjust. This injustice is first displayed at Prince?s death, then again at his burial. Hardy chooses specific words to enable the reader to see exactly what is happing. He describes the mail-cart to be ?speeding along?like an arrow.? He explains that the mail-cart had ?driven into her slow and unlighted equipage,? and now the horse?s ?life?s blood was spouting in a stream and falling with a hiss into the road.? (Hardy 22). The descriptive words, such as ?speeding,? ?arrow,? ?driven,? ?unlighted,? ?spouting,? and ?hiss? allow the reader?s senses to capture the enormity of the situation. This quote also helps the reader to envision the misery of the situation. Tess is only attempting to help her family by bringing the hives to market to draw some income them. Her desire to help her family backfires with Prince?s accidental death, as he was their only form of income. The desperation induced by Prince?s death is shown when Hardy explains that Mr. Durbeyfield worked harder than ever before in digging a grave for Prince. Hardy states that the young girls ?discharged their griefs in loud blares,? and that when Prince was ?tumbled in? the family gathered around the grave (Hardy 24). Hard... ...cept her. ?Unadvisable? gives the impression that Angel does not really care one way or another. All of this is unfair to Tess, as Alec?s decision to rape her was not her fault in any way. Also, Angel?s sexual history is more promiscuous than Tess?s, and yet he sees only her flaws. Hardy uses specific word choices and diction to thoroughly inform the reader of the injustice of Tess?s circumstances. In Thomas Hardy?s novel Tess of the d?Urbervilles, Hardy accurately exemplifies the injustice of life, along with the effects of misplaced blame through his use of diction and imagery. It is a well-known that life is not fair. It is also quite common that blame for this unfairness is pinned on the wrong subjects, an act which is unfair as well. Whether one is blaming himself, another or a superior power for said injustices, blame is not always given where it is due.

Parle Project Essay

Parle Products Pvt. Ltd.: A cream colored yellow stripped paper with a cute baby photo containing 10-12 biscuits with the company’s name printed with in Red. Times changed, variety of biscuits did come and go but nothing has changed with these biscuits. Yes, the size of their packing has definitely changed but for the consumer good as these are money saver pack. The Parle name conjures up fond memories across the length and breadth of the country. After all, since 1929, the people of India have been growing up on Parle biscuits and sweets. Initially a small company was set up in the suburbs of Mumbai city to manufacture sweets and toffees. The year was 1929 and the market was dominated by famous international brands that were imported freely. Despite the odds and unequal competition, this company called Parle Products, survived and succeeded by adhering to high quality and improvising from time to time A decade later, in 1939, .Parle products began manufacturing biscuits, in a ddition to sweets and toffees. Having already established a reputation for quality, the Parle brand name grew in strength with this diversification. Parle Glucose and Parle Monaco were the first brands of biscuits to be introduced, which later went on to become leading names for great taste and quality. For around 75 years, Parle have been manufacturing quality biscuits and confectionary products. Over the years Parle has grown to become a multimillion dollar company with many of the products as market leaders in their category. The recent introduction of Hide & Seek chocolate chip biscuits is a product of innovation and caters to a new taste, being India’s first ever chocolate chip biscuits. Apart from the factories in Mumbai and Bangalore Parle also has factories in Bahadurgarh in Haryana and Neemrana in Rajasthan, which are the largest biscuit and confectionery plants in the country. Additionally, Parle Products also has 7 manufacturing units and 51 manufacturing units on contract. All these factories are located at strategic locations, so as to ensure a constant output and easy distribution. Brands An in-depth understanding of the Indian consumer psyche has helped Parle evolve a marketing philosophy that reflects the needs of the Indian masses. With products designed keeping both health and taste in mind, Parle appeals to both health conscious mothers and fun loving kids. The great tradition of taste and nutrition is consistent in every pack on the store shelves, even today. The value-for-money positioning allows people from all classes and age groups to enjoy Parle products to the fullest. Biscuit goodies:| Confectionary:| Parle-G| GolGappa| Krackjack| Classic Mint| Monaco| Lite Mint| Monaco Funion| Kismi| Kreams| Orange Candy| Hide and Seek| Mango Bite| Hide and Seek Milano| Melody| | Poppins| | Eclairs- 50 p| Bourbon| Melody Softe- 1Rs.| | Kismi Bar| Parle Marie| Chox| | Kacha Mango| Milk Shakti| Mazelo| | Imli Bite| | Kismi Gold| Parle 20-20 Cookies| Munch on snacks:| Nimkin| Musst Bites| Parle biscuits: Parle biscuits are linked with factors of power and wisdom providing nutrition and strength. Parle biscuits are indeed much more than a tea- time snack, they are considered by many to be an important part of their daily food. Parle can treat you with a basket of biscuits which are not only satisfying but are also of good and reliable quality. Parle biscuits cater to all tastes from kids to senior citizens. They have found their way into the Indian hearts and homes. Parle G For over 65 years, Parle G has been a part of the lives of every Indian. From the snow capped mountains in the north to the sultry towns in the south, from frenetic cities to laid back villages, Parle G has nourished strengthened and delighted millions. Filled with the goodness of milk and wheat, Parle G is not just a treat for the taste buds, but a source of strength for both body and mind. Tear over a packet of Parle G to experience what has nourished Generations of Indians since last sixty five years, making it truly Hindustan Ki Taakat. Pack Sizes available: 16.5G, 38.5G, 60.5G, 82.5G, 99G, 209G, 313.5G, 418G, 825G 20-20 Rich butter and tempting cashews. An irresistible combination. Parle Twenty-20 cookies. Baked to perfection to deliver the perfect experience of taste and aroma, they melt in your mouth to give you a cookie eating experience unlike one you have ever had before enjoy a feast of crunchy, crispy scrumptious cookies. Pack Sizes available: 75 G, 110 G, 225 G Monaco Share the company of great taste anytime, anywhere with Monaco. A light crispy biscuit sprinkled with salt, Monaco adds a namkeen twist to life’s ordinary moments. Pack Sizes available: 75 G, 120 G, 240 G Hide and Seek The ingredients that go into making this prized cookie are a well-guarded secret. What is is the effect it has on those who eat it. A cookie with a reputation for romance. Indulge in the sinful taste of Milano and everything that follows it. Pack Sizes available: 25 G, 62 G, 100 G, and 200 G Krackjack The original sweet and salty biscuit is one of the most loved biscuits in the country. It’s not just a biscuit, it’s the taste of relationships captured in a biscuit. A little sweet and a little salty crafted in such a delicate and delicious balance, you can never get enough of it. Have it anytime you like with anything you like. Pack Sizes available: 75G, 170G, 240G Parle Confectionaries: Right from candies to toffees, the sweet ‘n’ treat category of the Parle product range is a genuine treat for every snack lover. This category can satisfy one’s taste and at the same time create a desire for more. These confectioneries are a sheer delight to the taste buds and have a universal appeal. Parle Biscuits and confectioneries, continue to spread happiness & joy among people of all ages. Melody Mango Bite Orange Candy Kachcha Mango BiteKismi ToffeeGolgappa Many of the Parle products – biscuits or confectioneries, are market leaders in their category and have won acclaim at the Monde Selection, since 1971. With a 40% share of the total biscuit market and a 15% share of the total confectionary market in India, Parle has grown to become a multi-million dollar company. While to consumers it’s a beacon of faith and trust, competitors look upon Parle as an example of marketing brilliance. Parle G, a premium glucose biscuit is the world’s largest selling biscuit. A factory of these glucose biscuits is situated in Neemrana is producing 7000 metric tonnes every month. A list of premium quality biscuits and confectioneries is produced and distributed across nations. 2. RESEARCH DONE- â€Å"Brand representation of Parle product With Compare to Britannia, ITC in Amravati city† INTRODUCTION The report is an earnest endeavor made to understand the present market scenario in biscuits captured by the Parle and the other competitor brands viz., Britannia, ITC & Other. The researchers were required to see the coverage by Parle Products Pvt. Ltd., and bring out the potential and loyal retailers so that the company could maintain the market leadership in the existing business scenario in the biscuits and the confectionaries. During the course of study the researchers visited around 450 unorganized retail stores and 30 organized retail stores and analyzed all major brands of biscuits available as well as studied the brands, which are most preferred among the retailers. The study encompasses the penetration of the existing Parle products (biscuits and confectionaries). Their motive was to study the working of the distributors in Amravati City market. They have mentioned the problems and the loop holes in the Parle’s distribution system and the promotional tools, which they have found during the course of the study and recommended various corrective measures for it. Their study also comprises the comparative analysis between organized and unorganized retail stores in terms of brand availability with the help of hypothesis testing, Depth of Parle with other competitor, Space sharing by Parle and other competitors, and distributors services given to a retailers with the help of questionnaire. Statement of the Problem: * To analyze the brands of Parle Products in unorganized retail stores: 1. As compared to competitors (ITC, Britannia& other). 2. As compared to organized retail stores. * To analyze Market Depth of Parle Products as compared to competitors (ITC, Britannia& other). * To analyze Space Share of Parle Products as compared to competitors (ITC, Britannia& other). * To analyze Distribution Services of Parle as compared to competitors (ITC, Britannia& other). Objectives of the Study: 1. To find out Parle Coverage in various areas of Amravati City. 2. To check the Brand availability of the company products at different stores. 3. To compare the Brand with its competitive Brands like ITC, Britannia, other in terms of coverage, number of brands available, Market Depth and Space Share. 4. To analyze that which type of biscuits and Confessionary are most preferred in what category of store. It was done by analyzing questioner data. 5. To compare the organized retail stores with unorganized retail stores in terms of brand availability. 6. To analyze Distributor Services with competitors like ITC, Britannia & other. Reference Period: This study is conducted for the period of 45 days starting from 15th of JUNE 2011 to 30th of JULY 2011. PROJECT METHODOLGY: Research Type: EXPLORATORY RESEARCH EXPLANTION: The study was conducted by Parle Products Pvt. Ltd in 6-7 areas of Amravati City mentioned below (source list) for the first time regarding market review and comparative analysis between unorganized and organized retail stores.. Thus it is an exploratory type of research. Sample Design: A sample design is a definite plan for obtaining a sample for a given population. It refers to a techniques or procedure adopted in selecting items for the sample. Sampling: Further, the design that has been adopted for the study of the given topic is CONVENIENT SAMPLING. EXPLANATION: During the course of the study we visited a no. of stores that were scattered all over Amravati City (source list mentioned below). Apart from this we had no written record of the number and names of the stores in the city. It was very difficult to tabulate a record of all the retailers and wholesalers present in the city and then carry out our study, in the short span of time that was allotted. As a result we had to select the retailers according to our convenience. We went to the areas and surveyed all shops that could possibly be approached. The following is the sample design that has been adopted for the study. 1. Population:- Finite(Amravati City) 2. Sampling Unit:- Areas of Amravati City 3. Source list:- Unorganized retail stores (Areas): a. Gadge Nagar b. Yashoda Nagar c. Kour Nagar d. Sai Nagar (Badnera Road, Saturna MIDC Road) e. Raja Peth f. Ram Nagar g. Camp, Chaprasi Pura h. Irwin Chouk Organized retail stores: a. D Mart b. Big Bazar c. Super shopee d. Small mals 4. Sample size:- A total of 470 unorganized retail stores with 10 organized retail stores and 4 Distributors. Tools and techniques for Data Collection: Tools and techniques for: 1. Primary Data: – The researchers collected primary data during the course of research period with the help of the questionnaire that was designed for the storekeepers to collect the information that was required to carry out the research. 2. Secondary Data: – Secondary data was collected from books, articles, Internet and previous research papers that had been conducted by the company representatives and officials. Tools and techniques of Analysis: Simple statistical tools and techniques like average, ratios, pie charts, tables and graphs in addition to hypothesis testing (z-test, for difference between proportions) & factor analysis method are used to analyze the data. Limitations of the Study: 1) The study was conducted in 45 days that is not enough for such a vast topic. 2) It was difficult for the storekeepers to pinpoint the sales of a particular brand in both organized and unorganized retail stores. 3) No proper data was available about the stores in the city. 4) There were not a big number of organized retail stores in Amravati to carry out the research more efficiently. 5) As the nature of research was exploratory so it was difficult to cover each and every retailer. 6) Many retailers don’t express their original perception and views because of biasness. ANALYSIS After Doing the PARLE Products Survey as the researchers analyzed that the best selling branded biscuit company offers its customers with large variety of biscuits (parle-g, krack-jack, 20-20, Monaco, hide and seek etc.), confectionaries (mangobite, melody, poppins). It aims â€Å"TO SERVE PEOPLE AND NATION† The privately owned self financed company provides motivation and confidence to its staff and other related members by providing various facilities and organizing certain events. It has a very open work culture. The atmosphere is so comfortable and relaxed that helps in increasing productivity and efficiency. It lunches and outstation team-building exercises that augment inter-personal relations and mutual understanding. Parle has found its way into the Indian hearts and home. It spreads happiness and joy among the people of all ages. SWOT ANALYSIS OF PARLE PRODUCTS STRENGTH 1. Low price as compared to competitors 2. Sizeable market share in the country. 3. Offers variety of products under its brand. 4. Different sizes of packets are available. 5. An experienced team of sales and marketing executives. 6. Deep and effective coverage 7. Largest distribution system.| WEAKNESS 1. Breakage of biscuits while delivering to retailers 2. No proper replacement system for broken biscuits to retailers 3. Improper and irregular supply. 4. Less share in Premium biscuit market. 5. Dependent on its flagship brand, Parle-G 6. Poor packaging in family pack of glucose biscuits. 7. Lack of schemes for retailers and distributors.| OPPORTUNITY 1. Rising demand for innovative packaging in packaged foods. 2. Retaining loyal retailers or wholesalers. 3. Improving supply system for established brands. 4. Huge scope for some Parle products in medical shops. 5. Information revolution brought about by the television. 6. Good scope for snacks and namkeens, if launched and properly promoted by Parle.| THREAT 1. Highly advertised brands such as Britannia. 2. Ever increasing competition from multinationals and local companies. 3. Increase in sale of cheap local bakery products. 4. Emerging substitutes like wafers, snacks and toast. 5. Margin war among th e major Brands| FINDINGS: After close study of the present market situation prevailing in the areas assigned the researchers, following are the observations. 1. Breakage problem in the Family packs of glucose biscuits is leading to the decline in sales in this category. 2. Schemes, Discounts, offers, coupons etc. are not reaching to the retailers and customers whereas Britannia and ITC on the other hand are doing that. 3. Retailers and even wholesalers is satisfied with the supply system of Parle. 4. It was found that Parle (especially Parle- glucose) is most favored brand and is sold most. Parle biscuits are the retailers and consumers prime choice. 5. Very little range of Parle biscuits were visible in organized retail outlets. 6. Britannia is emerging as Major Competitor in the organized & unorganized retail outlets. RECOMMENDATIONS & SUGGESTIONS: 1. Company should start a program for the loyal retailers and wholesalers to reduce their complaints by providing timely supply and replacement. This will help in increasing their sales. 2. The packaging of Parle Glucose biscuits (1/2 and 1 kilogram packs) must be improved for its better sales. The company should come up with double packaging as people refuse to buy family pack biscuits with loose packaging. 3. Salesmen should be properly dressed and should have good communication skills to effectively promote the new products recently launched, by making sure that the product reaches each and every retailer and also increase the visibility of the products by arranging the product clearly on the shelf or rack and show its prominence. 4. To increase the number of stock keeping units {SKU} available in the retailers store. Each salesman should stress the retailers to keep the maximum SKUs and to maintain these SKUs throughout. With this, the replacement of the damaged and expired biscuits should be prompt and without any hassles, so that retailer can be save d from the loss of the expired and damaged goods. 5. The company should take proper measures that the schemes and offers are not gulped by the middlemen, and that it benefits the retailers and customers. CONCLUSION: After conducting the survey on 470 unorganized retailers, 10 organized retailers and 4 Distributors, the researchers found that there is a bigger market for biscuits and Confessionary in unorganized retail stores if proper supply of goods without breakage is there. It was also concluded that Parle is the first preference of both the customers and retailers (Organized and unorganized both) because of its price and brand image. Brand Parle G dominates the volume-dominated biscuit market. Even in today’s times when multinationals are beefing up their operations and trying to change the dynamics of the market, Parle G’s numbers & Quality position is unchallenged. Its competitors have roped in superstars like King Khan and Sachin Tendulkar, but Parle G has only gone from strength to strength. Brand Parle G is iconic and has evolved over the years. Trust, relevance, affordability are its hallmarks, which have withstood pressures from the hyper-competitive marketplace. The Parle Biscuit brands, such as, Parle-G, Monaco, Krackjack, 20-20, Marie Choice, Hide & Seek and confectionery brands, such as, Melody, Poppins, Mangobite enjoy a strong imagery and appeal amongst consumers across the world. Which has resulted into Parle-G being the â€Å"world’s largest selling biscuit†. The Parle name symbolizes quality, health and great taste. Constantly innovating and catering to new tastes PARLE-G has built its reputation. This can be seen from the success of its new brands such as 20-20, Imli Bite etc. Parle Products Pvt Ltd., is now lagging in services to retailers because of improper supply and distribution in some areas and competitors taking advantage of these points. Appendix: QUESTIONNAIRE Name of the shop: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Name of the shop owner: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Address: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Contact No. : †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Shop Category: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1. Weather the retailer keeping Biscuit of any company. Parle Britannia ITC Other 2. If not keeping, weather they are interested to keep? Yes No 3. How much Biscuits brand the retailers have? Parle Britannia ITC Other 4. Space share by Biscuits? Parle Britannia ITC Other 5. Glucose Biscuit Depth. Parle-G Tiger Sun fest other 6. Salted Biscuit Depth. Monaco 50-50 Snacky 7. Cookies Biscuit Depth. 20-20 Good Day Sunfest butter cookies 8. Marie Biscuit Depth. Marie Marie Gold Marie Light 9. Cream Biscuit Depth. Hide-n-Seek Bourbun Spacial 10. Chocolate Brand in Shops? i)Perfeti ii)Parle iii)ITC iv)Nastle v)Cadbary vi)Nutrien vii)Others 11. Space share by chocolates. Perfeti Parle ITC Nastle Cadbary 12. Are you satisfied with distributor services? Parle Britannia ITC Other Remark: ________________________________________________ BIBLIOGRAPHY: I. KOTHARI .C.R. Research Methodology, New Delhi New Age International Publishers II. KOTLER PHILIP & KELLER KEVIN LANE ,Marketing Management ,Practice Hall ,New Delhi III. Websites: wikipedia search: (www.wikipedia.com) www.parleproducts.com www.tradeindia.com

Korean and japanese cinema

IntroductionThe emergence of the Japanese film industry could be dated back to the year 1898 through the emergence of the silent films whereas the Korean film’s that the Koreans produced started since the year 1919 (Paquet, 2007)†¦ This essay would then focus on Korean directors’ usage of women to elicit political and social implications. Firstly, these depictions could intensify the changing roles of the women in Korean society and secondly, it could elicit reactions from both the female and male audience. In the hopes of further deepening these implications, a view on Japanese women would also be used as a comparison.Korean view on women in society and the Director’s perspective on leading ladiesFrom the Confucian ideal of a woman is depicted through the main role of women is to be prepared in becoming a wife and a mother (Paik, 1998). Nowadays, Korean women are entering the working sphere of the country whereas before it was limited to the male species. T he directors then would like to highlight the women in a movie especially when the societal changes are much concerned with the women of the society. These depictions could bring forth the reactions from both the female and male viewers.An example on the changing view of women’s role in society is through the film, ‘YMCA Yagudan’ or ‘YMCA Baseball Team’ where the leading lady’s character is depicted to be modernized and she had a major influence on the leading man.Japanese view on women in society and the implication on societal changes resembling the Koreans’ changes and the director’s depiction for these changesLike the Korean women, Japanese women are confined to what is known to be the private sphere. The duties then lie on the men’s shoulders to provide for the family. The Japanese view on women then gradually changed by using what is known to be the private sphere or domain where women belongs to a more public domain and become a way to see that the private sphere in the form of the household is matriarchal in nature (Friedman, 1992).It could be seen in the Japanese film, Hotaro no haka’ or ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ that the male main character had the burden to provide for his sister, the female main character. Nonetheless, the changing role on women in Japan then could be seen through the changes that the two siblings had to undergo in order to survive and breaking free from the usual connotation of the family structure would be a leeway for the changes to be realized (Jubei, 1995). In a way, both the sibling depicts the changes in societal perspectives by escaping the society imposition of what they ought to do. The sister along with the brother’s pride became the motivations in running away.ConclusionWhat could be inferred from all these claims is that the leading lady’s role in a film could be a way to see the social changes and the political stands. In a K orean film, it could elicit reactions from both the women and men. Another reason is that highlighting the women predicament in a film could make the audience see the societal changes in women’s role.ReferencesFriedman, S. (1992). Women in Japanese Society: Their changing Roles.  Ã‚   Retrieved August 27, 2007, from http://www2.gol.com/users/friedman/writings/p1.htmlJubei, Y. S. (1995). Hotaro no Haka (Grave of the Fireflies).  Ã‚   Retrieved August 24, 2007, from http://www2.hawaii.edu/~dfukushi/Hotaru.htmlPaik, Y.-J. (1998). Women's Development and Information on Women in Korea.  Ã‚   Retrieved August 24, 2007, from http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla64/112-122e.htmPaquet, D. (2007). A Short History of Korean Film.  Ã‚   Retrieved August 27, 2007, from http://www.koreanfilm.org/history.html

International Relations Essay

International relations (IR) is the study of relationships among countries, the roles of sovereign states, inter-governmental organizations (IGO), international non-governmental organizations (INGO), non-governmental organizations (NGO), and multinational corporations (MNC). International relations is an academic and a public policy field, and so can be positive and normative, because it analyzes and formulates the foreign policy of a given State. As political activity, international relations dates from the time of the Greek historian Thucydides (ca. 460–395 BC), and, in the early 20th century, became a discrete academic field (No. 5901 in the 4-digit UNESCO Nomenclature) within political science. However, international relations is an interdisciplinary field of study.[3] Besides political science, the field of international relations draws intellectual materials from the fields technology and engineering, economics, history, and international law, philosophy, geography, and social work, sociology, anthropology, and criminology, psychology and gender studies, cultural studies and culturology. The scope of international relations comprehends globalization, state sovereignty, and international security, ecological sustainability, nuclear proliferation, and nationalism, economic development and global finance, terrorism and organized crime, human security, foreign interventionism, and human rights. History The history of international relations can be traced back to thousands of years ago; Barry Buzan and Richard Little, for example, consider the interaction of ancient Sumerian city-states, starting in 3,500 BC, as the first fully-fledged international system.[4] The official portraits of King WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw IV dressed according to French, Spanish and Polish fashion reflects the complex politics of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth during the Thirty Years’ War The history of international relations based on sovereign states is often traced back to the Peace of Westphalia of 1648, a stepping stone in the development of the modern state system. Prior to this the European medieval organization of political authority was based on a vaguely hierarchical religious order. Contrary to popular belief, Westphalia still embodied layered systems of sovereignty, especially within the Holy Roman Empire.[5] More than the Peace of Westphalia, the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713 is thought to reflect an emerging norm that sovereigns had no internal equals within a defined territory and no external superiors as the ultimate authority within the territory’s sovereign borders. The centuries of roughly 1500 to 1789 saw the rise of the independent, sovereign states, the institutionalization of diplomacy and armies. The French Revolution added to this the new idea that not princes or an oligarchy, but the citizenry of a state, defined as the nation, should be defined as sovereign. Such a state in which the nation is sovereign would thence be termed a nation-state (as opposed to a monarchy, or a religious  state). The term republic increasingly became its synonym. An alternative model of the nation-state was developed in reaction to the French republican concept by the Germans and others, who instead of giving the citizenry sovereignty, kept the princes and nobility, but defined nation-statehood in ethnic-linguistic terms, establishing the rarely if ever fulfilled ideal that all people speaking one language should belong to one state only. The same claim to sovereignty was made for both forms of nation-state. (It is worth noting that in Europe today, few sta tes conform to either definition of nation-state: many continue to have royal sovereigns, and hardly any are ethnically homogeneous.) The particular European system supposing the sovereign equality of states was exported to the Americas, Africa, and Asia via colonialism and the â€Å"standards of civilization†. The contemporary international system was finally established through decolonization during the Cold War. However, this is somewhat over-simplified. While the nation-state system is considered â€Å"modern†, many states have not incorporated the system and are termed â€Å"pre-modern†. Further, a handful of states have moved beyond insistence on full sovereignty, and can be considered â€Å"post-modern†. The ability of contemporary IR discourse to explain the relations of these different types of states is disputed. â€Å"Levels of analysis† is a way of looking at the international system, which includes the individual level, the domestic state as a unit, the international level of transnational and intergovernmental affairs, and the global level. What is explicitly recognized as international relations theory was not developed until after World War I, and is dealt with in more detail below. IR theory, however, has a long tradition of drawing on the work of other social sciences. The use of capitalizations of the â€Å"I† and â€Å"R† in international relations aims to distinguish the academic discipline of international relations from the phenomena of international relations. Many cite Sun Tzu’s The Art of War (6th century BC), Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War (5th century BC), Chanakya’s Arthashastra (4th century  BC), as the inspiration for realist theory, with Hobbes’ Leviathan and Machiavelli’s The Prince providing further elaboration. Similarly, liberalism[6] draws upon the work of Kant and Rousseau, with the work of the former often being cited as the first elaboration of democratic peace theory. Though contemporary human rights is considerably different from the type of rights envisioned under natural law, Francisco de Vitoria, Hugo Grotius and John Locke offered the first accounts of universal entitlement to certain rights on the basis of common humanity. In the twentieth century, in addition to contemporary theories of liberal internationalism, Marxism has been a foundation of international relations. Study of IR Flags of the member states of the United Nations Initially, international relations as a distinct field of study was almost entirely British-centered. IR only emerged as a formal academic ‘discipline’ in 1919 with the founding of the first ‘chair’ (professorship) in IR – the Woodrow Wilson Chair at Aberystwyth, University of Wales (now Aberystwyth University[7]), from an endowment given by David Davies, became the first academic position dedicated to IR. This was rapidly followed by establishment of IR at US universities and Geneva, Switzerland. In the early 1920s, the London School of Economics’ department of international relations was founded at the behest of Nobel Peace Prize winner Philip Noel-Baker, and was the first institute to offer a wide range of degrees in the field. Furthermore, the International History department at LSE, developed as primarily focused on the history of IR in the early modern, colonial and Cold War periods. The first university entirely dedicated to the study of IR was the Graduate Institute of International Studies (now the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies), which was founded in 1927 to form diplomats associated to the League of Nations, established in Geneva some years before. The Graduate Institute of International Studies offered one of the first Ph.D. degrees in international relations. Georgetown University’s  Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service is the oldest international relations faculty in the United States, founded in 1919. The Committee on International Relations at the University of Chicago was the first to offer a graduate degree, in 1928. Now Universities in USA, UK, Europe, India, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Africa, Russia, Indonesia offer Graduate, Post-Graduate & PhD degrees in IR. Theory Main article: International relations theory Normative theory In the academic discipline of International relations, Smith, Baylis & Owens in their Introduction to Smith, Baylis & Owens (2008)[8] make the case that the normative position or normative theory is to make the World a better place and that this theoretical worldview aims to do so by being aware of implicit assumptions and explicit assumptions that constitute a non-normative position and align or position the normative towards the loci of other key socio-political theories such as political Liberalism, Marxism, political Constructivism, political Realism, political Idealism and political Globalization.

Comparison of Medea and Clytemnestra Essay

Tragic heroes from Greek tragedies almost always share similar characteristics. Medea from Euripides’s play Medea and Clytemnestra from Aeschylus’s play Agamemnon display and share tragic traits. They are both vengeful wives who share similarities in the cause of their vengeance but have some differences in their chosen means of revenge; as a result of successfully exacting their revenge both Clytemnestra and Medea cause their own downfall. Both Medea and Clytemnestra seek to hurt their husbands for betraying them. Medea uses the best source of revenge ever. She uses Jason’s own children against him. For her own pride, not to look like a fool in front of anybody, Medea kills King Creon’s daughter Glauce, who is to be married to Jason, and her two children. She kills Glauce by sending her children with poisoned clothing for the princess, which also leads to the murdering of her children. She tells Jason â€Å"They died from a disease they caught from their father† (Medea 2). Killing her children is the revenge she chose because it was the best one. A woman cannot take a man’s children away from him. Men become so weak when they loose their children, especially sons. Medea says â€Å"Never again alive shall he see the sons he had by me, nor any child by his new bride of his poor girl, who has to die a wretched death poisoned by me†(Medea9). She leaves Jason with no one. By killing her sons, there is no one left to take the throne, or to carry on his name. To take a man’s sons, is the worst thing a woman can do because it takes the masculinity out of them, and they feel low. Medea knew this, and that is why she killed her sons, so he could feel horrible forever. Clytemnestra single-handedly plots the murder of Agamemnon and Cassandra, his concubine. When she is successful, she celebrates her triumph by professing it loudly, â€Å"I have had long enough to prepare this wrestle for victory†¦ I stand where I struck, over the finished work† (Agamemnon 157). Clytemnestra firmly believes her actions are ethical and fair. Standing before the Chorus, she strongly adheres to her beliefs that she was justified in killing Agamemnon. The Elders are torn between devotion to their king and the moral issues and defense Clytemnestra passionately presents before them. The entire Trojan War was based on a superfluous act of hatred and  vengefulness, spawned from the seduction of Helen. The audience can only feel sympathy for a broken hearted mother whose rage drove her to kill her husband and his concubine. It is not Agamemnon’s unfaithfulness that has spawned Clytemnestra’s hatred for her husband, but rather â€Å"a mother’s love for a daughter, and a wife’s determination to avenge that death by killing her husband† (Agamemnon 252). Clytemnestra and Medea both feel that death is the only justifiable action for what their husbands have done. The difference is that Medea does not kill her husband, instead wants him to feel the pain of the death that surrounds him. Both Clytemnestra and Medea use words to set up their victims but they do not carry out the sentences entirely in the same way. Clytemnestra mostly uses brute force where Medea uses her knowledge of poison to do the major damage. In the end though, Medea does use brute force to kill her children. After getting her revenge Medea seems triumphant but Euripides and Medea herself suggest that she suffers worse than Jason. Medea’s life becomes miserable after she kills her own children and when she realizes she will never know love again. Medea realizes that she has done something wrong by acknowledging that she is going to feel the anguish over the death of her sons. She says â€Å"then forever you may mourn; for though you will kill them, they were very dear to you† showing that she is sad that she is going to kill them (Medea 576). She realizes that she does a terrible thing and will remember it forever as she â€Å"will bring myself to Hera’s temple† (Medea 1021.) She is also devastated after being exiled from her home city. Her pain and suffering are made known when she says, â€Å"But I†¦..but this is an unexpected blow which has befallen me and has broken my heart† (Medea 876). Medea’s regret contrasts her to Clytemnestra who feels no regret even up to the time of her death. Clytemnestra believes that she was in the will of the gods because she was seeking revenge not only for her sacrificed daughter, but Agamemnon’s cousins (the brothers of Aegisthus, Clytemnestra’s lover). She was carrying out punishment for being unfaithful. According to her, she was â€Å"allowed† by the gods because of these and other repeated sins toward them (i.e. walking on the tapestries) as well as carrying out the curse of his household. This situation arouses mixed emotions in the Elders and  perhaps the same in the readers. But if the audience would put themselves in the time and culture of the Greeks, was a person not shunned unless revenge was taken for their loved ones. The entire Trojan War was based on one act of vengefulness after another, spawned from the seduction of Helen. So in that sense the reader can offer only sympathy for a broken hearted mother whose rage encouraged by her culture drove her to kill her husband and his concubine. And with this same tradition of revenge for one act to another, she too will face a day when she is killed for revenge by her son, and the cycle will continue. Many similarities exist between Euripides’ story and Aeschylus’. Both Clytemnestra and Medea are strong, passionate women who commit a horrendous crime. But then the similarity stops. In Agamemnon, we understand why Agamemnon did what he did, but somehow we feel that Clytemnestra was completely justified in planning ten years worth of bitterness against the man who killed her child. And under her circumstances, we completely sympathize with her desire to kill the man who separated her of the daughter she loved. Part of the reason we have so much sympathy for Clytemnestra is that we feel her pain, she does not seem insane to us. In the other hand, with Euripides’ Medea is the opposite. In the opening speech the Nurse warns us that Medea is dangerous; she is not presented like a suffering creature as much as the wrong woman to mess with. The reason why we can forgive Clytemnestra but not Medea is based in the innocence or guilt of their victims. Medea has killed her brother; she kills her husband’s new bride; and later she kills her children. One cannot sympathize with these acts; they are all out of proportion to Medea’s reasons for doing them; and they clearly show Medea to be out of her mind.

Challenges faced (Cultural, perceptional and religious perspective ) Research Paper

Challenges faced (Cultural, perceptional and religious perspective ) and acceptance of Islamic Finance in western (Non Islamic C - Research Paper Example Also discussed is the concern over Islamic finance allegedly supporting terrorism, and why some western countries equate Islamic finance with supporting terrorism. Some implications are highlighted and recommendations are then made based on the research as to how to deal with such issues and overcome the barriers to making Islamic finance more acceptable in Western countries. Although most Islamic banks are concentrated in Muslim countries, they are also to be found in many non-Muslim countries, especially in Europe and the U.S.). In addition, some conventional banks have also begun to offer Islamic financing schemes such as the HSBC Amanah division of HSBC Group established in 1998. Also, although several studies have been conducted on attitudes towards Islamic banking and the patronization of Islamic banks with reference to IFIs located in Muslim countries, some studies, albeit very few have also been conducted to gather the views and preferences of Western customers. A selection o f these IFIs located in Western countries is also the focus of attention and the few studies referred to above are mentioned. General perceptions of Islamic finance It proved to be difficult to ascertain the perceptions of Westerners towards Islamic finance due to a lack of studies in this area. Most studies have examined customers from Muslim and other developing countries. To give an example of one significant study, Erol & El-Bdour (1989) studied attitudes towards Islamic banking in Jordan. They used a nine-part question/statement instrument and showed that religious motivation was not such an important factor as a fast and efficient service, reputation and image, and confidentiality. Nonetheless, a general awareness of Islamic banks and their methods was evident. Sudin et al. (1994) conducted a more extensive study among both Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia. The three most important criteria for non-Muslims were firstly, friendliness of staff, secondly a fast and efficient s ervice, and thirdly the bank’s image and reputation. Another study on Malaysian customers showed that although most of them did not have a complete understanding of Islamic financial products, they did not differentiate between products from Islamic and conventional banks (Hamid & Nordin, 2001). In another study, Gerrard & Cunningham (1997) surveyed the attitude towards Islamic banking among Singaporeans where Muslims are in a minority. It was found that non-Muslims were generally lacking in awareness of Islamic banking. Furthermore, whereas Muslims were mainly motivated by religious reasons besides profitability, and had little interest in getting a high interest rate on savings, it was the opposite situation for non-Muslims. It is a similar situation in Turkey (Okumus, 2005). Even in non-Muslim countries like India where Muslims form a significant proportion of the country’s population, awareness of IFIs was low at the turn of the present century (Munawar & Llewellyn , 2002: 188). Less than half of the 720 persons interviewed knew that they even existed. This general finding of non-Muslims being more motivated by reasons other than religious ones could be the case in Western countries as well among non-Muslims that do use Islamic finance. However, during the past decade there has probably been an increasing awareness