Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Using the literature about IMC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Using the literature about IMC - Essay Example The report has been prepared for demonstrating various approaches towards the use of IMC tools by the marketers of low involvement and high involvement products. Its aim was to evaluate the difference in strategy generation through IMC tools by the marketers. It has been found out from the report discussion that the consumers’ perception of any product is the ultimate initiator for choosing the IMC tools. The marketers of low involvement products are less interested in using the IMC tools due to the inability of the strategy pertaining to influencing the customers while on the other hand, the marketers of high involvement products are very conscious of selecting the best IMC tools because these strategies have been proved to be effective in influencing the customers of high involvement products over a long period of time.The most important aspect of both product as well as service marketing is to create effective communication with customers. The organizations which can effect ively and efficiently communicate with their respective purposes to the customers, becomes ultimately successful in achieving the organisation’s objectives. Marketers make the most use of marketing communication tools for most effectively reaching their targeted customers. In the present times, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) approach has developed and the marketer presumes it to be the most effective among all other individual means of marketing communication.... trategy for Relationship Building The concept of Integrated Marketing Communication has gained its importance as an effective means of communication in the recent times due to its effective credibility of creating long term relationship with customers. According to the literature presented by Perkins and Algren (2008), marketers who have the objective of enhancing relationship with their supporters are more probable of achieving success through the use of IMC tools than those who have lesser concern for relationship building. The prospect of relationship building strategy is enhanced through successful communication of organizational aims and objectives to the customers. Communication of the aims and objectives is aimed towards creation of greater value perception of the organization among the customers. Since the strength of relationship determines an organization’s age, marketers, in the modern world are all focused on building up long term relationship with their stakeholde rs. This literature has been included in this report because this will provide a basis for further analysing the marketer’s point of view regarding marketing of low involvement and high involvement products. It can, however, be cited that relationship building is the primary objective of using IMC tools by the marketers (Perkins & Algren, 2008). IMC Tools Used by Marketers of Low-Involvement Products Kitchen and Pelsmacker (2004) in their book â€Å"Integrated Marketing Communication: a Primer† have written about the fact that it does not matter as to what an advertisement provide to the people but it matters as to how the people perceive the advertisement. People are interested in spending their valuable time watching advertisements of those products only which they perceive to hold an

Monday, October 28, 2019

Change Management Plan and Communication Plan Essay Example for Free

Change Management Plan and Communication Plan Essay Workers react to change differently and often feel threatened by it. Reaction to workplace transformations usually manifests itself in one of three ways. There is proactive reaction that sees change as an opportunity to try new and improved things. Reactive workers resist change and try to keep things as they were. Inactive employees take the neutral position and straddle the fence watching the struggle between other employees. Older workers within the company tend to resist change because they want to do things the old way. Employees may feel a loss of identity. They may feel a loss of control. Workers also experience a loss of meaning, belonging, and even a loss of their future. Trying to make the changes seem positive does not erase the uncertainty, rumors, or the ambiguity (Jones, 2011). Managers should strategize on the best way to enforce any changes at Riordan Manufacturing. There should be some expectation of resistance in regard to any change. There should be time restraints and deadlines put into place. The changing process may affect deadlines until everyone is on task with the operational changes and new policies. Managers must plan ahead for any resistance at Riordan. Forming task teams that oversee each department affected by the changes over the next 12 months is one strategy that can prove useful. New goals and expectations as a result of the changes should be outlined and followed. There should be effective communication skills with floor managers and employees (Gul Sahin, 2011). The process can run smoother if the employees at Riordan feel motivated, and teamwork encouraged. There will be employee evaluations over the next year to monitor the success or failure of the changes. New system changes, problems, and success will be determined weekly in a detailed report. The reports from the task team and the floor managers will determine the feasibility of the changes. Employees will be required to take assessments to ensure that they fully understand the new operations. New records will be maintained,  updated, and signed by each employee. Training and educational courses will be provided, including computer classes. References Gul, H., Sahin, K. (2011). The Information Society and Public Employees Perception of Transformational Leadership. Selcuk University Social Sciences Institute Journal(25), p237-249. doi:64368178 Jones, T. (2011, January). Use Resistance to Enact Workplace Change. Business Journal Serving Fresno the Central San Joaquin Valley, p.11. doi:10797394

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Internet and Itself :: Essays Papers

Internet and Itself Education on the Internet In today's society, the internet has become a very important learning tool. It is used for day to day activities, such as a place to look up research, a method of getting in touch with friends and family, and somewhere to go to find information about almost anything imaginable. The most popular uses of the internet include entertainment and education. Many people argue that the internet should be used for educational purposes only. The Internet as a Business The internet is a very valuable resource when it comes to education, but I do not think it should just be limited to that idea. There are many other important qualities the internet possesses. The internet is now used to run businesses, and keep personal business files online. People can go to the business's home page to learn more about the product. One of the most useful and popular businesses online is Amazon. By going to http://www.amazon.com, a person can shop without ever leaving their computer. By using a Visa Card, an individual can purchase books, music, clothes, toys, games, electronics, and much more. The Internet as Entertainment One of the most popular traits of the internet is entertainment. This can take the form of many different aspects of the net. Many people, especially teenagers, enjoy visiting chat rooms. These are web sites designed for people who like to talk to others. Many times, a person can find someone with similar interests in chat rooms and they become online friends. Not necessarily someone they would ever meet, but someone to talk to and share things with. Other types of online entertainment include games a person can play with other others online, and "surfing" the web to find web pages that strike their interest. The Internet as Education The internet is very useful when it comes to research. There are many search engines that can help a person find a related topic. There are online catalogs, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses to help enhance a person's learning capabilities. Other ways the internet is useful is that is can be used now as a classro om.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Free States V Slave States Essay

There have always been events in American history that increased tensions between free states and slave states. In the following essay I will go over three events that has caused problems between one other. The Compromise of 1850, Uncle Toms Cabin, and John Brown’s Raid at Harper’s Ferry I have chosen these events because these are the events that stand out to me when tensions between free states and slave states come to mind. The Compromise of 1850 included four laws. California entered the union as a free state. A stricter Fugitive Slave Law requires that escaped slaves be returned. Slave trade prohibited in Washington D. C. Popular Sovereignty vote of the people living in the territory. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe was the best selling book of the nineteenth century. This book caused many to oppose slavery. This showed Americans what slavery has done and this book opened up northern eyes against slavery. This caused the Southern to be outraged because now they have to deal with all the negative northern remarks. The last event is John Brown’s Raid at Harper’s Ferry. In 1859 John Brown led a small group against a federal arsenal. His plan was to seize the weapons and lead a slave uprising. Even though he was unsuccessful and was also executed he became a Northern hero. This incident increased the distrust that was already between the Southern and the North. In conclusion The Compromise of 1850, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and John Brown’s Raid at Harper’s Ferry are events that rose tensions between free states and slave states. The compromise of 1850 pleased no one. It cause northern in civil disobedience against the Fugitive Slave Law by protesting and helping slaves to reach the safety of Canada. Uncles Tom’s cabin single handedly opened up peoples mind against slavery. This made people realize how horrible it is to take another mans freedom this caused problems for the slave states because now the free states wanted to get rid of slavery once and for all. John browns attack proved to the northerners anyone can make a difference if they believe slavery is wrong. This also increased Southern distrust of the North. These are the three events that stood out to me there are a lot more but these are the greatest disputes that effected North and South.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Overcrowding in American Jails and Prisons: An Overview of the Issue and Possible Solutions Essay

The issue of overcrowding in American jails and prisons is not unheard of. It is frequently discussed amongst politicians and American citizens alike. This is a controversial issue considering the large number of different opinions many people have. Though the issue is certainly acknowledged, it is rare that a feasible solution is discussed. According to Vincent Tompkins, one of the many editors in American Decades, most Americans chose to not dwell on the growing crime problem during the 1950s. This was evident through the increase in prison population, which, by the end of the decade, was 22,492 men and women in federal penitentiaries, and 185,021 in state facilities. Tompkins and the rest of the editors compare the amount of prisoners to the size of a city like Tulsa, Oklahoma to put the issue during the 1950s into perspective. However, the amount of prisoners were not the only problem the prison system was faced with. In 1952 alone, there were twenty riots in various federal and state penitentiaries (Tompkins 242). David S. Clark, the editor of the Encyclopedia of Law and Society: American and Global Perspectives, describes overcrowded prisons as, â€Å"a breach of United Nations and other international standards that require that states treat prisoners with respect to their inherent dignity. † Clark calls attention to what follows overcrowding, including restricted living space, poor conditions of hygiene, poor sanitation arrangements, less time available for outdoor activities, etc. He claims the result of these conditions are an increase in violence, including suicide and self-injury (Clark 1177). According to â€Å"Equal Justice Initiative,† an organization that works toward ending mass incarceration, the U. S. incarcerates more of their citizens in comparison to any other country in the world. Jail and prison populations have increased from 200,000 to 2. 3 million in the past 40 years. This not only lead to unprecedented prison overcrowding, but also put a huge strain on state budgets. For instance, Alabama’s prisons were built with the intention of holding up to 14,000 prisoners, but instead hold double the amount—28,000. Alabama is one of many states who are faced with the crisis of overcrowding. The inmate to correctional officer ratio in Alabama is the highest in the country, which only illustrates how serious of an issue overcrowding is. Many Alabama prisoners are on â€Å"waiting lists† for solitary confinement. Due to unsafe prison conditions, â€Å"Equal Justice Initiative† reports a rise in lawsuits where courts have described overcrowding in both state and local facilities as â€Å"barbaric. † The conditions of some of these Alabamian prisons are extreme. Some prisoners are forced to sleep on concrete floors where the, â€Å"sardine-can appearance of cell units more nearly resemble the holding units of slave ships during the Middle Passage of the eighteenth century than anything in the twenty-first century. † Considering these unbelievable facts about prison conditions, the questions remains: how would one resolve the issue of overcrowding? Probably the most universally agreed upon idea is to incarcerate fewer drug offenders. Saki Knafo reports in the Huffington Post that 219,000 inmates in federal prison, which, in comparison to the 25,000 in 1980, is a dramatic increase. Knafo writes that half of those prisoners are drug offenders, and that if 20 percent fewer (non-violent) drug offenders were imprisoned, the federal government would save $1. 29 billion, and prisons would save 125,000 bed years—or a year’s worth of prison time for one person. Among similar lines, another possible solution would be to reduce the incarceration time drug offenders face. If given the opportunity to reduce one year off their prison time by participating in a drug rehabilitation program, Knafo reports the savings to be 880 bed years, and $9.1 million for the U. S. economy. This is supposedly in effect, though due to overcrowding, many prisoners awaiting their opportunity have less than a year of incarceration time when they are offered a place in the program. Expanding this program would not only provide prisoners with a more successful program—which would prevent many released convicts from repeating similar drug related crimes that caused their impri sonment initially—but would also create a number of jobs, which, statistically, would reduce crime rates. Another idea that could potentially reduce the overcrowding in prisons is to release some elderly prisoners from custody. Knafo claims that after the age of 55, released prisoners are â€Å"highly unlikely to commit new crimes, according to many studies. † Despite the lack of a threat those over the age of 55 are, 17,400 federal prisoners are older than 55. It is evident that there are numerous ways to lessen the amount of incarcerated prisoners, while still ensuring the safety of others on the street. Claiming the United States has an addiction to imprisonment when it comes to preventing crime is certainly arguable. Though many of these potential solutions can be considered controversial, it is difficult to deny that things could be done to lessen the overcrowding in prisons and jails. Some might say the U. S. overlooks many alternatives to incarceration. Though arguable, considering the facts and statistics, it certainly could be beneficial for the U. S. to broaden their punishment and rehabilitation methods when it comes to non-violent crimes. Considering alternatives to imprisonment could not only be profitable, but also advantageous.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Physician Assisted Suicide

Physician Assisted Suicide Free Online Research Papers Debbie was a 20 year old girl with a severe case of ovarian cancer, and was a patient of the gynecologic-oncology unit at her local hospital. She was having unrelenting problems with vomiting as a result of an alcohol drip that was being administered for her sedation. Her appearance was that of extreme emaciation, and her breathing was always very loud and heavily labored. Her condition led onlookers to pure shock and disbelief that a girl so young could look so old. She was receiving nasal oxygen, had an IV, and was obviously suffering from what could only be severe air hunger. Her medical chart noted that she only weighed eighty pounds. Debbie’s eyes were sunken in and looked hollow, and she had suprasternal and intercostal retractions with her rapid respirations. It had been a full 48 hours since Debbie had either eaten or slept. She had shown absolutely no signs of improvement with her chemotherapy, and seemed to be worn and beaten by her struggle to survive. Debbie’s only words to the nurse administering her supportive care were â€Å"Let’s get this over with.† Debbie’s mother was by her side on the night that the gynecologic resident was paged to Debbie’s room. The resident was expecting this late night page to be an elderly woman that was having trouble getting to sleep, and was amazed by what she saw when she arrived at the room- a middle aged woman standing next to the bed of what could only be her sister, or so she thought until the resident saw the patient’s age on her chart. The resident, after reviewing the chart of the patient, and having a discussion with the mother, decided that while she may not be able to give Debbie health, she could give her rest. The resident went to the nurse’s station, and asked a nurse to draw 20mg of morphine sulfate into a syringe- enough, she thought, to do the job. She took the syringe back to Debbie’s room, and told the two women that she was going to give Debbie something that would help her rest, and that now was the time to say good-bye. Debbie’s moth er smiled and said her final words to Debbie while she was still alive, then gave the resident the OK. The resident injected the morphine sulfate into Debbie intravenously, and waited for the signs that her calculations on the effect of the medicine were correct. Within seconds, Debbie’s breath slowed to a normal rate, her eyes closed, and her features softened as she finally seemed at rest. Debbie’s breath continued to slow, and with clock-like certainty, had almost completely ceased within four minutes. Her breathing became very irregular, then ceased completely. Debbie was no longer alive. Identify and Discuss: Should Debbie have been assisted by the resident in her suicide? There are many things to consider when asking this question. First and foremost, what did Debbie want? By her saying â€Å"Let’s get this over with,† it can safely be assumed that Debbie was ready for her pain and suffering to end. While Debbie was at a very young age in her life, the ovarian cancer had led to her having to constantly be in a state of sedation via IV alcohol drip. She had excessive trouble breathing, and from her emaciated state, we can also assume that she was having serious problems with either ingestion or digestion, or both. Debbie had already tried chemotherapy, but it had failed thus far. Another factor to consider would be the opinion of Debbie’s mother. While by Debbie’s bedside in the hospital, the mother seemed to agree with Debbie that it was time for the pain and suffering to end. Debbie’s mother was probably upset by seeing her daughter in such a horrible condition for so long, that she was also ready to use the last resort of ending Debbie’s life. The case did not say anything about Debbie’s father so his opinion is not able to be taken into account. Next to consider would be the legality of the resident helping Debbie to end her life. The case does not specify where this hospital is located; however, in every state, with the exception of Oregon, physician assisted suicide is illegal. If this hospital happened to be in Oregon, then it was within the resident’s legal rights to assist Debbie in her death. However, if this hospital was not in Oregon, then the resident that administered the morphine sulfate was doing something illegal, and could be tried for murder. Another consideration would be the professional values that deal with physician assisted suicide. According to the Washington School of Medicine, half of practicing physicians believe that physician assisted suicide is ethically justifiable in certain cases. An average of one in five physicians will at some point in their career get a request for physician assisted suicide, and about twenty percent of these physicians will go through with the PAS. (Braddock) Propose: I believe that in Debbie’s case, the resident was ethically justified in administering the morphine sulfate. It is what Debbie and her mother wanted, so that Debbie’s pain and suffering would be alleviated. The resident first and foremost respected Debbie’s autonomy by performing the injection. Decisions about time and method of death are very personal, and a competent patient such as Debbie should have the right to choose when and how they die. Debbie made that decision by stating â€Å"Let’s get this over with.† Another justification for the resident was a combination of justice and compassion. All like cases should be treated alike, and with Debbie being in a state at which she was competent to make her own decisions, she could have refused treatment to hasten her own death. For some patients, like Debbie, death by refusal of treatment is not quick enough, and suicide is the only way, as they are experiencing unbearable suffering. This suffering for Debbie was apparently not alleviated by her alcohol drip, and chemotherapy had already failed to treat her cancer, so it was out of compassion that the resident administered the morphine sulfate injection. Critique: There are some critiques of performing physician assisted suicide- the first being the sanctity of life. This argument points out strong religious and secular traditions against taking human life. It may be argued that the resident should not have performed the PAS, but the case said nothing of either the resident’s religious beliefs or Debbie’s. Another critique could be the passive versus active distinction. The argument here holds that there is an important difference between passively letting die and actively killing. Some might argue that treatment refusal or withholding treatment equates to letting die and is justifiable, whereas PAS equates to killing and is not justifiable. One more critique would be that PAS demotes the image of the medical profession. This argument points to the historical ethical traditions of medicine, which are strongly opposed to taking life. For instance, the Hippocratic Oath states, I will not administer poison to anyone where asked, and Be of benefit, or at least do no harm. Furthermore, major professional groups (AMA, AGS) oppose assisted death. The overall concern is that linking PAS to the practice of medicine could harm the publics image of the profession. (Braddock) Bibliography Braddock, Clarence H. MD, MPH. Physician Assisted Suicide. Ethics in Medicine. University of Washington School of Medicine. http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/pas.html Research Papers on Physician Assisted SuicideArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Fifth HorsemanThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Hockey GameHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Spring and Autumn19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraWhere Wild and West MeetMind Travel Physician Assisted Suicide Free Online Research Papers Physician assisted suicide and the right to die; these words bring to most people’s minds the name Dr. Jack Kevorkian or â€Å"Dr. Death† as he has been labeled by the media. Dr. Kevorkian designed a â€Å"suicide machine† that could terminate a patient’s life through a serious of intravenous injections. This brought him national attention and ridicule, but there is much more to this subject. There is more than what the surface has shown. Those who automatically dismiss the subject of physician assisted suicide as immoral likely have no personal experience with loved ones who have suffered through horrible, pain-intensive terminal illnesses. In 1992, my grandmother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She suffered months of exhausting treatment. This was the right choice for her, but it was all for naught. There was a point in her treatment in which the doctors determined that further medical treatment would not save her life. During the last few weeks of her life, she was in grave pain. The doctor had prescribed the strongest pain medication available at the time, liquid morphine. I was charged with her medical care, along with a friend of hers, during the last few weeks of her life. In order to keep my grandmother from agonizing pain, I asked the doctor to increase the doses of morphine. At one point, the doctor administered triple and quadruple the amounts of regular morphine doses to my grandmother. The amount had little effect on my grandmother. Many times I thought of increasing the morphine dosage enough so that she would fall asleep and never wake up again. I wanted to the pain away from her forever. I didn’t have to think about that decision for long. Shortly after my grandmother stopped breathing, I realized the cancer had taken her from me and the world. My grandmother’s experience is a good example of what could have been a physician-assisted suicide. Sounding Board, Death and Dignity (New England Journal of Medicine, March 7th 1991) is an article written by a pseudo-name, Timothy E. Quill, M.D. Quill is a medical physician who goes on to describe about his experience with a former patient of his. This patient, whom he refers to â€Å"Diane†, was diagnosed with acute myelomonocytic leukemia. This form of leukemia is terminal. Quill writes that he knew Diane for quite some time and had knowledge of some of the trials and tribulations she had been through in her life. Diane suffered from alcoholism, depression, and uterine cancer. Quill writes that Diane was able to overcome these demons. Quill informed Diane cancer diagnosis. He also informed her that her cancer treatment would be exhausting and last for months. The treatments would make her extremely sick and weak. Despite the treatment, Diane’s chances of survival would only be twenty-five percent. Quill informs Diane that time is not on her side and treatment would begin immediately. Diane soon realized that her chances of survival were reduced with each passing day. Diane decided that she needed to discuss her options with her family. Quill writes that Diane returned two days later and informed him that she was refusing further treatment. Diane stated that she realized her chances of survival were reduced with each passing day. Quill was surprised at Diane’s decision. He respected her wish to refuse further treatment. Quill ensured Diane that he would take the necessary steps to make sure that her remaining days would be medically comfortable for her. Within time, Diane’s symptoms became progressively worse. Diane realized then she didn’t have much time left. Diane requested a prescription for barbiturates from Quill. Quill was familiar with the Hemlock Society, an organization dedicated to fighting for a patient’s right to die. Quill knew that barbiturates are a key ingredient in a Hemlock Society suicide. Quill determined that Diane experiencing trouble sleeping, yet he struggled with her request for barbiturates. Ultimately, Quill prescribed barbiturates for Diane, all the while knowing that she would use them to end her life. In my opinion, I believe Quill made the right decision regarding Diane. Diane’s story was not about a woman suffering from depression wishing to end her life. Diane’s story is a true life example of an individual faced with a slow, painful death due to a terminal illness. In my opinion, Quill likely felt guilty knowing that Diane would suffer a slow, painful death. The guilt of allowing Diane to suffer a painful death was likely much greater than any guilt he felt about violating the law; professionally or legally. I strongly believe that individuals should think more about the bigger picture physician-assisted suicides. My experience long ago with my grandmother taught me the difference between spirit of the law and the letter of the law. The Hemlock Society has been an integral part of fighting for patient’s right to die with dignity. On October 27th, 1997, physician-assisted suicide became legal in the State of Oregon for terminally ill patients meeting the requirements of the law. In my opinion, other states should follow Oregon’s lead regarding physician-assisted suicide. The United States Supreme Court is currently examining physician-assisted suicide to determine if our nation will follow Oregon’s lead. Research Papers on Physician Assisted SuicideArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Personal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital PunishmentLifes What IfsGenetic EngineeringThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Fifth HorsemanMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Effects of Illegal Immigration

Monday, October 21, 2019

Childbirth, Childhood and Adolescence in the Middle Ages

Childbirth, Childhood and Adolescence in the Middle Ages What do you really know about medieval children? Perhaps no other period of history has more misconceptions associated with it than the Middle Ages. The history of childhood is also full of misconceptions. Recent scholarship has illuminated the lives of medieval children as never before, dispelling many of these misconceptions and replacing them with verifiable facts about life for the medieval child. In this multi-part feature, we explore various facets of medieval childhood, from childbirth through the teen years. Well see that, though the world they lived in was very different, medieval children were in some ways very like the children of today. Introduction to Medieval Childhood In this article, we dissect the concept of childhood in the middle ages and how that influenced the importance of children in medieval society.   Medieval Childbirth and Baptism Discover what childbirth was like in the middle ages for women of all stations and classes and the importance of religious ceremonies like baptism in the Christian world. Surviving Infancy in the Middle Ages The death rate and average lifespan in the middle ages were drastically different from what we see today. Discover what like was like for an infant as well as the realities of child mortality rate and infanticide. The Playful Years of Childhood in the Middle Ages A common misconception about medieval children is that they were treated like adults and expected to behave like adults. Children were expected to do their share of household chores, but play was also a prominent part of medieval childhood.   The Learning Years of Medieval Childhood The teenage years were the time to concentrate more intensely on learning in preparation for adulthood. While not all adolescents had schooling options, in some ways education was the archetypal experience of adolescence. Work and Adolescence in the Middle Ages While medieval teens might have been preparing for adulthood, their lives may have been full of both work and play. Discover the typical life of a teen in the middle ages.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Meaning of Libre in Spanish

The Meaning of Libre in Spanish Libre is the most common Spanish adjective for free- but it isnt used to refer to something that is available without charge or cost. For that, the word to use almost always is gratis. Instead, libre, related to words such as liberate and liberty, usually refers to being free in the sense of being free of restraints or sometimes in the sense of being available. Some examples of its use: En 2016, Argentina celebra 200 aà ±os del surgimiento de una nacià ³n libre y independiente. (In 2016, Argentina celebrates 200 years of the springing forth of a free and independent nation.)Soy hombre libre. No dependo de nadie. (Im a free man. I dont depend on anyone.)Serà © libre cuando mis padres no està ©n aquà ­. (I will be free when my parents arent here.) ¿Dà ³nde encontrar cosmà ©ticos libres de crueldad animal? (Where can I find cosmetics made free of animal cruelty?)Dejaron libres a los cinco presos. (They freed the five prisoners.)No habà ­a asiento libre a la vista. (There was not an available (or free) seat in sight.)Hay una diferencia de actitud entre la traduccià ³n libre y la traduccià ³n literal. (There is a difference in attitude between a free translation and a literal translation.)Todos tienen derecho a respirar aire libre de humo. (Everyone has the right to breathe smoke-free air.) Phrases Using Libre An abundance of phrases and idioms use libre. Among the most common: absolucià ³n libre - verdict of not guiltyaire libre, al aire libre - outdoorsamor libre - free lovecaà ­da libre - free falldar và ­a libre - to give permissiondà ­a libre - day off work or other obligationslibre de impuestos - tax-freelucha libre - wrestlingmercado libre - free market (an economics term)paso libre - something free of obstaclesprensa libre - free presspuerto libre - free portsoftware libre - open-source softwaretiempo libre - free timetiro libre - free throw (as in basketball), free kick (as in soccer)trabajar por libre - to do freelance work Words Related to Libre The two verbs most closely related to libre are  liberar and librar. Liberar is the more common and usually means to liberate, to release, or to let a person or a animal go free. Librar has a variety of seemingly unrelated meanings including saving someone from danger, drawing a check (monetary instrument), fighting ,and revealing. There are also several related compound nouns including librecambio (free trade), librecambista (advocate of free trade), and librepensador (freethinker). Other related words include librado (someone who draws or writes a check), liberal (liberal), and libertad (liberty). Etymology Libre comes from the Latin liber, which had a similar meaning to libre. From liber came the Latin verb liberare, meaning to set free or liberate. Its past participle, liberatus, became the source of English words such as liberate and liberation. Other Words for ‘Free’ The other adjective frequently used for free is gratis, meaning without cost. As in the third example, gratis can also be used as an adverb. Note that the singular and plural forms of gratis are the same. Este martes la cadena de comida rpida te da desayuno gratis. (This Tuesday the fast-food chain is giving you a free breakfast.)Prà ©stamos de sillas gratis para los bebà ©s. (Loans of free baby seats.)Aquà ­ puedes aparcar tu coche gratis. (Here you can park your car free.) The phrase exento de, although usually translated as exempt from, can sometimes be used instead of libre de for free of: El soporte debe estar limpio y exento de grasa. (The support should be clean and free of grease.)Éste papel no est exento de cido. (This paper isnt acid-free.) Finally, it is extremely common to translate the suffix free using the preposition sin, meaning without: En el mercado puedes comprar un amplio surtido de infusiones sin cafeà ­na. (In the market you can buy a large assortment of caffeine-free herbal teas.)La leche deshidratada sin grasa y la leche descremada en polvo son muy similares. (Fat-free dehydrated milk and powdered skim milk are very similar.)Espero que puedas vivir sin ansiedad. (I hope you can live worry-free.) Key Takeaways Libre is the typical translation for free when it used as an adjective for meanings other than being without cost.Gratis is used when referring to something that has no cost.Libre is derived from the verb librar, which is related to the English verb liberate.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The distinction between ethics and the law in the context of Gary's Assignment

The distinction between ethics and the law in the context of Gary's business situation - Assignment Example With ethics, there is need for a good relationship with customer whether you are giving them what they need or you are short of what they need. With ethics, arrogance is not in the picture. With the law, it is necessary for your employees to give you value for your money but with ethics, offering service to you is on consensus where you both benefit from. Ordering them to work extra hours at the regular rate with no complain is a form of dictatorship baring in mind that they have responsibilities they have to meet especially for the single moms. There should be a point of negotiation where one airs their likes and dislikes for a peaceful coexistence between the owner of the business and the employees. Though the business has flourished, it is important for ethics to be upheld for the business to continue growing. This is because with such an attitude, Gary risks incurring losses due to hiring cost. People want to work where they are accepted and respected. Adopting a different view and different behavior will not only save him money, but will create an atmosphere conducive for his employees, customers and

Friday, October 18, 2019

Taxonomy on existing techniques of reducing false alarms in Annotated Bibliography

Taxonomy on existing techniques of reducing false alarms in sensor-based healthcare monitoring systems - Annotated Bibliography Example According to Qassim, Patel and Modzhin (2014), fuzzy logic risk analysis is implemented to reduce false alarm instances and maintain sufficient level of security against serious attacks in intrusion and detection systems. The primary purpose of an intrusion and detection system is to identify attackers trying to infiltrate a network and expose vulnerable resources. By using a Fuzzy Logic-Risk Analysis (FLRA) model, the Qassim et al. (2014) aimed to reduce instances of false positives. By calculating the significance and severity of each suspected attack, the system establishes whether an activity can be classified as attempted attack or normal behavior miss judged by the detection system. The model comprises four layers: integrated interface, knowledge manager, autonomic manager, and resource manager. The topmost layer represents the integration point of the system administrator and the intrusion detection system. At this level, strategies and policies are defined and implemented. Th e section responsible for false positive reduction is the Intrusion Detection Manager. This second layer referred as the Fuzzy Logic-Risk Analysis Intrusion Detection Manager is responsible comprises of four modules: monitor module, analyzer, planner module and control module. All the modules act systematically to detect any attempts of intrusion, eliminate false positives and perform necessary changes to the protected element. Fuzzy Logic-Risk Analysis model works in two mechanisms: identifying the risk and assessing the risk. Once the risk has been identified it is assessed using weighted averages and consequently categorized. Threats are categorized based on their ability to cause harm to asset elements. Once the risk has been identified, residual and exposed risks are analyzed using Fuzzy logic from which different countermeasures are applied to mitigate it. FLRA model works by taking the

Zero Carbon Homes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Zero Carbon Homes - Essay Example Through the use of renewable energy systems, engineers, contractors and architects can easily offset or lessen the emission of carbon. In the process of continuously promoting energy efficiency in buildings and local houses, engineers, contractors and architects will be able to protect the environment from the harmful effects of carbon emission (gov.uk, 2012). Now-a-days, low carbon technologies such as the use of heat pumps, photovoltaic arrays, bioenergy systems, and thermal insulation are currently available in the market. Despite the different kinds of low carbon technologies, only the use of photovoltaic arrays technology will be highlighted throughout the paper discussion. In response to the development of green building, ways on how photovoltaic arrays technology can be use in the construction of green buildings and houses will be examined and analyzed. After providing a clear description of photovoltaic arrays technology, its value in terms of providing solution to climate change and ways on how to create more photovoltaic arrays technology innovation will be tackled in details. Prior to conclusion, various assessment techniques and regulations such as the Feed-in-Tariff and Photovoltaic arrays technology produces electricity coming from the sun. Often times, photovoltaic arrays are placed on the roofs of buildings and houses. Other than the sloping angle and the location where the photovoltaic cells are placed, the efficiency of this particular renewable energy sources is highly dependent on the size and type of cell used (i.e. facing East or South, sloping angle at 30o, etc.) (Noguchi, 2013). In case of a full sunlight, photovoltaic cells can produce up to 1,250 to 1,300 watts of electricity (Eiffert and Kiss, 2003). As a common knowledge, silicon is a semi-conductor material that is capable of creating

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Askls5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Askls5 - Essay Example It is believed that self-leadership is required before engaging in team leadership (Manz and Sims 1991). What are some of the best practices that a team facilitator can use in order act as a role model to his or her team? When one has competent team members, it is apparent that they at one time have contributions to make in the effort to facilitate problem solving. In this regard, what are some of the models deemed appropriate to create an atmosphere in which a team leader can use in order to facilitate problem solving? In every group undertaking a certain project in an organization, there are various challenges it can face. What are some of the potential areas that a team leader can focus on in order to overcome such challenges? In an attempt to go beyond self-managing work team, a leader is supposed to use some empowerment dimensions. What are recommended dimensions that a team leader can use in order to empower his or her team? In any given organization, it is expected that the team leader use the appropriate communication styles in order to ensure top performance by his or her team members. What are the recommended communication skills and techniques that a team leader must have? However, the communication skill applies to all members of a team. A part from the team leader’s skills and techniques, in what ways can communication skills and techniques help the other team members’ carryout their duties

PPE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PPE - Essay Example It was observed that manual management of chart analysis slows down the physician and health information team’s productivity, negatively affecting the billing process, which in turn affects the revenue cycle of the institution. Chart deficiencies may be in form of incomplete chart components, missing signatures, and in some cases, entire charts may be missing. Physicians can deal with chart deficiencies from any location of the Health Information System (Garber, Gross, & Slonim, 2010). The clinic achieved this using Chart Deficiency Tracker, which made it easy for the physicians to identify any chart deficiencies and monitor these (Garber, Gross, & Slonim, 2010). This tracker also enabled the supervisors to assign tasks related to chart deficiencies to specific physicians. Through this tracking system information was easily disseminated to physicians and the clinic’s staff. Patient charts were also completed more efficiently and in compliance with the recommended timeli nes and standards. The clinic had discovered that relying on documentation in paper form to code charts delayed the receipt of and sending of information to and from coders causing delays in the billing of patients and further limiting the staff’s productivity (Garber, Gross, & Slonim, 2010). Garber, Gross, & Slonim (2010) explained that when it comes to the disposal of health information, it is important that clinics and health providers apply caution to safeguard the privacy of health information. The clinic applied measures to avoid disclosure of patient information in disposal of charts and medical documents. For example, charts were shredded and later burnt in the clinic’s incinerator. Data on electronic media was cleared using software that overwrites it with data that was not sensitive. The health and information management personnel are in charge of ensuring that medical charts are completed in timely manner to protect the clinic from legal suits and to improve the process and

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Askls5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Askls5 - Essay Example It is believed that self-leadership is required before engaging in team leadership (Manz and Sims 1991). What are some of the best practices that a team facilitator can use in order act as a role model to his or her team? When one has competent team members, it is apparent that they at one time have contributions to make in the effort to facilitate problem solving. In this regard, what are some of the models deemed appropriate to create an atmosphere in which a team leader can use in order to facilitate problem solving? In every group undertaking a certain project in an organization, there are various challenges it can face. What are some of the potential areas that a team leader can focus on in order to overcome such challenges? In an attempt to go beyond self-managing work team, a leader is supposed to use some empowerment dimensions. What are recommended dimensions that a team leader can use in order to empower his or her team? In any given organization, it is expected that the team leader use the appropriate communication styles in order to ensure top performance by his or her team members. What are the recommended communication skills and techniques that a team leader must have? However, the communication skill applies to all members of a team. A part from the team leader’s skills and techniques, in what ways can communication skills and techniques help the other team members’ carryout their duties

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The Definition of Nationalism In Different Regions and Countries Essay

The Definition of Nationalism In Different Regions and Countries - Essay Example It was Indian peasantry that formed a major force in the national liberation movement in the interwar period. To involve a broad amount of population into this movement, it was needed to take into account socio-psychological characteristics of the Indian peasantry and urban workers, yesterday’s peasants. A prominent role in the organization of mass non-violent campaign of the resistance to the colonial regime in the 20 - 40’s of the 20th century belonged to Mahatma Gandhi. He was the one to shape India national ideology. Thanks to Gandhi, the idea of the absolute independence of India was put forward. In this respect, Indian nationalism acquired the traits of Gandhi’s ideas.Gandhism resonated with wide layers of the peasantry and the urban poor because it was connected with the social ideal of the belief that the struggle for independence from British rule, is a struggle for justice. Gandhi drew upon his appeals from cultural, historical, and religious traditions that were familiar to peasants. Therefore, the demands for independence and the transformation of the society were explained in the traditional way and were clear to the dozens of millions of Indians. The tactical method of Gandhism was marked with the understanding of the traditions and psychology of the peasants. It was a method of nonviolent resistance. Gandhi’s active protest was combined with the tolerance to the enemy. Nonviolent resistance was considered as the only possible form of struggle with the colonial regime.... Prominent role in the organization of mass non-violent campaign of the resistance to the colonial regime in the 20 - 40’s of the 20th century belonged to Mahatma Gandhi. He was the one to shape India national ideology. Thanks to Gandhi, the idea of the absolute independence of India was put forward. In this respect, Indian nationalism acquired the traits of Gandhi’s ideas. Gandhism resonated with wide layers of peasantry and the urban poor, because it was connected with the social ideal of the belief that the struggle for independence from British rule, is a struggle for justice. Gandhi drew upon his appeals from cultural, historical, and religious traditions that were familiar to peasants. Therefore, the demands for independence and the transformation of the society were explained in the traditional way and were clear to the dozens of millions of Indians. The tactical method of Gandhism was marked with the understanding of the traditions and psychology of the peasants. It was a method of nonviolent resistance (boycott, peaceful marches, denial of cooperation). Gandhi’s active protest was combined with the tolerance to the enemy. Nonviolent resistance was considered as the only possible form of struggle with the colonial regime. Gandhi rejected the class struggle as a destabilizing factor the separates the nation and makes the liberation from the foreign rule impossible (Spielvogel 927). The Indian nation was united according to the primordial racial idea. So, there was a clear understanding the colonizers were the odd element in the national state structure. Gandhism tied together peasants, artisans, and the national bourgeoisie. Finally,

Monday, October 14, 2019

Spectrophotometer Essay Example for Free

Spectrophotometer Essay Spectrophotometry in chemistry is a quantitative measure of the reflection or transmission of material properties as a function of wavelength. It is more specialized than the term electromagnetic spectroscopy which is general in that spectrophotometry deals with near-ultraviolet, visible light, and near-infrared, but doesn’t cover the techniques of time-resolved spectroscopic . Spectrophotometer is used in Spectrophotometry. A spectrophotometer is a photometer that measures the intensity as a function of the wavelength of the light source. Important features of spectrophotometers are linear range of absorption or reflectance measurement spectral and bandwidth. A spectrophotometer is used commonly for the transmittance measurement or solutions reflectance, opaque solids or transparent, such as gases, or polished glass. However they can be designed to measure the diffusivity of any of the listed light ranges that which cover around 200nm 2500nm using different calibrations and controls. Calibrations are needed on the machine, within these ranges of light, using standards which vary in type depending on the wavelength of the photometric determination. An example for spectrophotometry experiment is used is the determination of the solution equilibrium constant. A specific chemical reaction in a solution may occur in a reverse and forward direction where products break down into reactants and reactants form products. At some point, this chemical reaction will reach a point of balance called an equilibrium point. In order to determine the respective concentrations of products and reactants at this point, the light transmittance of the solution can be tested using spectrophotometry. The amount of light that passes through the solution the concentration of certain chemicals is indicative that do not allow light to pass through. The use of spectrophotometers spans various scientific fields, such as materials science, physics, biochemistry, molecular biology , and chemistry. They are widely used in many industries including semiconductors, laser and optical manufacturing, printing and forensic examination, and as well in laboratories for the chemical substances study. Ultimately, a spectrophotometer is able to determine, depending on the control or calibration, what substances are present in a target and exactly how much through calculations of observed wavelengths. IR Spectroscopy Infrared spectroscopy (IR spectroscopy) is the spectroscopy that deals with the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum that is light with a longer wavelength and lower frequency than visible light. It covers a range of techniques, mostly based on absorption spectroscopy. As with all spectroscopic techniques, it can be used to identify and study chemicals. A common laboratory instrument that uses this technique is a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. The infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is usually divided into three regions; the near-, mid- and far- infrared, named for their relation to the visible spectrum. The higher-energy near-IR, approximately 14000–4000 cm−1 (0.8–2.5 ÃŽ ¼m wavelength) can excite overtone or harmonic vibrations. The mid-infrared, approximately 4000–400 cm−1 (2.5–25 ÃŽ ¼m) may be used to study the fundamental vibrations and associated rotational-vibrational structure. The far-infrared, approximately 400–10 cm−1 (25–1000 ÃŽ ¼m), lying adjacent to the microwave region, has low energy and may be used for rotational spectroscopy. The names and classifications of these sub regions are conventions, and are only loosely based on the relative molecular or electromagnetic properties. Types There are two basic types of infrared spectrometers. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers are single-beam instruments that use an interferometer to spread a sample with infrared light and measure the intensity of the infrared light not absorbed by the sample. The application of a Fourier transform converts the resulting time domain digital signal into a frequency domain digital signal. Dispersive infrared spectrometers use visible lasers, a grating, and charged coupled devices (CCDs) to collect data. The laser acts as a light source and irradiates the sample. Most of the radiation scatters elastically at the same energy as the incoming laser radiation. A small amount, approximately one photon in a million (0.00001%), scatters from the sample at a wavelength shifted slightly from the original wavelength. Techniques * Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy FTIR redirects here. FTIR may also refer to frustrated total internal reflection. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a technique which is used to obtain an infrared spectrum of absorption, emission, photoconductivity or Raman scattering of a solid, liquid or gas. An FTIR spectrometer simultaneously collects spectral data in a wide spectral range. This confers a significant advantage over a dispersive spectrometer which measures intensity over a narrow range of wavelengths at a time. FTIR has made dispersive infrared spectrometers all but obsolete (except sometimes in the near infrared), opening up new applications of infrared spectroscopy. The term Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy originates from the fact that a Fourier transform (a mathematical process) is required to convert the raw data into the actual spectrum. * Near IR spectroscopy Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a spectroscopic method that uses the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum (from about 800 nm to 2500 nm). Typical applications include pharmaceutical, medical diagnostics (including blood sugar and pulse oximetry), food and agrochemical quality control, and combustion research, as well as research in functional neuroimaging, sports medicine science, elite sports training, ergonomics, rehabilitation, neonatal research, brain computer interface, urology (bladder contraction) and neurology (neurovascular coupling). Theory: Near-infraredspectroscopy is based on molecular overtone and combination vibrations. Such transitions are forbidden by the selection rules of quantum mechanics. As a result, the molar absorptivity in the near IR region is typically quite small. One advantage is that NIR can typically penetrate much farther into a sample than mid infrared radiation. Near-infrared spectroscopy is, therefore, not a particularly sensitive technique, but it can be very useful in probing bulk material with little or no sample preparation. The molecular overtone and combination bands seen in the near IR are typically very broad, leading to complex spectra; it can be difficult to assign specific features to specific chemical components. Multivariate (multiple variables) calibration techniques (e.g., principal components analysis, partial least squares, or artificial neural networks) are often employed to extract the desired chemical information. Careful development of a set of calibration samples and application of multivariate calibration techniques is essential for near-infrared analytical methods. Applications: The primary application of NIRS to the human body uses the fact that the transmission and absorption of NIR light in human body tissues contains information about hemoglobin concentration changes. When a specific area of the brain is activated, the localized blood volume in that area changes quickly. Optical imaging can measure the location and activity of specific regions of the brain by continuously monitoring blood hemoglobin levels through the determination of optical absorption coefficients. Typical applications of NIR spectroscopy include the analysis of foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, combustion products and a major branch of astronomical spectroscopy.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Culture Impact On International Business Cultural Studies Essay

Culture Impact On International Business Cultural Studies Essay Culture always makes a great impact on international trade. Although there are similarities between various cultures, but there are also obvious differences, the ever-present different cultural backgrounds affect international trade. Different cultural products in international trade will have the name, trademarks, advertisements, and verbal and written communication translation impact. Therefore, cultural factors should be taken into account in the international trade, in order to avoid misunderstandings which may result in economic losses. In international trade, cultural background, language and customs and other cultural differences become the invisible barriers as cross-cultural communication in international trade. To analysis the differences of language and cultural factors and their impact, the crucial element to open the international market and expand International trade successfully is implementing cross-cultural exchange effectively. Many powerful companies failed in international business, the main reason are not the shortage of capital or technology, but due to ignoring the cultural differences impact on trade and communication. In the face of this, we should be aware of the importance of culture, find out the aspects of culture that impact on the international trade, and know how these points work. Relevance of Culture The impact on international trade of ubiquitous cultural factor is recessive and potential. Culture has the characteristic of group. As the common pattern of behaviour which accumulated in the history, people approve and follow their own culture they live with. Culture hybrid is the catalyst of economic development while culture conflict is the cancer cell of economic cooperation. 2.1 Concept of Culture Culture is the way in which a group of people solves problems and reconciles dilemmas. (Alfons Trompenaars, Charles Hampden-Turner, 1993, P6) Culture is formed by the ideas, concepts, behaviour, customs, habits, representatives of a group in a given period and the overall sense from this group out of all the activities. 2.2 Values of Culture According to the importance of culture, it is necessary to know the culture well. When acquiring a language and know the accuracy meaning in the culture, we can communicate with others through it. By understanding the customs, we can anticipate how business partners and customers are likely to respond. By learning the partners or customers culture values, we can distinguish between what is considered right or wrong, acceptable or offensive. To know the different ways of thinking in different culture, we can identify with other managers, provide knowledge to meet and negotiation with them. 2.3 Levels of Culture As we learn from the lecture, we know there are at least three levels of culture: National/Regional Culture-Culture within a country/regional Corporate Culture-Culture within a specific organization Professional Culture-Culture of particular functions within an organization 3.0 How does culture work As we know, culture is a broad concept. So it can affect international trade in many ways both internal and external the enterprise. 3.1 National/Regional Culture Language Cultural difference is an important factor that restricts the translation of the words. Because translation involves different using principle of two different languages. In the translation process, if you dont know the different culture very well, this often occurs that the meaning is quite the opposite with the real meaning which can lead to the misunderstanding. For example, when the General Motors Corporation enters the market of Belgium, the slogan was Body in Belgium, but when translating the slogan into Flemish language, the meaning was corpse by Fisher. The strange slogan led to embarrassment and the customers confusion. Things followed were the dramatically slip of the sales volume until the administration became aware of this problem. This situation shows the significance of understanding the language in the different culture background. Custom Different countries have different customs, the tradition way of life, the hobby of people, the taboo, etc., all these show the culture diversity of the world. A bitter case shows the consequences of disrespect of custom. Lawrence Stessin, the anthropologist, pointed this in his report. A business man from North California wanted to purchase a textile machines company from Birmingham in UK to open the European market. Not long after he took over the company, the manager from America want to rectify a problem about the British teatime. Lawrence said, in British, every worker had the teatime of half an hour. During the time, workers can taste some wine in the large ounce container on their own preferences. The manager proposed reducing the teatime to 10 minutes and union agreed. But a week later, the workers rioted in the factory. They broke the windows, destroyed the machines and hooted the administrators. The manager tried to redeem for the loss, he installed the vending machines with the low capacity cups instead of the large ounce containers. Based on the American custom, the rules requested more contribution and loyalty of the workers bu t disrespected the local custom, the company ended in bankruptcy. Values As the result of the difference of countries historical development, the formation of culture differs a lot in the long history. People also have different opinions and values on the same thing. In international trade activities, people with different culture background show the obvious differences on the concept of time, decision-making and conflict management approach. Americans believe in free competition and individualism. Personal courage to assume responsibilities is a virtue in Americans eyes and its the positive performance. So in a negotiation, the representative wields the power to make his own decision within the authorized scope. On the contrary, Chinese people pay great attention on collective decision-making and emphasise the team wisdom. As the proverb says, Two heads are better than one. Especially in Japan, a collective country, team interests are higher than everything at any time. The difference between Asian and Western values leads to the different understanding to some things, which sometimes results in the barriers in the trade and verbal communication. Mode of thinking American linguist Robert B Kaplan(1966) proposed the Cultural thought patterns in inter-cultural education through the research of abroad students who speak different mother tongue. He believes that thinking is spiral Oriental while Western thinking is linear in. Once an American corporation wanted to enter the market of south China, they sent a representative to deal with the business. Also, China side wants to enlarge its trade. Since both sides were satisfied with the deal, the negotiation should be favouring. But the process of negotiation was not so simple. It was problem here that the different thinking way. To show humility and amiable, the Chinese manager always used some fuzzy words, like maybe, perhaps, whatever, etc.. All these made the American manager doubted whether the Chinese manager were pure-hearted to make the deal. So they didnt sign the contract in China. To show the respect to others, the Chinese manager didnt express his will to deal. After going back to America, the manager wrote a letter to China and directly express that he wanted to cooperate with China. The Chinese are happy to accept and wrote back. But in the long letter, he put the key point in the end with the long-winded matting before. At last there was no tr ansaction because of the misunderstanding which resulted from different mode of thinking. 3.2 Corporate Culture The relationship between staff-Tom Peters, American writer on business management practices, said that the only real resource to the enterprise is human. Therefore, the harmonious atmosphere among staff is quite important to the development of enterprise. It is quite normal for a transnational enterprise to hire talented persons. While unseemly ways of arranging employees led to a series of problem in an enterprise. To some extent, the appearance of these people leads to internal staff personnel psychological confrontation. This is a process of coordination and adjustment. But the administration ignored this serious point and just paid more attention to these talented persons. During this period, the spirit and morale of the old staff were affected. They became less loyal and negative and resulted in the decline in performance. Another situation will lead to the discord among employees. As a Chinese, we are used to it while which may offend people in other countries. Suppose there are three employees, A, B and C. When A and B are talking about something, C comes and interrupts their conversation or joins their talking. It is normal in China and people can accept. In western, however, people think they were not respected or even offended. They cant accept this behaviour. So if this situation happens in an enterprise with employees from different countries, the harmonious atmosphere will be broken and lead to the performance. The relationship between higher and lower levels-the relationship between boss and employee is interaction and help each other forward. In the Chinese and Western culture, this relationship shows some difference: Role difference-In China, the mainstream of Chinese culture emphasizes the group and social values. People pay more attention on the affiliation between individual and group. The actions and observation must be in accordance with the expectation of group. In contrast, western people emphasize individual rights and independence. For example, to respect peoples rights and freedom, the speaker always uses the phrasing like Would youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? Could youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.? Shall Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? etc. No matter how the relationship is between two persons. This different position of role leads to the misunderstanding between boss and employee from different culture background. Daily conversation-Because of the difference of different culture, a polite term in one culture may be considered as the impolite, inappropriate language in another culture. In China, people used to show the respect only to eldership or higher authorities. Among the western people, they always call each others first name, whether you are my eldership or boss or teacher. Instead of being impolite, they think its the way to show intimate among people. For example, in a transnational enterprise, the manager is a Chinese and the employee is a British. The manager will assign a task to the employee without the words like please thank you which may depresses the employee in some extent. The opposite situation, if the manager is a western people while the employee is a Chinese. Its normal when the manager call the name of the employee. As the junior employee, Chinese people always say its too late, youd better to go home or something like that to show concerning. But the manager may feel being interfered because time to go home is his own right. Nonverbal communication-during the conversation, not only the express are different, but also the space distance in different culture background. In UK, people divided the distance into four types: intimate distance, personal distance, social distance, public distance. In France, people will hug and kiss the face. While in China, there is no definite distance in social intercourse. The type of body touch is shaking hands or hugging which mostly happens among the same gender. Expect lovers, the situation of kissing and hugging will never happen among the opposite gender. And females always go out hand in hand if they are good friends which may be misunderstood in western countries. 3.3 Professional Culture Within an organization, both professional culture and organizational culture can shape the decisions, output and something else in it. The organisational culture is a system that has an impact on the whole organization. While the professional culture lays particular emphasis on individual effort. The coexistence of these two cultures can plan the development of organization much better. If the organization can recruit participants who have the characteristics it requires, it does not have to develop these characteristics through training and education.'(Amitai Etzioni, 1961) If the organizational culture is fixed, the goals, the competitor, the position are definite, the organization has to recruit employees with the specific characteristics. Here, the professional culture does make sense. As a collective country, Japanese employ own the high loyalty to their organization. The unique loyalty can be seen as the professional culture within an organization. The loyalty plays a particular and significant role in the enterprise. The intrinsic motivation of the workers loyalty originates from the trust mechanism. Therefore, the Japanese workers loyalty is one of the most important reasons that the Japanese corporate achieve success. A Chinese business man established a restaurant in Japan several years ago. In the first few years, he hired Chinese people because they are his compatriots. Before long, however, the employees were replaced by Japanese gradually. Some guests from China want to know the reason. He told them that Japanese are easy to manage. More importantly, the Japanese employees are always concerning more about the restaurant. Once he became the staff, he was a member of this team. The team grew better so that the staff got better. A manager of human resource department in a Japanese transnational enterprise once said, as individuals, Chinese people have the excellent working capability. But as a member of the organization, they lack compatibility and sufficient responsibility. This enterprise recruited 20 IT employees from China. And the administration wanted to inculcate a spirit of loyal to organization. But too much emphasis on this point sometimes led to their negative mentality. There is another phenomenon that we can only see in Japan. Some Chinese consultants had the business transactions with a Japanese newspaper office. They found strange that they could rarely see the boss himself appearing in the office during the several years. All the internal things were assigned to the manager. The boss was always staying at home by remote control. Everything was in perfect order. All the employees worked hard and dedicate without lazing. They all treated the enterprise and boss as their family because they know better the company was, much more money they could earn. Once a Japanese manager was asked a question, Why dont you start your own business and be your own boss with your talent? In that company, he deals with all the affairs. He can earn much more if he start his own business. But he said that he has been in the company for more than three decades from a staff to a manager. His growth cant be without the training and cultivate of the boss and enterprise. They are a big family. In Japan, employees are loyal to the company. Even if another company will pay more and provide better treatment, they wont change their minds easily. How to measure an employees loyalty? When buying things for the company, the staff never receive kickbacks; never use the company telephone to make personal international call; to be the first one to come, the last one to go back; meticulous, and so on. In the eyes of Japanese workers, these things are unalterable. The best way to show the employees loyalty is the company of their choice, or single-mindedness. And the boss defines the loyal staff as actively perform the spirit of sacrifice. Since the 90s from last century, Japans bubble economy collapsed. The problem of employees loyalty emerged. Japanese human resource instruction conducted a survey in 2002. Among Netherlands, Mexico, United States, Germany, Italy, Japan and some other countries, the employees loyalty of the first three countries was 73%, 72%, 68% respectively. That of Japan was only 50%. They were shocked by the results. This result indicates that the positive influence of professional culture needs a steady surrounding. Conclusion In the East-West cooperation business process, cultural backgrounds, different cultural mentality, customs, are often overlooked by many people. While the cultural factor is the key factor that determines the success or failure of business activities. Quite different from the normal trade, the international trade within different culture background request more. Dealers should know each others culture and custom very well. Its the guarantee of success. In international business, we should pay more attention to differences in cross-cultural communication. Correctly deal with cultural differences and prevent the barriers that may be caused by cultural patterns and cultural prejudices. Among the staff, everyone should respect each other and treat equality. The key to success in cross-culture communication is treating the culture difference properly; try to exclude cultural superiority, cultural patterns and cultural prejudices of the interference. This is the only way to carry out the international trade activities in cross-culture communication successfully. We can establish the international culture exchange centre; carry out the multi-level forms of culture display and exchange to eliminate the concept of custom, language and art appreciation and other aspects of trade barriers. The formulation of foreign trade policy for the enterprises should be syncretised with that the local culture. We cant always challenge a culture if its not suited to our system. It is necessary to create the countrys cultural products for sale, but also the manner and extent of pricing that people can accept, and try to find suitable local custom channels to purchase objects willing to accept the publicity. These links are indispensable, and only all of them are put together organically, the barriers can be broken. In conclusion, we stress that culture is the primary factor in business trade, and the major barrier is the difference between historical cultures. Cultural factors are unavoidable. Cultural universals are dominant, and cultural differences can be bridged by international trade. Moreover, with the development of cultural interpenetration, the influence of cultural differences will become smaller. The cross-culture communication activity will become easier than before.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Analysis of The Moose Essay -- Elizabeth Bishop The Moose Essays

Analysis of The Moose Elizabeth Bishop's "The Moose" is a narrative poem of 168 lines. Its twenty-eight six-line stanzas are not rigidly structured. Lines vary in length from four to eight syllables, but those of five or six syllables predominate. The pattern of stresses is lax enough almost to blur the distinction between verse and prose; the rhythm is that of a low-keyed speaking voice hovering over the descriptive details. The eyewitness account is meticulous and restrained. The poem concerns a bus traveling to Boston through the landscape and towns of New Brunswick. While driving through the woods, the bus stops because a moose has wandered onto the road. The appearance of the animal interrupts the peaceful hum of elderly passengers' voices. Their talk—resignedly revolving itself round such topics as recurrent human failure, sickness, and death—is silenced by the unexpected advent of the beast, which redirects their thoughts and imparts a "sweet sensation of joy" to their quite ordinary, provincial lives. The poem is launched by a protracted introduction during which the speaker indulges in descriptions of landscape and local color, deferring until the fifth stanza the substantive statement regarding what is happening to whom: "a bus journeys west." This initial postponement and the leisurely accumulation of apparently trivial but realistic detail contribute to the atmospheric build-up heralding the unique occurrence of the journey. That event will take place as late as the middle of the twenty-second stanza, in the last third of the text. It is only in retrospect that one realizes the full import of that happening, and it is only with the last line of the final stanza that the reader gains the necessary distance to grasp entirely the functional role of the earlier descriptive parts. Now the reader will be ready to tackle the poem again in order to notice and drink in its subtle nuances. Bishop's artistry will lie plain, particularly her capacity to impart life to a rather unnerving redundancy of objects and to project a lofty poetic vision from a humble, prosaic incident. Forms and Devices Description and narrative are the chief modes of this poem. Nevertheless, at critical moments the actual utterance of the anonymous characters is invited in ("Yes, sir,/ all the way to Boston"). The binder of these varied procedures is the speak... ...such a dialogue by mocking the hooting of owls. To his delight, the birds responded in kind. In between the mystic silences, nature"'"s deeper secret motions flooded the boy's heart and soul. For the British Romantic, such a communion with nature could still be available to a few elected spirits whose purity and innocence had already marked them for intense experiences and an early death. Hollander also noted a connection between Robert Frost's poem "The Most of It" and "The Moose." Frost had his male protagonist proudly call out to nature for something more than the "copy speech" that the Winander Boy had elicited from his owls. His wish for "counter-love, original response" was finally granted by the sheer chance appearance of a powerful buck that, lordlike, tore his way through tarn and wilderness without bothering at all to acknowledge the presence of the human intruder. By contrast, Bishop's female moose has the curiosity to approach the trespassing bus in order to look it over and assess it in her mute, nonaggressive way. Finally, it is the bus that, pressed for time, leaves the spot—her territory—while the moose remains on the moonlit macadam road without budging.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Five Years Strategic Plan Essay

Executive summary You are employed by a Swiss subsidiary of a transnational company in the processed food business whose products are sold via retailers and direct to the food service industry in a number of countries. Recently in Swiss subsidiary has been allocated responsibility for the Asia-Pacific Region and you have been assigned the task of spearheading the firm’s push into china and adjacent countries. In the light of opportunities and constraints to be awaited on the chinese market, the evaluation of alternative entry options showed that our best opportunity was on health food products related to the dairy products actual massive trend. We also decided to adress chinese cultural sensitivity issues by entering in long term close relationship with customers instead of being too focused on quick deals and to adapt our networking strategy to chosen entry strategy. We also examined how we should select a strategic partner, should the Chinese government advise us to do so, and how we should be adapting our global marketing processes to the issues raised by national sovereignty in China. Finally, we decided to include as adjacent market either Thailand or Vietnam in order to benefit from the existing trade relationship between them and China, even if countertrade obligations are to be met. INTRODUCTION The overall purpose of this paper is to present our five years strategic plan which objective is to enable our firm to become a major player in the processed food market adressed to retailers and food service industry. Among our very wide range of products, we will examine alternative market entry options in the light of potential opportunity and constraints, then examine the question of the influence of cultural sensitivity on negociations and on introduction of our product to chineses market. The next step of our analysis will be to examine the impact of adhesion of China to WTO on market environment and the consequences of cultural sensitivity to network and relationships. Our next field of investigation will be to examine the threat represented by a potential obligation to enter a strategic alliance with a local player and by our global company culture regarding national sovereignty issues. And we will finally include perspective of developping an adjacent market with eventually compulsory countertrade involved. Section 1 Alternative chinese market entry option for breakfast cereals and cereal bars in the light of potential opportunities and constraints. The recent huge success of dairy products in China, although a majority of the population is lactose intolerant and milk was never part of the traditional chinese food is showing that chinese market has become increasingly open to adopting foreign fooding habits. This is even reinforced by the success encoutered by Mc Donald’s and Starbucks. But one very interesting element of dairy products success is that its main reason and marketing idea is to value its good impact on health. This is what makes us think that the best way to introduce our firm’s product range is to be highly positionned on health benefits to be awaited from consuming our products, their total safety through high level controls. In terms of politics, China is a stable country, which has invested huge efforts into modernisation of its institutions and legal framework in order to enter the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2001. Contract enforcement and business matters involving foreigners are to be brought before high courts specifically trained. Intellectual property protection is still a broad problem through counterfaiting and brands like Starbucks are now facing parasite competitors who sell similar products to much lower prices. Chinese market is a huge opportunity but the country still lacks infrastructure and geographic entry has to be limited to main big cities, with a view of extending to the ever increasing number of middle sized cities growing all around the country. The idea of staying in urban areas is linked to two factors: our products are distributed through retailers networks, and food service industry which can only be found in big cities in China at the moment. As we work with retailers and food service industry, indirect market entry strategy through intermediary could prove worthy, at least at the beginning, as long as our products are not known. We could benefit from the intermediary’s network and his expertise on selling foreign products to chinese market. However, using and intermediary is not the prefered solution as it would increase our costs, and as chinese market is very price sensitive due to copycats, keeping good price/value ratio is a key strategic point. With direct market entry methods, we would have more control on market reactions and be able to lower our export costs. Alternative solutions to enter market range from specialised trade fairs (on dairy products, health products, breakfast and snacking products, etc†¦) to a campain of trial gifts to be organised with either yoghurt or milk distributors, or by giving free samples in school, university and working areas cafeterias. We could also reach agreements with already installed foreign companies who would be interested in distributing our products on their shelves. Considering our objective of becoming a major player on processed food within the next 5 years, it would probably be worth it to make a large upfront investment to develop internal expertise in chinese market, in order to maintain our own relationships in the target market, which could be later used in order to introduce other product range on the same market. Therefore, and in the context of a long term investment, prefered market entry would be on health safe products targeting families and young working singles. SWOT Analysis Opportunities: Economic climate : a double digit economic development favourable to high quality trendy foreign food processed products with an attraction to health promising food. Demographic changes turning a rural population into city office working people whose life standards have increased dramatically over the last few years. Market opening through China’s entering WTO system and making legal and administrative environment more import friendly Threats: Competitive activity: other global firms are already on the market and Mc Donald’s, Vuitton and Starbucks experience of the market show that any brand valuation generates its army of copycat making it difficult to keep up with very low prices in a very price sensitive market. Culture: Reluctance to adopt new foreign fooding habits in a very traditional culture Pricing: chinese market is very sensitive to pricing and client segment will have to be chosen carefully and matched to pricing range. Strength: Health food image connected to dairy products Processed food in a booming ever increasing market Product adaptability: Cereals can be flavoured according to Chinese market tastes Networking: Company’s excellent ethic reputation Large target: Product attractive to kids and adult alike Weaknesses Not enough differentiation in products Need high advertising budget to gain trendy attracting image Section 2 How culture might impact on (i) negotiating in china and (ii) introducing your firm’s product into china. The usual tip when you prepare a business trip to China is to carry business cards, bring an interpreter, wear a conservative suit. These advice are easy to follow and have proven usefull, but they are too superficial to get you into the kind of association with chinese you need to be able to negociate agreements and introducing on a long term perspective the firm’s products in China. Graham and Lam (2003) have described the roots of chinese culture which have bound chinese people for 5,000 years and show through chinese business negociation: agrarism which superseedes business(survival depends on group cooperation and harmony, loyalty and obdience to familly hierarchy), confucianist morality (relations of ruler and ruled between husband and wife, parents and children, older and younger, and of equal between friends), being more concerned by means than by end in negociations, the fact that chinese tend to see easily the big picture, and finally that chinese people are very cynical about rule of law and rules in general, only trusting their families and their bank account. The elements that are important in chinese negociation are: have personal connections (friends, relatives and close associates), use an intermediary in order to avoid suspicion and distrust, be formal in order to show social status, pay attention to interpersonal harmony (smile, be nice and friendly), see the big picture and leave the detail to a later stage, be patient in order to get concessions on prices, never embarrass or provoque a lost of composure to a chinese (equivalent to loosing face), value endurant work more than talent. As a result of the above, introducing our products into China will probably require either a very long time necessary to build a trusted network, or the use of an intermediary. It is of first importance to try to establish close contact with significant actors of the retail and food service industry. The pricing of the products will probably also be of concern, as, if too low, it might not have the value effect, but, too high, it might repell consumers more tempted by a local copycat.    Impact of recent access of China to the WTO on other environmental variables which can be encountered when doing business in China and how it might benefit to our ability to establish worthwhile business in China. When China joined WTO in 2001, it made a transition from a centrally planned economy to a market driven economy. The institutional framework for foreign trade was inexistent, the information transparency culture still to be invented, existing judicial and administrative system inadapted. A tremendous amount of work was requested before China could integrate WTO system. China agreed with its major trading partners to open chinese market within 3 to 4 years to foreign companies in various sectors, including telecommunications, distribution and wholesaling, financial services, and banking and insurance. The change in laws included codifying existing administrative practices into written laws and regulations, therefore increasing transparency and predictability, covering around 200. Foreign trade law had to be modifyed. Regulations on international trade of goods and rules of origins were created. Regulations on transnational mergers and acquisitions and franchising were developped according to their new objectives. Anti-dumping, subsidy, countervailing and safeguard measures were prepared, and altogether, the capacity of the Government to provide legal information to the public was strengthened. Under the China’s central planning system, foreign trade was administered with both tariff and nontariff controls, including quantitative controls which WTO rules require to eliminate. To ensure that the WTO’s nondiscrimination principle is met in the judicial process, China issued an order that took effect on 1 March 2002 to elevate the jurisdiction over commercial cases involving foreigners from the primary courts to the higher level of courts, the question of training the judges to the appropriate regulation still being an issue at the moment. (Mitchell:2004). Altogether, when entering WTO system China had the tools to a market economy. These modifications created a foreign investment friendly framework, but the cultural reluctance to rules and the natural reliance to human bonds are still to be watched when doing business in China (Usunier & Lee:2005). It had a great impact on having major competitors entering the chinese market with success and provides market with the stability and rules needed to establish worthwhile invesment. Section 3 Significance of the focus in China on relationship and network on our chosen entry strategy. As, in China, all business is subject to relationship and network, and as we have chosen to invest into a direct market entry strategy, we will have to rely on building our network with key players. Relationship marketing involves creating, maintaining and enhancing strong relationships with customers and other stakeholders. This type of marketing is moving away from focusing on individual transactions and moving towards to focusing on on building value-laden relationships and marketing networks. This type of marketing is long term oriented, very demanding as it is aimed at delivering long term value and satisfaction to customer (Kotler &al:2005) It also involves building relationships at different levels: economics, social, technical and legal resulting in high consumer loyalty. Kotler (2005:476), distinguishes five different relationships that can be formed with customers: basic (sale is made but no follow up on satisfaction) Reactive (salesman encourages customer to come back if any question arises) Accountable (salesperson contacts customer shortly after the sale to check that product meets expectations) Proactive (salesperson or company person phones customer from time to time to suggest other products) Partnership (company works with its customers to discover ways to deliver better value) Considering that we intend to sell our product to a large number of customers with medium profit margin, the adapted relationship level would be â€Å"accountable†. Therefore, salesperson would phone retailer or food service company shortly after the sale to check if product meets expectations. Of course, identifying key customers and being more proactive with them would also enhance efficiency of such relationship marketing. Company would probably take advantage to using other marketing tools as giving special treatment and reward to good customers, or inviting them to special events. Chosen strategy network map and discussion on focal and subsidiary relationship involved. First step is to identify key player in retail networking and food service industry, like main wholesalers to be met at trade fair, mass retailers like supermarkets, trendsetters to be identified on TV or sports like football. Next step is to initiate contact with them with a focus on long term relationship and not on result. These relationship, due to their weight on market and the advantage that can be gained from being referenced with them have to be favoured at a first stage. Then, once this network is established, and in order to continue expansion, identify other distribution channels than wholesalers or mass retailers and initiate subsidiary relationship with them, as smaller restaurants, or hotels. Section 4 Adressing the issues related to rumour that Chinese government might request that we enter into a strategic alliance with a Chinese owned firm: selecting and managing strategic alliance partners in china. As in many asian country there is a rumour that we may have to enter a strategic alliance with a chinese partner in order to be allowed to market processed food in China. As Charles Revson, founder of Revlon cosmetics said once â€Å" I don’t meet competition, I crush it† and this should be remembered when entering a strategic partnership with a chinese partner. In fact, as cultural analysis hereabove showed, chinese only trust their family and their bank account, so, in order to enter a sound alliance, a few criterias must be met. Criterias for selecting strategic partner in China should be: good reputation of loyalty and integrity on the market, but also of product quality for reputation purposes natural feeling and common values, understanding of what our goals are and willingness to collaborate extensive network on our targeted customers, on the areas where we have the greatest growth or the most profitable areas proven synergy opportunity between our two companies instead of competition long term relationship seems possible through mutual cooperation (strategic alliance must be a win-win situation in order to be sustainable on the long term) Impact of the issues of national sovereignty in China on application of our standard marketing approaches in order to enhance global image and additional profits through economy of scale. China is very sensitive on the issue raised by separatist claims by   Taiwanese nationalists, Tibet and Xinjiang separatists. Our standard marketing approaches, designed to enhance global image and enable additional profits through economy of scale, mustn’t be a threat to our main objective which is to become a major player in dairy products in China. Therefore, our standard marketing approaches should be amended in order to avoid any differenciation between the average product sold within China and the ones sold in these three areas. The main market should be priviledged against the particularism of the three separatists areas. No marketing argument that our product would be specifically adressed to the separatists areas should be set forth and it should under no circumstances become a selling argument or even be mentioned, because it would probably cause us to loose main market. Section 5 Criteria to select an adjacent market between Taiwan, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam The first criteria to take into account is capacity to use both markets to enhance presence on each other. Creating synergies in a market entry phase might be vital and the level of trade relationship already existing between China and that country is the right measurment. The second one is to choose a market which might be governed by the same cultural trends in order to be able to adopt the same marketing approach to both. A third criteria, maybe more operational, is distance and accessibility (custom tariffs, roads, etc†¦) between both territories. This might enable to base product in one country and ship to the other from thereof. Fourth criteria might be existing trade relations with Switzerland which might make it easier for us to start networking, as the swiss image would already be a commercial advantage. Myanmar being subject to economic sanction from China due to compulsory labor is not a valid adjacent market, though it has entered the asian liberalisation trend and was even acknowledged by the UN Conference on Trade and Development in 2001 as a member that performed ‘well to better’ in the trade liberalisation process under the WTO’s principles It also does not have the right development stage to be interesting and human rights issues might be damaging our image. It has very little commercial bonds with Switzerland. Thailand had rather recent diplomatic relations with China (dating 1975) but shows since then a real will to become a partner of choice of China. Both nations have common roots and share common ancestors. The commercial agreement between the two countries (Sino Thai Free Trade Agreement) only covers fruits and vegetables at the moment but could possibly be extended. Thailand is also member of the WTO. Its main advantage is to already have strong network trade connections with Switzerland (on machinery, watches, etc†¦), where we are based, which could be a decisive advantage for us in terms of network. Taiwan is actually administrated by China which makes it a priviledged area to invest in. It also has a long tradition of trade with China which makes it a good candidate due to the need for trade network to enhance each others, and as a little dragon, it also has the wealth to be interesting, but choosing it would probably not be the best in terms of advantage on chinese market as it does not really add anything different to being only present in China. Also it does not have any specific links with Swiss market. Vietnam has a common frontier with China and is following more or less the same path towards becoming a market economy and entered WTO in january 2007. Though it does not have the same laws, it has a similar development trend, close traditions and the close commercial links with China in all sectors that makes it a suitable adjacent market. It is also a so called little dragon, a booming economy that could be a very profitable market. The trading network between Vietnam and Switzerland is not too developped though Switzerland is present in Vietnam with a swiss embassy in Hanoi. Finally, in order to develop a global brand image in asia, it might be a good choice to choose between Thailand and Vietnam. How to turn the risk of being obliged to countertrade into a profitable trade More than 80 countries nowadays use or require countertrade exchanges. A concensus of experts opinions (Okaroafo, 1989) has put the percentage of the value of world trade volumes related to countertrade at between 20 to 25%. Counter trade usually occurs when countries lack sufficient hard currency. There are five main variants of countertrade which could be of different value to our firm. Entering a barter (exchange of goods or services directly for other goods or services without the use of money as means of purchase or payment) could eventually be interesting if we manage to find good quality bulk products that could be integrated in our products, like fruits or packaging. Using the switch trading practice (in which the country would exchange allowing our importations against an obligation to make a purchase on the domestic market) could also be of interest to us for the same reasons. A buyback (buying machinery necessary to our production in exchange for products) agreement is not a really interesting deal for us as it involves very heavy transportation. Finally, entering an offset agreement (offsetting a hard-currency purchase of an unspecified product) would be a very dangerous operation as we would have to cover currency exchange variations. Proactive strategy to trade profitably with the selected country In order to be ready when the ban on import occurs, we will implement a proactive strategy by identifying products that could be of use in our production process. Then we will start making contacts with producers of these products and gain market knowledge of prices and quality available, identify suitable suppliers that meet our quality requirements and are able to supply us with the adequate quantities. Therefore, when we will be forced to countertrade, we will already have our network in place. Conclusion: As stated in this document, our five year strategic plan on entering Chinese market involves: entering market with health food linked to dairy products mass trendiness with direct marketing tools Always keep in mind the cultural sensitivity of China in order to use it as a competitive advantage instead of a falling trap. Utilise the huge work done by China to be able to keep up with WTO entering necessary standards in terms of transparency and legal framework to our profit in developping our business Invest in developping extended network and long term relationship marketing in order to open the route to introducing our other products on the market later If needed, choose carefully strategic partners Amend global marketing policy in order to avoid sovereignty issues Choose between Thailand and Vietnam as adjacent market, even if countertrade is involved. Reference Table SunfaithChina Ltd,September 2006,†Market Analysis report on China Yoghourt industry†, http://www.mindbranch.com/listing/product/R521-158.html Chen, C, February 2003, â€Å"Got Milk?†, Wall Street Journal http://www.mindfully.org/Food/2003/China-Dairy-Drinks28feb03.htm John L. Graham and N. Mark Lam, 13 october 2003, â€Å"Negotiating in China†, Havard Business School, Excerpted with permission from â€Å"The Chinese Negotiation,† Harvard Business Review, Vol. 81, No. 10, October 2003 Mitchell, A â€Å"Implementing WTO rules: The Importance of Law Reform, Remarks of Arthur M. Mitchell, General Counsel Asian Development Bank, February 2004, apeC Workshop on Best Practices in WTO Capacity Building, http://www.adb.org/Documents/Speeches/2004/sp2004050.asp Vertariu, P., (1992), â€Å"Trends and Developments in International Countertrade,† Business America, (November 2), 2-6. Okaroafo, S., (1989) â€Å"Determinants of LDC Mandated Countertrade,† International Management Review, (Winter), 1624 â€Å"Interview: Thailand aims to further enhance Thailand-China strategic partnership† People’s Daily, Beijing, 28 June 2005, http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=2180 Swiss Federal State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, 2005, â€Å"Report on Swiss Economic Development Cooperation with Vietnam† Kotler,P, and al: (2005), â€Å"Principles of Marketing†, Pearson Education Ltd Usunier, J-C and Lee, J (2005) â€Å"Marketing across cultures†, Pearson Education Ltd Buksbaum, L (1999), â€Å"Choosing strategic partner that really partner†, press release on Inc.com, (http://www.inc.com/articles/1999/11/19511.html)