List of Individual Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

List of Individual Rights - Research Paper Example The English Bill declares that choosing the members of parliament should be unrestricted. As such, limits on speeches in parliamentary debates like other bills. The English Bill of Rights is a manuscript that has a great significance in the English history. It is also a very vital chapter of the rights to those subjects under the English Law. The bill had some dissimilarity with US Bill of rights. The dissimilarities arose due to the difference in the process of enacting and undoing the bill (Vile, 2003). Unlike the US Bill of Rights, the English Bill of Rights could be enacted and undone by the statues. The US Bill of Rights could be enacted and undone by the constitutional amendment. Additionally, unlike the other Bills, which refer to the amendments in constitutions, the English one describes the rights for the individuals to petition the King (Vile, 2003). â€Å"The US Bills of Rights 1789† In 1989, the Congress in the US received 17 amendments of which ten were accepted a nd integrated into the constitutions. The ten integrated were named the Bill of Rights. The US Bills of Rights is similar to other bills like the English Bills of Rights. Some of the amendments in the US especially from amendment one to six have similar elements as those in the English Bill of Rights. Unlike the US Bills of Rights, the other bills of rights are more expansive. ... is a global customary law that describes the understanding of the inviolable rights of individuals like the US and the English Bill of rights (Horvits & Catherwood, 2006). The document by the General Assembly has some similarities with the other bill of rights especially the US Bills of Rights. This is because it was adopted based on the US Bills of rights. Additionally, like other Bills of Rights it consists of a list of the rights of persons from their private lives to their participation in the society (Horvits &Catherwood, 2006). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 is different from the US Bill of Rights and the English Bill of Rights since it is applicable globally. The others are only application to the states in which they were amended but not other countries. Additionally, it describes the responsibilities of the international community members (Horvits &Catherwood, 2006). Philosophical underpinnings The creators of the lawful system in the countries gave individua ls in the states the ideas used in developing the state particularly those who are within the Declaration of Independence and the constitution (Whitehead, 2008). In the Declaration of Independence, the words like life, autonomy, and contentment are very common. In the Bills of Rights, happiness is connected to material success and individuals are happy after owning property. In the present America, individuals love material things and the philosophical underpinnings related to the right to possess property are found in the books written by philosophers like John Locke (Whitehead, 2008). In his book, John Locke showed that individuals correspond with the Natures’ harmony. According to the philosopher, God made man and man’s mind; hence, it is possible for man to make his mind to be in

Greek religion and mythology Essay Example for Free

Greek religion and mythology Essay In Greek religion and mythology, Pan (Ancient Greek: ÃŽ  Ã¡ ¾ ¶ÃŽ ½, PÄ n) is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, and companion of the nymphs.[1] His name originates within the Ancient Greek language, from the word paein (πΠ¬ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ½), meaning to pasture.[2] He has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat, in the same manner as a faun or satyr. With his homeland in rustic Arcadia, he is recognized as the god of fields, groves, and wooded glens; because of this, Pan is connected to fertility and the season of spring. The ancient Greeks also considered Pan to be the god of theatrical criticism.[3] In Roman religion and myth, Pans counterpart was Faunus, a nature god who was the father of Bona Dea, sometimes identified as Fauna. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Pan became a significant figure in the Romantic movement of western Europe, and also in the 20th-century Neopagan movement.[4] Origins In his earliest appearance in literature, Pindars Pythian Ode iii. 78, Pan is associated with a mother goddess, perhaps Rhea or Cybele; Pindar refers to virgins worshipping Cybele and Pan near the poets house in Boeotia.[5] The parentage of Pan is unclear;[6] in some myths he is the son of Zeus, though generally he is the son of Hermes or Dionysus, with whom his mother is said to be a nymph, sometimes Dryope or, in Nonnus, Dionysiaca (14.92), Penelope of Mantineia in Arcadia. This nymph at some point in the tradition became conflated with Penelope, the wife of Odysseus. Pausanias 8.12.5 records the story that Penelope had in fact been unfaithful to her husband, who banished her to Mantineia upon his return. Other sources (Duris of Samos; the Vergilian commentator Servius) report that Penelope slept with all 108 suitors in Odysseus absence, and gave birth to Pan as a result.[7] This myth reflects the folk etymology that equates Pans name (ÃŽ  ÃŽ ¬ÃŽ ½) with the Greek word for all (Ï€á ¾ ¶ÃŽ ½).[8] It is more likely to be cognate with paein, to pasture, and to share an origin with the modern English word pasture. In 1924, Hermann Collitz suggested that Greek Pan and Indic Pushan might have a common Indo-European origin.[9] In the Mystery cults of the highly syncretic Hellenistic era[10] Pan is made cognate with Phanes/Protogonos, Zeus, Dionysus and Eros.[11] The Roman Faunus, a god of Indo-European origin, was equated with Pan. However, accounts of Pans genealogy are so varied that it must lie buried deep in mythic time. Like other nature spirits, Pan appears to be older than the Olympians, if it is true that he gave Artemis her hunting dogs and taught the secret of prophecy to Apollo. Pan might be multiplied as the Panes (Burkert 1985, III.3.2; Ruck and Staples 1994 p 132[12]) or the Paniskoi. Kerenyi (p. 174) notes from scholia that Aeschylus in Rhesus distinguished between two Pans, one the son of Zeus and twin of Arcas, and one a son of Cronus. In the retinue of Dionysos, or in depictions of wild landscapes, there appeared not only a great Pan, but also little Pans, Paniskoi, who played the same part as the Satyrs.

Electronic Structure and Spontaneous Polarization in BiFeO3

Electronic Structure and Spontaneous Polarization in BiFeO3 Electronic structure and spontaneous polarization in multiferroic bulk BiFeO3 Z. Mahhouti 1,2,3,* , H. El Moussaoui 1 , M. Hamedoun 1 , M. El Marssi 3 , A. Lahmar 2 , A. El Kenz 2 , and A. Benyoussef 1,2,4 Abstract: The electronic structure, magnetic properties and spontaneous polarization in Bismuth ferrite BiFeO3 are investigated using first-principle calculations. The computed results show that the ground state of bulk BiFeO3 is rhombohedral R3c symmetry with G-type antiferromagnetic ordering and insulating, the computed results are in good agreement with available experiments. The electronic structure has been studied using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method within generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and modified Becke-Johnson potential (mBJ). Therefore, the finding band gap value is equal to the experimental value (Eg=2.5 eV) and much better than other theoretical values, the local magnetic moment at the Fe atoms reaches the experimental value and it is in good agreement with previously reported theoretical, with the large atomic displacement the modern theory of polarization predicts a large spontaneous polarization in multiferroic bulk BiFeO3. INTRODUCTION The multiferroic term denotes the coexistence of several ferroic orders (ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, and ferroelastic) in one material[1], coupled or not. Multiferroic materials are very rare because the origins of ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism are hardly compatible as shown by Hill et al.[2][3]. However, there are some exceptions such as La0.1Bi0.9MnO3 which is ferroelectric below 770 K and ferromagnetic below 105 K[4]. The definition of multiferroic has therefore been extended to materials with antiferroic orders such as BiFeO3 which is ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic.      Ã‚   Bismuth ferrite BiFeO3 (BFO) is one of the few magnetoelectric multiferroics who has simultaneously ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic orders under ambient conditions of temperature and pressure. Indeed, its high Curie temperature (TC = 1103 K)[5] and Nà ©el temperature (TN = 643 K)[6] provide a wide range of applications at different temperatures[7] such as spintronics, data storage and microelectronic devices[8][9], In addition, a magnetoelectric coupling is possible at room temperature. Recently, BFO has seen a considerable increase in interest since the discovery of a much better spontaneous polarization, greater than 150  µC/cm2, when the material is grown in thin layers[10]. This discovery aroused great enthusiasm among the scientific community who wanted to explain the origin of some phenomenon and explore this material again. The phase diagram established according to the reference[11] shows the succession of three phases with increasing of temperature denoted à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢,and à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ §, respectively. In its bulk form and at room temperature, BFO has a distorted perovskite structure with rhombohedral symmetry and space group R3c (a = b = c = 5.63 Ã…, à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡ = 59.4 °)[12][8]. The primitive unit cell contains two formula units (ten atoms), each Fe atom is surrounded by six antiparallel spin neighbors, the magnetic moments are oriented perpendicularly to the [111] direction, which leads to develop a G-type antiferromagnetic order on the whole of the material. However, new observations have revealed that the direction in which antiferromagnetism manifests rotates through the crystal[13]. This noncollinearity propagates within the material with a period from 620 Ã… to 640 Ã…[13][14] and superimposes on the G-type antiferromagnetic order. As the noncollinearity is quite minimal , the simplification to a collinear magnetic structure is possible[15]. In this paper, the noncollinearity effects were not taken during our calculations. Since BFO is grown as a thin layers, the material may undergo a compressive or extensive stress due to the difference between the primitive cell of the material in its bulk form and those of the monocrystalline substrate, the small grown thickness is able to accept any relaxation of the structure. This can cause changes in the structure parameters of the crystal compared to its bulk form. However, other experimental works[16][17] showed that even BFO grown in thin layers, retains its rhombohedral symmetry. For a long time BFO considered too low to be exploitable ( Ps = 6.1  µC/cm2 ) according to the first measurements of Teague et al.[5], the ferroelectricity of BFO was studied again following the results of Young et al.[10] on thin layers of BFO ( Ps = 158  µC/cm2). However, many experimental studies carried out during this period gave a confusing results, the spontaneous polarization varying from 2.2  µC/cm2 [18] to 158  µC/cm2 [10]. The study of the ferroelectricity of BFO is a concrete example to combine experimental results and theoretical calculations. In this case, the calculation methods allow to explain the difference between the first measured values of bulk BFO and those obtained on the same material grown in thin layers. In this paper, we study in detail the magnetic properties of bulk BFO, while considering a G-type antiferromagnetic order. But it is necessary to determine first the electronic configuration and to calculate the band gap, in order to understand and obtain the theoretical model which corresponds to the reality of the material, and then to determine the spontaneous polarization using modern theory of polarization. METHOD The calculations which we present in the remainder of this paper use the density functional theory (DFT) implemented in WIEN2k code. The interactions between electrons and ions are described in the framework of full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. As the 3d electrons in transition -metal Fe atom are incompletely filled, the spin density approximation was employed withinstry the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) form of the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and modified Becke-Johnson potential (mBJ). The new version of the exchange potential, proposed for the first time by the Becke and Johnson[19], was recently published by Tran and Blaha[20]. The modified Becke-Johnson potential (mBJ) proposed by Tran and Blaha is: With is the electronic density, is kinetic energy density and is the potential of Becke-Roussel. In this work, the mBJ potential is used in combination with the GGA-PBE approximation to compute the electronic structure, magnetic properties and spontaneous polarization in multiferroic bulk BFO. Our calculations do not include the spin-orbit interactions and the noncollinearity effects. The mesh of the first Brillouin zone in the reciprocal space was carried out using a 4 x 4 x 4 Monkhorst-Pack k-points grid. The structural parameters of BFO in space group R3c ( i.e, the lattice constant and atomic positions ) are considered as calculated by Wang et al.[8] as given from Kubel et al.[12]. The results of relaxing the cell volume, rhombohedral angle, and atomic positions within the R3c symmetry in reference[8] show that there is an alternation of Bi3+ and Fe3+ ions along the [111] axis; Each of these atoms is surrounded by six oxygen atoms, which thus form an octahedron around each cat ion. Inside the octahedron FeO6, the Fe3+ ion is outside the FeO2 plane (forming the base of the octahedron), which leads a distortion of the octahedron. The calculation of the spontaneous polarization using the modern theory of polarization is carried out by determining the difference in polarization between two symmetry (The non-centrosymmetric phase R3c which is ferroelectric and the centrosymmetric phase R-3c supposed paraelectric). In order to evaluate the polarization of the structure studied, we must therefore use a structure (centrosymmetric) as a reference with the same unit cell as the real structure (non-centrosymmetric), but its atomic positions do not induce electrical dipoles. Energetically, these two structures are very close, which confirms our choice of R-3c symmetry as a centrosymmetric reference. They differ by the addition of a center of inversion within the symmetry, and the passage from one symmetry to the other is due to the displacement of the atoms along the [111] direction which is accompanied with a rotation of the FeO6 octahedra perpendicular to the same direction. This evolution of the paraelectric phase t o the ferroelectric phase allows us to explain the birth of ferroelectricity within the bismuth ferrite BFO and to reproduce it efficiently in our calculations. The modern theory of polarization was applied for the first time to compute the ferroelectricity within the cubic perovskite-type KNbO3. The results obtained ( à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾P = 35  µC/cm2 [21][22]) showed excellent agreement with the experimental data ( à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾P = 37  µC/cm2[23]). Other studies were carried out subsequently, confirming the reliability of this method with respect to the experimental reality. Today, the modern theory of polarization is widely used. Results and Discussion Electronic and magnetic properties In this section, we study the electronic structure of bulk BFO in ferroelectric R3c structure, considering the relaxing values of cell parameter, rhombohedral angle and atomic positions by Wang et al.[8]. We computed and plotted the band structure and electronic state densities with the same parameters mentioned at the paragraph II. The band gap value are calculated using mBJ potential in combination with the GGA-PBE approximation, our calculated band gap value is the same as the value measured by Gao et al.[24] from the UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectrum witch is equal to 2.5 eV, our computed band gap is much better than other theoretical works such as Neaton et al.[15] who found an indirect band gap of 0.4, 1.3, and 1.9 eV using LSDA+U approximation with U=0, 2, and 4 eV, respectively. The same for Tà ¼tà ¼ncà ¼ et al.[25] they found an indirect band gap of 0.9, 1.4, and 2.1 eV using LSDA+U approximation with U=0, 2, and 4 eV, respectively. Our band structure results (Fig.1 ) indicate an indirect band gap of approximately 2.5 eV witch is in excellent agreement to the experimental measurement of about 2.5 eV [24][26]. Therefore, this equality between our calculated band gap and the experimental value confirms the insulating character of bulk BFO. In order to understand why the magnetic moments of the Fe atoms were arranged antiparallel within bulk BFO, we relaxed it according to different magnetic configurations: paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, and antiferromagnetic. The ground-state energy of the various possible magnetic configurations shows that the G-type antiferromagnetic configuration is the one which offers the material its greatest stability. FIG. 1. Calculated band structure for rhombohedral BiFeO3. FIG. 2. Calculated total density of states for rhombohedral BiFeO3. Calculated density of state (Fig.2) for R3c BFO indicates an identical distribution between electronic states up and down, which clearly exhibits the antiferromagnetic order of the material, in this case the antiferromagnetic order can only be G-type. The Fe atoms along the [111] axis have a local magnetic moment of 4.02 ÃŽÂ ¼B comes from 3d states, this value is much better than 4.25 ÃŽÂ ¼B and 4.17 ÃŽÂ ¼B reported by Tà ¼tà ¼ncà ¼ et al.[25] using LSDA+U with U = 4 and 6 eV, respectively. Therefore, our computed local magnetic moment of Fe atoms is very close to the measurement value of about 3.75ÃŽÂ ¼B [27]. FIG. 3. Atomic projection of electronic PDOS for rhombohedral BiFeO3. Figure 3 shows atomic projected electronic density of states (PDOS) around the ban gap region for both spin channels. The results suggest that the valence band are predominantly formed by Fe 3d states, hybridized with a contribution from O 2p states. Conduction band states are occupied by a large amount of Fe 3d states, hybridized with a small contribution of Bi 6p states that also contains a significant amount of O 2p states. Spontaneous polarization The spontaneous polarization was calculated within bulk BFO using the ferroelectric structure R3c and the hypothetical centrosymmetric phase R-3c. The centrosymmetric phase must be judiciously chosen, in order to found the difference of ferroelectric polarization between the centrosymmetric and non-centrosymmetric phases less than the quantum of polarization, Where is the electronic charge, is a lattice vector in the direction of polarization, and is the volume of the unit cell. Our calculations have shown that centrosymmetric phase R-3c is the structure closest to the ferroelectric structure R3c, both energetically as well as structural. This symmetry differs from the R3c only by the addition of a center of inversion. The transition from the paraelectric to the ferroelectric phase was characterized by a large displacement of the atoms along the [111] axis and a rotation of the FeO6 octahedra. Therefore, we expect that the spontaneous polarization develops along the [111] axis. In order to calculate the difference of polarization, we have considered that the transition from paraelectric to ferroelectric phase was done adiabatically and continuously. In this way, each atom moves along a path divided into segments of equal length. This method allowed us to follow the evolution of the spontaneous polarization during the whole paraelectric-ferroelectric transition. Throughout the paraelectric-ferroelectric transition, it is imperative to avoid any external contribution to symmetry, such as compression or expansion of the unit cell (in this case we do not calculate the real spontaneous polarization). For this reason, the structures used for our calculations have the same cell parameters, only the atomic positions were shifted. The modern theory of polarization compute the both, ionic and electronic contribution to the spontaneous polarization using the sum of the Wannier centers of the occupied bands. Our results showed that the spontaneous polarization developed along three directions, and was 58.8  µC/cm2 along each axis, resulting a spontaneous polarization of 101.1  µC/cm2 along the [111] axis which is in full agreement with the spontaneous polarization calculated by Neaton et al.[15] using LSDA+U. Early measurements on bulk BFO single crystals[5] found a small polarization of about 6.1  µC/cm2. On the other hand, many experiment studies on thin film samples of BFO showed a large spontaneous polarization of about 100-158  µC/cm2 [16][10]. The anomalously early value was caused by several explanations. First, the authors[5] indicated that their hysteresis loops were not saturated. Second, maybe the small value limited by the poor of the sample quality. Finally, the third explanation is that the crystal structure is not the same. Recently, Lebeugle et al.[28] have prepared a highly pure BFO single crystal (bulk BFO with a rhombohedral R3c symmetry) and measured the spontaneous polarization, they found a very large value of about 100  µC/cm2 [28] which is an intrinsic property of the bulk BFO, as expected by our theoretical studies. CONCLUSIONS In summary, Bismuth ferrite BiFeO3 is one of a few magnetoelectric multiferroics who has simultaneously ferroelectric and ferromagnetic orders, it has seen a considerable increase in interest since the discovery of a high spontaneous polarization. The first principle calculations with our approximations and parameters chosen allowed us to understand and obtain the behaviors of electronic and magnetic properties which make possible the computing of the right band gap and local magnetic moment. The property intrinsic of the large spontaneous electric polarization in bulk BiFe2O3 showed by recently experiment studies was confirmed by our theoretical investigations using the modern theory of polarization. These good agreements between our theoretical investigation and experimental measurement allow the scientific community to compute other properties and understand the physics behind the measurement at the atomic level. References [1]H. Schmid, Multi-ferroic magnetoelectrics, Ferroelectrics, vol. 162, no. 1, pp. 317-338, Jan. 1994. [2]N. A. Hill, Why Are There so Few Magnetic Ferroelectrics?, J. Phys. Chem. B, vol. 104, no. 29, pp. 6694-6709, Jul. 2000. [3]N. A. Hill, Density Functional Studies of Multiferroic Magnetoelectrics, Annu. Rev. Mater. Res., vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 1-37, Aug. 2002. [4]A. Moreira dos Santos et al., Orbital ordering as the determinant for ferromagnetism in biferroic BiMnO 3, Phys. Rev. B, vol. 66, no. 6, Aug. 2002. [5]J. R. Teague, R. Gerson, and W. J. James, Dielectric hysteresis in single crystal BiFeO3, Solid State Commun., vol. 8, no. 13, pp. 1073-1074, 1970. [6]G. A. Smolenskii and I. E. Chupis, Ferroelectromagnets, Phys.-Uspekhi, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. 475-493, Jul. 1982. [7]M. Fiebig, Revival of the magnetoelectric effect, J. Phys. Appl. Phys., vol. 38, no. 8, pp. R123-R152, Apr. 2005. [8]J. Wang, Epitaxial BiFeO3 Multiferroic Thin Film Heterostructures, Science, vol. 299, no. 5613, pp. 1719-1722, Mar. 2003. [9]Y. Tokura, MATERIALS SCIENCE: Multiferroics as Quantum Electromagnets, Science, vol. 312, no. 5779, pp. 1481-1482, Jun. 2006. [10]K. Y. Yun, D. Ricinschi, T. Kanashima, M. Noda, and M. Okuyama, Giant ferroelectric polarization beyond 150 ÃŽÂ ¼C/cm2 in BiFeO3 thin film, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., vol. 43, no. 5A, p. L647, 2004. [11]R. Palai et al., ÃŽÂ ² phase and ÃŽÂ ³ ˆ’ ÃŽÂ ² metal-insulator transition in multiferroic Bi Fe O 3, Phys. Rev. B, vol. 77, no. 1, Jan. 2008. [12]F. Kubel and H. Schmid, Structure of a ferroelectric and ferroelastic monodomain crystal of the perovskite BiFeO3, Acta Crystallogr. B, vol. 46, no. 6, pp. 698-702, Dec. 1990. [13]I. Sosnowska, T. P. Neumaier, and E. Steichele, Spiral magnetic ordering in bismuth ferrite, J. Phys. C Solid State Phys., vol. 15, no. 23, p. 4835, 1982. [14]D. Lebeugle, D. Colson, A. Forget, M. Viret, A. M. Bataille, and A. Gukasov, Electric-Field-Induced Spin Flop in BiFeO 3 Single Crystals at Room Temperature, Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 100, no. 22, Jun. 2008. [15]J. B. Neaton, C. Ederer, U. V. Waghmare, N. A. Spaldin, and K. M. Rabe, First-principles study of spontaneous polarization in multiferroic Bi Fe O 3, Phys. Rev. B, vol. 71, no. 1, Jan. 2005. [16]J. Li et al., Dramatically enhanced polarization in (001), (101), and (111) BiFeO3 thin films due to epitiaxial-induced transitions, Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 84, no. 25, pp. 5261-5263, Jun. 2004. [17]G. Xu, H. Hiraka, G. Shirane, J. Li, J. Wang, and D. Viehland, Low symmetry phase in (001) BiFeO3 epitaxial constrained thin films, Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 86, no. 18, p. 182905, May 2005. [18]V. R. Palkar, J. John, and R. Pinto, Observation of saturated polarization and dielectric anomaly in magnetoelectric BiFeO3 thin films, Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 80, no. 9, pp. 1628-1630, Mar. 2002. [19]A. D. Becke and E. R. Johnson, A simple effective potential for exchange, J. Chem. Phys., vol. 124, no. 22, p. 221101, Jun. 2006. [20]F. Tran and P. Blaha, Accurate Band Gaps of Semiconductors and Insulators with a Semilocal Exchange-Correlation Potential, Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 102, no. 22, Jun. 2009. [21]R. Resta, M. Posternak, and A. Baldereschi, Towards a quantum theory of polarization in ferroelectrics: The case of KNbO 3, Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 70, no. 7, p. 1010, 1993. [22]R. Resta, M. Posternak, and A. Baldereschi, First-Principles Theory of Polarization in Ferroelectrics, in MRS Proceedings, 1992, vol. 291, p. 647. [23]W. Kleemann, F. J. Schà ¤fer, and M. D. Fontana, Crystal optical studies of spontaneous and precursor polarization in KNbO 3, Phys. Rev. B, vol. 30, no. 3, p. 1148, 1984. [24]F. Gao et al., Preparation and photoabsorption characterization of BiFeO3 nanowires, Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 89, no. 10, p. 102506, Sep. 2006. [25]H. M. Tà ¼tà ¼ncà ¼ and G. P. Srivastava, Electronic structure and zone-center phonon modes in multiferroic bulk BiFeO3, J. Appl. Phys., vol. 103, no. 8, p. 083712, Apr. 2008. [26]T. Kanai, S. Ohkoshi, and K. Hashimoto, Magnetic, electric, and optical functionalities of (PLZT) x (BiFeO 3) 1- x ferroelectric-ferromagnetic thin films, J. Phys. Chem. Solids, vol. 64, no. 3, pp. 391-397, 2003. [27]I. Sosnowska, W. Schà ¤fer, W. Kockelmann, K. H. Andersen, and I. O. Troyanchuk, Crystal structure and spiral magnetic ordering of BiFeO 3 doped with manganese, Appl. Phys. Mater. Sci. Process., vol. 74, no. 0, pp. s1040-s1042, Dec. 2002. [28]D. Lebeugle, D. Colson, A. Forget, and M. Viret, Very large spontaneous electric polarization in BiFeO3 single crystals at room temperature and its evolution under cycling fields, Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 91, no. 2, p. 022907, Jul. 2007.

Postcolonial Theory and Late Capitalist Criticism Aplied to The Night of the Living Dead Trilogy :: Movie Film Essays

Postcolonial Theory and Late Capitalist Criticism Aplied to The Night of the Living Dead Trilogy "Turn and Turn about; in these shadows from whence a new dawn will break, it is you who are the zombies." * Jean-Paul Sartre, Preface to The Wretched of the Earth * It is fitting that Sartre uses the zombie as a metaphor for both the colonized and colonizer. He states in the preface to Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth that European colonizers had relegated natives living in colonial states to the role of zombie. The colonizers’ power structure has rendered the natives as a mute subaltern, suitable for slave labor and exploitation. But he goes further to say the natives’ rebellion will render the colonizers as zombies – the native will no longer see their dominators as human beings, and they will assign the Europeans to the role of subordinate, dehumanizing and incommunicable. All of this is fitting because the colonizer, whatever his national origin, has adopted a stance toward natives that follows the Hatian tradition: The zombie is a human who has been killed and ressurected as slave labor, a much more docile and controllable beast of burden. It also makes sense that Hollywood adopted the metaphor. Throughout the 1930s and 40s films like White Zombie, Revolt of the Zombies, King of the Zombies, Revenge of the Zombies, Zombies on Broadway, and Voodoo Man reinforced the traditional view of zombies as ultimate Other. These zombies are without culture or free will, controlled by a mystical villain, often played by Bela Lugosi, who runs a sugar plantation or some other such exploitive business. These films are tales of the oppressor, bringing to light the hardships and uncertainty faced by colonizing forces. It is possible for the zombie slaves to revolt, but for the most part these films warn of the perils embedded in shoddy colonial governing. In 1968, George A. Romero set out to rework the zombie archetype. He created the flesh eating zombie, a monster born not out of religious or mystical effort, but created by the faults and flaws of the society. With his first film, Night of the Living Dead (1968), he began a trilogy that would deal with the ills of our contemporary American society. Influenced by the turbulent 1960s, events such as Vietnam, the civil rights movement, and rampant consumer culture, Night lays the groundwork for a series of cultural critiques.

Life Before and After the Fall of Communism in the Czech Republic

Do 1 Life Before and After the Fall of Communism in the Czech Republic Recently the senate and county elections in the Czech Republic confirmed that the preference of Czech voters is shifting to the left, what's more the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia got the second highest number of votes. The results are disturbing, because the last time Communists won the polls, the Czechs ended up being oppressed for over 40 years until they managed to overthrow the government. Now it seems that the same people have suffered from a collective memory loss.Have they forgotten how life was before 1989 and what crimes the communists committed during their reign? Voting for the communists is a mistake, which should never be made, because it is considerably better not to have them interfere in our lives. One of the biggest differences between now and then is the atmosphere of the time. Back then people described the atmosphere as â€Å"shades of grey†. They were not encouraged to be diff erent, on contrary individualism was oppressed and frowned upon. As a result most of the people were afraid to do or say anything that would make them stand out of the crowd.This resulted also in an atmosphere of fear. Nowadays individualism is supported in almost any area possible. From a young age people are pushed to be creative and this creativity distinguishes us from others. We have freedom of speech, which means that we can complain about anything even our current government, whereas back then if you said anything negative about the communists they would put you in prison. The concept of freedom was also very different. There wasn't a real democracy with the communists in power. The communistic regime in Czechoslovakia was characterized by the absence of free elections.Many basic human rights were limited such as freedom in political or religious beliefs, freedom of speech, the right to assemble or the right to education. This affected the Do 2 lives of people immensely and m any of them were unsatisfied and angry, however the majority of the society was afraid to do anything. The reason was that the communists got rid of inconvenient people. They fired people, they made sure their children couldn't get on the desired universities; they blackmailed, tortured and killed people through staged trials.For the majority of society it was simpler to act as if they were okay with the regime. In this day and age human rights are secured through countless declarations, laws and treaties. International organizations oversee observance and countries that breach these contracts have to face sanctions and they have to answer to the International Court of Justice. There are also major differences in the everyday life of normal people back then and now. During the reign of Communists it was forbidden to travel out of Czechoslovakia.Only those, who had special permission, could travel abroad and even then, most of these people were monitored by the secret service. Commun ism is strictly against capitalism hence the Communists tried to convince the public that the capitalistic countries were bad and that economically and socially communistic countries were better off than most of the western capitalistic world. Thus they couldn't let people travel abroad, because it would be clear right away that they were knowingly deceiving them. People had also a hard time when they went to shop.There were no products from capitalistic countries and everywhere the selection was very poor. Things as clothes, modern technology or even meat were scarce products. This may sound almost unbelievable to a person, who didn't experience this era or who was born after the fall of communism. We live in a global world today. People travel to the furthest corners of the world. It takes a few clicks to order anything from anywhere in the world through the Internet. People are surrounded by shopping malls with a huge selection. In other words we have everything that we need at t he reach of our hands. Do 3As we can see life during the communistic regime was much harder than life today and it was full of fear, uncertainty, and injustice. People lost many of their basic human rights, they had to suppress their individuality and succumb to the regime. If we compare it to the life that we have now, we have really nothing to complain about and it is obvious that we are better off without the Communists in the government. It is then very hard to comprehend why the Czechs are forgetting so quickly, what the communists have done in this country only a few decades ago and why so many of them have voted in their favor.I would suggest more informational campaigns about this period of history in order for the Czechs to learn properly about their history, because as George Santayana once wrote: â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it† (1). Do Thuy Linh (Linda) Paula Solon Composition I Comparison and Contrast Essay – Life Before and After the Fall of Communism in the Czech Republic November 8, 2012 Essay Outline Thesis: Voting for the communists is a mistake, which should never be made, because it is considerably better not to have them interfere in our lives.Introduction: The results of recent elections in the Czech Republic show a shift of voters' preference to the left. The most disturbing outcome is that the second highest number of votes belongs to the Communists. The atmosphere back then and now. â€Å"Shades of grey† and atmosphere of fear People feel safe and free Concept of freedom back then and now/ There was no real democracy and basic human rights were violated Human rights are nowadays secured through countless international contracts Everyday life of normal people back then and now.Things as travelling and shopping were hindered or denied Today in this global world we can go anywhere and buy almost anything Conclusion: Comparing life back then and now it is clear that we have nothing t o complain about. It is then hard to believe how the Communists got so many votes. Maybe the Czechs need more informational campaigns in order to learn properly about their history. Works Cited 1. Santayana, George. The Life of Reason. London: Prometheus Books, 1998. Print.

Implications of trade liberalization in Australia and government protectionism Essay

Australia is a worldwide trading nation with different range of trading partners. About 20 of the top export items for the country come from a range of commodity, resource and service industries. The leading exports from the country are iron ore, coal as well as educational services. Access to fair as well as free international shipping is basically important to Australia. Considerable drive for the ongoing development in international commerce in Australia emanates from trade liberalization. The fact that the country has lowered the trade barriers and improved in international transportation, communication and technology, this has led to an increased trade exposed as well as interdependent economies. The government has realized the opportunities that are underlined in the competitive global marketplace for the service providers, consumers as well as producers and this has pushed the government to seek for trade liberalization. The country seeks to reduce and if possible remove all barriers so as to open future commercial opportunities (Gruen, 2010). Policies assumed by the government Australia launched the internal structural reforms as well as measures for unilateral trade liberalization in the early 1990s and since then there have been high productivity, lower unemployment and high growth of GDP. The economic reforms entailing tariff reform, privatization and deregulation of many service sectors and reduction of subsidiaries have led to increased competitiveness of Australian stimulated exports along with business. The internal structural reforms in Australia have been evidenced to implement the process of trade liberalization. The commitment by the government to minimize the budget deficit has spurred the reduction of subsidies (Chand, 1999). Australia has already endorsed a new competitive policy which needs inter alia. This is an evaluation of all legislation that may enforce costs on business and consist of anti-competitive elements. Furthermore, government enterprises which were previously exempted from competition rules are currently subjected to similar rules just like private business. Privatization and deregulation are also being experienced in majority of the services sectors. A comprehensive internal deregulation and policy reforms for competition accompanied by a continuation of trade reforms is the central key increasing the ability for the country to compete effectively on the international market. Consequently, this leads to improved competitiveness in the country. The high degree of precision concerning the effects and nature of particular twist to competition has tremendously facilitated the trade and structural reform process (Sharma, 2004). The reform process can be linked positively to the Australia’s rates of GDP. Moreover, the reform process can be associated to the effect factor for productivity growth in Australia which has been described to be the highest among the industrialized countries in the OECD group. The Australian economy has gone through a period of strong growth along with low rates of inflation since 1994. A stable macroeconomic environment geared upon the Australian industry has been facilitated by the prudent monetary policies. On the other hand the fiscal policy has determined to consolidate privatization and budget deficit to decrease the savings investment gap which has led to persistent present account deficits (Gruen, 2010). Australia has adopted the method of elimination of barriers of trade in goods as well as services and this has led to securing improved and new market access chances. This has been a key focus for bilateral, multilateral as well as regional agreements. The agreements offer a framework that is legally binding and this helps in the advancement of the market access objectives in Australia. The country has been involved in major negotiating rounds under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). This has been in Kennedy, Dillon, Uruguay and Tokyo Rounds. The agreement came with lots of trade liberalization at a worldwide level though the success has been limited especially in the agricultural sector (Sharma, 2004). The country launched the Doha Development Agenda in 2001 and includes a wide range of matters such as industrial products, agriculture and other World Trade Organization rules issues, some trade and environment issues and all these are entailed in the present WTO negotiating. Negotiations The negotiations provide to the country a foundation for further trade liberalization and consequently address the removal of subsidies on agricultural export. An example of a negotiation is the one the country entered with Singapore in 2002 and the agreement was to cover various chapters such as investment, telecommunication services, electronic commerce and educational cooperation among others. The country’s current trade liberalization commitments are protected by the dispute settlement mechanism and rule-based trade as provided by the WTO. Because of the negotiations Australia made with Uruguay, the processes for dispute settlement mechanism have been strengthened and this has increased its use since the establishment of WTO in 1994. The regional as well as bilateral agreements on free trade have been based on elimination of discrimination and tariffs against service suppliers for trade between Australia and any other country (Gruen, 2010). The rules from the WTO have been hard to implement effectively in Australia because of their ambiguity though they are aimed at upholding comprehensive agreements that reduce distortions in trade. Agreements The country has adopted the bilateral trade agreements and this has been effective in looking onto matters that are linked to bilateral interest like professional qualifications and recognition of conformity assessments. Free trade agreements in Australia institute a framework for current cooperation on policy and regulatory actions that influence trade and investment. The country has already concluded free trade agreements with countries such as United States, Thailand, Singapore and New Zealand. Currently, negotiations are going on with China, Malaysia, Japan and Chile. The country in addition is carrying out feasible studies concerning possible free trade agreements in India, Republic of Korea and Indonesia. The impediments on the investment and trade in Australia have been addressed by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). Areas of interest have been on customs procedures, business mobility, competitive policy, standards and rights to intellectual property. APEC adopted an action program in 2007 to give strength to regional economic integration in the country and this included the assessment of the prospects and options for a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (Sharma, 2004). The country has adopted the method of complying with the WTO commitments that entails tariffication of enduring quantitative restrictions basically in agriculture and making adjustments to farm legislation to abide to the WTO Agreement concerning agriculture. The country’s preferences for developing nations as offered through the ASTP is gradually decreasing as the country continue to reduce the import tariffs. Besides the bilateral agreement with New Zealand, Canada and Papua New Guinea, Australia has been involved with limited regional trade agreements. The participation it has with the APEC is executed basing on the objective of sustaining an open regionalism in the multilateral rules. The country is highly committed to the system of multilateral trading and it is through the Cairns Group that the significance for extent multilateral reforms particularly in agriculture is emphasized. The country looks forward in placing agriculture in the same level with industrial products. In addition there is much emphasis on removal of export subsidies as well as intense cuts in domestic subsidies and considerably improved access to market through exclusion of non-tariff barriers along with deep reductions in tariffs. There has been an increase in the emphasis on opening foreign markets by the bilateral efforts to the Australian exports. Measures for giving preference to business by its own nationals Considering that the country is an island nation, it is remote from the key trading partners and hence it highly relies on foreign shipping services for the purpose of practicing the majority of its trade. The Australian government abides with the OECD Maritime Transport Committee policy of enhancing fair and free shipping markets. The country also pursues this same policy in the World Trade Organization. The country offers support to the policy initiatives as imposed by the international organizations like the OECD, to come against the trade distortion that emanates from the international employment of sub-standard shipping. Within the maritime transport sector for Australia, international trade is highly unrestricted and relatively open by world standards (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). The government of Australia is aimed at giving Australian industry the best of the opportunities for winning new work both in the private and public sectors. It is particularly significant that local firms in Australia have the chance to bid for infrastructure contracts and Commonwealth procurement. The Australian Government is known to be a big customer and hence since 2008, the government has invested almost $77 billion to prevent the country from global recession and 70% of the money is in infrastructure. In 2009, an estimated amount of $230 billion was to be involved in major investment projects. The government goal is to see the Australian services, manufacturing and construction firms participate fully in work. With that in consideration, the government has introduced measures that guarantee that local companies, particularly those that are small, get fair, full as well as reasonable opportunities of competing for major projects and tenders (Australian Government, 2009). The first focus for the measures taken by the government is based on increasing awareness. This entails offering to the Australian suppliers the best information regarding the work available and providing the procurement managers and project proponents with the best information concerning the capabilities of the Australian industry. The second focus entails making the local firms a bit more competitive (Perkins & Conlon, 1999). This is accomplished if the firms improve their skills which lift productivity and consequently increasing innovation. Through the Supplier Access to Major Projects (SAMP) program, the Industry Capability Network (ICN) has the responsibilities of matching the companies in Australia with the supply opportunities. The network has offices in New Zealand and Australia and applies technical experts to look into the needs of specific industries. ICN offers professional advice to the procurement managers and project proponents concerning Australian industry capabilities. It assists them to create Australian Industry Participation Plans and tender packages along with identifying and short-listing potential suppliers. Moreover, the network assist the local suppliers locate and track project opportunities and in an addition connect them with government services like Enterprise Connect (Australian Government, 2009). Measures of restricting access to its own markets The priority for the Australian Government policy is for a maritime industry that is competitive internationally and which abides to the international standards of environmental and safety protection. The government established the Shipping Reform Working group (SRWG) that considers alternatives for obtaining maritime industry that is more competitive internationally. In the process the SRWG considers ways upon which Australian flagged ships are encouraged to stay registered in Australia. The Australian government is dedicated to reform based on micro-economic of the marine sector. The review of the regulation in the coastal trade resulted to introduction of new rules to streamline the license or permit system for coastal trade. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority that was formed in 1990 to carry out marine environment protection and marine safety regulation from shipping operations (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). A review carried out in 1997 on the Australian Maritime Safety Authority revealed that the authority was providing an accountable and cost effective means for offering environment protection as well as maritime safety services to industry (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, 2008). The government of Australia sustains a inflexible regime for the use of sanitary and phytosanitary measures whose main responsibility is restricting imports of different agricultural products. The quarantine policies in Australia in addition efficiently forbid the importation of whole grain. The country has a detailed regulatory framework for risk assessment for looking into biotechnology problems (International Labor Office, 2008). Conclusion The structural as well as reform process in Australia ought to progress and be completed to make sure that there is strong growth ultimately. This would lead to increased growth in international trade and a further decrease in unemployment in the country. Australia appears to hesitate on pushing on reforms particularly for industries that are often heavily protected like the automotive sector, textiles and clothing industries. According to a report released by the WTO Secretariat regarding Australia’s trade practices and policies, the report suggested that the country ought to continue with its reforms and look on the needless regulatory measures along with rigid structural factors that result to the impairment of the competitiveness of its economy.

Pestel Analysis of Titan Watches Essays

Pestel Analysis of Titan Watches Essays Pestel Analysis of Titan Watches Paper Pestel Analysis of Titan Watches Paper Pestel analysis of Titan Watches PESTEL analysis : Pestel stands for Political, Economical, Sociocultural, Technological Environmental, Legal analysis of the external environment affecting the business. PESTEL analysis is done by managers to understand the macro environmental factors affecting the business. These analysis are strategic tools for understanding market growth, market share, latest trends etc. Political factors : These refer to the relevant government policies that affect the business environment. For eg. Tax policy,labour law , minimum wages law ,tariff rates etc Economic factors: These refer to the macro economic factors that may affect the business. For eg. Inflation, Gross National Income, Gross domestic product, REPO rate, reverse Repo rate. Socio-cultural factors: These refer to the various social and cultural factors prevalent in the business environment. For eg. Greater awarness of the people towards environment, changes in taste of the consumers, average age of the consumers etc. Technological factors: These include the technological factors such as RD activity, automation and other innovations which has changed the way business is conducted. For eg MP3 players, IPOD, Iphone, Tele conferencing, cloud computing to name a few. Environmental factors: These include the environmental and ecological factors that affect the business for eg climate change, global warming, and rapid depletion of our natural resources. * Legal factors: These refer to the legal environment in which the business is conducted. For eg. Trade barriers, consumer law, anti-dumping duty, corporate acts. Titan group Titan was formed in 1984 with the joint venture of Tata group and the Tamil Nadu international development corporation. It is mainly present in the watch industry although it has successfully forayed into the jewellery segment with the launch of Tanishq. Some of the notable brands of Titan are Sonata and Fastrack . It has made successful JV with international brands like Tommy Hilfiger,Hugo Boss,fcuk and made their presence felt in India. It has also made foray into eyewear with the launch of Fastrack eyewear and sunglasses. Alongside Tanishq, Titan has Zoya, the largest retail chain in luxury segment. It has a total of 665 retail outlets all over India backed by a committed workforce of around 5000 employees. PESTEL analysis of Titan Political factors : The Watch industry in India was started by the Indian government with the launch of HMT(Hindustan machine tools) in 1961. Till 1991 HMT enjoyed market leadership due to the trade barriers in the form of quantitative restrictions imposed on foreign products. There were very few players giving serious competition to HMT. But the scenario drastically changed with the formation of Titan and the liberalization policy adopted by the Indian government in 1991. As the trade barriers reduced, more and more players entered the Indian Watch industry which has one of the least watch penetration ratio all over the world (27%). Although the Indian government has successfully reduced the taxes and duties on imported watches and components it is still 50 to 60 percent over and above the watch prices in Singapore or Dubai. Due to this smuggling and tax evasion is quite prevalent in India. Economic factors: The Indian Economy is on a boom. It is having an impressive growth of 8-9 % per year which is second only to china. There is a huge influx of foreign investment in India in all the sectors including watch industry. Many International brands are have set up their retail outlets in india. The Indian watch Industry is growing at an impressive growth of 20% for the last two to three years. The luxury and the premium watch segment is the fastest growing segment with 25% growth per annum. The percapita income of the middle class Indian has increased many folds from a meager 500$ in 1990 to 1500$ in 2010. There is a moderate rate of inflation @ 10% per annum which is far below than many developed countries. Indian consumers are more confident than a decade ago and they are buying products which were a dream for their previous generations. More over with the advent of globalization and internet there is no dearth of information about the commodities. Socio-cultural factors : The Indian consumer is highly segmented with respect to the Indian watch industry. The various segments can be segregated as below * The Indian Urban fashion consious elite: This segment of people buy watches as a fashion statement and for them Titan has exclusively launched the ZOYA brand. The watches of this segment range from Rs 1500 and above. This segment is not Price sensitive. Most of them are brand conscious and very few of them frequently change brand. These people have a yearly salary of more than 8 lakhs. * The Indian Urban upper middle class : This segment of people are somewhat price conscious. They want to buy the most stylish watches at the most affordable prices. Titan has launched the Sonata segment specifically to cater this segment. These people are the bridge way between Indian deep rooted values and western fashion statement. This is the reason Sonata has launched Bandhan for married couples. It is a set of two watches for both the husband/boyfriend and wife/girlfriend. This category of consumers wants to get the best thing at the best affordable price. They don’t mind to pay the extra buck if the quality is good. This segment of consumers has an annual salary of 4-7 lakhs per annum. The Indian urban youth: This segment of consumers are fashion conscious. The age group of these consumers is between 15-28 yrs. The sports watch is specifically meant to cater this segment of consumers. Titan launched the Fastrack segment of watches for this segment. This segment wants to buy watches of the latest trends to show a style statement to their peers. This segment is relatively less price sensitive than the Indian Urban middle class. Apart from watches, Titan has also forayed into the eyewear segment with the launch of Fastrack eyewear to cater to the needs fashion needs of the Indian Urban youth. The Indian Urban middle class/Rural middle class: This is the segment where maximum volume of sales takes place. This is the most price sensitive consumer segment. The watches are below Rs 300 range. This segment is catered majorly by the unorganized sector. An unique feature of this segment is that consumers go for metallic watches even though they are heavier and costlier than the plastic ones. Metallic watches gives a sense of sturdiness to the watch which is absent in plastic watches. This is segment is the most price sensitive segment as the disposable income is very less. The consumers of this segment give high importance to warranty. They use watches not for style statement but for tracking time. They treat watches as a lifetime asset and brand plays a very important role in their buying decision. It is very common to find HMT watches that has been bought by the father to be passed on to the next generation. With the mobile phone rapidly becoming an integral part of the consumer’s daily lifestyle, it provides a serious threat to the Indian watch industry. Earlier watches were bought mainly for two reasons to keep a track of time and for alarm. All these features being now widely available in Mobile phones at throw away prices, they are giving a serious competition to the Indian watch industry specifically the segments which are price sensitive. Technological Factors: The Indian watch industry was kick-started by the launch of HMT. HMT produced mainly mechanical watches which dominated the Indian market till Titan was formed in 1984. Titan introduced Quartz watches which were an instant hit in the market. The Quartz watches were based on the Quartz crystal technology which did not need mechanical components for its functioning. After Quartz technology came the digital technology. Digital watches were popular because of their precision and design flexibility . It also drastically reduced the price of the watches making it affordable to the common man. Digital watches are very popular in the unorganized sector which accounts for around 60 % of the total watch market. The luxury bands like Rolex have their own technology which is reflected in their products. Although Titan is moving towards Rural, Semi urban markets but still its majority sales takes place in the urban markets. The majority of its customers are contemporary, trendy internet savvy urban youth. With the advent of online sites like e bay and Amazon. com Titan should also go online with its entire product portfolio. It will also indirectly enhance its international presence resulting in increase in the bottom line. Environmental Factors: The Watch industry is one such industry which has one of the highest scrap age rates. Most of the watches having plastic as one of their major components are not biodegradable causing serious threat to the environment. Majority of the watch components are outsourced from third world countries like Taiwan where the working conditions are very bad. Also most of the electronic components that go into the watch like LED and electronic circuits are not biodegradable. The gases that are formed after burning of these components are major constituents of global warming. Legal Factors: Although the Indian Government has drastically reduced the Import duty and tariff rates still the duty is 50-60 % higher than the actual price. This leads to a lot of smuggling causing a huge dent in the exchequer of the Indian government. This is quite prevalent in the watches present in the luxury segment costing more than Rs 50000. These watches are bought to India by illegal means in completely knocked down(CKD) form and then sold at a considerable discount. Although with the advent of modern retail this has reduced to a slight extent but it is still prevalent widespread. Conclusion: Taking into consideration all these external factors we can safely conclude that Titan is better positioned than ever before to exploit the Indian watch industry. With a very low watch penetration percentage it is expected that the Indian watch industry will grow in double digits in the near future. Although many foreign players have entered the Indian market but they have failed to catch the imagination of the Indian consumers as a whole. It is evident from the fact that Titan has more than 65% market share in the organized watch sector. Indian market is a complex market and Titan is going in the right direction by launching products which reflects the cultural ethos of Indian consumers like Bandhan and Fastrack two entirely different market segments. Titan established itself as the market leader by launching the latest technology from time to time. It outlasted HMT by launching Quartz watches and has kept up with the latest technology by launching digital technology as when was required. It is one single brand that caters to all the consumer segments. It has its products in the luxury segment like Zoya as well as products for the common man below the price range of Rs. 300. With the urban youth(which constitute more than 60% of the population) moving towards a western kind of lifestyle Titan has taken the right step by foraying into jewelry and eyewear. But Mobile Phones fast catching up as a substitute for watches Titan should diversify its business into high-end designer mobiles with a specific focus on watches(like mobile phones designed like a watch) to offer better diversity to the Indian consumers.

buy custom Drugs essay

buy custom Drugs essay Drugs that help in enhancing loss of appetite have been found suitable in helping obese patients to reduce and maintain a health body weight. However, these drugs are not and should never be treated as an equivalent of a balanced diet or body exercise .The effectiveness if these drugs have proven to be linked to a well balanced diet and physical exercise (Peeters Laurie., 2007). Its one of the most recent drug discovered and approved by FDA to be effective in decreasing appetite thus leading to loss of weight especially for obese patients. It works in the stomach and in the duodenum by hindering the digestion of fat by 30 percent. Unlike other drugs, it has no effect on the brain and this is its main strength since its very safe for people suffering from hypertension and has less heart risks (Peeters Laurie., 2007). Also it can be used over a long period of time unlike other drugs which are nomally for short time use. If a person with obese is given this medication, it will help in eliminating all the excessive fats in his/her body but in additional to the drug, fatty foods are discouraged and physical exercise is emphasised on (Adrian Martin., 2004). It can be used for a long period of time Safe and preferable for people who may be suffering from heart problems or diabetes Has no effect on the brain which may be dangerous to a patients health. Its the only drug that has been found to be harmless when used for obese patients who are under the age of eighteen years. It is approved in case where an obese patient is in a critical condition. Xenical drug is said to help in lowering cholesterol in the body thus cancels the chance of getting a heart disease. Have a good effect on sugar and body chemicals and this reduces the chances of getting diabetes. Use of the Xenical drug to decrease appetite in order to treat obesity have been found to have some weaknesses on those that use them. Such negative effects include: slight headpains, feeling dizzy, anxiety and feeling restless. The use of this drug may also result to an increase in the bowel movement and frequent visit to the latrine if the patient fails to avoid fatty foots. This is a type of study where similar measures are taken severally on similar objects but under different circumstances. For instance, to test on the effects and efficiency of Xenical on obese patients, a patients weight may be measured after a using the drug for a certain period of time and compare it to when they take another drug such as; Meridia for the same purpose. Buy custom Drugs essay

Abandoning the American Dream

Abandoning the American Dream From the American Revolution onward, the United States has gained international recognition as a land of hope and equal opportunity. America’s founding fathers imagined the nation to be a place of widespread promise, operating under democratic rule and allowing for social mobility. The notion that any individual, regardless of circumstance, could achieve a goal by possessing determination became a belief known as the American Dream. Instilled at the core of American culture, and remaining there at present, the American Dream must be assessed for its validity. Using critical support to discuss the purpose and importance of this myth in the past centuries, I will examine the American Dream from a historical perspective to uncover its current function in modern America. In spite of its illusory nature, the pervasion of the American Dream into national thought serves to justify the myth’s perpetuation into 21st century. Overall, this paper will illustrate the necessity of a new ideology if America is to continue on the rise. Incredibly popularized in the 19th century, during the period of expansion and Manifest Destiny, the American Dream became a predominant principle that guided society. The myth’s premise appeared straightforward: work hard and achieve greatness. A hopeful approach to the future, this idealistic outlook provided inspiration to adolescent America, a child in essence. Psychologist Bruno Bettelheim explains â€Å"the most important and also the most difficult task in raising a child is helping him to find meaning in life† (3), which is essentially the conflict that led the youthful society to adopt a nationally recognized ideology. The people had the difficult task before them of economic, social, and cultural development, and they needed a path to follow that would assure a prominent, meaningful future. The author of mid-nineteenth century children stories, Horatio Alger was a major influence in spreading the message of the American Dream through popular culture. Embedding the myth into American consciousness, Alger proposed that anyone could move from rags to riches (Kanfer). He provided a formula to the achievement of the American dream that corresponds to Joseph Campbell’s simplified formula of the monomyth.[1] There are three stages to Campbell’s formula: â€Å"a separation from the world, a penetration to some source of power, and a life-enhancing return† (35). Similarly, the Alger plot typically depicted a young boy separating himself from his poverty-stricken world, taking on a new routine characterized by intense work ethic, and coming forth with an improved status. Alger’s stories circulated throughout America at a crucial stage in its history, imparting a seemingly sensible approach to societal challenges and promising triumph. Alger truly had a substantial impact on the American philosophy for the upcoming century. Although Joseph Campbell in his conclusion to The Hero with a Thousand Faces asserts that modern society no longer abides by a mythic approach to life’s difficulties, I see the situation as the reverse: too strong of a reliance on the American myth has served as a constraint in the progression of society. In Campbell’s formula, there comes â€Å"the stage of the trials and victories† (36). Continued hope in the American Dream has prevented the social body from overcoming these trials. Consequently, the modern world’s reluctance to throw away the American Dream causes the postponement of â€Å"the return and reintegration with society† (Campbell 36). An exclusive faith in the American Dream hinders society from utilizing other approaches to improving the status quo. While the American Dream is exhausted of hope, society reluctantly retains faith due to how ingrained the philosophy has become within the social fabric. The American Dream myth consistently disappoints a large portion of American society; yet, for society to alter its attitude toward the myth proves difficult. Economist Lewis Corey uses the term â€Å"cultural lag† for this failure to change a popularized value, and he suggests that â€Å"ideals may persist†¦.after the material conditions of their origin are no more† (qtd. in Tipple 268). Viewing the American Dream from this rationale, I see the myth’s current existence in popular thought as primarily a result of its longevity. Instead of hard workers realizing that their efforts do not necessarily bring the promised success, they do not know whether to believe the claims of the myth or the observations of reality. Myth has the potent ability to blind its adherents from the nature of reality. By holding on to the myth, the believer suffers in a struggle without prospect. â€Å"Social myth functions in a complex and indirect system of rationalization,† (11) explains Joe Holland in The American Journey: A Theology in the Americas. Dominating the believer’s understanding of how society works, trust in the American myth only perpetuates the disillusionment in modern society. America does not recognize the myth’s falsehood, failing to confront the facts of the present social circumstances. Despite Alger’s claims about the self-made man, United States history repeatedly shows that the American Dream lacks the promise that the people have projected onto it. A study of United States history, from the American Revolution to the present day, reveals many examples of class struggle, racial prejudice, and restricted social mobility. Various times in history emphasize a not-so idealistic reality for minority groups, including the Civil War, the Progressive Era, and the 1960s. A key historical example, the period preceding and during the Great Depression in America, circa 1920s and 1930s, exposes the discrepancy between the American myth’s promise and the conditions of reality. In Crisis of the American Dream, John Tipple describes the carefree feeling among the people in the roaring twenties; it was taken as a truth that â€Å"man could realize his highest aspirations amid abundance† (13). The optimism, and naivety, of the American people reflects the stronghold that the myth of the American Dream had on our culture during a time of perceived affluence. The sudden collapse of the stock market crash, however, contradicted the myth’s promise: â€Å"the ensuing depression turned the dream of universal prosperity into a horrible nightmare† (Tipple 14). Regardless of its deep historical foundation, the time has come to acknowledge that Alger’s myth lacks true basis. The out-dated American Dream does not foster social advancement, and it has become harder to find Alger’s rags-to-riches man in modern America. No longer are the days of Manifest Destiny; the adolescent years of our nation have passed. Consequently, America must undertake the most difficult rite of passage[2]: giving up on old ideology and experiencing a rebirth by implementing a new faith. Modern society has the task of separating itself from the former myth and initiating a new philosophy if it is â€Å"to nullify the unremitting recurrences of death† (Campbell 16). Only by forming a new ideal can America prevent its demise and continue on an upward journey.

INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS - Essay Example Finally, the report will handle supply chain design and management, that is, how coffee from the country of choice will be transported and stored and how it will be processed. Coffee is the most popular hot drink around the world. It’s eminent if at the counters of most restaurant, commutes and kitchen. Also people who do jobs that involve the brain a lot preferred to take coffee as it acts as a â€Å"coolant† of the brain. Statistics show that most consumers of coffee are the modernised nations even though the third world countries are the major producer of it. This industry accounts for approximately $20 billion dollars of exports and is worth $100 billion worldwide (Bacon, 2008). Moreover, it has been shown that over 500 billion cups of coffee cups are drunk annually and this comes from 25 million people who work in coffee farms. Furthermore, over 50 countries all over the world grow coffee. Out of the five countries, Asia, South America, Caribbean, Africa and Central America, that grow coffee to the world, America contributes up to 67% of the global coffee output. Though coffee is manufactured in different flavours, depending on which country it has been processed from, coffee only exists in two different form: Arabica and Robust, being the only commercially cultivated and vended beans. Of the two types, Arabica is mostly grown and liked because of its flavour. On the other hand, Robusta is considered to be affordable and hardier Statistics has shown that coffee restaurants are on the rise with an approximately 7% annual growth rate. However, a large market for coffee is in the U.S where the third largest restaurant chain in the world, Starbucks, is the leading restaurant in coffee consumption worldwide accounting for 75% of Americans who take coffee. Other countries like Finland are known for drinking the most coffee per capita in the world. Supply of coffee from firms is fostered by fair trade (Daviron

Mathematics Assignment Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mathematics Assignment - Math Problem Example 1 m3 = 100 cm3 = 0.86 tonnes Then, divide both sides by 10 10 Cubic cms = 0.086 tonnes (b) What volume of soil weighs 3 kg 1 ton = 1000 kg Then, 0.86 tonnes = 860 kg = 1 m3 So, 1 m3 = 860 kg Multiply both sides by 3/860 3/860 m3 = (3*860) / 860 kg 0.0035 m3 = 3 kg 14. If 10 men take 3 days to complete a task (a) How long will it take 6 men to complete the task 10*3 = 6*x 30/6 = x = 5 (b) If the task is to be completed in two days how many men are required 10*3 = x*2 X = 30/2 = 15 15. Draw the graph of 5x + 2y 10 = 0 and determine the x and y intercepts When x=0, 5(0) + 2y = 10 Y= 10/2 = 5 (x,y) = (0,5) Similarly, when y=0. 5x + 2(0) = 10 X = 10/5 = 2 (x,y) = (2,0) 16. The distance travelled by a train and the corresponding times are given by Time, hrs 0 0.5 1.5 2.5 Distance, kms 0 38 114 190 Plot the graph of distance as a function of time and determine the equation of the line. Equation of the line, y = mx +c Where, c = y-intercept & m = slope of the line = here, as the graph shows c = 0, whereas, let us consider (0,0) and (0.5,38) to determine m. m = (38 - 0) / (0.5 - 0) = 76 So, the equation of the line is: y = 76x + 0 or y = 76x 17. A ball is thrown upward with an initial velocity 55 m/sec. The speed of the ball decreases uniformly with time and after 5 secs its velocity is 6 m/sec. (a) Determine the equation relating the velocity of the ball and time. Here, there are 2 coordinates given, i.e. (55,0) and (6,5) considering time is plotted on the y-axis. As per the graph in part b, c (y-intercept) = 5.6 and m = (5-0)/(6-55) = -5/49 Therefore, the equation will be, + 5.6 Or 49y +5x = 274.4 (b) Draw the graph of this equation. (c) Determine the time at which the... The negative velocity in this example would be a hypothetical state to achieve. The equation for such a case will be bound by constraints, ensuring no negative values can be put in for time and velocity.

Provision Of Services In The Financial Sector Essay - 7

Provision Of Services In The Financial Sector - Essay Example Most of these adults are located in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The mobile phone device is also changing the provision of services in the financial sector. The cell phones are regarded as cost-effective. The improvement in the technology sector has enabled the use of cell phones in the financial sector. The poor individuals in the society manage a wide range of financial instruments. In most cases, the microfinance sector has several requirements including insurance coverage, loans for emergency needs, pensions and microenterprise loans among others (Dommel 13). The financial sector should address the constrictions entailed in the financial service providers in order to reduce the poverty rates in most regions. This is because most individuals will be supported to invest and also save their money for future use. For instance, the financial service providers should be able to increase access to remittances in the rural areas. They should also consider providing enhancing savings groups and increasing branchless banking.

Design an e-Business System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Design an e-Business System - Essay Example Proper communication remain essential in ensuring the minimisation of errors; hence improvement of the business process. The utilisation of an internet based system for establishing links between salesmen, customers and suppliers remains essential in improvement of the processes. The different stakeholders will access information from a central source, and share information from the same centre. This sharing can effectively improve business processes and increase the company’s market share. Objectives The main purpose of the subsystem remains ensuring quick transfer of information and sharing between various stakeholders. The system aims at improving the business process and increasing efficacy of the process of making sales and manufacturing. Improvement of these processes can result in increased sales owing to the reduced time taken in making orders and delivering supplies. The application of the system objectives can ensure the company sales increase significantly, ensuring the company achieves significant growth. Background Avitz Bike is a UK based manufacturing company which specialises in different types of bikes for different markets globally. While the company experiences a considerably good market share, stiff competition has resulted in reduced market share over the last 5 years. This reduction has been attributed to the duration taken before bikes are delivered to customers. The company relies heavily on sales made through different retailers across the United Kingdom. While the utilisation of retailers has continuously provided sufficient market-share, improvement in the selling process remains inevitable as the company seeks to increase sales. The utilisation of an E-business system seeks to ensure the company reduces the delivery time for most products. This would effectively increase the current sales volume, consequently increasing the market share. The company has adopted the E-business strategy to eliminate the lengthy supply chain, pre sent in the current strategy. Description of the business process The process of receiving orders within the business involves direct communication with retailers, through telephone, electronic data exchange of facsimile. The retailers first make contact with sales managers, to negotiate on different product prices, before making orders to the company. The orders are then subjected to a validation process, which includes verification of various order requirements as stated by the retailer. This validation process results in acceptance or rejection of the order. Following the validation of different orders, required parts can be orders to enhance the assembling of the requested bike. The customer specifications determine how the distributors deliver bikes to various retailers. When utilising process, the company does not make direct contacts with the customers making the process lengthy. The company utilises an information system developed in 1997, built on LAN with Windows NT as the client-server system. The current system contains information regarding customers, suppliers, bikes and other physical attributes of company products. Some of the information contained within the system remains available to specific departments, an aspect which causes delays. Problems and solutions in project that the company is facing The company faces a number of challenges resulting from the current business process and information systems. The biggest problem

Macro-economical Side of World Price of Wheat Assignment

Macro-economical Side of World Price of Wheat - Assignment Example Normally, when a good has high demand with a given supply, the price for the same tends to come up and when it is demanded by a few, the price tends to come down. But, it is to be noticed that this relationship between price, demand, and supply do not hold good always. There are exceptions to this general rule. However, in the case of commodities that are normally consumed, this rule can be applied. It can be, therefore, inferred that demand and supply are two opposite extremes of the same phenomenon and when it comes together (it is necessary), the price is determined, called the equilibrium price. This equilibrium price ensures that quantity demanded is just equal to the quantity supplied at any time point and this decides the price of that good (Forget 1999, p. 141). In the context of a hike in the price of enriched wheat flour in Malaysia, the following demand-supply model is suggested. The price of wheat here is determined by the forces of quantity demanded and supplied. The quantity of wheat supplied at any time is the amount of wheat that the suppliers are ready to offer at a certain price. Similarly, the amount of quantity of wheat demanded by consumers implies the quantity that consumers are ready to purchase at a certain price. When both demand and supply interact together at a point, the price is determined. This situation is known as the equilibrium price. This situation gets affected when there is a mismatch between quantity supplied and demanded. At this juncture, the quantity demanded does not coincide with what is offered by suppliers and thereby the price reaches disequilibrium. This price disequilibrium gets adjusted by either a price cut or a price hike as the case may be and eventually reaches the price equilibrium. The major reason put forward here for the inevitable price hike is the shortage of wheat in the home market. When there is a shortage of an essential good, the demand for the same would increase as a certain amount of the good is consumed daily. Therefore, when there is a shortage in the supply of wheat in the country, the demand for wheat flour increases and naturally there is an adjustment of price. However, this economic problem can be overcome by shifting the consumption of wheat from enriched wheat to normal wheat. The price of normal wheat will not be affected much as it is abundantly available. Hence, the authorities can proceed with stabilizing the price at a level where the consumers in the home market will not be harmed much. Explain the determinants of the price elasticity of demand as they apply to the demand for wheat. Use your conclusions about the price elasticity of demand to explain what they imply about the revenue that Australian wheat farmers are likely to receive as a consequence of the poor harvests in Australia Price Elasticity of Demand of a good is commonly understood as the degree to which the consumers respond to a change in price. If the consumers are highly responsive that they demand more of the good, when there is a price cut, the good id said to have price elasticity. It is measured by a coefficient. When the coefficient is high, the good is highly elastic and vice versa (Hoag 2006, p. 102).

Provision Of Services In The Financial Sector Essay - 7

Provision Of Services In The Financial Sector - Essay Example Most of these adults are located in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The mobile phone device is also changing the provision of services in the financial sector. The cell phones are regarded as cost-effective. The improvement in the technology sector has enabled the use of cell phones in the financial sector. The poor individuals in the society manage a wide range of financial instruments. In most cases, the microfinance sector has several requirements including insurance coverage, loans for emergency needs, pensions and microenterprise loans among others (Dommel 13). The financial sector should address the constrictions entailed in the financial service providers in order to reduce the poverty rates in most regions. This is because most individuals will be supported to invest and also save their money for future use. For instance, the financial service providers should be able to increase access to remittances in the rural areas. They should also consider providing enhancing savings groups and increasing branchless banking.

Macro-economical Side of World Price of Wheat Assignment

Macro-economical Side of World Price of Wheat - Assignment Example Normally, when a good has high demand with a given supply, the price for the same tends to come up and when it is demanded by a few, the price tends to come down. But, it is to be noticed that this relationship between price, demand, and supply do not hold good always. There are exceptions to this general rule. However, in the case of commodities that are normally consumed, this rule can be applied. It can be, therefore, inferred that demand and supply are two opposite extremes of the same phenomenon and when it comes together (it is necessary), the price is determined, called the equilibrium price. This equilibrium price ensures that quantity demanded is just equal to the quantity supplied at any time point and this decides the price of that good (Forget 1999, p. 141). In the context of a hike in the price of enriched wheat flour in Malaysia, the following demand-supply model is suggested. The price of wheat here is determined by the forces of quantity demanded and supplied. The quantity of wheat supplied at any time is the amount of wheat that the suppliers are ready to offer at a certain price. Similarly, the amount of quantity of wheat demanded by consumers implies the quantity that consumers are ready to purchase at a certain price. When both demand and supply interact together at a point, the price is determined. This situation is known as the equilibrium price. This situation gets affected when there is a mismatch between quantity supplied and demanded. At this juncture, the quantity demanded does not coincide with what is offered by suppliers and thereby the price reaches disequilibrium. This price disequilibrium gets adjusted by either a price cut or a price hike as the case may be and eventually reaches the price equilibrium. The major reason put forward here for the inevitable price hike is the shortage of wheat in the home market. When there is a shortage of an essential good, the demand for the same would increase as a certain amount of the good is consumed daily. Therefore, when there is a shortage in the supply of wheat in the country, the demand for wheat flour increases and naturally there is an adjustment of price. However, this economic problem can be overcome by shifting the consumption of wheat from enriched wheat to normal wheat. The price of normal wheat will not be affected much as it is abundantly available. Hence, the authorities can proceed with stabilizing the price at a level where the consumers in the home market will not be harmed much. Explain the determinants of the price elasticity of demand as they apply to the demand for wheat. Use your conclusions about the price elasticity of demand to explain what they imply about the revenue that Australian wheat farmers are likely to receive as a consequence of the poor harvests in Australia Price Elasticity of Demand of a good is commonly understood as the degree to which the consumers respond to a change in price. If the consumers are highly responsive that they demand more of the good, when there is a price cut, the good id said to have price elasticity. It is measured by a coefficient. When the coefficient is high, the good is highly elastic and vice versa (Hoag 2006, p. 102).

Letters of Credit Essay Example for Free

Letters of Credit Essay The use of the letter of credit in international trade has for a long time been an easy way of carrying out business operations without really having to use the credit of the applicant’s bank. Letters of credit usually take the place of a bank’s credit and enhances the speed of transactions when used properly.[1] Usually, the letter of credit serves to give an importer of goods as well as the exporter a chance to go a head with their business transactions even when there is no real liquid money available to either party. Letters of credit, however, present very many challenges to both the exporter and the issuing bank because they are usually documents that cannot be revoked under certain circumstances and so exposes some players to a lot of risk. A key concern has been the nature of the conditions that ought to be met before such documents can be honored by the exporter’s bank which usually has to rely on information from the importer’s bank.[2] It is on the basis of the intricate issues that surround the letter of credit and its use that this paper seeks to critically discuss it especially when used in the context of international trade. Of particular interest, though, is a discussion of the undue exposure to losses and other risks on the issuer of the letter of credit, particularly in instances when the applicant or beneficiary of the letter of credit does not duly perform one’s obligations or wrongfully obtains payment. The Working of a Letter of Credit From a business point of view, it is usually very important for an importer of goods and who holds an account with a local bank to seek for the financing of the bank for goods that are to be sourced from another country.[3] The reasons this is appropriate range from an ability to facilitate the business transactions and ensure a faster and timely transfer of the goods from the exporter’s location to that of the importer, and to reduce the costs that could be incurred in having to use other means of payment to pay for goods in another country – means of which are not always available. Therefore, from the business point of view, a letter of credit serves to enhance the general business transactions involving international trade. Where the challenge comes in is that point when it is never drawn or requested unless there is some form of credit that needs to be transferred. Actually, the letter of credit is used as an exchange of the credit of the bank and that of the buyer. Here, issues of compliance with the terms and conditions of the letter of credit poses many challenges and risks to the issuing bank as well as the advising bank which literally transfers the credit to the exporter’s account. This results because of the manner in which the transactions are conducted. First, an importer in the United Kingdom orders for coffee beans from a farmer in Brazil. The farmer insists that the coffee beans can only be exported or ferried on condition that the payment for them is paid within forty days from the time the transaction is entered into. The UK importer cannot get to Brazil to make the payments but there is a way that the exporter’s bank can communicate with the importer so that the credit can be transferred. However, the buyer does not want any undue risks so he does not offer cash to his bank but asks for a letter of credit to be drafted with the Brazilian coffee exporter as the beneficiary. The UK bank makes an arrangement with this importer and because he satisfies the conditions required, the bank drafts a letter of credits and transfers it to the beneficiary’s bank in Brazil. That advising bank then verifies the details of and terms of the letter of credit and duly pays the exporter. Once this is done, it is all to the exporter to ship the coffee beans to the UK. Only then can the advising bank (the exporter’s bank) be able to seek for the payment for the goods in accordance with the terms and conditions of the letter of credit. As can be clearly seen, there are so many processes involved and it all boils down to four main players who are bound to lose or benefit. There are the bank of the exporter, the bank of the importer, the exporter and the importer. Commercial Letter of Credit and Standby Letter of Credit It is always important to draw a distinction between two types of letters of credit commonly used in international trade and to ascertain the roles each plays towards enhancing payments for imports by a customer.[4] The commercial letter of credit is the most widely used and its use is restricted to the actual exchange of credit on behalf of the customer of a bank. It is the commercial letter of credit that will be needed by the advising bank or the exporter’s bank in order to effect payments. However, owing to the risks to the issuing bank regarding defaulting on the part of the importer who is also its customer, the issuing bank usually drafts and issues another letter of credit for the purposes of proving the credit worthiness of the importer. This particular letter of credit, therefore, serves the function of guaranteeing the advising bank and the exporter that the importer will actually pay for the goods. This reduces the risks inherent in international trade.[5] Based on this fact, it can be fairly argued that an issuer of the commercial letter of credit will be protected significantly in the event of failure by the beneficiary to adhere to the terms and conditions of the letter of credit. To a significant level, having the standby letter of credit protects the issuer because it cannot be allowed to pursue the property of the importer and recover the money; or it can fail to pass the money to the advising bank. In accordance to the UCP provisions, the banks are protected only mildly when it comes to failure by trader to honor their part of the contract regarding payments to be submitted. For instance, the UCP never really form part of the official international trade rules and are only applicable when the parties to the trade deal believe it is right for them. The absence of a clear law, therefore, that emphatically seeks to help issuers of letters of credit means that they are exposed to many risks. The law in this country regarding international trade in general and letters of credit in particular tend to offer protection to consumers more than the issuer of the letters of credit. It is almost always believed that banks have the right and the capacity to set up their own terms and conditions which they believe are sufficient enough to protect them from any acts of fraud by traders; and as such not a lot of protection is offered them under the law. International trade law will also protect the local bank and not the foreign bank, meaning that in the event the local bank, which is the issuer of the letter of credit, has already passed on the money to the advising bank, then there is little that can be done to recover the money especially in cases where the trader fails to honor the obligations to pay the bank due to bankruptcy or any other reason. This is because the law on bankruptcy protects the importer from the actions of banks that can lead to further legal battles. If such an importer files for bankruptcy during the period when the goods are yet to be delivered to him, then there is nothing the bank can do to recover its money.[6] A person declared bankrupt is protected from his debtors until at such a time when the bankruptcy can be lifted. This clearly renders the issuer of the letter of credit to such a trader incapable of recovering its owed monies. [1] Campbell, Dennis. REMEDIES FOR INTERNATIONAL SELLERS OF GOODS [2008] Volume II. Lulu.com, 2008 [2] Edwards, George. Foreign Commercial Credits; A Study in the Financing of Foreign Trade. General Books LLC, 2009 [3] Great Britain. Law Commission. Company security interests: a consultative report. Routledge, 2005 [4] Credit research Foundation. â€Å"Understanding and Using Letters of Credit, Part I† (1999). Retrieved 08/16/2010 from: http://www.crfonline.org/orc/cro/cro-9-1.html [5] Warner, Susan. The Letter of Credit. Kessinger Publishing, 2007 [6] LLL. â€Å"U.C.C. ARTICLE 5 LETTERS OF CREDIT .† (2005). http://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/5/article5.htm

Corporate Governance And Business Ethics Of IKEA Commerce Essay

Corporate Governance And Business Ethics Of IKEA Commerce Essay The origin of IKEA concept dates back to the year 1943 in Sweden. The founder of the organization Ingvar Kamprad was just 17 years old when he started this organization. The company is almost six decades old now. The organization which was started in a small village in Sweden today has spread across 36 countries world over and has created a brand image for itself as one of the worlds leading furniture dealers. The owner of the business, Ingvar Kamprad, as already stated was very young when he started this organization. It was his ambition to start his own business since his childhood years. He started selling small household things like matches etc, since the age of five. As he grew a little older he started going a little ahead of his neighborhood to carry out the selling of matches and he realizes that it is possible to buy matches in bulk at a lesser price and possible to earn decent profits. His product portfolio ranges from matches to various other things like Christmas gifts, greeting cards, pencils and ball point pens etc (IKEA, 2009). In the year 1943, at the age of 17 Ingvar receives a small sum of money from his father as a gift for his exceptional academic performance which he uses as capital for his business and starts his own business. The name of the company IKEA is actually the initials of the Founder Ingvar Kamprad and the first letters of the farm and village he grew up Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd. In the initial days of origination, the company used to sell stationery stuff like ball point pens, table runners, and other miscellaneous stuff like watches and jewelry etc. However, an interesting fact about the store is that the products were priced lesser. As the years passed, the product portfolio of the company increased and it has primarily become a furniture retailer. Today, the organization has got its presence in over 36 countries across the globe. From opening stores in various parts of the world to acquiring business units and being environment friendly, the company has created a name for itself in the world. Business Idea of IKEA IKEA is famous all across the globe for their affordable price range for the well-designed and varied range of functional home furniture. Price affordability is the predominant ides behind every step that the company takes, right from product development to product sales (IKEA, 2009). However, one may think how is the company making it possible to offer high quality products at a very low price? This is where the company differentiates itself from other players in the industry. The organization constantly develops ideas that are both innovative and at the same time cost-effective. Low prices, flat packing looking everything differently are a few such ideas of the organization to differentiate itself in the market. IKEA Responsibility IKEA strongly believes that taking responsibility for the society and the environment in which it does business are the foundation for its sustainability in the industry. The IKEA group has got managers who work constantly to ensure social and environmental responsibility in the day-to-day activities of the business. To support business, there are a number of specialists covering a wide range of areas, such as chemical experts, foresters, IWAY auditors and energy experts. All IKEA Group stores and distribution centers have environmental coordinators who work in the areas such as training, waste management, water and energy conservation (IKEA, 2009). Code of Conduct of IKEA IWAY The company introduced its code of conduct IWAY in the year 2000 and it applies to all of its suppliers. The company has got independent IWAYs for all of its various businesses. All of IKEAs suppliers and service providers are required to strictly adhere to this code of conduct. The code of conduct specifies certain requirements for suppliers and service providers and also the support that the company offers to them. The suppliers and service providers are required to communication the same to the co-workers and ensure that all of the channel members those are involved implement the same. Corporate Social Responsibility and its importance to todays Business Many corporate bodies have made an impression in the countries of their adoption. The impact is more so, in countries that are either developing or underdeveloped. These conglomerates play active roles in the social and economic development of the society they live in apart from generating highly profitable overtures from themselves in the bargain. This dissertation sets out to explore just this, and how they are able to manipulate their corporate social responsibilities (CSR) to ensure extremely favorable business conditions and growth. An individual must not forget that CSR alone is not enough for a company to progress; it takes a lot of personal involvement and hard management decisions to turn hostile terrains to viable solutions. Companies with high levels of CSR recognize the need to lead from the front; they show collective understanding of cultural, political and social issues, and issues pertaining to the local community and their grievance, as well as supporting their cause. A key element of business is knowledge management. Intangible assets can be easily shared through partnerships to achieve mutual benefits (Halal 2000)  [1]  . Kay (1993) argues that successful innovation and management of distinct possibilities for companies; such as the reputation of the company, which lead to the competitive advantage. Reputation, like knowledge management, is an intangible asset which can affect and be affected by the community in which a company operates. A company that supports the community wherein it operates , has the advantage of enhanced performance through image-building, and has the effect of empowering that community. It is therefore right in assessing that, those companies that play a major role in corporate social leadership can maintain their competitive advantage over other market players (Hilton and Gibbons 2002)  [2]  . A first in the market is seen as a big step forward to maintaining a competitive advantage. Becoming a CSR leader can also create competitive advantages. CSR helps to create a motivated workforce, which is easy to recruit and retain. It is thus natural to say that a constructive relationship with the community leads to knowledge exchange and mutual profit  [3]  (Halal 2000, Handy 2002). The link between CSR, community stakeholders and financial goals is seen at various levels from tenuous (Fryxell and Wang 1994), to relevant only as it impacts on primary stakeholders (MacMillan et al. 2004), to a necessity (Chakraborty et al. 2004) and finally as an investment (Schiebel and Pochtrager 2003). Chakraborty et al. (2004), says that in a developing country like India, for example, there is so much that can be done to fight poverty and deprivation and bring about advancement without losing track of its ethical and spiritual moorings. What these corporations seek is to support community development, while at the same time, concentrate on profitable propositions and enrich business practices. This can be done through cooperation with local NGOs who have reliable and time-tested networks and relationships in place (Millar et al. 2004)  [4]  . Stakeholder involvement through NGOs is not without its problems, as in many cases, some international and national NGOs have no accountability at the local level. Many areas in developing countries are either backward or tribal, which could lead to conflicting cultural norms within one geographic community area itself, and the possibility of inadvertent exclusion of any intended beneficiary can be disastrous (Blowfield, 2004)  [5]  . Another aspect of CSR is the expression of indirect marketing. CSR and marketing are frequently linked and thus, CSR is in more than one way, considered a marketing tool employed to generate profit and recognition. The overriding projection of CSR as a great marketing tool is as good as the benefits the community derives from these practices. There is no doubt that good work can enhance the reputation of the company and significantly affect the competitive advantage. There are two ways of aligning with the community they operate in. at first, the conglomerate uses the community to its advantage (cause-related marketing) while in the other, develops the community with the hope of deriving benefits in the long run (Banyan, 2004)  [6]  . Organizations function more effectively if they operate as open systems, interacting with and responding to changes in the external environment. Since such organizations are influenced by the transformations in the external setting, executives must comprehend the nature of this environment. The external environment of an organization consists of the mega environment otherwise called the general environment and the task environment. The mega environment reflects the major trends in the societies within which the organization operates. These societies have various sub components namely the technological, economic, socio-cultural and international  [7]  . The task environment consists of specific external elements with which an organizations interacts while conducting its business. These include customers and clients, competitors, suppliers, labor supply and government agencies. The task environment, which depends largely on the products and services offered by the organization and its business location, may vary from firm to firm. While a firm may to be able to directly influence its mega environment, it can certainly influence its task environment (ICFAI Centre for Management Research, 2003). Working within a large and complex external environment affects a business in terms of its social responsibility, its social responsiveness and its ethical behavior. During the initial years of the 20 century, business entities were predominantly concerned with maximizing their profits. In the 1970s, social advocates started to question industry enterprises singular objective of profit maximization. They argued that because businesses receive their existence from society, they need to have a little obligation towards it. The concept of social responsibility became popular after the publication of Howard R. Bowens Social Responsibilities of Business. Bowen argued that business enterprises should consider the impact of their decisions on society. The operational definition of social responsibility is as follows: Social responsibility contends that management is responsible to the organization itself and to all the interest groups with which it interacts. Other interest groups such as workers, customers, creditors, suppliers, government and society in general are placed essentially equal with shareholders (ICFAI Centre for Management Research, 2003). According to the above stated definitions, business entities should pay attention to the welfare of workers, consumers needs and their security, the wellbeing and privileges of creditors, government regulations and the obligations of the enterprise towards the social order as a whole. Nowadays, numerous organizations are concerned about social activities and are playing an active role in the same. While the outlook of the society have transformed, companies have become further conscious of their social responsibilities. A cautious analysis of opinions for and against the participation of organizations in social welfare activities is essential to conclude whether an organization should employ social programs. Arguments favoring Social Responsibilities of Business The needs of present day customers have changed, ensuing in a change in their outlook of businesses. As businesses oblige their profits to humanity, they have to thus counter to the needs of the society. Society and business gain mutual advantage when there is a symbiotic association between them. Society benefits through economic expansion and the proviso of employment prospects; and business gains through the employees and customers provided by the same society. By being socially responsible, business entities attract a smaller amount of attention from regulatory agencies, this gives them superior liberty and suppleness in their operations. Businesses have substantial command and influence. The application or use of this command should be accompanied by an equivalent amount of accountability. Most firms are open systems, that is, they interact with the external environment. The internal activities of such firms have an impact on the external environment to avoid negative impact on the external environment, firms should be socially responsible. In addition, by being socially involved a company can improve its image and thus protect its shareholders interests (ICFAI Centre for Management Research, 2003). Social responsibility entails the preservation of natural resources. Preservation can be beneficial for organizations. Through social involvement, a firm can create a favorable public image for itself and endear itself to society, by so doing a firm can attract customers, employees and investors. Businesses have a history of coming up with innovative ideas, therefore they are likely to come with solutions for social problems, which other institutions were unable to tackle. Businesses should make the best possible utilization of the expertise and aptitude of its managerial workforce and also its capital resources in order to manufacture good quality products and services. Thereby, the businesses will be able to accomplish their responsibility towards the society. It is in the interest of the business entity to avoid social harms. Instead of allowing large scale unemployment to lead to social unrest, which in turn will harm business interests, businesses can be resources of employment for qualified youth. Arguments against social responsibility of businesses The most important rationale of a business is revenue maximization. Hence social involvement may not be reasonably feasible for a business. When a business incurs disproportionate cost for social participation, it passes the charge on to its clientele in the form of elevated prices. Society, therefore, has to tolerate the burden of the social participation of business by paying elevated prices for its merchandise. A destabilized international balance of payments state may be created by the social participation of organizations, as the cost of social programs would be appended to the cost of the goods, the multinational companies doing business in international markets would be at a inconvenience when contending with domestic companies which may not be involved in social actions. Businesses are intrinsically prepared with a firm amount of power. Their participation in social activities can lead to an augment in their influence and power. This boost in power and influence may corrupt them. Business people do not have power over the necessary skills to tackle social problems. Their proficiency and knowledge may not be pertinent to deal with such problems. Until a proper method to establish the responsibility of businesses is developed, they should not get implicated in social activities. There is no conformity regarding the kind of socially responsible actions that a business should embark on (ICMR-ICFAI Centre for Management Research, 2003 Ref.no.BECG BR 122K3 08). Business owners have their own sense of skewed ideas of doing business and their business practices. When businesses take up social responsibilities, the business owners tend to get these quirks into such actions too. This might at times lead to disastrous consequences. As in most situations there is no firm right thinking or wrong thinking. Businesses getting involved in social activities have their own strengths and weaknesses. There are definitely both sides to the coin. A mere word of concern is that, there must be a sense of balance when businesses get involved in social activities and they must not go overboard nor overlook the primary purposes of their businesses. Social Stakeholders Business executives, who are worried about corporate social responsibility need to recognize a variety of interest groups which may persuade the operation of a firm and which, consequently, may be influenced by the organizations decisions. Business enterprises are primarily accountable to six major interest groups namely the shareholders, employees, customers, creditors and suppliers, the social order and the administration. These groups are otherwise known as the social stakeholders. Shareholders The prime accountability of a business is to protect the interests of its shareholders. The shareholders provide the core resource the capital that enables the organization to operate and grow. They expect the management to use the capital judiciously and operate the business in a way that ensures a good return on their investment, both through dividends and through increase in stock value. Shareholders should be provided with adequate and timely information about the functioning of the organization. The IKEA Group  co-operates with other companies, trade unions and organizations that represent stakeholders throughout the world. These include Building and Wood Workers International, Clean Cargo Working Group and dialogues with Greenpeace (IKEA, 2009). Employees Employees are the principal assets of an organization. Traditionally, managers regarded employees only as factors of production and denied them their rightful share in the distribution of income. However, in the present times, it is mandatory for business firms to protect the interests of their employees. Laws and government regulations now define the responsibilities of the employer. A few such laws include ensuring equal employment for men and women, offering pensions and other retirement benefits, and providing a safe and healthy work environment etc. IKEA products must be manufactured under acceptable working conditions by suppliers who take responsibility for the environment. IKEA is a production-oriented retail company. By being on site and conducting responsible business, IKEA contributes to better manufacturing and working conditions for suppliers and their workers (IKEA, 2009). Customers In recent years, customers have received great attention. Firms have begun to realize the importance of keeping customers happy. Moreover, the growth of consumerism has made firms more aware of their duties towards consumers. IKEA concept in itself is all about offering high-quality products and affordable prices. In order to ensure this, the company constantly works its way about cost-effectiveness and innovation. Creditors and Suppliers Creditors and Suppliers are responsible for providing inputs for production process in the form of raw material and capital. Management is responsible for fulfilling its obligations to its creditors and suppliers. This can be done by: i. Creating long-term and healthy business relationship with them. ii. Making prompt payments to creditors and suppliers. iii. Providing them with accurate, relevant and needed information. The IKEA Group believes that safe, healthy, non-discriminatory working conditions and the protection of the environment at our suppliers are prerequisites for doing good business (IKEA, 2009).As already mentioned above, IKEA has got a special code of conduct that clarifies the expectations of suppliers from the company and also the kind of support that the company offers in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the supply chain. Society Organizations function within a social system and draw their resources from this system. Therefore, they have certain obligations towards society. The management of business organizations can fulfill their obligations toward society by preserving and enhancing the well-being of the members of society. Management can do so in the following ways: i. Using its technical expertise to solve local problems. ii. Setting socially desirable standards of living and avoiding unnecessary and wasteful expenditure. iii. Playing an important role in civic affairs. Volunteers from some companies help the traffic police regulate traffic at busy intersections. Pizza Corner in Hyderabad, India is one such organization. Many companies also put up road signs along highways to encourage safe driving habits. For instance, liquor companies such as Shaw Wallace and United Breweries have put up road signs on mountain roads in various parts of India. These road signs caution drivers against driving under the influence of alcohol. iv. Providing basic amenities, healthcare and education facilities, hence creating better living conditions. v. Establishing development programs for the benefit of economically weaker class of the society. IKEA ensures that it contributes its part to the society by taking steps to prevent child labor. IKEA has a special code of conduct called The IKEA Way on Preventing Child Labor, which is a part of  The IKEA Way on Purchasing Home Furnishing Products. Monitoring of compliance to The IKEA Way on Preventing Child Labor is done by IKEA trading service offices and with unannounced visits by KPMG at suppliers and sub-contractors in South Asia (IKEA, 2009). Government The government of a country provides the basic facilities required for the survival and growth of businesses. The government monitors and, to a certain extent, controls the business systems of the country. Most of the controls imposed by the government are in the best interests of businesses. To fulfill its obligations to the government, the management of business organizations should: i. be law-abiding ii. Pay taxes and other dues fully, timely and honestly. iii. Not bribe government servants to obtain favors for the company. iv. Not try to use political influence in its favor. Measuring Social Responsiveness According to Keith Davis and William C. Fredrick, Social Responsiveness is the ability of a corporation to relate its operations and policies to the social environment in ways that are mutually beneficial to the company and to society (ICMR-ICFAI Centre for Management Research, 2003 Ref.no.BECG BR 122K3 08). Alternatively, it can be referred to the development of organizational decision procedures that enable managers to anticipate, respond to and manage the areas of social responsibility. Though the term social responsiveness is generally applied to business organizations, it is also applicable to not-for-profit organization also. Numerous endeavors have been made to measure social responsiveness. Some companies establish special committees to evaluate their social responsiveness. The various categories for measuring the social responsiveness of organizations are as follows: Contributions Companies make direct financial contributions to charitable and civic projects. Many companies made financial contributions towards relief and rehabilitation work to earthquakes and other similar environmental disasters. Infosys Foundation, set up by Infosys, provides financial assistance to war widows. Fund-raising This involves fund-raising for a social cause, either by the organization itself or by assisting voluntary social organization in fund-raising. Volunteerism Volunteerism refers to the involvement of employees in civic activities. The Boots Company has a volunteering program called Skills for Life, which gives employees a host of opportunities to get involved in community activities in company time. These include giving career talks; conduction mock interviews; supervising students during their work experience period; sharing business skills with local small businesses; and planting gardens and decorating community centers. Recycling To conserve the environment, materials like plastic, paper etc, can and should be recycled into useful products. . Such recycling efforts by business entities reduce the accumulation of plastic waste in landfills. Direct Corporate Investment Often, companies make direct investments to provide facilities for a locality or a community. Attention to consumers Consumers usually have a preference to buy goods that are of good eminence and are secure to use. Pollution Control Pollution is a major problem caused by rapid industrialization. Increasing public awareness and government pressure have made corporations more conscious about the environment. Conclusion Business owners have their own sense of skewed ideas of doing business and their business practices. When businesses take up social responsibilities, the business owners tend to get these quirks into such actions too. This might at times lead to disastrous consequences. As in the majority of situations there is no firm right thinking or wrong thinking. Businesses getting involved in social activities have their own strengths and weaknesses. There are definitely both sides to the coin. Only word of caution is that, there must be a sense of balance when businesses get involved in social activities and they must not go overboard nor overlook the primary purposes of their businesses.