How Does Orwell Explore the Theme of Education in ‘Animal Farm’?

How Does Orwell Explore The Theme Of Education In Animal Farm? ‘All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others’. George Orwell writes this toward the end of his highly acclaimed allegory, Animal Farm. From this single statement we can tell quite a bit about Orwell’s views on education which he puts across strongly throughout the novel. A message I see that this statement portrays is that everyone has the right to an education but some people were getting a better education than others at the time.During this essay I will be arguing that George Orwell was critical of the education system in 1945 (the year the book was written) and that he aired his views, hidden as they were, in many places through the book. One of the ways he used to put across his views was to use biblical references. Orwell was strongly anti-Christianity and he put this across in the novel partly through his reference to the bible’s ten commandments by creating a list o f rules that the animals must live by entitled ‘The Seven Commandments’. No animal shall kill any other animal without cause’. The last two words were added by Squealer under the orders of Napoleon, adding their own twist on Old Major’s original commandments thus tweaking them to their advantage. This was not the only commandment to be edited: in fact all of them were but only slightly, just enough so the pigs wouldn’t be breaking any and so the other animals wouldn’t notice. The pigs were able to use the fact that they were educated well as an advantage over the other animals in order to do what they liked and get away with it.The fact that Orwell used the commandments in this way, just that the pigs were changing them so regularly seemed to me rather disrespectful of the Christian faith and when seen like this, Orwell’s religious views are blatantly obvious. From this part of the book I remembered being taught about priests in the An glo-Saxon times and how they had been educated well before beginning their ministry. They would ask for money from the innocent but fairly foolish and uneducated people worshipping or just visiting the church and the priests would say if they hand over the money, they would avoid purgatory and go straight to heaven.To these poor people, this seemed like the perfect solution for the problem and hand over their money is just what they did. This links in with the book in that the priests would use the fact that they were educated in their favour to brainwash these unknowing people just as the pigs did to the other animals in the book. Another element of education Orwell is critical of is the private education system. ‘The pigs and dogs were educated separately to the other animals’.This brings in Karl Marx’s ideas of class and hierarchy in society. Marx’s writings formed the theoretical base for modern international communism, the idea of a classless society in which everyone is equal and nothing is privately owned. As we know Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian revolution in 1917 during which Joseph Stalin (portrayed in the novel as Napoleon) and Leon Trotsky (Snowball) fought for power after the defeat of Tsar Nicholas II and the monarchy.When Stalin came to power and exiled Trotsky, he began to form the new Soviet Union around the basis of Marx’s writings and the fact that the pigs and dogs were educated separately to the other animals shows that before Stalin’s seizure of power, class and hierarchy still remained in Russia. The pigs and dogs represent the nobles and government who were all seen as superior to the lower, working class citizens and were therefore privately educated.If there was to be equality amongst the animals on the farm, they should all have been treated exactly the same and this would mean they should be educated in the same way. However, this wasn’t what happened and the pigs and dogs continued to see themselves as better than the other animals. Orwell really wasn’t a fan of the private education system, as I said at the beginning; he wanted an education for everyone and the same education for everyone at that. Orwell continues to represent class on the farm through the character of Boxer.Boxer represents the lower, working class who were uneducated and inferior to the nobles and government, in this case the pigs and dogs. ‘I will work harder. ’ and ‘Napoleon is always right. ’ his mottos show just how loyal and hard-working he was. Boxer would work and work until he was at the point of collapsing and this is just what the working class of Russia would do, slaving away their today for a better tomorrow. Boxer is key in building the windmill, which represents change, the change that Boxer wants to bring to the farm through his hard work and determination.Boxer may have had all these credits but what Orwell uses Boxer to say is that no matter how physically strong you are, it’s nothing compared to knowledge and mental strength. When Napoleon tells Boxer he is to retire after he collapsed whilst working, Boxer naively gets on the van that is not really to take him to where he will retire, but to the knackers’ yard to be killed. Even though Boxer was so driven and committed in what he did, he wasn’t able to spot that Napoleon was tricking him because he wasn’t nearly as well educated as Napoleon.So to cut a long story short, the fact that Boxer was poorly educated eventually lead to his demise. The pigs as we know by now, were the best educated but they gradually demoralise through the novel. ‘All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others’. This quote for me epitomises the whole part the pigs play in the book in that the great advantage they once had over the other animals because they were educated had now just become plain ignorance. Orwell uses the pigs in Animal Farm to tell us not to let education go to our heads but to respect it and appreciate it.Not only this but Orwell also wanted to tell us through the pigs the dangers of power and to appreciate it also. The pigs wanted to look like they strived for equality, to look like they were doing things for the good of everyone when really everything they said and did was for the benefit of themselves. Almost all of the seven commandments had something to do with the importance of not letting the pigs’ ways become human, which is exactly what had happened by the end of the book. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which’. That the pigs had changed so much the other animals couldn’t identify them amongst the humans is pretty shocking. One of the most important points of the whole ideology of Animalism (which allegorically speaking refers to communism) is t hat the animals should always remain animals and never adopt human characteristics like drinking alcohol or sleeping in a bed and these rules were all layed out clearly in the seven commandments.In conclusion, George explores the theme of education in Animal Farm in many ways. He uses the allegory to refer to the different classes through different characters and how the classes were educated differently, some not at all. He uses Boxer to compare physical strength with mental strength and he also uses the pigs to warn us of the dangers of letting education ruin us and our morals. Animal Farm is a tragedy in my eyes; the original ideology of Animalism gradually fell apart piece by piece until the pigs had practically become human.It’s all well and good to have this great idea of a revolution to gain equality for animals but the pigs just couldn’t see past themselves to carry out Old Major’s plan and that’s what makes this story so tragic. Orwell thought th at everyone deserved an education, especially the working class but the people who actually got a good education just took it for granted and wasted it and I think that’s the overall point he tries to put across about education in the novel. Education is power but power corrupts. By James Lawrence, J7.

Race and Ethnicity Essay

?â€Å"ASSESS THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL FACTORS SUCH AS RACISM AND PUPILS RESPONSES TO RACISM IN CREATING ETHNIC DIFFERENCES IN EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT†. (20 MARKS) Ethnic differences concerning education achievement arise from numerous factors these including internal and external school factors such as racism, pupil responses, material and cultural deprivation which is faced by some ethnic groups and are the main reasons to explain why certain ethnic groups perform the way in which they do. Within this essay I will look at the previously stated factors and assess the importance of them and how much they actually impact on the educational achievement of these ethnic groups. Labelling and teacher racism is a factor of racism which creates an impact in educational achievement amongst ethnic groups for example teachers label Black and Asian pupils as being far from the ‘ideal’ pupil, as Black pupils are seen to be disruptive and Asian pupils as passive. These negative labels may lead to teachers treating ethnic minority pupils differently, Therefore disadvantages them and resulting to their failure. Gillborn and Youdell found teachers were quicker to discipline black pupils than others for the same before, this is due to teachers ‘racialised expectations’, found teachers expected black pupils to present more discipline problems and misinterpreted their behaviour as threatening or challenging to authority. They also found that African Caribbean’s as the best starters but became worst during their GCSEs found that attaching negative labels to different ethnic groups had negative effects, this link in with the self-fulfilling prophecy for those who conform to this role and those who reject it and are in turn successful. Pupil responses to racism also determine educational success this supported by Heidi Safia Mirza who studied ambitious black girls who faced teacher racism. Girls in Mirza’s study failed to achieve their ambitions because their coping strategies restricted their opportunities and resulted in under-achievement. Mirza found that racist teachers discouraged black pupils from being ambitious through the kind of advice they gave them about careers and option choices. In contrast to the Mirza’s study, the Fuller and Mac an Ghaill came to the conclusions through their study, that pupils may succeed even when they refuse to conform and that negative labelling does not always lead to failure as the girls from the study were able to reject the labels placed on them and they remained determined to succeed. This suggests that educational achievement is reliant on the pupils response to racism and how it is dealt this either by acceptance and conforming a anti school culture hence creating a self-fulfilling prophecy or by working against the label and achieving to a high standard without attracting the negative aspects of the schooling environment. Other factors such as material and cultural deprivation have been seen to make create ethnic differences in educational achievement. The material deprivation aspect can be explained through statistics showing children entitled to free school meals, by ethnic group. The highest ranking ethnic groups are Bangladeshis and Pakistanis entitled to free school meals, these inequalities parallel those seen in educational achievement. For example Indians and whites generally have a higher social class position than Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, who often face high levels of poverty. The material deprivation explanation argues that such class differences explain why Bangladeshi and Pakistani pupils tend to do worse than Indian and white pupils. Cultural deprivation is also said to cause differences within achievement as intellectual and linguistic skills, attitudes and values and family structure all play key role in determining educational success. Intellectual and linguistic skills are valued to be the most important as without this essential tool children are most likely to under-achieve as they unequipped for the school as they have not been able to develop reasoning and problem-solving skills. Bereiter and Engelmann consider language spoken by low-income black American families as inadequate for educational success. See it as ungrammatical, disjointed and incapable of expressing abstract ideas. There has also been concern that children who do not speak English at home may be held back educationally. Nevertheless, the Swann report found that language was not a major factor in under-achievement, while Gillborn and Mirza note that Indian pupil do very well despite often not having English as their home language. Attitudes and values perceived by black children are seen as unsatisfactory by many cultural deprivation theorists as their lack of motivation is the major cause of their failure as they are socialised into subculture which does not value education and has fatalistic attitude. Most other children are socialised into the mainstream ideology which instils ambition, competiveness and willingness to make the sacrifices for long term goals essentially equips them for success in education. Family structure and parental support, Ken Pryce sees family structure as contributing to the under-achievement of black Caribbean pupils in Britain. From a comparison of black and Asian pupils, he claims that Asians are higher achievers because their culture is more resistant to racism and gives them a greater sense of self-worth. By contrast, he argues, black Caribbean culture is less cohesive and less resistant to racism. As a result, many black pupils have low self-esteem and under-achieve. Argues difference is the result of differing impact of colonialism on the two groups. Experience of slavery was culturally devastating for blacks they lost their language, religion and entire family system. Asian family structure remains intact as, languages and religions were not destroyed by colonial rule. Sociologists argue racism in wider society is a factor which restricts educational achievement of certain ethnic groups this is supported by David Mason who puts it, ‘discrimination is a continuing and persistent feature of the experience of Britain’s citizens of minority ethnic origin’. It is also argued by sociologist John Rex who shows how racial discrimination leads to social exclusion and how this in turn worsens the poverty faced by ethnic minorities in housing for instance. There are links to employment also as on a basis of last names determine ethnicity and from that some are biased towards e. g. when being chosen for a job and the last names ‘Patel’ and ‘Evans’ have the same set of qualifications, the company would be interested in recruiting ‘Evans’ the white candidate more than ‘Patel’ who is from an Indian background. This explains why member of ethnic minorities are more likely to face unemployment and low pay, and this in turn has a negative effect on their children’s educational prospects. The concluded judgement suggests that the ethnic differences which arise within educational achievement are down to a mixture of material and cultural deprivation as these are most influential in determining educational success and addressing ethnic differences. Some pupil responses to racism and racism also have the ability to suggest why ethnic differences arise overall but are mostly dependent on the individual and how he/she perceives the educations system e. g. either negatively or positively due to experience or upbringing. This would then initially give an insight onto how well the pupil would perform. Criticism which occur are of internationalist who argue that you cannot generalise a whole ethnic group as all the different experiences, therefore any suggestions made about the whole ethnic groups education achievements may or may not reflect a true image.

Customer Satisfaction and Quality Care Essay

In this competitive health care environment, consumers want and expect better health care services and hospital systems are concerned about maintaining their overall image. There is also attention to ways in which patient satisfaction measurement can be integrated into an overall measure of clinical quality. To begin, review the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey (H.C.A.H.P.S.) available at (http://tinyurl.com/4272s7l). Next, visit the Hospital Compare website (http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov), and follow these steps: 1. Type in your zip code   2. Ensure that â€Å"general search† is selected for the search type 3. Click on the â€Å"Find Hospitals† button 4. Select one of the hospitals by checking the box next to the hospital name and click on â€Å"Compare† 5. Review the survey of patients’ hospital experiences For the selected hospital, identify one satisfaction measurement criteria that you recommend for improvement. In your opinion, how might this customer satisfaction factor relate to quality outcomes? Provide a concrete example that supports your opinion. Additionally, identify at least three barriers that exist in the health care setting that could have an impact on the customer satisfaction score you selected. Be sure to state at least one structural barrier and one process barrier and describe the barriers you identified. (Refer to pg. 156 of your textbook for definitions of structure and process barriers) Finally, review the quality improvement tools presented in Chapter 3 of your textbook. Select a tool that a health care organization might use to study a process barrier related to the customer-satisfaction factor you identified. Explain why you selected the tool and how it could be used. Your paper should be two to three pages (excluding title and reference pages) and should contain at least two scholarly sources from the Ashford University Library. It should be formatted according to APA guidelines as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Evaluate Key Developments of the Cold War Essay

Evaluate Key Developments of the Cold War - Essay Example The race for nuclear arms capability dominated the 1950s and 1960s and it led to tension between these two countries, tension which translated to what is now known as the Cold War. This paper shall evaluate key developments of the Cold War from the Truman Administration through the Kennedy Administration. It will discuss whether or not the Cold War was actually inevitable. In addition, this paper will consider the domestic concerns in the United States during the 1950s, including McCarthyism, domesticity, and civil rights. The first part of this paper will present an overview of the Cold War. Secondly, major developments from Truman’s to Kennedy’s administration shall be presented. Thirdly, the inevitability of the Cold War will also be discussed. Lastly, an overall analysis and conclusion shall be established. Body Overview The post war era brought about a time where the US was starting to emerge as a superpower. It also presented a time where democratic principles wer e tested with various civil rights violations. At this point, the need to uphold these civil rights became an important part of American lives (Chafe, et.al., 2011). When the Second World War ended in 1945, journalist George Orwell used the term cold war in his essay â€Å"You and the Atomic bomb.† In his article, he believed that the world was now amidst a threat of a nuclear war, one which had the capability of obliterating human life on the planet (Orwell, 1945). He discussed how world politics seems to be founded on a view or belief prevailing in a state which was powerful and in a constant state of cold war with other countries (Orwell, 1945). Such ‘cold war’ was soon observed with Russia’s attitude towards Britain, including its empire. American economist Bernard Baruch was one of the first to refer to such cold war in relation to the US and the USSR (Gaddis, 2005). Soon enough, the term had a wider usage, especially with the release of Walter Lippma n’s book â€Å"The Cold War.† The USSR has not always been on ideal relations with its neighbors and with the US, mostly because of its socialist political platform (Gaddis, 2005). Although they were allies during the Second World War, it was only a temporary alliance, mostly borne out of the need for self-preservation. As soon as WWII ended however, the Soviet Union returned to its tense political relationship with Europe and the US (Gaddis, 2005). The possibility of gaining military might over other countries also became an added source of tension during the Cold War. Truman to Kennedy In 1947, President Harry Truman was advised to consider major policy changes in response to Russia’s efforts to gain political and military dominance (Chafe, 2003). America’s response was to adopt a containment policy with the primary goal of preventing the spread of communism (Friedman, 2007). Truman’s policy and decisions were all embodied under the Truman doctri ne, a doctrine which also condemned socialist and totalitarian power. Most of Europe was very supportive of Truman’s doctrine, however, some European and American communists being supported by the KGB adhered to the principles which the Soviet Union laid out (Friedman, 2007). In 1947, the US, Britain and France sought to establish an accord with the USSR on how best to handle a post-war Germany. The Marshall Plan was able to establish a working agreement among the countries, eventually dividing Germany and Berlin into four territories to be controlled by each ally (Gaddis, 2005).

NO TOPIC SO FAR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NO TOPIC SO FAR - Essay Example The Director of CBO gave a detailed testimony to outline how many government programs can impede economic growth by increasing the marginal tax rate. An increase in the marginal tax rate affects the amount of the money that households can use for savings and investments. The effect of low savings and investments is slow economic growth. The impact of increasing marginal tax rates can be explained using a case example of a single mother who makes approximately $20,000 in a year. The mother will be forced to pay an additional 15 cents as a tax because of the income raise (Jacobs). Furthermore, her eligibility to support programs like food stamps, Earned Income Credit tax, and Medicaid can be eliminated or slightly reduced. The situation creates a poverty trap for an average modest family in America. The CBO estimates the Obamacare law will discourage work and lead to increased rate of unemployment. The effect of the Obamacare law on employment is clarified by Patton in his Forbes article â€Å"Is Obamacare an Economic Disaster?† According to Patton, the heavy demands placed on employers by the law will prompt them to cut down the number of employees (Patton). They have to consider firing some employees for them to afford paying the cost of healthcare. Employers can also reduce the number of hours covered by employees to avoid increasing the cost by paying health insurance. It would also increase the price of products and services to cover the additional cost of providing health insurance. All these actions result in loss of income for many families. It reduces the amount of money available for saving and investments. Some people might lack the mean to take care of their families. Reducing the number of hours worked, increasing operating costs and loss of employees creates a business environment that makes forecasting impossible. Therefore, businesses will fear to invest and save. They would cut on additional

Racial Discrimation in the Criminal Justice System Research Paper

Racial Discrimation in the Criminal Justice System - Research Paper Example Even though minimized to bare levels presently, America has been a class society defined by seclusion of the minorities over the centuries. While facially neutral, the criminal law in the United States is enforced in a massively and pervasively biased manner that has often left the minorities fighting for total-inclusion, and the 21 century is not any different. Surprisingly, the degree with which such discrimination permeates the criminal justice system has defied remedy and lingers on in an era of advanced civilization. No wonder, therefore, that crime and punishment formed the basis of rich and powerful manifestations of the racial divide characterized by chain-gang style penal practices and prosecutorial and judicial bigotry in the early history of the United States. While many scholars and politicians may deny a factual racial disparity statistics, the reality is in the open and only those interested would dare see the truth behind the numbers. A study by the American Bar Association (2007) – in a research - quoted one of the most concise accounts of the law enforcers attitude toward black offenders. A research participant declared: "All three of my boys smoked pot [growing up]. I knew it. But I also knew if one was caught he would never go to prison. But if any of my neighbors got caught," adding that his neighbors were black, "they would go to prison for 10, 12 years" (p.71). Although overt racial discrimination may have diminished to the bare minimum, perceptive fairness of the entire criminal justice system is still a myth in reality in the United States. Minorities remain overrepresented at all stages of the criminal justice process both as offenders and as victims. Nothing services this claim than the statistical evidence of a racially skewed justice system tilted in favor of the white population as depicted in racial

American Government Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Government - Research Paper Example History of same sex marriages is young. In 1993, the Supreme Court of Hawaii ruled in favor of same sex marriages, as their rights were denied to them on the basis of their sex and not sexual orientation (NYT 2012). Though Hawaii defined by law that marriage is to be between a man and a woman only, conservatives across the country lobbied (NYT 2012). In 1996, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which denied federal benefits to married people of the same sex and authorized states to neglect gay marriages sanctioned in other states (NYT 2012). Same sex marriage is still illegal at the federal level, though practiced by several states. The Massachusetts Supreme Court in 2004 ruled that the same sex marriage is legal in the State of Massachusetts (NYT 2012). Since then, a few other states followed the suit: New York, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington, D.C. (NYT 2012). It was not until 2012 when Vice President Biden publicly stated that he supported same sex marriages that President Obama decided to push for same sex marriages to be legalized in the USA (NYT 2012). In 2011, President Obama â€Å"directed the Justice Department to  stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act† (NYT 2012).    Though some states legalized same sex marriages, the refusal to acknowledge these marriages is not a violation in other states. According to the Article IV of the US Constitution, the Full Faith and Credit Clause, states must respect each other’s laws (Sachs 1203). However, under the Defense of Marriage Act this is no longer true. This act excuses states from being in compliance with laws of other states with regard to same sex marriages. According to Sachs, states can do so as long as the laws of other states conflict with their own, important national interests (1205). Since Congress did not clearly state under what conditions states must comply with other’s states’ laws, the Full Faith and

Personal development plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal development plan - Essay Example Upon discussing the important key skills as a promising young Civil Engineer, strategic ways on how I manage to improve my technical knowledge, other related skills, and career path on building construction be tackled in details. Among the important key skills of a promising young civil engineer includes: a good leadership skill, creativity and technical knowledge required in leading a construction project, and good communication skills. Since civil engineers are planners who are responsible in managing people, a good leadership skill is necessary to ensure that internal conflicts are avoided and/or well-negotiated. One of the best ways to win the trust and respect of fellow engineers and subordinates is to show competitive technical knowledge needed when managing a construction project. To avoid unnecessary human errors caused by miscommunication, civil engineers should improve their communication skills at all levels. Since I was 6 years old, my father who works as an engineer introduced me to a lot of basic engineering theories and concepts. Having a strong basic engineering background made me develop enthusiasm in learning and knowing how buildings, roads, and bridges are being constructed. With the purpose of fulfilling my future goals, I managed to earn a diploma on Civil Engineering at the Technology College of Onizah right I graduated from high school. To further enhance my knowledge and skills as a civil engineer, I went through another year of professional training at the Council of Badaya. Because of my desire to pursue a career in Civil Engineering, I spent a lot of time reading building construction and architectural books during my free time. I read books not only regarding how each buildings, roads, and bridges are uniquely designed, constructed, and maintained but also books related to physics, mathematics, and project management related to civil engineering. Aside from

Jaw the movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jaw the movie - Essay Example To connect scenes, they chose most stimulating, startling and moving ways. Use of conflict is reflected when Brody fear is the opposite of his goal to kill the shark. He fears water, which is less dangerous as compared with confronting a shark. Though Brody is a hero, issues of imperfect marriage is brought in. This creates a platform to show that problems need solutions. Brody and his wife Ellen fail to agree on moving from the town to a nicer place. The wife wants a better life. Thus, problems arise. Use of suspense is well demonstrated; Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb used suspense to drive the story (King). This is best done when a series of disasters are linked together. In the story, Brody and other characters are trying to find the shark and stop it â€Å"but what we are really waiting for is that next shark kill† (the jaw script). Urgency alert is well presented, Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb chose 4 July weekend â€Å"That is the biggest weekend of the year, the weekend all the tourist show up. And it’s coming soon!† (Jaws Script) The urgency comes in when the hero, Brody is expected to find the shark and kill it before the weekend. Memorable characters are brought in the story to spice it up. Quint is one of the characters used in the Jaws. The characters are always secondary characters and are depicted differently from other characters in the story (King). They act differently, chat in a unique way. He must be a character who seeks live in his own world as opposed to the other characters. Quint is best placed he is exceptional as compared with the rest of the characters in the story. Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb have made Hero’s goal as hard as possible. However, the solution to the ranking problem (shark attack) could have been easily solved by closing down the beach they did not allow that to happen. To overturn the

Entrepreneurship-Creating a Business Opportunity Assignment

Entrepreneurship-Creating a Business Opportunity - Assignment Example Finally, the study will be concluded with the managerial capabilities required to manage the business in the production of PVC chemical by the author of the study. Polyvinyl chloride also known as PVC is highly used for its application in the construction business and is manufactured by polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer, which is used in the reactor and then condensed from the reactor so that gases are emitted. The PVC production is one of the most profitable businesses and is regarded as a significant contributor in the economy. The importance of PVC production increases with the growth in the construction industry and is widely used for manufacture of plastics. The worldwide PVC production is one of the most important businesses in the world economy, which requires the manufacture of polyolefins polypropylene and polyethylene. These business products have a large number of market shares, which includes high quality processing and production of plastics in bulk quantity (Vox, 2008). My company is already proficient in manufacturing high quality PVC chemical in South Korea and has been distributing the chemical to major medium and large sized enterprise of South Korea. It plans to expand further in Mumbai due to its easy availability of manufacturing sub parts, raw materials, and machinery and varied other materials. The major objective of my company would be to introduce my chemical in the Mumbai markets through innovation capabilities. It would be ensured that the chemical product would be highly compatible with the operational facilities and also with business environment of Mumbai. The market potential for the PVC chemical in India is quite high and is required mainly for water supply, tube well and land drainage schemes. The corrugated pipes are ideal for the drainage system of Mumbai and the requirement

The Foundations of Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Foundations of Business - Essay Example When it launched the iPhone, the smartphone industry was revolutionized and debunked Blackberry as the market leader in the smartphone industry. It did not only beat competition in functionality but also in design that made Apple an iconic brand. Apple also created markets and industry for its products that did not even exist before. For example, it created the tablet industry with its iPad. Its creator Steve Jobs was severely criticized that the product will not be successful in the market. Steve Jobs and Apple however proved their critics wrong when the iPad became successful that its competitors followed suit. In sum, Apple’s success can be attributed to its radical and revolutionary innovation among its products. It also created new industry such as the computer tablet industry with its new iPad. The combination of innovation and pioneering made Apple successful. It is no wonder that Apple has replaced Coca Cola as most preferred brand

Chinese Attitudes Toward Nature, Time, Good and Evil Essay Example for Free

Chinese Attitudes Toward Nature, Time, Good and Evil Essay As for the attitude of Chinese people toward nature, it is undisputed that it is marked by a strong feeling of harmony, for example, oneness of nature and man. According to Dong Zhongshu, who was the most important philosopher of the Western Han, Heaven had its will and purpose. It was Heaven that made the sun, the moon, and the stars move, the four seasons change, and all animals and plants grow and die. Heaven was kindhearted, so it made things produce one another; Heaven was also severe, so it made things overcome one another. Moreover, Heaven created a ruler to rule over the people. This meant that Heaven wanted the people to be ruled. When a ruler did something wrong, Heaven would be angry and would give the ruler warnings by causing strange natural phenomena to happen, such as eclipses, earthquakes, floods and droughts. This theory——the interaction between Heaven and man——had a clear purpose. On the one hand, it was intended to show that the ruler’s position and power were given to him by Heaven, and should not be questioned; on the other hand, the ruler should be virtuous and benevolent, and govern well, so as not to incur Heaven’s anger. Dong had a well-known saying: â€Å"The Way is great because it originates in Heaven. Heaven does not change; nor does the Way. † I would like to explain the idea clearly by an example. That is Feng Shui. Feng Shui (also known as geomancy) is an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to use the laws of both Heaven (astronomy) and Earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. Maybe many people think it is superstition, but I consider it can reflect the pursuit of harmonious life of Chinese people. There are four purposes in Feng Shui, seeking the harmony of human body; the harmony between people and people; the harmony between people and society; the harmony between people and nature. Let me give a small example about placing a bed. The bed shall be slightly higher than the knee and not near the door. And it shall face to the south and back to the north in order to adjust duxhlt, the aorta and large veins direction of the blood circulatory system, so that people can fall a sleep easily, and have a high quality sleep. The bed can’t facet the west, because the rotation of the earth is from east to west, making the blood rush toward the head, and people can’t sleep soundly. Beam presses which mean air conditioners hang above the pillow, or the lights suspend above the bed, bring about oppression, and cause adverse effect of body and mind. Mirrors can’t face the bed, if not people may be startled easily in midnight, and can’t be peace. It really can express the attitude toward nature, uniting of heaven and humanity. As for the attitude of Chinese people toward time, three features will be mentioned about. The first is round- type time outlook. In the oriental world, farming is the major way of carrying out material and exchanging goods dominates all the economic life of the whole society. This pastoral civilization treats human and the nature as interrelated and interacted,the world as an integer organically linked. So in oriental society the round-type time outlook is that nature and human is integrate. This kind of time outlook holds the view that time is like a circle and all the things in the world return to its origina1 state after a cycle of time, for example, the alternation of day and night, the come and go of the four seasons,the turning of the twelve months, the increase of the age and the growing of plants. This kind of time view makes the Orientals handle the time at their disposal and do things at ease. For instance, when a teacher has not finished an important point in his class,he can prolong his class. At the Chinese wedding feast, few people will come at the time which is written on the invitation card. Moreover, Chinese use time very casually and intangibly. Chinese prefer to say some uncertain words 1ike â€Å"at once†, â€Å"sometimes†, â€Å"a short while†, which a1ways confuse the westerners. Chinese students who are studying English tend to misuse the tense when communicate with foreigners. In a word, Chinese don’t have clear differentiation concept of time. The second is polychromic time system. Polychromic time system means people are very casual in using time. In other words, being punctual is important, but not strict. Polychromic time system is the heritage of traditional agricultural society. People are used to do severa1 different things at the same time and do things emphasizing prime time. Chinese think that everything in the world develops with the cycling of time, so people catch the time that is ripe for acting, which means each step of our action is determined temporarily by our surroundings. So action is poorly planned by Chinese. In some occasions, people can do many things in the same time. A Chinese salesman can check out with the first customer on the one hand,and show the goods to a second one on the other hand, even greet a third One at the same time. However, westerners can hardly accomplish them and also can not accept them. The third is past time orientation. Time orientation is a relatively stable factor in cultural difference. It is connected to the historical background of the. Generally speaking, people who have too heavy tradition, look up to history and past, so their time orientation is past-oriented. Chinese belong to past-oriented. People show great respect to the past. The past experience and 1esson are important reference for today’s success and failure. Chinese show respect to ancestors and teachers. They like to say things by referencing to the old books and stories. That is why Chinese call teachers â€Å"lao shi†. â€Å"lao† means old. People attach importance to age and experience, because they are symbols of power and wisdom, so words like â€Å"lao† and â€Å"da† always mean respect in Chinese. As for the attitude of Chinese people toward good and evil, perhaps the most extreme view of goodness is found in the Buddhist tradition. Buddhism maintains that we are born pure and are closest to what is called â€Å"loving kindness† when we enter this world. Hence, people are good, and our culture is what makes us evil. The view of goodness is also found in Confucianism. Meng Zi made the original goodness of human nature the keynote to his system. To him, the virtue of humanity together with the accompanying virtues of righteousness, rites and wisdom arises from the inner springs of the human heart. These four cardinal virtues come in their seed form—the â€Å"four beginnings†, as the feeling of compassion, shame, modesty, and of the distinction between right and wrong. Such feelings are universal among mankind and they come as naturally ad taste for food, and sight for beauty. This, Meng Zi argued, can be seen in the fact that a child naturally loves his parents and that a man will instinctively experience a feeling into a well. Therefore, human nature is originally good, and will be good if it is guided by its innate feelings, just as water is inclined to flow downward. In contrast to the concept of the goodness of human nature advocated by Meng Zi, Xun Zi declared that human nature is originally evil because human desires inevitably lead to greed and strife if left untrained. Believing that goodness can only be acquired, Xun Zi stressed the value of education and environment. To him it is environment and authority that make the man, and it is obedience of the precepts of the sage-kings that produces the goodness that is in him. In the end, however, not only is the life of virtue a possibility but even sage-hood is within reach. Therefore, Xun Zi said, â€Å"Every man on the street can become like the sage-king Yu†, a perfect orthodox Confucian note. What mentioned about are viewpoints from the ancients. Nowadays Chinese attitudes toward good and evil are very wide and vague, not like Christianity which has a ten commandments, making the general public even those without much cultural literacy has some certain standards, ruling what can do and can not do, their attitudes toward good and evil are absolutely clear. But to Chinese, nothing must been done and nothing can not be done. The boundary between good and evil is obscure, in some condition something is good but in other condition it may be bad. To Chinese the boundary is always about degree, whether it is excessive or not. For example, talking between Chinese friends sometimes contains abusive language, but it doesn’t mean they hate each other, most of time, it is just joking. That behavior is not really evil, but if it is overdone, it will be. Chinese People’s attitude toward nature, time, good and evil have been formed gradually, and they are relatively stable in a long time, but they are not without changes. The better living conditions, the development of the economy, the improvement of the society and the increase of the interaction of people from different cu1tural backgrounds will undoubtedly have subtle effects on their views, although it is also a long process. What I talking about is some basic attitude of Chinese, it will help foreigner to understand Chinese better, but not always apply to every Chinese at every time.

Loss of Brain Nerve Cells in Alzheimers Disease

Loss of Brain Nerve Cells in Alzheimers Disease Fig-6: Showing neuronal death due to inflammation and oxidative stress. Adenosine Deaminase (ADA), and Neuropsychiatric Disorders:- Adenosine is a neuromodulator of brain function that is uniquely positioned to integrate excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission and neuroprotective actions in pathological conditions. The understanding of adenosine production and release in the brain is therefore of fundamental importance and has been extensively studied (ADA-8). Adenosine metabolism in the brain is very important, and its dysregulation has been implicated in pathophysiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders, since it modulates the release of several neurotransmitters such as glutamate, dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine, decreases neuronal activity by pos-synaptic hyperpolarization and inhibits dopaminergic activity. Adenosine deaminase participates in purine metabolism by converting adenosine into inosine (ADA-7). (The production and metabolism of adenosine is given in the Fig.7) Adenosine deaminase (ADA, adenosine aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.4), an enzyme involved in the metabolism of purine nucleosides, catalyses the irreversible hydrolytic deamination of adenosine (Ado) and 2 ´-deoxyadenosine (2 ´-dAdo) to inosine and 2 ´- deoxyinosine, respectively. The enzyme is widely distributed in vertebrate tissues and plays a critical role in a number of physiological systems. In nature, several isoforms of ADA are known that differ by molecular mass, kinetic properties and tissue distribution (ADA-2). It plays a role in the development and functioning of T lymphomonocytes. Levels of this enzyme increase during the mitogenic and antigenic response of lymphocytes, whereas ADA inhibitors limited the blastogenesis of lymphocytes; thus, ADA levels are higher in T cells than in B lymphocytes. ADA was previously recognized as a cytosolic enzyme; however, it is currently known to be present at the surfaces of cells, in particular T lymphocytes, to interact with some membrane proteins, including CD-26/DPP IV, and is considered an ecto-enzyme. This co-localization of DPP IV/CD-26 and ADA at T cells is important for the activation of T cells because the interaction of ADA and CD-26 at the T cells results in co-stimulatory signs responsible for the activation of the T cell receptor (ada ). Long considered to be an immune-privileged site because of the presence of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) and the lack of a lymphatic system, it is now well-established that the brain is fully capable of mounting inflammatory responses in response to invading pathogens, trauma, or ischemic events (G-17). Fig. 7 Pathways of adenosine production, metabolism and transport, with indications of the sites of action of various enzyme inhibitors. Abbreviations are as follows: ADA, adenosine deaminase; AK, adenosine kinase; AOPCP, a,b-methylene ADP; DCF, deoxycoformycin; EHNA, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenosine; es, equilibrativesensitive nucleoside transporters; ei, equilibrative- insensitive nucleoside transporters; 5-IT, 5-iodotubercidin; NBMPR, nitrobenzylthioinosine; PDE, cAMP phosphodiesterase; SAH, S-adenosyl homocysteine. Activation of oligodendrocytes results in secretion of inflammatory molecules, such as nitric oxide (NO), cytokines, and prostaglandins and most  notably in upregulation of several chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, including NG2, which contributes to the growth-inhibitory environment that prevents regeneration of axons in the injured CNS. In summary, in acute situations and when short lived, neuro-inflammatory mechanisms generally limit injury and promote healing; however, when neuro-inflammation becomes chronic it can damage viable host tissue, resulting in compromised neuronal survival and cognitive impairment. For these reasons, inflammation in the CNS has been appropriately described as a two-edged sword (G-17). Again Hcy activates cytokines and pro-inflammatory molecules, such as IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-12, IL-18, IL- 1 receptor antagonist, C-reactive protein, adhesion molecules (P-selectin, E-selectin, ICAM-1), and metalloproteinases (MMP-9). In addition, Hcy up-regulates reactive oxygen species, leading to activation of NF-kappa B, the pro-inflammatory nuclear regulatory molecule (G-3). On the other hand, neuropsychiatric disorders have been shown to be accompanied with some immune-inflammatory alterations. In this regard in order to make a contribution to the understanding of the ongoing immune disturbance in neuropsychiatric disorders, serum ADA activity was determined in neuropsychiatric patients and compared with healthy controls. Intracellular and extracellular levels of adenosine are tightly controlled by specific nucleoside transporters and several important enzymes, which include adenosine deaminase (ADA) and 5’-nucleotidase (5’-NT) (ADA-4). ADA activity is known to be increased in inflammatory diseases characterized by T-cell activation and proliferation. Therefore, ADA is considered a marker of T-cell activation. In addition, overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion (Oà ¢- _ 2); nitric oxide (NOà ¢- ) and singlet oxygen (1O2) creates a condition known as oxidative stress, resulting in the amplification of the inflammatory response (ADA-6). Studies related to ADA levels in neuropsychiatric patients are virtually non-existent. ADA and schizophrenia Adenosine may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, since it modulates the release of several neurotransmitters such as glutamate, dopamine, serotonin etc. Dutra GD et al (2009) showed that decreased ADA activity in schizophrenic patients than in control subjects (ADA-7). Brunstein MG et al (2007) reported that the schizophrenic patients treated either with typical antipsychotics or clozapine showed increased serum ADA activity compared to controls (ada-b sub 14). ADA and Depression Elgun et al (1999b) reported that decrease ADA activity in patients with depression compared with controls, might reflect the impaired immune system in depression (A sub). Mackiewicz et al (2006) showed that ADA levels did not change with age in rats (A sub). Herken H et al (2007) showed that ADA levels of the patients were significantly higher than the controls (abstract ref). An increasing body of evidence implicates both brain inflammation and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of Alzheimers disease (A-9). Inflammation is a cause, contributor, or secondary phenomenon in the disorder inflammatory pathways are altered in the periphery in AD, together with evidence that increased peripheral inflammation leads to more neurodegeneration and accelerated disease progression in animal models. Antioxidants defense:- Humans have evolved a highly complicated antioxidant defense system to combat the damaging effects of free radicals. Under physiological conditions, overproduction of ROS and RNS and their neutralization is prevented by the activity of endogenous anti-oxidative defense system (AOS). Antioxidants are a broad group of compounds which constitute the first line of defense against free radical damage thus are essential for maintaining optimum health and well-being. They are protective agents, capable of stabilizing or deactivating free radicals before they attack cells. Being beneficial compounds, they control free radical formation naturally and help organisms to deal with oxidative stress caused by free radicals (antiox 4) (Fig. 8). Antioxidant system encloses enzymes like superoxide dismutase; catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and other antioxidant-regenerating enzymes such as gluthatione reductase; dehydroascorbate reductase and glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase, that maintains reduced NADPH; hydrophilic scavengers like urate, ascorbate, gluthatione, flavonoids; lipophilic scavengers, like tocopherols, carotenoids and ubiquinone. The great majority of antioxidants are supplied with the diet and includes polyphenols, lipoic and ascorbic acid, carotenoids, lycopene, quercetine, genstein, ellagic acid, ubiquinone and indole-3 carbinole. In fact, in the biological systems, the normal processes of oxidation produces highly reactive free radicals and each of this administered compounds is involved in the physiological redox balance preventing damage to the tissues (antioxi 3). Enzymatic Antioxidants An important part of the intracellular antioxidant defense systems are antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidases. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) SOD is found abundantly in many organisms, from microorganisms to plant and animals, since superoxide radicals (O2−†¢) are toxic to living cells, oxidizing and degrading biologically important molecules, such as lipids and proteins. The role of SOD is to protect aerobic cells against O2−†¢ action. It catalyzes O2−†¢ dismutation reaction into H2O2 and O2−†¢. There are three known types of SOD: two copper-zinc containing SOD (CuZn-SOD), one in cytosol and one bound to the vascular endothelium ( also called â€Å"extracellular SOD† (ECSOD)) and a manganese containing SOD (MnSOD), which is localized in the mitochondrial matrix (antio-4). This enzyme specifically catalyzes the dismutation of O2−†¢ anion into H2O2 and O2−†¢ in a pH-independent medium (5–9.5). Manganese SOD is the mitochondrial form of this dismutase. Its active site contains manganese and reduces the O2−†¢ generated during the ETC. T he amount of MnSOD inside the cell varies according to the number of mitochondria found in each cell type. This enzyme has antitumor activity. Extracellular SOD also contains copper and zinc in its structure and is the main extracellular SOD. It is synthesized inside the cells and secreted into the extracellular matrix (G-66, G-71, SOD-1). Fig. 8- Mechanism of action of antioxidants Catalase (CAT) Catalase is an enzyme that reacts very effectively with H2O2 to form water and molecular oxygen and with H donors (methanol, ethanol, formic acid, or phenols) with peroxidase activity. Catalase protects cells against H2O2 generated inside them. Although CAT is not essential to some cell types under normal conditions, it has an important role in the acquisition of tolerance to ONS in cellular adaptive response (G-10). Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and Glutathione Reductase GPx is an enzyme that contains a single selenocysteine (Sec) residue in each of four identical subunits, which are essential to the enzyme’s activity. Humans have four different GPx types: (1) a classic cytosolic form; (2) a membrane-associated GPx phospholipids, (3) another cytoplasmic enzyme, gastrointestinal GPx; and (4) an extracellular type. All GPx enzymes are known to add two electrons to reduce peroxides by selenols forming (Se-OH). GPx antioxidant properties allow them to eliminate peroxides as potential substrates for Fenton’s reaction. Glutathione peroxidase works together with glutathione tripeptide (GSH), which is present in cells in high (micromolar) concentrations. The substrate for the GPx catalytic reaction is H2O2 or organic peroxide ROOH. Glutathione peroxidase catalyzes hydroperoxide reduction using GSH, thus protecting mammalian cells against oxidative damage. Glutathione metabolism is one of the most important antioxidant defense mechanisms (G-10). Together with classic H2O2-removing enzymes (CAT and GSH-Px), the enzyme thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) is a seleno-flavoprotein which forms the thioredoxin system together with the protein thioredoxin (Trx) and NADPH. This is an effective system to reduce proteins in disulfide form and it also participates actively in the removal of H2O2 and other peroxides (G-57). 4) Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) TrxR catalyzes the reduction of Trx especially, but in humans it can also reduce other substrates, such as vitamin C. This reductase also catalyzes the reduction of disulfide proteins and it is involved in countless vital processes, such as DNA synthesis and the regulation of apoptosis. Additionally, this system also donates electrons during DNA synthesis, and NADPH and human TrxR by themselves or with Trx are efficient electron donors to this human plasma peroxidase, which allows this enzyme to reduce hydroperoxides even when there are low levels of GSH available (G-52). There are three identified TrxR isoenzymes: cytosolic (TrxR-1), mitochondrial (TrxR-2), and a third isoenzyme which has been isolated from the mitochondrion of rat testes (TrxR-3). TrxR-1 has wide substrate specificity, since it is responsible for reducing not only Trx but also hydroperozides, lipoic acid, ubiquinone, and dehydroascorbate. Thus, the Trx system is regarded as having a crucial role maintaining a cell’s redox state. It may also have a role in the system which regulates the expression of redox-sensitive genes through the activation of transcription factors (G-58). Non-enzymatic Antioxidants Vitamin E (ÃŽ ±-tocopherol) The lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamin E is localized in the cell membrane and has been targeted for its relation to atherosclerosis and vascular function. Decreased concentration vitamin E (ÃŽ ±-tocopherol) scavenges the chain-carrying peroxyl radicals rapidly and interrupts the chain propagation. During this reaction, vitamin E becomes a free radical called tocopheryl, which is less reactive than the lipid radical and migrates to the surface of the membrane to be transformed again into tocopherol through the action of ascorbic acid (G-72) (Fig-9). However, in elevated concentrations the tocopheryl radical may act as pro-oxidant. On the other hand, ÃŽ ²-carotene is a hydrophilic precursor of vitamin A and large concentrations accumulate in the membranes of certain tissues. Its antioxidant activity is related to the removal of O2−†¢ and free radicals formed during lipid peroxidation. This activity is due to its conjugated double-bonded structure that can dislocate unpaired electrons, which enables ÃŽ ²-carotene to physically quench singlet oxygen without degradation (G-65). Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) Vitamin C is a hydrosoluble antioxidant, which facilitates its diffusion into intra- and extracellular matrices. Its antioxidant potential is related to direct removal of O2−†¢ and HO†¢. Furthermore, it contributes to regenerating oxidized vitamin E; however, vitamin C also has pro-oxidant activity. It may be the one compound, in addition to HO†¢, that can convert Fe3+ into Fe2+, which then reacts with H2O2 to form OH. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that participates in a large number of cell functions (antio 5). All

Pestel Analysis Of Various Factors Eu Matters Economics Essay

Pestel Analysis Of Various Factors Eu Matters Economics Essay The financial markets are the pivotal function of a modern economy. By aiming towards an increased level of integration, there will be a more efficient allocation of economic resources and long term economic performance (European Commission, 2005). It has therefore been the EUs policy to complete a single market in financial services (being a crucial part of the Lisbon Economic Process  [1]  ) for addressing EUs global competitiveness. Since the economic crash and subsequent global crisis there have been calls for closer monitoring of the financial system and better EU coordination. With the failure of the Lisbon Strategy outlined in 2000 (Wyplosz, 2010), many parties has urged a relook at the model particularly with the global economic crisis afflicting the EU. With the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers in September 2008, there has been no shortage of politicians rushing to describe what is to be done differently in the financial sector in future (Dullien Herr, 2010). The financial crisis has made it clear that the financial markets are in clear need of reforms and a far more effective regulation to govern the future growth of the financial markets in the EU. While the topic has now focused on the Eurozone crisis, the financial market regulation at both national and EU level, has been experiencing a great deal of changes for which some of the important areas of the EU market regulation, ongoing process and most significant plans evaluated. The strength and confidence in financial markets will need to be re-established as pointed out by the Director General (2010). The European Commission has presented several draft directives that is undergoing evaluation by the decision making bodies around Europe. Unlike the US, the EU has had several attempts in harmonising the financial markets (through the Lisbon Process) albeit not entirely successful. While all the financial institutions in Europe are very closely linked to each other, there has been a lack of a uniform basic regulation for financial supervision as national governments tend to pursue those which is in the best interest of their country rather than the region. This therefore allowed institutions from neighbouring countries to enter into risky transactions in those markets with tight supervision but greater access of capital. The European Commissions directives are now letting several of the directives be considered for legislative purposes. Higher capital requirements for banks. Establishment of an European ratings agency that independently evaluate securities of issuers. New rules for Derivatives Trading and Securitisation Creation of a European System for Financial Supervision with a Risk Board being set up alongside those issues mandatory instructions to national supervisory authorities. This however will be a challenge to the EU as such measures would potentially affect the sovereignty of individual national governments to pursue internal policies, something which several European nations are not willing to give in as seen in the Greek crisis. Such directives are not expected to be introduced by end 2010 with expectations gathering that these directives themselves will be watered down from its original form making it toothless for enforcement purposes (Dullien Herr, 2010). Business Cycles Despite coming out of the recession in the 3rd Quarter of 2009 (European Commission, 2010), confidence in the industry is relatively low despite the positive growth generated compared to 2008. Current momentum suggest that recovery of economic activity will continue in coming months although the European Commission has cautioned on the fragility state (European Commission, 2010) [Insert Graph 2] Consumer sector wise, confidence improved from its decline in May 2010 with unemployment fears receding and a generally positive optimism on the general economic situation. This however remains below the long term average which reflect the cautious sentiment adopted by consumers. [Insert Graph 3] Beyond the rebound, recovery is proving to be slower than in past cases. The EU, like other developed economies will struggle with its aftermath for some time in the future (European Commission, 2010) Savings Rate Savings rate are generally higher amongst several EU nations as compared to US household in general (Harvey, 2004). There has been a decline in recent years as per researcher Tina Aridas (2010) from the Global Finance Magazine, the magazine hasd stated that between 2007 and 2008, the European Unions household saving rate was lower than in the euro area, due mainly to the low saving rates in the UK and the Baltic countries. The US saving rate was low compared with both the EU and the euro area. With the passing of the worst effects of the global crisis from 2008, EU households are again faced with the Euro confidence crisis that constraints the regions ability to recover faster than other regions (as it struggles to with unemployment, high deficits and generally bearish economic prospects outlook) (IMF, 2010). The general household will now need to brace themselves for further cuts in income as major EU member nations embarks on tough public spending cuts (Traynor, 2010). Recovery Eur opean economies are expected to be gradual and uneven as most of the savings gain from budgets cuts is utilised for loan repayment for the past debts incurred. SOCIAL Demographics Based on the latest 2008 projections done by the Commission of the European Communities (EUR-LEX), the EU is facing unprecedented changes in the populations. This development would represent a challenge for the governments to review and adapt existing policies as it continues to shape the social structure of the EU population. Demographic ageing, i.e. the increase in the proportion of older people, is above all the result of significant economic, social and medical progress giving EU citizens the opportunity to live a long life in comfort and security which is not without precedent in the regions history (EUR-LEX, 2006). This has become one of the main challenges for the EU as the following demographic trends observed throughout the member countries with various magnitudes. Fertility rate: Fertility rate at the last estimates for 2008 by EUR-LEX stands at just over 1.5 children with a growth forecast 1.57 by 2030 (2009, p.21). In all EU countries, the fertility rate would likely remain below the natural replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman that is needed in order for each generation to replace itself. A period of slow growth and in most cases- actual decline in the population of working age in the region will constraint countries ability to grow from within (due to human capital constraint). Mortality rate: The Life expectancy has been rising steadily since the 20th Century, with an increase of two and a half years per decade in the countries around the world holding the record of highest life expectancy (EUR-LEX, 2008). The EU projects that life expectancy for male would increase by 8.5 years over the projection period, from 76 Years originally in 2008 to 84.5 by 2060 (EUR-LEX, 2009). For the female, life expectancy at birth would increase by 6.9 years, from 82.1 in 2008 to 89 in 2060, marking a narrowing life expectancy gap between both genders. Most of these increases in life expectancy itself (from birth) will come from recent EU member states (Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia etc). Children in the EU today will face a high chance of living to their 80s or 90s in the long term especially if they are from Western Europe with mid-high socio-economic status. Net Migration: Migration already plays a predominant role in population growth today: in many Member States, the size of net migration determines whether the population still grows or has entered a stage of decline (EUR-LEX, 2009). Annual net inflows to the EU are assumed to total 59 million people, of which the bulk (46.2 million) would be concentrated in the euro area. The trend according to the EUR-LEX study, assumes that this will decelerate over the projection period, falling from about 1,680,000 people in 2008 (equivalent to 0.33% of the EU population) to 980,000 by 2020 and thereafter to some 800,000 people by 2060 (0.16% of the EU population). Interviews conducted with respondent concur with the migration trend noting that the continued need for foreign talent to drive further economic growth in the EU. It is therefore only a matter of time for EU to work towards a harmonised migration policy for its member states to consider for ensuring a sustainable growth between its own EU citizens with those from outside non-EU countries. Net migration flows are assumed to be concentrated in a few destination countries: Italy, Spain, Germany, and the UK. Making full use of the global labour supply through net migration will be increasingly important and requires ensuring that immigrants are effectively integrated into the EUs economy and society for today and the future. Education Education and training have an important place in the Lisbon strategy for jobs and growth (European Commission, 2009). EUR-LEX studies expect that the ratio of children and young people to the working-age population will shrink over the coming decade. Nonetheless, the education and training systems in the EU are generally improving. The EU benchmark  [2]  on mathematics, science and technology graduates was already reached before 2005. New growth has been registered in maths, science and technology graduates which were more than the original target set. Although good, benchmarks on early school leaving, completion of upper secondary education and lifelong learning were the opposite with literacy rate amongst young children on the decline. The respective countries will now need more effective national effective to address this fall. Entrepreneurial Spirit The Commission defines Entrepreneurship as the mind set and process [needed] to create and develop economic activity by blending risk-taking, creativity and/or innovation with sound management, within a new or an existing organisation (EurActiv.Com, 2004). SMEs are considered the backbone of the European economy, providing jobs for millions of European citizens and are the basis for economic innovation. Back in 2004, conditions for SMEs and start-up companies are not as favorable in the EU as they are in the US making entrepreneurial initiative and risk-taking less developed. EU citizens are almost evenly divided in their preference for being self-employed or having employee status with many still preferring the comfort of being a salaried employee (European Commission, 2009). In general results showed that from 2007 to 2009, EU citizens view on entrepreneurs are mixed with almost all countries more likely to agree that entrepreneurs are only concerned with profit or that they exploi ted other peoples work to their own benefit. The population in general prefer to either save the money or use it to buy a house or to repay their mortgage rather embark on risk taking ventures that threaten their way of life. The high level of migrants from countries to particularly wealthy EU Member States will however serve to showcase the entrepreneurial spirit in the economy. As many arrive with the intention of making a better life for themselves and their families, the majority of the SMEs arising comes mainly from this group of people, there will certainly be no lack of such entrepreneurial spirit in the EU in the near future. Lifestyle changes Recent evidence shows that in industrialised countries people do not only enjoy longer life expectancy, but they are also experiencing better health conditions in old age due to both healthier lifestyles and more effective pharmaceuticals allowing people with chronic diseases to control the adverse effects of illness (European Commission, 2009). The continuing improvements of the populations healthy ageing in the EU reflect the desire for a sustainable lifestyles, healthy environment amongst the people moving forward. With the Maastrich Treaty, the explicit mentioning of public health as an area of competence of the EU reinforces the expectation that having a sustainable, healthy lifestyle will be the way forward for the EU. Clearly, pharmaceutical drugs (patent or otherwise) will continue to provide a vital service to the EU population. Changing household and family trends need to be taken into account as the number of low income, single parent families increases. As a result of the higher involvement of woman in the work force (either due to higher education or contribute to existing family income), the economic crisis along with the spending cuts instituted at present is expected to create a more prudent, budget oriented household as the situation forces families to rein in their spending for essentials. Healthy lifestyles will become a more viable daily practice as a preventive measure against sickness as compared to incurring medical bills in the household due to illness. Social Mobility A simple meaning on the term social mobility refers to the degree to which an individual or groups status is able to change in terms of position in the social hierarchy. Population with the greatest access to education and adopting a more tolerant, if not more open attitude towards the society will tend to experience a higher level of social improvement (Blanden et al, 2005). Historically, the EU social mobility are mixed based on Blandens research study (2005) and Breen (2004) as countries like the UK and Ireland seen as generally more rigid with any mobility associated with parental income and educational attainment. Over the years since the formation of the EU, the mass migration of citizens with different social background has presented a difficulty task in further upgrading their mobility within the society. With the economic crisis, the younger generations in EU member states will now struggle to scale upward especially with the loss of family income and limited government supp ort marking a risk that any cycle of poverty that an individual household will face is repeated. This is more so as essential cost such as health care becomes more costly towards a household attempts toward improving living standards while aiming to scale towards a better way of life for themselves. Altitude towards generics vs patented drugs Our interview with Dr. [David Lu] and subsequent research revealed that the acceptance of generic drug by patients throughout EU are different. Since the mid-1990s, dispensing of generic drugs has been largely different amongst member states of the EU with countries like UK, Germany, Sweden and Netherlands having a wide acceptance of generic medicines dispensed in its healthcare system (WHO, 1997) as compare to France, Italy and Belgium. Based on our discussion, these were due to the perception build in patients mind on the generics effectiveness and reimbursement incentives given to doctors and pharmacists for sale of these products. This has remained a barrier by many in the generic business towards successfully penetrating the market. Researchers have pointed out on the need for a harmonised pricing mechanism to help generics manufacturers obtain higher market share (Burgermeister,2006). All interviewees are however, sceptical of such standardisation and are in agreement that such step by the EU will be unlikely owing to the different political, social and cultural environment that EU members are. Generic drug manufacturers will need to continue tailoring different marketing strategies to increase patients trust in their products accordingly and not adopt a standard approach for the member states if it intends to compete effectively for the market share. TECHNOLOGY Recent Technology Developments: In this modern age, the pace of technological changes is accelerating at a rapid pace. The generic drug industry is of no exception with the following technological factors that currently in the limelight. Internet The further rapid expansion of the internet to new retail lines such as online pharmacies or also known as mail-order pharmacy has enabled patients to consider a cheaper alternative to purchase medicines. Such services would tend to promote generic alternatives through offering of price and product range comparativeness when patients access their websites. Whilst the cost and convenience aspects have long been an attractive feature for the online aspect of this business, several worrying factors have emerged as a result. Counterfeit medicine This problem was first addressed in 1985 (Pharmaceutical Technology Europe, 2010) in the World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting with experts. With the explosion of e-commerce from the year 2000, the problem has increased substantially with the magnitude difficult to access due to the variety of the information sources available (WHO, 2010). While the European Commission proposed several features to be present on the medicines (i.e. mass serialisation, seals etc) (British Generics Association, 2010), counterfeit medicine remains a growing threat. Currently, counterfeiters tend to focus on expensive patented drugs rather than generics but as global acceptance on online purchasing increases, counterfeit drugs are increasingly being detected in the supply chain marking a issue of concern for generic manufacturers as any products discovered as counterfeit can easily harm patient confidence in the generic brand besides endangering lifes. As over 50% of the medicines purchased online are f ound to be counterfeit (WHO, 2010), monitoring of counterfeit drugs particularly those purchase from cyberspace has become a necessity for the pharmaceutical industry. Patient Data Protection Usage of online purchasing for medicines by patients on illegitimate sites has resulted in the risk of private and personal health information being disclosed publicly to unscrupulous operators (Berstein, 1999). The issue of spamming has become a major concern for most internet users as likewise for the sick and vulnerable patients that choose to source cheaper medication which in this case, is the generic drugs available. Private health and financial information (i.e. credit card numbers) can be compromised to criminals that puts the pharmaceutical companies with bad publicity should anything occurs. New Products and Research Development (RD) Expenditure Increasingly, the RD spending by the pharmaceutical industry has been on a decline forcing leading drug manufacturers to rely on existing lines of drugs for revenue generation (Kollewe, 2010). Based on a report by CMR International disclosed in The Guardian newspaper, the level of RD spending had slipped by 0.3% in 2009 following a 6.6% drop in 2008, marking an increasingly difficult period as leading pharmaceutical companies shows only 7% of sales originating from new drug launched in the past 5 years. A decline in the success rates for new drugs to be introduced into the market is a major factor as the industry faces a patent cliff  [3]   for which generic manufacturers will increasingly benefit. In recognition of this, pharmaceutical groups have embarked on MA routes with smaller firms, joint development with academic institutions / commercial competitors for new drugs while reducing costs incurring activity. Introduction of blockbuster drugs such as Pfizers Lipitor has been s tagnant with generic drug makers from India and China crowding the pharmaceutical scene making it tougher to incur healthy margins that finances RD expenditures for future drugs. Preventive Healthcare As stated in an interview with Ms Angela Farrell (2010), preventive healthcare would a normal trend as medical cost continues to increase. As with having more elderly people in the population anywhere now in the EU at present, the prevalence of chronic and serious medical conditions remains on the rise. It is therefore no surprise that this becomes an area for further focus by the state government that seeks to control its existing healthcare budget (Hewitt Associates, 2010). Unlike the US healthcare system, EU states adopts a universal provision of heath care with at least, the basic terms of heath care, provided free to its citizens (Przywara, 2010). Therefore the WHO has pointed out that if not successfully prevented and managed, they will become the most expensive problems faced by our health care systems (WHO, 2010). Because several diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases are linked by common preventable risk factors, healthca re authorities around the world (including EU) has found it more cost-effective to put preventive practices into action rather than continue with responsive-oriented healthcare. Other than providing information, education, programmes and support to those in risk-groups and the general population, Ms Angela has provided us several useful insights into the other developments in this segment. Genomics testing Since the discovery of DNA and the associated study of it, this has been marked as one of the major breakthroughs in genetic testing (Amgen Scholars, 2009). Utilising technological advances over the years, genomics testing allows for a more-accurate diagnosis of genetic diseases and therefore facilitates early treatment at an earlier stage. It also provides patients with both an understanding of possible risks for certain diseases and possible preventive measures long before the diseases even forms within a humans body. Genomics testing in Europe however, suffers from a lack of widespread acceptance as compared to the US (Ramanathan, 2008) owing to the protection laws governing the genetic data obtained from such test. The processing of genetic data in Europe has been subjected to stronger protection as provided in the in the Directive 95/46/EC and the national laws of the EU member states implementing it (Ramanathan, 2008). However, as EU residents healthcare cost mounts, the develo pment of an integrated knowledge base combining the insights of sciences, humanities and social sciences will be required to inform policy and to plan for the rational implementation of new healthcare services. EU health communities has recognised the benefits of genomics testing for healthcare prevention with the need for a strong integrated, interdisciplinary European links to manage the sheer volume and complexity of this emerging genomic knowledge, and the speed of technological development (EUPHA, 2010). The EU themselves has viewed genomics in a more positive manner as seen in one of its main theme for the Sixth Framework Programme (that funds research work on genomic studies on diseases) to exploit this knowledge to human health besides economy growth benefit (CORDIS, 2009). Genomics testing will continue to grow as more benefits are uncovered from researchers in the EU with long term plans by the EC being provided towards nurturing such growth. There are multiple benefits for both pharmaceutical and generic makers as pointed out by Philips et al (2004). According to the research carried out, genomics is likely to provide a multitude of new drug targets, enable the development of drugs that avoid problematic genetic variants in drug-metabolizing enzymes, and increase the development of preventive interventions for patients identified as being at higher risk for future disease (Philips et al, 2004, p.428). Interviewee, Ms Angela has pointed out the interest of many in the medical field to create a more targeted form of treatment. Genomics allows this as it allow drug therapies with greater efficiency and safety, which of course leads to higher price due to the added value it brings to patients. Genetic profiling in patients enrolled during the early testing phase for drugs will allow for shorter testing time that can increased approval chances with the health authorities. Drugs that previously were unsuccessful can be re-exam ined by targeting them to patients with specific genetic profiles i.e. niche drugs. Generic drug makers will eventually benefit as such avenues open wider markets for patients upon expiry of patents or if possible, spurn development of niche drugs rather than reliance on original drug makers. Drug delivery system An area that has become increasingly popular within the pharmaceutical industry based on interviews with Ms Angela and Mr. Gregor. It is reported that at present, failure of drugs clinical trial are mainly through the failure to deliver the compounds to the area it is needed most without going through some interaction with the human body along the way (Cientifica,2007). It is therefore considered a very valuable and important development for any technology that enables direct delivery of drug compounds without triggering any or no side-effects on the patients. One of the EU market focus is currently on the nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery system for patients. While there are delivery system using laser, injection, spray being practiced, nano particles are receiving particular attention owing to more development going on in this field. Drug development is a very costly affair for patent holders especially with the decline of new drugs being uncovered each year. Many new scale biot ech companies have become acquisition targets owing to keen interest towards this subject. The future of nanotechnology is in a completely uncharted territory. It is almost impossible to predict everything that nanoscience will bring to the world considering that this is such a young science field today (Nanogloss, 2009). The field however is viewed as a revolutionary advancement but potentially controversial with its ability to bring materials to life. Religious and ethical issues aside, scientist are hoping that the further understanding of this technology would contribute towards improving population heathcare globally in future. If successful, pharmaceutical companies would view it as its next line of income as existing drug making expertise dry up. Biotechnology With 20% of new drugs launched from market each year derive from biotechnology (EFPIA, 2009), the biotechnology field has long been a promising development for the medical and healthcare purpose. Areas such as pharmacogenomics, nanotechnology, stem cells and gene therapy are becoming part a growing emphasis by medical professions. With a vision of improving design and production of drugs within a humans genetic makeup, this has become a new alternative for medicine as previous reliance on convention drugs (through use of chemical reactions) for treating illness have become scarce and increasingly difficult to produce. Using biomedicine, which create drugs based on the living molecules that are associated with specific genes and diseases, EU scientists under the JRC-EU  [4]  in 2007 has pointed out encouraging responds towards treatment of genetically inherited diseases such as hepatitis B, cancer and diabetes. JRC further pointed out the human medicine and heathcare are the most prominent field for modern biotechnology with a high share of publications and patents targeted towards this sector (2007). The direct and indirect elements of RD works for biotechnology would add towards EUs GVA  [5]  and improving state of heath for EU citizens as part of the context of the ECs objective of making the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion (JRC-EU, 2007, p.5). Numerous researches suggest that biotechnology can offer patients more and better healthcare choices. The biomedical healthcare industry is viewed as the pharmaceutical industrys external RD centre and source of product innovation (EMCC, 2005). However, the strength of the biomedical healthcare industry differs widely between European countries. As of 2003, the UK is considered to have the most mature industry as compared to other EU states (EMCC, 2005) but this has narrowed as other EU states nurtures their own industry. This is due to availability of more resources (both human and capital) increases over the years. At this time, there has been a lack of attempts towards producing generic versions of the biotechnology drugs. Many of these drugs are very expensive because they are so difficult to produce owing to complex molecules involved (Montgomery, 2009). Furthermore, regulatory guidelines are still lacking on existing bio-medicines due to the different arrangement governing both the US and EU member states (Manley, 2006). However as expertise and experience continue to grow (especially with the campaign by EGAs biosimilar drugs), it would be a matter of time before biotechnology because part of the patient healthcare in the EU and the world. Incremental Disruptive technologies To practitioners in the drug industry, incremental (or sustainable) technologies will come in form of mostly new drugs for an existing class with similar action mechanism but differ in features such as, therapeutic profile, metabolism, adverse effects, dosing schedules, delivery systems, for example (GSK, 2008). Incremental technologies are this sense, is seen as innovation capacity, which is according to Wertheimer Santella, the lifeblood of the pharmaceutical industry (2009). The current issue surrounding this subject matter has largely pertained to criticism that the developments of me-too  [6]   drugs were time wasting and a drag of existing resources (RD, money etc) towards fleecing unsuspecting consumers (Wertheimer Santella, 2009) particularly as the patented drugs life is ending. Generic manufacturers in the US and Europe has been particularly vocal towards this practice as it alleges pharmaceutical companies uses this to extend patent lifespan through introduction of small changes that deprives generic manufacturers access to such drugs (and therefore an anti-competitive practice). It is therefore a contentious issue as both individual corporations such as GSK and its trade representative in EU, EFPIA contin ues to debate this publicly and with the European Commission. Other incremental technologies that serve to complement the medical drug industry arises from rapidly improving testing, diagnostic, and other technologies (Brill Robbins, 2005) which allows better and more targeted drugs in the heath care sector thus ensuring the continued relevance of conventional medical drugs in the market. Disruptive Technology here is both a worry for patented and generic manufacturers as witnessed by the continued interest in biotechnology as the new alternative in medical discovery. With the continued dearth in significant creation of blockbuster drugs from conventional pharmaceutical research, EU policy makers has continued to show further interest in biomedicine thru policy development initiatives such as funding (EFB, 2010). Pharmaceutical giants too, has gradually increased RD capacity in this field with many companies embarking on MA activities with existing biomedical companies (i.e. Pfizers acquisition of Wyeth) besides growing internal re

Characters, Themes and Imagery in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay ex

Characters, Themes and Imagery in Their Eyes Were Watching God      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Zora Neale Hurston was one of the first widely acclaimed black writers to "assimilate folk tradition into modern literature and express her interpretations of the black culture throughout her books" (Bailey, 175).   She was also one of the most influential of black American writers during the twentieth century because she exceeded the barriers of race, sex and poverty.   Hurston's most acclaimed work is said to be Their Eyes Were Watching God, and has been read, adored, rejected, reviewed, and badgered by many literary critics.   "In a book rich with imagery and black oral tradition, Zora Neale Hurston tells us of a woman's journey that gives the lie to Freud's assertion that 'the difficult development which leads to femininity seems to exhaust all the possibilities of the individual'" (Morgan, 163).   In this as well as in other of her writings, Hurston expresses many of her opinions of race relations, sexism, and classism through her characters, themes and imagery.    The novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God focuses on a character named Janie who is raised by her grandmother on a white plantation in Georgia, and until seeing a photograph of herself, she has always assumed that she is white.   She loves her grandmother, but after her grandmother's death, she realizes that she resents her as well.   Her grandmother has been strict with her and has taught her that love is obtained only through marriage.   Janie feels that her grandmother has taken all of her dreams away.   Although she is independent, Janie marries three times.   Because of her grandmother she marries Logan Killicks, who works Janie so hard that she decides to leave.   Then she meets Joe Star... ...ir Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2008. Print. Dawson, Emma J. Waters. Images of the Afro-American female character in Jean Toomer's Cane, Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Alice Walker's The Color Purple. Michigan: UMI Dissertation Information Service, 1990. Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Wagvtching God: A Novel. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print Kubitschek, Missy D. "`Tuh de Horizon and Back': The Female Quest in Their Eyes Were Watching God." BALF 17.3 (Fall 1983): 109-15. Morgan Grant, Alice. ed. All About Zora: Views and Reviews by Colleagues and Scholars. Florida: Four-G Publishers, Inc., 1991. Wall, Cheryl A. "Zora Neale Hurston: Changing Her Words," American Novelists Revisted: Essays in Feminist Criticism. Ed. Fritz Fleischmann, New York: G.K. Hall and Co. 1982:371-93.   

Antigone †The First Feminist Essay -- Antigone Essays

Antigone – The First Feminist How old is feminism, and who was the first feminist? Although no one can say for sure the exact date on which the feminist movement started, most of it is attributed to the past two centuries. However, women who are feminists have been around much longer. In Sophocles’s Antigone, the main character (Antigone) acts as a protofeminist by defying the authority of a patriarchal society and taking action according to what she believes is right in her heart. She even shows some characteristics of a modern feminist. Feminists today are viewed as raging, man-hating bitches, but feminism in its true sense simply advocates women’s rights. While there are extremes on either side of the scale, most feminists fight for equality among the sexes rather than dominance of one over the other. Antigone can be considered a feminist because she challenges the â€Å"men-make-the-rules-and-women-follow-them-unquestioningly† mentality of the society she lives in. Antigone’s character is indeed among the first to stand up for women in a society that has remained patriarcha...

Strategic Management and Competitive Advantage

Operations Management, 10e (Heizer/Render)Chapter 2 Operations Strategy in a Global Environment1) NAFTA seeks to phase out all trade and tariff barriers among Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 2) The World Trade Organization has helped to significantly reduce tariffs around the world. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 3) Production processes are being dispersed to take advantage of national differences in labor costs. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 4) NAFTA seeks to phase out all trade and tariff barriers between the United States and Asia. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 5) One reason for global operations is to gain improvements in the supply chain. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 6) One reason to globalize is to learn to improve operations. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 7) To attract and retain global talent, and to expand a product's life cycle, are both reasons to globalize. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 8) A product will always be in the same stage of its product life cycle regardless of the country. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 9) The World Trade Organization helps provide governments and industries around the world with protection from firms that engage in unethical conduct. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Ethical Reasoning Objective: no LO 10) Boeing's development of the 787 Dreamliner is an example of a company obtaining a competitive advantage through product differentiation/innovation. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Topic: Global company profile Objective: no LO 11) An organization's strategy is its purpose or rationale for an organization's existence. Answer: FALSE Diff: 1 Topic: Developing missions and strategies Objective: LO2-1 12) Operations strategies are implemented in the same way in all types of organizations. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Topic: Developing missions and strategies Objective: LO2-1 13) Experience differentiation is an extension of product differentiation, accomplished by using people's five senses to create an experience rather than simply providing a service. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 14) An organization's ability to generate unique advantages over competitors is central to a successful strategy implementation. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 15) Low-cost leadership is the ability to distinguish the offerings of the organization in any way that the customer perceives as adding value. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 16) Most services are tangible; this factor determines how the ten decisions of operations management are handled differently for goods than for services. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 17) The relative importance of each of the ten operations decisions depends on the ratio of goods and services in an organization. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 18) Decisions that involve what is to be made and what is to be purchased fall under the heading of supply-chain management. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 19) Manufacturing organizations have ten strategic OM decisions, while service organizations have only eight. Answer: FALSE Diff: 1 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 20) Errors made within the location decision area may overwhelm efficiencies in other areas. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 21) Southwest Airlines' core competence is operations. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 22) Key success factors and core competencies are synonyms. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 23) SWOT analysis identifies those activities that make a difference between having and not having a competitive advantage. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 24) For the greatest chance of success, an organization's operations management strategy must support the company's strategy. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 25) Key Success Factors are those activities that are key to achieving competitive advantage. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 26) A multinational corporation has extensive international business involvements. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 27) The multidomestic OM strategy maximizes local responsiveness while achieving a significant cost advantage. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 28) Firms using the global strategy can be thought of as â€Å"world companies.† Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 29) Which of the following statements regarding the Dreamliner 787 is true? A) Boeing has found partners in over a dozen countries. B) The new aircraft incorporates a wide range of aerospace technologies. C) The new aircraft uses engines from not one, but two manufacturers. D) Boeing will add only 20 to 30 percent of the aircraft's value. E) All of the above are true. Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Global company profile Objective: no LO 30) Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner A) is assembled in Washington, D.C. B) uses engines from Japan C) has its fuselage sections built in Australia D) has increased efficiency from new engine technology E) results from a partnership of about a dozen companies Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Global company profile Objective: no LO 31) Examples of response to the global environment include A) Boeing's worldwide sales and production B) Benneton's flexibility in design, production, and distribution C) a Chinese manufacturer, Haier, opening plants in the United States D) Ford's partnerships with Volvo and Mazda E) all of the above Answer: E Diff: 1 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 32) Which of the following is an example of globalization of operations strategy? A) Boeing's Dreamliner has engines with higher fuel/payload efficiency. B) Ford's new auto models have dent-resistant panels. C) A Chinese manufacturer, Haier, now operates plants in the United States. D) Hard Rock Cafà © provides an â€Å"experience differentiation† at its restaurants. E) All of the above are examples. Answer: C Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 33) Cost cutting in international operations can take place because of A) lower taxes and tariffs B) lower wage scales C) lower indirect labor costs D) less stringent regulations E) all of the above Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 34) Which of the following did the authors not suggest as a reason for globalizing operations? A) reduce costs B) improve the supply chain C) stockholder approval ratings D) attract new markets E) None of the above were suggested. Answer: C Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 35) Multinational organizations can shop from country to country and cut costs through A) lower wage scales B) lower indirect labor costs C) less stringent regulations D) lower taxes and tariffs E) all of the above Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 36) The term maquiladora is most synonymous with A) free trade zones in Mexico B) Chinese forced labor camps C) home-based or cottage industry D) areas that do not meet U.S. standards for workplace safety and pollution E) none of the above Answer: A Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 37) Which of the following is true of maquiladoras? A) They discourage foreign businesses from outsourcing. B) They assess tariffs only on the value-added work done. C) They originated in China. D) none of the above E) all of the above Answer: B Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations Objective: no LO 38) Which of the following represent reasons for globalizing operations? A) to gain improvements in the supply chain B) to improve operations C) to expand a product's life cycle D) to attract and retain global talent E) all of the above Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 39) Which of the following does not represent reasons for globalizing operations? A) reduce costs B) improve supply chain C) reduce responsiveness D) attract and retain global talent E) None of the above are valid reasons for globalizing operations. Answer: C Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 40) NAFTA seeks to A) substitute cheap labor in Mexico for expensive labor in the United States B) curb illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States C) phase out all trade and tariff barriers between the United States and Mexico D) phase out all trade and tariff barriers between the United States, Canada, and Mexico E) All of the above are NAFTA goals. Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 41) With reference to cultural and ethical issues, the World Trade Organization has A) succeeded in providing equal protection of intellectual property among nations B) made progress in providing equal protection of intellectual property among nations C) phased out all trade and tariff barriers between the United States and Mexico D) eliminated slave labor and child labor E) played little role in addressing cultural and ethical issues among nations Answer: B Diff: 3 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Ethical Reasoning Objective: no LO 42) Which of the following is true about business strategies? A) An organization should stick with its strategy for the life of the business. B) All firms within an industry will adopt the same strategy. C) Well defined missions make strategy development much easier. D) Strategies are formulated independently of SWOT analysis. E) Organizational strategies depend on operations strategies. Answer: C Diff: 2 Topic: Developing missions and strategies Objective: LO2-1 43) Which of the following activities takes place once the mission has been developed? A) The firm develops alternative or back-up missions in case the original mission fails. B) The functional areas develop their functional area strategies. C) The functional areas develop their supporting missions. D) The ten OM decision areas are prioritized. E) Operational tactics are developed. Answer: C Diff: 2 Topic: Developing missions and strategies Objective: LO2-1 44) Which of the following statements about organizational missions is false? A) They reflect a company's purpose. B) They indicate what a company intends to contribute to society. C) They are formulated after strategies are known. D) They define a company's reason for existence. E) They provide guidance for functional area missions. Answer: C Diff: 2 Topic: Developing missions and strategies Objective: LO2-1 45) The impact of strategies on the general direction and basic character of a company is A) short range B) medium range C) long range D) temporal E) minimal Answer: C Diff: 2 Topic: Developing missions and strategies Objective: LO2-1 46) The fundamental purpose of an organization's mission statement is to A) create a good human relations climate in the organization B) define the organization's purpose in society C) define the operational structure of the organization D) generate good public relations for the organization E) define the functional areas required by the organization Answer: B Diff: 2 Topic: Developing missions and strategies Objective: LO2-1 47) Which of the following is true? A) Corporate mission is shaped by functional strategies. B) Corporate strategy is shaped by functional strategies. C) Functional strategies are shaped by corporate strategy. D) External conditions are shaped by corporate mission. E) Functional area missions are merged to become the organizational mission. Answer: C Diff: 3 Topic: Developing missions and strategies Objective: LO2-1 48) __________ and __________ are to differentiation competitive advantages as __________ and __________ are to response competitive advantages. (*See figure 2.4a in the textbook) A) Human Resources, layout; scheduling, maintenance B) Product, quality; location, process C) Quality, maintenance; inventory, scheduling D) Product, supply chain; layout, quality E) Product, quality; maintenance, scheduling Answer: E Diff: 3 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 49) Which of the following is least likely to be a Cost Leadership competitive advantage? A) low overhead B) effective capacity use C) inventory management D) broad product line E) mass production Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 50) According to the authors, which of the following strategic concepts allow firms to achieve their missions? A) productivity, efficiency, and quality leadership B) differentiation, cost leadership, and quick response C) differentiation, quality leadership, and quick response D) distinctive competency, cost leadership, and experience E) differentiation, distinctive competency, quality leadership, and capacity Answer: B Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 51) A firm can effectively use its operations function to yield competitive advantage through all of the following except A) customization of the product B) setting equipment utilization goals below the industry average C) speed of delivery D) constant innovation of new products E) maintaining a variety of product options Answer: B Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 52) Which of the following has progressed the furthest along its product life cycle? A) drive-thru restaurants B) Boeing 787 C) iPods D) Twitter E) Xbox 360 Answer: A Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: no LO 53) The ability of an organization to produce goods or services that have some uniqueness in their characteristics is A) mass production B) time-based competition C) competing on productivity D) competing on flexibility E) competing on differentiation Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 54) Which of the following has made the least progress along its product life cycle? A) drive-thru restaurants B) Boeing 787 C) iPods D) Twitter E) Xbox 360 Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: no LO 55) A strategy is a(n) A) set of opportunities in the marketplace B) broad statement of purpose C) simulation used to test various product line options D) plan for cost reduction E) action plan to achieve the mission Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 56) Which of the following statements best characterizes delivery reliability? A) a company that always delivers on the same day of the week B) a company that always delivers at the promised time C) a company that delivers more frequently than its competitors D) a company that delivers faster than its competitors E) a company that has a computerized delivery scheduling system Answer: B Diff: 3 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 57) Which of the following is an example of competing on the basis of differentiation? A) A firm manufactures its product with less raw material waste than its competitors do. B) A firm's products are introduced into the market faster than its competitors' products are. C) A firm's distribution network routinely delivers its product on time. D) A firm offers more reliable products than its competitors do. E) A firm advertises more than its competitors do. Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 58) The ability of an organization to produce services that, by utilizing the consumer's five senses, have some uniqueness in their characteristics is A) mass production B) time-based competition C) differentiation D) flexible response E) experience differentiation Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 59) Which of the following best describes â€Å"experience differentiation†? A) immerses consumers in the delivery of a service B) uses people's five senses to enhance the service C) complements physical elements with visual and sound elements D) consumers may become active participants in the product or service E) All of the above are elements of experience differentiation. Answer: E Diff: 1 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 60) Experience Differentiation A) isolates the consumer from the delivery of a service B) is an extension of product differentiation in the service sector C) uses only the consumer's senses of vision and sound D) keeps consumers from becoming active participants in the service E) is the same as product differentiation, but applied in the service sector Answer: B Diff: 1 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 61) Which of the following is the best example of competing on low-cost leadership? A) A firm produces its product with less raw material waste than its competitors. B) A firm offers more reliable products than its competitors. C) A firm's products are introduced into the market faster than its competitors' products. D) A firm's research and development department generates many ideas for new products. E) A firm advertises more than its competitors. Answer: A Diff: 3 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 62) Franz Colruyt has achieved low-cost leadership through A) Spartan headquarters B) absence of voice mail C) low-cost facilities D) no background music E) all of the above Answer: E Diff: 1 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 63) Franz Colruyt has achieved low-cost leadership through A) effective use of voice mail B) plastic, not paper, shopping bags C) background music that subtly encourages shoppers to buy more D) converting factories, garages, and theaters into retail outlets E) use of the Euro, not the currency of each European country Answer: D Diff: 1 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 64) Which of the following is an example of competing on quick response? A) A firm produces its product with less raw material waste than its competitors. B) A firm offers more reliable products than its competitors. C) A firm's products are introduced into the market faster than its competitors' products. D) A firm's research and development department generates many ideas for new products. E) A firm advertises more than its competitors. Answer: C Diff: 3 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 65) Costs, quality, and human resource decisions interact strongly with the __________ decision. A) layout design B) process and capacity design C) supply chain management D) goods and service design E) All of the above are correct. Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 66) Which of the following influences layout design? A) inventory requirements B) capacity needs C) personnel levels D) technology decisions E) All of the above influence layout decisions. Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 67) Response-based competitive advantage can be A) flexible response B) reliable response C) quick response D) all of the above E) none of the above Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 68) Which of the following is not an operations strategic decision? A) maintenance B) price C) layout design D) quality E) inventory Answer: B Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 69) Which of the following OM strategic decisions pertains to sensible location of processes and materials in relation to each other? A) layout design B) goods and service design C) supply chain management D) inventory E) scheduling Answer: A Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 70) Which of these companies is most apt to have quality standards that are relatively subjective? A) Chrysler B) Dell Computer C) Sanyo Electronics D) Harvard University E) Whirlpool Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 71) Which of the following will more likely locate near their customers? A) an automobile manufacturer B) an aluminum manufacturer C) an insurance company headquarters D) a medical clinic E) All of the above will tend to locate near their customers. Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 72) Which of the following statements concerning the operations management decision is relevant to services? A) There are many objective quality standards. B) The customer is not involved in most of the process. C) The work force's technical skills are very important. D) Labor standards vary depending on customer requirements. E) Ability to inventory may allow the leveling of the output rates. Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 73) Which of these organizations is likely to have the most important inventory decisions? A) a marketing research firm B) a lobbying agency C) a management consulting firm D) an aluminum manufacturer E) a law firm Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 74) Before establishing and implementing strategy, a resources view would ensure that which of the following resources are available: A) financial B) physical C) human D) technological E) all of the above Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 75) Porter's Five Forces Model is used to evaluate competition based on which 5 aspects? A) research and development, cost, legal regulations, suppliers, customers B) immediate rivals, Potential entrants, customers, suppliers, and substitute products C) potential entrants, customers, suppliers, legal regulations, and cost D) immediate rivals, potential entrants, cost, substitute products, and legal regulations E) none of the above Answer: B Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 76) Porter's Five Forces Model contains which of the following? A) immediate rivals B) potential entrants C) customers D) suppliers E) all of the Above Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 77) Value-chain analysis is used to identify activities that represent, or can develop into, the core competencies of a business. Who introduced this concept? A) Ford B) Toyota C) Porter D) Smith E) None of the above Answer: C Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 78) Value-chain analysis can be used to determine if a business is adding unique value in which of the following areas? A) product research B) human resources C) process innovation D) quality management E) all of the above Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 79) Which of the following is not part of value-chain analysis? A) product research B) quality management C) supply-chain management D) marketing E) human resources Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 80) Which of the following environmental factors has not been a factor in Microsoft's changing strategy? A) Google B) security issues C) faster processors D) the Internet E) none of the above Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 81) Standardization is an appropriate strategy in which stage of the product life cycle? A) introduction B) growth C) maturity D) decline E) retirement Answer: C Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 82) Cost minimization is an appropriate strategy in which stage of the product life cycle? A) introduction B) growth C) maturity D) decline E) retirement Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 83) The stage in the product life cycle at which it is a poor time to change quality is A) introduction B) growth C) maturity D) decline E) incubation Answer: C Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 84) Which of the following changes does not result in strategy changes? A) change in the company's financial situation B) a company's adoption of new technology C) change in the product life cycle D) change in the competitive environment E) change in job scheduling techniques Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 19 85) Which of the following statements is most correct? A) KSFs are often necessary, but not sufficient for competitive advantage. B) KSFs are often sufficient, but not necessary for competitive advantage. C) KSFs are neither necessary nor sufficient for competitive advantage. D) KSFs are both necessary and sufficient for competitive advantage. E) None of the above statements is correct. Answer: A Diff: 3 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 86) Given the position of the iPod in the growth stage of its life cycle, which of the following OM Strategy/Issues should the makers of iPods be least concerned with at the current time? A) forecasting B) cost cutting C) increasing capacity D) product and process reliability E) enhancing distribution Answer: B Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 87) Which of these organizations is likely to have the most complex inventory decisions? A) a marketing research firm B) a stock brokerage firm C) a management consulting firm D) a computer manufacturing company E) a high school Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 88) The three steps of the operations manager's job, in order, are: A) develop the strategy, establish the organizational structure, find the right staff B) develop the strategy, find the right staff, establish the organizational structure C) find the right staff, establish the organizational structure, develop the strategy D) find the right staff, develop the strategy, establish the organizational structure E) establish the organizational structure, find the right staff, develop the strategy Answer: A Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 89) When developing the operations strategy for a new manufacturing organization, one of the most important considerations is that it A) requires minimal capital investment B) utilizes as much automation as possible C) utilizes an equal balance of labor and automation D) supports the overall competitive strategy of the company E) none of the above Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 90) Which of the international operations strategies involves high cost reductions and high local responsiveness? A) international strategy B) global strategy C) transnational strategy D) multidomestic strategy E) none of the above Answer: C Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 91) Which of the international operations strategies involves low cost reductions and low local responsiveness? A) international strategy B) global strategy C) transnational strategy D) multidomestic strategy E) none of the above Answer: A Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 92) Which of the international operations strategies uses import/export or licensing of existing products? A) international strategy B) global strategy C) transnational strategy D) multidomestic strategy E) none of the above Answer: A Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 93) Which of the international operations strategies uses the existing domestic model globally? A) international strategy B) global strategy C) transnational strategy D) multidomestic strategy E) none of the above Answer: D Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 94) The acronym MNC stands for A) Mexican National Committee (for international trade) B) Maquiladora Negates Competition C) Maytag-Nestlà © Corporation D) Multinational Corporation E) none of the above Answer: D Diff: 1 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 95) Caterpillar and Texas Instruments are two firms that have benefited from the use of A) the multidomestic strategy option. B) the multinational corporation strategy. C) the transnational strategy option. D) the maquiladora system in Europe. E) the global strategy option. Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 96) Which of the following are examples of transnational firms? A) Nestlà © B) Asea Brown Boveri C) Reuters D) Citicorp E) All of the above are transnationals. Answer: E Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 97) Boeing found its Dreamliner 787 partners in __________ countries. Answer: over a dozen Diff: 1 Topic: Global company profile AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 98) __________ are areas located along the U.S.-Mexico border in which factories receive preferential tariff treatment. Answer: Maquiladoras Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 99) __________ is a free trade agreement among Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Answer: NAFTA–North American Free Trade Agreement Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 100) __________ and __________ are two issues where significant cultural differences are large and progress toward global uniformity has been slow. Answer: Bribery, protection of intellectual property Diff: 1 Topic: Global company profile AACSB: Ethical Reasoning Objective: no LO 101) An organization that has worked to achieve global uniformity in cultural and ethical issues such as bribery, child labor, and environmental regulations is __________. Answer: the World Trade Organization Diff: 1 Topic: Global company profile AACSB: Ethical Reasoning Objective: no LO 102) In goods-producing organizations, __________,__________, and __________ may be inventoried. Answer: raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 103) Strategy is not static, but dynamic because of changes in the __________ and __________. Answer: organization, environment Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-1 104) __________ is the stage in product life cycle at which it is a poor time to change quality. Answer: Maturity Diff: 2 Topic: Issues in operations strategy Objective: LO2-4 105) The __________ is how an organization expects to achieve its missions and goals. Answer: strategy Diff: 2 Topic: Developing missions and strategies Objective: LO2-1 106) The creation of a unique advantage over competitors is called a __________. Answer: competitive advantage Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 107) Service organizations can immerse the consumer in the service, or have the consumer become a participant in the service, as they practice __________. Answer: experience differentiation Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 108) Competitive advantage in operations can be achieved by __________, __________, and/or __________. Answer: differentiation, low cost, response Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 109) A(n) __________ is a firm that has extensive involvement in international business, owning or controlling facilities in more than one country. Answer: MNC–multinational corporation Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 110) The __________ strategy utilizes a standardized product across countries. Answer: global Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 24 111) The __________ strategy uses exports and licenses to penetrate globally. Answer: international Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 112) The __________ strategy uses subsidiaries, franchises, or joint ventures with substantial independence. Answer: multidomestic Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 113) The __________ strategy describes a condition in which material, people, and ideas cross or transgress national boundaries. Answer: transnational Diff: 2 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 114) Identify five countries from which Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has suppliers. Answer: France, Germany, UK, Italy, Japan, China, South Korea, Sweden, U.S. Diff: 1 Topic: Global company profile AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 115) Identify five parts which Boeing's 787 Dreamliner gets from global suppliers; match each part with the country that supplies it. Answer: France–landing gear, Germany–interior lighting, UK–fuel pumps or electronics, Italy–part of fuselage or horizontal stabilizer, Japan–wing box or hydraulic actuators, China–rudder or general parts, South Korea–wingtips, Sweden–cargo and access doors, U.S.–GE engines Diff: 2 Topic: Global company profile AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 116) How can global operations improve the supply chain? Answer: The supply chain can often be improved by locating facilities in countries where unique resources exist. Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 117) How do global operations attract new markets? Answer: Since international operations require local interaction with customers, suppliers, and other competitive businesses, international firms inevitably learn about unique opportunities for new products and services. Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 118) State two examples of cultural and ethical issues that face operations managers in a global environment. Answer: Student responses will vary, but there are several issues on which there are wide differences from country to country, culture to culture. Among those listed in the text are bribery, child labor, slave labor, and intellectual property rights. Students may bring forward from an earlier chapter issues such as environmental regulation or safe work environment, and may raise issues such as product safety. Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Ethical Reasoning Objective: no LO 119) What is the difference between a firm's mission and its strategy? Answer: A firm's mission is its purpose or rationale for an organization's existence, whereas a firm's strategy is how it expects to achieve its mission and goals. Diff: 2 Topic: Developing missions and strategies Objective: LO2-1 120) Since the early 1990s, residents in a number of developing countries have overcome culture, religious, ethnic, and political productivity barriers. These disappearing barriers coupled with simultaneous advances in technology, reliable shipping, and cheap communication have all led to the growth of what three things? Answer: 1. World trade. 2. Global capital markets. 3. International movement of people. Diff: 2 Topic: A global view of operations AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity Objective: no LO 121) Provide an example of an organization that achieves competitive advantage through experience differentiation. Explain. Answer: Answers will vary, but Disney and Hard Rock Cafà © are illustrated in the text. Competing on experience differentiation implies providing uniqueness to your service offering through immersion of the consumer into the service, with visual or sound elements to turn the service into an experience. Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 122) With regard to the scheduling decision, how are goods-producing organizations different from service companies? Discuss. Answer: Goods-producing companies: the ability to inventory may allow leveling the output rates; service companies: primarily concerned with meeting the customer's immediate schedule. Diff: 3 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 123) How do goods and services differ with regard to handling the quality decision? Answer: There are many objective quality standards for goods, whereas there are many subjective quality standards for services. Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 124) What is the difference between goods and services in terms of their location selection? Answer: Manufacturers of goods may need to be located close to raw materials, or labor force. Services, on the other hand, typically are located close to the customer. Diff: 2 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions Objective: LO2-3 125) How has Franz Colruyt achieved low-cost leadership? List three specific examples and describe each briefly. Answer: Several methods are listed in the text. Among these are no shopping bags, dim lighting, no voice mail, conversion of older buildings, Spartan offices. Diff: 2 Topic: Achieving competitive advantage through operations Objective: LO2-2 126) Define core competencies. Answer: A set of skills, talents, and activities that a firm does particularly well. Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 127) For what type of organization might the location decision area be the least important of its ten decision areas? For what type of organization might the location decision be the most important of the ten decision areas? Discuss; augment your response with examples. Answer: The relationship between the organization and its suppliers or its customers is key. If that relationship is very weak (as in no transportation costs, or customers can reach the firm from any location), location diminishes in importance. If that relationship is strong (uniqueness of site, high transportation costs, customers will not travel far) location increases in importance. â€Å"Least† examples: Telemarketing firm, tax help-line, Internet sales. â€Å"Most† examples: gold mine, oil well, ski resort. Diff: 3 Topic: Ten strategic OM decisions AACSB: Reflective Thinking Objective: LO2-3 128) What is SWOT analysis? List its four elements and describe its purpose. Answer: The four elements of SWOT are strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Its purpose is to maximize opportunities and minimize threats in the environment, while maximizing the advantages of the organization's strengths and minimizing the weaknesses. Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-1 129) Are strategies static or dynamic? What are the forces that lead to this result? Answer: Strategies should be dynamic because of changes within the organization and changes in the environment. Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-1 130) Identify and explain the four basic global operations strategies. Give an example of each strategy. Answer: The multidomestic strategy decentralizes operating decisions to each country to enhance local responsiveness. The primary example from the textbook is McDonald's. The global strategy centralizes operating decisions, with headquarters coordinating the standardization and learning between facilities. The textbook names Texas Instruments and Caterpillar. The international strategy uses exports and licenses to penetrate the global markets. Students may cite Pier One, World Market, or any wine store. The transnational strategy exploits the economies of scale and learning, as well as pressure for responsiveness, by recognizing that core competence does not reside in just the â€Å"home† country, but can exist anywhere in the organization. Examples from the textbook include Bertelsmann, Reuters and Nestlà ©. Diff: 3 Topic: Global operations strategy options AACSB: Multicu ltural and Diversity Objective: LO2-5 131) Nike is the world's largest athletic brand. Its innovative and broad product line helps drive sales, however a large majority of those sales are in the footwear business. Most of Nike's goods are produced overseas in low-cost factories and then imported to the final market. Nike currently has many of the top U.S. athletes under contract (Michael Jordon, Tiger Woods, Dwayne Wade) but international sales are still small in emerging markets. However, many competitors have attempted to copy Nike's business model (high-value branded products manufactured at low-cost), including Adidas and Reebok, while many retailers have attempted to pass on the low-cost pressure of retail consumers. Perform a SWOT analysis for Nike. Answer: Strengths- Innovative products, athletes under contract Weakness- Much of revenue is from footwear, eroding market share could cost Nike its profitability Opportunities- Sales can be increased in emerging markets using well-known athletes, broad product line can be expanded into high profit sectors (jewelry, sunglasses, golf, etc) Threats- International business makes Nike vulnerable to currency changes, low-cost pressure from retailers can decrease profit per item, competition could erode existing market share. Athletes’ personal lives could weaken Nike's reputation. Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 132) Starbucks is one of the best known coffeehouse chains in the world. Each store sells a variety of innovative products to complement the array of coffee choices available. However, 75% of current stores are located in the United States and the expensive nature of the coffee leaves Starbucks vulnerable to changes in consumer spending behavior (such as recessions). Recently Starbucks has begun initiatives to sell its specialty coffee beans for home use, presenting a chance for a large increase in revenue and diversification. However, Starbucks faces fierce competition seeking a piece of its lucrative market share and the threat of consumer behavior changes, given its reputation rides on a singular product. Perform a SWOT analysis for Starbucks. Answer: Strengths- High profit specialty coffee, well known brand image Weakness- Most stores located in U.S., most profits come from coffee (both are lack of diversification) Opportunities- Emerging market in coffee beans for home use, chan ce for global expansion Threats- Intense competition, consumer behavior changes (less spending during a recession on its luxury coffee, change in beverage preferences) Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 133) Perform a SWOT analysis of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner using the information presented within the text. Answer: Strengths- Technological advances (8% increase in fuel efficiency, electronic maintenance monitoring) Weaknesses- Diverse suppliers and assembly locations leave Boeing vulnerable to currency exchange rates and make quality control difficult Opportunities- one of fastest-selling commercial jets ever gives Boeing a chance to increase market share, Boeing can parlay its use of diverse supplier locations into diversifying customer base Threats- competition from Airbus, divestment of the manufacture process risks losing company trade secrets (competitive advantage) Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 134) Perform a SWOT analysis of Hard Rock Cafà ©, using the information presented within Chapters 1 and 2 of the text. Answer: Strengths- Hard Rock's unique coupling of an experience with its menu gives it a competitive advantage, diverse portfolio of stores in 40 countries lowers risk Weaknesses-Hard Rock is known exclusively for its â€Å"experience†, this one-dimensional competitive advantage presents high risk Opportunities- New â€Å"experience† types at restaurants (Blues, Hip-Hop, etc themes), addition of new stores to the existing 120+ stores Threats- Hard Rock's exclusive Rock ‘n' Roll theme leaves it vulnerable to changes in consumer music preferences, competition in the restaurant business is very tough Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4 135) Perform a SWOT analysis for Franz Colruyt, using the information presented within the text. Answer: Strengths- High profit margin of 6.5% from its extreme low-cost competitive advantage Weaknesses- Lack of bagging, in-store music, dim lighting, and lack of aesthetic in-store appeal all limit potential customer base. Opportunities- Franz Colruyt only operates 160 stores so there is opportunity for global expansion Threats- High profit margin might encourage competition to copy Franz Colruyt's low-cost competitive advantage, eroding it. Changes in consumer behavior (increased prosperity) might decrease customers interested in only a low-cost alternative. Diff: 2 Topic: Strategy development and implementation Objective: LO2-4