International Business Management Essay Example for Free

International Business Management Essay Briefly explain the concept of competitive advantage. The concept of competitive advantage is all about a characteristic of having an edge over another product or service that drives the customer to choose one product or service over another. This edge can be in the form of a functionality such as multi-simcard mobile phones, or mobile phones with a television feature. It could be in the form of product design that makes the product more attractive and aesthetically desirable among a certain age group, gender or social class such as those belonging to Class A market, such as cars of the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) class. On the other hand, competitive advantage could be in the form of a noted durability and quality of a product with such as Sony television set, or an IBM computer, both of which are noted for this quality feature. It can also pertain to the multi-feature of a product or service which increases its value but not much its price. It can be in the form of a cost advantage or differentiation advantage. In a market that is filled with competing products, the concept of competitive advantage drives the ultimate choice of the consumer on what product and service to patronize over the short, medium or long-term depending on the sustainability of the competitive edge. Hence, the concept of competitive advantage pertains to the uniqueness of a product of service. Explain the concept of economies of scale and show how it relates to competitive advantage Economies of scale represents the cost advantages that an organization or business obtains due to reengineering and expansion. Likewise, this pertains to the factors that cause a manufacturer’s or producer’s average cost per unit to decrease or fall as production scale is increased. It is also a long run concept and may refer to the decrease or reductions in unit cost as the size of a production facility, or scale, increases. Economies of scale may also pertain to the utilization of a production facility so that the manufacturing of a specific product becomes competitive in terms of cost. The reduction of the cost is due to the spreading of the fixed cost over a bigger volume of production to respond to an expanded market such as exports, special orders that likewise increases the number of units to cover a bigger demand or a bigger market. Why has Ford been unable to achieve full economies of scale in manufacturing and how is the new CEO planning to address this problem? Ford has traditionally been a producer of big cars that had not been able to bring competition to its doors. With the assumption of a new CEO from Boeing, the concept of small cars found its way into the manufacturing processes using the same platform in producing the compact cars for the North American as well as the European market. With the introduction of small compact cars in the North American market, identical platforms as that used in other markets can support identical cars being produced and marketed in other markets. Using the term global to describe the Ford Focus as a global brand, Ford Motors does not anticipate the model to manufactured differently which will entail higher production cost due to non-availment of that economies of scale. Thus, the rationalization of the production processes will likely result into a cost-savings advantage. . What does the Ford case show about the tension between Local and Global strategies? Local and global strategies, insofar as Ford Motors Company is concerned, vary greatly in terms of approaches. Local strategies are what defines the marketing approaches that are confined to the local market and its workings. Global strategies indicate a more sophisticated marketing approach to a wider area and which requires a more comprehensive management of resources to stay competitive and relevant. The Ford case is an eye-opener for Ford itself. Its traditional view of car manufacturing has been confined to its own culture of bigness. Thus, with smaller cars responding to a new global demand in and a response to the increasing world oil prices, the consumer market suddenly found an ally among oil producing and exporting countries. A new type of car, the global car is a sure winner for many. The tension between local and global standard at Ford Motors \company is an issue of sustainable competitive advantage in smaller cars that require common platforms, a lower production cost profile and a pocket friendly car with social relevance in terms of savings.

The Awakening :: essays research papers

The Awakening In the book The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, Edna Pontellier is an unhappy, married, mother who finds an outlet from her life through a welcoming ocean. "A certain ungovernable dread hung about her when in water, unless there was a hand nearby that might reach out and reassure her."(p.27) Edna is frightened by the ocean and very overwhelmed by its massive strength. Then she learns to swim and becomes fascinated by what was once an intimidator. "How easy it is!" It is nothing."(p.27) Edna is very pleased with this new found joy; Edna is estatic over conquering her fear. "She could have shouted for joy, she did shout for joy."(p.27) Edna feels happy with herself for the first time in many years. "She felt like some new-born creature, opening its eyes in a familiar world it had never known."(p.115) Edna begins swimming regularly and thoroughly enjoys it. "Edna plunged and swam about with an abandon thrilled and invigorated her."(p.49) "She remained a long time in the water."(p.49) Swimming, for Edna, provides a much needed recess from her home life and the typical role of a woman and a wife in the 19th century. "I have a notion to go down to the beach and take a good wash and even a little swim," "before dinner? The water is too cold. Don't think of it." "Well I might go down and try-dip my toes in."(p.114) Edna is growing very fond of the ocean and so adorns her swims. No one will keep her from this new pleasure that brings such satisfaction to her life. Edna feels free for the first time since her childhood. She loves so much this mysterious new being that is so wonderful to her. The ocean proves to be a place where she can transcend her life into the life of who she wants to be. "The touch of the sea is sensuous unfolding the body in its soft, close embrace."(p.115) Edna feels closer to the sea than anyone she has ever known. "She thought of Leonce and the children. They were a part of her life, but they need not have thought they could posses her."(p.116) Edna is slowly beginning to awaken from the marriage and life that has held her comatose for so long. She realizes why she is unhappy and looks to the sea for commiseration and answers, but finds none. Edna can only continue her love affair with the ocean and appreciate her newly-discovered soulmate.

I Have a Dream Speech Essay

1- The analogy in Paragraphs 4 through 6 of the speech â€Å" I have a Dream†, use the similarity or comparability analogy. Which is means analogy is a comparison between two different things in order to highlight some point of similarity. As Freud suggested, an analogy won’t settle an argument, but a good one may help to clarify the issues. Like the Martin Luther King’s speech: It is obvious today the America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this scared obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, which has come back marked â€Å"insufficient funds.† 2 – In my opinion, racism is a certain kind of prejudice, based on faulty reasoning and inflexible generalizations toward a specific group. Much of today’s racism can be traced to the area of colonialism that began in the 1400s. When Europeans began colonizing Africa and the Americas, the white settlers adopted the idea that they were superior to the other races they encountered and it was their job to â€Å"civilize the savages.† According to Martin Luther King in â€Å"I have a dream†: â€Å" It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned.† (Pg.45) Racism in the United States was worse during 18th and 19th century than at any period before or since. Segregation, racial discrimination, and expressions of white supremacy all increased. So did anti-black violence, including lynching and race riots. 3-United States has a black president from 2008 to present. Like Luther King said: â€Å" It is dream deeply rooted in meaning of its creed- we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal,† So his king came true in these days. Work Cited : Luther King, Martin. â€Å"I Have a Dream .† (1968): 44-48. Print.

Indian television in the era of globalization Essay

Since its birth in 1959, it seems that Indian television has developed in a way that is similar to most of the world’s broadcasting sectors. Conquered by technological progress, particularly by the major advance that the introduction of satellite transmissions represents, the Indian television sector broke with its old practices to enter the era of globalization to which the opening to foreign players, the competition regime and the respect of commercial requirements are essential components. The successive evolutions that Indian television underwent seem to confirm Marshall McLuhan’s theory of a â€Å"global village†, which describes how the world has been contracted into a homogenized space by the media revolution. However, this simplistic vision denies the specificities of India as a culture and as a country, which became the specificities of Indian television. With 22 official languages, an enormous and heterogeneous population, one of the world’s largest territories and a tendency to continuously swing between tradition and modernity, India admittedly adapted its television sector to the globalized context but also imposed its restrictions and particularities. How did Indian television become integrated to the globalized media system while protecting its identity and imposing its requirements? With the successive evolutions – the technological progresses, the shift from an educational project to a competitive, consumer-oriented and profit-making market and the exportation of foreign programs and production methods – it underwent in the early 20th century, Indian television indeed got integrated into the globalized and transnational media system. As such it became a privileged target of know-how transfers coming from the West and a market of economic interest for foreign players. Heterogeneity constitutes India’s major specificity and its television sector could not have got established regardless to it. Even if it decided to enter the process of globalization, Indian television endeavored to defend and promote the country’s linguistic, territorial, social and cultural diversity. The Indian broadcasting space definitely does not get homogenized. On the contrary, it constantly reports the main oppositions that ceaselessly stimulate and drive the Indian population – tradition and modernity, local and global, urban and rural, well-off and impoverished. The example of the Indian television sector demonstrates that India is not passively affected by globalization but constitutes one of its major actors: it manages to make the country’s voice heard and to impose its requirements and its power of cultural appropriation at international level. BIBLIOGRAPHY DEPREZ C., La tà ©là ©vision indienne : un modà ¨le d’appropriation culturelle, De Boeck, 2006. DESAI M. K.,  « Indian television in the era of globalisation : unity, diversity or disparity ?  », in Quaderns del CAC, 202, no. 14 3-12. DURAND-DASTES F.,  « L’Inde dans la mondialisation  » in LEFORT I. and MORINIAUX V. (dir.), La mondialisation, Editions du temps, 2006, 235-256. JULURI V.,  « Music television and the invention of youth culture in India  », in Sage Journals, 2002, vol. 3 no. 4 367-386. KUMAR S., Gandhi meets primetime : globalization and nationalism in Indian television, University of Illinois Press, 2005. RANGANATHAN M., RODRIGUES U. M., Indian media in a globalised world, Sage publications, 2010. SINCLAIR J., HARRISON M.,  « Globalization, nation and television in Asia : the cases of India and China  », in Sage Journals, 2004, vol. 5 no. 1 41-54.

Definition and Examples of Text in Language Studies

Definition and Examples of Text in Language Studies In linguistics, the term text refers to: The original words of something written, printed, or spoken, in contrast to a summary or paraphrase.A coherent stretch of language that may be regarded as an object of critical analysis. Text linguistics refers to a form of discourse analysis- a method of studying written or spoken language- that is concerned with the description and analysis of extended texts (those beyond the level of the single sentence). A text can be any example of written or spoken language, from something as complex as a book or legal document to something as simple as the body of an email or the words on the back of a cereal box. In the humanities, different fields of study concern themselves with different forms of texts. Literary theorists, for example, focus primarily on literary texts- novels, essays, stories, and poems. Legal scholars focus on legal texts such as laws, contracts, decrees, and regulations. Cultural theorists work with a wide variety of texts, including those that may not typically be the subject of studies, such as advertisements, signage, instruction manuals, and other ephemera. Text Definition Traditionally, a text is understood to be a piece of written or spoken material in its primary form (as opposed to a paraphrase or summary). A text is any stretch of language that can be understood in context. It may be as simple as 1-2 words (such as a stop sign) or as complex as a novel. Any sequence of sentences that belong together can be considered a text. Text refers to content rather than form; for example, if you were talking about the text of Don Quixote, you would be referring to the words in the book, not the physical book itself. Information related to a text, and often printed alongside it- such as an authors name, the publisher, the date of publication, etc.- is known as paratext. The idea of what constitutes a text has evolved over time. In recent years, the dynamics of technology- especially social media- have expanded the notion of the text to include symbols such as emoticons and emojis. A sociologist studying teenage communication, for example, might refer to texts that combine traditional language and graphic symbols. Texts and New Technologies The concept of the text is not a stable one. It is always changing as the technologies for publishing and disseminating texts evolve. In the past, texts were usually presented as printed matter in bound volumes such as pamphlets or books. Today, however, people are more likely to encounter texts in digital space, where the materials are becoming more fluid, according to linguists David Barton and Carmen Lee: Texts can no longer be thought of as relatively fixed and stable. They are more fluid with the changing affordances of new media. In addition, they are becoming increasingly multimodal and interactive. Links between texts are complex online, and intertextuality is common in online texts as people draw upon and play with other texts available on the web. An example of such intertextuality can be found in any popular news story. An article in The New York Times, for example, may contain embedded tweets from Twitter, links to outside articles, or links to primary sources such as press releases or other documents. With a text such as this, it is sometimes difficult to describe what exactly is part of the text and what is not. An embedded tweet, for instance, may be essential to understanding the text around it- and therefore part of the text itself- but it is also its own independent text. On social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as blogs and Wikipedia, it is common to find such relationships between texts. Text Linguistics Text linguistics is a field of study where texts are treated as communication systems. The analysis deals with stretches of language beyond the single sentence and focuses particularly on context, i.e. information that goes along with what is said and written. Context includes such things as the social relationship between two speakers or correspondents, the place where communication occurs, and non-verbal information such as body language. Linguists use this contextual information to describe the socio-cultural environment in which a text exists. Sources Barton, David, and Carmen Lee. Language Online: Investigating Digital Texts and Practices. Routledge, 2013.Carter, Ronald, and Michael McCarthy. Cambridge Grammar of English. Cambridge University Press, 2006.Ching, Marvin K. L., et al. Linguistic Perspectives on Literature. Routledge, 2015.

6 Horrible Risks of Study Drugs

6 Horrible Risks of Study Drugs In this article we’re going to quickly go through the risks of taking study drugs, or smart drugs, to try and get ahead in college or pull through those all-nighter study sessions. We’re going to cover all 6 bases that you should be informed on as a student who is at least considering it. I mean, why else would you read this? By the time you’re done you’ll know the risks. Let’s begin. 1. Ummm†¦You’ll Get Addicted! This is a risk from a few different angles. Let’s say someone decided to â€Å"help themselves study† by using some type of drug†¦that typically includes methamphetamines. Okay, what if that first time or two it does help them study and their grades go up? That’s the worst thing that could happen because then they’ll be under the mistaken impression it can be sustained. â€Å"I can control it† they begin to tell themselves. Yet what they don’t know is these drugs are as addictive as cocaine. Pretty soon they start believing they can’t study without it. Then of course have to take into account the physical addiction. Some are much more addictive than others. Regardless, do you really want to get addicted to this drug? Is that a wise productive decision? No. 2. You’ll Completely Crash Burn It might work a couple times or for a little while without causing much trouble if you’re lucky. But sooner rather than later you’ll crash and burn. The wakeup call will be that first big bombed test. The first time the professor brings you into their office to talk about your sudden disappearance from class or the fact you’re falling asleep during lectures. No one, literally no one, can take these drugs over the long haul and expect to maintain a good GPA. Make no mistake, the vast majority of students abuse these drugs. If you have even a slight addictive personality you’re in for trouble. 3. You’ll Get a Bad Rep What happens when people in class start believing you’re on drugs all the time? What if you get the rep of a drug user? What if you get caught with them (we’ll touch on this more in a moment)? At first it might sound â€Å"cool† to take them to study, but pay close attention to those that are now tricking themselves into believing they need it to study. How are they perceived by the people around them? What sort of crowd do they run with? Ask yourself if this is really what you’re all about and think again. 4. You’ll Get Arrested It’s a federal crime dude. And, make no mistake, your university and the law enforcement where you are will take it seriously. Having pills without prescription is a big no no these days due to the mind-boggling amount of overdoses and deaths that are happening. Don’t get this on your record. It’s not worth it. Don’t get caught up in the jail system or have to call home to explain to your parents why you’ve been kicked out altogether or temporarily from classes (and you’ll lose any and all scholarship money probably). 5. The Potential Side Effects Suck Here’s a quote about student life and the types of smart drug side effects students can look forward to if they get involved in this sort of thing: â€Å"Anxiety, depression, dependency, extreme anxiety levels, nervous breakdowns, sleep disorders, suicidal thoughts, psychosis nervousness, jitters, stomach problems, headaches, sleeplessness and a decrease in appetite.† (Elizabeth Hoyt) Are you willing to risk all that nonsense just to try and inch your GPA up without doing it the old school way? Is it really that hard to just crack open the books and study? How about join a study group? Honestly, no educational goal is worth ruining your life over. That’s a bit too oxymoron. 6. You’ll Go Completely Insane No joke. Maybe not clinically insane where you need to wear a straightjacket all day, but you won’t be your normal self. You’ll be sleep deprived, anxious paranoid or possibly incarnated in jail around some real odd characters. What’s the point? No, it’s not normal to abuse drugs in college. It’s not. Maybe it is among the packs of students with low GPAs who are really just there to avoid the real world, but not the serious students. It’s completely abnormal and leads to completely abnormal behavior. This is a serious subject so we would love to get your input. What’s the atmosphere around smart drugs like at your school and what do you think of them and the risks of usage?

Business Plan Final Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Business Plan Final Report - Assignment Example The report is prepared for developing and presenting a business plan for the launch of a new business. The business under consideration in this business plan is a bakery business which will be opened up in the form of physical stores in the food retail market of Canada. The report starts with a small discussion regarding what the business will be about and where it will be opened up. This is followed by an introduction that would help the reader of the business plan to understand the main goals of the business plan and act as a guiding section for the reader to keep a track of the whole business plan and its different sections. The report is written in clear and simple language with proper headings and subheadings provided in each section so that the reader of the business plan is able to understand every part of the report easily. Simple words and small well-constructed sentences have been used to make the business plan easily readable as well as easily comprehendible. The business plan includes a section for the analysis of the internal and external factors that may directly or indirectly impact the business. Apart from this, a thorough financial analysis has also been conducted to understand the financial scopes and performances of the Sweet Berry Baker Company in the next 3 years. Thus, the marketing, operational and financial requirements and constraints have been studied in detail while preparing this business plan. The business plan is prepared with the aim of attracting investments from different types of institutional and individual investors like venture capitalists, private equity firms, angel investors, banks and other financial institutions, corporate institutions, private investors etc. Also, the business plan would serve as a document for setting the initial operational standards, product and service requirements and features and the functioning requirements of the Sweet Berry