Chapter 1 indians the settlements of america Essay

1. Jamestown was the first colony that gets found. It was there where the first permanent settlement occurs. Jamestown was a poor location for colonization. The men dug wells to obtain water, but the water they found could not drink because it was contaminated. In addition, the ground was wet and had too many mosquitos. The mosquitoes were carriers of diseases and made the settlers sick. After a year, about half of the settlers had died of disease and starvation. The Native American Indians kept the English alive providing them with food. The English were so busy trying to discover gold that they didn’t bother trying to grow food. That was when Captain John Smith became leader of the Jamestown colony. He saved the colony by creating a rule, which maintained that anyone who did not work would have no right to eat. This made the colonist planted food, and they were forced to build shelters and fences to protect against any attack. These American Indians or â€Å"Amerinds†, showed them great diversity of character and attainments due to the differences in climate, soil, food, building material, and the activities necessary to preserve life. They taught the settlers how to plant and grow corn, beans, squash, etc. and also helped them to establish good relations with neighboring Indian tribes. On the other hand what the English settlers offered to Native Americans Indians was different. In exchange for food, they offered them weapons, horses, cattle, sheep, vegetables and fruits, hatchets, swords, metal pots, skillets and knives, which would give them the technological advantage over their enemies. They brought not only tools for the conquest of the wilderness, but also the forms of government, the religion, the books, and the languages of the Old World. But besides the different technologies and different lifestyles that they offered to them, the English brought with them different types of diseases, such as smallpox, which was lethal to Amerinds, this produced a lethal epidemic that affected a large portion of the tribe. American Indians had a very different culture from the English people. Despite some successful interaction, questions of ownership and control of land and trust between peoples, caused conflicts arise. Virginia suffers very frequent periods of drought and by that time the colonists did not understand that the natives were ill prepared to feed them during the hard times. In the years after 1612, settlers cleared the land to prepare it for export farms dedicated tobacco, its crucial crop for economic purposes. When the tobacco exhausted farmland, the settlers continuously had to clear more areas to replace them. This small wooded land was that the Indians could use to hunt and supplement their food crops. The more settlers arrived, the more demanding land. The spread of tobacco cultivation altered life for everyone, because its cultivation required abundant land. The tribes tried to fight the invasion of the settlers. The main conflicts occurred with the indigenous slaughter of 1622 and another in 1644, both under the command of the younger brother of the late Chief Powhatan, Chief Opechancanough. Recognizing the danger, the war leader launched coordinated attacks along the James River on March 22, 1622. By the end of the day 347 colonist lay dead, and only a timely warning from two Christian converts saved Jamestown itself from destruction. Europeans had a very mixed picture of the native Indians. On one hand, they believed that the Indians could be soft and generous and also attentive and willing to trade. At first it was a very positive image and the settlers had hoped that they would be welcomed with open arms and friendly hands. They wanted to believe their way to the Garden of Eden. 2. After reading the three sources that tell the story of the Indians and the Settlement of America, I found it more accurate the description number 3 â€Å"A people and a Nation† (2008) that gives us Mary Beth Norton, because I think is a very complete description about the events that occurred with the New World. She begins by describing how other civilizations of America were. She mentions how that residents, of what is now central Mexico began to cultivate food crops, especially corn, squash, beans, avocados, and peppers; while in the Andes Mountains of South America, people began to cultivate potatoes, and it was thanks to the improvement of these techniques of agriculture that could be spread this knowledge through America with the exception of those areas with harsher climates. Thanks to agriculture most of the Americans began to adopt a more sedentary life, without the need to spend so much time hunting and gathering. I believe that it is very appropriate that she mentions these details, since it is important to us as readers have an idea of how other civilizations in the Americas were, in this manner we can understand a little more about the civilization of the Native Americans Indians, because in some way they were very similar to each other. In the same way, in this source the author also makes mention of another significant civilization of America, the Aztecs; they were one of the most important and recognized civilizations of the American continent, they had a style a little different from other civilizations, they tended to be a little more wild, they use to forced their neighbors to pay tribute in textiles, gold, foodstuffs and even in human beings, who were sacrificed to the war god Huitzilopochtli. After the author made mention of these events, she continues her story mentioning the arrival of the English for the first time in 1607 to a region near to Chesapeake Bay called Tsenacomoco. It was a group of 104 men and boys, who established the palisaded settlement called Jamestown. This source tells us the beginning of a radical change to this Nation; the author mentions the number of people, the name of the region in which they arrived, and the date on which this happened; it seems to me that these data are necessary to know for any American person, I think it is important for all of us who live in this continent know this historical fact, and more specifically know what happened in this country. I am convinced that this source is more accurate, because it shows us these and more details, and is more precise describing how was the relationship between the colonists and the Native American Indians. It shows us what was the difference between these two different civilizations, and at the same time expresses us which were their similarities. Both groups held deep religious beliefs, subsisted primarily through agriculture, accepted social and political hierarchy, and observed well-defined gender roles. Despite the coexistence that came to have each other, both groups continued to have their own beliefs and thoughts, which for me in somehow led them to start a war, because the settlers wanted to impose their will on the Indians, and at the same time the Indians wanted to not let this happen, and also they were tired of being their food source and carriers of diseases that the settlers brought.

Bio psycho social Essay

I met with Louis Sutter on Sunday, March 31, 2013. Daniel is a twenty two year old Jewish white male. He currently resides at 123 Apple Road, Columbia, SC, 29205. He is currently studying full time at USC-Columbia and unemployed. He is not married, but in a two year relationship with his girlfriend, Taylor. He was referred to me from the counseling center at USC-Columbia. He was sent to me for anxiety and stress management. Source of Data I received documents from USC- Columbia’s counseling Center, and health records from his primary doctor. I had consent from the client as well as his counselor and his primary physician. The client followed counselor’s advice and made an appointment with me voluntarily. Description and development of presenting problem Louis is currently in counseling where his counselor suggested he specifically seek stress and anxiety management. He is a full time student who is struggling to balance the demands of college and time management which has recently triggered a significant amount of stress and anxiety. My client sought my assistance after struggling to complete assignments on their due dates. Family History Louis currently resides in Columbia but is originally from Greenville, South Carolina. In Columbia, he lives with two roommates. Their names are Brandon and Jeffery. They are both Jewish white male students in their twenties. Louis and his roommates take part in a Jewish fraternity. Louis is the second child to Jane and Rueben Sutter. His parents are middle aged. He has an older sister named Jori who is twenty seven. Louis is very close to his  mother, Jane. Louis is also close to his maternal grandfather. He does not interact that much with his paternal family. Client History Louis was born on March 20, 1991. He graduated high school in 2009. He enrolled in college and plans to graduate May 2014. In 2007 he reports that he struggled with the academic demands of high school. In that same year, documents note that Louis was tested for learning disabilities and psychological disorders. His physician and psychiatrist suggested medication and therapy. See attached document for specific past medications. After some trial and error, my client is currently taking Pristiq and Adavan. My client and medical records show that he takes 80mg Pristiq daily and 50mg Adavan when needed. My client says he is satisfied with his meds and the dosages. He also informed me that his mother and sister suffer from anxiety and depression. My client suggests a healthy intimate relationship because he has been dating the same girl for two years and is content. He has no criminal record or legal issues which were verified with a background check. He mentioned that he has never had an issue with drugs or alcohol. Current Situation Despite the anxiety and stress, Louis appears to be a positive, healthy and happy person. He takes part in a Jewish college fraternity, has a good support system, takes part in some Jewish traditions as well as participates in activities related to his major. He seems enthusiastic about classes, just struggles to meet deadlines, procrastinates as well as feels nervous when doing assignments. He wants to complete assignments confidently but says he is always second guesses himself. My client is a full time student who does not work during when classes are in session. He states that his parents financially support him as well as his saving from working in the summers. He says with his savings and parents help, he is able to pay for food, rent and bills. He has his own transportation and is able to get around town, to classes, internship and social events. He says he is more of a cultural Jew than a religious Jew. Assessment Strengths Problem List Planning, Implementation, Evaluation, and Termination Self- Assessment

Bad Therapy

In the book â€Å"Bad Therapy: Master Therapists Share Their Worst Failures† by Jeffrey A Kottler it shows how other therapists use psychotherapy and how the therapists deem certain sessions as bad therapy. When the authors began this work their aim was to create an opportunity by which some of the most prominent therapists in the field could talk about what they considered to be their worst work in order to encourage other practitioners to be more open to admitting their mistakes. The authors are among the 22 therapists who agreed to participate in the project.The result of the interviews, all conducted over the telephone is this collection of short and very readable accounts. The credentials of the list of contributors to the book are impressive. In the preface the authors explained that they selected the participants because all were prominent and influential, had a body of published work and years of clinical experience. Arnold A. Lazarus, a pioneer of Behavior Therapy is among the writers. Between them, the authors alone have written over 70 books on counseling and psychotherapy. The majority of these therapists are working in a public professional life.They write books, run training courses, lecture and demonstrate their techniques to large professional audiences. They produce tapes and videos of their work. Throughout the text there are many references to the anxiety stirred by the nature of the subject on which these therapists were asked to reflect this because of the possibility of a lawsuit and laws. Each chapter is a narrative account of the conversation the authors had with the therapist who was asked to talk about incidences in his or her clinical practice which evoked uncomfortable memories, feelings of regret or guilt, or a sense of failure.Strong emphasis is laid upon what can be learned from the mistakes. I found this and the more general reflections on the theme of what makes therapy bad helpful to me considering a career in the clinic al practice. The refreshing honesty of the therapist’s accounts that gave me a sense of the tensions that arise during these sessions, â€Å"projecting an image of perfection†, and â€Å"stories of miraculous successes† (p. 189) or the â€Å"stunning failures† (p. ix). These words made me reflect on the nature of idealization and its opposite, devaluation on what success and failure means in therapy.It also helped me to reflect on the high expectations we put on ourselves as therapist to train well and to be viewed as doing a good job in the eyes of our clients, peers, trainers and supervisors. There is an uncertainty to what we view as good and what is bad in therapy. Good and bad can become intertwined with emotionally charged meaning along the success-failure road and their use is dependent upon expectations of good techniques or good interpretations. The value of the ordinary human contact with the client can get caught up in an anxiety ridden preoccu pation with the right way of doing things.At the beginning of the book, the authors state that they â€Å"tried for a cross section of representative styles and theoretical orientations† (p. x). But none of the 22 contributing therapist practices in the psychodynamic tradition. The therapeutic relationship is known as being important and the interaction between therapist and client is very much the basis of what happens in these accounts but the term â€Å"transference† is used only once or twice and not explained.The term â€Å"countertransference† is used in several places and in the context of some exploration of interpersonal dynamics but this is not explained either as a concept or as a useful frame within which to understand what happens in the emotional field between therapist and client. One of the few exceptions occurs in the discussion between the authors and Richard Schwartz (p. 51-52) in which the therapist talks about the importance of noting counte rtransference thoughts or behaviors, commenting that many therapists do not think about their own emotional responses to their clients.In several accounts, the therapist was left with a hangover of guilt or regret as a result of the bad therapy practiced. If a detailed exploration of the transference and countertransference dynamics had been possible then I suspect the focus of what was bad might have been shifted from it being a bad technique or an unfortunate intervention or maybe strategy to the kind of understanding that psychoanalytic psychotherapists are more familiar with.Also the impact of unconscious projection and introjections upon ourselves and our client’s behavior or emotional response, an example was given of this occurrence in the first chapter when the therapist, Kottler, briefly describes how he got mad at a client who would not dump her abusive boyfriend, and told her not to come back because he could not help her and then hoped she received better care els ewhere from another therapist.If a way of attempting to unravel what happened in this session were to think about the repetitive actions of an explosive situation in the client’s life during the session, the conclusion that this was bad therapy would be different. The kind of understanding that a psychodynamically trained therapist or counselor brings on some of these accounts made gave me a sense of what could happen during a session, such as Jeffrey Kottlers confession to sometimes feeling invisible and irrelevant as part of the personal process he encountered in interviewing the contributors (p.195). Both authors remarked that the contributors did not â€Å"go deeper† (pgs. 195, 197). Neither really explains what they meant by this and I suspect a similar sentiment is felt by many therapists. I felt there was a certain lack of depth and substance to the book because of the absence of consideration of the workings of the unconscious mind. The meaning of â€Å"bad th erapy† must be deemed by individuals reading the book.But in the book bad therapy means â€Å"In summary, bad therapy occurs when either the client or the therapist is not satisfied with the result and when that outcome can be traced to the therapist’s repeated miscalculations, misjudgments, or mistakes† (p. 198). It would be very interesting to extend this question of what makes for bad therapy by opening a clinically orientated debate among psychodynamic counselors and psychotherapists. What is the difference between bad practice and bad experience in psychotherapy and counseling would be a good question to pose.Both the therapists and clients may from time to time have a bad experience of each other or of the effects of our words or of feelings which cannot be thought about or adequately contained in a single moment. If we are open enough to be available to receive our client’s projections and be affected by emotions unconsciously intended to be a commu nication, we will no doubt feel the bad emotions or the mental state being projected. It will be enough to call this countertransference.If a bad experience is not able to be recognized then transforming the experience into something understandable in terms of the need of the client or even the mental state of the therapist it could become an example of bad therapy. What makes for bad therapy cannot be limited to doubtful strategies or mistimed interpretations or the wrong techniques. We are human in relationship to another and constantly affected by the emotional impact the other has on us if we are not really emotionally present to the client for some reason or if the client is using the therapist to communicate his or her experience of not being responded to emotionally.The point is that therapists need to find ways of transcending the experience so that it can be understood or changed by being given the benefit of thoughtful reflection. This may be a result of consulting our int ernal supervisor or of talking with a trusted peer group or external supervisor or consultant. Another related question has to do with the responsibility we take upon ourselves for monitoring and understanding what we call countertransference. In the book the point is made, several times, which we can all too easily label or blame our clients for their bad behavior or resistance or ability to make us feel tired, angry or irritable.Are we so focused on what the client does to us and on using this as a helpful therapeutic tool that the therapist will lose sight of their own state of mind or emotion which Freud cautions in relation to countertransference may be interfering with therapist’s ability? We need our peer colleagues and supervisors to help monitor therapists state of mind and reactions to their clients so that the ability to enter into the experience of the encounter with the client does not turn into a case of bad practice due to the absence of reflective thinking or insightful monitoring.I would recommend â€Å"Bad Therapy† to both trainees and the more experienced counselors and psychotherapists for its very thought provoking and interesting content as well as the unusual opportunity to gain insight into the mind and emotions of the practitioner at work. Reference: Kottler, J. A. , & Carlson, J. (2003). Bad therapy: Master therapists share their worst failures. New York: Brunner-Routledge.

Bike Thieves at Arizona State University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bike Thieves at Arizona State University - Essay Example In addition, the student is faced with a financial burden to replace the bicycle or find an alternative means of transport, and until they do they are faced with significant inconvenience in commuting from one place to another. Students are the group most highly affected by this theft, as many are low in income, and as a consequence find replacing their bicycle difficult, and may not be able to afford alternative means of transportation. Hendricks, L. (2010, September 29). Bike thieves in high gear, Az Daily Sun. This article was published in the Arizona Daily Sun, a newspaper which serves Northern Arizona and the Flagstaff district. The writer of the article was the assistant editor. As a consequence of the source of the information, it can be considered to be reliable and well researched because there are standards required of any reporter publishing in a newspaper. The author reports on the role that is played by the police in recovering bicycles stolen from Northern Arizona Unive rsity and an approach to reduce the number of bicycle thefts that are occurring. Thefts are common at the University, so much so that the police department has a separate category to track these as for other thefts. Officer Jerry Rintala comments that most thefts happen as a consequence of owners not locking up their bicycle as they only plan to be gone for a short period of time, or using poor quality locks, which are easy to remove with the use of bolt cutters. In an attempt to reduce this, the police and University security have initiated a campaign across campus to inform students about the benefits of using quality locks and keeping their bicycles locked when they are not in use. As it is a crime of opportunity, this has the potential to greatly reduce the number of bicycle thefts that are occurring. In addition, a bicycle registration service has been brought back to campus which is free to all student, faculty, and staff at the University. This involves registering the physic al description and the serial number of the bicycle, as well as a photo if desired, with the police, allowing them to identify the bicycle if it is found. The combination of these two techniques should result in the significant decrease in the number of bicycles that are stolen and an increase in both the likelihood and the speed in the bicycle being returned to its owner. Crime Prevention Unit. (2011). Don't let your bike get ripped off. Theft Prevention Retrieved October 13, 2011, from http://www.tempe.gov/cpu/bike%20theft.htm This article was published online on the website for the City of Tempe, Arizona, under the section of the Crime Prevention Unit, theft prevention. There is no author given for the short article, however, the fact that it hosted on the government website indicates that the tips which the articles give are in line with the standards recommended by the city authorities. Furthermore, the fact that the article is hosted on the Tempe City governmental site indicat es that the statistics that are given are likely to be correct. The City of Tempe has had severe problems with bicycle theft, with more than 650 reported stolen in 2010 alone. Like the Arizona State University, many of the thefts were a consequence of the bicycles not being locked. The city offers registration of bicycles through bicycle stores rather than through the police, with the aim of identifying the ownership of bicycles if they are recovered.  

Introduction To Leviticus Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Introduction To Leviticus - Research Paper Example This has been the subject of controversy over years. To the proponents of documentary hypothesis, the book of Leviticus, which is also one of the Pentateuch books was not written by one person, Moses, but instead was a product of various others. Of course, there exists archeological and historical fabrications and evidence which explicitly supports this line of thought. While the debate about documentary evidence continues, there is also compelling evidence to believe the former. It is the intent of this paper to explore arguments against documentary evidence and to show Moses’ authenticity and single handedness in drafting Leviticus. The Hebrew derives the title of Leviticus from the initial word in it Wayyiqra’, which when translated implies â€Å"and He [the Lord] called† (1:1). The use of the conjunction â€Å"and† describes that Leviticus is a continuation of the previous chapter, Exodus, the flow of thought in this case is continuous and there is no break.1 At the same time, the English title of the book is derived from the word â€Å"Vulgate† which is a Latin version, which referred to this book as Liber Leviticus. This Latin title has been suggested as having the same meaning as Leuitikon, which implies â€Å"of relation to the Levites.† From the above analysis, it therefore seems quite correct that the title used in this book is appropriate, since the book has Mosaic Covenant that again relates to the Levites, or to be precise to the Israelites, delivered to them by Moses. The overriding theme contained in the book of Leviticus is worship. Moses later re-introduced the theme of worship in the later chapters of the bible in Exodus, but this theme was only concretized in Leviticus. The book illustrates how sinful redeemed Israelites could enjoy a new renewed spiritual relationship with their creator. It also shows how the Israelites could maintain this Holy relationship with God through worship. One of the main r evelations that are given in Leviticus is the nature of sin. From the analysis of other chapters, it can be seen that God under estimated man’s ability to commit sin. God first initiated this in Genesis and Exodus, and thus used Leviticus to clarify this sinful nature of man. Additionally, God exposes the theme of atonement in Leviticus. Atonement can be understood as the price of man’s sin. God in Leviticus removed the sins of Israelites until a final sacrifice was paid for sins. God continuously accepted the price of sin through sacrifice until a final atonement was made through Jesus Christ. Through atonement then man could be allowed to enter into a Covenant with God. For this situation, three things had to be given to justify man’s sinful nature. This book has been written by Moses because it contains God revelations to Moses in which he recorded in Leviticus after he renewed the Covenant with Israel (Exod. 34:1-28). This book is solely unique as it contain s God’s instructions to Moses. Andrew A. Bonar in his Commentary on Leviticus thus argues, â€Å"There is no book in the whole compass of that inspired Volume which the Holy Spirit has given us, that contains more of the very words of God than Leviticus. It is God that is the direct speaker in almost all the pages; His gracious words are recorded in the most original manner that they were uttered.†2 As seen in other similar literary analysis, Leviticus

Project management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Project management - Case Study Example The company is seeking to recruit a new project manager to lead the project. This paper has set the recommendations necessary and recommends the vice president to use the score model to come up with the best solution. ABS has in recent years acquired two companies, which are General Maritime Protection and the Western general insurance in Calgary. These two acquisitions positioned it as a major insurer in Canada. These companies function autonomously up to this date even after the merging of the three companies under a single legal entity. That is why an IT strategic plan was necessary which provided an IMSP, which could be shared by the HRM, financial management and sales and marketing management. The IMSP could lead the ABS Canada to solve these underlying problems. Vice president Jean Roberge felt that he needed a project manager to help him with the IMSP project. This project was an important one for the organization since it could enable the three companies solves their underlying problems. That is why an ideal project manager is important. Jean Roberge should come up with a checklist and then use the scoring model to select the ideal project manager (Kloppenborg, 2011). The first step involves him coming up with a list analyzing and indicating the purposes of the project and decides which ability is more important to realize the purpose of the project. He should consider IT technical ability and the negotiation abilities between the three companies should be considered. The next stage is for Jean Roberge to consider the most important aspects of each criterion with considerations of the project’s blueprint. He then finds all the candidates and scores them according to their scores. He is then supposed to use the scoring model to get the rightful candidate. He obtains this by multiplying the scores of the criterion with their corresponding weight. It is important that

How does the rise of ethical consumers effect corporate social Essay

How does the rise of ethical consumers effect corporate social responsibility - Essay Example While taking price and quality into consideration, ethical consumers apply to the decision making process some additional criteria, which may be their priority issues in some cases. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) encompasses the relationship between corporations or other large organizations and the societies with which they interact. CSR also includes all the responsibilities which are a part of these relationships, for both the organizations and the societies. All stakeholders and constituent groups that have an interest in the organization’s operations are included in CSR’s wide and multiple-level definition of society. Corporate social responsibility can be defined as â€Å"the broad concept that businesses are more than just profit-seeking entities and therefore also have an obligation to benefit society† (Werther & Chandler, 2006: 6-7). Strategic corporate social responsibility is the concept that for long-term benefits to the organization, CSR should be made a part of the firm’s strategic perspective and operations. It has been recognized that the activities of an organization influence the external environment, hence it is important that the organization should be accountable to not only its stakeholders, but also to a wider community. This concept initially took root in the 1970s, and grew as a concern for the company as a member of society, with a wider view of company performance including its social performance (Crowther & Rayman-Bacchus, 2004: 3). Though community accountability was acknowledged as essential, the focus of big business on financial results was observed to be an impediment to social responsiveness, especially in the early years of the accountability concept taking shape. There is now an increasing move towards accountability of companies towards all participants, and this recent phenomenon is getting established as the

Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Criminal Justice - Essay Example Having in mind that there are many thoughts and perspectives on different theories that describe what contributes and constitutes to criminal behavior, psychopathic murderers should not face harsh judgments. The criminal justice practitioners in this case may have many special skills that allow them operate under any form of pressure, which does not happen due to the high levels of corruption. Such murderers hardly know what they are doing and it is the responsibility of the society to try to eliminate their chances of killing people since psychopathic murderers lack the capacity to control their behavior (Siegel, 2006). Traditional thinking inhibits change in the criminal justice and I believe that the current criminal justice should spare such murderers. In order for this to happen, command structures must get the priority for notable change to occur. Having talks with the community members are also, ways that the criminal justice practitioners seek to enhance their participation i n the policymaking and through such psychopathic murders can reduce (Siegel, 2006). When it comes to Schoenthaler’s study on diet and crime, I do not think there is any relationship between the two unless the study argued based on diet that may cause mental health problems. Previously, analysts have only been in a position use the previous cases in any situation to combine it with any public information to make crucial decisions unlike in other stages and at no one time did they have anything related to both crime and diet. Without understanding diet and crime, same mistakes would keep repeating, themselves where analysts will come up with all sorts of theories to relate crime o diet or vice versa. Diet only helps people to make guidance on the activities related to the body. On the other hand, diet can course crime where people commit crimes to get food for their families. In such a case, I totally agree with schoenthaler’s study on diet and crime (Siegel, 2006).

Explain the concept of time, value of money, and give some examples Research Paper

Explain the concept of time, value of money, and give some examples. Explain difference in ways to calculate FTEs and explain - Research Paper Example For instance, you can invest your dollar for one year at a 6% annual interest rate and accumulate $1.06 at the end of the year.   You can say that the  future value  of the dollar is $1.06 given a 6%  interest rate  and a one-year  period. It follows that the  present value  of the $1.06 you expect to receive in one year is only $1. A key concept of TVM is that a single sum of money or a series of equal, evenly-spaced payments or receipts guaranteed in the future can be converted to an equivalent value today.   Conversely, you can determine the value to which a single sum or a series of future payments will grow to at some future date. You can calculate the fifth value if you are given any four of: Interest Rate, Number of Periods, Payments, Present Value, and Future Value.   FTEs FTEs are basically the full time equivalents and help in analyzing the work done in hours according to the number of laborers employed. Efficiency indicators for benchmarking frequently require a benchmarking health unit to provide the number of FTEs involved in a particular activity. This is not a problem where programs are specialized, i.e. where full and part time staff is assigned to specific activities.

Managerial roles has changed last 5 years Essay

Managerial roles has changed last 5 years - Essay Example Technology has become the driving cause in organizational change and development. In order to preserve an organization's existence or to sustain its profitable growth, management must adopt and react to the changing world. Managerial roles evolved from traditional specific functions to a more cross-functional role and having cross-business knowledge with higher expectations from stakeholders and better performance in the organization. Today's information age organizations operate in an integrated and complex business processes that goes beyond traditional functions like manufacturing, purchasing, distribution and marketing (Kaplan & Norton 2001, Chapter 1). Technology has combined the specialization benefits from these functional skills with the speed, efficiency and quality of an integrated business processes. Andrew S. Grove, CEO of Intel, attributes much of his success to a terminology he called strategic inflection points. These are moments when massive change occurs in the company, the industrial environment they compete in, and the market they played at. Strategic inflection points are results of different factors, may it be, mega-competition, entry of a better substitute, or a change in technology. (Grove 1996, p. 126) There exist unrelenting pressures to managers these days. These managerial pressures may include compelling needs of organizations to become leaner, to be good citizens, and to grow profits at double-digit rates. Managers become navigators through these pressures and strategic inflection points that threaten their organization and turn them into positive forces to win in the marketplace and emerge stronger than ever. They stop being passive spectators and hesitant observers. As the organization changes to adopt to the forces of the market, the managerial role changes in order to adopt to the demands of the organization. The demand for change and innovation is enormous. Fiercer competition arises from traditional companies and brand new entrants while the boundaries of markets and industries are increasingly colliding. The demanding environment has created a shortage of skilled employees and knowledge workers. The changes also strain the relationships between employers and employees. People work at an organization as long as it is beneficial to them where there are still a lot of milk in the cow, so to speak. Once it no longer gave them the advantage, they move on to greener pastures, to fatter cows, to other companies. The traditional autocratic managers have become extinct. Managers nowadays value the importance of individual employees and are accountable in attracting and keeping good people.(Chopra 1999, p. 40) With these shortage of good workers, th e managers are enormously pressured to challenge their team to continuously improve and to stay on top of the competitive game. Effective managers go beyond managing change, they become champions of change, innovation and continuous improvement in the organization. The organization's survival and success depends on how management responds to change with the right value equation by coming up with original, creative and innovative solutions while being resourceful through taking what is available and making it

Poem Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poem Analysis - Essay Example Love grows in the hearts of the lovers in all directions like the octopus. A fire-walker walks on the fire for a few seconds but a lover walks for life with his heart afire. In one of the poems discussed, the lover mentions about love even after death. The interaction with the beloved and her words keeps millions of hopes of the lovers alive! The beats of the hearts of lovers are mutually controlled and the lovers respond accordingly. The bird of love moves with tantalizing speed within the hearts of lovers. Love is the eternal call that keeps the hearts of the lovers ever engaged. If God has to condemn someone, he does so by giving the lover a broken heart. After the first tremor of love, the heart is never the same forever. All such thoughts engulf my mind when I read the poems. The silken thread of love runs through the poems The Folly of Being Comforted (W. B. Yeats), My Last Duchess (Robert Browning, 1812-1889), Sonnet 116 (William Shakespeare) and Sonnet 43 - How Do I Love Thee (Elizabeth Barrett Browning). To live through the pangs of love is a great experience and the one who has gone through that process alone can understand how invaluable those moments of suffering are. True love goes on multiplying and passion diminishes with time. Love is the precious raw material for the man-woman relationship and the gift of God to humankind. In the poem â€Å"The Folly of Being Comforted† by W.B. Yeats, the speaker makes a sincere effort to describe through intellect on a subject which is the domain of heart. In the war related to love, mind and heart can never come to terms. The wise saying goes— there is a beauty in the sunrise and also in the sunset. The theme of the poem is â€Å"love transcends the physical changes in the body and, thus, it conquers time†. The poet gets upset and in an effort to find through the mental condition of unrequited love, enumerates the physical changes that happen with time, and how the body of his beloved sur renders to the demands. He pleads with the heart to be satisfied and accepts the state of beloved’s ebbing beauty. The lover is unwilling to agree that the waning beauty of his beloved is the cause for concern. The poet employs euphemism to express sympathy. He sees her hair â€Å"threads of grey† and â€Å"little shadows come about her eyes† that indicate darkened skin with small wrinkles. But they are inconsequential and the lover is still fascinated by her beauty. The lover’s intellect comes to his rescue and supports his arguments, that with the passage of time, the heart will respond better and will be able to accept the realities related to the body, the loss of beloved’s beauty and her apathy towards him. The flush of passion, in spite of beloved’s age, is emphasized by the poet in the words â€Å"fire that stirs about her, when she stirs.† This is a beautiful metaphor for fire. In the ultimate analysis, heart wins and Yeats re fuses to accept the argument of the intellect relating to the advancing age of his beloved. This poem is an unusually formed sonnet. The poet has employed simple words to produce a good sonnet, which tenders an eloquent argument against the argument that women become less beautiful with advancing age. â€Å"Sonnet 116† by William Shakespeare expresses more or less the same sentiments as expressed in â€Å"The Folly of Being Comforted† by W. B. Yeats, but with more emphasis. The first five lines indicate the true definition of love and the

On Why George Bush Won the 2004 Presidential Elections Essay Example for Free

On Why George Bush Won the 2004 Presidential Elections Essay The â€Å"Economic and Demographic Determinants of Presidential Voting†, a journal published in 2005 and written by Robert McNown from the Department of Economics at the University of Colorado, examines on how George Bush won the 2004 US Presidential election. McNown claimed that the area of socio-economic uniqueness of the citizenry removes the implication of statistics of 2 macro-economic concepts, such as increase in real disposable income and unemployment rate, in which the increase of inflation and employment are significant factors in voting for a President (McNown 2). The claim of McNown was based on â€Å"seven economic models† which utilizes a prediction from a variety of experimental and chronological data, such as economic indicators, public opinion, and factors indicating the advantages of incumbency or Presidential term of office, predictive of probable winning of George Bush from 50–97 percent over Senator John Kerry. The seven economic models are basically â€Å"political perceptions or analysis† that forecasted George Bush ability to win, in which the American Political Science Association (APSA) based in Washington DC has compiled the predictions of seven political scholars that McNown refers as â€Å"seven economic models† (Rajaee 12). Party affiliations and strong economy According to McNown, voters are influenced by underlying economic factors relating to family values. McNown implied that Party â€Å"affiliation† is a determining factor in Presidential voting, which means â€Å"party loyalty† is perceived by electorates (McNown 78). To further explain, McNown exemplified the Democratic Party as reflecting only the awareness of economic destitute in a society but â€Å"partisanship† may favor or captivate impact to voters (McNown 8). What could be interpreted in McNown’s analysis on the â€Å"seven economic models† or political forecasts relating to the â€Å"pulse† of George Bush’ winning ability was the â€Å"voters perception† of party loyalty of Republicans, in which the party platform could be perceived as sensibly inculcated to the overall perceptions of general electorates, specifically the traditional American family values. Thus, the indicators of â€Å"economic values†, to which the Democrats were also bearing, could have been much attributed to the Republicans party loyalty as bearing the â€Å"family values† relating to a more advantageous approach to establishing a strong American economy. Findings McNown’s claim may be supported by the indicators and factors that made George W. Bush win the 2004 elections. First, partisanship has proven the support of American voters from the metropolitan areas, as the Electoral College may have intensified the issue on family values that bore more weight of perceptions in â€Å"party loyalty†, as mentioned on probable winning of George Bush from 50–97 percent over Senator John Kerry. Second, the Democrats bearing on issues of economic destitute being supported by the African-American electorates outside the metropolitan areas have been marginalized, in which the perception to â€Å"socio-economic variables† (like poverty) did not â€Å"pick up† or make a vital sense to the overall electorates. Third, integrating party affiliations, party loyalty and economic issues may still boil down to the â€Å"stance† of the conservative voters, ranging from middle-aged to elder electorates. We may synthesize McNown’s claim from his derivatives of â€Å"seven economic models† or perceptions that most of the old and young American voters were overly conscious in partisanship, party affiliations and loyalty, in which would mean being loyal to a party may extend the consistency and realization of the party platform in the public office. Conclusion We may conclude that partisanship creates and establishes a â€Å"domino effect† to voters. The magnitude of impact summons the loyalty to party affiliations regardless of the current socio-economic issues. Having a two-party system of partisanship in America could be largely â€Å"weight† by popular perceptions to which America shall vote. This popular perception may be also referred as pre-conditioning the outcome of election and the insights upon the shift of government. With the performance of the Republicans to the 2004 winning of President Bush, it may have once again proven the old American saying, â€Å"America belongs to loyal Americans†. Works Cited McNown, R. â€Å"Economic and Demographic Determinants of Presidential Voting†. Department of Economics and Institute of Behavioral Science. University of Colorado. 2005. 28 June 2008 http://spot. colorado. edu/~mcnownr/working_papers/presidential_voting. pdf Rajaee, B. â€Å"Political Scientists Forecast Bush Victory in 2004: Six Out of Seven Models Predict Bush Will Win†. American Political Science Association (APSA). 2004. 28 June 2008 http://www. apsanet. org/imgtest/campbell. pdf

Effects of Quotas on Importing and Exporting Countrys Trade

Effects of Quotas on Importing and Exporting Countrys Trade LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter starts with a theoretical framework. It discusses what quotas are followed by the models showing the effects of quotas on importing and exporting countrys trade. A large body of literature attempts to predict the likely impact of removal of quotas on textiles and clothing. The results of these studies are included in this chapter. 3.1 Theoretical Framework There are many forms of protection in world trade. They include tariffs and non-tariff barriers. Tariffs, which are taxes on imports of products into a country or region, are amongst the oldest form of government intervention in economic activity. They are implemented because they provide revenue for the government and protect the domestic industry from foreign competition. Non-tariff barriers include voluntary export restraints, technical barriers to trade, and import quotas. The effects of all these tariff and non-tariff barriers on importing and exporting countries are almost identical. Quotas restrict the imports of specified products by setting a maximum quantity or value of goods authorized for import. Different types of quotas exist, such as global quotas, bilateral quotas, seasonal quotas, quotas linked to export performance, quotas linked to the purchase of local goods, quotas for sensitive product categories, and quotas for political reasons. In this context, quotas refer to the limits placed on the quantity of different categories of clothing (e.g. knitted T-shirts, sweaters, gloves) and textiles (e.g. knitted fabric, acrylic yarn, cotton fabric) that can be exported to the US, Canada and the European Union (EU). Under the ATC system, garment and textile-producing countries were assigned a maximum quantity that they could legally export to the US, Canada and the EU during a particular time frame. The quotas set by the ATC differed by country and per product. The allocation of quotas was generally based on historical export levels (Appelbaum, 2004). The quotas operated under the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing were originally introduced under the MFA. The main purpose of these quotas was that they were imposed only by specific countries, on exports from specific countries. Another purpose was that the importing countries allowed exporting countries to allocate the quotas. Quotas effects are not easy to understand since they are very complex and require a global perspective to be taken. To a better understanding of the effects of quotas on both importing and exporting countries can be gained from the use of, diagrammatic models. The first diagram model used here shows the effects of quotas on importing countries. Importing countries imposed quotas as a device for restricting imports than tariffs. This is because they are more predictable. They ensure that imports cannot exceed a certain amount, whereas, with a tariff, the precise effect on the volume of imports is uncertain, depending on the slope of the demand and supply curves. When the quota imposed the price of the product became OP* from OP. Sd + quota is the domestic supply curve with the quota added. Demand of the product falls to OQ3 because of the high price and domestic supply increases to OQ2. Imports, also falls, because of the quota constrained at Q2Q3 = WV. In case of importing country profit goes to the person who imported the product at the price OP and sell it on OP*, not to the government (area C in Diagram). If government auctions the quotas than importers have to buy a licence of the quotas to import the products, than the profit will go to the government. The main advantage of the quota is that domestic production increases because the imports decrease, however, consumption of the product also decreases. However, in some respects quotas are more damaging than tariffs for the importing country. Like quotas allocated on the basis of share of the importer in the market and once allocated, it is difficult for more efficient importers to import more if their quota has been already used up. To understand their effects on exporting countries it is important to distinguish between the prices of restricted and unrestricted markets. A simple diagram model can be used to present the basic economic implications of the MFA quotas for exporters (Figure 3.2). As in Kathuria, Martin and Bhardwaj (2001), the diagram is kept simple by basing it on the Armington Assumption, which states that the products produced by this group of exporters are not the same as the products of other countries. This assumption allows well-defined import demand curves to be drawn for quota-restricted products in the restricted country (DR) and in the unrestricted country (DU). The point where these two demand curves meet horizontally gives the global demand (DT) for the products of the restricted countries. In the absence of any quotas, as in figure 3.2, the price will be the same in restricted and unrestricted countries. In the unrestricted equilibrium represented in figure 3.2 the same price applies in both the restricted and unrestricted countries, because the restriction comes in figure 3.3. When quotas are introduced in restricted markets the quantity exported to those markets declines as shown in figure 3.3. The price received for exports to restricted markets increases from (PW) to (PR), because of the restrictions and the price received for exports to unrestricted markets declines from (PW) to (PU). The overall demand curve of country (DT) becomes steeper and less elastic. Because the original price of the output falls, the volume of output automatically declines. Whether static welfare increases or decreases depends on whether the net gain from quota rents in restricted export markets compared with the situation in figure 3.2, represented by the crosshatched area in figure 3.3 outweighs the losses in the vertically shaded area in figure 3.3. However, the overall effect of the ATC quotas on a countrys economy cannot be determined simply by the economic effects shown in figure 3.3, although it does provide a basis for evaluating the partial effects of quotas on all restricted markets. This model is thus inadequate for evaluating the overall impact of the quotas on a country because it does not take into account the effect of restrictions on other exporting countries. When restrictions applied to competing countries clearly increase the demand for exports from the country of interest, whether these restrictions are beneficial or not for any given country depends upon the importing countries, and on the relative magnitude of exports from each country. To predict the reallocation of textile and clothing production among developing countries, a simple Ricardian analysis suggests that a country will produce and export goods in which it has a comparative advantage. A country has a comparative advantage in producing a good if the opportunity cost of producing that good relative to other goods is lower in that country than in other countries. This depends on the factor endowments of each country and factor requirement characteristics of the produced good. The textile and clothing industries are labour intensive, and the basic input is cotton. Thus, according to the Ricardian model, it is expected that countries with larger labour forces and higher production of cotton will benefit most from ATC expiration, as it will facilitate an increase in their production and exports of textiles and clothing. The abolition of quotas in January 2005 eliminated some, but not all of the distortions affecting global trade in textiles and clothing. While the quotas have been abolished, tariffs on textiles and clothing remain, frequently at very high levels. Furthermore, some of Pakistans competitors now benefit from preferential access to industrial country markets, either under preference schemes such as the EUs Everything But Arms (EBA), or through preferences provided under regional arrangements. Unlike tariffs or export taxes, export quotas are nontransparent in their effects on trade. An analysis of the trade competitiveness situation shows that the phasing out of quotas implies significant changes in the worldwide trade structure, leading to strong output and employment shifts in and between countries. 3.2 Impact of quota elimination on textiles Textile and clothing trade among World Trade Organization (WTO) members is governed by the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), which came into force with the WTO Agreement on 1 January 1995. This agreement means that alongside the progressive application of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) rules, there will be progressive phasing out of quotas in the EU, US and Canada. These quotas were inherited from the Multi-fibre Arrangements (MFA). On 1 January 2005, the ATC expired and all quotas were abolished. This means that all WTO members now have unrestricted access to the European, American and Canadian markets. This has obviously had an impact on major countries/regions concerned. This research addresses the possible impact of quota abolition on Pakistans textile industry. A considerable number of studies have aimed to quantify the economic and trade effects of the ATC phase-out as well as complete textiles and clothing market liberalisation. The majority of studies reviewed were undertaken by universities, economists and international organisations like the World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), and in the case of Pakistan, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), government organizations, and some institutions. Most of them foresee increases in global welfare as a result of gradual liberalization of the sector with the implementation of the 10-year transitional programme of the WTOs ATC, at the end of which the system of import quotas that has dominated the trade since the early 1960s disappeared. Most of the research covers the global textile industry and the South Asian countries post ATC regime. There is not much research available specifically about Pakistans textile industry in the quota free-regime, the opportunities and challenges Pakistan will face, and whether Pakistan will benefit from this regime or not. This literature review summarises briefly some of the available studies on the impact of the ATC phase-out on the textile and clothing industry. A large body of literature attempts to predict or quantify the likely impact of the removal of quantitative restrictions. Different approaches have been used to address the issue; summary of these studies is given in table 3.1. Diao and Somwaru (2001) estimate that over the 25-year period following the ATC implementation, the annual growth of world textile and clothing trade will be more than 5 per cent than it would be in the absence of the ATC. According to their simulations, this acceleration translates into about $20 billion more trade in the short run (upon implementation) and as much as $200 billion in the long run (25 years). They also predict that, consistent with the trend in the historical data, the world clothing trade will increase twice as fast as the textile trade in the post-quota world. Similar results are reported by Avisse and Fouquin (2001), who found that, as a result of the ATC, the global trade in textiles and clothing will be about 10 per cent and 14 per cent h igher, respectively. Table 3.1 Results of Selected Analytical Studies related to ATC Authors Database Model Characteristics Policy Simulations General Results World Bank (2004) Data collected by authors General equilibrium analyses Quota Removal focus (Pakistan) Overall, the short-run impact of MFA abolition will be positive on the textile sector, negative on clothing. The analysis suggests that Pakistan will benefit substantially from abolition of its own quotas, with the benefits resulting from improved efficiency of resource allocation outweighing the loss of quota rents. Francois and Spinanger (2001) GTAP 4 (Base year 1995) Quota prices for Hong Kong for 1998/99 Standard Static GTAP model Quota removal plus Uruguay Round trade liberalization in the context of Chinas WTO accession. (Focus: Hong Kong) Textile and clothing exports from Asia (especially south Asia) increase substantially. Preferential access to the United States and the EU would be reduced and there would be a shift in demand away from countries like Mexico and Turkey. Terra (2001) GTAP 4 (Base year 1995) Standard Static GTAP model (i) Quota removal and (ii) Quota removal plus tariff reductions (Focus: Latin America) Developing countries subject to the biggest quantitative restrictions would expand their exports at the expense of the importing developed countries, but also of other developing countries which are less restricted (i.e., Latin American countries). Avisse and Fouquin (2001) GTAP 4 (Base year 1995) Standard Static GTAP model Quota removal Output share of Asia increases from 12 percent to 18 percent. Chinas exports would increase by 87 percent, South and Southeast Asias would increase by 36 percent. Latin America and NAFTA would lose 39 percent and 27 percent, respectively. Authors Database Model Characteristics Policy Simulations General Results Diao and Somwaru (2001) GTAP 5 (Base year 1997); Counterfactual analysis using an intertemporal version of GTAP MFA phase-out simulated by improving the efficiency of textile and apparel exports from constrained Countries. Other trade barriers on textile and apparel imports are reduced by 30 to 40 percent in all countries. The annual growth of world textile and apparel trade would be more than 5 percent higher. Market share of developing countries as a whole would increase by 4 percentage points following the ATC. China would gain almost 3 percentage points of the world Textile and apparel market, while other Asian countries would capture more than 2 percent. Non-quota developing countries are predicted to lose about 20 percent of their markets. Matoo, Roy, and Subramanian (2002) Data collected by the authors. Partial Equilibrium. ETEs derived from Kathuria and Bharadwaj (2000). Leontief production. Export elasticities from 1 to 5. Interaction between the ATC and the AGOA rules of origin for Mauritius and Madagascar Under the current AGOA system, the apparel exports of Mauritius and Madagascar would be about 26 percent and 19 percent lower, respectively, following 2005. If AGOAs rules of origin requirement is eliminated, the decline in Mauritiuss exports would be only 18 percent, and Madagascars exports could increase. Lankes (2002) GTAP 5 (Base Year 1997) Standard Static GTAP model Quota removal Total export revenue loss attributed to the MFA quotas estimated to be $22 billion for developing countries and $33 billion for the world as a whole. Source: Commission of the European Communities, 2004 Although the elimination of ATC quotas is predicted to result in an increase in global trade, the impact is likely to differ among countries and regions. For each country, quota elimination represents both an opportunity and a threat. It is an opportunity because markets will no longer be restricted but it will also represent a threat as other suppliers will no longer be restrained and major markets will be open to intense competition. For instance, Lankes (2002) argues that the ATC may lead to a reallocation of production to the detriment of developing-country exporters that have been â€Å"effectively protected† from more competitive suppliers by the quota system. A World Bank (2004) study provides an analysis of potential gains and losses for Pakistan from abolishing the quota system. The study shows that whether Pakistan will be better or worse off depends on the extent to which exports from Pakistan are restricted relative to exports from other suppliers; the strength of the competitive relationship between suppliers; and the extent of complementarities associated with global production sharing, particularly the benefits from increased demand for textiles and clothing as inputs. The general results of the study are, overall, that the short-run impact of ATC abolition will be positive on the textile sector, and negative on clothing. The analysis suggests that Pakistan will benefit substantially from the abolition of its own quotas, with the benefits resulting from improved efficiency of resource allocation outweighing the loss of quota rents. The implications for the clothing sector could be serious, however if no action is taken to improve productivity, output could decline by over 15 per cent, and exports by a quarter. Overall, Pakistans real income may decline by perhaps 0.4 per cent, and real wages could decline slightly if no action is taken to improve productivity. The degree of a quotas restrictiveness can thus serve as a useful, if imprecise means of broadly predicting the likely impact of its removal. Being able to determine which countries are quota constrained and which are not is useful in understanding how particular countries will fare following quota elimination. In the existing literature, the degree of restrictiveness of an MFA quota is often measured in terms of its â€Å"export tax equivalent† (ETE). ATC quotas are administered by exporting countries and impose a cost on exporting firms that is exactly analogous to an export tax. In order to export, a firm in a quota-constrained country has to obtain or purchase a quota (or an export licence). The more restrictive a quotas is, the higher the tax will be. ETEs are obviously zero for non-restrained products or countries. Flanagan (2003) points out that although as many as 73 countries are included in the quota system, some do not fully utilize their quotas. Elimination of an unfilled or non-binding quota has little effect on a countrys ability to export because it could have continued to export to the quota limit in any case. Many estimates of ETEs exist, and they vary for different countries and time frames. Francois and Spinanger (1999) estimate that Hong Kong clothing exporters face an implicit export tax of up to 10 per cent for goods intended for the U.S. market and 5 per cent for the European Union (EU) market. Kathuria and Bhradwaj (1998) report that in 1996, Indian exporters to the United States paid an ETE of 39 per cent (cotton based) and 16 per cent (synthetics), versus 17 per cent (cotton based) and 23 per cent (synthetics) in the EU market. In USITC, the import-weighted ETEs for US imports were estimated to be about 21 per cent for clothing, and those for non-clothing, textile categories were around 1 per cent. In general, the literature reveals that Asian countries are relatively more constrained than other regions. Flanagan (2003) categorizes countries into groups depending on how â€Å"quota constrained† they are in terms of the number of product categories where quotas seriously limit demand. In the group of â€Å"Countries seriously held back, almost across the board, by quotas† were Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand. At the other end of the spectrum, countries such as Nepal, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are categorized as â€Å"Countries whose quotas have been a valuable tool, now threatened†. According to Flanagan, China, India and Indonesia have shown the most consistent and widespread near-saturation of quotas for yarn, fabric and garments. Many analysts predict that the market shares of quota-constrained suppliers will increase markedly following 2005. Terra (2001) predicts that clothing production of the restrained exporters, as a whole, will increase by almost 20 per cent, and their textile production will increase by almost 6 per cent. Meanwhile, Terra estimates that the market shares of non-quota constrained suppliers (e.g. Mexico and African countries) will shrink. She predicts a fall in the exports of Latin American countries, which will be displaced by the big exporters subject to restrictions. Mercosur and Chile are predicted to reduce their exports of clothing significantly and their exports of textiles moderately. Avisse and Fouquin (2001) estimate that Asian clothing exports will rise by 54 per cent and their share of the world market will increase to 60 per cent, from 40 percent in 1995. Chinese clothing exports, in particular, will rise by 87 per cent, and their share of world clothing exports will rise by more than 10 percentage points. Both South Asias and Southeast Asias clothing exports will also experience substantial gains, increasing by 36 per cent, combined. On the other hand, Latin American clothing exports are predicted to decrease by 39 per cent. Avisse and Fouquin estimate that Chinese production will rise by 70 per cent, and that of other Asian countries, by 26 per cent. Within a broadly unchanged level of global output, Asias share will rise from 12 per cent to 18 per cent. North American production of clothing 14 will decline by 19 per cent and European production will drop by 11 per cent according to estimates. Diao and Somwaru (2001) provide similar estimates. According to their dynamic model, world market share of developing countries as a whole will increase by 4 percentage points following the ATC. China is predicted to gain almost 3 percentage points of the world textile and clothing market, and other Asian countries to capture more than 2 percentage points. Current non-quota holding developing countries are predicted to lose about 20 per cent of their markets (equivalent to 2.3 percentage points of total world textile and clothing markets) to the restrained ones. In addition to the costs of quotas themselves, the nature or quality of the quota administration system can also restrict an individual countrys exports, and lead to quota â€Å"underfill†. Whalley (1999) points out that many developing countries have built costly domestic administrative structures around the internal allocation of quotas. Krishna and Tan (1998) present empirical evidence that the costs of the export licence system within the restrained countries are significant and that both the licence cost and hidden administrative costs are added to the price of the product prior to entering the foreign market.

How Important Is Race In US Politics?

How Important Is Race In US Politics? I am the son of a Black man from Kenya and a White woman from Kansas, asserted Barack Obama in 2008; and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story possible. This speech came in March 2008; until this point candidates on both sides had avoided discussing race as an issue. Obama wished to establish himself as a candidate outside of race, yet ultimately this was not possible. Those opposed to this strategy ensured that race remained an integral factor in the 2008 election and the wider US political scene. Race can be seen to link to a variety of policy areas. For example, a recent New York Times article states that, four in 10 Black children are born into poverty [while] less than one in 10 White children are.  [2]  Statistics such as this demonstrate that race in connection with economics and class are central issues for US politics more generally. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention compiled an extensive report in January 20 11 detailing racial disparities in a broad array of health problems; highlighting the continual significance of race as a policy issue, particularly in popular discourse, as this report received much mainstream media attention.  [3]  Yet the subsequent issues raised by race have changed. No longer are blatant displays of racism socially or legally acceptable; so what is preventing us from deeming America a post-racial society?  [4]  Furthermore, why is a post-racial society the aspiration? On the one hand, it falls in line with the American principle of a united nation, yet on the other hand it is considered dangerous to attempt to embrace different cultures, after so many years of segregation. Furthermore, the absence of overt discrimination does not mean that exclusion has ended, rather, that the character of [such] discrimination has changed.  [5]   This paper shall argue the continuing importance of race in US politics, both through its overt influence on policy making as well as its implicit influence; as often discussions which avoid race are making an equally important statement. This essay shall consider race largely in terms of traditional binaries of Black and White. Incorporating an analysis of ethnicity will be too broad, particularly as language and immigration would need to be considered. Obamas election as a mixed-race American has brought traditional binaries of Black and White back to the forefront of discussions. While other minority groups do add another layer of complexity, analysis of this goes beyond the scope of this essay. A further constraint has meant that race will be discussed with regard to the domestic, and in particular, on a federal level. Historically race issues differed between states, and while there may still be variation regarding perceptions between more conservative or more liberal states, a discussion of federal policy regarding race will allow wider conclusions to be drawn. Race can be considered to encompass issues of governmental policy, party policy, public perceptions and political strategy. If race is viewed in this way it is possible to attempt to separate political and legislative conceptions of race from discussions of individual discrimination. The former is the focus for this paper. All of these factors become heightened during election years, where race continues to divide people, even within the same party. Notably, the emergence Tea Party faction on the Republican side, a platform for conservative populist discontent demonstrates views held are not true of all of the Republican Party; furthermore, it may not necessarily represent views of all Tea Party movements, as there is no single Tea Party.  [6]  It is the nature of US political parties to encompass huge variation within the main parties. Election years provide an increased awareness of the political, and as such will provide recent examples of the trends in racial politics. This c an be seen presently through the debate over Obamas place of birth; with the administration choosing to release the long birth certificate before the next election cycle. The argument will proceed through three substantive sections; firstly a discussion of race and the electorate; second, the factors which continue to shape racial inequality; and finally governing, including an analysis of candidate choice. Race and class Recent shifts in the American demographic are crucial to understanding how race as an issue has changed, particularly in the post-Bush era. This change in administration provided substantive change in some areas, but arguably not during the 2008 campaign period. Minorities did, and will, continue to be a secondary concern while White voters retain plurality status, this notion featured prominently in the 2008 general election, as voting statistics suggest parties will continue to bring White issues to the forefront in order to win elections. It can be seen that there is a glaring ideological disconnect between the desire and reality of a race-free society.  [7]  Teasley and Ikard, in their article The Myth of Postracism suggest the danger of complete investment in postracial thinking, particularly for the most economically vulnerable African American population. The prominent liberal view of racial policy suggests a cautious approach, favouring the idea of a colour blind society. While it is suggested that there is no currently viable alternative to a liberal vision of race, it can be inferred that at least racialism as a theory acknowledges the persistence of racism in America.  [8]  Critical Race Theory (CRT) favours a race conscious approach, reliant upon political organisation. In arguing the need for CRT, Metzler presents an argument for why the term postracial is meaningless as a critique.  [9]  Usefully, the theory also allows for intersections between race, class and sex. A basic premise is that while electoral decisions may claim to be colour blind they are actually steeped in racist ideology.  [10]  For example, it can be argued that race as a political factor will be avoided as much as possible; unless a politicians political survival depends on it. Example 2008 or Sotomoyar The premise of a race neutral campaign is to develop a coalition of support, regardless of race. Yet ultimately, there remains a divergence as to why different r acial groups voted for Obama, while many Whites voted for Obama as a way to move beyond race, many Blacks voted for him as a way to vindicate the entire Black race.  [11]  While the term vindicate may be unnecessarily emotive, the notion of collective Black support for Obama is significant as an example of the continual relevance of race in US electoral politics and the differing motives for voting behaviour. The mere suggestion that issues still exist as Black or White demonstrates the continuing importance of race. After his 2000 election victory, Bush was famously advised that if he did not improve his minority vote, he would be unable to win the next election. The pattern of immigration in the US has left the country with a large multicultural demographic. The nature of such immigration, being both forced through slavery, and voluntary, is a relatively unique phenomenon; as such racial issues are historically rooted in much of American society. This seems to make some of the electorate, particularly minorities, more inclined to talk about race, while often having the opposite affect among White voters. Due to the growth in minority populations, there has been a proportional decrease to the White population. In 2008, the Black population alone comprised 12.8% of the population. The national census of 2010 puts this original figure at 12.6%, demonstrating a further demographic shift, wi th African Americans no longer comprising the majority minority, with the Black population comprising a smaller proportion than other minority groups.  [12]  This suggests a limit to traditional oppositional binaries of Black vs. White, with new minorities gaining ever increasing populations, and in theory increasing significance. Binaries remain important, but it is important to realise that they do not always give us a complete picture; as an increasing number of citizens describing themselves as multi-racial, 3.4% in the last census.  [13]  However, in the 2008 election focus was not given evenly to each minority group. Perhaps because some minority groups are more valuable when translated into votes, or perhaps because some groups are more politically active than others. South Asian voters had a huge impact on the democratic primaries in 2008, particularly in California, yet the binary view continued to dominate discussions. This may have been a temporary fluctuation, en couraged by the race between a Black candidate and a White candidate for the presidency. Yet it seems that the trend is actually a continuation from a longstanding history of dealing in terms of Black and White issues of race. The Black community also remains much more vocal than other minority groups, particularly more assimilated Asian voters. Ultimately, binaries remain useful in demonstrating the importance of race in contemporary politics, as it remains that conflicts between Black issues and White issues are at the forefront of debate, particularly with regard to healthcare and education. In the 1990s, Bill Clinton restored the Democratic Partys competitiveness by mostly avoiding the race-specific rhetoric and policies that had helped drive disaffected White voters toward the Republican opposition. The boom he presided over produced political and economic benefits for African-American families as well as well as Whites, making him popular with both groups. Comparing this to the situation in 2008; a deeper analysis of Obamas poll numbers [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] indicates that very little changed in terms of voting habits in this election cycle.  [14]  Thus, on the surface it seems significant that Obama has successfully reproduced the polling numbers of Clinton, a White Southerner, adding substance to the post-racial argument.  [15]  Yet in context, Obama was nominated during a period of frustration with the outgoing Republican administration, at a time of economic uncertainty, and when a generation of African Americans had won elected office. Thus it can be seen how race as a domestic issue is closely interlinked with other factors, notably feeling toward the outgoing administration and the fluctuating state of the economy. As such, examples which are often cited to demonstrate the decreasing significance of race can actually be at least partially attributed to other factors. The socioeconomic divide in America is expanding; in a multiracial society where the races are unequal, there will often be a racial dimension to class differences, for class is an efficient recoder of racism.  [16]  Reed suggests that this is an historical trend, built on the back of enslaved Africans, as such, for Reed, race and colour have always been the ultimate determinants of socioeconomic status.  [17]  Yet it seems that the greatest divide came long after the period of reconstruction. Since 1970 the socioeconomic divide has become more evident; while the status of the most disadvantaged members of the minority population deteriorated, that of the advantaged has notably improved.  [18]  This is clearest in relation to the Black American population. As such, it seems that race becomes less important because of socioeconomic factors. The rate of improvement is also notable; in several areas, such as college attendance, Blacks [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] have made those improv ements at a relatively faster rate than the reported progress of comparable Whites.  [19]  Thus, the fact that the number of Blacks enrolled full-time at colleges and universities nearly doubled between 1970 and 1980 (to over 1 million) demonstrates that there is a growing economic schism between lower-income and higher-income Black families, with the lower members of the community being left behind.  [20]  Policies such as affirmative action enhance this trend, doing more for the more advantaged members of Black communities compared to those from lower incomes. With race being so closely connected to socioeconomic conditions, it only increases its importance as a factor in US politics as the subject becomes broader. Hooks divides the Black community into class groups, and suggests that this has a considerable impact on perceptions by both the Black and the White community.  [21]  The impact of this has been to divide the Black community into sub groups, with many of the higher-income families becoming increasingly assimilated with the White community. As a basic concept this is still relevant, yet much of what Hooks outlined has become dated. Hooks argued that class-based racial integration disrupted what he terms, racial solidarity in essence; that previously class standing was irrelevant to the Black community, but increased integration has erased this bond between communities.  [22]  While it can be accepted that there did exist a sense of community, it is not true to say this has diminished to the extent which Hooks believed. Significantly, it seems the nomination of Obama reignited a sense of Black community; the mobilisation of Black voters can be attributed to a growing sense of g roup consciousness and empowerment.  [23]  Yet what is more convincing, is Hooks argument regarding communities. The emergence of what has been termed, a Black middle class, has led to wealth being removed from communities, leaving the poor and underclass as isolated segregated communities.  [24]   Race and the media It is important to consider whether race can continue to be discussed independently, or if class is now a more important issue. It seems the two issues are, and have been, fundamentally intertwined, due to long standing inequalities linking back to before the Civil War. However, the extent of this has changed, and the emergence of Black middle class has led class to move toward the forefront of political discussions of race. It is significant to discuss how and why the public produce conceptions of race, with particular emphasis on the role of the media as a source. As a nation, America emerged from a unique system of oppression and slavery. As such, race remains deeply rooted in the lives of many Americans. In an age where post-racial politics seems to be a common aspiration, for electoral benefit as much as for issues of equality, it is important to realise how race continues to appear on the political agenda. Some significant events can be cited in contemporary American politics a s periods of change. The terrorist attacks of September 2001 permanently altered American domestic and foreign policy and new issues of race were raised with the growing politicisation of Islamophobia. More recently, with regard to the binaries discussed so far, came the political impact of hurricane Katrina in 2005. Worst affected by this disaster was the city of New Orleans, which had a substantial Black population. The suffering of the people of New Orleans allowed the Democratic Party to establish itself as an alternative; and allowed it to distinguish itself through the racial politics of hurricane Katrina. It gave the Democrats the chance to put race onto the political agenda, yet arguably Obama attempted to distance himself from this strategy. This task was made easier for the Democrats due to a period of highly publicised racial shaming. By the time of the 2008 election, the Democrats were seen as a viable alternative to the Republican Party, who were famously said not to ca re about Black people.  [25]  This quote from an influential Black performer became a popular sound bite, demonstrating the importance of the media, and as such it did much to contribute to Bushs unpopularity. Following hurricane Katrina, many people sought to answer the question of whether its social effects and the government response to the countrys biggest natural disaster had more to do with race or class. Or if again, they were unavoidably linked. An argument surrounds the prominence race received as a factor in the Katrina disaster. While liberals could be accused of citing race in an attempt to reference a wider, more historic discrimination against Blacks, it was not an effective strategy as it did little to alter government policy. Therefore, although addressing Katrina as a race issue had a profound effect on the electorate, it was only later that it began to really influence policy. However, it seems that concluding class to be a more significant factor, is to divert attention away from race, thus [discouraging] a deeper discussion about the ways race and class intertwine.  [26]  Ultimately, Katrina is a prime example of the intrinsic way race and class are intertwined, largely due to the historical nature of racism in the region, in relation to housing and neighbourhood distribution. Few comparisons were made between White and Black residents, but as Lavelle and Feagin suggest; only 17% of Whites lacked access to a car to evacuate with, compared to 60% of Black residents.  [27]  Media images showed nearly all those left suffering in New Orleans were Black Americans, making it seem like a race issue; however those in more financially stable positions were able to live in safer areas, those families most able to afford homes in safer flood-protected areas and that had resources to evacuate easily suffered much less than poorer families, seemingly suggesting a class issue. Furthermore, what is also significant about the Katrina example is the way in which the media reported the story. The media are one of the most effective methods of communication across the US, as such, what is reported is highly influential among the electorate; It is universally accepted that mass media hold great power, as they transmit information to the public and are free to highlight certain news items and ignore others, setting the agenda of public life and creating consensus or disagreement on certain issues.  [2 8]  However, it took until September, a month after the disaster, for the media story to shift from stories of Black crime to the failures of government in mediating the disaster. Representation of race in the media has often contained rigid stereotypes, particularly with regard to the traditional binaries. This becomes increasingly problematic when it is considered that the portrayal may equate to the only contact a member may have with a particular racial group. In a study carried out by Johnson, he highlighted this dilemma; questioning the consequences; If somebody is living in Boston, and all their information on Black Bostonians comes from the media, what does that look like?  [29]  Johnson purported that White owned media in Boston tended to report more according to stereotypes than the Black owned media. While it was the Black owned agencies that were said to carry more positive stories, alongside the negative. Conducting a follow up to this initial study in the 1980s, Johnson looked at the distribution of coverage at the turn of the century. While crime stories continue to top the kind of coverage given to African Americans, the percentage of this coverage has dropped. Among Black owned media, education stories became central, with crime stories being placed much lower. Perceptions are crucial in politics, particularly in such a vast nation as America. Kellstedt suggests that there is a lack of substantive evidence supporting the notion that media coverage of race actually affects public opinion in any systematic way, yet he goes on to assert that it is an underlying assumption that the media has helped shape the course of race politics.  [30]  Due to their communicative role, the way the media chose to relay stories, or even the choice in stories they portray, have a profound impact in the electorate; there is a discourse of racism that advances the interests of Whites and that has an identifiable repertoire of words, images, and practices through which racial power is applied.  [31]  However, although the media still dominate communication, candidates are having an increasingly close relationship with the electorate through mediums such as social networking. As such, it seems candidates are getting increasing access to the electorate, thus racial issues can be dealt with or avoided, as the candidates chose. Of course this is relative, and the media will always retain the power of scrutiny, as is the nature in a liberal democracy. If the media shape the political agenda in the aforementioned way, then what constitutes a racial issue? It seems any number of issues could constitute a racial issue. For example, with regard to education the percentage rates of high school graduates can be used to summarise that Black students are still failing at an alarming rate compared with White students.  [32]  Or with regard to housing; although overt discrimination is no longer practiced, other practices still take place to isolate minorities from the housing market. Issues regarding joblessness, healthcare and criminal justice all continue to disproportionally affect people of colour. But what is important to question is whether these issues should be framed as racial issues, or whether this in itself is an acknowledgement of a continual inequality. If the nation were to truly adopt colour blind policies, then the theory would suggest that issues should be discussed independently from race. As such, a policy about the environment should be isolated, even though it may impact disproportionately communities of colour. But if these issues are no longer treated in isolation, politicians can be accused of pandering towards affirmative action, which is still viewed sceptically by many of the electorate. To acknowledge that so many political issues can become issues of race acknowledges the uniqueness of race as an issue area. Whether the trade-off between isolating policies is acceptable, or desirable, gets to the heart of racial policy in the USA. Is Race neutrality possible? Finally, it will be useful to look at the last presidential campaign, in order to discuss whether it can be concluded that the campaign was race neutral, and why this may have been an aspiration to so many candidates.  [33]  While this may have been the intention, partisan strategy among other factors, ensured that race was not allowed to remain off the political agenda. This continued to be true in light of the 2010 midterm elections, even though Obama was not on the ticket, much discussion among the media was once again given to his African American status and the impact this would have. Race can be seen to affect politics both implicitly and explicitly. Candidate choice was undoubtedly the aspect of race occupied most by the media. The beginning of the campaign was in line with the notion of an inclusive America. Yet the campaign shifted with the widespread circulation of Reverend Wrights sermon, in which he controversially said, the government lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq being a threat to the United States peace.  [34]  Obamas candidacy became very clearly race bound. At this point Obama had to justify himself in racial terms, which was a strategy which had been avoided until this point. The significance of what has since been termed Obamas race speech in 2008 is not just that it was the first point in the campaign that race became openly discussed, but it is rather what Obama did in this speech, he acknowledged the continual tensions; a part of our union we have yet to perfect.  [35]  He demonstrated that he was a clear personification o f both oppositional binaries, while offering an ability to transcend them. Black support can be seen to be both a strength and weakness for democrats. Black support can alienate other groups of voters, traditionally there have been tensions between the Black and Hispanic communities.  [36]  De-racialization is seen during campaigning when candidates attempt to avoid explicit references to race issues, in attempt to remain inclusive. Concurrently, candidates use implicit strategies such as using racial symbolic Black and Latino faces in their literature; while putting increased emphasis on issues which are perceived to be racially transcendent and ultimately, attempt to appeal to a broad selection of the electorate.  [37]  Thus even when race is not vocalised during an election, it still plays a vital role. Charles Hamilton first proposed a race neutral strategy in 1973,  [38]  Obama has been said to follow such strategy, in that he did so much to avoid discussing race as an aspect of his campaign.  [39]  The supposed advantage of such avoida nce is to encompass the widest possible selection of the electorate. With regard to voting behaviour, issues need to be directed at those who will provide the swing vote. There are limitations on the political power and influence of minorities, thus making it rational for parties to focus on the White majority, and to use deracialisation strategies.  [40]  For example, Democrats traditionally receive a disproportionate share of the minority vote, as such, it is in their interest to direct policy to White issues because they can rely on receiveing Black votes regardless; thus, the United States has racially polarized politics while race, itself, is depoliticised.  [41]  The running of a race neutral campaign is an acknowledgement in itself of the importance of race. If accepting that Black and White voters continue to prioritise different issue areas, it is also true to acknowledge that the running of a race-neutral campaign can be difficult to balance. The aim is to attract White voters without losing a connection to the Black community. Race will continue to be an issue even after the election period ends. With regard to Obama, it is again a new phenomenon; if it assumed that the race neutral campaign will extend to an attempt at race neutral governing, then Obama will continue to avoid the issue of race. This has been seen through the first half of his first term. Race issues are not overtly mentioned unless completely necessary. However this is not due to Obamas skilled pragmatism. In fact, it seems Obama may be constrained by those who elected him in the first place, as well as by the partisan tactics of the Republican opposition. If Obama had mounted a concerted series of racial policy issues, then White voters may have felt alienated. A lot of the early fears from the campaign would be perceived to be correct: for example that Obama was an African American; interested in prioritising minority issues. This goes against the intended pluralistic nature of US politics. Reed claims that Americans will have to mount a concerted effort to have Obama promote anything regarded as a Black issue.  [42]  Thus, have African American issues actually been side-lined and consequently jeopardised through the election of the countrys first Black president. If Obama does continue to down play racial issues, Conservative arguments declaring the irrelevance of race will be strengthened.  [43]  Conservatives use Obamas image as a sign that racism is dead, while at the same time evoking race strategies against him.  [44]  Race becomes an unavoidable issue of cont Toyota: Sustainable Strategies And Global Success Toyota: Sustainable Strategies And Global Success The global auto industry is a key sector of the economy for every major country in the world. A huge invests in research, development and production result in gaining high industry performance (OICA, 2010). The high competition of key players in automotive include; BMW, FIAT, Ford, General Motor, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot Citroen, Toyota, Renault, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Daimler à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..(Datamonitor, 2010). Toyota Motor Corporation has become one of the most successful companies in the world today. In 2010, Toyota was ranked number 5 of the worlds largest corporations (Fortune, 2010) and number 11 of the best global brands (Interbrand, 2010). It is also considered as the most profitable organisation of automobile (Datamonitor, 2010). For almost 15 years J.D Power and other research firms have consistently rated Toyota and its luxury line, Lexus, among the top automotive brand. Over 50 years automotive operation worldwide and its launched the world first commercial hybrid car, Prius, enhance Toyota more strengthen and gaining high competitive advantage over the rivals in term of its reputation and reliability, initial quality, and long-term durability (J.D Power, 2010; Stewart and Raman, 2007). Thus, study of Toyota international business operation could be provided distinctive knowledge for researcher in term of strategic implementation from some well-known literatures and an investigation of some facts and information could enhance more analytical skills. Therefore, this report will start with the analysis of automobile industry including; market overview, market size and it competition situation. Follow by the reviews of Toyota Motor Corporation. Then, it strategic management will be examined. After that, Toyota performance assessment will be scrutinized. Strategic analysis will be provided in order to obtain deep analysis of corporation. Finally, conclusion part will be summarised all information according to the researchers study. 1. Automobile Industry 1.1 Market Overview Due to the progressive globalization, the climate change and the idea of air quality improvement, automobile manufacturers have put more efforts to create sustainable development which is to minimise fuel consumption and exhaust emission (UNEP, 2002). They have also made use of advanced technological solution to reduce waste and emission in the factories as well as to improve the vehicle safety and recycling ideas (Oliver Wyman, 2010; UNEP, 2002). Moreover, it is very crucial for the industry to continue the concept of great product design and innovative development such as the initiative in hybrid technology (Sturgeon, 2009, Oliver Wyman, 2010). In addition, Sturgeon et. al. (2009) explained four characteristics of the automobile industry which are: A small number of huge firms have more power than small companies. Eleven huge and dominant companies from three countries including Japan, Germany, and the USA. The automobile industry has developed strong regional structure along with globalisation integration. The final product assembly of vehicle has been moved to the home market due to political sensitivity issues. There are only few generic parts and component systems that can be fit to all products. Therefore, it has to be customised before production. The automobile markets condition has also been driven by globalization which can be divided into four categories Market globalisation drivers, Cost globalsation drivers, Government globalisation drivers, and Competitive globalisation drivers (YIP, 1992). The firms should understand and recognize these drivers in order to evaluate and gain their competitive advantages. Analysis of the globalisation drivers for the automotive industry is demonstrated in Figure 1. Figure 1: Yips globalization drivers of automobile industry Source: Authors own 1.2 Market Size The global market of new cars has been recovered from a decline in value in 2008. In 2009, the market rose by 2.7% and reached a value of $1,019.2 billion while its combined annual market growth rate was just 2.1% during 2005 2009. According to the pie chart shown on Figure 2, Toyota Motor Corporation took a 15.3% share of the markets volume being a leader in the market, compared to Volkswagen (14.2% ) and Ford (8.1%) (Datamonitor, 2010). Figure 2: Market size and share of automobile Source: Adapted from Datamonitor (2010) 1.3 Porters Five Forces Porters five forces (Porter, 1980) is the crucial tool to be used to analyse the important forces that determined the competitive power of automobile industry as illustrated in figure 3 understand both the strength of your current competitive position, and the strength of a position youre considering moving into. Figure 3: Porters five forces Source: Authors own Threat of New Entrants It can be said that there is low threat of new entrants in the automobile industry since it has reached the mature stage of the product life cycle. If a new company wants to enter the market, it needs to achieve economic of scale cost reduction and mass production. Consequently, the new comer is required to have a huge amount of capital in order to own its automotive manufacture and innovative technology. Moreover, it is quite difficult for a new player to have its distribution channel and dealers due to the strong channel of the key companies and their reputation. Bargaining Power of Suppliers In order to produce a vehicle, it consists of many components perform final product assembly. A lot of suppliers are then involved in production process. They are very similar due to the fact that raw materials are not different. As a result, it will be very easy to change suppliers since they have low bargaining power. Bargaining Power of Buyers Consumers are the main players in this industry since the automotive business depends on them. It is not difficult for them to switch the brands if they are not satisfied. However, in order to purchase a new car, they have to deal with a dealer only. Therefore, it can be said that there is moderately high bargaining power of the buyers in the automotive industry. Threat of Substitute Products Public transport, walking, cycling etc. can be substitute products for automobiles. Also, the geographic location has considerable effect on consumers purchasing decision. People in Venice, for example, travel by boat only. However, it will be more convenient to use automobile in order to go to most places. Consequently, threat of substitute products is moderately low. Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors There is very high intensity of rivalry among competitors due to a lack of product differentiation. It is found that the key players in the industry are fairly balanced; therefore, one can easily gain the others market share. As a consequence, in order to advertise a product, the company has to consider and compare all aspects including quality, price, durability, and others to its competitors. 1.4 Strategic Groups Analysis Porter (1980) defined a strategic group as a group of companies in an industry which implement similar strategy. According to figure 4, it can be seen that the mass market follows cost leadership strategy while differentiation strategy is implemented by the luxury group (Peng, 2009). The ultra-luxury group generally utilises focus strategy (Peng, 2009). For Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota and Scion brands are developed by cost leadership strategy to compete in the mass market whereas it distributes Lexus brand for Luxury market (Toyota, 2010). Figure 4: Strategic group analysis Source: Adapted from Peng (2008) and Henry (2008) Furthermore, Oliver Wyman (2010) suggested that the automobile industry can be split up onto two different types of companies including mega groups and independent champions. Mega groups have their own manufacturers, technologies, platforms, and engines whereas independent champions depend on channel resources and their networks. Consequently, Toyota has been considered as maga groups due to the reasons above. This can be illustrated by successful OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) paradigm as shown in figure 5. Figure 5: Successful OEM diagram Source: Adapted from Oliver Wyman (2010) 2. TOYOTA Motor Corporation 2.1 Company Background Toyota Motor Corporation, a Japanese automaker, was established in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda (Toyota, 2010). Owning to its solid finance and an increase in demand of vehicles, it had become one of the strongest carmaker around mid-2008 (IHS, 2010). This is also because of its potential business strategy focusing on product innovation and its production efficiency (Takeuchi, Osono, and Shimizu, 2008). Finally, in 2010, Toyota was ranked number 5 of the worlds largest corporations (Fortune, 2010) and number 11 of the best global brands (Interbrand, 2010) 2.2 TOYOTA Global Vision 2020 Toyotas vision is to investigate and balance the relationship between the cycles of nature and the cycles of industry. Thus, its slogan is Open the Frontiers of Tomorrow which expresses the desire of Toyota and the efforts of its employees toward the realization of societys dreams in order to build a way to a new world. The Toyota group believes that it can be accomplished though the energy of people and technology (Figure 6) (Toyota, 2010). Figure 6: Toyota global vision 2020 Source: Adapted from Toyota (2010) 2.3 TOYOTA Biodiversity Guideline Biodiversity framework (Figure 7), one of the sustainability principles of Toyota, was developed in order to emphasise on three areas; contributions through technology, collaboration and cooperation with society, and information disclosure (Toyota, 2010). Figure 7: Toyota biodiversity guideline Source: Adapted from Toyota (2010) 2.4 TOYOTA Corporate Social Responsibility Toyota CSR policy consists of three main areas including social, environmental, and economic aspects (Figure 8). Based on its guideline principle, Toyota implements all business activities in order to create harmonious and sustainable society in each country (Toyota, 2010). Figure 8: Toyota CSR policy Source: Adapted from Toyota (2010) 3. Toyota Strategic Management 3.1 The Toyota Way In 1935, Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of the company, originally purposed five key principles to develop company and its employees beliefs (Toyota, 2010). After that, in order to provide rigorous training to the new generation of its employees, the company realised that these five important principles should be documented and divided into two pillars (Figure 9) which are Continuous improvement and Respect for people (Toyota, 2010, Stewart and Raman, 2007). For the first pillar, Continuous improvement can be called Kaizen which is Toyotas basic business management (Liker, 2004). It also focuses on individual learning and improvement by evaluating ones self and being creative in order to achieve goals. Also, Toyota presents its second pillar by providing employment security and developing employees participation and responsibility in order to build understanding, trust, and loyalty among the team members (Liker, 2004). Figure 9: The Toyota way Source: Adapted from Toyota (2010) 3.2 New JIT a Management Technology Strategy Model of Toyota A unique business strategy of Toyota called New JIT (Figure 10) has brought about its successful management and operation in the global market. New JIT is a management technology strategy model including three key areas; Toyota Marketing System (TMS), Toyota Production System (TPS), and Toyota Development System (TDS) (Amasaka, 2002, 2007). Figure 10: A management strategy model Source: Amasaka (2002) 3.3 Toyota Production System (TPS) Toyota production System (TPS) is the distinctive production system which enhances Toyota gaining higher competitive advantage over it competitors (Toyota, 2010; Amasaka, 2002; Takeuchi, Osono, and Shimizu, 2008). Taiichi Ohno invented TSP strategy in late 50s. Today this strategy became one of the most production efficiency in the world and many leading company use this platform extensively as an ideal prototype (Toyota, 2010; Takeuchi, Osono, and Shimizu, 2008). TPS designed House platform which mean that everyone can understand how it works (Figure 11). Toyotas global strategy on production is simple: Toyota Production Systems (TPS). TPS was designed by Taiichi Ohno who was in charge of production for Toyota after WWII. Ohno implemented this strategy in the 1950s and 60s and today Toyota is one of the worlds most efficient factories because of TPS. The goal of TPS is to provide the best quality, lowest cost, and shortest lead time through the elimination of waste (Toyota, 2010, Amasaka, 2002). Below is the actual Toyota Production System layout in its form of a house.(Figure 11). Figure 11: Toyota production system Source: Toyota (2010) 3.4 Key Management Drivers Takeuchi, Osono, and Shimizu (2008) pointed out the key of Toyotas success called Toyota six forces. It is influencing contradictions inside Toyota organisation can be divided into three forces of expansion and three forces of integration. Three forces of expansion causes changes and improvements in the company which are include setting impossible goals or near-unattainable goals from the view point of senior executives, local customization by producing products to suit local market needs and customise business operations under the same platform in each country and region, and experimentation that Toyotas eagerness to experiment helps it clear the hurdles that stand in the way of achieving near impossible goals. Another three forces of integration controls the balance between expansion and transformation. It can be seen this integration from values from the Toyota founders vision commitment and performance, up-and-in people management, and open communication to all level of employee closely. 4. Assessing Toyota Performance 4.1 Brand and Product Performance In the market of passenger cars, Toyota owns and operates 3 major brands; Toyota, Lexus and Scion (Toyota, 2010). Toyota offers more than 116 models distributing through different segments and provides customised models to attract local customers of each region in order to increase its sales volume (IHS, 2010). It can be seen Toyotas model strategy as shown in Figure 12. Figure 12: Model strategy Source: Adapred from Toyota (2010) 4.2 Global Operation and Expansion According to figure 13, on March 31st, 2010, Toyota had got 300,000 employees and 66 plants in 27 countries and regions with approximately 170 distributors and 8,000 dealers worldwide (Toyota, 2010). The efficient Toyota Production System (TPS) and high RD lead Toyota to a stronger position than its rivals in the automobile market (Takeuchi, Osono, and Shimizu, 2008). According to Toyota (2010) the number of vehicle had produced in FY2010 were 6,809,000 units. It was decreased slightly when compared to last four years. The major products which distribute worldwide came from Japan plants (58.1%) follow by Asia (15.6%) and North America (15.3%) (Figure 14) (Toyota, 2010). Regarding to distribution strategy, there are two main logistical concepts which are regional bases approach and dock-based approach are implemented by Toyota (Toyota, 2010). Despite the fact that Toyotas head office is located in Japan, its subsidiaries were founded over the world in order to create multiple regional headquarters including North America, Asia, Europe, and others ; (IHS, 2010). This means that the company can utilise localisation strategy to satisfy different customers needs in each country. On the other hand, dock-based operation is used to manage the inspections and quality control before distributing to the regional dealers again (Toyota, 2010). Figure 13: Toyota operation Source: Toyota (2010) Figure 14: Toyota production Source: Toyota (2010) 4.3 Financial Performance During FY 2010, Toyota posted better-than-expected results despite the global massive recall saga, which affected almost 10 million vehicles worldwide. For the 12 months ending 31 March 2010, the automaker returned to profitability on the back of swift cost-cutting measures and strong sales recovery in major markets, including Asia, rebounding from its first-ever annual loss posted during the previous fiscal year. The automaker posted a net profit of  ¥209.4 billion (US$2.25 billion) during FY 2010, compared with a net loss of  ¥437.0 billion during the previous fiscal year. Operating profit stood at  ¥147.5 billion, versus an operating loss of  ¥461.0 billion during the previous fiscal year, while pre-tax profit at the company stood at  ¥291.4 billion, compared with a pre-tax loss of  ¥560.4 billion, respectively. The significant improvement in operating earnings was largely thanks to  ¥520 billion in savings through cost-cutting efforts, and  ¥470.0 billion in savin gs through a reduction in fixed costs. Revenues at the company declined by 7.7% y/y, however, from  ¥20.5 trillion to almost  ¥19.0 trillion, as a result of the drop in vehicle demand in major markets, including North America and Europe, and unfavourable currency translation effects. Figure 15: Financial performance Source:Toyota (2010) 5 Toyota Strategic Analysis 5.1 Competitive Strategy According to Porters generic strategy (Porter, 1980), it can be said that Toyota is placed in the group of stuck in the middle. However, Thompson and Strickland (2008) mentioned this strategy could be named as Best-cost provider since Toyota offers customers more value for money low cost products with comparable quality and features. This is because of Toyotas revolutionary lean production system based on product differentiation strategy with understanding of customers, rather than a relentless pursuit of cost reduction in the cost leader category (Thompson and Strickland, 2008). As shown on Figure 16. Figure 16: Toyotas competitive strategy Source: Authors own 5.2 Core Competency One main characteristic that Toyota always emphasises is Quality. Consumers make their decision to buy this brand because of its reliability and its durability. Moreover, in order to stress its quality, it has been said that the vehicles are Made by Toyota. This means that the quality of its vehicles is exactly the same even though they are produced from different part of the world (Toyota, 2010). However, there is another remarkable feature that Toyota has made efforts to create and present in order to change consumers perception. It is Innovation. In 2000, Toyota launched Pirus Hybrid to introduce its sustainable technology (Toyota, 2010). This product gained customers attention and were sold out about a million in the mid of the year. As a result, Full hybrid has become its core competent technology in 2010 (Toyota, 2010). Last but not least, it is its unique production system called Toyota Production System (TPS). This system includes Just-In-Time (JIT), one-piece flow, Kaizen (continue to improve), Jidoka (automotive stop), and Heijunka (leveled production) leading Toyota to provide the best quality, the lowest cost, the shortest lead time, and the best safety (Amasaka, 2002). Consequently, Toyota can achieve highly competitive advantages over its competitors. 5.3 SWOT Analysis Strengths The strong reputation and brand image is a significant competitive advantage to boost companys sales in both domestic and international market. Consumers recognize Toyota brand and its popularity so they are more willing to pay for its premium products. Research and Development (RD) has been emphasised to ensure and enhance its quality and its safety. Also, Toyota always pays more attention on environmental compatibility when developing new products. With its strong and powerful distribution channel and dealer network, Toyota can distribute and sell its products through 170 distributors and 8,000 dealers across the world. Toyota Production System (TPS) has been successfully developed leading Toyota to gain efficient production with the best quality, the lowest cost, and the shortest lead-time. Weaknesses Due to two safety recalls announced by Toyota, consumers have less confidence in its products and its brand image. This also has a significant impact on companys share price causing a drop of stock exchanges in Japan and overseas. Employees pension fund has been decreasing owning to the financial instability. Toyota has been forced by regulation about unfunded pension; therefore the company cannot control its liquidity position. Opportunities Regulation about energy saving and emission provides a great opportunity to Toyota since it has been developed Prius, a hybrid vehicles over the years. Hybrid technology is one of the most valuable competitive advantages of Toyota enhancing it to gain higher market position. In the next ten years, China, India, and South East Asian countries are forecast to be a key driving automotive market. Therefore, Toyota should take this opportunity to obviously present its brand in the Asain markets which could help increase its market share effectively. Due to many new cars launched by Toyota during 2009-2010, the company will be able to gain higher customer interest contributing greatly to companys sales growth. The global automobile industry has been recovered from the economic recession and is expected to gradually accelerate in next year. Toyotas products and service can be expanded since they can be sold and distributed through its distribution network over the world. Threats Since there is high competition in the automobile industry, sale of Toyotas vehicles may be low and affect the companys finance and operation. Due to the different emission standard in different country, Toyota who sells and distributes products and service to more than 100 countries has additional cost in order to test, develop, and manufacture each product for each country. Toyotas financial status is quite sensitive to foreign currency exchange fluctuation, especially the Euro, and the US dollar affecting material cost and price of products sold in foreign currencies. Conclusion The key success of Toyota based on the integration of its competitive advantage and its business philosophy of understanding people as well as balancing cycles of nature and industry. The constant RD and excellent product innovation have a massive effect on Toyotas performance its market growth and its market share. The operational excellence is implemented as a strategic weapon in order to improve its products and quality through its production strategy. The Toyota Production System (TPS) is efficiently developed and effectively integrated with Toyota Marketing System (TMS) and Toyota Development System (TDS). Local customisations and multi-segmentations build Toyota more powerful than its rivals and gain positive perception from local consumers.