Essay on Prototyping an Example by

WK4 DQ In simple words, prototyping is usually referred to as the process of building a model of an IT system, where prototypes work to facilitate manipulating this system by end users. It should be noted, that prototyping is a part of more complex IT processes, including systems development life cycle. Prototyping, however, is not the only effective method of IT development available to professionals. Rapid application development is widely used as the process that allows completing 80% of an IT project within less than 20% of time that would be required to produce the complete solution (Applegate & Bensaou, 2005). Need essay sample on "WK4 DQ" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed RAD is used to speed up the completion of an IT project, to adjust the IT project requirements to the changing needs of businesses, and to reduce the costs required to develop and launch a high quality product. In this context, IT professionals can also embrace the benefits of Joint Application Development, which also speeds up the design of all IT solutions; this is a kind of a team-oriented approach to business, which allows documenting IT requirements and changes more quickly and developing effective problem-solving models. Finally, the Systems Development Life Cycle is an IT management technique that allows dividing complex projects into smaller stages. SDLC helps verify completing each phase to optimize the use of resources at the subsequent project development phases. Objectively, each IT development model has its inconsistencies and drawbacks, and the choice of a particular model depends on the whole set of individual factors. As a result, and depending on particular business conditions, each of these methods can serve a reliable basis for developing and launching high quality cost-effective IT products. Digital dashboard is well known as a kind of a personalized desktop portal, widely used for the purposes of knowledge management and business intelligence. Once digital dashboards were regarded as executive information systems not available to mass consumers; at the end of the 1990s digital dashboards comprised voice mail, traffic information, email messages, weather forecast, etc (Applegate & Bensaou, 2005). Now this information is readily available through portable computer units and cellular phones. Management Cockpit is the means to improve effectiveness of all business operations by linking strategy to operations and by leveraging the benefits of knowledge management to improve accountability at all levels of organizational performance. Management Cockpits make it possible to compile and process information; they frequently serve as effective information filters and are designed ergonomically. The organizational potential of Management Cockpits is almost unlimited, and can be effectively used to improve productivity, to meet efficiency standards, to integrate Six-sigma with Balanced Scorecard and other strategic solutions, and to form effective budgeting strategies. Both GIS and GPS are effectively used by managers to expand their information tool kit. GIS is a computer system that works to capture, store, check, integrate, and display the information regarding positioning different objects on earth (Applegate movement. This information expands the boundaries of managers knowledge by giving them a chance to estimate the time of arrival to specific destination, expanding their mapping opportunities, and calculating the probability of change depending on the speed and the direction of movement of the objects under research. In the process of selecting and acquiring software, businesses may either choose to purchase the completed IT project or to develop their own IT solutions in accordance with specific business and technological requirements. When making a strategic choice, managers face several critical challenges. First, they are to weigh the costs and benefits of each option. Second, they are to review licensing issues associated with each option. Finally, what managers require is evaluating the future suitability and compatibility of each IT product with future solutions, and the possibility to adjust the existing software to the future business and technological changes. References Applegate, L.M. & Bensaou, M. (2005). Information Technology for managers. Harvard Business School Publishing.

The Upstream-Downstream Hypothesis And Corporate International Diversification Theory The WritePass Journal

The Upstream-Downstream Hypothesis And Corporate International Diversification Theory ABSTRACT The Upstream-Downstream Hypothesis And Corporate International Diversification Theory ABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONUPSTREAM-DOWNSTREAM HYPOTHESISINTERNATIONALIZATION AND SYSTEMATIC RISKINTERNATIONALIZATION AND LEVERAGECORPORATE INTERNATIONAL DIVERSIFICATIONAGENCY COSTS AND FINANCIAL STRUCTURE OF MULTINATIONALSINTERNAL CAPITAL MARKETSAGENCY COSTS OF DEBTCONCLUSIONREFERENCERelated ABSTRACT The study of multinationals has received much attention in literature. Certainly, it has become a subject of controversy among the scholars. On the one hand, some researchers including Reeb Mansi (2001), Chkir Cosset (1999) and Chen et al. (1997) point out to the diversification benefits to multinationals due to risk reduction inherent in operations within imperfectly correlated markets. While on the other hand, the more recent research by Reeb, Kwok Baek (1998) and Bartove, Bodnar Kaul (1996) notes a positive relationship between internationalization and high debtholder monitoring costs.Against this backdrop, this analysis suggest an alternative upstream-downstream hypothesis whereby the overall effect of internationalization on the risk and leverage of multinationals is dependent on the market conditions of the host and target country. The paper examines the theory that multinationals should have lower risk and higher leverage than non-multinationals and explains the difference between this theory and the upstream-downstream hypothesis. Also included in this analysis, is an explanation for the documented puzzle that multinationals tend to have lower levels of long-term debt but more use of short-term debt than non-multinational firms. INTRODUCTION The study of multinationals has received much attention in literature. Over the last few decades, it has become a subject of controversy among the scholars. It has generated more heat than light with some suggesting diversification benefits to multinationals, while others point out to the positive relation between a firm risk and internationalization. Against this backdrop, we suggest an alternative upstream-downstream hypothesis whereby the overall effect of internationalization on the risk and leverage of multinationals is dependent on the market conditions of the host and target country. Previous researchers including Reeb, Mansi Alee (2001), Chkir Cosset (2001) and Chen et al. (1997) found a positive relationship between internationalization and debt ratio due to risk reduction inherent in operations within imperfectly correlated markets. On the contrary, Burgman (1996) and Lee kwok (1988) demonstrated a negative relationship between internationalization and debt ratio that results from increased risks due to agency costs, and political and exchange rate risks. Similarly, while the findings obtained from Initial research by Hughes, Logue Sweeny (1975) are consistent with the diversification benefits, the more recent research by Reeb, Kwok Baek (1998) and Bartove, Bodnar Kaul (1996) found a positive association between the risk of a firm and internationalization. Additionally, while focusing on leverage, Burgman (1996) noted that internalization may result in higher debtholder monitoring costs and thus significantly reducing the levels of leverage. Consistent with greater agency costs, Lee Kwok (1988) and Chen et al. (1997) found that the domestic corporations would in general tend to have significantly higher debt ratios relative to the MNCs. Clearly, from what can be discerned, the study of internationalization of firms has become a controversial issue among scholars. This analysis is thus an attempt to shed light on the above by exploring on both international diversification benefits and the upstream downstream hypothesis. We begin out analysis by examining the upstream and downstream hypothesis UPSTREAM-DOWNSTREAM HYPOTHESIS Kwok Reeb (2000) argue that there is an increase in risk and a reduction in debt usage when firms from stable economies make investments internationally (downstream). Conversely, the risk is reduced and debt usage increased when firms from weaker economies make investments internationally (upstream). It therefore follows that the overall effect of internationalization on firm’s leverage and risk is dependent on the characteristics of the home and target economy. The firms’ behaviour towards international activity or rather the overall effect of internalization on firms leverage and risk is dependent upon whether the firm is moving upstream or downstream (Kwok Reeb 2000). For example, for multinationals based in the United States (which is among the most stable economies in the world), their overseas expansion tend to exacerbate risk. This increase in risk may not be totally offset by the risk reduction due to international diversification and thus resulting in a downward adjustment of the firms leverage. On the converse, for firms in the emerging economies, investment internationally in the developed economies leads to a reduction in corporate risk and subsequently an upward adjustment of leverage. INTERNATIONALIZATION AND SYSTEMATIC RISK The upstream downstream argument can be extended to the systematic risk area. Multinationals, by definition, have their operations diversified into various countries. The systematic risk of an ith operation can therefore be defined as É“i (Reeb, Mansi Allee 2001). É“i = (Ï im ÏÆ'i)/ ÏÆ'm Where Ï im represents the correlation between the market return and firms return ÏÆ'i represents the firms return standard deviation    ÏÆ'm refers to the market returns standard deviation An ith operation is thus influenced by the nature of the business operation and the economic system of the country where the operation takes place (Reeb, D.M., S.A. Mansi and J.M. Allee, 2001). Take for example a project that is located in a more volatile emerging economy. This project would tend to have a higher value of total risk, ÏÆ'i. Unless there is an offset of the high standard deviation by a lower correlation coefficient Ï im, the systematic risk É“i would be higher. On the converse a project that is located in a more stable economy tend to have a lower value of its total risk, ÏÆ'i. Similarly, unless there is a substantially higher value of correlation efficient Ï im, the systematic risk É“i tend to be lower. For any multinational, its overall systematic risk is simply the weighted average of the betas (É“i) of all its business operations within the various countries (Reeb, Mansi Allee, 2001).    É“mnc = Æ © Ã… ´i É“i Where Ã… ´i represents a fraction of the total capital invested by the MNC in the ith countrys operation. Therefore, for a firm that is headquartered in a more stable economy, expansion of its operations into a less stable market would increase the overall beta (É“mnc) of the firm, due to potentially greater environmental risk for the new operation (Reeb, Mansi Allee, 2001). Conversely, when a firm that is headquartered in an emerging economy expands its direct investments into a developed economy, its overall beta may decrease. The ability to arbitrage markets may as well differ due to the economic differences of the home and target economies (Reeb Kwok 2000). Take for example, the shift of income. The ability to have the income shifted among different tax regimes depends on the degree of sophistication of the host and target government (Reeb Kwok 2000). Firms that are based in economies which are more developed and with greater resources, tend to have fewer opportunities for shifting their income (Reeb Kwok 2000). In contrast, firms that are based in the volatile emerging economies tend to have different opportunities to arbitrage labour and capital markets (Reeb Kwok 2000).   That is, firms that are moving upstream have more opportunities to hire employees with different sets of skills and experience than those that are moving downstream. This implies that firms’ behaviour towards international activity varies with the characteristics of the home and target market. Therefore, the overall effect of internationalization on the firms risk and leverage depends on whether the firm is moving upstream or downstream. INTERNATIONALIZATION AND LEVERAGE Aligning with the above, the association between internationalization and firm risk suggests a leverage effect as well. Traditional capital structure theory posits that as firm risk increases the debt utilization decreases (Reeb Kwok 2000). Hence, for firms that are based in the more volatile emerging economies, their overseas expansion may lead to more debt utilization, as they may gain access to debt that was not previously available. The converse is also true. This view of the leverage aspect of upstream-downstream hypothesis suggests a negative association between leverage and internationalization for firms based in the more developed economies and vice versa (Reeb Kwok 2000). That is, firms that are moving upstream tend to have a positive relationship between the firms leverage and internationalization while those moving downstream tend to have a negative association. This implies that the overall effect of internationalization on the leverage of multinationals is equally dependent on the home and target market conditions. This next section will explore on the corporate diversification theory and the effect of agency costs and internal capital markets on the firms’ leverage. In particular, the agency conflicts and efficiency of internal capital markets will be used in providing an explanation as to why multinationals tend to have lower levels of long-term debt but more use of short-term debt than non-multinational firms. CORPORATE INTERNATIONAL DIVERSIFICATION The corporate international diversification theory posits that multinationals should have lower risk and higher financial leverage than the domestic corporations (Doukas Pantzalis 2001).   One of the main reason as to why corporations would not take 100% debt in their capital structure is because of the risk of insolvency (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). Given that this risk is not linear but increases with higher debt levels, firms can thus limit their leverage in order to avoid incurring bankruptcy costs. There are a variety of business risks as well as opportunities that stem from corporate international diversification. Business risk which is typically measured by the volatility of the operating net income refers the cost of financial distress or rather bankruptcy cost (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). Both the domestic and multinational firms are also faced with exchange rate risk. That is, the risk that fluctuations in currencies will affect the demand and supply, price and cost characteristics of the corporation. There is also the risk of higher agency costs which faces multinational firms. MNCs face higher agency costs due to auditing costs, monitoring costs, different accounting systems, different legal systems, sovereignty uncertainties, language differences, labour market and capital imperfections as well as the different asset structures (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). Agency costs are known to have a significant impact on the optimal debt level as will be discussed below (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). Political risks arise from political events that may have adverse effects on the economic wellbeing of the firm. For example, potential conflicts may arise between the goals of the government and those of the foreign firms. This is especially the case with foreign direct investment, given their effect on the host economy. Among the benefits put forth by scholars is the view that through international diversification, firms are able to increase on their debt capacity and reduce their bankruptcy costs (Doukas Pantzalis 2001).   It has been argued that risks are reduced by portfolio effects due to the imperfect correlation of foreign cash flows. In this regard, Fatemi (1984) and Agmon Lessard (1977) point out that diversification benefits reduce the bankruptcy costs and increase the debt usage by multinationals. AGENCY COSTS AND FINANCIAL STRUCTURE OF MULTINATIONALS The documented puzzle that multinationals tend to have lower levels of long-term debt but more use of short-term debt than non-multinational firms warrants an explanation. There are many reasons as to why one would expect multinationals to have different leverage ratios relative to the domestic corporations. First, given the international nature of their operations, MNCs are expected to have access to more capital sources unlike the domestic firms (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). Therefore, they can raise more capital via foreign debt financing and at more favourable terms than the domestic corporations (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). Consider, for example, the case of multinationals that have subsidiaries in countries with different tax rates. These multinationals can benefit a lot by borrowing through foreign affiliates exposed to high tax rates, hence increasing their tax shields (Butler 1999). It therefore follows that due to access to external sources of financing, these multinationals should in general have higher debt ratios than the domestic firms (Butler 1999). Another reason as to why Multinationals should exhibit higher debt ratios than non-multinational firms is that the foreign debt can be used as a hedging instrument against the risk of foreign exchange (Butler 1999). Given that multinationals have higher levels of foreign exchange exposure in comparison to the domestic firms, they are thus expected to make greater use of debt financing than the local firms (Butler 1999). Additionally, since multinationals are subject to political and exchange rate risk exposures, it is expected that these multinationals should have higher overall debt ratios relative to the local firms (Butler 1999). Thirdly, due to industrial and geographical diversification of operations of MNCs, they are expected to have lower business and financial risk than the domestic firms (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). This has the impact of reducing the cost of debt and therefore increasing leverage. This implies that the leverage of multinationals should have a positive relation with foreign involvement while financial distress should have a negative and greater bearing on DMCs leverage (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). However, while hedging, financial distress, liquidity and operating considerations imply that multinationals are more likely to have greater leverage than the domestic corporations, findings from empirical studies show that these multinationals have instead lower long-term leverage relative to the domestic firms (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). Three possible explanations can be given for this finding. These include: (Doukas Pantzalis 2001) Efficiencies of internal capital markets Agency costs of debt Legal and institutional differences across counties where multinationals operate. INTERNAL CAPITAL MARKETS Since MNCs have numerous divisions operating across countries, they tend to create extensive internal capital markets which may provide cheaper financing relative to the external markets (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). Hence, where the internal capital market is efficient, MNCs tend to rely more on internal financing than the external one. As a result, they tend to have lower leverage than the domestic firms. Consequently, a non-positive relation between the firms leverage and its foreign operations can emerge when internal capital markets bypass external capital market informational asymmetries (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). In a recent study, Matsusaka Nanda (1997) and Scharfstein Stein (1997) examined the improved capital allocation in internal capital markets and the associated agency costs for firms that had diversified their operations. They found that diversified firms could use internal capital markets in funding profitable projects, which would not be financed in external capital markets due to agency costs and information asymmetries. This implies that the external debt financing need for multinationals can be attenuated and that the low levels of leverage for Multinationals should reflect the strengths of internal capital markets (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). This view certainly indicates a negative relation between industrial diversification and the leverage of multinationals. That is, MNCs debt ratios should exhibit a negative and more pronounced association with industrial diversification than the domestic firms. AGENCY COSTS OF DEBT The agency cost of debt effect on leverage of multinationals arises from their industrial diversification. Since their operations are geographically dispersed, the cost of gathering and processing information is generally more costly for MNCs than the domestic firms (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). Therefore, multinationals are expected to have more inherent agency problems between the debtholders and shareholders due to their diverse geographic structure. It therefore follows that bondholders will require higher interest payment on loans to firms that have greater monitoring costs and are more susceptible to asymmetric information problems (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). This implies that firms which have diversified their operations are more likely to have their debt ratios lower than domestic firms. Further, firms with greater foreign involvement are expected to have a negative and more pronounced relation between the firms leverage and agency costs of debt, than the domestic firms (Doukas Pantzalis 2001). Several authors have suggested that, unlike the domestic firms, multinationals are likely to support more debt in their capital structures. Burgman (1999), however, contests this claim and in fact argues that multinationals have, in the actual sense, less debt in their capital structure. He addresses whether factors such as the political and exchange rate risk and the agency costs can explain this phenomenon. The findings of his study show that multinationals tend to have higher agency costs and that diversifying their operations does not lower their earnings volatility. CONCLUSION Clearly, there are inherent business risks as well opportunities that stem from corporate diversification. While we do not ignore the cross-border benefits of corporate diversification, we suggest that the overall effect of internationalization on the firms risk and leverage can be predicted by an upstream-downstream hypothesis. REFERENCE Agmon, T. and D. Lessard, 1977. â€Å"Investor recognition of corporate international diversification†. Journal of Finance, 32:1049-55. Bartov, E., G. Bodnar, and A. Kaul,   1996.  Ã‚   â€Å"Exchange rate variability and the riskiness of US multinational firms: Evidence from the breakdown of Bretton Woods†. Journal of Financial Economics, 42: 105-132. Burgman, T. A., 1996. â€Å"An empirical examination of multinational corporate capital structure† Journal of International Business Studies, Vol 30, pp. 553-570. Butler, K.C., 1999, Multinational Finance, 2nd edition, Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing Chen, C.J. P., C.S. Cheng, H. J. Agnes, and K. Jawon, 1997. â€Å"An investigation of the relationship between international activities and capital structure† Journal of International Business Studies, p. 563-577. Chkir, I.E. and J.C. Cosset, 2001. â€Å"Diversification strategy and capital structure of multinational corporations†. Journal of Multinational Financial Management 11, 17–37. Doukas, J.A. and C. Pantzalis, 2001. Geographic diversification and agency costs of debt of multinational firms. Old Dominion University.   http://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=282850 {accessed on 30th December 2011} Fatemi, A. 1984. â€Å"Shareholders Benefits from Corporate International Diversification†, Journal of Finance Vol. 39 No.5. Hughes, L., D. Logue, and R. Sweeney, 1975. â€Å"Corporate international diversification and market assigned measures of risk and diversification†. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 10:627-37. Kwok, C. Y. Chuck and D. Reeb, 2000.† Internationalization and Firm Risk: An Upstream-Downstream Hypothesis†, Journal of International Business Studies, 31, 4; 611-629. Lee, K., and C.Y. Kwok, 1988. â€Å"Multinational corporations vs. domestic corporations: International environmental factors and determinants of capital structure†. Journal of International Business Studies, vol 19, pp. 195-217. Matsusaka. J, and V. Nanda, 1997, Internal capital markets and corporate refocusing, Working Paper, University of Southern California. Reeb, D.M. and C. Kwok and H. Y. Baek, 1998. â€Å"Systematic Risk of the Multinational Corporation†, Journal of International Business Studies, Second Quarter. Reeb, D.M., S.A. Mansi and J.M. Allee, 2001. â€Å"Firm internationalization and the cost of debt financing: evidence from non-provisional publicly traded debt†. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis 36, 395–414.Chkir Cosset (1999) Scharfstein, D.S, 1997, The dark side of internal capital market II, Working Paper, MIT press.

Key Characteristics of Effective Leadership in Practice Essay

Key Characteristics of Effective Leadership in Practice - Essay Example A leader is an individual with the major influence in a group, whose role is to get others to achieve organizational goals. But 'leadership' like many other key concepts in management, tends to be viewed differently; depending on whether the orientation is behavioral, economic, or managerial. Ordway Tead has defined leadership as "the activity of influencing people to co-operate towards some goal which they come to find desirable" (Anon., 1999). According to George R. Terry, "leadership is the activity of influencing people to strive willingly for group objectives". Robert Tannenbaum defines the leadership as "interpersonal influence exercised in a situation and directed, through the communication process, toward the attainment of a specialized goal or goals" and Koontz and O'Donnell state that "leadership is influencing people to follow in the achievement of a specialized goal" (Harold Koontz, 1959). A review of these and other writers reveals that most management writers agree that leadership is the process of providing direction in group activities and influencing others to achieve group objectives in a given situation. From this definition of leadership, it follows that the leadership process is a function of the leader, the follower, and other situational variables i.e. L= f (i,f,s) (Hersey, 2010) Although influencing others for attaining group goals is the essential function of a leader, some of the important elements which can make the process of leading effectively is that firstly, one who leads is a part of the group, and yet he must maintain his separate identity if he is to continue to lead. Secondly, leadership contemplates interpersonal influence and close man-to-man relationship. It is rooted in feelings and attitudes that have grown out of reactions of individual personalities to each other. Thirdly, it is a dynamic and ever-evolving process; a manager must lead continuously. Finally, it involves directing, guiding and influencing the behavior of individuals and groups so that future actions and behavior are modified in the right direction. These four elements lie at the heart of a strategic leadership process where a manager is a leader directs, guides and influences the behavior of the employees keeping in mind the present and future business strategies of the organization and modifying and directing the employee behavior/performance in the right direction through the right means. This assumption would imply that for an effective leadership process it is crucial that a leader must be in a position to understand and evaluate the strategic intent of the firm and a leader must have the personality and attitudinal qualities in order to lead. As stated earlier that for an effective leadership process a leader must be knowledgeable so that he can evaluate the business strategy and direct the performance of the employees, it becomes the central reason to understand why managers can make good leaders (Senge, 1990).  

Homeless Women in Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Homeless Women in Canada - Essay Example Studies show the demographic statistics of women’s homelessness in Canada has changed a lot. As a result, women’s homelessness has been to attract various social, political and feminist movements’ attention. Indeed about one hundred years after the first â€Å"International Women’s Day†, women’s socio-economic condition in the country has gone down. Whereas ‘safe home’ or shelter is considered as one of the basic needs of human life, women are increasingly being deprived of this right to have a safe home. Indeed, homelessness further causes severe social problems such sex-trafficking, sexual harassment and abuse, violence, unwanted murder, drug trafficking, etc. Homeless women often live in abandoned buildings and places, and often sleep on streets in the urban areas of Canada. But in rural areas, they normally live in slum. Overview of the Problem of Women’s Homelessness When women’s homelessness is mentioned, the traditional picture of a bundled woman sleeping on the city-streets’ sidewalks may come to mind. But the reality about women’s homelessness is very much complex. Various statistics and studies in this field show that approximately â€Å"300,000 people are homeless in Canada.† (YWCA Canada, 2012) In 1980s, about 25-30% of these visibly homeless people, who lived on the sidewalks or in shelters in rural areas are women. But in 1990s, the presence of homeless women seeking for shelter in government and non-government asylums increased at a rate of 78% more than the rate in previous years. This increase in the 1990s was mainly contributed by the children of the homeless women whose only earning sources were begging and prostitution. As a result, the number of homeless young women increased at an alarming rate. But the number of families who owned houses previously also increased during the past decades. â€Å"Families experience homelessness, and single parent fami lies, mostly led by women, make up the majority of homeless families† (YWCA Canada, 2012). Having no shelter, no roof over their heads and no door to lock behind them for safety, these homeless women remain at a high risk of physical, emotional and psychological dangers. Indeed, because of their physical weakness, women are more vulnerable to outdoor dangers than their male counterparts. In a Fact Sheet prepared by the YWCA Canada (2012), it is said: â€Å"Many street-involved women are abuse and trauma survivors struggling with resulting mental health and addiction issues. Yet, there remains a severe shortage of detox beds dedicated to women. Street-focused programs specifically for women are few and far between.† (YWCA Canada, 2012) Causes of Women’s Homelessness in Canada Women are more vulnerable to homelessness than men are. Indeed, women are more vulnerable because of their low income and extended periods of poverty (Townson, 2005). In a study, Monica Towns on (2005) claims that â€Å"women are the poorest people in Canada† (p. 34). In 2003, about 1500000 women were living in severe poverty. This number is about 19% of the total female population in Canada. Obviously, this poverty-stricken population comprises of women of all ages. But it mostly includes adult women and adolescent girls. The average income rate of the women was 62% of men’s annual income (Statistic Canada, 2006). The number of homeless women varies according to race, age, disabilities, and marital status, etc. The rate of homeless women

Mktg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Mktg - Essay Example use of recycled material is a strategy that is environmentally friendly because it reduces the need to use natural resources such as petroleum for packaging purposes. Another environmentally friendly packaging strategy is to reduce the amount of packaging material used. Companies can use environmentally friendly raw materials in their packaging process. Firm can also utilize reusable containers. Packaging specifications determined by product density encourage shippers to tender loads in densities that make the best use of the equipment’s weight and volume capabilities. Carrier specifications for protective packaging reduce the likelihood of damage to products while they are being carried. A principle that I found surprising out of the 10 material handling principles discussed in the chapter is the life cycle cost principle. I did not realize that companies have to pay close attention to the useful life of the equipment used for packaging. A second principle that I found surprising was the automation principle. To me automation was a technique that was only used for production purposes. In a fragmented logistic structure logistic activities are managed in multiple departments throughout an organization. A unified logistic structure is different because the logistic functions are handled by a single department. The unified logistic structure is better positioned than the fragmented structure to achieve coordination among the various activities. Relevancy can be facilitated by developing mutually beneficial relationships with key customers. Responsiveness reflects the degree to which an organization can accommodate unique or unplanned customer requests. Flexibility is predicated on avoiding early commitment to an irreversible course of action. One asset related productivity concern involves space utilization, or the percent of available space that is actually being used. Excess capacity can be unproductive because it may result in the purchase of additional

Diversity and Human Capital and Indias Workforce

Diversity and Human Capital and Indias Workforce A diverse ethos like India not only showcases unity in diversity but also the potential to create waves in innovative thinking. India, largely an agro-based economy has undergone a massive facelift in the recent decade due to the dotcom boom, giving the economy a phenomenal push. Statistics reveal that India will be a youth country in the coming decades. Given the immense knowledge pool, diversity and youth population at the countrys disposal, it is only natural to predict that India will be the global leader. At the same time, amendments are required to manage these great resources effectively to deliver what we dream to achieve. Challenges faced by India Inc. are not only population burst, corruption, terrorism, etc but also management of youth the immense knowledge base available along with attitude refinement to facilitate retention of knowledge. The country which boasts of a plethora of natural resources should reinforce ways to utilize these depleting resources and the talent pool available to the best of its potential. This paper looks into few of these issues and suggests methodologies for managing the diversity. INTRODUCTION A country like India is a perfect example of unity among diversity with a mix of cultures, languages, religions, age groups, etc offering a tremendous opportunity to learn and garner knowledge. The country has evolved over centuries into a multi-dimensional ethos, learning and assimilating a vast pool of knowledge. But have we succeeded in managing and utilizing this talent pool to its full potential? This provoking question leads us to the topic, Managing Diversity: The Challenges Faced By India Inc. A key distinguisher and common asset, knowledge is of importance. The healthy diversity along with a huge population does India an opportunity to grow fast. New ideas and fresh perspectives are natural offshoots of diversity and should be seen as blessings in disguise, rather than a challenging hurdle towards growth. But in this age of information technology and speed, application of knowledge, will majorly contribute to the countrys growth story. Diversity in India and its implicationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Between 2003 and 2050, India will add about 250 million people to its labour pool à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ By 2020, 61% of Indians will be under 35, i.e. about 780 million Indians will be in this age group. The statistics indicate that future India will be home to more young minds, thus increasing the average disposable income, and facilitating greater youth participation in decision making activities with fresh outlook. The youth and baby-boomer generations together can contribute a lot in adding value to the knowledge chain. The acquired knowledge should be practiced or else the country cannot thrive on the potential knowledge leaders diverse knowledge pool available. The concept of Knowledge Learnt, Used Thrown, entrenched in the young minds will have to be given up to produce innovators and thought leaders, and stress on practical application of knowledge is quintessential. Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice. -Anton Chekhov LITERATURE REVIEW A knowledge economy and its attributed index primarily depend upon 4 key pillars listed by The World Bank as Innovation, Education, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Economical Incentive Regime (EIR) under the Knowledge Assessment Methodology (KAM) and Knowledge Economy Index (KEI). This index ranked India at 101 indicating a large scope for improvement on the knowledge front. As per our analysis, innovation has the highest weightage in the methodology used. Sample data shown below Innovation or the pioneering application of knowledge has a great impact on the countrys overall knowledge economy index. The contribution towards patents is closely related. Patent data largely by the US (KEI Rank 10). In context with the categories of knowledge-based assets, two broad classifications have been made explicit or tacit. Included among the former are patents, trademarks, etc i.e. things that can be archived and codified. Much harder to grasp and record is tacit knowledge, which leads to knowledge creation. The challenge inherent with tacit knowledge is figuring out how to recognize, generate, and share it. The basic framework that employs knowledge creation as a black box driving economic growth is usually called the endogenous growth model. The literature using this black box includes Shell (1966), Romer (1986, 1990), Lucas (1988), Jones and Manuelli (1990), etc. The basic variable of study is a knowledge worker (or K-worker). Every time a K-worker researches with their best partner(s); the new knowledge jointly created becomes shared knowledge, thus dynamically builds up knowledge in common. Heterogeneity in K-workers provides an opportunity to cooperate and is endogenous to the model. In this way, the heterogeneity or diversity of all K-workers changes endogenously over time. Thus, a partnership in knowledge creation is most productive when common and differential knowledge are in balance. From a birds eye view, the ability of a nation to use, synergize and create knowledge capital determines its capacity to empower its citizens. Aptly in the words of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, The time has come to create a second wave of institution building, and of excellence in the fields of education, research and capability building so that we are better prepared for the 21st century. India today needs a well defined knowledge-oriented paradigm of development to provide a competitive advantage in all the fields. The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) in India has been entrusted to study the parameters and suggest corrective measures to give India the competitive knowledge edge in the coming decades. The KEI model of World Bank has been re-visited from the Indian context introducing various parameters which make plausible sense in the country. The model: METHODOLOGY The paper explores both tangible and intangible parameters for enhancing the knowledge capital in India. The world in future will be driven by a knowledge-base economy and this notion is not foreign to India. Indias history is marked with events that reinforce the countrys potential to learn and showcase unity through diversity. Think about the Indian War of Independence and it will make sense. India is and will remain for some time one of the youngest countries in the world. This demographic dividend is seen as an opportunity to accelerate the countrys rate of growth. We have a critical mass of skilled, English-speaking knowledge workers. The knowledge economy of the twenty-first century demands competencies not only in the area of ICT but also in group learning, risk-taking ability, tolerance to multicultural views, learning from nature and synergizing to innovate. The gathered knowledge needs to be effectively channelized, applied and disseminated to the people of this country. This eventually increases the common knowledge pool and benefits the economy as large. The scriptures, traditional knowledge and the baby boomer generation help us to think in a holistic manner for applying the knowledge. The attitude of young minds, if nurtured in the right way, can produce a positive impact. Like Victoria Abril puts ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Keep your ears open, your eyes open, grab everything you can, react, and learn The countrys youth should be encouraged to research and get an insight on various subjects to tackle real life challenges through innovative methodologies. Traditional scriptures like the Vedas are treasure chests of knowledge and teach us how to deal with state problems, how to teach and grow, etc. They should be shared with the common man, to enable him to think and utilize age old wisdom in an age of intense competition. In Sanskrit, the importance of knowledge is quoted as Nahi Jnanena Sadrsham Nothing is equivalent to knowledge FINDINGS ANALYSIS A burgeoning young human capital is bound to have positive implications on the economy. If not tended well, this boon can turn into a bane. The age distribution of India is projected to change by 2020. The population in the age group 15 -59 years (currently 58 percent) is projected to increase to nearly 64 percent. This shift is shown below India would then have a handsome mix of youth and grey-haired wise men to share different views and synergize to suggest solutions by application of their acquired knowledge. But, this upcoming bulge will also have its own set of ideologies thoughts and would thus have to develop a tolerance level and attitude to learn from their older generations about the vanities and gyan of life. The baby boomers have retained knowledge imparted to them about 80 years back and continue to apply them in real life problems. The youth needs to appreciate this and concentrate on application of gathered knowledge rather than garner degrees. The flip side is that the countrys education system forces one to memorize more and remember the same till exams. The classroom learning limits the students perception. The lessons are merely learnt, used thrown today. More nature and environment based learning would give students a fresh perspective. QUALCOMM has pioneered and introduced solutions inspired from nature like Low-friction ship hulls inspired by shark skin, etc. If all the young minds of India can be guided to think this way, imagine what wonders can be created. The knowledge imparted and discussed should be taught along with examples from diverse backgrounds. At graduation level, students should be encouraged to pursue research work apply knowledge creatively, and indulge in good communication. These are imperative for attitude refinement of individuals which needs tendering to keep them receptive to ideas. This could proactively nurture entrepreneurs at an early stage. Today with a demand driven economy, there is a tendency of people to learn, use throw (forget) the acquired knowledge and comment it doesnt matter well start afresh and learn fast. For facilitating retention, reframing teaching patterns is equally important along with grooming of students. This grooming would include exercise based teaching, vocational training and soft skills training. The habit of reading gaining perspective about varied issues is dwindling and should be emphasized at an early age. We need to strike a healthy balance between self made efforts outsourced tasks to help develop a rational outlook on activities around us. This is imperative for creating a sustained cadre of knowledge workers. It is clear that workers with equal unequal skill sets create better synergy and lead to value addition in knowledge pool. The overall literacy rate in India is highly unsatisfactory. There are areas in India where the abundance of knowledge gets eclipsed by the inability to communicate. Due to this disparity, thoughts and ideas are stalled without getting discussed. Such barriers need to be removed, to educate and tap the knowledge base available. Socrates subtly quotes, The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance. Illiteracy is one of the acclaimed evils in society. The initiative to educate is not with the Government alone but requires active support from every citizen. Empowering minds and sharing knowledge will corroborate the Indian growth story and make it flourish. Management of gargantuan diversities like India will be effective only when citizens rightfully learn, teach apply acquired knowledge for betterment of the country at large. Diversity in population provides an excellent opportunity to explore and learn. A clichà ©d process might be holistically applied for a different cause to apply, learn and grow. If, like the IT companies the concept of collating ideas can be practiced at the national level it would keep the minds of people busy and help everyone learn more from the surroundings and contribute more. Heterogeneity plays a major role in this context. The quote below from Mahatma Gandhi states how important it is to share knowledgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ If you give me rice, Ill eat today; if you teach me how to grow rice, Ill eat every day. Innovation in a developing nation requires a favorable climate, one that is free from bureaucratic regulatory obstacles and fosters interactions across boundaries. The sources of knowledge might be universities, research institutes, think tanks, etc but the right to information is the prerogative of every individual. With this, we conclude our paper and hope to ignite thoughts through an insightful Sanskrit shloka about knowledgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ CONCLUSION India has showcased unity integrity for umpteen causes. Now she is faced with the new challenges of growing population and managing knowledge. For the nation to become a leader in knowledge based economies, the same commitment and unity needs to be shown by each citizen. Today in an intense global market, few variables will give India a competitive advantage. Lifelong learning, youth population and synergy between diverse cultures and attitude to learn, to name a few. In the next few decades, India will have a large youth base. Given this demographic advantage over other countries, we are optimally positioned to establish a knowledge-oriented paradigm of development. An economy that creates, acquires, manages, adapts, and uses knowledge effectively for its economic development, can overcome many challenges while its individuals learn, retain and re-use the knowledge base to innovate and grow perpetually. In the words of our Prime Minister, to leapfrog in the race for social and economic development. The attitude towards learning would also differentiate a country as a trend-setter. Inventive education patterns, fighting illiteracy, and application of knowledge are important tasks for India Inc. amidst exiting challenges. The proactive involvement of elder generations in designing learning programs for students and future managers, to incorporate their traditional wisdom and insights on real life challenges is important. In short, the message is to learn, share, apply and manage through diversity and adversity. Hope and inspiration along with dedication to the task are equally important to the success of a vision. This thought has been beautifully quoted by the former Indian President and visionary Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam in his book Wings of Fire, For all your days prepare, And treat them ever alike, When you are the anvil bear, When you are the hammer strike

Loss and Healing in The River Warren :: River

Loss and Healing in The River Warren   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Each of us, in time, will experience a heart-stopping reality - the death or loss of someone or something we love. Maybe it will be of a family member or just a pet we dearly cherished, but the feelings we have are all too real and all too painful. This loss is probably by far the greatest and most severe emotional trauma we can encounter, and the sense of loss and grief that follows is a healthy, natural, and important part of healing ("Death"). In The River Warren by Kent Meyers Jeff Gruber learns to deal with the grief associated with the loss of his younger brother, Chris. This grief is perhaps the strongest of all emotions that bind families together, but it can also be the hardest to overcome. We never really get over these feelings; we just absorb them into our lives and move on. According to Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, there are five basic stages of grief. They are denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. It is n ot unusual for people to be lost in one of the first four stages, and until they move on to acceptance    their lives may be difficult and even painful ("Stages"). In The River Warren Jeff Gruber deals with these five stages of grief and finds peace in his life and with his father. The first stage of grief is denial and isolation. After Chris's death, life went on, but it went on in silence when it came to picking up rocks. Chris had loved to hear about the glacier that brought the rocks up, and it was difficult for Jeff and Leo to speak of it. Despite wanting to scream at Leo for working and pretending Chris was dead, Jeff could not. Instead he confides in his wife saying, "He never really stopped working, Becca. Just kept on working. Things kept on growing, and he kept on working." When Becca asked him, "What should he have done, though? The world didn't end." his reply was, "Didn't it?" (Meyers 76)    His father's capacity for work bothered Jeff. To him it seemed as though nothing had

Confronting Physician- Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: My Father’s Death” by Susan Wolf

In the article â€Å"Confronting Physician- Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: My Father’s death† by Susan Wolf, I would also be â€Å"forced to rethink my objections to legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia†. (Wolf, 2008) I have never been put in this type of a situation where someone’s life depended on it. Having to make the decision to help someone move toward death sooner to ease the pain and suffering they are dealing with, is not something that can be taken lightly. Being left to make the final decision on ending someone’s life to help end their suffering can be completely hard to imagine doing. Watching someone suffer so much can also be very hard to endure. I have never been put in this type of situation and I hope I never have to but I am going to put myself in Susan Wolf’s place and give my point of view of the situation she was put in on such a big decision of a loved one. There are a lot of people who would rather end their life than continue to go on living with the pain and suffering they are dealing with. About three or four years ago, my father in law was suffering from Pulmonary Fibrosis, a lung condition that the tissues deep in the lungs become thick or scarred over time and some people would describe the lungs looking like honeycombs. He was diagnosed in 2000 and was only given about three years to live but lived for six. There were times he would say he â€Å"wishes there was a switch to turn off because he cannot take anymore of the suffering. † He was ready to end his life and the suffering but he kept going until November 15, 2008 when he passed away. He made sure that there was a do not resuscitate in place because he did not want to continue to suffer. Susan’s father’s physical health was declining and it was affecting his mental capacity as well.. She describes him as â€Å" a smart, savvy lawyer, the family patriarch. She could see his spark for life start to fade at the end when he could not even read or do the New York Times crossword puzzles he used to knock off in an hour, or even watch T. V. (Wolf, 2008) I would wonder how much worse this would become and how much longer he would have to live with the pain and the suffering of it all. It is not something I would want to endure myself. Susan’s father was ready to accelerate his departure and she wanted to consider the options and let him know his options as well. I would have done the same thing. Discuss the options available to make sure he gets what he wants. She was watching her father’s health dwindle so fast that she could ot let him continue to suffer anymore. Her father was the man who insisted that â€Å" he would want everything, even in a persistent vegetative state† (Wolf, 2008) was throwing in the towel and wanting to stop any more treatments and to further â€Å"accelerate† (Wolf, 2008) the process, had to be devastating reality that he had to face and something no one wants to face at all. There are a lot of people who think it is o. k. to assist with the ending of one’s life if the situation is right for it. There really is no way to tell if anyone wants to end their suffering unless there is written proof that they want to do so and have it signed and notarized by the patient. Everyone should have a say when it comes to our bodies especially if we are dying and suffering really bad. It will take the people speaking up and having their concerns heard before something can ever take place for people who are suffering very badly and do not want to suffer anymore. What about someone on life support that is in a lot of pain but cannot speak for their self? The decision is left to the families and sometimes the families opt to keep the person living even though that person may be in a world of pain but cannot speak for themselves. Then there are the ones that do take their loved one off of life support to stop the suffering. It is the same thing. Deciding what is right for the dying family member. It is a very tough decision to make just like it was for Susan Wolf in respecting her father and his wishes to just die and end the suffering. I do not think Susan made a wrong decision she help decide for her father. He was able to go naturally which she justified on her own level of moral. Assisted suicide is not a wrong choice if someone can no longer live with the pain and suffering they are enduring. It would be better to have paper work to prove this is what the person wants rather than the person taking their own life. I for one suffer on a daily basis with chronic pain that I cannot get diagnosed. There are days I am in more pain than I ever want to be and just want to end it for good but I am young and have four children and a husband I could not bear to leave behind. I deal with the pain and take medication to help keep it under control. I do hope that one day if it gets out of control, that I have the option to terminate my life if need be. The way I see it is no one should ever have to suffer. Everyone deserves to have peace and be peaceful in the end.ReferencesWolf, S. M. (2008). Confronting Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia:My Father’s Death. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com

Early Modern English (1500-1800)

Early Modern English (1500-1800) The next wave of innovation in English came with the Renaissance. The revival of classical scholarship brought many classical Latin and Greek words into the Language. These borrowings were deliberate and many bemoaned the adoption of these "inkhorn" terms, but many survive to this day. Shakespeare's character Holofernes in Loves Labor Lost is a satire of an overenthusiastic schoolmaster who is too fond of Latinisms.Many students having difficulty understanding Shakespeare would be surprised to learn that he wrote in Modern English. But, as can be seen in the earlier example of the Lord's Prayer, Elizabethan English has much more in common with our language today than it does with the language of Chaucer. Many familiar words and phrases were coined or first recorded by Shakespeare, some 2,000 words and countless catch phrases are his. Newcomers to Shakespeare are often shocked at the number of cliches contained in his plays, until they realize that he coined them and they became clich es afterwards.Geoffrey Chaucer re: .png below: :chaucer image fr..."One fell swoop," "vanish into thin air," and "flesh and blood" are all Shakespeare's. Words he bequeathed to the language include "critical," "leapfrog," "majestic," "dwindle," and "pedant."Two other major factors influenced the language and served to separate Middle and Modern English. The first was the Great Vowel Shift. This was a change in pronunciation that began around 1400. While Modern English speakers can read Chaucer with some difficulty, Chaucer's pronunciation would have been completely unintelligible to the modern ear. Shakespeare, on the other hand, would be accented, but understandable. Vowel sounds began to be made further to the front of the mouth and the letter "e" at the end of words became silent. Chaucer's Lyf (pronounced "leef") became the modern life. In Middle English name was pronounced "nam-a," five was pronounced "feef," and down was...

Compiliation of 50 History Essay Topics for Successful Essay Writing

Compiliation of 50 History Essay Topics for Successful Essay Writing Being given the freedom of selecting a history essay topic looks quite appealing at the beginning, but can become perplexing as you get to it. Of course, selecting a topic for a history essay is a relatively easy assignment, but, in order to get a  high grade, you will need some essay topic ideas. We have therefore created a list of good history essay topics, broken them down to respective time periods and now suggest that you use them to work on your own history paper. Assigned to write a history essay? Read how to write a history essay in the article below: History Essay You may go ahead and try to work on your history paper independently, yet if it doesnt work and you will need a sample history essay, may help you. All you need to do is contact our support staff with your essay requirements and/or place your order. While working on the paper we encourage you to select a general topic or issue and then to narrow it down in accordance with your academic requirement. Topics that are offered here, are rather general and might not be ideal for the purpose of writing a good history paper. We, therefore, advise you to modify the topic to your needs or ask our staff to do so by ordering a sample paper. History Essay Topics: A Great List of 50 Topics   Ancient Egypt Describe State Organization of Ancient Egypt Society in Ancient Egypt Work Organization in the  Middle Kingdom, Ancient Egypt Development of Ancient Egypt American Discovery of Ancient Egypt Gods and Religion of Ancient Egypt Housing and Architecture of Ancient Egypt Geography and Agriculture of Ancient Egypt Ancient Greece Culture and Art of Ancient Greece Athenian Legends Philosophers of the Ancient Greece Architecture of the Ancient Greece Myths of the Ancient Greece Greek Pantheon Religion Agriculture in Ancient Greece History of the Acropolis Ancient Rome Rome Foundation History Conquests of the Roman Empire and Their Impact on other Cultures Key Factors in the Downfall of the Roman Empire Role of Julius Ceasar in the Life of the Roman Empire Organization of the Roman Army State Governance within Ancient Rome Religion and Gods in the Roman Empire Middle Ages Middle Ages: The Era of Advancement Life and Death in The Middle Ages Knights of the Middle Ages Compare Middle Ages vs. The Renaissance Crusades in the Middle Ages: Reasons and Consequences Literature and the Middle Ages The Church in the Middle Ages. The Holy Inquisition Middle Ages Economy US History Atlantic World Before Colonization Colonial Era in the US History Describe Interactions Between Whites and Native Americans Impact of Puritanism on American Values Reasons and Consequences of the Indepence War George Washington in the American Revolution English Society During the Age of Colonization The Great Depression World War II Vietnam War History of Latin America Pre-Colonial Latin America Aztec Maya Empire Latin America: Colonial Era (1521-1810) Historic Cities of Latin America The Colonization of Guatemala Independence of Latin American States: Haiti, Brazil, Mexico Mexican American War Abolition of Slavery 1989: US Invasion We hope these history essay topics will be helpful in working on your history paper. The list of topics on this page is far from being complete due to the extremely large number of choices. We have attempted to provide general ideas of history essay writing, and we hope you find them useful. If you havent seen your topic on the list, you can always contact our support team and order a custom written paper on your specific history topic. Our writers will come up with a top-notch paper tailored exclusively to meet your needs. is the service you can trust!

Math Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Math Literacy - Essay Example Literacy is a highly complex notion. Traditionally literacy has referred to a comprehension of language elements. Increasingly, however, literacy has come to refer to an understanding and proficiency with an endless array of subjects. For instance, today there is media literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy. A number of researchers and agencies have proposed spectrums of literacy. In this way the National Institute for Literacy indicates that major aspects of literacy include, â€Å"decoding/phonemic awareness and phonics, morphology, vocabulary, fluency, and text comprehension† (National Institute of Literacy 2007, p. 3). For the purpose of this research literacy is considered in terms of language fluency. There are a number of aspects of literacy that exist in my subject area of mathematics. Perhaps the most overarching consideration is the notion of content literacy. Conley refers to content literacy as students’ comprehension of specific reading and fl uency knowledge that contributes to their understanding of the specific subject (Conley 2008). As my subject is mathematics there are a variety of ways that content literacy is important. In a sense, students’ actual fluency with solving mathematic problems can be regarded as a sort of literacy. Still, specific language fluency in terms of phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and text comprehension is required in much math content. ... that, â€Å"Mathematical literacy is attained only when students can decipher the numbers, apply abstract symbols, and use words to construct mathematical meaning.† This is a more comprehensive recognition of literacy as encompassing numbers as forms of literate expression. There are a variety of ways that literacy within mathematics exists. In solving math equations one recognizes that, â€Å"Although understanding the mathematics involved†¦is certainly essential, being able to read, understand, and respond in writing to the item in specialized ways is also crucial. Content area literacy involves showing students how to adjust their reading and writing to the specific demands of different kinds of knowledge and tasks† (Conley 2008, p. 22). In this way literacy within mathematics occurs in particular situations that aid the solving of mathematics equations. For instance, mathematics often has terminology such as box plot, quartile 1 and interquartile, or minimum an d maximum. Students must recognize these concepts in order to advance to the problem-solving portion of the mathematics. One considers that in science students more thoroughly focus on words and patterns. In the language arts students must develop thorough reading comprehension skills. The notable recognition in these regards is that literacy in mathematics, as contrasted with most other subject areas, functions to aid the direct comprehension of the subject rather than being the subject itself. Other theorists have additionally considered that oftentimes literacy in mathematics, in terms of specific vocabulary, oftentimes takes on a different meaning than in outside contexts. For instance, it’s noted that the word ‘functions’ takes on a different meaning in terms of math than in other contexts (Franz

International Human Resources Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

International Human Resources - Research Paper Example As globalization continues to emerge as an expanding trend, are also expectations that are a part of the market. One is based on finding the right regions that carry specific characteristics for expansion. The regions differ by specific characters as well as approaches to the work force that create a sense of legitimacy for the needs within the system. The international human resource management system is a large factor in the production of corporations as well as the ability to leverage the growth within any business. Comparing various regional characteristics can help to define the best international human resource management systems within the area. The aim is to find which is more suitable for international management. The objectives which are associated with this include: - Comparison of human resource management systems in both regions - Cultural and social values that are within the work structures in both regions - Structure of organizations and how individuals associate with this - Legalities of the system, including health options, ethics and obligations - Compensation, training and other internal expectations and how this affects the work environment - Overall expectations that differ in each region By looking at the multiple dimensions that affect both Singapore and Bangkok, there is the ability to understand what is associated with each group and how this affects the growth of both regions. This determination will assist in compensating with the right region while allowing any corporation to move into the right area for stability and growth among human resources in an international pool. 3.0 Background The concept of international human resources management is one that is more pertinent today then in the past. This began in 1990 when an emergence of multinational corporations began to move into various overseas locations. Outsourcing became a large part of this, specifically with many that associated other countries with lower currencies and costs, while opening the international market to exchange. During the initial movement of multinational corporations in overseas areas were also expectations that were linked to using resources in the correct manner. Cultural gaps, implica tions of what was expected and different organizational environments and business structures created complexities and problems with the initial use of human resources for businesses. Today, the use of regional areas has grown; however, multinational corporations have recognized that using the right region with the most benefits ensures stability and avoids problems within the work structure (Dowling, Festing, Engle, 2008). Today, the use of international human resource management is expected to be associated with building a competitive advantage above others. The internal structure is able to depict how the customers respond to a specific business and the way in which they interact. Specifically, there is an association with saving on compensation and resources through the amount of talent that is available. This is combined with expectations of the cultures, such as individuals expecting to stay within a corporation for longer amounts of time, having different associations with tea m work and looking at problem solving in a different manner. These different attributes of various teams have allowed for the human resources to work with creating a competitive advantage in creating more alternatives within the internal structure. To do this, there needs to be a combined set of values with