Technology Is the Solution to Overpopulation Essay Example

Technology Is the Solution to Overpopulation Paper At some point the steadily rising population will move from being a problem that is geographically distant to one that is immediate and more salient than just an increasing value on a faceless counter. This problem of population growth leads to a number of solutions that could have significant implications on the quality of life. Taking no action and allowing population to grow unchecked could possibly risk the entire human species if food or clean water were to become unavailable worldwide. Aiming for zero population growth would in theory maintain the existing quality of fife since a stable population would not increase their use of resources. However not all resources are renewable, so scarcities could still occur with a fixed population size. In an extreme case permanent resource depletion under zero population growth could have the same extinction effect that unchecked growth can lead to. Despite the escalating risk of unchecked population growth, technological advances necessitated by the increase in population will at least maintain the quality of life and could possibly improve conditions. Southwest in Global Ecology in Human Perspective says that human population has increased geometrically over the past two millennia. With a high number of people in their reproductive age the potential for continued growth is likely. Southwest says that scientists think the world population has increased far beyond an optimal size of one to two billion. The optimal population comes from a standard of middle class quality of life. A more critical analysis of population growth relates it to a cancer in an organism. We will write a custom essay sample on Technology Is the Solution to Overpopulation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Technology Is the Solution to Overpopulation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Technology Is the Solution to Overpopulation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Despite the level of pessimism on population growth, future research needs to be conducted with a more objective viewpoint to counteract cultural and emotional origins (Southwest, 1996). With the likelihood that population will continue to increase when considering Southwests observation that many people able to reproduce, the population will continue to move further from its optimal size. This deviation implies that the quality of life must be decreasing for many. In reality this decline has not happened. As discussed in class, increased agricultural yields have allowed for a larger population to be adequately supported. Even with the increased amount of food, Southwest says that 20 percent of the world population is malnourished (1996). More food may be available but it still is to being distributed to all of those who need it. The lack of rapid worldwide transport of all goods including food may appear to be a hindrance to well- being but this disconnection between locations may provide an important health safeguard. Diseases are another negative factor to human population growth and some highly contagious fatal diseases can risk human extinction. A virus can only spread if it can find someone else to infect before it kills the carrier. A fatal disease that leads to death after a long period of time increases the chance that the carrier can infect other people, in turn bringing population closer to extinction. In terms Of transportation, if people and goods in the world are too well connected, then a fatal disease that has the potential to lead to extinction would be able to infect many people over large area since the disease can spread quickly over trade routes. The World Health Organization has found that the current spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or CARS is facilitated by international travel and can quickly infect many people around the world. Originating in Southeast Asia, speedy transportation has turned CARS from a regional problem into an international issue (World Health Organization, 2003). To avoid the risk of mass deaths due to rapidly spreading diseases, international policymakers need to avoid the creation off level of world interconnectedness that is too quick. A slightly disconnected world may mean goods may not reach all places where in demand, but the risk of fatal diseases affecting large regions of population would be less. The ideal model of resource distribution is to have necessities be located near areas of population. Localized resources would reduce the need for goods to travel long distances over a lengthened period of time to avoid the spread of disease. Increased levels of population could live well off of added amounts of food that are nearby. This best case of locating populations near resources would be difficult to obtain in practice as resources and populations are already in fixed locations. If people were unwilling to move near where food is available it would be difficult, except in times Of war and famine, to force them to relocate. A compromise solution would accept the fact that not all people of the world will be able to have a high standard of living but the potential for improved quality exists. This potential cannot be reached immediately since resources ND population remain geographically separate and faster transportation would increase the spread of fatal diseases.

Presidents and Vice Presidents - How They Are Elected

Presidents and Vice Presidents - How They Are Elected The president and vice president of the United States campaign together and are elected as a team and not individually following the adoption of the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was drafted to prevent the nations two highest elected officials from being from opposing political parties. The amendment made it more difficult, but not impossible, for voters to elect members of two political parties president and vice president. Candidates for president and vice president have appeared together on the same ticket since the election of 1804, the year the 12th Amendment was ratified. Prior to the adoption of the constitutional amendment, the office of vice president was awarded to the presidential candidate who won the second-largest number of votes, regardless of which political party he represented. In the presidential election of 1796, for example, voters chose John Adams, a Federalist, to be president. Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, was the runner-up in the vote count and thus became vice president to Adams. How a President and Vice President Could Be From Different Parties Still, theres nothing in the U.S. Constitution, particularly  the 12th Amendment, that prevents a  Republican from choosing a Democratic running mate or a Democrat from choosing a Green Party politician as her vice presidential candidate.  In fact, one of the nations modern-day presidential nominees came very close to selecting a running mate who wasnt from his own party. Still, it would be extremely difficult for a president to win an election in today’s hyperpartisan political climate with a running mate from an opposing party.   How could it happen? How could the United States end up with a Republican president and a Democratic vice president, or vice-versa?  Its  important to understand, first, that presidential and vice presidential candidates run together on the same ticket. Voters do not elect them separately but as a team. Voters choose presidents primarily based on their party affiliation, and their running mates typically are only minor factors in the decision-making process. So, in theory, the most obvious way for there to be a president and vice president from opposing political parties is for them to run on the same ticket.  What makes such a scenario unlikely, though, is the damage the candidate would sustain from members and voters of his party. Republican John McCain, for example, withered from the â€Å"outrage† of Christian conservatives when they found out he was leaning toward asking U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, a pro-abortion rights Democrat who left the party and became an independent. Theres one other way the U.S. could end up with a president and vice president could end up from opposing parties: in the case of an electoral tie where both presidential candidates receive fewer than the 270 electoral votes needed to win. In that case, the House of Representatives would choose the president and the Senate would choose the vice president. If the chambers are controlled by different parties, they would likely pick two people from opposing parties to serve in the White House. Why It's Unlikely thePresident and Vice President Would Be From Different Parties Sidney M. Milkis and Michael Nelson, the authors of The American Presidency: Origins and Development, 1776–2014, describe a â€Å"new emphasis on loyalty and competence and the new care invested in the selection process† as a reason presidential nominees choose a running mate with similar positions from the same party. â€Å"The modern era has been marked by an almost complete absence of ideologically opposed running mates, and those vice-presidential candidates who have differed on the issues with the head of the ticket have hastened to gloss over past disagreements and deny that any exist in the present.† What the Constitution Says Before the adoption of the 12th Amendment in 1804, voters chose presidents and vice presidents separately. When a president and vice  president were from opposing parties, as Vice President Thomas Jefferson and President John Adams were in the late 1700s, many thought the split provided a system of checks and balances just within the  executive branch.   According to the National Constitution Center, though: The presidential candidate who received the most electoral votes won the presidency; the runner-up became the vice president. In 1796, this meant that the president and the vice president were from different parties and had different political views, making governance more difficult. The adoption of Amendment XII solved this problem by allowing each party to nominate their team for president and vice president. Support for Electing Presidents and Vice Presidents Separately States could, in fact, allow separate votes for a president and vice president. But all of them now unify the two candidates on one ticket on their ballots. Vikram David Amar, a law professor at the University of California at Davis, wrote: â€Å"Why are voters denied the chance to vote for a president of one party and a vice president of the other? After all, voters often split their votes in other ways: between a president of one party and a House member or senator of the other; between federal representatives of one party and state representatives of the other.†

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 41

Essay Example The rate at which Digital networks is transforming workplace is incredible. The networked business entities have created a virtual business environment where by employees can now work from home. Work groups are distributed around the entire globe in almost all the fields of works. Their convergence is achieved through hosting meetings over the internet through videos and audios, regardless of their location (Davenport, 2005 p.56). The advancement of these efforts has enabled them to share thoughts, goals and common interests of their respective fields of professions. This virtual environment has proven to be a positive impact to businesses since it enhances flexibility of work and duties. Organizations must shun the old and outdated models which they usually engaged in. The tendency of employees converging at the central place of work is boring since a few numbers of employees can keep up with that model today (Regan & Oconnor, 2002 p.8). Proper organization structure, resource management and staffing are the key strategies for the success of any business of the company need to be motivated to make them enjoy their duties which enhances productivity of the organization. Adoption of Information Communication Technology in businesses fosters overwhelming business relationships. The relationship among the customers, the employee and the business shareholders have to be strong. The time factor at which the customer receives his /her services is also paramount since if acts as a motivation factor to attract more customers. A good technological system ensures all these necessities are taken into account (Regan & Oconnor, 2002 p.12). In a networked business setup, workers can access all the information they need from the powerful PCs of the company. The presence of Wide web’s opens up the enterprises to the world thus creating more opportunities on their services. Business inventions are also important aspects for its

Gothic Style Architecture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gothic Style Architecture - Research Paper Example (White, 1993) The style is considered to be classical to some extent because it is prominent before the renaissance period came in. At the same time, it originated and had several modifications that were derived from the Romanesque Architecture. (Athena Publications, 1996) This style flourished during the Middle Ages, also known as Dark Ages. The most prominent and influential powers are the Church and the King. Feudal System flourished as well. In most cases, religion has a strong say about what happens in the society back then. However, Gothic period is also reflective of the low status of art during those times. (Thomas, 2000) Most of the Tribes of Goths, Vandals and the like had an intention of eliminating the Greco-Roman culture. (Thomas, 2000) Gothic Architecture was preceded by the Romanesque Architectural which also had arches and several huge domes. To some perspective, the Romanesque style influenced the way Gothic architecture presented itself in history. Mostly, the Roman esque Architecture had its traditions and conventions derived from the Greco-Roman Architectural style. (Athena Publications, 1996) Given that case, we cannot fully consider Gothic art and architecture as something that is highly valued. It’s dark stigma and stereotype manifests the dark period where it is confined and existed. However, despite of its depreciation from the people during that period, specifically the tribes, this downfall period is reflective of the exchange of light and dark art periods: Classical to Renaissance then to Baroque. (Thomas, 2000) Classical is more of dark, emotional themes and style in contrast to Renaissance which is more humanist and scientific. The Baroque which also values shadow and emotions are somehow related to the dark style the perpetrated the Classical or Gothic art and architecture period. What ultimately constitutes the conventions and technical aspects of the Gothic Architectural design? The Gothic Architecture is commonly known to have â€Å"specific structural elements, such as ribbed vaults, pointed arches, and the flying buttress.† (Kidson, 2011) Ribbed Vaults showed the ceiling structure that is somehow seen like a dome on the inside with intricate designs that are supported by the columns. (Athena Publications, 1996) These vaults provided a spacious ceiling that made the Gothic buildings spacious and huge not just outside but also inside. The pointed arches, on the other hand, are viewed on the external of these buildings. On the bare minimum, these arches contributed to the spacious appearance that is working in unison with the vaulted arches on the inside. At the same the arches also reflected the extravagance of the Gothic architecture. The flying buttresses have provided a different role in the existence of the Gothic Architecture. They are actually supporting the other structures of the Gothic Church, mainly the vault. (Athena Publications, 1996) They are usually attached to walls and act as a support to the vaults of the Gothic buildings. To some extent, they provide more spacious ceiling appearance. Even if Gothic Architecture has a certain specific style, several styles of it emanated depending on a specific geographical domain. All of them are relatively the same, however, the French, Italian and English Gothic Architectural design asserted their own identity. France is considered to be the birthplace of this architectural movement. At the same time, there was a strong

Strategic Options That Globalization Offers To Firms Marketing Essay

Strategic Options That Globalization Offers To Firms Marketing Essay This report looks at how firms can explore opportunities that globalization offers if they wish to grow with established or new products in a new or existing market. The report looks at a number of strategic options which can be pursued to gain competitive advantage over other firms. Strategic options which are available mainly offered by the ansoff matrix are discussed. Other strategic options such as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Collaborative ventures, Exporting, Take over, mergers, acquisitions, franchising and licensing and many more. Examples of firms that exploited opportunities that Globalization offers are also discussed in this report. Some of the companies are Samsung, Virgin group, Vodafone, SWIFT, LNM (Mittal), Google, Motorola, McDonalds, Sony, BMW, SABMiller and many more. INTRODUCTION Globalization of markets refers to the gradual integration and growing interdependence of national economics. Globalisation allows firms to view the world as an integrated market place. Globalisation has a broader meaning and also refers to the interconnectedness of national economies and the growing interdependence of buyers, producers, producers, supplies and government in different countries. Market globalization in manifested in by the production and marketing of branded products and services worldwide. Declining trade barriers and the ease with which international business transactions take place due to the internet and other technologies are contributing to a gradual integration of most national economies into a unified market. Early civilization in the Mediterranean Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe have all contributed to the growth of cross-border trade over time. Bursts of cross-border trade have been triggered by world events and technological discoveries. LITERATURE REVIEW The globalization of markets has opened up countless new business opportunities for internationalizing firms. Globalisation allows firms to explore opportunities in new established markets, with new or existing products. According to H. Ansoff, firms wishing to go international can use the Ansoff product and/or market matrix which provides a simple way of generating four basic alternative direction for strategic development; Market Penetration, Product Development, Market Development and Diversification. Firms can go global with the following scenarios. An existing product in an existing market (market penetration consolidation), an existing product in a new market (Market Development), a new product in an existing market (Product Development); and a new product in a new market. Market Penetration Consolidation This strategic option is when a firm increases share of its existing product range, is on the face of it the most obvious strategic direction. It builds on existing strategic capabilities and does not require the firm to venture into uncharted territory. The organizations scope is exactly the same. Greater market share implies increased power vis-a-vis buyers and supplies, greater economies of scale and experience curve benefits. Firms seeking greater market penetration may face two constraints; Retaliation from compellation and legal constraints. Retaliation and Competitors Increasing market penetration is likely to exacerbate industry rivalry as other competitors in the market defend their share. Increased rivalry might involve price wars or expensive marketing battles, which may cost more than any market shares gains are actually worth. In low growth or declining markets, it can be more effective simply to acquire competitors. For example; in the steel industry the Indian LNM (Mittal) moved rapidly in the 2000s to become the largest steel producer in the world by acquiring struggling steel companies around the world. Acquisition can actually reduce rivalry. Legal Constraints Greater market penetration can raise concerns from official competition regulators concerning excessive market power. Most countries have regulators with the powers to restrain powerful companies or prevent mergers and acquisitions that would create such excessive power. Example in the UK, competition commission can investigate any merger or any acquisition that would account for more than 25% of the national market and either half a deal or proposed measures that would reduce market power. Consolidation This is when firms focus defensively on their current market with current products. Product Development This is where firms deliver modified or new products to existing markets. This strategy can be undertaken by firms who wish to explore opportunities in existing market with a new product. This is a limited extension of organisational scope. Product development implies greater degrees of innovation firms who wish to explore opportunities in established markets with new products can fare challenges because it is expensive and high-risk activities because of the following: New Strategic Capabilities Product development typically involves mastering new technologies that may be unfamiliar to the firm. For example, banks entered online banking at the beginning of this century but suffered many setbacks with technologies so radically different to their traditional high street branch means of delivering banking services. Project Management Risk Product development projects are typically subject to the risk of delays and increased costs due to project complexity and changing project specification over time. For example, 7.6bn Airbus A380 double-decker air line project, which suffered two years of delays in the mid 2000s because of wiring problem. Air bus had managed reveral new aircraft developments before but the high degree of customization required by each airline customer and incompatibilities in computer-aided design software, led to greater complexity than the Airbus project management could handle. Market Development If product development is risky and expensive, firms wishing to explore opportunities to go global can use Market Development has a strategy where the firm offers existing products to new markets. Markets development might take three forms: New statement. For example in the public services, a collage might offer its educational services to older students than its traditional intake, perhaps via evening courses. New Users. An example would be aluminium, whose original users packaging and cutlery manufactures are now supplemented by users in aerospace and automobiles. New Geographics. It is essential that market development strategies are based on products or services that meet the critical success factors of the new market. Strategies based on simply off-loading traditional products or services in new markets are likely to fail. Moreover, market development faces similar problems as product development. In terms of strategic capabilities, market developers often lack the right marketing skills and brands to make progress in a market with unfamiliar customers. On the management side the challenge is coordinating between different segments, users and geographics, which might all have different needs. Example Diversification Diversification is defined as a strategy that takes an organisation away from both its existing products. (Johnson et al, pp 262). It radically increases the firm scope. A good deal of diversification in practice involves building a relationship with existing markets or products. Market penetration and product development entail some diversifying adjustment of product or markets. Diversification is just one of the directions for Globalisation and needs to be considered alongside its alternatives. Opportunities which may drive firms to go global are Efficiency Gains. Efficiency gains can be made by applying the organizations existing resources existing resources or capabilities to new markets and products or services. These are also called Economics of Scope. If an organisation has utilized resources or competences that it cannot effectively close or sell to other potential users, it can make sense to use these resources or competences by going global using diversification into new activity. Stretching Corporate Parenting Capabilities. At the corporate parent level, managers may develop a competence at managing a range of different products and services which can be applied even to businesses which do not share resource at the corporate parenting skills as the dominant general management logic. For example, a French Conglomerate LVMH includes a wide range of business form champagne through fashion and perfumes, to financial media that share few operation resources or competences. Increasing Market Power. With many businesses, an organisation can afford to cross-subsidize one business from the surplus earned by another, in a way that competitors may not be able to. Types of Diversification Firms wishing to explore opportunities in new or established markets, with new or existing products can diversify through Related diversification or Unrelated diversification. Related Diversification This is corporate development beyond current products and markets, but within the capabilities or the value network of the organisation ( ). For example, Procter and Gamble are diversified corporation, but virtually all of their interests are in fast moving consumer goods distributed through retailers. Their various business benefit therefore from shared capabilities in research and development, consumer marketing, building relationships with powerful retailers and global brand development. Related Diversification can be done in two ways; Vertical integration describes either backward or forward integration into adjacent activities in the value network. Backward integration refers to development into activities concerned with the inputs into the companys current business. Forward integration refers to development into activities which are concerned with a companys outputs. Horizontal integration is development into activities which are complementary or adjacent to present activities. Unrelated Diversification Unrelated Diversification is the development of products or services beyond the current capabilities or value network. Unrelated diversification is often described as a Conglomerate Strategy because there are no obvious economies of scope. DISCUSSION Globalisation allows companies to explore opportunities in new or established markets with new or existing with new or existing products. Firms go global to mainly maximize profits by increasing their market share and exploiting opportunities in other geographic areas. As market globalization intensifies, firms are compelled to respond to challenges and exploit new advantages. Many firms proactively pursue globalization as a strategic move. They become more aggressive at identifying foreign market opportunities, seeking partnerships with foreign firms and building organisational capabilities in order to enhance their competitive advantage. Market globalization is driven by a number of factors World Wide Reduction of Barriers to Trade and Investment. Many national governments have reduced trade and investment barriers, this has accelerated global economic integration. For example, in South Africa, tariffs on the imports of automobile, industrial machinery and countless other products have declined nearly to zero encouraging free international exchange of goods and services. The China government has committed its self to make its market more accessible to foreign companies. Reduction of trade barriers is also associated with the emergence of regional economic integration blocs, which is a key dimension of market globalization. Industrialization, Economic Development and Modernization. Industrialization implies that emergency markets are moving from being low value-adding commodity producers, dependant on low-cost labour, to sophisticated competitive producers and exporters of premium products such as electronics, computers and aircraft. For example, Brazil has become a leading producer of private aircraft and the Czech Republic excels in the production of automobiles. India is now a leading supplier of computer software. Integration of World Financial Markets. Integration of world financial markets makes it possible for internationally active firms to raise capital, borrow funds and engage in foreign currency transactions. Financial services firms follow their customers to foreign markets. Cross-Border transactions are made easier partly as a result of the ease with which funds can be transferred between buyers and sellers, through a network of international commercial banks. For example, Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) connects over 7,800 financial institutions in some 200 countries, it facilitates the exchange of financial transactions. Advances in Technology. Technology is a remarkable facilitator of globalization and provides means for internationalization. Firms wishing to explore opportunities in other countries or connects can interact more effectively with foreign partners or subsidiaries and value-chain members than ever before. Technology advances have made the loss of international operation as affordable for all types of firms. For example, information technology allows firms to more efficiently adapt products for international rich markets Intel and Motorola, two of the worlds premier technology companies, both receive a substantial portion of their revenue from sales in china because China is a place to be when it comes to technological progress. It is very important for firms wishing to explore their opportunities globally through development of new products to take technology seriously for its spurs good appeal to a global audience. To adequately explore the opportunities that globalization possess forms can pursue a number of strategies that forms wishing to explore opportunities the global market can pursue. Market Penetration and Consolidation. Market penetration is where an organisation gains market share with existing products in an existing market. For example LNM (Mittal) an Indian company rapidly in the 2000s to become the largest steel producers in the world. Acquisitions can actually reduce rivalry thereby increasing market share by taking out independent players and consolidating them under one umbrella. However, this strategy has constraints such as Retaliation from competitors and legal constraints. For example, Gaz de France and Suez, two utility companies with dominant positions in France and Belgium, decided to merge in 2006, the European Commission insisted that the two companies reduce their power by diverting some of their subsidiaries and opening up their networks to competitors. Consolidation mainly focuses defensively on their current markets with current products. Product Development is where firms deliver new products or modified products to existing markets. An example of a firm which developed its products is Sony, it developed its products from walkman portable music system from Audio tapes, through CDs to MP3 based systems. Effectively it involved the same markets but the technologies are vatically different. Another example is Samsung which developed its brand and this has continuously rising strong. According to Jan Luedermana, global managing director of Inter Brand said that Samsungs key success factor is management ambition and determination to make Samsung a continuos product developing brand. However, product development can be an expensive and high-risk activity for two reasons, new strategic capabilities and project management. For example, a  £7.6 billion Airbus A380 double-decker air project, suffered 2 years of delays in the mid 2000s because of wiring problems. Market Development is where existing products are offered in new markets. For example, German car maker BMW launched a new factory in South Carolina, US in order to readily access the huge US market. Globalisation drove BMW to relocate key value-adding activities to most advantageous location in the world. Diversification is a strategy that takes an organisation away from both its existing markets and its existing products. An example of a firm which used diversification to go global is the Virgin group. Virgin in one of UKs largest private companies, its highest profit business was Virgin Atlantic which had developed to be a major force in the international airline business, among them where financial services, trains, cinemas and music stores. It later globalised or went global spreading to other continents such as Africa, Asia and North America. Another company which diversified in a related industry, horizontally is Internet search company, Google which spread into news, images and maps amongst other services and Zodiac a French firm which was founded in 1896 to manufacture only dirigible airships but due to the downfall in the market of Airships, Zodiac decided to leverage its technical expertise and moved from dirigibles to inflatable boats. It later diversified further because of increasing competition from Italian manufacturers by taking over Aerazur, a company specialised in parachutes, but also in life vests and inflatable life rafts. The Ansoff framework helps firms with strategic options to pursue in different market. However, like other models, it has its own limitations. It is imperative to look at other strategic models such as PESTEL and SWOT. For example, the Ansoff analysis of McDonalds a US company was launched in India using market development. It suffered huge losses because of the Indians do not eat beef from cows, cultural aspects are very important when choosing a strategy to explore in internationalization. Therefore, when conducting a strategic analysis, it is essential that the SWOT and PESTEL are critically analyzed also. Other strategic options that a firm which wants to explore opportunities in new or established market with new or existing products or services are: Firms can use strategic alliances, which is an arrangement between two companies who have decided to share resources in a specific project or business. Franchisees and licensees, a company can enter a new market through franchising or licensing by using well established brand names to gain competitive advantage and build on its own brand. For example, McDonalds has given licensees to firms such Mr. Green, Vulet services and many others. Acquisitions, mergers and take over are strategic options open to firms wishing to go global. For example, Zodiac took over Aerazur, a company specializing in parachutes, life vests and inflatable life rafts. Another example is SAB, a South African Brewery which Acquired Miller in 2002 to become SABMiller, this acquisition made them become the second largest Brewery in the world acquired Miller in 2002 to become the second largest Brewery in the world. Thereby, creating a completion advantage over other firms. Foreign Direct Investment can also be used to explore opportunities globally. This is a strategy in which a firm establishes a physical presence abroad by acquiring productive assets such capital technology, labour, land, plant and equipment. For example, Vodafone, one of the leading wireless phone services providers which offers telecommunication and data services, multi media portals, cellular operations, satellite services and retail shops. In 1993, Vodafone had invests in mobile phone networks in Australia, Greece, Hong Kong, Malta and Scandinavia. The firm bought stakes in operations throughout Europe, the Americans and parts of Asia and Africa. Vodafone drew funds from global capital markets. Collaborative venture is essentially a partnership between two or more firms and includes equity joint ventures, project-based non equity ventures. A joint venture is essentially a special type of collaboration involving equity investment by the parent firms. For example, Procter and Gamble (PG) is in a joint venture with Dolce Gabbana (DG) an Italian fashion house. Under the deal, PG produces perfumes, while DG markets them in Europe, leveraging the strength of its strong local brand name. Samsung, the Korean electronics firm began internationalizing in 1970s through joint ventures with foreign-technology suppliers such as Sonya, NEC and Corning Glass works. The partnership allowed Samsung to acquire product designs and marketing outlets and gave management increasing confidence in foreign operations. Samsungs earliest foreign manufacturing effort was via a joint venture in Portugal, launched in 1982. Exporting can be another strategic option for firms wishing to go global. This is a strategy of producing products and services in one country and selling and distributing them to customers located in other countries, this can be done through franchising and licensing. SUMMARY Globalisation offers many opportunities which firms wishing to maximize, profits, market share and other stakeholders expectation can explore. International trade has opened up these opportunities which opened up these opportunities which until right strategies can fully be exploited. As market globalization intensifies, firms are compelled to respond to challenges and exploit new opportunities. Globalisation has fostered a new dynamism in the world economy the emergence of regional economic integration blocs, growth of global investment and financial flows, the conà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. of buyer lifestyles and needs and the globalization of production. Firms wishing to go global can gain competitive advantage when they apply correct strategies in a particular region, country or continent. Firms can pursue a number of strategies. The Ansoff framework which looks at established and/or new market strategies to pursue are market penetration or consolidation, product development, market development and diversification. Firms can pursued the above strategic in many ways such as Exporting existing or established products or services in new or existing market. Forming strategic alliances with other firms by sharing resources in a specific project. Franchising and Licensing. Acquisitions, mergers and takeovers. Firms in a global market can operate successfully by engaging strategies that will aid in achieving competitive advantage over other global barriers and threats that globalization faces

Description of Environmental Problems

Description of the Environmental Problems Recycling is more than just waste control; it is a responsibility for the conservation of resources. As the years have passed, the influx of individuals entering the United States and natives alike, who are unequipped with the proper paradigm to fully understand the colossal advantages recycling has on their state and greater still, our world as a whole, do the environment a grave injustice. The world is only able to produce so much and if people don’t work to preserve what the finite resources the earth, as we know will be a cesspool of waste. The problem that seems to readily exist is the limited emphasis put on the process of salvage and reuse. This is a progressive society and without alarming statistics in order to grab the attention of those who dismiss reprocessing as too time consuming or a nuisance won’t conform. Mother Earth will be emaciated and uninhabitable in the future if enough people don’t recognize the scarcity of resources this epidemic can create. The outcry to recycle is not being expressed loudly enough, nor is an alternative, and as a result our earths ability for infinite life and growth is being challenged. There needs to be a mandatory computation for families sent out, like a census, to track their usage for a week to as a means of bringing like to the amount of waste being generated. In calculating my own use, as a family of five, I found my landfill bag to be the fullest at the end of the week, yet the recyclables, paper included, weighed the most. Paper in my home is abundance, yet the more paper the less trees and although this destroys a living organism and seems to be the easiest for anyone to recycle, although, its the most discarded. Deciding what belonged in each bag was a relatively simply duty, I have been recycling, although not always properly, until recently, for over ten years, so what started out as a time consuming necessary evil is now a way of life. The product that was discarded the most was paper in the recycling bin, some of which was never read just a sheer waste of trees and most on non-recycled paper, pull-ups were the most discarded in the landfill container and a two lunch meat containers went into the reuse bin. Recycling isn’t a hard chore if you look at it as regular occurrence, like brushing your teeth, it’s just something you do daily. Recycling is a crucial precursor for the longevity of the earth among other things and a minor task for me to continue. It is also a lifestyle that must be invoked to keep equilibrium among insatiable wants of humans and the necessities of the earth in order to remain sustainable, and R. Edward Freeman, Jessica Pierce and Richard Dodd concur by stating: The conservation mind-set tells us to conserve the earth's resources for the future. The moral and practical presuppositions for this mind-set are several. First, we have to believe that many of the resources basic to human survival (e. . , clean water, arable land, breathable air, forests, other species) are scarce, a fact the conservationists believe has been amply proved. Second, we have a moral responsibility to future generations and must be willing to frame our activities now in the context of future needs. In theory, people would have a moral responsibility to the quality of life for future generations and exercise it, but in r eality, people don’t care or don’t respond adequately to the human element and even less about wildlife and their habitat. Despite our best efforts the question still remains, are landfills the most environmentally safe and cost effective device to promote a healthy environment? The are some pessimist who respond negatively to the idea of recycling as some argue that without proper waste management options it cost more to recycle that to just discard. The National Resources Defense Council, quoted a writer, John Tierney, from â€Å"Recycling is Garbage†: The simplest and cheapest option is usually to bury garbage in an environmentally safe landfill. There’s little reason to worry about modern landfills, which by federal law must be lined with clay and plastic, equipped with drainage and gas-collection system, covered daily with soil and monitored regularly for underground leaks. In conflicting information it shows that this is an incorrect statement, because landfills are not inexpensive and the danger to the environmental has been noted as dangerous but conflicting on the level of toxicity. Recommendations The Merriam-Webster collegiate dictionary describes recycling as â€Å"to pass again through a series of changes or treatments; to return to an original condition so that operation can begin again†. Recycling is clearly the only way to prolong the life of the planet, but the lingering problem is what manner to do the recycling? Landfills are no longer the optimum choice because of the long-term consequence and no one is fully prepared to have a landfill in their neighborhood. â€Å"It is likely that regional prosperity would be enhanced if every community were more self-reliant†¦ and recycle locally† (NRDC, 1997). The use of state of the art less emission incinerators would be an option or the use of less packing supplies for items that are unbreakable (apparel, books and rubber exercise equipment and accompanying tapes), are all item that could use less packing. People are driven by money, use the same incentive that make people return pop cans and if there were a price put on the amount of recycling it would stand to increase considerably. Over the years, people attempting to reduce their trash started burning it which is more harmful to the environment from the fumes alone and other methods have tried and failed.

Broke Back Mountain

The 78th Annual Oscar Awards on the 5th of March, 2006, was more of a gay gathering than usual with the assembling of a large number of homosexuals, as their favourite movie â€Å"Broke Back Mountain† had been nominated for the Oscar Awards . This movie depicts the enduring love affair between two cowboys and Ang Lee, the director of the film made a masterpiece of a movie that not only handles the seemingly impossible feat of mainstreaming a gay romance, but is also devoid of soppy sentimentality. This movie is a screen adaptation of a Pulitzer Prize-winning short story by Annie Proulx.This story is set in the 1960s and spans a two decade relationship between Ennis Del Mar played by Heath Ledger and Jack Twist played by Jake Gyllenhaal. An initial friendship culminates in a homosexual relationship. At first they keep denying their attraction for each other by making statements like â€Å"This is a one shot thing we got going on here,†(Ennis,) â€Å"you know I’m not queer. † â€Å"Me neither,† (Jack). However, they continue to indulge in this and one of them, Heath, returns to his fiancee, although the other, Jack, is reluctant to abandon the relationship.Ennis marries Alma played by Michelle Williams, has two daughters and embarks on a regular life and Jack eventually meets and marries a Texan cowgirl Lureen played by Anne Hathaway and has a son. After four years Ennis and Jack meet again and their reunion is and is accidentally witnessed by Ennis’s wife, who remains silent about the whole episode. This begins their frequent respite from their heterosexual lives and they get together two or three times a year by retreating into the majestic mountains to live with each other.This continues for 16 years and their relationship remains unchanged, despite Ennis’s divorce from Alma. In the Western genre homoeroticism has always been predominant and the role of women within the genre has either been as harpies, whores o r smokescreens who maintain the heterosexuality of its protagonists. The director could have without effort transformed the wives of these cowboys into disagreeable wives who would have taken their homosexual husbands to task for their unnatural ways, but the wives are depicted as fully rounded characters that would have shown heaven on earth to a heterosexual husband.This story concerns itself not only with the homosexual relationship between the men and the difficulties that this relation places them in but more importantly it focuses on the enormous strain and disappointment that their unfortunate wives have to put up with. The story is set in Wyoming, which has a culture of cowboys, and where cowboys and herders were considered to be the last bastion of real men left in a world which was becoming increasingly depleted of honour and morals.The emotional impact on discovering that their husbands were unfaithful to them and also that they were indulging in sodomy produces a devasta ting effect on them. Eroticism has always been accorded a larger than life image by Hollywood and the erotic thriller was a popular genre in the 1980s, with movies like Body Heat, The Big Easy, Sea of Love, Fatal Attraction, and 9 ? Weeks turning out to be great successes. In 1993 Basic Instinct was released in this genre, but it proved to be the last of successful movies in this variety.Such movies definitely manage to denigrate heterosexuality and by implication women. For example, Big Love, the new HBO drama about polygamy, promotes unfair views regarding women such as that it takes three women to satisfy one man, while one third of a man is enough for each woman. These women are shown to be nagging wives who want more sex than their husband can provide and the end result is a heterosexual nightmare of domestic and sexual obligations rather than the expected male fantasy. The aim of these shows is to promote and praise gay marriage.What's really galling is that women, like the wo men in Broke back Mountain are deemed to be fit for nothing better than breeding and are not considered to be human beings, who deserve respect and love. The heterosexual men in this movie are shown in an equally poor light, ranging from Randy Quaid’s, the employer of these homosexual cowboys, embodiment of repressed intolerance to Graham Beckel as Jack Twist's emasculating father-in-law. This movie makes an astonishing statement that the only honourable and masculine men are the gay ones.Ennis's wife Alma remarries a loving husband who better provides for her needs, true to form he is portrayed as meek and almost effeminate. The lot of women is terrible and the encouragement of customs that have been identified as depravity by the Good Book and also in the Holy Texts of other religions, speaks volumes for the moral depravity that has befallen us under the guise of freedom. Freedom is good, freedom is great, freedom is our birthright but not if half the population, namely the women are going to be denigrated and treated in a derogatory manner.